LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 03/19

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance
Letter to the Hebrews 09/15-23: “For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant. Where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. Hence not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment had been told to all the people by Moses in accordance with the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the scroll itself and all the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant that God has ordained for you.’And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Thus it was necessary for the sketches of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves need better sacrifices than these.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on February 02-03/19
Church bell returns to Saint Maroun AlAssi Monastery after a thousand years
Government Holds First Session at Presidential Palace
Hariri: Hezbollah's Role in New Government Does Not Embarrass Lebanon
New Lebanese Govt. Has a Week to Draft Policy Statement
New Lebanese Govt. Warned against Veering towards Corruption
New Cabinet Vows to Face Economic Challenges, Forms Committee to Draft Policy Statement
Hariri after New Cabinet Meet: Government Solidarity is Essential
Berri: Policy Statement Should Be Devised in a Week
Lebanon Since Independence
Raya Hassan, First Female Arab Interior Minister
Canada welcomes new Lebanese government
Chinese Premier congratulates Hariri on cabinet formation
Burt: UK welcomes formation of new Government in Lebanon
Najarian: Kataeb Party Stronger than Ever
President of the Republic represented by Khatib awards Asaad Serhal a silver medal in recognition of his environmental contributions
ElKhalil commends the new government formation, says entity is at risk if corruption continues
Rahi, Absi head to UAE in conjunction with the Pope's visit to participate in the 'Brothers of Humanity' Conference
Zasypkin inspects Dar Amal Hospital in Baalbeck
Bassil: We want the government to be productive and the Lebanese will not accept otherwise
No time to lose, Lebanese President Michel Aoun tells new government/PM, Hariri says statement outlining priorities will be ready within a week

Litles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 02-03/19
Turkey Captures IS Suspects on Syria Border
Rival Rallies Set Up Tense Standoff in Venezuela
US Envoys to Discuss ‘Deal of Century’ with Netanyahu at upcoming Warsaw Meeting
Iran Fetes 40 Years of Revolution
1 Killed, 5 Wounded in Attack on Basij Base in Southeast Iran
Washington Makes New Warning on Trade With Iran After Europe’s SPV Registration
11 Dead in Aleppo Building Collapse
Plans for Russian-Turkish Offensive Against Nusra in Syria’s Idlib
Jordan to Host New Meeting between Rival Yemeni Parties on Prisoner Swap
Egypt Parliament Calls for 'Measures' Against HRW
New Palestinian, Israeli Clashes in West Bank, Gaza
Arab League, UN Envoy Underscore Need to Resolve Libya Crisis

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 02-03/19
Lebanon Since Independence/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 02/19
No time to lose, Lebanese President Michel Aoun tells new government/PM, Hariri says statement outlining priorities will be ready within a week/National/February 02/19
Unrest in France: No End in Sight/Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/February 02/19
Neither Israel nor US has the capacity to counter Iran’s new cruise missile/DEBKAfile/February 02/19

Latest LCCC English Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on February 02-03/19
Church bell returns to Saint Maroun AlAssi Monastery after a thousand years
Sat 02 Feb 2019/NNA - In an atmosphere of joy and celebration, a bell was installed on Saturday in the Monastery of Saint Maroun Al-Assi, for the first time in one thousand years.
This came in preparation for Saint Maroun's Day that falls on Saturday, February 9, which will be celebrated at the Monastery

Government Holds First Session at Presidential Palace
Kataeb.org/ Saturday 02nd February 2019/Lebanon's new government on Saturday held its first session at the Baabda Palace, two days after the political stalemate that had been plaguing the country over the past nine months finally ended. President Michel Aoun chaired the first meeting of the 30-member government shortly after the traditional commemorative photo of all Cabinet members, including the president, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri, was taken on the stairways of Baabda Palace’s garden. During the session, a ten-member ministerial committee was set up to draft the government's policy statement. It will hold its first meeting on Monday at the Grand Serail. The committee, chaired by PM Hariri, includes Ministers Mansour Bteich, Saleh Al-Gharib, Salim Jreissati, Akram Shuhayeb, May Chidiac, Ali Hassan Khalil, Mohamad Fneish, Jamal Al-Jarrah and Youssef Fenianos. Speaking to reporters as he was leaving the Baabda Palace, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said that it won't take more than a week to finalize the statement. At the beginning of the session, President Aoun stressed that the new government has manifold challenges to deal with, outlining the importance of solidarity and unity between the Cabinet members. "The current situation does not allow any waste of time," he stated, asking that the government would set out its policy statement and gain the Parliament's vote of confidence within no more than one month. For his part, PM Hariri said that there are "hard" decisions that must be made to address the country's problems at all levels, adding that the government's work must be steered clear of political differences. The government is set to hold weekly sessions on Thursdays.

Hariri: Hezbollah's Role in New Government Does Not Embarrass Lebanon
Kataeb.org/ Saturday 02nd February 2019/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Saturday hoped that solidarity would prevail between the members of his new government, stressing that the country cannot afford any further waste of time. Speaking upon his arrival at the Grand Serail to officially re-assume his post as premier, Hariri expected the government's policy statement to be finalized soon, denying that there are any contentious issues that might hinder its approval. "The statement will be similar to the one adopted by the previous government. The reforms requested by the CEDRE conferences will be certainly included," Hariri told reporters. "A draft has been already set out and will be examined by the ministerial committee. I think that we will get done with this task either Monday or Tuesday."Hariri said that the current situation does not endure the repercussions of more political bickering between local factions, saying that it is unacceptable to let differences affect the people's interests. Hariri deemed the squandering in the power sector as the major challenge that his Cabinet will have to deal with given the tremendous fiscal pressure that this sector is putting on the government. "We must do whatever is possible to reduce the budget deficit over the next five years," he stressed. In response to a question about U.S. statements related to Hezbollah’s role in the new government, Hariri said that such stances do not embarrass Lebanon, noting that allocating a certain ministry to a political group does not mean that it will be monopolized by it. A statement from the U.S. State Department released after the government's formation expressed concern that Hezbollah was included in the Cabinet and was granted the Health Ministry. "I don't think that Hezbollah or any other political force will exploit the ministry to serve its own interests," he said, dismissing fears over any decision to halt foreign aids to Lebanon's health ministry. "As long as things are clear and transparent, then we will not face any problems. As long as citizens are benefiting from the Health Ministry, then no one can object to its performance."

