LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 22/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
‘Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10/13-16:”‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But at the judgement it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades.‘Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on August 21-22/2019
Stop being surprised that Lebanon is plunging into the abyss.
Aoun Remarks on Change of Defence Strategy Standards Spark Debate
Presidency: Defense Strategy Needs New Approach, Consensual Atmosphere
Richard Calls on Every Lebanese to 'Believe in Lebanese Army'
Al-Rahi from Beiteddine: Article 95 a Guarantee, Defense Strategy Essential
Reports: Lebanon's Credit Rating Won't be Downgraded
LF MPs File Lawsuit over 'Theft' at Beirut Port
Arslan Urges 'Real Partnership' in Mt. Lebanon after Baabda Meeting
Sami Gemayel: Nasrallah's statement flagrant violation of constitution
Hajj Hassan from Ain el Tineh: For parliamentary inquiry into cellular dossier
Bazzi from Ain el-Tineh: Positivity surrounding reconciliation meeting requires intensification of government work
Antoine Khoury-Harb, conscience de la résistance aouniste, n’est plus

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 21-22/2019
Greece will not offer any facilities to enable Iranian tanker to get to Syria
Rouhani: Int’l waterways won’t be as safe if Iran oil exports cut to zero
Sudan Swears in Civilian-Majority Ruling Council
Members of Sudanese ‘Sovereign Council’
Sudan: Burhan Sworn in as Head of New Sovereign Council
New Mysterious Blast Rocks Militia Arms Depot in Iraq
Tunisia's Main Candidates for Presidential Elections
Algerian Students Vow to Continue Demonstrations Until Regime’s Departure
Robotic Dog to Detect Weapons, Explosives
Two Killed in Kashmir as Trump Offers to Mediate
Trump, Maduro confirm talks as opposition stays mum
China says British consulate staffer detained 15 days
China threatens sanctions on US firms linked to Taiwan warplanes sale
Danish PM says cancellation of Trump visit won’t hurt good US relation

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 21-22/2019
Stop being surprised that Lebanon is plunging into the abyss/Roger Bejjani/Face Book/August 21/2019
Antoine Khoury-Harb, conscience de la résistance aouniste, n’est plus/Michel HAJJI GEORGIOU/ OLJ/August 21/2019
How a US Congresswoman Can Help Palestinians/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/August 21/2019
Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Afghanistan and an Opportunity for the West/Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/August 21/2019
Iran threatens ‘less secure’ shipping lanes if US halts oil exports/Arab News/August 21/2019
Tlaib following in the footsteps of Findley/Ray Hanania/Arab News/August 21/2019

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 21-22/2019
Stop being surprised that Lebanon is plunging into the abyss.
Roger Bejjani/Face Book/August 21/2019
When you compromise on Hezbollah’s weapons and private fundamentalist Iranian proxy Army,
when you stop looking for the 5 suspects of Hariri’s assassination, when you accept forming a government with Hezbollah, a world recognized terrorist organization,
when you accept having as Minister of Defense a PSNS partisan who does not believe in Lebanon’s borders,
when you accept having as Minister of Justice the legal consultant of a terrorist organization who has proclaimed that it will protect for 300 years the indicted suspects of Hariri’s assassination.....
you should try:
1. Avoiding talking about the constitution and the respect of the constitution.
2. Stop being surprised that Lebanon is plunging into the abyss.

Aoun Remarks on Change of Defence Strategy Standards Spark Debate
Beirut- Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 21 August, 2019
Disagreement over Hezbollah's weapons reemerged after remarks by Lebanese President Michel Aoun on changing the ‘defense strategy standards’ related to the party, an issue he promised to tackle after the parliamentary elections and the approval of the 2019 budget. The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) said that the call to discuss the strategy was still at the table but it was only a matter of timing. Aoun answered a question on the call to renew a national dialogue on a defense strategy, saying that the defense strategy standards have changed. He wondered what the strategy would be based on, now that even the power regions have changed. “The military developments in the region neighboring Lebanon over the past years require a new approach for the issue of the defense strategy that would take into consideration these developments, especially after world powers and terrorist groups intervened in the wars that several countries that neighbor Lebanon witnessed, which created changes in the goals and strategies,” the Presidency said, explaining Aoun’s remarks. “The President is committed to the stances he had announced over the issue of the defense strategy and the need to discuss it in a consensual atmosphere,” the Presidency added in a statement. The Future parliamentary bloc saw that this topic should be permanent on the national dialogue agenda. Reliable sources affirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the call to discuss the defense strategy is still at the table but delaying it is due to the condition that Lebanon passed through and different priorities. FPM MP Alain Aoun noted that the talk of the president on the change of standards is basically regarding the changes that occurred in the region from the emergence of ISIS, and what is happening in Syria as well as the role of Russia as a key player. Lebanese Forces spokesman Charles Jabbour stressed the standpoint of his party, hoping for a correction of the statements made by Aoun. For his part, political expert and Hezbollah specialist Qassem Qassir told Asharq Al-Awsat that the president didn’t mean calling off the discussion of defense strategy -- yet it is required to take into consideration the changes in the region.

Presidency: Defense Strategy Needs New Approach, Consensual Atmosphere
Naharnet/August 21/2019
The Presidency on Tuesday said that the remarks voiced Monday by President Michel Aoun over the national defense strategy were “misinterpreted” by some media outlets and news websites. “The military developments in the region neighboring Lebanon over the past years require a new approach for the issue of the defense strategy that would take into consideration these developments, especially after world powers and terrorist groups intervened in the wars that several countries that neighbor Lebanon witnessed, which created changes in the goals and strategies,” the Presidency said, explaining Aoun’s remarks. “The President is committed to the stances he had announced over the issue of the defense strategy and the need to discuss it in a consensual atmosphere,” the Presidency added in a statement.

Richard Calls on Every Lebanese to 'Believe in Lebanese Army'
Naharnet/August 21/2019
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard and U.S. military representatives on Wednesday attended a live-fire exercise conducted by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) at the Akoura military complex. In remarks to the press, Richard congratulated the LAF for “demonstrating outstanding professionalism and sophistication in safely executing complex maneuvers using advanced-technology weaponry and equipment,” calling the live-fire exercise an “extremely challenging operation with lots of moving parts,” and noting that “the communication among all of the elements was extraordinary.”
Richard stated “it was my honor to be a guest of the LAF,” adding that “we are firm believers in this army and I hope every Lebanese believes in this Army, as well.”The live-fire exercise employed a variety of military equipment, including Bradley vehicles, A-29 aircraft, Huey helicopters, and Humvees, to perform a broad range of air and ground maneuvers, including surveillance, attack, and search-and-rescue operations. The military equipment provided through U.S. military assistance is maintained and operated by Lebanese soldiers and airmen, demonstrating “the capacity of the LAF to generate trained and ready forces for operations, the core goal of the U.S.-Lebanon Protected Mobility Program,” the U.S. embassy said in a statement. In comments to the press, the Ambassador highlighted last week’s delivery of U.S. Humvees and security equipment, valued at over $60 million. Since 2006, the U.S. government has provided Lebanon over $1.7 billion in security assistance according to the embassy statement.

Al-Rahi from Beiteddine: Article 95 a Guarantee, Defense Strategy Essential
Naharnet/August 21/2019
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Wednesday held talks with President Michel Aoun at the summer presidential palace in Beiteddine. “The visit was to congratulate President Aoun on moving (to Beiteddine), which has created a nice atmosphere after the tensions that Lebanon witnessed,” al-Rahi said after the meeting, adding that his visit to Beiteddine is aimed at “consolidating the historic reconciliation” between Druze and Christians in Mount Lebanon. He added: “We discussed the economic issue, whose repercussions affect all people, and the government will tackle this file tomorrow.”“We discussed with President Aoun the interpretation of Article 95” of the Constitution, al-Rahi said, emphasizing that “the Constitution should be implemented as a whole and not selectively.” “Article 95 does not scare but rather gives a guarantee to all people,” he added. Aoun has asked Parliament to hold a session to interpret Article 95 of the Constitution after a sectarian row erupted over employment in state administrations. Article 95 stipulates that “the Chamber of Deputies that is elected on the basis of equality between Muslims and Christians shall take the appropriate measures to bring about the abolition of political confessionalism according to a transitional plan.”The Article adds that “the principle of confessional representation in public service jobs, in the judiciary, in the military and security institutions, and in public and mixed agencies shall be canceled in accordance with the requirements of national reconciliation; they shall be replaced by the principle of expertise and competence.”Separately, al-Rahi said that a national defense strategy is “essential” for the country. “It should be devised, because it is a vital necessity for Lebanon,” the patriarch added, amid renewed controversy over the topic.

Reports: Lebanon's Credit Rating Won't be Downgraded
Naharnet/August 21/2019
International credit rating agency Standard & Poor's will keep Lebanon’s credit rating at its current level of B- in the report that it will issue on Friday, contrary to some expectations that it will be downgraded to CCC, media reports said. Al-Joumhouria newspaper said the reports are based on “high-level contacts between Lebanon, the U.S., a host of other countries, the agency itself and similar international agencies.”“Keeping the current credit rating for another six months is aimed at giving the government an additional chance to execute a number of projects and reforms to revitalize the economic and financial situation in the country, in light of the poor financial liquidity that the various sectors and even ordinary Lebanese are complaining about,” informed sources told the daily in remarks published Wednesday. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meanwhile told his visitors that he has a “positive feeling and impressions” regarding Standard & Poor’s report but not concrete information. “How will there be a negative rating at a time the Americans are offering support and military grants to the Lebanese Army, the last of which was worth $60 million? In addition, the atmosphere in the country is encouraging and we have passed the state budget and reached a significantly slashed deficit,” Berri added. He also cited the latest reconciliation at the Baabda Palace and the resumption of cabinet sessions.

