LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 18/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 03/31-36/:”The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on August 17-18/2019
Mr. Hassan Nasrallah’s Delusional and Boasting speech Of Today
Aoun Meets PSP Delegation Dispatched by Jumblat
President Aoun: Mountain reconciliation will remain
Hariri: UN, US Will Participate in Negotiations on Maritime Borders
Berri Says All Must Take a Stand to Face Tough Economy Times
Departures from RHIA Record Highest in Lebanon History
Qatisha deems Nasrallah's words as 'misleading'
Atallah to Radio Lebanon: Baabda reconciliation to be built upon
Shehayeb: We are committed to the march of reconciliation that preserves partnership, safeguards civil peace
AlHassan thanks passengers for enduring the heavy congestion at Beirut Airport
ElKhalil honoring UNIFIL Eastern Sector Commander: Lebanon triumphed in 2006 with the strength of its army, engulfing its resistance
Jamali: Once again, PM Hariri proves that he is a man of trust wherever he may be
Hezbollah's harmful influence spans the globe
US administration is cutting off the oxygen supply to Tehran’s proxies

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 17-18/2019
Iranian foreign minister Zarif to visit Kuwait
Monitor: Syrian Regime Offensive Kills Seven in Southern Idlib
France calls for immediate end to fighting in Syrian city of Idlib
Civilian death toll mounts as Syrian offensive widens
Israel launches two raids on ‘Hamas underground infrastructure’ in Gaz
Israel intercepts Gaza rocket after weeks of calm
Olmert: Netanyahu Considers PA ‘Real Enemy’
US Issues Warrant to Seize Iranian Oil Tanker
Controversy in Tunisia over Candidates Resuming Government Tasks
US announces warrant to seize Iranian supertanker Grace 1
Al-Jubeir: Sudan agreement first building block to build secure state, economy
Trump Urges India-Pakistan Talks on Kashmir in Call with PM Khan

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 17-18/2019
Mr. Hassan Nasrallah’s Delusional and Boasting speech Of Today/Elias Bejjani/August 16/2019
Hariri: UN, US Will Participate in Negotiations on Maritime Borders/Naharnet/August 17/2019
Hezbollah's harmful influence spans the globe/The National/August 17/2019
US administration is cutting off the oxygen supply to Tehran’s proxies/Raghida Dergham/The National/August 17/2019
America Can Stop China from Dominating Artificial Intelligence--And Should/Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/August 17, 2019
How Israel Can Deter Iran/Benny Morris/Haaretz/August 17/2019
Six key obstacles to the US-Turkey deal on Syria/Yasar Yakis/Arab News/August 17/2019
Is this the beginning of the end for globalization/Andrew Hammond/Arab News/August 17/2019
The geostrategic case for US withdrawal from Afghanistan/Dr. John C. Hulsman/Arab News/August 17/2019

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on August 17-18/2019
Mr. Hassan Nasrallah’s Delusional and Boasting speech Of Today
خطاب السيد نصرالله الإستكباري والواهم والمنسلخ بمحتواه عن الواقع
Elias Bejjani/August 16/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/77594/elias-bejjani-mr-hassan-nasrallahs-delusional-and-boasting-speech-of-today-%d8%ae%d8%b7%d8%a7%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%af-%d9%86%d8%b5%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84%d9%87-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5/
Mr. Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s terrorist-Iranian militia, general secretary and leader delivered today a fiery and high tone speech in the 13th commemorating of what is falsely and wrongly called the 2006 Godly victory on Israel.
Simply, the content of the whole lengthy speech was a huge bundle of grandiose delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, self deception, lies, fabrications, day dreaming and boasting of imaginary so called Godly victory in the 2006 with Israel.
All the wars and fights that Nasrallah glorified today in his high tone speech and attributed them to graces from Almighty God are in actuality and reality mere disasters, suicide acts, self destruction and uncalculated fights that he and his Iranian masters did inflict on the Lebanese people against their will through occupation, terrorism, intimidation and force.
The 2006 war with Israel was a real disaster on Lebanon and the Lebanese people on all levels and in all domains. Meanwhile, after 13 years the country did not yet rebuilt what was destroyed during the war that Hezbollah and its Iranian Mullah caused, ignited and started to serve mere Iranian aims.
In summary, Hezbollah is an Iranian army by all means and in accordance to all international standards and criteria, although its members are Lebanese. This Terrorist Iranian army and since 2005 is fully occupying Lebanon and totally controlling its decision making process in all domains.
May Almighty God and all His Saints and angles safeguard and protect Lebanon and the Lebanese people from the Iranian Mullahs’ satanic-Iranian denominational dreams and vicious schemes of terrorism, expansionism and colonization.

Aoun Meets PSP Delegation Dispatched by Jumblat
Naharnet/August 17/2019
President Michel Aoun received at the summer presidential residence in Beiteddine a delegation of the Progressive Socialist Party dispatched by Druze leader Walid Jumblat who is outside the country, the National News Agency reported on Saturday.
NNA said the delegation comprised PSP ministers, lawmakers, religious and political figures. Education Minister Akram Shehayyeb said that Jumblat has tasked the delegation to present “endearment and welcome Aoun at the summer presidential residence in Beiteddine.”
For his part, Aoun said he was glad to be in the Chouf district and Beiteddine, he said: “I am also glad that we were able to get out of the unfortunate incident that took place in Qabrshmoun. We have sought a lot to remove its traumatic effects, which we hope will be completely eliminated in a short time.” He added: “The fundamental reconciliation that has taken place will not be shaken even if we differ politically. Political differences are normal in a democratic system, but it is not a difference on the homeland.” The President moved to Beiteddine on Friday in a move described as “reinstating” the reconciliation he led at Baabda Palace between Jumblat and Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan against the backdrop of Qabrshmoun incident.

President Aoun: Mountain reconciliation will remain
NNA -Sat 17 Aug 2019
The [Mountain] reconciliation that has taken place will not be shaken even if we differ politically," President Michel Aoun told a delegation from Mountain region who came to welcome him Saturday morning at the presidential summer residence in Beiteddine, upon an initiative by Progressive Socialist Party Chief, Walid Jumblatt. In this context, Aoun pledged to do his 'utmost' to get the country out of its current situation, calling on political forces to 'unite' and agree on the reconstruction of Lebanon. "Lebanon is going through severe conditions, where the crises have accumulated, from the global financial crisis to the wars that surrounded us, in addition to the large Syrian displacement, whereby the number of displaced Syrians is about half of Lebanon's population, " Aoun said. Prior to his meeting with the wide Mountain delegation, Aoun met briefly with Dalia Walid Jumblatt, representing her father and brother, MP Taymour Jumblatt, and Cabinet Ministers Akram Shehayeb and Wael Abu Faour, as well as Deputies Bilal Abdallah and Hadi Abu Al-Hosn. Welcoming President Aoun in Beiteddine, Jumblatt, deemed his presence "as a great motive for reconciliation and national unity in the Mountain," while relaying the sincere greetings of her father and brother who are currently outside Lebanon."Following the brief encounter, President Aoun and the delegation joined the remaining members outdoors, where more than 300 persons gathered to greet the President. In his word of welcome to the President, Minister Shehayeb in turn said: “Your presence is a consecration of the solid reconciliation established by the late Patriarch, Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, and strengthened by Patriarch Bechara Butros al-Rahi. It was also reinforced by your visit to the Mukhtara in 2010.” He added: “Reconciliation was and will remain a bright headline for a unified national life firmly established in the Mountain region, and a headline for promoting coexistence and the meanings of national partnership in this part of the homeland."It is to note that President Aoun had met earlier with Archbishop of Sidon & Deir el Qamar, Elie Haddad, in the presence of Displaced Minister Ghassan Atallah, who also came to wish him a good summer stay in Beiteddine.