New Lebanese Govt. Has a Week to Draft Policy Statement
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 2 February, 2019/The new Lebanese government agreed on Saturday on the formation of a ministerial committee that would form its policy statement. The ten ministers have a week to come up with the draft, which will be submitted to parliament for approval. Speaker Nabih Berri told reporters that the statement “will be complete in a week.”The government met for the first time on Saturday after it was unveiled on Thursday following nine months of political wrangling. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Saad Hariri and all 30 ministers and was chaired by President Michel Aoun. The policy statement may provide an early clue as to whether the coalition government can agree on the “bold reforms” that Hariri has said are needed. It may also address issues such as Lebanon’s relationship with Syria and the Hezbollah party’s possession of arms. During the cabinet meeting at the presidential palace, Aoun was quoted by his office as saying "there are many challenges ahead of us that we have to face," adding that there is no time to waste. Hariri said: “There are difficult decisions in all areas that we must take”. Public debt is 50 percent bigger than the size of the economy and annual growth has averaged 1-2 percent for years. Foreign donors have pledged aid and low-interest loans to help the economy by investing in Lebanon’s inadequate infrastructure, but they have tied the money to reforms. At the Paris conference last year in which the pledges were made, Hariri promised to reduce the deficit as a percentage of GDP by 5 percent in five years.

New Lebanese Govt. Warned against Veering towards Corruption
Beirut - Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 2 February, 2019/The relief created in Lebanon after the formation of a new government on Thursday was quickly dispelled by Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat, who both raised questions about its ability to combat corruption. Geagea had expressed on Thursday his general dissatisfaction with the cabinet and a number of ministers appointed to their posts. Jumblat, for his part, said that the “political noose was tightening and we will wage a calm confrontation.”Newly appointed Industry Minister Wael Abou Faour, a member of the PSP, used more fiery rhetoric to describe the government, saying: “They have planted daggers in the cabinet and we will break them one after the other.”As the LF declared that it will not allow deals to take place at the country’s expense, new Labor Minister Kamil Abou Suleiman explained that it meant that ministers, not ministries, will be held accountable for their performance. He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We will approach cabinet work positively. We realize the difficulty of the economic and social conditions … and we will, therefore, base our decisions away from political alliances.”LF sources confirmed the minister’s remarks, saying: “We are opening a new chapter in ties with the government.”“We will remain committed to applying the laws and we will confront anyone who violates them,” they told Asharq Al-Awsat. “We will also cooperate with those who see eye-to-eye with us and we hope others would have learned from their past experiences,” they added. PSP Secretary Zafer Nasser, meanwhile, described the cabinet as one that will strike deals, stressing: “We will stand against them and corruption.”“Deals that led to the formation of the government have started to emerge,” he remarked. Such an approach does not bode well for the country, he warned, saying that it would negatively impact the implementation of the agreements reached at last year’s CEDRE conference. Gatherers at the Paris-hosted meeting pledged aid worth $11 billion (9.5 billion euros) to Lebanon, promising to stave off an economic crisis. Failure to implement reforms that meet the aspirations of the Lebanese people and preserve the country’s resources will ultimately lead to the failure of the CEDRE deals, Nasser said. Director of the Middle East Institute for Strategic Affairs, Sami Nader, meanwhile said that the government should be dubbed the “CEDRE cabinet”, revealing that it was the product of a French-Iranian agreement. The cabinet is set to tackle several pending issues, in addition to new ones, he told Asharq Al-Awsat. Moreover, he said that the PSP and LF made their negative comments about the government because they were forced to make the greatest sacrifices to ensure that it sees the light after nine months of political wrangling.

New Cabinet Vows to Face Economic Challenges, Forms Committee to Draft Policy Statement
Naharnet/February 02/19/Lebanon’s newly formed government has held its first meeting at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, and a ministerial committee tasked with drafting the policy statement was formed. The country’s leaders have vowed to deal with the political and economic challenges the country faces. The meeting was attended by the 30 Cabinet ministers as well as President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri..Aoun chaired the meeting and called for expediting the country’s policy statement “for Lebanon to be able to face the numerous challenges ahead.”The Cabinet formed a 10-member committee whose job will be to draft a government policy statement that will be read in Parliament ahead of a vote of confidence. It will hold a meeting on Monday. Besides Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the committee includes Ministers of: Information Jamal Jarrah, Economy Mansour Bteish, State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib, Presidency Affairs Salim Jreissati, Education Akram Shehayyeb, State Minister for Administrative Development May Chidiac, Finance Ali Hassan Khalil, Public Works Youssef Fenianos, and Sports and Youth Mohammed Fneish. At the beginning of the session, Aoun congratulated the ministers for assuming their new posts, mainly the four women ministers.President Michel Aoun was quoted by his office as telling the ministers that "there are many challenges ahead of us that we have to face," adding that there is no time to waste.

Hariri after New Cabinet Meet: Government Solidarity is Essential
Naharnet/February 02/19/Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed in remarks on Saturday that solidarity between the new Cabinet’s components are the major “success recipe” to face the challenges ahead. “It is time for work. We have many challenges ahead that we have to face. Solidarity is essential for our National Unity government in order to confront the challenges,” said Hariri following the first meeting of the new Cabinet in Baabda. “We have to take some difficult decisions mainly those related to the laws development, reduction of squandering and corruption in addition to facing the regional challenges,” he added, as he urged political forces to set differences aside.Lebanon's new Cabinet has held its first meeting and the country's leaders vowed to deal with the political and economic challenges the country faces. The meeting was held at the presidential palace near Beirut on Saturday and attended by the 30 Cabinet ministers as well as the president and prime minister. The new Cabinet was announced Thursday night, breaking a nine-month deadlock that had deepened Lebanon's economic woes. The Cabinet formed a 10-member committee whose job will be to draft a government policy statement that will be read in Parliament ahead of a vote of confidence. President Michel Aoun was quoted by his office as telling the ministers that "there are many challenges ahead of us that we have to face," adding that there is no time to waste.

Berri: Policy Statement Should Be Devised in a Week
Naharnet/February 02/19/Speaker Nabih Berri revealed on Saturday that devising the policy statement for the newly formed government will take “less than a week,” MTV station reported on Saturday. Moreover, in remarks he made to his visitors earlier, Berri said Lebanon’s officials are keen on devising the policy statement in a few days, as he ruled out differences over the draft. His remarks came as the newly formed government convenes on its first meeting at the Presidential Palace where a committee was formed draft the policy statement.