LF MPs File Lawsuit over 'Theft' at Beirut Port
Naharnet/August 21/2019
Lebanese Forces bloc MPs Ziad Hawat and Imad Wakim on Wednesday filed a lawsuit with the public prosecution over “theft operations targeting goods at Beirut’s port.”The lawsuit says the incidents include “the theft of a van, which was taken from the port’s premises, according to a report aired by the MTV station on August 13, 2019.” The two lawmakers called for “conducting the necessary investigations, suing those involved, arresting them and putting them on trial.”The National News Agency said acting State Prosecutor Imad Qabalan has started looking into the suit ahead of referring it to the relevant authorities for preliminary investigations. Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab has recently said that the van was not stolen from the port’s premises but rather from an adjacent parking.

Arslan Urges 'Real Partnership' in Mt. Lebanon after Baabda Meeting
Naharnet/August 21/2019
Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan on Tuesday described the Baabda reconciliation as a “first step” towards resolving the crisis created by the deadly Qabrshmoun incident, but noted that more steps are needed. Speaking to reporters after taking part in the weekly meeting of the Strong Lebanon bloc, Arslan said he briefed the conferees on the details of the Baabda meeting and stressed to them his insistence on considering the meeting as a “first step on the political track.” “But we rather need several steps to reach real partnership in Mount Lebanon,” he added. “We emphasized in the Baabda meeting on the need to devise a serious security plan for Mt. Lebanon’s regions in order to consolidate security and stability in it,” Arslan went on to say. And hoping for end to security incidents, the LDP leader urged the state to “shoulder all its responsibilities and implement what was agreed on in the Baabda meeting.”

Sami Gemayel: Nasrallah's statement flagrant violation of constitution
NNA -Wed 21 Aug 2019
Kataeb Party leader, MP Sami Gemayel, on Wednesday dismissed Hezbollah Secretary General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's most recent speech, as a blatant violation to the Lebanese constitution and national accord. He deemed Nasrallah's fresh stances an additional proof of Hezbollah's "abduction of national sovereignty." "The dangerous words [uttered by Nasrallah] on August 16 must be reexamined, especially as we endure a serious situation which requires our attention. Nasrallah said that a war on Iran means that the whole region will flare up!" Gemayel exclaimed, reminding of Hezbollah's declaration being part and parcel of the axis of the national resistance. "We, the children of the democratic system, the state, and the constitution, must resort to our constitution which grants procedural powers to the government, to which the nation's armed forces are affiliated," Gemayel said. "Nasrallah's speech is a flagrant violation of the constitution, the logic of state institutions, and the national charter," he added, deeming Hezbollah leader's stances an outright abandonment of partnership, which affirms that the decision of peace and war is owned by the state. "The House of Parliament and ministers have the power to determine the fate of the country; no one has the right to decide the Lebanese people's fate and future, let alone the decision of peace and war," Gemayel explained. "It is dangerous that Hezbullah is the one who defines the enemy and the friend and sets the national defense strategy," he added. "Our voice will not fade, we will not bow, and we will not be afraid to be alone as long as the truth, history, and future are on our side," the Kataeb Party leader concluded, shunning what he described as "the culture of violence, dictatorship, and unilateralism."

Hajj Hassan from Ain el Tineh: For parliamentary inquiry into cellular dossier
NNA -Wed 21 Aug 2019
NNA - MP Hussein Hajj Hassan said from Ain el-Tineh, that "spending in the cellular sector is not justified and there is a need for accountability for the past years.""We decided to ask Speaker Nabih Berri to put an item on the agenda to form a parliamentary investigation committee into the cellular sector, covering the past years," he said.

Bazzi from Ain el-Tineh: Positivity surrounding reconciliation meeting requires intensification of government work
NNA -Wed 21 Aug 2019
MP Ali Bazzi said after the Wednesday parliamentary Gathering that "the economic crisis topped the meeting discussions, next to the subject of waste, electricity and telecommunications."
He quoted Speaker of the House Nabih Berri as saying that the "credit rating gives an additional opportunity for Lebanon to correct things," stressing that "the positive atmosphere after the meeting of reconciliation and frankness requires the intensification of government work.""Speaker Berri considers that what is reported in some newspapers does not really reflect what happened, nor is there any discussion about his assumption of the demarcation of the border file," he said.