Hariri: UN, US Will Participate in Negotiations on Maritime Borders
Naharnet/August 17/2019
Prime Minister Saad Hariri said that he heard support from the US administration for the Lebanese army, pointing out that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo renewed during their meeting the US support for Lebanon politically and economically and the US keenness on resolving the land and maritime border demarcation issue. He said the US assistance to the Lebanese army continues and “we are negotiating the financial and economic assistance”.
Hariri’s stances came during a discussion with Arab correspondents in Washington after his meeting with Pompeo. He said the relationship between Lebanon and the United States is very important especially in terms of assistance it is giving in the displaced file and assistance for the Lebanese army and security forces.
He said: “We also seek to develop this relationship as there will be investments by US companies in Lebanon in the fields of oil, gas, electricity and others, and we are working on the issue of land and sea borders, so that we can begin negotiations. They have remarks on Lebanon linked to Hizbullah. There are sanctions threatening Lebanon. But it is my duty as prime minister to spare the Lebanese state these sanctions and to avoid any impact on the Lebanese economy. In this sense, we are keen to maintain continuous contact with the US administration. These meetings were also an occasion to talk about what is happening in the region, whether in the Gulf countries or in Syria, and we exchanged views on these matters.”
On the US sanctions against Hizbullah, Hariri said: “We cannot change the view of the American administration regarding these sanctions, but what we are trying to do is to spare Lebanon any consequences in this regard.”
He added: “In my opinion these sanctions are not useful but they will certainly be tough on everything related to Iran, and on those who help it and communicate with it. We explained to them our point of view that Lebanon should be spared the consequences of these sanctions, and I think our message has been well received.”
As to whether the sanctions will affect Lebanese banks or financial institutions, Hariri said: “Everyone knows that the Americans issue their sanctions lists without any prior notification to the Lebanese state. There may be several queries about a specific institution or another, but I am sure that there is nothing tangible yet.
“There was a precedent with the Lebanese Canadian Bank and we dealt with it as necessary, but there is too much intimidation in this subject. In fact I heard praise from all the officials I met in the United States about the policy of the Central Bank and its Governor Riad Salame, but if there are any observations, we know how to deal with them.”
As for the possibility of sanctions targeting Hizbullah allies, Hariri said: “This talk takes place in the congress and last year there was an attempt to prepare such a text, but I don’t think we will reach this point.”
About the US administration’s position as per the performance of the Lebanese government, mainly on the issue of Hizbullah missile factories, the PM said: “We are trying to find the best way to avoid putting Lebanon in danger. It is not our role to play police for the Israelis. If we look at UNSCR 1701, we find that if there is a breach by Lebanon, in return the Israeli side violates the Lebanese airspace hundreds of times a day. We in Lebanon are working seriously, according to 1701, to move from the cessation of hostilities to ceasefire. For this to happen, a number of items must be applied, part of which relates to us, and the other part relates to them. But until now we don’t see any implementation from their side. The most important thing is to get negotiations started on the maritime borders, it is very important for Lebanon economically in terms of gas and oil. This issue is vital and important to us and perhaps to them too.”
In response whether negotiations would begin in September, Hariri said: “We are holding serious talks, we made a lot of progress on several issues, and now we must reach a result.”
About who will lead the negotiations with Israelis after David Satterfield, Hariri said: “We don’t know yet, but we know that it is crucial for the mechanism to be developed under the auspices of the United Nations.”
With regard to the alliance between Israel, Cyprus and Greece on the subject of oil, and Lebanon's position on this, he said: “We spoke to Cyprus and we will not relinquish our interests, nor will they. There has been talk about this issue, but so far this alliance does not exist, because the Turks oppose it, and the Cypriots have not fully made their mind on it.”
About what is required from the Lebanese government regarding Hizbullah, he said: “We have to deal strictly with any person or institution on the list of sanctions in order to protect our banks.”Asked if there is an American request to tighten procedures at the ports to prevent smuggling, Hariri said: “In the 2020 budget we agreed to place scanners on land and sea ports because we have a policy to stop smuggling since our economy is very much affected. Illegal crossings will be closed, and any smuggling attempt through the airport or land crossings will be caught by the scanners. There is a draft project in this regard with the Minister of Finance that will be submitted to the Cabinet.”Asked whether he heard any criticism of the Lebanese army's position in the south, Hariri said: “On the contrary, I only heard support for the Lebanese army. The US assistance to the military continues and we are now negotiating the financial and economic assistance.”
About the participation of American companies in the implementation of CEDRE projects, Hariri said: “On the issue of electricity they are interested in participating. We also urged American companies to participate in the oil tenders, mainly that geological studies confirm a great possibility that we have oil.”
Whether he heard any American stance about the deal of the century, Hariri said: “Our position on the deal of the century is well known. Lebanon did not go to Bahrain and is extremely sensitive about this issue, our Constitution prohibits resettlement.”
About the Americans view of the obstacles facing the Lebanese government’s work, Hariri said: “Unfortunately, we are our own enemies. We need to work 24 hours a day to run projects and implement CEDRE and the McKinsey Plan, but instead we are creating political problems and disrupting the country. There is no doubt that any country, not just the United States, would be disappointed.”
As for reports about security threats against anti-Hizbullah figures, especially leader of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid Jumblat, Hariri said: “Whoever attacks Walid Jumblatt would be attacking me personally and Speaker Berri. But I do not think that he is targeted and whoever thinks so wants to take the country to a civil war.” Whether there is pressure on the judiciary in Lebanon, he said: “We have problems in the judiciary, this is undeniable. But we also have honest judges who refuse interferences in any decision they take.”On the other hand, Hariri noted that the issue of the displaced and their return to their country was discussed, and the return requires several steps from the Syrian regime, first of all the general amnesty. About Lebanon’s relation with the Gulf states in general and Saudi Arabia in particular, he said: “Today, we are working with Saudi Arabia to achieve 23 joint economic agreements, work is also underway with the UAE. The relationship between us has returned to what it was before and maybe better, there are continued contacts with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf on the important issues.”

Berri Says All Must Take a Stand to Face Tough Economy Times
Naharnet/August 17/2019
Speaker Nabih Berri said it was crucial for everyone in Lebanon to unite efforts in order to pass a difficult economic downdraft as he called for an economic and reform emergency plan, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday. "Now that the political break has ended peacefully with reconciliation between the political forces, the highest priority at this stage is to outrun the economic crisis with highest levels of responsibility and efforts at all levels to bring the country out of this serious crisis,” said Berri in remarks he made to the daily. “This requires partnership and an essential rescue workshop by all, paralleled with a rapid initiative to declare an economic and reform emergency plan because we are all in the same boat and our responsibilities are one” stressed Berri. On the economic meeting held in Baabda Palace in the presence of President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Berri, he said: “It drew a roadmap in the direction of treatment, the government is expected to translate that into action soon.”

Departures from RHIA Record Highest in Lebanon History
Naharnet/August 17/2019
Interior Minister Raya el-Hasan said in a tweet on Saturday that Rafik Hariri International Airport has recorded its highest number of departures on Friday assuring that all the improvements needed will be implemented
“Yesterday the number of departures at the airport reached 22,800 passengers, the highest number in Lebanon’s history. I understand the suffering of passengers and would like to thank them for bearing with us,” said Hasan in her tweet. “I assure you all that we will do our best to improve this situation and will soon implement the full improvements,” she added. Officials at the airport released several new instructions in a bid to facilitate procedures and reduce congestion at the terminal amid an expected increase in the number of passengers at the airport.

Qatisha deems Nasrallah's words as 'misleading'
NNA -Sat 17 Aug 2019
"Strong Republic" Parliamentary Bloc Member, MP Wehbi Qatisha, referred Saturday to the speech delivered by Hezbollah Secretary General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, marking the July Victory as being rather "misleading". He added: "It [Nasrallah's speech] deludes people that this country will not thrive without the resistance, while in all countries of the world that are suffering from conflicts along their borders, we see that balance occurs through diplomacy, communication and dialogue."Speaking in an interview with "Radio Free Lebanon" this morning, Qatisha noted that Nasrallah's words aim at gaining the support of the surrounding environment, pointing out that "the strength of Hezbollah is not really equivalent to the power of Israel, but rather it is the Lebanese state that parallels Israel's strength." "Hezbollah is mortgaging the state and blocking its construction for years to activate a resistance that serves regional countries, not Lebanon," the MP underscored. "Nasrallah speaks on behalf of the Lebanese sects, but who gave him this right? This is unacceptable," Qatisha went on. He stressed that "it is the Lebanese people themselves who decide on choosing their leaders, and not Sayyed Hassan.""Nasrallah and his allies hold America responsible for all occuring incidents in order to justify their failure," Qatisha concluded.