Lebanon Since Independence
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 02/19
Here are key events in Lebanon since its independence from France 75 years ago:
Power-sharing
The small Mediterranean country becomes independent on November 22, 1943 after 23 years under French mandate.
In terms of a "national pact", its Christians agree to abandon protection from the West and Muslims from that of Arab nations.
It lays out a power-sharing agreement still in place today that allocates the post of president to a Maronite Christian, prime minister to a Sunni Muslim, and speaker of parliament to a Shiite Muslim.
Civil strife
A five-month civil war breaks out in 1958 when Muslims, backed by Egypt and Syria, take up arms against the pro-Western regime of president Camille Chamoun.
The president appeals to the United States for help. American troops arrive in July, their first military intervention in the Middle East. With the rebellion quelled, they pull out three months later.
PLO moves to Lebanon -
After the Arab defeat in the 1967 Six-Day War, the first Palestinian bases are established in south Lebanon on the border with Israel and Syria.
In 1969, Lebanon legalises the armed Palestinian presence on its soil under the Cairo Accord.
Following the bloody Black September clashes in Jordan in 1970, Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) retreats to Lebanon, later setting up base in Beirut.
Civil war
In April 1975 a 15-year-long civil war starts: Christian militias battle Palestinians, who are quickly backed by leftists and Muslim forces.
In 1976 the Syrian army intervenes, with US approval, after an appeal by embattled Christian forces.
In 1982 Israel invades and besieges Beirut: Arafat and 11,000 Palestinian fighters evacuate the capital. In September a Christian militia massacres at least 1,000 people in the Palestinian camps of Sabra and Shatila in Beirut. The war ends in 1990. More than 150,000 people had been killed, 17,000 went missing and hundreds of thousands were exiled or displaced.
Syrian domination
Syria's military and political presence is crystallised with a May 1991 treaty between Damascus and Beirut. Israel meanwhile maintains its occupation of southern Lebanon, withdrawing only in 2000. In February 2005 former prime minister Rafik Hariri is killed in a massive Beirut bombing along with 21 others. Those opposed to Syria blame Damascus, which denies any role.
It leads to all Syrian troops leaving Lebanon by late April 2005. They had peaked at 40,000 during the army's 29-year deployment.
Israel vs Hezbollah
In July 2006 conflict erupts between Israeli forces and Lebanon's powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah, which was founded in 1982 during the civil war and entered parliament soon afterwards. The conflict is sparked by Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers from the southern Lebanon border area. The 34-day war costs Lebanon around 1,200 lives, mostly civilians. With the withdrawal of Israeli troops in October, the Lebanese army -- aided by a United Nations force -- deploys in the south after a 40-year absence.
Syria war
Two years after the Syrian conflict breaks out, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says in April 2013 his fighters have intervened on the side of President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian conflict entrenches Lebanon's divided political blocs: one led by Iran-backed Hezbollah, and the other by Saad Hariri, the son of the assassinated former premier who is backed by the US and Saudi Arabia.
Government delay
In May 2018 Hezbollah and its allies dominate the first legislative elections held since 2009.
Hariri is designated premier for a third term and tasked with forming a new government.
But negotiations drag on for months and in November Hariri accuses Hezbollah of causing the delay. A new cabinet is finally announced on 31 January, 2019 and includes 30 ministers from Lebanon's rival political clans.

Raya Hassan, First Female Arab Interior Minister
Beirut- Paula Astih/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 2 February, 2019/Despite only winning six seats in the 128-member parliament during last May’s elections, Lebanese women made a leap forward in the ministerial picture this week after political forces named four women in the new cabinet, for the first time in the country’s history. Prime Minister Saad Hariri surprised parties by appointing Raya Hassan, who made history when she became the first woman interior minister in the Arab world. Hassan, 51, had previously become the first woman in the region to be appointed finance minister between 2009 and 2011.Seventeen new ministers were named on Thursday in Hariri’s 30-member government, while nine remained unchanged and four were former ministers. “I am proud of Lebanese women, proud of the four female ministers in the government, proud of the first female interior minister in the Arab world, proud of the future and proud of Lebanon," Hariri said via Twitter after announcing his government.  Hariri’s previous Cabinet only included one woman in a secondary ministerial position. Sources close to Hariri told Asharq Al-Awsat that the PM has chosen to name Hassan as Minister of Interior to empower women and because she has great competences, earlier proved at the Ministry of Finance.  In the new government, Nada Boustani Khoury was named Minister of Energy and Water by the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), headed by Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.  The ministry is considered one of the most important portfolios in the new government, given its role in managing the electricity crisis and the oil sector. Boustani, who is an activist within the FPM, has worked at the Ministry of Energy since 2010, offering consulting services at the electricity sector, and other projects and issues related to the organizational structure of the Ministry of Energy and its institutions. Also, anchor May Chidiac was named Minister of State for Administrative Development by the head of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea.  She was the victim of an assassination attempt, which she miraculously survived, six months after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005. She is now the founder and President of May Chidiac Foundation and its affiliated media academy. The fourth woman minister Violette Khairallah Safadi who was named State Minister for Women Affairs. She is the wife of former Minister of Finance Mohamad Safadi. Khairallah worked as a presenter at the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) and then as a news anchor and political host at Murr Television (MTV).

Canada welcomes new Lebanese government
February 2, 2019 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
Global Affairs Canada today issued the following statement:
“Canada welcomes the formation of a new government in Lebanon following months of negotiations. This is a positive step toward ensuring stability and prosperity for the Lebanese people. 
“Canada hopes that the new government will make progress on the challenges that Lebanon faces, including by enacting key reforms needed to improve the country’s economic situation. Lebanon’s new government will also have the important task of upholding the policy of disassociation from regional conflicts and the provisions of relevant UN Security Council resolutions. “Canada and Lebanon have a long-standing friendship founded on strong people-to-people ties. Canada is home to a large and vibrant Lebanese community, which has contributed to Canadian society for over a century. We will continue to work with the Lebanese people and the new Government of Lebanon in their efforts to build a secure, peaceful and prosperous country that responds to the needs of its people.”

Chinese Premier congratulates Hariri on cabinet formation
Sat 02 Feb 2019/NNA - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Saturday sent a congratulatory message to Prime Minister Saad Hariri on forming the new government and on his re-appointment as Prime Minister. In his letter, Li Keqiang noted China's readiness to support Lebanon at the level of the political and practical cooperation, as well as deepening and developing the bilateral ties between the two countries.

Burt: UK welcomes formation of new Government in Lebanon
Sat 02 Feb 2019/NNA - In a press release by the British Embassy in Beirut, Minister of State for the Middle East, Alistair Burt, welcomed the formation of a new government in Lebanon. In his statement, Burt said: "I congratulate President Aoun and Prime Minister Hariri and welcome the announcement of the formation of Lebanon's new government. This is an important moment for Lebanon. The new government will have the increasingly important task of protecting Lebanon's sovereignty, security and stability, including through implementing the policy of disassociation from regional conflicts, and abiding by the provisions of all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, including 1559 and 1701. The United Kingdom will continue to support these goals, including strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces in its role as Lebanon's sole and legitimate defender."He added: "This is a very important time for the Lebanese economy, and we look forward to rapid progress being made on the commitments made at the CEDRE Conference in Paris on 6 April last year. The UK-Lebanon Business and Investment forum in London on December 12 was an important moment in demonstrating Lebanon's commitment to delivering key economic reforms, and now is the time for action.""The United Kingdom remains committed to supporting Lebanon, particularly in the fields of security, education and economic growth, as well as by providing support to its most vulnerable," the British State Minister concluded.