Antoine Khoury-Harb, conscience de la résistance aouniste, n’est plus
Michel HAJJI GEORGIOU/ OLJ 21/08/2019
« Celui qui a planté un arbre avant de mourir n’a pas vécu inutilement », dit un proverbe béninois. Rarement maxime fut plus à propos pour rendre compte du choc traumatique provoqué par le départ hier, des suites de complications pulmonaires, d’Antoine Khoury-Harb, le gentleman-révolté de la contestation politique et estudiantine à l’occupation syrienne depuis le début des années 1990.
L’arbre en l’occurrence n’était pas n’importe lequel. À l’heure où le pays était peuplé de mauvaises herbes, de buissons et de roseaux rachitiques se prenant pour les plus robustes des chênes, Tony Harb n’était pas moins qu’un « cèdre de Tannourine », fier, insoumis, majestueux et incorruptible. Assassine, la foudre a cependant frappé hier – et le compagnon de route qui a contribué à semer les graines du printemps de la liberté et qui se battait férocement pour la modernité et les vrais changements et réformes, loin des slogans pompeux et populistes dans l’air du temps, est tombé bien avant l’heure.
Tony Harb fait partie de cette génération de jeunes militants qui ont tout donné pour le Liban souverain, libre et indépendant dans l’après-guerre sans rien demander en retour. Quelques-uns d’entre eux ont été propulsés au premier plan de la scène politique et partisane. Certains parmi ceux-là sont restés cohérents avec leurs principes directeurs de l’époque. Mais nombre d’entre eux, enjeux de pouvoir obligent, ont renoncé à leurs idéaux et usent aujourd’hui de la même rhétorique et des mêmes usages dont ils étaient naguère victimes. Tony Harb n’était pas de cette trempe. Il était têtu, féroce et animé de repères politiques et moraux immuables et intangibles. Aussi avait-il le courage de reconnaître les écarts, défaillances et renoncements de soi au sein de son propre camp et de les pointer du doigt, indépendamment des conséquences désastreuses que cela pouvait avoir. Pourquoi celui qui avait bravé au risque de sa vie la barbarie de l’appareil sécuritaire libano-syrien allait-il se soumettre face aux turpitudes et aux néo-dictatures de l’intérieur ? La cohérence, encore de la cohérence, toujours de la cohérence, avant tout.
La résistance dans le sang
Au sein du mouvement estudiantin, où l’honneur et la noblesse n’étaient pas toujours des vertus courantes, Tony Harb a su gagner le respect de tous, toutes formations politiques confondues. Il avait « la résistance dans le sang » et horreur de cette forme d’héroïsme intéressé et frauduleux des m’as-tu-vu comment je résiste. Il n’avait cure des résistants de salon. C’était un irréductible. Si bien que son parcours de leader estudiantin lui vaudra une quinzaine d’arrestations, trois condamnations de justice et des séquelles non négligeables au niveau santé.
Mais pour comprendre son itinéraire, il convient de revenir au choc traumatique initial. L’enfance d’Antoine Harb, c’est la guerre, le chaos, l’anarchie, la loi de la jungle, le dégoût, les abris et la dégénérescence d’une société. Il a huit ans en 1975, lors du début des affrontements.
Entré à l’Université libanaise en 1987, où il s’inscrit en première année de licence de droit et de sciences politiques, Tony Harb est obligé d’interrompre ses études lors des deux guerres dites de libération et d’élimination, entre 1989 et 1990. Séduit par les idéaux incarnés par le général Michel Aoun, nommé en septembre 1988 chef du gouvernement de transition, il s’enrôle en 1989 dans les « Ansar », le corps créé par Aoun pour les jeunes recrues durant la guerre de libération.
À partir de 1988, la figure de Michel Aoun incarne pour lui une reprise de contact avec certains repères. Cela commence avec le discours prononcé par le chef du cabinet militaire de transition le 21 novembre 1988 à l’occasion de la fête de l’Indépendance, dans lequel il se retrouve tout à fait. Avec quelques amis, il entre en contact avec le Bureau central de coordination nationale (BCCN), un groupe du Tanzym qui organise et encadre les manifestations populaires de soutien à Michel Aoun au palais de Baabda, avant d’entrer dans l’armée. Il se retrouve sur le front de Madfoun (Batroun), qui tombe aux mains des Forces libanaises, puis rejoint les rangs de la 8e brigade, avant de s’enrôler, durant l’été 1990, dans les commandos de l’armée. Le 13 octobre 1990, le jour de la chute de Michel Aoun, il est affecté sur le front de Douar (Metn), où il se bat jusqu’au bout, quand bien même la bataille est perdue d’avance.
La résurrection du mouvement estudiantin
Après le 13 octobre, il fait le choix de rester au Liban, qui n’est pas celui de beaucoup de ses camarades. Il quitte l’armée et initie une résistance par les moyens pacifiques et démocratiques dans le cadre du Mouvement uni pour de la résistance (M.U.R) : graffitis sur les murs, communiqués... C’est le début des arrestations de militants par l’hydre sécuritaire libano-syrienne, tantôt pour avoir osé donner du « klaxon du général », tantôt pour avoir accroché des portraits du général en exil sur sa voiture... C’est aussi le temps des menaces et des pressions de la part des FL en raison de sa participation aux combats dans les commandos de l’armée. Il finit par partir pour la France, où il reste un an.
Son retour, Tony Harb l’effectue à l’occasion du boycottage des législatives en 1992 (à l’initiative du patriarche Sfeir et des partis chrétiens), qu’il suit à Batroun et à Jbeil. Il reprend également ses études à l’UL en 1993, où il participe à la renaissance du mouvement estudiantin et des élections à l’université, avec d’autres étudiants comme Tanios Hobeika, Liwa’ Chaccour, Julie Daccache... Il s’applique ainsi à ressusciter le mouvement estudiantin, disloqué par la guerre civile, pour en faire la plateforme contre l’occupation syrienne. Plusieurs arrestations marquent cette période, durant laquelle M. Harb fait aussi de la contestation syndicale avec la CGTL d’Élias Abou Rizk. En 1996, il est arrêté et conduit au centre des services de renseignements syriens au Beau Rivage, où il est incarcéré durant six jours. En 1997 est créée la section estudiantine du Courant patriotique libre (fondé en 1994, lors du premier congrès des partisans du général Aoun à Paris) et, en 1998, la première structure du CPL est mise au point. Tony Harb est témoin de tous ces événements.
L’unité garante de souveraineté
Son engagement politique ne se fera cependant pas aux dépens de sa formation académique et ne l’empêchera pas de mener à bien des licences en droit et en sciences politiques, en journalisme et en histoire à l’Université libanaise, et d’obtenir une maîtrise en sciences politiques de la Sorbonne (il finira par donner des cours sur le Moyen-Orient et le Liban à l’UL). Car Tony Harb n’est pas qu’un militant-chair à canon pour la gloriole d’un personnage, mais pour la promotion et la victoire de certaines idées et valeurs. Sur les campus, il se heurte rapidement à une réalité : tout combat, toute revendication portant sur des questions sociales et économiques et qui écartent la nécessité d’une réforme politique – dont l’entrée en matière doit être le rétablissement de la libre décision – sont nuls. Or il existe une volonté du côté de la tutelle et de ses alliés locaux de consacrer la division sociale et confessionnelle qui existe pour empêcher les Libanais de se retrouver autour de projets communs.
En décembre 1997 débute la grande bataille pour les libertés, avec les arrestations des militants aounistes en face de la MTV suite à l’interdiction de la diffusion d’un entretien du général Aoun. Tony Harb est à l’époque secrétaire général de la section estudiantine du CPL. La répression s’abat fermement sur les militants aounistes. Puis, peu avant les événements du 7 août 2001, Tony Harb est nommé chef de la section estudiantine du CPL, à titre intérimaire. Mais le 7 août, il fait partie du lot des responsables aounistes et FL qui sont embarqués et conduits au ministère de la Défense, puis à la prison de Roumieh. Il est élu président de la section à sa sortie de prison, en septembre 2001, et il le restera jusqu’à fin 2003.
Mais la contestation souverainiste ne suffit pas sans l’exigence de dialogue et d’unité. Il va falloir résister non plus seulement contre l’occupant, mais pour encourager les Libanais de tous bords et de toutes communautés à s’associer à la bataille pour le Liban. Aussi Tony Harb sera-t-il constamment ouvert au dialogue avec les jeunes de toutes les formations, l’apothéose étant le camp de la liberté de la place des Martyrs, le 14 mars 2005, où il contribuera avec nombre de ses camarades à recréer des liens pour panser les plaies de la guerre… avant que les chefs ne ravivent les plaies pour mieux mobiliser l’esprit de corps sectaire autour de leur figure historique, avant les législatives de 2005…
Intraitable face à la dérive féodale
Confiant qu’avec le retour d’exil du général Aoun, la bataille pour la réforme va bientôt suivre celle de la liberté, et qu’il va enfin être possible de s’attaquer aux maux fondamentaux de la société – l’identitarisme, le sectarisme, le féodalisme politique, le népotisme, le familialisme, la corruption, l’injustice sociale et les inégalités –, Tony Harb va vite déchanter, comme nombre de ses compagnons. Farouche opposant au glissement autoritaire et sectaire au sein de la rhétorique et de la pratique au sein du CPL, il claque la porte le jour où Gebran Bassil est intronisé en successeur à la tête du parti et dénonce les pressions exercées sur Alain Aoun. L’antiféodal de Tannourine est fidèle à lui-même. Tout comme le laïque qu’il est restera cohérent face aux dernières flambées identitaires et populistes du chef du CPL et de certains de ses proches, rejoignant le groupe d’anciens responsables dissidents CPL qui devraient former à la fin du mois le groupe « al-Tayyar – le canal historique ». La montée du fanatisme alimentée tout récemment à des fins opportunistes l’enrage, et sa férocité dans la défense de ses idées n’hésite pas à s’exprimer. Profondément dégoûté de la classe politique libanaise mais refusant de jeter l’éponge, il s’engage, avec émotion, entrain, conviction et espoir dans les batailles de la société civile au sein de sa région bien-aimée, Tannourine, notamment sûr que l’avalanche du changement face au populisme, au sectarisme et au traditionalisme est proche et inéluctable.
« Notre vrai tombeau n’est pas dans la terre, mais dans le cœur des hommes », affirme un autre proverbe, persan celui-là. Le « Cèdre de Tannourine » restera vivace dans le cœur et l’esprit de tous les compagnons de lutte au sein de la résistance estudiantine qui l’ont connu, aimé pour sa bonté ou suivi pour son authenticité et son courage. La patrie lui est reconnaissante. Et l’arbre de la liberté et du courage qu’il laisse restera l’incarnation la plus belle et la plus pure de sa présence exceptionnelle, pour son épouse, avec laquelle il venait à peine de s’unir il y a deux ans, et pour son fils de quatre mois Adonis.
Après tout, maigre consolation s’il en est, il est vrai, face à l’inéluctable de la tragédie – mais tout le monde n’a pas le luxe d’avoir un héros comme papa.
À la une

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 21-22/2019
Greece will not offer any facilities to enable Iranian tanker to get to Syria
Reuters/Wednesday, 21 August 2019
Greece will not provide assistance in delivering oil to Syria to an Iranian tanker now sailing eastward through the Mediterranean, Deputy Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said on Wednesday. “We have sent a clear message that we would not want to facilitate the trafficking of this oil to Syria in any instance,” Varvitsiotis told Greece’s ANT1 television. The Adrian Darya 1, which was released after being detained in Gibraltar, is carrying 2 million barrels of crude. It is now sailing east with trackers giving its stated destination as the Greek port of Kalamata, with an expected arrival date of August 26. Washington wants the tanker detained because it says the vessel has links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, which it has designated a terrorist organization. It has urged Greece to refrain from any assistance, while a Cypriot diplomatic source said a similar message had also been conveyed to Cyprus. Iran’s semi-official ILNA news agency said on Wednesday the Adrian Darya 1 was currently leased to an Iranian shipping line. Varvitsiotis said Greece did not have the port facilities to accommodate such a large ship, but did not discount the possibility that it could drop anchor in Greek territorial waters:“This is a VLCC, a very large crude carrier ... There is no Greek port that could accommodate a VLCC.” He said the United States had been in touch with Greece on the matter. Asked what would happen if the vessel entered Greek territorial waters and dropped anchor, he said: “In that case we will see what will happen.”
Varvitsiotis said the Iranian government had not been in touch with Greek authorities. He said the cargo could be offloaded at a refinery, but “obviously not” in EU territory.

Rouhani: Int’l waterways won’t be as safe if Iran oil exports cut to zero
Reuters, Geneva/Wednesday, 21 August 2019
If Iran’s oil exports are cut to zero, international waterways will not have the same security as before, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday at a meeting with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Khamenei’s official website. “World powers know that in the case that oil is completely sanctioned and Iran’s oil exports are brought down to zero, international waterways can’t have the same security as before,” Rouhani said. “So unilateral pressure against Iran can’t be to their advantage and won’t guarantee their security in the region and the world.”

Sudan Swears in Civilian-Majority Ruling Council
Agence France Presse/Naharnet
Sudan took further steps in its transition towards civilian rule Wednesday with the swearing in of a new sovereign council, to be followed by the appointment of a prime minister. The body replaces the Transitional Military Council (TMC) that took charge after months of deadly street protests brought down longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir in April. As a result of Wednesday's move, it was the first time that Sudan was not under full military rule since Bashir's coup d'etat in 1989. The first steps of the transition after the mass celebrations that marked the August 17 adoption of a transitional constitution proved difficult however. The names of the joint civilian-military sovereign council's 11 members were eventually announced late Tuesday after differences within the opposition camp held up the process for two days. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who already headed the TMC, was sworn in as the chairman of the new sovereign council in the morning. Wearing his usual green beret and camouflage uniform, Burhan took the oath in a short ceremony, one hand on the Koran and the other holding a military baton under his arm. He will be Sudan's head of state for the first 21 months of the 39-month transition period, until a civilian takes over for the remainder. The council's 10 other members were sworn shortly afterwards and Abdalla Hamdok, who was chosen by the opposition last week to be prime minister, was to be formally appointed later Wednesday. The sovereign council includes two women, including a member of Sudan's Christian minority, and it will oversee the formation of a government and of a legislative body. The inauguration of a civilian-dominated ruling council was welcomed by Khartoum residents but many warned the people would keep their new rulers in check.
End of isolation?
"If this council does not meet our aspirations and cannot serve our interests, we will never hesitate to have another revolution," said Ramzi al-Taqi, a fruit pedlar. "We would topple the council just like we did the former regime," he said. The transition's key documents were signed on Saturday at a ceremony attended by a host of foreign dignitaries, signalling that Sudan could be on its way to shedding its pariah status. Sudan's new rulers are expected to push for the lifting of the suspension from the African Union that followed a deadly crackdown on a sit-in in June. The ruling council will also seek to have the country removed from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for his role in massacres in the Darfur region, where a rebellion broke out in 2003. He appeared in court on Monday -- but only on charges of corruption for the opening of a trial in which an investigator said the deposed leader admitted to receiving millions in cash from Saudi Arabia. Pictures of the 75-year-old autocrat sitting in a cage during the hearing instantly became a symbol of his Islamist military regime's downfall. The sight of their former tormentor in the dock was overwhelmingly welcomed by the Sudanese but many warned the graft trial should not distract from the more serious indictments he faces before the ICC. "The evidence he committed genocide should come forward... Many civilians inside and outside Sudan have died because of him and he should face justice," one resident, Alhaj Adam, told AFP.
It's the economy...
Sudan's transitional authorities would need to ratify the ICC's Rome Statute to allow for the transfer of the former military ruler to The Hague. Amidst the euphoria celebrating the promise of civilian rule, unease was palpable within the protest camp that brought about one of the most significant moments in Sudan's modern history. One reason is the omnipresence in the transition of Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, a member of the sovereign council and a paramilitary commander whose forces are blamed for the deadly repression of the protests. His Rapid Support Forces sprang out of the Janjaweed militia notorious for alleged crimes in Darfur. Pacifying a country still plagued by deadly unrest in the regions of Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile will be one of the most urgent tasks of Sudan's transitional institutions. The other daunting challenge that awaits the fragile civilian-military alliance is the rescue of an economy that has all but collapsed in recent years. It was the sudden tripling of bread prices in December 2018 that sparked the wave of protests fatal to Bashir's regime.