Atallah to Radio Lebanon: Baabda reconciliation to be built upon
NNA -Sat 17 Aug 2019
Member of the "Strong Lebanon" Parliamentary Bloc, MP George Atallah, said in an interview with "Radio Lebanon" earlier today that the recent reconciliation that took place at Baabda Palace is to be built upon, calling on various sides in the country to rid themselves of the idea that one group is targeted by another in the country, and that one team wants to abolish the other. "This logic did not win even in the old days of the civil war," Atallah asserted. The MP rejected the argument that people have lost confidence in the state, noting that "these same people have the opportunity once every four years to take away their trust from the political class, which has ruled them for more than four decades, and not to renew their mandate." He added: "There is a direct responsibility on these voters, especially since we are not in a repressive system that implements voting by force in favor of a certain party during the parliamentary elections."On the issue of Hezbollah and the US sanctions, Atallah deemed that the Americans are unable to impose an exclusion of Hezbullah from the government. "Prime Minister Hariri was clear about this when he pointed out that no one can form a government without the Party of Hezbollah," he said. Atallah considered that the US Administration's talk about "an absolute support for the Lebanese government is not accurate." He noted that "during any conflict between Lebanon and Israel, America's bias is clear towards Israel, similar to the issue of Syrian displacement, where there is no desire by the international community to ensure the return of the displaced to their country." "Our unified position on the issue of maritime borders prevented the Americans from taking us to a place where Israel desires us to be," he corroborated.

Shehayeb: We are committed to the march of reconciliation that preserves partnership, safeguards civil peace
NNA -Sat 17 Aug 2019
Higher Education Minister Akram Shehayeb stressed Saturday on adhering to the march of reconciliation that preserves partnership in the nation and safeguards its civil peace. "As descendants of the School of Kamal Jumblatt, we believed in the future, in participation and partnership, openness and recognition of the other, and in building a state of law and institutions, a state of justice and an impartial and independent judiciary that is free from interferences and intrusions...We believed in liberties, democracy and social justice," emphasized Shehayeb. His words came during his patronage of an honorary ceremony marking the success of students in the official examinations held in the area of Rashaya earlier today.Commending the students' high performance and achievements, Shehayeb said, "We seek to establish a new educational concept by not involving politics in education." He added: "We are working on the adoption of a law  to establish the National Independent Quality Assurance to increase controls and standards that enhance quality."Shehayeb indicated that he has submitted a recommendation to the Cabinet to "re-examine the file of universities that have been implicated with forgery and selling of certificates, in preparation for their closure." The Education Minister also declared that he will not sign any recommendation to establish a new university, in line with the keen concern for the national university and good higher education. He added that this measure serves to prevent having more unemployed graduates and helps to boost the role of vocational and technical learning in Lebanon.

AlHassan thanks passengers for enduring the heavy congestion at Beirut Airport
NNA - Sat 17 Aug 2019
Interior Minister Raya Al-Hassan thanked via her Twitter account on Saturday all passengers traveling through Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, for bearing the long hours of waiting due to heavy congestion at the counters. "The number of passengers departing from Beirut Airport reached its highest number in Lebanon's history yesterday, registering 22,800 travelers," Al-Hassan said. "I understand the passengers' frustration and suffering, and I assure them that we are exerting all efforts to get rid of this situation," the Minister asserted, confirming that "improvements will be fully implemented very soon."

ElKhalil honoring UNIFIL Eastern Sector Commander: Lebanon triumphed in 2006 with the strength of its army, engulfing its resistance
NNA - Sat 17 Aug 2019
"Lebanon has known victory through the strength of its army that encircled its resistance, and through the strength of its national unity and the sacrifices of the people of the South," said Development and Liberation Parliamentary Bloc Member, MP Anwar El-Khalil, on Saturday.
Speaking during a luncheon banquet he held at his Hasbaya residence in honor of UNIFIL Eastern Sector Commander, General Rafael Colmar Martيnez del Peral, MP El-Khalil reiterated House Speaker Berri's call upon the Lebanese "to adhere to all the headlines that brought about that evident victory, namely the resistance, the army and the people."The MP also stressed his keenness on pursuing the deep and old-time relations with the Eastern Sector, thanking Spain and various countries participating in the UNIFIL peacekeeping forces "for their sacrifices in quest of world peace." He also expressed gratitude for the efforts exerted by General Rafael and other Eastern Sector officers "who are responsible for maintaining security and monitoring the Israeli violations in the hope of eliminating all forms of occupation." Praising the valuable contributions of his honored Spanish Commander and contingent members, alongside the heads of other participating battalions (namely from India, Nepal, Serbia, El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Indonesia and Brazil), El-Khalil pointed to the "friendly and respectful relations that link Lebanon with these countries, and the people of the South with the members of these forces." "This relationship is much deeper than diplomatic ties, for it is a fraternal relation," he said. Meanwhile, El-Khalil seized the opportunity to stress "Lebanon's official and popular adherence to its legitimate right to defend itself, and its commitment to the principles set by Lebanon to demarcate its land and sea borders in accordance with international laws, especially in terms of the United Nations being the sponsor of any indirect negotiations on the demarcation of the borders."Moreover, El-Khalil reiterated the hopes of the Lebanese that "the international forces would carry out their mandate and tasks in full, in terms of imposing an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon's entire national territories...and working to end all forms of aggression and violations, and ensuring respect for the sovereignty of Lebanon as stipulated by international resolutions."

Jamali: Once again, PM Hariri proves that he is a man of trust wherever he may be
NNA -Sat 17 Aug 2019
"Once again, and from the heart of the United States, Prime Minister Saad Hariri proves his keenness on preserving the unity of Lebanon, the safety of its people and the stability of its security and economy, and that he is a man of confidence wherever he may be and a man of most significant presence in all forums under the most critical circumstances and difficult times," tweeted MP Dima Jamali on Saturday.

Hezbollah's harmful influence spans the globe
The National/August 17/2019
Lebanon's future hangs in the balance while it remains an impediment to progress
The message from the US administration over the past week has been loud and clear: the menace from Iran-backed proxy Hezbollah is a spider’s web that spans the globe. At a press conference yesterday in Argentina, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took the opportunity to talk of its pernicious influence from the other side of the globe. Hezbollah might have its roots in Lebanon but its fund-raising activities stretch from Paraguay, Brazil and Venezuela to Africa. “The roots of these terror groups may be many miles away, but their branches twist around the globe — raising funds, seeking recruits, probing for our weaknesses, challenging our defences,” Mr Pompeo said.
His warning to South America came after a five-day visit from Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who met key US officials in a bid to protect his country’s fragile economy from the fallout of escalating US sanctions against Hezbollah. The message he takes back to Beirut is that Lebanon will never be free to plot a course towards a prosperous and peaceful future while its political institutions remain in thrall to an armed militia whose loyalty belongs not to the Lebanese people but to its paymasters in Tehran. In Washington earlier this week, Mr Pompeo reiterated America’s commitment to securing “a bright future for the people of Lebanon”. He offered congratulations to Mr Hariri for his “ambitious and necessary” reforming budget which, in tackling Lebanon’s fraught economy, is poised to unlock billions of dollars in international assistance for the country.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among the nations that have expressed an interest in investing in Lebanon. America, meanwhile, has offered its services as a mediator in Lebanon’s longstanding maritime border dispute with Israel. If resolved, this would free Lebanon to exploit offshore oil and gas reserves that could dramatically transform its economy. But, as Mr Pompeo made clear, Hezbollah is the stumbling block impeding Lebanon’s path to progress. In March, he said the Lebanese people faced a stark choice: to “bravely move forward as an independent and proud nation or allow the dark ambitions of Iran and Hezbollah to dictate your future.”
Yet since January, when Hezbollah was given three posts in the newly formed Lebanese cabinet following gains in last year’s elections, the prospect of Lebanon shaking off the malign influence of Iran’s proxy has seemed as remote as ever. The reality of Hezbollah’s damaging influence on Lebanese politics was emphasised the following month when the UK joined the US in abandoning the pretence that there is a distinction between the group’s military and political wings. Both are now proscribed as a single terrorist organisation. Lebanon is at a crossroads. It both desires and needs the support of the international community if it is to set its people on course for a brighter future. Yet its parliament and many governing institutions are hopelessly infected with the virus that is Hezbollah, a pariah militant state within a state that serves another master and is doing its dirty work in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. The hard work of international and domestic actors to restore the country’s economy to good health and improve the outlook for its long-suffering people will all be for nothing if Hezbollah cannot be rooted out.