Najarian: Kataeb Party Stronger than Ever
Kataeb.org/ Saturday 02nd February 2019/Kataeb's Secretary-General Nazar Najarian on Saturday said that Lebanon has entered a new phase following the government formation, noting that the party has several remarks over the Cabinet's structure and form despite the fact that it includes competent, new figures. "The country cannot be built on partitioning because it would lead to absurd settlements that go against the fundamental basics," Najarian said in an interview on OTV channel. "Should the new government commit mistakes and have a flawed performance, then the Kataeb party will speak up against it," he stressed. "We consider ourselves to be responsible of defending the people's interests. Therefore, we shall opt for constructive opposition each time wrongdoings occur, and praise any achievements accomplished."Najarian pointed out that the Kataeb party has not been convinced in the settlement that led to the election of President Michel Aoun, adding that this deal has failed to generate the desired or meet the people's much-anticipated aspirations. Asked about the Kataeb's internal affairs, Najarian affirmed that the party is stronger than ever, saying that it is deeply rooted in the country's entity. "The Kataeb party is 82 years old. Like anything else in life, it is normal to go through hardships and difficulties. Despite everything, it is still here!""The Kataeb party has proved that it is the only Lebanese political institution that was able to go on and exist amid a normal leadership rotation for seven times."Najarian stressed that it is only normal for the members of any party to voice objection or reservations over any topic, noting, however, that this must not be take place outside the party. "Throughout the Kataeb's history, even Bachir Gemayel used to voice objection inside the party's politburo and, one time, submitted his resignation," he explained. "However, he didn't once take the party's issues to the media nor tarnished its image publicly. Any problems should be solved inside the party."Najarian pointed out that the Kataeb's 31st congress, which is set to take place on February 15 to 17, will herald the start of a new phase for the party, saying that a political roadmap will be set out and debated during the convention.

President of the Republic represented by Khatib awards Asaad Serhal a silver medal in recognition of his environmental contributions
Sat 02 Feb 2019/NNA - President of the Republic Michel Aoun, represented by former Environment Minister Tarek Khatib, on Saturday awarded the Silver Medal of the National Order of Merit to the General Manager of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL), in appreciation of his national ecological contributions and achievements at the environmental level. An honoring ceremony was held on the occasion at the Coral Beach Hotel, which also marked Serhal's success in winning the 2018 MIDORI Biodiversity Award that was recently held in Japan. In his word during the ceremony, Khatib lauded the efforts exerted in preserving nature and protecting the environment in Lebanon, saying, "We at the Environment Ministry support all these initiatives and stand alongside natural reserves for the environment and for Lebanon."

ElKhalil commends the new government formation, says entity is at risk if corruption continues
Sat 02 Feb 2019/NNA - "Development and Liberation" Parliamentary Bloc Member, MP Anwar El-Khalil, expressed his optimism on the new government formation, specifying the dossiers and issues that the government out to give absolute priority "so that we do not witness a new phase that is more tragic than the previous."Speaking before popular delegations from the villages of Hasbaya and Marjayoun who visited him today, Khalil said: "I am optimistic about the existence of the national unity government, especially that it consists of cabinet members who are competent, well-experienced and capable of giving, producing and triggering reform if they are presented with serious programs and allowed the chance to do so." Khalil pointed to the need to combat corruption, stressing that "the entity is in danger if corruption persists." "The third dossier is to address the public debt as Lebanon cannot be on this level of public indebtedness," he went on, pointing to the magnitude of the financial risks that must be tackled the soonest, alongside the social, economic, environmental and educational issues at stake."From now on, the government has no choice but to succeed, and we want it to succeed and we support it to re-establish the State's authority over its worn-out administrations to stop corruption and accord people their rightful demands," El-Khalil underscored.

Rahi, Absi head to UAE in conjunction with the Pope's visit to participate in the 'Brothers of Humanity' Conference
Sat 02 Feb 2019/NNA - Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Butros al-Rahi, headed this afternoon to the United Arab Emirates accompanied by Greek Melkite Catholic Patriarch Youssef al-Absi, in conjunction with Pope Francis' visit to participate in the works of the "Brothers of Humanity" Conference. Al-Rahi expressed joy for accepting the invitation of the United Arab Emirates to partake in the international conference with its beautiful "human brotherhood" theme, which we desperately need at these time. The Patriach lauded the United Arab Emirates for organizing the conference, which will be presided over by His Holiness Pope Francis, who will be the first Pope to visit the Gulf region. He also reiterated the strong call for ceasing all wars and boosting peace for people to live in decency and security in their respective homelands. On the local scene, the Patriarch expressed great relief for the formation of the new government that the Lebanese have long awaited, hoping that it would kick off because the challenges ahead are many. For his part, Patriarch al-Absi said: "We consider that brotherhood lies in the presence of Christian churches in the Gulf, for in that region they have no idea of the existence of the eastern Christian churches in our region. Our presence alongside the Pope reflects the fact of the demographic reality in our eastern country here and our presence as active Christians in our region; and hence the importance of our presence in this conference in which we will be alongside the Pope as Churches of the Orient."

Zasypkin inspects Dar Amal Hospital in Baalbeck
Sat 02 Feb 2019/NNA - Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, visited Saturday Dar Al Amal University Hospital in the town of Doures in Baalbeck. Zasypkin, who toured the Hospital's departments, stressed the ongoing Russian-Lebanese cooperation at the educational level, especially in the field of medicine. He also called for ending wars and conflicts in the region.

Bassil: We want the government to be productive and the Lebanese will not accept otherwise
Sat 02 Feb 2019/NNA - Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Minister, Gebran Bassil, assured Saturday that aims are pinned on the government to be productive, noting that the Lebanese will not accept otherwise“We have the intention and the will to be a government of productivity, because the Lebanese will not accept otherwise, and this is a rightful demand,” he said, vowing that the cabinet ministers will hold themselves accountable before anyone else. Bassil’s words came in a press conference held at the Free Patriotic Movement headquarters in Mirna El-Shalouhi earlier today, in the presence of the "Strong Lebanon" Bloc Ministers including "Consultative Gathering" Minister Hassan Murad. He discussed the new cabinet formation and the circumstances that accompanied this formation and the files that must be completed by the government for the benefit of citizens and the country as a whole. Bassil apologized to the Lebanese for the long delay in forming the government, saying: "Today, we will talk about what happened, because this is a right for the Lebanese and so that we can adopt the necessary lessons."He pointed to previous attempts to prevent the President of the Republic from giving his opinion, receiving his share and getting the Deputy Prime Minister's seat within the cabinet, in addition to preventing his team from obtaining the one-third veto power. "At the level of the Free Patriotic Movement, we have not been able to take the Ministries of Finance, Interior, Labor and Agriculture, and these are two major concessions we have made," he disclosed. "At the national level, we could not secure a ministerial seat for Christian and Muslim minorities, but this battle is not over yet. However, we managed to prevent the country from collapsing economically and helped to secure the government formation," Bassil underlined. “For the first time since the Taif Agreement, history records the achievement of actual equality within the government,” he went on, stressing that “15-15” is a rule that should be respected by all and never broken. Bassil also referred to the major achievement of forming a national government that reflects proper parliamentary representation and political diversity in government representation within sects. He added, “There have been attempts to alter the results of the elections, and the first offers addressed to us were to maintain the past government in form and content without any change, which is what we resisted.”“I believe that with this government we succeeded in maintaining stability in the country,” Bassil corroborated, hoping that the new government would yield the expected results and that the Lebanese would feel the difference.