Members of Sudanese ‘Sovereign Council’
Khartoum - Mohammed Amin Yassine/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 21 August, 2019
After a 12-hour meeting and under increasing popular pressures, leaders of the Forces of the Freedom and Change (FFC) agreed on the six candidates list at the sovereignty council. The council would run the country during the transitional phase of three years and three months.
Muhammad Hassan Taayashi, residing in the UK and candidate of Sudanese Professionals Association, returned to the candidates’ list at the council after he was dismissed earlier – his dismissal sparked a debate over social media.
He was joined by Prof. Siddique Taur, Legal Expert Hassan Mohammed Sheikh Idris, Journalist Mohamed Elfaki Soliman, Dr. Aisha Musa al-Saeed and Legal Counsel Rajaa Nicolas Issa Abdul Masih.
Muhammad Hassan Taayashi
Born in 1973 in Rihed Al Birdi, Darfur, he received his high-school education at Buram then at the University of Khartoum. He joined students of National Umma Party and appeared as an experienced politician. Taayashi left the party in 2009 and moved to the UK, directing his work to the civil sector especially conflicts and wars resolution.
Rajaa Nicolas Issa Abdul Masih
The Transitional Military Council and the FFC agreed on Rajaa Nicolas Issa Abdul Masih as the 11th figure at the council. She is a Christian born in Omdurman, where she received her primary education.
Rajaa received a bachelor in law from Cairo University in 1980, and was appointed at the Ministry of Justice then promoted to become a legal counsel at the ministry.
Dr. Aisha Musa al-Saeed
Born in El-Obeid, north of Kurdufan, Aisha received Education Certificate from Teacher Training Institute in Omdurman and a Masters from the University of Manchester, a higher diploma from Leeds University and Training Teachers to Teach Languages Certificate from the US.
Journalist Mohamed Elfaki Soliman
He politically belongs to the Unionist Alliance, one of the main factions that participated in the popular movement. Elfaki is the youngest at the council, born in 1979. He studied political sciences at the University of Khartoum.
Legal Expert Hassan Mohammed Sheikh Idris
He is from Kassala, east of Sudan, and graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Khartoum in 1972. Then he got involved in state institutions.
Prof. Siddique Taur
He was chosen by the FFC as a member at the sovereign council, and is known for belonging to the Arab Socialist Baath Party.

Sudan: Burhan Sworn in as Head of New Sovereign Council
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 21 August, 2019
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the outgoing head of Sudan's military council, was sworn in on Wednesday as head of the newly-formed Sovereign Council in front of the head of the country's judiciary. Burhan was dressed in military uniform at the swearing in ceremony, held at the presidential palace in Khartoum, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The remaining 10 members of the Sovereign Council will be sworn in later on Wednesday, also, Prime Minister-nominee Abdalla Hamdok is expected to be sworn in later in the day. Sudan completed on Tuesday the formation of the 11-member Sovereign Council that will run the country for a three-year transitional period until elections. Hamdok, an economist who has served in international institutions, was nominated by Sudan's main opposition alliance which negotiated for months with the Transitional Military Council to reach the agreement that led to the Sovereign Council's establishment. According to AP, the council replaces the Transitional Military Council that Burhan headed, which had ruled Sudan since the overthrow of president Omar al-Bashir in April. It is now the highest authority in the country but largely delegates executive powers to the cabinet of ministers.

New Mysterious Blast Rocks Militia Arms Depot in Iraq
Associated Press/Naharnet/August 21/2019
A large explosion hit an arms depot belonging to an Iranian-backed militia faction north of Baghdad on Tuesday, the latest in a series of mysterious blasts at military bases and munitions depots around the country in the past few weeks. The explosions have occurred in bases and warehouses belonging to militia groups under the umbrella of the mainly Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. The state-sanctioned PMF militias have fought alongside Iraq's regular armed forces against the Islamic State group. Last week, a massive explosion at a munitions depot southwest of Baghdad killed one civilian and wounded 13 others. The exact cause for the blast, which terrified residents and damaged nearby homes, is still unknown although some officials blamed it on faulty storage. Last month, an explosion took place at a base in Amirli, in Iraq's northern Salaheddin province, killing two Iranians and causing a huge fire. That attack was blamed on an unmanned drone that dropped explosives, with some Shiite militias blaming it on the Islamic State group. In response to the explosions, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi last week banned unauthorized flights throughout the country and ordered all military camps and munitions warehouses to be moved outside Iraqi cities. He ordered an urgent investigation into the explosions, whose results he said should be concluded within a week. No one has claimed responsibility for those explosions or Tuesday's blast near the Balad air base in Salaheddin province, which sent smoke billowing from the area. The officials who confirmed the explosion spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. They said the blast occurred in a depot belonging to the PMF and that an investigation was underway. The Iraqi Civil Defense said in a statement that the blast occurred near Balad air base, one of the country's largest, which is home to U.S. trainers and is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Baghdad. It said its members were trying to control a fire caused by the blast. A Shiite militia group is stationed nearby. The mysterious blasts have given rise to a host of theories, including that Israel may have conducted an airstrike. Israel has struck Iranian bases in neighboring Syria on numerous occasions, and there has been speculation that it might be expanding its campaign to target Iranian bases to include Iraq. However, neither the Iraqi government nor Israel have addressed the reports.

Tunisia's Main Candidates for Presidential Elections
Tunis- Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 21 August, 2019
Tunisia's moderate Islamists have nominated Abdelfattah Mourou as candidate for the country's presidential elections on Sept 15.
Here are his main rivals for the race.
YOUSSEF CHAHED
Incumbent prime minister, in office since 2016 and the main contact person for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for Tunisia's loan program. Born in 1975, he is an agricultural engineer. Prior to his appointment as prime minister he held posts as junior minister for fishing and minister for local affairs. He formed his own party this year after the Nidaa Tounes party suspended his membership in a row with the son of the late President Beji Caid Essebsi, who had demanded his resignation.
ABDELKARIM ZBIDI
Zbidi, 69, a technocrat and medical doctor by training, is considered by many to be above the party politics and infighting that has held back economic reforms recommended by the IMF in recent years. He has served twice since 2011 as defense minister, first in a cabinet led by the Islamists of Ennahda and later under Chaded. He enjoys the support of secular parties including Nidaa Tounes and Afek Tounes.
NABIL KAROUI
Karoui, 56, is a media magnate who owns the Nesma channel which has been promoting his candidacy and career. He used to be member of the Nidaa Tounes party before he quit. Karoui founded the Khalil Tounes Foundation in 2017 to fight poverty, the main theme in his campaign. In June, parliament passed an amendment to its electoral law which would have banned Karoui from running for president. The draft said candidates need to be rejected who benefit from "charitable associations" or foreign funding during the year before an election. But Essebsi had not signed the law before he died, allowing Karoui to run. In April, police stormed the offices of Nesma and took it off the air over accusations it had breached broadcasting rules, which Nesma called a move to silence its voice criticizing the government.
MEHDI JOMAA
Jomaa, 57 is an engineer who graduated in Tunis and worked for French oil major Total and other Western firms. He was appointed acting prime minister in January 2014 to head a technocrat government until 2015, replacing an Islamist-led cabinet that had led to a polarisation of the country.He was previously industry minister.