US administration is cutting off the oxygen supply to Tehran’s proxies
Raghida Dergham/The National/August 17/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/77621/77621/
The Iranian regime considers Hezbollah to be its most important asset
Iran’s leaders are issuing contradictory messages. It is not clear whether this is part of a good cop, bad cop routine or whether they reflect genuine disagreements within the Iranian regime between hardline and reconciliatory factions.
While president Hassan Rouhani was saying his country was ready to forge friendly relations with all Islamic countries, including Iran’s neighbours, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was meeting a Houthi delegation and renewing his support for the rebels. Islamic Revolutionary Guard commander Hossein Salami, for his part, cautioned foreign powers against continued deployment in the Gulf, saying they must take into account Iran’s capabilities.
In curiously timed statements, the IRGC commander also boasted that Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia party backed by Iran, has acquired advanced combat capabilities and cutting-edge missiles. As Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri was visiting Washington, the timing appears to have been chosen to undermine him and remind adversaries that it is Tehran that controls Lebanon’s fate through Hezbollah, which it can decide at any time to activate.
In Washington, Mr Hariri was walking a tightrope. He heard firm declarations that the Trump administration and Congress do not intend to relent on the issue of sanctions on Hezbollah and those who provide it with political, military and intelligence cover. Mr Hariri was told he shoulders responsibility for finding ways to deliver Lebanon’s commitments. He was also told that US policy on Iran and Hezbollah is incontrovertible and marks a serious departure from the bending policies of previous administrations, primarily that led by Barack Obama. The US government communicated its objectives clearly to Mr Hariri, leaving no room for excuses or pussyfooting.
The US will not allow anyone to be an ally or enabler of Hezbollah without accountability
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, standing beside Mr Hariri, declared that the Middle East is under threat from Iran and that the Lebanese people are under threat from Hezbollah. He reiterated Washington’s commitment to help Lebanon defend itself through the state and army and facilitate the demarcation of land and maritime borders with Israel.
A high-level American source, summing up the US message to Lebanon, said: “We stressed that he must achieve progress and take concrete steps to distance himself from Hezbollah with a strong position in this direction… we need to see progress, not setting a process.” The Trump administration put forward a set of parameters for clear overarching goals, the source revealed.
These goals seek to weaken Hezbollah’s hold over Lebanon and gradually dismantle Iranian influence over the country. The Trump administration is certain that the coming sanctions will strangle and paralyse Hezbollah’s civilian operations and those who provide support for the group.
The US officials made it clear that American taxpayer money being channelled to Lebanon should not be spent to help Hezbollah in any way, and that continued Hezbollah domination over Lebanon would mean Cedre or other aid money would be denied.
In short, the US will not allow anyone to be an ally or enabler of Hezbollah without accountability. Even Washington’s allies will not be spared from this equation; those who think they are acting as Lebanon’s safety valve are in truth Hezbollah’s safety valve, as long as the group remains part of the government.
While Hezbollah operates outside official financial and military institutions to avoid sanctions, it has infiltrated them, but the Trump administration will not tolerate this having decided to put maximum pressure on Iran and its proxies in the region. Now Hezbollah, which sees Mr Hariri as its safety valve and shield against US sanctions, European measures, and even the verdict of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, could find itself without protection, even if Mr Hariri remains in his post.
A separate crisis was instigated when Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt said the Shebaa Farms were not Lebanese. Damascus has deliberately declined to answer for two main reasons: It suits Syria to say the Israeli-occupied area is Lebanese to prevent a peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel and to keep Lebanon intertwined with Syria with regard to any such agreement.
Tehran considers Hezbollah to be its most important achievement and asset. But Washington is moving to stop Tehran from continuing to create Hezbollah-like proxies in the region. The Trump administration is convinced that maximum pressure on the Iranian regime requires targeting Hezbollah for the policy to be more effective. Meanwhile, Iran’s leaders are in the process of reviewing their strategies after their failed bets on European panic and friendship with China and Russia. For this reason, the tactic of inviting war has now been apparently suspended, at least until after the G7 summit next weekend.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 17-18/2019
Iranian foreign minister Zarif to visit Kuwait
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Saturday, 17 August 2019
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will visit Kuwait on Saturday, according to Mehr News Agency. Earlier last week, Zarif traveled to Doha to meet with Qatari officials, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Monitor: Syrian Regime Offensive Kills Seven in Southern Idlib
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 17 August, 2019
Syrian activists and a war monitor said airstrikes have pounded the southern edge of a opposition stronghold in the Syria's northwest, with one strike killing seven people, including children. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said three children were among those killed Saturday in Deir al-Sharqi village in southern Idlib. Meanwhile, Thiqa news agency, an activist-operated media platform, also reported the casualties, according to The Associated Press. Increasingly frequent airstrikes and artillery shelling in recent days have raised the number of civilian casualties, as the Syrian regime, backed by Russia, pushes ahead with a months-long offensive on Idlib. Overnight airstrikes killed at least 13, also including children. Home to 3 million civilians and dominated by militants, the Idlib stronghold sits on the Turkish border and is surrounded by regome and Turkish-controlled areas.

France calls for immediate end to fighting in Syrian city of Idlib
Reuters, Paris/Saturday, 17 August 2019
France called on Friday for an immediate end to fighting in the Syrian city of Idlib, and the French foreign ministry added that it condemned in particular air strikes on refugee camps. Over the past week, the Syrian army has advanced toward the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib in a pincer movement that could encircle the southern part of the rebel enclave.The United Nations and aid agencies have warned of a new humanitarian catastrophe in northwest Syria. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has managed to retake most of the country, crushing rebel enclaves in all the major cities and driving them from the south.

Civilian death toll mounts as Syrian offensive widens
Reuters, Beirut/Saturday, 17 August 2019
Air strikes have killed more than two dozen civilians including 11 children in rebel-held northwestern Syria in the last two days in an escalation of a Russian-backed offensive, a war monitor and local activists said on Saturday. An air strike in the village of Deir killed seven people, mostly children, on Saturday morning, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. On Friday, air strikes in the village of al-Haas killed 13 people. The dead included a pregnant woman and her unborn baby, local activists and the Observatory said. They had been seeking shelter after fleeing another area. Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Observatory said the government’s aim appeared to be force civilians to flee from areas that had been relatively unscathed in a military escalation that began in late April.
“They are bombing the towns and their outskirts to push people to flee,” he said.
“No military positions”
Ahmad al-Dbis, safety and security manager for the US-based Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM), which supports medical facilities in the northwest, said the bombardment had widened into populated areas where there were no military positions.
“They are being targeted to drive the people towards forced displacement,” he told Reuters. Al-Dbis said the number of civilians killed by government or Russian forces stood at more than 730 since late April. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said more than 500 civilians have died in hostilities. Russia and Syria have said their forces are not targeting civilians and are instead aimed at militants including the Nusra Front, an extremist group known today as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The northwestern region including Idlib province is part of the last major foothold of the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad. France called on Friday for an immediate end to the fighting. The French foreign ministry added that it condemned in particular air strikes on camps for the displaced. The upsurge in violence has already forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee towards the Turkish border.
A Turkey-backed Syrian rebel force based north of the city of Aleppo, the National Army, said it had yet to send reinforcements to help the Idlib rebels due to technical reasons. “There is a meeting today among the factions over preparations for the National Army to enter Idlib and we are awaiting the results of this meeting,” Major Youssef Hammoud, its spokesman, said. The government side has been advancing towards the town of Khan Sheikhoun in southern Idlib province, threatening to encircle the last remaining pocket of rebel-held territory in neighboring Hama province.

Israel launches two raids on ‘Hamas underground infrastructure’ in Gaza
Staff writer, Al Arabiya EnglishظSaturday, 17 August 2019
Israeli fighter jets launched two raids on Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces said, after a rocket was launched from the Strip at southern Israel on Friday night in what the army said was the first such attack in over a month.
On their official Twitter account, Israel's Defense Forces said they targeted “Hamas's underground infrastructure in Gaza.”A military statement said the projectile from Gaza was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, after air raid sirens sounded in the southern town of Sderot and its surroundings. An army spokesman said it was the first attack since July 12. Earlier, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement that 32 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli live fire along the Gaza border fence as part of weekly protests there. An Israeli army spokeswoman told AFP that about 5,600 people demonstrated along the border, some throwing hand grenades and explosive devices toward soldiers and attempting to reach the fence itself. - With AFP

Israel intercepts Gaza rocket after weeks of calm
AFP, Jerusalem/Friday, 16 August 2019
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket at southern Israel on Friday night in what the army said was the first such attack in over a month. A military statement said the projectile was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, after air raid sirens sounded in the southern town of Sderot and its surroundings. An army spokesman said it was the first attack since July 12. Earlier, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement that 32 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli live fire along the Gaza border fence as part of weekly protests there. An Israeli army spokeswoman told AFP that about 5,600 people demonstrated along the border, some throwing hand grenades and explosive devices toward soldiers and attempting to reach the fence itself. She said that troops responded with “riot dispersal means” but she was unaware of any live fire. Regular protests and clashes erupted along the border of the blockaded Gaza Strip in March 2018. At least 302 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza or the border area since then, the majority during demonstrations and clashes. Seven Israelis have also been killed in Gaza-related violence over the same period. The protests have declined in intensity in recent months following a UN and Egyptian-brokered truce. Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, ruled by Islamist movement Hamas, have fought three wars since 2008.