No time to lose, Lebanese President Michel Aoun tells new government/PM, Hariri says statement outlining priorities will be ready within a week
National/February 02/19
President Michel Aoun on Saturday urged Lebanon's cabinet not to waste time in setting out its priorities, as ministers held their first meeting two days after the formation of a new government ended nine months of political deadlock.
“We must face many challenges together and the circumstances do not allow us to waste time," Mr Aoun said during the meeting on Saturday morning.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri told reporters the ministerial statement, which spells out the new government's agenda and must be approved by parliament, should be finished by Monday or Tuesday. The Lebanese constitution gives a government one month to produce the policy document.
The cabinet formed a committee of 10 ministers to work on the ministerial statement and Mr Hariri said he had prepared a draft that they would examine on Monday.
“It would be similar to the ministerial statement of the previous government and include all the reforms required by Cedre and other conferences," Mr Hariri said, referring to the funding conference held in Paris last year.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also said that the ministerial statement would be done in the next few days.
However, the committee may face some sticking points in preparing a statement acceptable to all government members.
Asked whether it would address the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons, Mr Hariri said it would include no “controversial articles”, without elaborating .
Hezbollah, which has become the leading political force in Lebanon, was the only militia allowed to keep its weapons after the 1975-1990 civil war, in the name of the resistance against Israel.
Mohammad Fneish, the Hezbollah-affiliated youth and sports minister, warned against attempts to raise the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons in the policy statement. “If we want to open this discussion from the beginning, we will be throwing a stick into the wheel of cabinet from the get-go," he told The National.
Mr Hariri said the economy would be his government's first priority, telling reporters that it would do its best to reduce the budget deficit by one per cent a year over the next five years.
Reducing the deficit is among the steps Lebanon has promised to take in return for nearly $11 billion in soft loans pledged during the Cedre conference.
Deputy Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani called on the government to “take quick steps to implement reforms and bold political decisions, or we will increase our old debts with new debts”.
Minister of State for Administrative Reform May Chidiac, one of the four women in the new government, , told Lebanese newspaper Al Joumhouria that she would work on implementing Cedre reforms in parallel with developing e-government services.
After taking nine months to form a government, Mr Hariri and his team were keen to show they were taking their new responsibilities seriously. “Off to work…," was Mr Hariri’s first tweet after the new cabinet was announced late on Thursday.
“There is a government although its formation took time," he said. “This is only normal after an absence of parliamentary elections for nine years … and I hope the ministers will realise that the challenges are great and that we cannot waste time and not even one day."
Foreign Affairs Minister Gebran Bassil urged ministers to take their work seriously. “There is a clear agreement with the president and the prime minister to replace non-productive ministers," he tweeted.
“I will work day and night to preserve the environment and find appropriate solutions," promised Environment Minister Fadi Jreissati in an interview to Lebanese TV network MTV. “New laws are not needed," he said. “Solutions are available and stopping corruption and enforcing existing laws should be enough."
Despite the abolition of the post of anti-corruption minister in the new government, several members including Mr Jreissati and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mahmoud Qmati, a Hezbollah member, said they were intent on fighting corruption.
Lebanon was ranked 138th out of 180 countries Transparency International's latest Corruption Perception Index. “Corruption in Lebanon is widespread and permeates all levels of society, the graft watchdog noted.
Mr Hariri explained the abolition of the anti-corruption ministry by saying parliament was working on a new anti-corruption law. However, he recognised that Lebanon had difficulty in implementing regulations. “The problem here is that we create bodies without activating them," he said.

Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports & News published on February 01-02/19
Turkey Captures IS Suspects on Syria Border
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 02/19/Troops captured four Islamic State (IS) suspects in a Turkish town on the Syrian border while they were attempting to cross the frontier illegally, state-run Anadolu news agency reported Saturday. Border units from the Turkish armed forces captured the suspects on Friday in the Akcakale district of Sanliurfa in southeast Turkey, Anadolu said. One of the suspects, identified as Feride Samur, was being sought with a red notice arrest warrant, it added. IS jihadists are blamed in Turkey for a spate of terror attacks including a 2015 bombing on a peace rally in the capital Ankara's train station that claimed 100 lives. Turkey has boosted security at its border crossings to prevent any infiltrations and allowed a US-led international coalition to launch air raids on the group's bases in Syria from its soil.

Rival Rallies Set Up Tense Standoff in Venezuela
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 02/19/Tens of thousands of protesters were set to pour onto the streets of Caracas on Saturday to back opposition leader Juan Guaido's calls for early elections as international pressure increased on President Nicolas Maduro to step down. Major European countries have set a Sunday deadline for Maduro to call snap presidential elections. Failing that, they will join the United States in recognizing National Assembly speaker Guaido as Venezuela's interim president. "Maduro's tyranny must end and must end now," US Vice President Mike Pence told a rally of exiled Venezuelans in Miami on the eve of the protest. Guaido's call for a massive show of popular support coincides with a huge pro-Maduro demonstration. The ruling Socialist party celebrates the 20th anniversary of the rise to power of Hugo Chavez, Maduro's deceased predecessor, on Saturday. The "clear goal" of the march was "to accompany the ultimatum given by members of the European Union," Guaido said ahead of the march, which will begin outside the EU offices in eastern Caracas. "We are going to stage the biggest march in the history of Venezuela and our continent," he added. The rival marches will take place in different districts of a tense Venezuelan capital. Maduro's supporters will concentrate in Plaza Bolivar in the heart of Caracas, 10 kilometers (six miles) from the EU offices. Clashes last week around the country left some 40 people dead, according to the United Nations.
Chavez, the army officer whose oil-fueled spending raised millions of Venezuelans out of poverty, assumed office as Venezuela's president February 2, 1999 at the head of a socialist movement. His hand-picked successor, Maduro, has presided over the oil-rich country's economic collapse and is widely denounced as a dictator for ruthlessly cracking down on dissent amid chronic shortages of food and medicines. Guaido, 35, is trying to force the socialist leader from power so he can set up a transitional government and hold new presidential elections. The United States and a dozen Latin American countries rapidly recognized Guaido after he declared himself acting president in a January 23 speech, posing a direct challenge to Maduro's authority. European Parliament lawmakers recognized Guaido on Thursday as the acting head of state. And four major European powers -- Britain, France, Germany and Spain -- have said they will do so if Maduro fails to call presidential elections by midnight on Sunday. The international heave against Maduro's leftist regime came after weeks of behind-the-scenes diplomacy including secret talks in Washington between Guaido and US officials.
"Nicolas Maduro will do well not to test the resolve of the United States of America," Pence warned on Friday.
'Time for action'
"Let me be very clear: this is no time for dialogue. This is time for action," the vice president said. "The time has come to end Maduro's dictatorship once and for all."In a letter to the presidents of Mexico and Uruguay published Friday, Guaido ruled out any negotiations with Maduro unless they "start the transition process, culminating in the holding of free elections." Mexico's Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Uruguay's Tabare Vazquez have jointly called a conference in Montevideo next Thursday for "neutral" countries to discuss the crisis. Previous negotiations all had the same "unsatisfactory result," Guaido wrote.  "The dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro has not changed its position. They have mocked the Venezuelan people to their face."The last 10 days of political upheaval have exacerbated economic meltdown in Venezuela, which has the world's largest proven oil reserves but has suffered hyperinflation and shortages of basic necessities. The UN says 2.3 million people have fled the country, unleashing a migration crisis in South America. Guaido has acknowledged "clandestine meetings" with members of the armed forces and security forces, who he is trying to woo with an amnesty offer. So far, the military high command has remained loyal to Maduro.