Algerian Students Vow to Continue Demonstrations Until Regime’s Departure
Algiers- Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 21 August, 2019
Nearly 1,000 students demonstrated on Tuesday for the 26th week in a row in Algeria. The peaceful protests took place amid a massive police deployment while students were demanding a “democratic” state and the release of those arrested during protests since February 22. Notably, universities are still closed for the summer holidays, but Tuesday’s move was broader and larger than those in the past weeks. Demonstrators vowed to continue their marches until the regime’s departure, chanting slogans and patriotic songs, targeting the army’s leadership, which has become the country’s decision-making center since April 2, after the resignation of Abdelaziz Bouteflika. They addressed Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah and demanded the departure of interim President Abdelkader Bensalah and Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui. Those three figures were supporters of Bouteflika throughout his 20-year rule. “Despite the hot weather and the summer holiday, we are here in masses to stress that nothing will stop us as long as Bouteflika’s regime is still ruling,” Yassine, 23, told AFP. Like every Tuesday, demonstrators reiterated their rejection of the dialogue proposed by the authorities and raised slogans against Karim Younes, former speaker of the People's National Assembly, who was chosen to coordinate the National Commission for Dialogue and Mediation. In this context, Cheb Mohamed, a student in the sociology department, considered that “the dialogue commission doesn’t listen to the popular demands," refusing Bouteflika’s supporters to organize upcoming elections. Addressing people, Bedoui considered that “a serious and wide dialogue, without exclusion” is a mean to “guarantee Algerian people’s right to choose their president as soon as possible” and “achieve their goals.”On the other hand, Algerian authorities deported a Human Rights Watch official on Monday without justification. Authorities detained him for 10 hours and seized his passports for 10 days before deporting him. Ahmed Benchemsi, the Middle East communications and advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, had been in Algeria since August 1 on the organization’s behalf. The police detained him on August 9 while he was observing the 25th consecutive Friday pro-democracy demonstration in downtown Algiers. They held him without allowing him to contact anyone, confiscated his cellphone and laptop computer and ordered him to provide his passwords to unlock both devices, which he refused to do. Benchemsi “was in Algiers simply doing his job observing human rights conditions,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “His arbitrary arrest and mistreatment send the message that authorities don’t want the world to know about the mass protests for more democracy in Algeria,” he noted.

Robotic Dog to Detect Weapons, Explosives
Cairo - Hazem Badr/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 21 August, 2019
The four-legged robots are not a novelty anymore. Scientists from Florida Atlantic University's Machine Perception and Cognitive Robotics Laboratory (MPCR) have assembled the skills of all robots in one dog-like robot that can perform many of a real dog tasks.
A report published by the university on August 15 said the new robot named "Astro" looks like a Doberman with a computerized brain simulation, so that it can learn to perform "doggie-like" tasks that benefit humanity. The report added that "equipped with sensors, high-tech radar imaging, cameras and a directional microphone, this 100-pound super robot responds to commands such as "sit," "stand" and "lie down."Eventually, it will be able to understand and respond to hand signals, detect different colors, comprehend many languages, and distinguish human faces."Elan Barenholtz, co-developer of Astro, said the machine's key missions will include detecting guns, explosives and gun residue to assist police, the military, and security personnel. It will also be able to rapidly see and search thousands of faces in a database, smell the air to detect foreign substances, and hear and respond to distress calls that fall outside a human's audible hearing range. This robodog's talents won't just end there, he also can be programmed to assist as a service dog for the visually impaired, and can be trained to serve as a first responder for search and rescue missions such as hurricane reconnaissance as well as military maneuvers, he added. In order to accomplish these tasks, this intelligent machine is designed to navigate through rough terrains and respond to dangerous situations to keep humans and animals out of danger. Astro will be outfitted with more than a dozen sensors that will consume environmental input across multiple modalities including optical, sound, gas and even radar to process the sensory inputs and make autonomous behavioral decisions. According to Barenholtz, Astro embodies the best exploitation of machine learning and artificial intelligence in helping to solve some of the world's most complex problems.

Two Killed in Kashmir as Trump Offers to Mediate
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 21/2019
A suspected militant and a policeman were killed in the first gun battle since New Delhi stripped Indian Kashmir of its autonomy, police said Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump offered to mediate the "explosive" situation. In a further sign of rising tensions, Pakistan said meanwhile that three of its civilians died in Indian gunfire from across the de-facto border in Kashmir known as the Line of Control (LoC). The Press Trust of India news agency quoted officials as saying one Indian soldier died and four were wounded when Pakistani troops opened fire on forward posts and villages along the LoC in the Poonch district on Tuesday. Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers and the situation in Kashmir, divided between them since 1947, is further complicated by the fact that China also claims part of the Himalayan region. Trump -- who has previously spoken of his willingness to mediate -- said he would raise the situation over the weekend with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both men are expected in France for a summit of the Group of Seven industrialised nations. "Kashmir is a very complicated place. You have Hindus and you have the Muslims and I wouldn't say they get along so great," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I will do the best I can to mediate," he added. At least 4,000 people have been detained in Indian-controlled Kashmir, according to security and government sources, since early August when authorities imposed a communications blackout and restricted freedom of movement in the region. Highlighting the growing international concern, a senior US official, who has just returned from a visit to the region, called on India Tuesday to quickly release detainees and restore basic liberties. "We continue to be very concerned by reports of detentions, and continued restrictions on the residents of the region," the State Department official told reporters. "We urge respect for individual rights, compliance with legal procedures and an inclusive dialogue," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Officials in France said that President Emmanuel Macron would bring up Kashmir with Modi when the two meet in Paris ahead of the G7 summit.
Johnson speaks to Modi
Earlier this year India and Pakistan again came close to all-out conflict over the region after a militant attack in Indian-held Kashmir in February was claimed by a group based in Pakistan, sparking tit-for-tat air strikes. India has bristled at any suggestion of foreign mediation and strenuously denied a claim by Trump last month that Modi had invited him to act a peacebroker. It was also left seething when the U.N. Security Council held its first formal meeting on Kashmir in nearly half a century last week, saying it would not accept "international busybodies... tell(ing) us how to run our lives."British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Modi in a phone call on Tuesday that the Kashmir dispute must be resolved between India and Pakistan alone, Downing Street said. An Indian statement said Modi had raised with Johnson the "violence and vandalism perpetrated by a large mob against the High Commission of India in London" on August 15.
Several thousand people had protested in London that day over India's Kashmir move. Police separated them from a smaller pro-Indian counter-demonstration and made at least one arrest.
'Terrorist' killed -
Clashes are common between Indian security forces and militants opposed to Indian rule, with tens of thousands of people killed in the past 30 years, most of them civilians, adding to public resentment towards New Delhi. But the latest gun battle north Kashmir's Baramulla district, reported by Kashmir police on Wednesday, since the August 5 move. "One terrorist killed... Arms and ammunition recovered. Our colleague SPO (special police officer) Billal attained martyrdom. SI (subinspector) Amardeep Parihar injured in the incident is being treated at Army Hospital," Kashmir Zone Police said on Twitter. A later tweet said that the dead militant was identified as a local man "affiliated" with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). LeT is a U.N.-listed militant organisation based in Pakistan and is accused by India and Washington of masterminding the four-day Mumbai attacks in 2008.

Trump, Maduro confirm talks as opposition stays mum
The Associated Press, Caracas/Wednesday, 21 August 2019
As President Donald Trump and Venezuela’s socialist leader Nicolas Maduro confirmed secret talks between their governments on Tuesday, one key player appeared to be left on the sidelines: The opposition. Comments by both the US and Venezuelan presidents each revealed that high-level officials in their respective administrations have been meeting about ending the South American nation’s deepening crisis. But neither mentioned anything about opposition leader Juan Guaido, who the United States and more than 50 other nations recognize as Venezuela’s rightful president.
Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, said the US involvement could be critical in breaking the monthslong stalemate but that the Trump administration nonetheless should be careful not to overstep the delicate boundaries at play. “The US has not only an opportunity, but a responsibility, to use leverage it has to try and advance the position of the opposition and try and reach a deal,” he said. “It oversteps when it moves in directions that are clearly not aligned with what Guaido is supporting.”Guaido has not directly addressed the high-level US-Venezuela exchange, but said Tuesday that he’s been working since earlier this year toward a pacific transition. He is expected to deliver remarks Wednesday.
“We’re not going to ease off even for a moment,” he wrote on Twitter.
Tensions
Tensions between the US and Venezuela have been escalating since early this year when Guaido, who is the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, declared the constitution gives him presidential powers because Maduro’s election last year was a fraud. But despite his widespread international backing, Guaido has been unable to loosen Maduro’s grip on power and in particular, the military. The Associated Press reported over the weekend that the United States has made secret contact with socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello as close allies of Maduro’s inner circle seek guarantees they won’t face prosecution for alleged abuses and crimes if they cede to growing demands to step down from power. As he took questions from reporters Tuesday, Trump confirmed his administration is talking to “various representatives of Venezuela” but refused to say whether the White House is specifically talking to Cabello. “I don’t want to say who,” he said. “But we’re talking at a very high level.”In a nationally broadcast appearance hours later, Maduro said that talks had long been underway between officials in his government and the US administration. “We’ve had secret meetings in secret places with secret people that nobody knows,” Maduro said, adding that all talks had been carried out under his “direct” authorization. “Sure there’s been contact and we’ll continue having contact.”The socialist leader said that he’s ready to meet with Trump himself to normalize relations, an offer he’s made before. An administration official told the AP the goal is not to prop up Cabello or pave the way for him to substitute Maduro, but to ratchet up pressure on the regime by contributing to the knife fight the US believes is taking place behind the scenes among competing circles of power within the ruling party.
Cabello has shied away from discussing any details of the meeting, but said at a socialist party event Monday that he’s long stood welcome to talk to anyone, so long as Maduro approves of the exchange. “I meet with the owners of the circus,” he said, in an apparent reference to the US “Not with those who work for them. The opposition works for them.”Shifter and other analysts said that any communication between the US and Venezuela is a positive sign but noted that the exact substance of the talks and how close either side is to reaching a resolution remains to be seen. “Whether they’ll actually produce an agreement is unclear,” he said. John Polga-Hecimovich, a political scientist at the US Naval Academy, said it’s also unclear to what extent, if any, Guaido is involved in the talks. If the communication is in fact unilateral between the Trump and Maduro administrations, it would make the opposition appear weakened. “The direct dialogue speaks to the limitations of the opposition,” he said. The development comes just weeks after the US Treasury Department slapped tough new sanctions against the Venezuelan government that would target even foreign companies that do business with the Maduro administration.
“There are no good faith negotiations with Maduro and his cronies,” US National Security Adviser John Bolton tweeted earlier this year. Despite the harsh rhetoric, analysts said it’s not surprising that a backroom dialogue between US and Venezuelan officials remains active. “The situation is in such a deadlock that I imagine the US is looking for a way to open other pathways,” said Venezuelan analyst Carlos Romero. “Ones that are less belligerent than they’ve used up till now.”