Olmert: Netanyahu Considers PA ‘Real Enemy’
Tel Aviv- Asharq Al Awsat/Saturday, 17 August, 2019
Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Premier Benjamin Netanyahu is putting pressure on the Palestinian Authority (PA), considering it his real enemy not Hamas. “No one demands that Israel engage in a serious political dialogue with Hamas, but almost everyone in the world except – for America – demands that Israel engage in a political dialogue with the PA,” Olmert said in an interview with Jerusalem Post. However, he noted that Netanyahu doesn’t want peace and doesn’t want to engage with the PA because that “would lead to concessions he doesn’t want to make.” “So therefore, for him, the PA is the dangerous enemy that has to be squeezed into a corner and criticized all the time, not Hamas.”
Olmert served as Israel’s prime minister from 2006 till 2009 and oversaw the 2009 Cast Lead military operation, which included an Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, lasted 22 days and led to the martyrdom of 1,417 Palestinian and the death of 13 Israelis. Olmert believed that operation was the last opportunity to destroy Hamas at a minimum price for Israel. He pointed out that he had planned to take over the border line between the Palestinian and Egyptian Rafah, control the city as a price for separating Gaza from other parts and bring an international force as he did in south Lebanon in order to establish control over Gaza Strip in preparation for the PA return to it. But that didn’t happen. And “the next time we met, Hamas had tunnels, much stronger military power and a lot more weapons to make the Israeli attempt to take over Hamas a lot more painful for us.”
Olmert also mentioned the periods that followed his rule, under Netanyahu, during which wars and military confrontations with Hamas have taken place, the latest of which was launching 700 rockets in one round for several days, in addition to the ongoing marches near the border wall. Netanyahu “has always stated that he will destroy Hamas,” Olmert stressed, but he does the opposite. "He has no courage, determination or will to do what he promises,” the former premier further noted. He added that Netanyahu has no strategy about Gaza, which is comfortable for his government. “It’s very comfortable for the government to have these periodical confrontations with Hamas, which almost always result in a massive rocket attacks from Gaza and a massive use of Iron Dome,” he said. “There is a very painful psychological impact on the population, but the number of victims and casualties is minimal – to the degree that it can be repeated and prolonged almost indefinitely without any major action by the State of Israel,” Olmert explained.

US Issues Warrant to Seize Iranian Oil Tanker
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 17 August, 2019
Newly released US court documents revealed that Washington issued a warrant for the seizure of an Iranian tanker that British Royal Marines had seized last month in Gibraltar, citing evidence that it was transporting oil to Syria in violation of US sanctions. The oil tanker Grace 1, the more than 2 million barrels of oil it carries and $995,000 are subject to forfeiture based on a complaint by the US government, Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie Liu said in a news release on Friday. The tanker was seized by British Royal Marines at the western mouth of the Mediterranean on July 4 on suspicion of violating European Union sanctions by taking oil to Syria. In a court document obtained by Reuters, it said there was evidence that showed that the tanker was scheduled to arrive in Syria in early July. "Charts and electronic equipment recovered from onboard the Grace 1, WhatsApp messages recovered from crewmembers' mobile devices, and crewmembers' statements revealed that the Grace 1 was destined for Port Banias, Syria in violation of US sanctions," the document said. For his part, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi denied that the destination was Syria and he was quoted by Tasnim news agency as saying: "As we said earlier ... Syria was not its destination and we have upheld the same ... and reiterated that it was nobody's business even if it was Syria," According to Reuters, Gibraltar authorities said on Thursday the US Department of Justice had applied to seize the tanker. Gibraltar, which said it first received a US Department of Justice request to seize the Grace 1 tanker on Thursday, lifted the tanker's detention order later in the same day. But, the vessel's fate was further complicated by a last-ditch US legal appeal to hold it. The warrant for the seizure of the tanker was issued by the US District Court for the District of Columbia and addressed to "the United States Marshal's Service and/or any other duly authorized law enforcement officer."

Controversy in Tunisia over Candidates Resuming Government Tasks
Tunis - Mongi Saidani/Asharq Al Awsat/Saturday, 17 August, 2019
While the Independent High Authority for Elections has affirmed that the presidential and parliamentary candidates didn’t resign is not considered a ‘violation of the law’, controversy continued regarding the legality of candidates resuming their electoral journey. Head of the Independent High Authority for Elections Nabil Baffoun noted that the authority is applying legal regulations concerning the administration's impartiality, which includes financial, human, materialistic and nonmaterialistic resources such as using government posts during the electoral campaign. Baffoun added that there are standards adopted by the authority and the Tunisian judiciary to discriminate between the ministerial position and the electoral campaign. Tunisian Defense Minister Abdel-Karim Zbidi – who is running for presidential elections scheduled on Sep. 15 – resigned from his ministerial position to guarantee the transparency of the electoral process. By this step, he sparked controversy in Tunisia – however, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed didn’t let go of his post even though he is running for presidential elections. Chahed asserted that there are no legal or constitutional obstacles in this regard.
In the same context, experts at the constitutional law affirmed that Zbidi has breached chapter 92 of the Tunisian constitution. For his part, Zbidi stated that he fell a victim for a systematic and fierce campaign that seeks to defame him – he accused several parties and bodies of standing behind this campaign. Meanwhile, Tahya Tounes has decided to sack secretary-general in Mounstir Nabil Haddad for violating the internal system. This follows calls by Haddad, and other leaders of Mounstir, for Chahed to back off his candidacy and support Zbidi. Mohamed Fadhel Mahfouz, in charge of relations with constitutional bodies, has resigned from his ministerial position to devote himself for the parliamentary elections.

US announces warrant to seize Iranian supertanker Grace 1
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Saturday, 17 August 2019
The US Justice Department unveiled a warrant on Friday for the seizure of the Iranian oil supertanker Grace 1, one day after a Gibraltar judge allowed the release of the detained vessel. The warrant says the vessel, all the oil aboard and $995,000 are subject to forfeiture based on violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and bank fraud, money laundering, and terrorism forfeiture statutes. The documents allege a scheme to unlawfully access the US financial system to support illicit shipments to Syria from Iran by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization. The scheme involves multiple parties affiliated with the IRGC and furthered by the deceptive voyages of the Grace 1. A network of front companies allegedly laundered millions of dollars in support of such shipments. A seizure warrant is merely an allegation. “Every criminal defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty, and the burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government,” according to the warrant. Earlier Friday, Iranian officials said the tanker was preparing to set sail after a Gibraltar judge ordered its release, six weeks after it was detained in apparent retaliation for Iran's seizure of a British-flagged tanker in the Gulf. The Grace 1 was to be renamed and switch to the Iranian flag for its onward journey, the deputy head of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organisation, Jalil Eslami, told Iranian state television on Friday.
But according to an AFP source, the ship was awaiting the arrival of a new crew before it would leave Gibraltar. with AFP

Al-Jubeir: Sudan agreement first building block to build secure state, economy
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Saturday, 17 August 2019
Sudan’s landmark transitional deal is the first “building block” that will contribute to building a secure state and economy, said Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, adding that the Kingdom supports the country’s security and stability.
“The Sudan agreement is the first building block that will contribute to building a capable, secure state and economy, and will contribute to achieving the aspirations of the brotherly Sudanese people,” al-Jubeir said in a tweet. Sudan’s protest leaders formally signed a deal with the Transitional Military Council in Khartoum on Saturday, paving the way for a transition to a civilian-led government following the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April. “The Kingdom was and still is with everything that guarantees Sudan’s security and stability and its active contribution in reaching the partnership agreement signed between the Sudanese parties and it supports the efforts led by Ethiopia and the African Union as an extension of this approach.” al-Jubeir said.
“The stability of Sudan is an important part of the stability of the region and it contributes to international peace and security,” he added.

Trump Urges India-Pakistan Talks on Kashmir in Call with PM Khan
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 17/2019
U.S. President Donald Trump talked by phone Friday with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and urged that Pakistan engage with India to defuse tensions in the flashpoint region of Kashmir, the White House said. "The president conveyed the importance of India and Pakistan reducing tensions through bilateral dialogue regarding the situation in Jammu and Kashmir," deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement. Khan visited the White House last month and the contacts come as the United States is apparently closing in a possible peace deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan. However, tension over Kashmir between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India is throwing the region into new danger. During his meeting with Khan in July, Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate in the conflict -- a claim that the Indian government denied. India has always insisted the Kashmir issue can only be resolved bilaterally with Pakistan.Earlier Friday, Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Khan and Trump had "exchanged on the situation in the region and particularly the situation in occupied Kashmir."