US Envoys to Discuss ‘Deal of Century’ with Netanyahu at upcoming Warsaw Meeting
Tel Aviv – Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 2 February, 2019/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will discuss the American administration's so-called “Deal of the Century” with US envoys during this month’s Warsaw meeting on the Middle East. Political sources in Tel Aviv said that Netanyahu will discuss Washington’s Palestinian-Israeli peace proposal with President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, Jared Kushner, and his special envoy to the Middle East Jason, Greenblatt. The Middle East summit will be held in the Polish capital on February 13.
The discussions will also cover efforts to push forward Israeli-Arab relations. The sources reported White House officials as saying that Kushner and Greenblatt will hold talks with Arab and European foreign ministers to tackle the “Deal of the Century”. Washington was promoting the Warsaw talks as being focused on countering Iran’s malicious role in the Middle East. After European objections, however, the meeting has since shifted to bring together foreign ministers to push forward peace and security in the region. Iran will be on the agenda, however, with Netanyahu set to deliver a speech about it.
US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are expected to attend. Trump has been shaping his “Deal of the Century” since his arrival in office, but he has yet to reveal its details. The Palestinian Authority, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, has rejected the plan because it does not meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people and is biased towards Israel. Arab countries have sought to amend the deal in favor of Palestinians. Indeed, Israeli sources confirmed that the American administration has amended some articles of the deal to “create balance” between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Such amendments include establishing a Palestinian state on 85 to 90 percent of Israeli-occupied land in the West Bank. The Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem will serve as the capital of this state. The Old City of Jerusalem that includes the holy sites of the al-Aqsa Mosque and Church of the Holy Sepulchre will not be included in the deal. The Mount of Olives, which lies outside the city walls, will remain under Israeli control but with joint Jordanian and Palestinian administration. In addition, the deal will see two out of three Israeli settlement locations lumped into Israeli territory, while the third, seen as illegal by Israeli law, will be evacuated for the Palestinian state. The American deal does not address the Gaza Strip or issue of Palestinian refugees. Abbas’ spokesman, Nabil Abou Rudeina, had previously said that a plan for the establishment of a Palestinian state that does not include East Jerusalem and that is not based on the 1967 borders would be doomed to fail.

Iran Fetes 40 Years of Revolution
London- Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 2 February, 2019/Thousands of Iranians packed the mausoleum of the Islamic republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on Friday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the revolution that overthrew a centuries-old dynasty. Ceremonies for the 1979 revolution were launched at 9:33 am (0603 GMT), the exact time that Khomeini returned to Iran after 14 years in exile and his plane touched down at Tehran airport. As an army band played revolutionary anthems, the huge hall of the mausoleum was filled with people from all walks of life, among them schoolchildren dressed in the red, white and green of the Iranian flag. Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, head of the influential experts assembly which appoints Iran's supreme leader, delivered a keynote speech rebuking political factions seeking better ties with Washington. "Curses on the wrong school of thought that thinks we can't run the country unless America helps us," AFP quoted him as saying. "America's power is on the decline, we should not be afraid of America," Jannati said as the crowd shouted slogans such as "Death to America" and "Death to Israel". From the very start, the Islamic republic faced challenges from communist former anti-shah allies as well as from separatist minorities in border regions of Iran. In September 1980, Saddam Hussein's Iraq launched a war that dragged on for eight years. And the November 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran and hostage-taking of its staff for more than 400 days triggered the still ongoing hostility between the two countries. Iran's economy has nosedived since Washington reinstated sanctions after US President Donald Trump last May withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. But defiance rang out at the mausoleum. "With the leadership we are alive and we will endure," the choir chanted. Forty years have passed since the revolution and throughout these 40 years the whole world tried to destroy it... but they were unsuccessful" said Jannati.

1 Killed, 5 Wounded in Attack on Basij Base in Southeast Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 2 February, 2019/One person was killed and five wounded in an attack on a Basij paramilitary base in the southeastern town of Nik Shahr, reported Iranian state television on Saturday. “A (paramilitary) Basij base in Nik Shahr came under ... fire this morning and several from the Revolutionary Guards communications personnel who were wiring the base were hit,” Mohammad Hadi Marashi, provincial deputy governor for security affairs, told the state news agency IRNA. Authorities did not provide details about the nature of the assault. The semi-official news agency Tasnim said the Jaish al-Adl militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack happened during the morning flag raising at the base, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. Nik Shahr is located in Sistan-Baluchestan province. On Tuesday, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for two bombings last week that wounded three police officers in front of a police station in the city of Zahedan, capital of Sistan-Baluchestan. In December, a suicide car bomber struck a police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar, killing at least two police and wounding 42 others. Iran began on Friday ten days of state-sponsored celebrations marking the 1979 Revolution which deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Washington Makes New Warning on Trade With Iran After Europe’s SPV Registration
London- Adel Al-Salmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 2 February, 2019/Hinting at chances for escalated tensions hitting Euro-American relations, the United States warned on Thursday European entities of the consequences of breaching economic sanctions in Iran. Hours later, German. French and British foreign ministers announced in a joint presser that they were ready to launch the much-anticipated Special Purpose Vehicle, a first-of-its-kind state-owned trade intermediary. The SPV will facilitate doing business with Iran without facing US sanctions. The SPV, called INSTEX, or Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges, is registered in France with a German managing director. “INSTEX will support legitimate European trade with Iran, focusing initially on the sectors most essential to the Iranian population – such as pharmaceutical, medical devices, and agri-food goods,” the foreign ministers of Britain, Germany and France – Jeremy Hunt, Heiko Maas and Jean-Yves Le Drian – said in a joint statement. Nevertheless, US officials dismissed the idea that the new entity would have any impact on efforts to exert economic pressure on Tehran, and launched a fresh warning at anyone thinking of trading with the cleric-led regime. Britain, France, and Germany – the European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran– launched the device, which has been in preparation for months, at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Bucharest. Their move is designed to reassert their commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the official name for the Iran nuclear deal. On the other hand, Tehran considered the official launch of the European Mechanism “a first positive step” within the basket of pledges made by Europeans and said it anticipated the vehicle's implementation fully and without shortage. European sources, however, said the trade support tool might not hold the capacity to back large-scale business transactions Iran desired. Iran has threatened to pull out of the deal unless the European powers enable it to receive economic benefits. The Europeans have promised to help companies do business with Iran as long as it abides by the deal. Washington says that, although Iran has met the terms, the accord was too generous, failing to rein in Iran’s ballistic missile program or curb its regional meddling. New US sanctions have largely succeeded in persuading European companies to abandon business with Iran, and Washington said it did not expect the SPV to change that. “We do not expect the SPV will in any way impact our maximum economic pressure campaign,” a US State Department spokeswoman said. “The United States questions the efficacy of the SPV and remains committed to fully enforcing its sanctions,” said a senior Trump administration who spoke on condition of anonymity.