China says British consulate staffer detained 15 days
The Associated Press, Beijing/Wednesday, 21 August 2019
China says a staffer at the British consulate in Hong Kong has been given 15 days of administrative detention in the Chinese city of Shenzhen. At a daily briefing Wednesday, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang offered no details about why he was being detained. The British foreign ministry had said it was “extremely concerned” about its staff member, identified by local media as Simon Cheng Man-kit, who attended a business event in Shenzhen on Aug. 8 but never returned to neighboring Hong Kong despite plans to do so the same day. It is unclear whether the man possessed a diplomatic passport and Geng said he was a Hong Kong resident. Sino-British relations have grown tense in recent months amid pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, a former British colony.

China threatens sanctions on US firms linked to Taiwan warplanes sale
AFP, Beijing/Wednesday, 21 August 2019
China on Wednesday blasted a planned US arms shipment to self-ruled Taiwan and threatened to sanction US firms involved in the sale of F-16 fighter jets. “China will take all necessary measures to safeguard our interests including imposing sanctions on the US companies participating in this arms sale to Taiwan,” foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a news briefing. The US State Department on Tuesday approved the sale of 66 Lockheed Martin-built fighters, the F-16C/D Block 70, in an $8 billion deal, to Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.

Danish PM says cancellation of Trump visit won’t hurt good US relations
Reuters, Copenhagen/Wednesday, 21 August 2019
Denmark’s prime minister said on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump’s cancellation of a state visit after Denmark rebuffed his interest in purchasing Greenland would not affect close relations between the two allies. “The cancellation of the visit doesn’t change the good relationship between Denmark and the United States,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at a press briefing. She also reaffirmed that Greenland is not for sale. US President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed his interest in buying Greenland, but said it was not a priority for his administration. “It’s something we talked about,” Trump told reporters. “The concept came up and I said certainly, strategically it’s interesting and we’d be interested, but we’ll talk to (Denmark) a little bit,” he said, stressing that it was “not number one on the burner” for the government.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 21-22/2019
How a US Congresswoman Can Help Palestinians
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/August 21/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14754/tlaib-help-palestinians
While Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib is using the controversy surrounding her visit as an excuse to launch scathing attacks on Israel, Palestinians seem to be more worried about failed leaders in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This concern is not something that Tlaib seems to share with Palestinians because for her the only wrong-doing is coming from Israel.
"Praising suicide bombers and pushing blood libel is not 'criticizing Israeli policy.'" — Charles Sykes, The Bulwark, August 19, 2019.
As a Congresswoman, Tlaib should have been worried that a US Embassy was forced to cancel an event to help Palestinians because of threats and calls for a boycott.
It would have been helpful had the Palestinian-American Congresswoman made an effort to persuade Palestinian Authority officials to resume their relations with the US administration and explore ways of boosting the Palestinian economy and improving living conditions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. As a Congresswoman, she should be working to build, and not destroy, bridges between her people and the US. Her fierce attacks on Israel and the US administration, however, embolden Palestinian hardliners and fuel hate against Israelis and Americans.
If Tlaib really cared about the Palestinians, she should be campaigning against the PA and Hamas leaders engaged in a power struggle over money and power. Moreover, she should be calling for reforms and democracy under the PA and Hamas. The least she could do is demand an end to human rights violations by the PA and Hamas or demand that they hold long overdue presidential and parliamentary elections. She could also demand an end to crackdown on freedom of speech under the PA and Hamas.
As a Palestinian-American Congresswoman, Rashida Tlaib should be working to build, and not destroy, bridges between her people and the US. Her fierce attacks on Israel and the US administration, however, embolden Palestinian hardliners and fuel hate against Israelis and Americans. (Photo by Christ Chavez/Getty Images)
Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib is apparently upset because she was not able to agitate against Israel during a proposed visit to her grandmother there.
"I would like to request admittance to Israel," she had written, "in order to visit my relatives, and specifically my grandmother, who is in her 90s and lives in Beit Ur al-Fouqa. This could be my last opportunity to see her. I will respect any restrictions and will not promote boycotts against Israel during my visit. Thank you, Rashida Tlaib."
When her letter was leaked to the media, however, Tlaib quickly backtracked:
"Visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions meant to humiliate me would break my grandmother's heart."
Her trip was to have been co-sponsored by Miftah, a not-for-profit organization founded by Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Miftah promotes destroying Israel through economic strangulation, such as boycotts, has referred to a suicide bombing as "Palestinian women dedicated to sacrificing their lives for the cause," and has promoted the medieval blood libel that Jews kill Christian children to use their blood to bake matzoh. The itinerary Miftah had planned included "no meetings planned with Israeli officials of any political persuasion, including Arab lawmakers." As the journalist Charles Sykes noted, "Praising suicide bombers and pushing blood libel is not 'criticizing Israeli policy.'"
Tlaib's retraction came after many Palestinians had criticized her for requesting permission from Israel and for "complying with Israeli pre-conditions."
Tlaib and her colleague, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, have since been attacking Israel for banning them from entering the country simply because of their anti-Israel activities.
While Tlaib is using the controversy surrounding her visit as an excuse to launch scathing attacks on Israel, Palestinians seem to be more worried about failed leaders in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This concern is not something that Tlaib seems to share with Palestinians because for her the only wrong-doing is coming from Israel.
Palestinians are more worried about the continued power struggle between their Fatah and Hamas leaders than Tlaib's grievances over not seeing her grandmother. The Fatah-Hamas dispute, which has resulted in the creation of two separate Palestinian entities -- in the West Bank and Gaza Strip -- is seen by many Palestinians as proof of their leaders' incompetence and failure to improve living conditions in the two areas.
As everyone was talking about the cancellation of Tlaib's trip, the leaders of the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas were still busy fighting each other. The latest controversy between the two parties erupted over visits by non-Palestinian Arabs and Muslims to Jerusalem, particularly the holy sites in the city.
The PA and Hamas have been at each other's throats ever since Hamas violently seized control of the Gaza Strip and removed the PA from power there in the summer of 2007.
Since then, the two parties have been quarreling over just about everything – including, remarkably, time. If, for example, the PA announces that Palestinians will switch to daylight saving time on a certain date, Hamas is quick to make it clear that it will not follow the announcement and will change the clocks on a different date.
It would have been helpful had the Palestinian-American Congresswoman made an effort to persuade PA officials to resume their relations with the US administration and explore ways of boosting the Palestinian economy and improving living conditions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. As a Congresswoman, she should be working to build, and not destroy, bridges between her people and the US. Her fierce attacks on Israel and the US administration, however, embolden Palestinian hardliners and fuel hate against Israelis and Americans.
If Tlaib really cared about the Palestinians, she should be campaigning against the Palestinian Authority and Hamas leaders engaged in a power struggle over money and power. Moreover, she should be calling for reforms and democracy under the PA and Hamas. The least she could do is demand an end to human rights violations by the PA and Hamas or demand that they hold long-overdue presidential and parliamentary elections. She could also demand an end to crackdown on freedom of speech under the PA and Hamas.
As Tlaib was strongly condemning Israel and the US administration, Palestinians boasted that they managed to foil a conference in Ramallah organized by the US Embassy in Jerusalem.
The planned conference was supposed to bring together alumni of US educational and cultural programs, including dozens of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip who received permission from Israel to attend. The US Embassy was forced to call off the conference after Palestinians called for boycotting the event and warned the manager of a hotel in Ramallah against hosting the event.
As a Congresswoman, Tlaib should have been worried that a US Embassy was forced to cancel an event to help Palestinians because of threats and calls for a boycott.
Back to the dispute between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, which has now hit the issue of Arab and Muslim visits to Jerusalem while it is under Israeli sovereignty. The same debate has also divided prominent Muslim scholars, who seem to endorse contradictory positions on this topic.
Recent tensions between Palestinians and Israel over Jewish visits to the Temple Mount, or Haram al-Sharif in Arabic, in the Old City of Jerusalem have retriggered the debate among Palestinians and other Arabs and Muslims about the meaning and consequences of such visits.
The PA argues that visits by Arabs and Muslims to Jerusalem are important, mainly because they emphasize the "Arab and Islamic identity" of the city. Hamas and its allies, on the other hand, claim that non-Palestinian Arabs and Muslims who visit Jerusalem are in fact promoting normalization with Israel.
The PA and other Arabs and Muslims, however, maintain just the opposite point of view: they argue that such visits will be seen as a show of solidarity with Palestinians residents of Jerusalem and "strengthen the Islamic and Arabic identity" of the city.
The PA and Hamas, however, are in agreement when it comes to totally opposing visits by Jews to the site, which is holy to Islam, Judaism and Christianity. The leaders of both Palestinian rival parties claim that Israel is seeking to divide it between Muslim and Jewish worshippers.
As part of their campaign against the Jewish visits, PA and Hamas officials are continuing to urge Palestinians to converge on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to "foil" the purported Israeli scheme (to allow Jews to pray there). These appeals are made almost on a weekly basis.
In a number of public statements in the past few years, PA President Mahmoud Abbas has called on Arabs and Muslims to visit Jerusalem and its holy sites to show solidarity with its Palestinian residents.
"Visiting Jerusalem is not considered normalization with Israel or recognition of its sovereignty," Abbas said in a recent speech. Addressing Arabs and Muslims, he added: "I call on everyone to visit Jerusalem and not leave the Palestinians there alone." Abbas went on to argue that Israel is the only party that benefits from an Arab and Islamic boycott of Jerusalem.
In another speech, Abbas was quoted as saying that the Quran and Islamic religious law, Shari'a, do not prohibit Arabs and Muslims from visiting Jerusalem.
He was responding to a fatwa (Islamic religious opinion) by Egyptian Islamic theologian Yusef al-Qaradawi banning non-Palestinian Muslims from visiting Jerusalem while the city is under Israeli control. "There isn't any word in the Quran indicating such a ban," Abbas said.
On another occasion, Abbas strongly condemned al-Qaradawi and called him a "dishonorable man." Abbas pointed out that while al-Qaradawi, now based in Qatar, was calling on Muslims and Arabs not to visit Jerusalem, he himself had visited the Gaza Strip a few years ago in 2013, after receiving permission from Israel.
Al-Qaradawi entered the Gaza Strip through the border crossing with Egypt, not Israel. Abbas and other Palestinians maintain, however, that the visit could not have taken place without Israel's approval.
They are saying, in other words, that al-Qaradawi is a hypocrite because he allegedly received Israeli permission to enter the Gaza Strip while banning Arabs and Muslims from visiting Jerusalem just because it is under Israeli control.
During his visit to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, al-Qaradawi stated that Israel has no right to exist. "This land has never once been a Jewish land," he said. "Palestine is for the Arab Islamic nation."
Al-Qaradawi, who is considered the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood organization, is famous for fanning the flames of religious hatred and promoting violence. He has justified suicide bombings, especially against Israel, has repeatedly spoken out against Jews as a community, and has issued fatwas that demean women.
In January 2009, al-Qaradawi said in an interview with Al-Jazeera:
"Oh God, take Your enemies, the enemies of Islam ... Oh God, take the treacherous Jewish aggressors ... Oh God, count their numbers, slay them one by one and spare none."
In addition to al-Qaradawi, a number of Islamic clerics and organizations have also ruled that it is forbidden for Arabs and Muslims to visit Jerusalem while it is under Israeli control. Their main argument: such visits promote normalization with Israel and may be interpreted as recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.
Despite the ban, several Arab and Muslim officials and individuals have visited Jerusalem in recent years, only to discover that, under Israel, they have free access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and other holy sites in the city. The visits, of course, have enraged al-Qaradawi and his friends in Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Arab and Muslim officials who visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound actually discovered that the real threat to them was from Palestinian extremists there who attacked them with shoes and chairs and even spat in their faces and hurled insults at them. The most recent incident took place last month, when a group of Palestinians attacked Saudi blogger Mohammed Saud when he arrived to pray in the mosque.
Last week, a Moroccan Muslim scholar again sparked the controversy over visits to Jerusalem by Arabs and Muslims when he came out in support of such visits. The scholar, Ahmed al-Raysuni, ruled that Arabs and Muslims visiting Jerusalem were not engaging in the promotion of normalization with Israel.
Not surprisingly, the PA and Hamas found this ruling another excuse to highlight their differences. The PA leadership rushed to welcome it, while Hamas opposed it.
In 2013, the Hamas-affiliated Palestine Scholars' Forum issued its own fatwa banning non-Palestinian Arabs and Muslims from visiting Israel altogether, including Jerusalem. The group argued that by boycotting Israel, the "ember of jihad (holy war) will continue to exist among Arabs and Muslims until the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque."
The Palestinian Authority and Hamas are unlikely to resolve their visitation dispute anytime soon. In fact, they seem determined to pursue their fight to the bitter end, at the rather high expense of ordinary Palestinians.
Palestinians, it is becoming clear, are not the only Muslim victims of the PA-Hamas rivalry: non-Palestinian Arabs and Muslims who wish to carry out a religious trip to their holy sites in Jerusalem are now caught in the capricious power struggle between two Palestinian parties -- both of which continue to display total disregard for their people and anyone who dares to disagree with them.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East.
© 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.

Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Afghanistan and an Opportunity for the West
Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/August 21/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14739/al-qaeda-isis
In the short term, al-Qaeda evidently wants to pressure the United States to withdraw from direct involvement in the Middle East. ISIS, on the other hand, wants to cleanse the region's Arab regimes of secular dictatorships, corrupt ruling elites and insufficiently devout Muslim intelligentsia.
There is, however, a serious complication. The Taliban-al-Qaeda coalition is now being challenged by increasingly strong ISIS forces in several Afghan provinces. The United Nations recently estimated that ISIS still have roughly $300 million at their disposal. Moreover, some "disaffected" or hardline Taliban fighters opposed to ongoing negotiations with the U.S. are defecting to ISIS.
The West should take no pleasure in the global competition between al-Qaeda and ISIS. It is a competition that incentivizes each terrorist network to upgrade its recruitment appeal for the next generation of jihadists.
In its effort to sustain a pro-Western regime in Afghanistan, the United States might instead take advantage of an opportunity already in place. In an area of such unrest, and where it is still unclear what the word of those making promises is worth, it might be wise to keep a modest footprint rather than withdraw all troops. To abandon the area totally, as President Obama abandoned Syria and Iraq, and then find it overrun with terrorist groups, would be, as one saw, a catastrophic mistake.... Although admittedly less than ideal, it still be might be far less costly in life and treasure, as with the Middle East, to safeguard the area and gather intelligence, rather than to leave and then have to go back. It is an opportunity that would be foolhardy to give up.
In its effort to sustain a pro-Western regime in Afghanistan, the United States might instead take advantage of an opportunity already in place... it still be might be far less costly in life and treasure to safeguard the area and gather intelligence, rather than to leave and then have to go back. Pictured: U.S. soldiers on patrol near Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2014. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
While the world's two most prominent and competing jihadist networks, al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS), share the ultimate objective of establishing a global Islamic caliphate and ushering in the apocalyptic age of the Mahdi. Their intermediate goal seems to be replacing the liberal nation-state system with a worldwide Muslim Ummah. Their immediate aims are different.
In the short term, Al-Qaeda evidently wants to pressure the United States to withdraw from direct involvement in the Middle East. ISIS, on the other hand, wants to cleanse the region's Arab regimes of secular dictatorships, corrupt ruling elites and insufficiently devout Muslim intelligentsia.
Al-Qaeda and ISIS also differ in strategy, tactics, relations with fellow Muslims, treatment of non-Muslims and methods of proselytization.
According to "Twenty-fourth report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team," which was submitted to the UN Security Council in July, al-Qaeda is resilient, adaptive and more patient than ISIS. This makes sense: al-Qaeda is older and more experienced than ISIS, and therefore more familiar with the vicissitudes of terrorist operations and comfortable with long-term planning. That determination could be seen in the 9/11/2001 attacks, which, after a failed attempt damage the World Trade Center in 1993, were years in the making.
Most al-Qaeda members are a generation older than their ISIS counterparts. The oldest of the al-Qaeda cadre, the "Arab Afghans," are veterans of the anti-Soviet jihad during Moscow's occupation of Afghanistan from December 1979 to February 1989. In addition, most of al-Qaeda's leaders were trained in the organization's own camps in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda, once a top-down command organization, has since metamorphosed into a more loosely connected network. Al-Qaeda itself initiated this transformation, after many of its leaders were killed or captured in U.S. counterterrorist operations.
ISIS, in contrast, tends to have younger members than al-Qaeda, as can be seen in the tens of thousands of young foreign volunteers, who in 2015 flocked from more than 100 countries to fight for the group. Many ISIS recruits are romantic zealots ready to sacrifice themselves to kill others, without hesitation. They are not, as a rule, as educated or sophisticated as their al-Qaeda counterparts, and they seem less tolerant of Muslims who are not as committed as they are to jihad.
ISIS adherents also largely ignore the Koranic dictum that allows "infidels" who pledge to pay the jizyah (poll tax) to remain within the Islamic community, even as "tolerated," second-class citizens. A tragic example of this was on display when ISIS fighters forced Iraqi Christians, who had lived in the Nineveh Valley for centuries, to flee to Iraqi Kurdistan or face execution.
The intra-jihadist conflicts in Afghanistan, West Africa, Syria, Tunisia and Indonesia illustrate the divergent trajectories of al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Afghanistan
One key element in the strife in Afghanistan is the Taliban. They claim, or appear to believe, that, in the event of a massive U.S. troop withdrawal from the war-torn country, and due to their continued close alliance with al-Qaeda, they will be able to defeat ISIS. Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan remain dependent on the Taliban for a safe haven and mobility, while the Taliban have access to al-Qaeda's network of training camps.
There is, however, a serious complication. The Taliban-al-Qaeda coalition is now being challenged by increasingly strong ISIS forces in several Afghan provinces. The United Nations recently estimated that ISIS still have roughly $300 million at their disposal. Moreover, some "disaffected" or hardline Taliban fighters opposed to ongoing negotiations with the U.S. are defecting to ISIS.
West Africa
In February 2018, the ISIS in West Africa Province (ISWAP) -- more commonly known as Boko Haram (which translates roughly as "Westernization is forbidden") -- kidnapped scores of young Muslim women in the northern Nigerian state of Yobe. Surprisingly, senior ISWAP leader, Abu Bakar Bashir, ordered from prison, where he has been since 2010, that the girls be released "because ISWAP does not kidnap Muslim girls."
Bashir's "magnanimous" gesture might have been generated by a decision not to repeat the public relations disaster occasioned by the 2014 kidnapping of more than 200 school-girls in Chibok, Nigeria, followed by Boko Haram's subsequent use of some of the girls as suicide bombers.
Meanwhile, ISWAP continues to suffer military and other setbacks. In recent months, for instance, Nigerian Air Force jets repeatedly bombed ISWAP encampments, killing many terrorists. This negative trend in ISWAP's fortunes provides Nigeria's shadowy al-Qaeda cells with an incentive to develop more quickly their nascent network in the country's Muslim north. The uptick in al-Qaeda's presence there may soon draw Nigeria, along with its considerable military capabilities, more fully into the multinational counterterrorist campaign to destroy various terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM); AQIM cells already operate along Nigeria's northern border with Niger.
Syria
Syria's eight-year civil war, after reaching a crescendo with the elimination of ISIS's territorial Caliphate, provided al-Qaeda the incentive to demonstrate that it was a more durable resistance force against the "apostate" regime of President Bashir al-Assad.
The brutality of ISIS terrorists had apparently contributed to the downfall of their caliphate. Al-Qaeda, in spite of its own harsh governance of territory under its control, is less maniacal than ISIS in administering conquered populations. One can see the way it has tried to manage Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, the only area of the country still in rebel hands.
The significance of al-Qaeda's choke-hold on Idlib cannot be underestimated. The province and nearby lands include parts of Latakia, where Russia has had naval and air facilities for decades. This is a huge boost for al-Qaeda's image among Syrian rebels, especially when they compare it to the collapse of ISIS in Raqqa.
Tunisia
Most al-Qaeda members in Tunisia are veterans of the mujahedeen (1979-1989) war against Soviet troops in Afghanistan. The number of the country's ISIS fighters is increasing, due to the recruitment of Tunisians who returned home after volunteering in the struggle against the Assad regime in Syria. Some of these recruits joined ISIS while they were in Syria. Others migrated to Libya to establish bases from which to commit cross-border attacks on Tunisia.
Indonesia
Although al-Qaeda has long been the dominant jihadi faction in Indonesia, operating under the Southeast Asian terrorist coalition, Jamiyat Islamiyah, ISIS has established a considerable foothold in the island nation. This apparently prompted Indonesia's military chief, General Gatot Nurmantyo, in 2017, to warn that ISIS "has cells in almost every province of the country." Nurmantyo's alarm was, in part, occasioned by the seizure of the city of Marawi in the neighboring Philippines by ISIS-allied terrorist factions.
The West should take no pleasure in the global competition between al-Qaeda and ISIS. It is a competition that incentivizes each terrorist network to upgrade its recruitment appeal for the next generation of jihadists. Both organizations, as a result of having been targeted by the U.S. military, have honed their survival skills. Both also continue to improve their propaganda capabilities on social media, which will doubtless lead to more young Muslims becoming radicalized.
In its effort to sustain a pro-Western regime in Afghanistan, the United States might instead take advantage of an opportunity already in place. In an area of such unrest, and where it is still unclear what the word of those making promises is worth, it might be wise to keep a modest footprint rather than withdraw all troops. To abandon the area totally, as President Obama abandoned Syria and Iraq, and then find it overrun with terrorist groups, would be, as one saw, a catastrophic mistake. The choice would then be either to live with an even more threatening failed state, or having to go back again to contain it, as President Trump, had to do with ISIS in an abandoned Middle East. Although admittedly less than ideal, it still be might be far less costly in life and treasure, as with the Middle East, to safeguard the area and gather intelligence, rather than to leave and then have to go back. It is an opportunity that would be foolhardy to give up.
*Dr. Lawrence A. Franklin was the Iran Desk Officer for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. He also served on active duty with the U.S. Army and as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
© 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.