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 17-18/2019
America Can Stop China from Dominating Artificial Intelligence--And Should
Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/August 17, 2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14731/america-can-stop-china-from-dominating-artificial
The People's Republic of China, nonetheless, is already an AI powerhouse, and for America to maintain its edge—and to prevent U.S. tech from being used for exceedingly disturbing purposes —Washington should force U.S. companies to end cooperative AI projects in China.
The West should be seriously concerned: whoever wins at AI will both dominate the global economy and field the most destructive conventional military force.
Unfortunately, American companies are helping China's leaders in what many call—correctly—crimes against humanity. For instance, AI researchers from Microsoft, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Michigan State University gave keynote speeches at the Chinese Conference on Biometric Recognition in Xinjiang in August of last year on facial recognition, a social-control technology.
Some of Google's research is in China. The company has three AI operations there: the Google AI China Center in Beijing, established in 2017, and partnerships with China's two premier educational institutions, Peking University and Tsinghua University....If the labs remain open, the net flow of AI learning will be out of the U.S. into China.
Moreover, Chinese researchers, if they could not work for American companies in China, would not, as Vox suggests, necessarily find employment in their homeland. Some of those seeking research slots would follow other Chinese to the United States, and that would exacerbate one of Beijing's big AI vulnerabilities. "China's Path to AI Domination Has a Problem: Brain Drain," is the title of an August 7 article posted by the MIT Technology Review. The U.S. can make that crucial problem even more severe.
China, writes Amy Webb in Inc., has been "building a global artificial intelligence empire, and seeding the tech ecosystem of the future." It has been particularly successful, Webb, the founder of the Future Today Institute, believes. "China is poised to become its undisputed global leader, and that will affect every business," she notes.
Not everyone shares Webb's assessment that Chinese researchers are in the lead. America, after all, is home to most leading AI tech. The People's Republic of China, nonetheless, is already an AI powerhouse, and for America to maintain its edge—and to prevent U.S. tech from being used for exceedingly disturbing purposes, Washington should force U.S. companies to end cooperative AI projects in China.
Chinese artificial intelligence. We need to ask what would happen if the world's most dangerous regime were to dominate the world's most powerful technology. Photo: Getty Images.
Artificial intelligence permits machines to mimic human functions such as driving vehicles, recognizing spoken words, and playing games of skill like chess and Go.
Especially Go, the Chinese game of strategy. If China had an "AI Sputnik moment," it occurred in March 2016 when AlphaGo, developed by Alphabet Inc.'s DeepMind, took four out of five games from an 18-time champion in a challenge match in Seoul.
By the following year, Beijing was pouring even more money into AI research. Beijing in 2017 supplemented the AI component of its Made in China 2025 initiative with its "Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan, a three-part effort to lead global AI by 2030. Furthermore, Beijing made sure its determination to dominate the field was shared across society. Business chieftains and policy analysts in China are much more focused on AI than those in the West, surveys show.
The nationwide effort, Webb tells us, paid off. China, for instance, now publishes more AI machine learning papers than the United States.
The West should be seriously concerned: whoever wins at AI will both dominate the global economy and field the most destructive conventional military force. To borrow a phrase, we are witnessing the "Rise of the Machines."
What if those "machines" are Chinese? We need to ask what would happen if the world's most dangerous regime were to dominate the world's most powerful technology.
We are getting a hint what will occur in what Beijing calls the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. There, facial recognition systems, powered by AI, are helping China's leaders to continually track inhabitants.
In Xinjiang, Beijing is relentlessly eliminating cultural and religious identity and implementing race-based policies reminiscent of those of the Third Reich. For example, more than a million inhabitants are being held in concentration-camp-like facilities for no reason other than their Uighur or Kazak ethnicity or their adherence to Islam.
Unfortunately, American companies are helping China's leaders in what many call—correctly—crimes against humanity. For instance, AI researchers from Microsoft, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Michigan State University gave keynote speeches at the Chinese Conference on Biometric Recognition in Xinjiang in August of last year on facial recognition, a social-control technology.
China is on the AI map in part because Beijing has been given a boost by U.S. companies sharing technology. Leaders in the field are both Alphabet and its Google unit. Alphabet is a major player in part due to its acquisition of DeepMind. Google also conducts extensive AI research.
Some of Google's research is in China. The company has three AI operations there: the Google AI China Center in Beijing, established in 2017, and partnerships with China's two premier educational institutions, Peking University and Tsinghua University.
Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley investor, has in recent weeks severely criticized the search giant. "I think it is unprecedented in the last 100 years, or ever, that a major U.S. company refused to work with the U.S. military and has worked with our geopolitical rival," he said on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures" on August 11th.
Google has in various statements denied charges like the ones Thiel has been making, but its contentions, although technically true, appear disingenuous. First, the company has said it works with the Pentagon, but it is nonetheless not renewing its Project Maven contract, an AI project analyzing drone footage.
Second, Google denies working with the Chinese military, but as Thiel, a PayPal cofounder, points out, its "civilian" projects are actually military in disguise. "It's not like the U.S., where you have different companies and different people and you have a government sector and a private sector and these things don't always coordinate or work together," Thiel said on Fox. "In China, these things are still tightly coordinated across the board."
In the China of Xi Jinping, the aggressive ruler, "civil-military fusion" means nominally civilian research is pipelined into the Chinese military.
Thiel is right about the essential nature of China's one-party state. The Communist Party, to which the People's Liberation Army reports, has, in reality, near-absolute power over society, especially over something as important as scientific and technical research. Companies such as Google have to know about the military's access to its AI research in China.
Not everyone is concerned about China's militarization of research. "You're not going to be able to stop or slow down Chinese AI progress by stopping these labs," Jeffrey Ding of Oxford's Center for the Governance of AI, told Vox, the popular American-based news site, while referring to foreign AI research facilities. "Either we try to get the best and brightest, or they have other options," he said.
"If we rather someone work for Microsoft than the Chinese military," Vox, asked, "why take away the option of working for Microsoft?"
Ding and Vox highlight an important aspect of the AI race. The competition, as a practical matter, is one for brainpower: people. As futurist George Gilder has noted, "The most precious resource in the world economy is human genius." Axios reports that most of America's best AI researchers have come from other countries.
"What has given the US its AI advantage has been, in significant part, the fact that the US attracts AI talent from all over the world," Vox writes. "While America is a much smaller country than China, it's drawing on what is effectively a much larger talent pool, including attracting many top Chinese researchers."
Chinese researchers, if they could not work for American companies in China, would not, as Vox suggests, necessarily find employment in their homeland. Some of those seeking research slots would follow other Chinese to the United States, and that would exacerbate one of Beijing's big AI vulnerabilities. "China's Path to AI Domination Has a Problem: Brain Drain," is the title of an August 7 article posted by the MIT Technology Review. The U.S. can make that crucial problem even more severe.
Despite benefits of conducting AI research in China, the weight of evidence argues for closing American AI operations in that country. These labs leak out U.S. learning, and despite what Webb writes, it appears the United States is still ahead in cutting-edge AI. If the labs remain open, the net flow of AI learning will be out of the U.S. into China.
Although much AI research today is open-source—meaning it does not matter where researchers are based—it is becoming clear that in coming years AI work will not be published in open forums. That should put a premium on attracting the best talent to one's own country.
Of course, there is no question that closing American facilities in China will inhibit, in some fashion, American AI work, but that loss is not nearly as great as the benefits of walling off China. Moreover, we cannot ignore the moral considerations of helping a militant, racist state.
It is the race of the century, and the U.S. urgently needs to improve the odds. It is time, therefore, for President Trump, by emergency order, to close the AI projects of American companies in the People's Republic of China.
*Gordon G. Chang is the author of The Coming Collapse of China and a Gatestone Institute Distinguished Senior Fellow.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Opinion/How Israel Can Deter Iran
بني موريس/هآرتس: كيف يمكن لإسرائيل أن تردع إيران
Benny Morris/Haaretz/August 17/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/77619/%d8%a8%d9%86%d9%8a-%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%b3-%d9%87%d8%a2%d8%b1%d8%aa%d8%b3-%d9%83%d9%8a%d9%81-%d9%8a%d9%85%d9%83%d9%86-%d9%84%d8%a5%d8%b3%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%8a%d9%84-%d8%a3%d9%86-%d8%aa%d8%b1/
Hezbollah is said to have 130,000 rockets that could reach all of Israel, with Hamas possessing thousands of rockets that could cover southern and central Israel, including the Tel Aviv area. It is also said that, if war broke out, Israel could find itself fighting on two fronts, possibly even a third, the Golan Heights, where it would face an Iranian force made up of Revolutionary Guards and militias under Tehran’s control.
And in the next war, thousands of rockets would land on Israeli population centers, and on strategic assets including the Haifa Bay industrial complex, power stations on the Mediterranean coast, ammonia tanks and airports and who knows what else, not to mention military bases, including air bases. Such a barrage could seriously disrupt air force operations and possibly also the mobilization assembly points and armored columns, which at that point should be racing toward Beirut, the Syrian section of the Golan Heights and Gaza.
Israel’s anti-rocket capabilities, which include many Iron Dome batteries and a large supply of Arrow missiles, wouldn’t provide sufficient defense for the country’s cities and factories against such an onslaught. All this would happen on Iran’s orders, the moment Tehran decided that the conditions were right, perhaps in the not-so-distant future in a regional conflict or something that relates more directly to Israel and its efforts to prevent the spread of Iranian power around us.
The Israeli media says little about the chaos that would ensue for weeks or even months, even if the country’s road, train, electricity, water, sewage and natural gas infrastructure continued to function at some basic level, and even if the army pressed all the way to Beirut and Gaza’s cities and somehow routed Hezbollah and Hamas after fighting that exacted a heavy casualty toll and wreaked massive destruction.
But there may be a way to avert this scenario with one simple and blunt statement. The Israeli government should declare tomorrow, immediately, publicly and unequivocally, that if Iran’s proxies forced Israel into an all-out war, for any reason, with a massive rocket barrage, Israel would respond immediately and forcefully against Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Bushehr, Natanz, Qom and Iran’s other population centers and strategic targets.
Iran would know that such a clear and powerful public statement would compel every Israeli government – regardless of who’s prime minister – to act on it (lest Israel be seen as a paper tiger and lose all its deterrent capability). Also, Iran would understand that it would pay dearly for an assault on Israel by its proxies. The fear of such a massive Israeli reprisal – hundreds of missiles and bombs on Iran’s cities and strategic assets for weeks – would make Iran’s leaders think very carefully about whether they should dispatch Hezbollah and Hamas and their proxies in Syria on any adventures.
So far, Iran has enjoyed immunity from attacks on its soil, with Israeli governments opting to respond to rockets from Lebanon and Gaza with (limited) strikes against targets in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria. This was a mistake that left Israel under a constant threat in the north and south, and led to a balance of deterrence – a balance that Tehran could nullify whenever it chose.
A clear and public announcement by Israel would probably deter Tehran from embarking on such an adventure. Critics would say: In response to an Israeli counterattack on Iran, Tehran would launch missiles on Israeli and possibly American targets in the Gulf – and in Iraq and Syria too. Maybe, but Israel’s ability to strike Iran is much greater than Iran’s ability to strike Israel, and that’s without considering Israel’s nonconventional capabilities. Israel’s anti-ballistic capabilities would probably neutralize the bulk of the missiles from Iran (which has a limited capability at the necessary range).
Nor does Iran have an air force that could come near Israel in any significant way. The regime of the ayatollahs, whose headquarters, factories and military would be bombed, would probably not be able to withstand such a contest for long, especially considering the regime’s unpopularity with everyday Iranians, which would certainly grow if the country’s major cities and factories were assaulted. And in such a conflict, there is no reason to believe that Tehran would wish to add the United States as an active combatant against it.
Thus, I believe that, using a simple declaration of just one sentence, the specter of an all-out offensive against Israel by Iran’s proxies and emissaries can be neutralized.
Would Hezbollah and Hamas launch their rocket arsenal at Israel without an order or approval from Tehran and against its will? This is hard to believe, as they need Tehran’s political, financial and military support, and as well fear that Israel would destroy neighborhoods in Gaza and Lebanon. In any event, Israel must act as if the signal for an attack on it would be given by Tehran, and Tehran must understand that this is how Israel would act. This would certainly prod Iran to rein in the neighboring fundamentalist Islamic groups, even should Hezbollah and Hamas think of going to war independently.
Israel should issue its warning to Tehran very loudly and clearly, and the sooner the better. Perhaps this will spare us the terrible war that many analysts predict is approaching.
*Prof. Benny Morris, a historian, is the author of a number of books including “The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947–1949.”