11 Dead in Aleppo Building Collapse
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 2 February, 2019/A building damaged during years of war in the northern city of Aleppo has collapsed, killing 11 people, Syrian regime media reported. State news agency SANA said the five-story building collapsed early Saturday, killing most of those who were inside and only one person was rescued alive. The report said the building is in the eastern Salahuddin neighborhood once held by rebels. Aleppo had been divided for four years starting in the summer of 2012 between a regime-held west and an opposition-held east. In 2016, the Syrian army launched a months-long offensive that eventually brought the whole city under regime control.

Plans for Russian-Turkish Offensive Against Nusra in Syria’s Idlib
Moscow - London - Raed Jabr and Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 2 February, 2019/A Turkish military delegation was in Moscow on Saturday to discuss joint measures in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, amid signs that the two countries would launch a military operation against al-Nusra Front. Informed Russian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday that Moscow is working with Turkey to set the stage for a joint offensive in Idlib, which is mainly controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (previously known as al-Nusra Front). Meanwhile, a Russian source said that Moscow and the Turkish delegation were likely discussing “military and technical details” of such an offensive. In the battlefield, fighting was less intense on Friday around the last ISIS pockets in the countryside of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, amid reports about preparations to secure the exit of more people stranded in the area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Coalition warplanes flew over the last ISIS positions in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor, without carrying out any strikes. It said the remaining commanders and members of the organization are hiding in buildings and taking residents as human shields.
ISIS militants have been besieged by the Syrian Democratic Forces and the US-led Coalition in an area of less than 4 km, adjacent the eastern bank of the Euphrates River.

Jordan to Host New Meeting between Rival Yemeni Parties on Prisoner Swap
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 2 February, 2019/Jordan will host next week a new meeting for representatives of the legitimate Yemeni government and Iran-backed Houthi militias in order to discuss a prisoner swap between them. The office of United Nations special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths had sent a request to Amman to host the meeting, which would be the second since the warring parties agreed to the prisoner exchange in December. The swap is part of the UN-sponsored agreement reached between the two sides during consultations held in Sweden in December. A Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed Saturday that the Kingdom will host the new round of prisoner swap talks next week. Despite obstacles, namely from the Houthis, the UN has been seeking to approve a common groundwork between the government and militias in order to make the exchange possible. Discussions have focused on lists of prisoners provided by each side and comments and reservations they have on them. The two sides had first met to discuss this issue in January. On Tuesday, the Saudi-led Arab coalition announced its success in securing the release of a Saudi prisoner of war, who was detained by the Houthis in Yemen. The alliance credited the success of the release to joint efforts by the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition and Griffiths.

Egypt Parliament Calls for 'Measures' Against HRW
Cairo- Waleed Abdurrahman/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 2 February, 2019/Parliamentary and political forces in Egypt called on Friday for taking measures against the New York-based Human Rights Watch organization for publishing claims against the country and for meeting with suspects involved in terrorist cases. In late January, Egypt said HRW should be more accurate in publishing data on human rights in Egypt. Two days ago, Egypt’s public prosecution issued a statement over the organization’s report about the torture of citizens accused in terrorism-related cases. It said investigations, carried out by Cairo appeal prosecution, revealed that the report was based on information published in some Internet websites without making sure of its veracity. In September 2017, HRW published a report claiming that citizens, involved in terrorist cases, were exposed to torture by the members of the prosecution during investigations in order to force them to confess to crimes in these cases. Mohammed al-Ghoul, a Member of Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, said he would submit a parliamentary memorandum to the International Cooperation Department at the Office of the Attorney General to issue an official complaint against the non-governmental organization. The MP said HRW mentioned that it based its report on meetings held with a group of Egyptians, refusing to list their names, while, in fact, members of the NGO met with three terrorists accused of committing murder and terrorist acts. Ghoul said HRW exposed the names of officers and prosecutors who had conducted investigations with those suspects, a behavior that could put the officers and their families at risk. Chairperson of the Egyptian Conference Party, Omar El-Mokhtar Semeida called on taking necessary measures against HRW, accusing it of spreading lies against the Egyptian State.  “Reports on Egypt published by the organization in the past years are clearly politicized,” Semeida told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday, adding that during its investigations, HRW relied on the provocative testimonies of members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

New Palestinian, Israeli Clashes in West Bank, Gaza
Gaza- Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 2 February, 2019/Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops skirmished Friday as hundreds demonstrated against violence by Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and thousands more against a crippling Israeli blockade in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. In Gaza, mass demonstrations along the perimeter fence with Israel have been a weekly routine over the past 10 months. In the West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority holds limited sway, the protest was sparked by the killing of a Palestinian at al-Mughayyir village last Saturday, which the Palestinians blamed on the settlers. Ashraf al-Kidra, spokesman for the Health Ministry, said 32 Palestinians were wounded by gunfire at several sections along the fence Friday. Earlier on Friday, mediators from Egypt and the United Nations, worried that the border violence could evolve into an all-out conflict between Hamas and Israel, met with leaders of the militant group. Ismail Haniyeh, the militant group's chief, described the meeting as "unprecedented" but did not elaborate. Hamas on Friday accused Israel of not honoring an unofficial truce agreement to gradually ease the blockade and vowed to escalate the protests, which have seen the death of nearly 190 Palestinians since they were launched in the spring. In the village of al-Mughayyir, hundreds of demonstrators waving Palestinian flags rallied, hurling stones at Israeli forces and burning tires. The Israeli army said it responded with "riot dispersal means," referring to tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that seven Palestinians were injured. The circumstances that led to the death of Hamdi Naasan, a Palestinian father of four, last Saturday remain in dispute. Palestinians said that Israeli settlers shot and killed Naasan, 38, and settlers contended they fired in the air to chase away attackers after a Jewish man was stabbed. The Israeli police and military have launched investigations. The killing last Saturday was the latest in a wave of settler violence. Attacks by settlers on Palestinians, their property and Israeli security forces increased by 50 percent last year and have threatened to ignite the West Bank, Israeli security officials say. Days earlier, the Israeli authorities charged a 16-year-old yeshiva student from another Jewish settlement with manslaughter and terrorism, accusing him of hurling a four-pound rock that killed Aisha al-Rabi, a Palestinian mother of eight, one night in October as she rode in her family car along a nearby highway. While Palestinian and United Nations officials have condemned the violence — Nickolay E. Mladenov, the United Nations envoy to the Middle East, described the shooting in Al Mughayir as “shocking and unacceptable” — Israel’s right-wing government has remained conspicuously silent, wary of alienating settlers and other potential supporters in an election year.