Iran threatens ‘less secure’ shipping lanes if US halts oil exports
Arab News/August 21/2019
JEDDAH: Iran ramped up its threats against shipping on Wednesday, warning that international waterways can not be secure if the regime’s oil exports are halted by sanctions.
The ominous comments by the president and foreign minister come after months of attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one fifth of the world’s oil supplies are transported.
Iran has seized tankers and been blamed for sabotaging ships in response to tough sanctions from the US over the regime’s nuclear program and aggressive policies in the Middle East.
“World powers know that in the case that oil is completely sanctioned and Iran's oil exports are brought down to zero, international waterways can't have the same security as before,” President Hassan Rouhani said while meeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “So unilateral pressure against Iran can't be to their advantage and won't guarantee their security in the region and the world.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif added to concern over Iran’s future behavior, by saying Tehran might act "unpredictably" in response to "unpredictable" US policies under President Donald Trump. "Mutual unpredictability will lead to chaos," Zarif said.
Washington ramped up an economic boycott of Iran after Trump last year withdrew from a deal between Tehran and international powers to curb its nuclear program in response to an easing of sanctions.
The sanctions have targeted critical sections of the Iranian economy, in particular its oil exports which have been drastically reduced.
But the attacks on shipping near and inside the Arabian Gulf have rattled the major crude importers, particularly in Asia. In response, the US is building maritime coalition to protect vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz between the Arabian Sea and Gulf. The UK, Bahrain and Australia are among those who have signed up. Iran, predictably, has already warned against the alliance. Iranian Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, a deputy commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, said no one can secure the Gulf other than Iran and countries of the region, according to the Fars news agency. *With Reuters

Tlaib following in the footsteps of Findley
Ray Hanania/Arab News/August 21/2019
Rep. Rashida Tlaib is the first Palestinian in the US Congress to experience the force of a pro-Israel political machine that has most elected American officials in a headlock of subservience. The pro-Israel powers demonize anyone who dares to criticize Israel by weaponizing “anti-Semitism” as a public bludgeon — something that was immediately used against Tlaib, a liberal Democrat and a Muslim.
Tlaib is an almost accidental member of Congress, as she won the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s 13th congressional district when four African-American rivals split that dominant community’s vote, allowing her to slip in with a majority of only 900. If she can hold onto her seat when the office comes up for re-election in August 2020, Tlaib might want to look back at the similar challenges that faced Paul Findley, one of the first victims of pro-Israel slander.
Findley was a conservative member of the Republican Party who first took office in 1960, representing an all-white farm belt district in southern Illinois. He was moved by President John F. Kennedy’s support of the civil rights movement and he opposed the Vietnam War, pushing his politics from the far right to the center. Findley, who this month died at the age of 98, was the principle authorof the War Powers Act of 1973, which limited the ability of a president to wage war.
As a champion of human rights, Findley wondered why his colleagues in the US Congress and Americans in general were silent in the face of egregious human rights violations committed against Palestinians by Israel. His concerns grew and his questions made him one of the first targets of the Israeli lobby, pushing him — during a 1978 congressional tour of war-torn Syria — to meet with Yasser Arafat, the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Arafat toldFindley that the Palestinians would recognize Israel if Israel recognized the Palestinians; an offer that was not taken seriously by Israeli or American administrations until 1988.
When he returned from the trip, Findley tried to explain that he believed negotiating with Arafat was the only way to bring about peace in the Middle East and undermine the growing influence of radical elements. But Findley was immediately denounced as anti-Semitic by supporters of Israel and other members of Congress. Some Jewish officials who knew and worked with Findley said he was never anti-Semitic, although they opposedhis support of Palestinian rights.
When it comes to criticism of Israel, the US media bias and the political demonization has not changed.
Yet the false charge of anti-Semitism stuck and haunted his re-election bids in 1980, which he won, and 1982, which he lost to Democrat Dick Durbin. Durbin, whose campaign embraced vicious attacks on Findley for his association with Arafat and his alleged anti-Semitism, has risen to become a senior member of the Senate, where today he has argued in support of the two-state solution.
It is unfortunate that Findley’s criticism of Israel’s oppressive anti-human rights policies and his decision to meet with Arafat overshadow his many other achievements, but that is the price any American who dares to stand up to the vicious pro-Israel machine must pay.
Findley, who I met many times over the years, authored a book that every Arab-American, including Tlaib, should read and use as a blueprint for how to confront the lies and demonization of critics of Israel. It is called “They Dare to Speak Out.”
During an interview I did with Findley back in the 1980s, he told me he could deal with political criticism from other members of Congress, but was shocked at how no one challenged the pro-Israel bias of the mainstream American news media’s coverage of Israel’s atrocities against the Palestinians. The Chicago newspaper where I worked refused to run the interview.
“They Dare to Speak Out” was the first book to expose the highly financed campaigns of pro-Israel activists and lobbies that specifically mold and guard American foreign policy on Israel and Palestine. It was on the Washington Post bestseller list for nine weeks even though it was viciously trashed by pro-Israel writers at the Washington Post, New York Times and other mostly anti-Arab mainstream news publications.
When it comes to criticism of Israel, the media bias and the political demonization has not changed. Tlaib faces the same onslaught that Findley faced. It is one reason why the other Palestinian-American in the US Congress, Rep. Justin Amash, is silent when it comes to the issue of Israeli atrocities. It is unlikely that Amash, a Republican-turned-independent from Michigan’s 3rd congressional district, will follow in Findley’s footsteps, although champions of human rights should ask why not.
Things will not change in America until the news media starts to report more accurately on Israel’s violence against Christian and Muslim Palestinian civilians both inside Israel and under occupation. But the pro-Israel bias won’t change until members of Congress find the courage to stand up to Israel’s bullying, just as Findley did in the 1980s and Tlaib is doing today. It is also very unlikely that there will ever be peace until Israelis recognize the rights of Palestinians and stand up to the crimes of their far-right government.
Until then, Tlaib’s voice is an absolute necessity if we ever want to see the rule of law applied to the conflict or an end to the abyss that is America’s tacit support of Israeli human rights violations.
*Ray Hanania is an award-winning former Chicago City Hall political reporter and columnist. He can be reached at his personal website: www.Hanania.com. Twitter: @RayHanania