Six key obstacles to the US-Turkey deal on Syria
Yasar Yakis/Arab News/August 17/2019
Turkish and American military teams who were negotiating for months have agreed on the broad lines of their cooperation in northeast Syria, but uncertainties persist.
A joint command center will be created in Turkey and a “peace corridor” will be set up in Syria. The agreement fell short of Turkey’s expectations, which were for a 30km-40 km wide and 470km long corridor along the Turkish-Syrian border to be controlled exclusively by the Turkish army. Instead, the agreement refers to a “peace corridor” whose main aim will be to help displaced Syrians to return home.
The most important effect of this agreement is that a further Turkish military incursion into Syria seems to have been averted, at least for the moment.
The US Embassy in Ankara leaked a document to the Turkish media giving further details of how the US perceives the “corridor.” According to this document, the US proposes a much narrower corridor of 5km. It will be patrolled jointly by Turkish and American soldiers. Another 9km-wide corridor, deeper into Syria, will be patrolled solely by US soldiers. The US keeps another 4km wide corridor for bargaining purposes and for further extension in Arab-majority towns such as Tal Abyad and Ras Al-Ain. According to this American proposal, the Kurdish majority towns will continue to be administered by local military councils and observation posts will be created under the supervision of the international coalition.
At first glance, these contradicting ideas give the impression of confusion, but it would be safer to characterize them as “constructive ambiguity” to be eliminated later. The Pentagon seems inclined to spread the process over time and avoid the collapse of the talks.
Even if an agreement is reached on these broad lines, there is a catalogue of other issues to be clarified.
One of them is that Turkey wants the US to expel Kurdish PYD fighters from this corridor. Estimates of their number vary, but an International Crisis Groupreport last week said there were 60,000 fighters on the payroll of the Kurdish autonomous administrations. We may assume that the backbone of this huge military contingent is mainly composed of the Kurdish fighters of the People’s Protection Units (YPG). It is not realistic to expel such a big group of fighters from the places they are entrenched in.
A joint command center will be created in Turkey and a “peace corridor” will be set up in Syria. The agreement fell short of Turkey’s expectations, which were for a 30km-40 km wide and 470km long corridor along the Turkish-Syrian border to be controlled exclusively by the Turkish army.
Second is the mechanics of the expulsion. The US will probably drag its feet, so as not to expel them. In the absence of US support, how will Turkey identify these 60,000 fighters in predominantly Kurdish-populated towns, if it does not have a full list of their identities, with photos?
Third, Turkey is asking the US authorities to dismantle military infrastructure built in Syria with US financial support, which would be ridiculous.
Fourth, pushing the YPG away from the Turkish border will not diminish its capacity to harass the Turkish army. On the contrary, the Turkish army will become more vulnerable in Syrian territory, in a hostile environment.
Fifth is the length of the corridor. Turkey wishes to extend the corridor all along the Turkey-Syria border up to the Iraqi border, which would make it about 430km in length. The pro-Kurdish Mesopotamia News Agency claimed an agreement has been reached in Ankara to keep this corridor only 100km long.
Sixth, the two sides agreed that the peace corridor would be used to facilitate the return of the displaced Syrians. This looks to be more easily said than done. Only a small portion of the displaced Syrians must have come from this region. If Syrians from other parts of the country are going to be settled in this “corridor,” the indigenous people of the region will probably object, especially if the move is likely to alter the ethnic composition of the region’s population. It will not be easy to persuade the international community of the wisdom of such a move.
The close cooperation of the Syrian government will be needed both to determine the city of origin of the displaced Syrians to be settled in this corridor, and the ownership of the property where they are going to be settled. Otherwise this will open a new Pandora’s Box and reignite a new internecine war.
As if these were not enough, Russia says Syria’s consent has to be obtained to set up such a corridor. Many obstacles therefore have to be overcome before we see this agreement implemented.
*Yasar Yakis is a former foreign minister of Turkey and founding member of the ruling AK Party. Twitter: @yakis_yasar

Is this the beginning of the end for globalization?
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/August 17/2019
Recent equity market volatility, including last week’s 800-poins fall in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, has many economic drivers. However, another headwind is geopolitical risk with growing concern about the future of globalization itself, which has long characterized much policy orthodoxy.
The latest example of this is the intensification of the ongoing US-China spat between the world’s two largest economies. With further US tariffs looming, China has called this a violation of bilateral and multilateral accords, and threatened more retaliation in what could yet become a fully blown trade war.
The current high level of political risk, by some measures at one of the highest points in the post-Cold War period, underlines the major stress globalization is under. One of the novel features here of the current period of strain is that two of the countries usually known for setting the rules in global affairs — the US and UK — are making the world a more uncertain place from Brexit to the daily pantomime of the Trump White House.
On the horizon in coming weeks is not just the prospect of greater US-China tensions, but also a hard, disorderly no-deal Brexit. The “end game” for the current phase of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU will come to a head in September and October in what could be a spectacular clash between the new government of Boris Johnson, the UK Parliament, Brussels, and the remaining 27 nations of the EU.
However, the issues and political context that brought about Brexit and Donald Trump’s 2016 victory are present in many other countries too. Take the example of the renewed political tensions in Italy, the third largest eurozone economy, which could yet cause the government to collapse in coming weeks amid wider disagreements between Brussels and Rome over issues from immigration to budgetary discipline.
For some significant time to come, the revolt against liberal establishments will continue to shape the political agenda, even if populists do not always win elections. And large-scale immigration of peoples will play key roles in shaping elections, not least in Western democracies.
What makes this latest bout of political angst so worrying for some market participants is that it comes on top of layers of previous turbulence in the global landscape for a decade now or more since at least the 2009-09 international financial crisis. This goes well beyond the rise of anti-establishment populists riding the anti-globalization mood across much of the world.
While globalization is under growing challenge, there are also countervailing forces in play. The biggest uncertainty is over the future of the US-China relationship.
The many challenges now confronting the US-led international order include the recent rise in tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir; the fact that Washington’s relations with Russia are at one of the lowest points since the collapse of Soviet communism; the continuing threat from international terrorism; the fact that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has collapsed again; and continuing instability in nations from Syria to Afghanistan and Libya.
And one of the key trends at work, fueling political tensions, is a significant movement in global power taking place with a shift to key developing countries with key Asian states, especially China, primary beneficiaries so far. While the US remains by far the most powerful country in the world, it is in relative decline at the same time that claims of rising powers for resources are growing, as witnessed by disputes between China and neighboring countries in the South China Sea, for instance.
However, amid the myriad challenges, there are also countervailing developments that could underpin international order and globalization. While big multilateral deals are becoming harder to secure, there has been recent agreement by 11 American and Asia-Pacific nations of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which account for 13 percent of global trade, the third largest trade bloc after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the EU.
Moreover, NAFTA has just been renegotiated in the proposed new US-Mexico-Canada trade deal, and the EU has relatively recently concluded a range of big economic agreements with countries from Canada to Japan.
This economic multilateralism is girded by a dense web of postwar international institutions, especially the UN, which continue to have significant resilience and legitimacy decades after their creation. While these bodies are in need of reform, the fact remains that they have generally enabled international stability and diplomacy, especially with five of the world’s key powers all on the UN Security Council.
Going forward, perhaps the fundamental driver of whether globalization will be rejuvenated, or rolled back, is the direction of the US-China relationship; this could suffer from growing tensions, but it also has potential for fruitful partnerships. Growing bilateral cooperation is most likely with strong partnership on soft issues (such as climate change) enabling effective ways of resolving hard power disputes (such as the South China Sea).
However, growing bilateral rivalry, rather than an increasingly cooperative relationship, is especially likely if Beijing’s economic and military power continues to grow rapidly, and the country embraces an increasingly assertive foreign policy stance toward its neighbors in Asia.
While globalization is therefore under growing challenge, there are also countervailing forces in play. The biggest uncertainty is over the future of the US-China relationship which could be a force for significantly greater global instability, or deeper, collaborative strategic partnership, and help determine whether globalization will be rejuvenated, or rolled back.
*Andrew Hammond is an Associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics

The geostrategic case for US withdrawal from Afghanistan
Dr. John C. Hulsman/Arab News/August 17/2019
Surveying the ruins of America’s longest conflict — the futile 18 years in Afghanistan — there is really only one argument still standing as to why, despite all facts to the contrary, the US should continue its efforts.
The argument is very human, but horribly flawed. It goes something like this: “Yes, perhaps committing to nation-building and endless war (following the unseating of the then Al-Qaeda-affiliated Taliban in December 2001) was a mistake, but we have already committed so much blood and treasure to the effort, to leave now would negate all our sacrifices. Worse, premature withdrawal is bound to be seen as a calamitous setback to American credibility around the world.”
But in following such emotional, unreasoning advice, no great power would ever terminate a war they were losing. This will do little more than tragically extend the length of a conflict to no purpose, as has already happened in Vietnam, Iraq and now Afghanistan.
To keep gambling even as the losses pile up — without ever stopping to ponder the reasons for the losses in the first place — is perhaps the single greatest intellectual error the US has made in the past 50 years, as it largely explains all three debacles.
Instead, let us look at the true situation in Afghanistan through the realist lens. First, the war has cost a king’s ransom; money that could have been used to upgrade America’s schools, infrastructure, and social system. Including expenditures earmarked in 2019, the US war in Afghanistan has required Department of Defense and State Department appropriations totaling an unimaginable $975 billion (SR3.65 trillion), making it America’s third-costliest war after World War II ($4.1 trillion) and Iraq ($1.06 trillion).
And despite never emerging as anything like a viable political entity, the Afghan government has received over $133 billion in US aid since 2001, $5.7 billion of which was allotted in 2017 alone (making it the top recipient of American assistance that year).
Second, if the price in treasure has proven exorbitant, then the cost in blood has been equally fearsome. It is estimated that between the war’s start in October 2001 and October 2018, the war has directly killed 147,000 people, including 2,400 US military personnel, as well as 1,100 NATO and allied troops. The carnage has not let up. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has stated that 45,000 of his security forces have been killed since his election in September 2014.
Facts are stubborn things, and no amount of obfuscation changes this basic and damning reality. The US strategy in Afghanistan, to put it mildly, has not met with success.
Third, all this sacrifice has not led to any concrete gains; on the contrary, the American-installed government in Kabul has failed to secure anything like country-wide political legitimacy. Both former President Hamid Karzai and Ghani won highly disputed elections, an outcome that has made them seem as little more than pawns of the Western forces. This is a disastrous state of affairs if a viable government is ever to be self-sustaining.
The Taliban now control or influence more territory than at any time since the initial US invasion in 2001. Facts are stubborn things, and no amount of obfuscation changes this basic and damning reality. The US strategy in Afghanistan, to put it mildly, has not met with success.
Fourth, and often overlooked, there is a strong geostrategic case to be made for drawing down the American war in Afghanistan. Regionally, the US’ focus on what amounts to a geostrategic backwater averts attention and focus from what is the definitive present danger to America in the region, that of curtailing Iran’s overly grand expansionistic ambitions in the Middle East. By diverting attention from this underlying geostrategic primary interest, America is doing itself no favors.
Further afield, the Trump administration is correct to see the rise of Great Power competition as the definitive challenge America faces in the dawning new era. Beyond all else, this means managing and balancing the rise of China in Asia, through the use of an enhanced alliance system centered around allies in “The Quad” (Australia, India, and Japan), as well as others in Southeast and east Asia. Afghanistan amounts to a sideshow. It is time for America to cut its very lengthy losses there.
In doing so, for all the geostrategic gains listed above, Washington must be extremely clear-eyed. As the recently completed eighth round of talks between the US and the Taliban in Doha made clear, the outlines of a deal are visible. America will withdraw its 14,000 troops over two years in return for the Taliban’s agreement not to host and support international terror actors in the country, such as Al-Qaeda and the Haqqani Network.
In these negotiations, there is reason to believe that the Taliban will keep their word. This is not because they are gentlemen, but because upholding such a bargain is in line with their strategic priorities: To get the US out of their country for good, allowing them to finish a war they will likely win. Such an unsatisfying result will be the messy end to much suffering and huge costs; but this is what successful Great Powers do.
**Dr. John C. Hulsman is the president and managing partner of John C. Hulsman Enterprises, a prominent global political risk consulting firm. He is also senior columnist for City AM, a London newspaper. He can be contacted via www.chartwellspeakers.com.