Arab League, UN Envoy Underscore Need to Resolve Libya Crisis
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 2 February, 2019/Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit held talks in Cairo on Saturday with United Nations special envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame. The officials discussed efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis and reach a comprehensive settlement that would lead to holding presidential and parliamentary elections that meet the aspirations of the people. Arab League spokesman Mahmoud Afifi said that Abul Gheit and Salame agreed on the importance of maintaining trust-building efforts between the rival Libyan powers and encouraging them to overcome their disputes. These efforts must be in line with the 2015 Shkirat agreement, preserve the unity of the Libyan state and lead to the unification of its institutions, he added. Abul Gheit renewed the Arab League’s support to the UN work plan and political course that are sponsored by Salame and aim to reach a Libyan settlement that would end the division in the country. The settlement should be crowned with presidential and parliamentary elections that are based on sound constitutional foundations and whose results are accepted by all concerned sides, he stressed according to Afifi. Moreover, Abul Gheit underlined the need to reach a radical, comprehensive and permanent solution to the proliferation of militias that operate outside the authority of the state and that threaten Libya’s security and sovereignty.
Abul Gheit and Salame agreed to maintain cooperation and coordination on Libya, added Afifi.

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 02-03/19
Unrest in France: No End in Sight
Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/February 02/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13660/france-unrest
The third group is extremely large: it is the rest of the population. The upper class treat them as regrettable dead weight and expect nothing from them except silence and submission. Its members often have a hard time making ends meet. They pay taxes but can see that a growing portion is being used to subsidize the very people who drove them out of their suburban homes.
For the moment, Macron does not seem to want to recognize that these people even exist.
When Macron lowered the taxes of the wealthiest but increased the taxes of these "peripherals" by means of a fuel tax, it was seen as the last straw -- in addition to his arrogant condescension.
"Today, most of those who protest do not attack the police. But instead of acting to bring down the violence, the police are receiving orders pushing them to be very violent. I do not blame the police. I blame those who give them orders". — Xavier Lemoine, the mayor of Montfermeil, a city in the Eastern suburbs of Paris where the 2005 riots were extremely destructive,
Saturday, January 26th 2019. "Yellow vests" protests were being organized in the main cities of France. Mobilization was not weakening. Support from the population had decreased slightly but was still huge (60%-70%, according to polls). The main slogan has remained the same since November 17, 2018: "Macron must resign". In December, another slogan was added: "Citizens' initiative referendum".
The government and French President Emmanuel Macron have been doing everything they can to crush the movement. They have tried insults, defamation and have said the demonstrators were both "seditious people" wishing to overthrow the institutions and fascist "brown shirts". On December 31, Macron described them, as "hateful crowds". The presence of some anti-Semites led a government spokesman (incorrectly) to describe the entire movement as "anti-Semitic".
The Minister of the Interior, Christophe Castaner, ordered the police to resort to a degree of violence not seen since the time of the Algerian war (1954-62). During the two last decades in France, other riots have taken place many times. In 2005, for instance, when the whole country was subjected to arson and riots for weeks, the number of wounded rioters remained low. But violence has consequences. In just the last few weeks, 1,700 protesters were wounded, some seriously. Nineteen lost an eye; four lost a hand. Although French police officers do not use lethal weapons, they do use rubber ball launchers and often fire at protesters' faces -- a target prohibited by the current rules of engagement. The French are also the only police force in Europe to use Sting-Ball grenades.
Macron has never treated protesters as people who have legitimate claims, so he has never paid attention to their claims. He only agreed to suspend the additional fuel tax, which was to have been begun in January, and to grant a slight increase in the minimum wage -- all of which he did only after weeks of protests.
Journalists say that Macron thought the movement would fade away after the end-of-year break; that police violence and desperation would induce the demonstrators to resign themselves to their fates, and that the support of the general population would collapse. Nothing of the sort took place.
It is clear that Macron does not want to meet the main demands of the protesters; that he will not resign, and that he refuses to accept a citizens' initiative referendum. He has apparently decided that if he dissolved the national assembly and called for legislative elections to end the crisis -- as President Charles de Gaulle did it to put an end to an uprising in May 1968, as allowed by the French Constitution -- he would suffer a scathing defeat. He can see that an overwhelming majority of the French people reject him, so apparently he has determined to seek a way out:
Macron called for a "great national debate" to address the problems facing the country. It soon became clear, however, that the "great debate" would be unconventional, to say the least.
Macron wrote a letter to all French citizens inviting them to "participate", but saying explicitly that the "debate" would not change anything, that the government would continue in exactly the same direction ("I have not forgotten that I was elected on a project, on major orientations to which I remain faithful."), and that everything that was done by the government since June 2017 would remain unchanged ("We will not go back on the measures we have taken").
He then entrusted organizing the "debate" and drafting its conclusions to two members of the government, and requested that "registers of grievances" be made available to the public in all town halls.
Macron then launched the "debate" by meeting mayors of many cities, but not in public. He seems to have been concerned that if he organized meetings open to the public, he would be immediately chased away by crowds.
The first two meetings took place in small cities (with 2000-3000 inhabitants), and with mayors whom the organizers -- chosen by Macron -- allowed to come. The organizers also selected the questions to be asked, then sent them to Macron to be answered at the meeting.
The day before each meeting, the selected city was placed under the administration of legions of police. All access roads to the city were closed, and anyone found wearing a yellow vest or carrying one in his car was fined. All protests in the city were flatly forbidden. The police made sure that the road used by Macron's convoy to reach the city was empty of any human presence for several hours before the convoy arrived.
Television news channels were asked to broadcast the entire meetings, which lasted six to seven hours. Only a few journalists, also selected by Macron, had permission to attend.
Several commentators stressed that pretending to "debate" is nonsense, and that entrusting the organization of the "debate" and the drafting of its conclusions to members of the government, and the way the meetings were organized, clearly show that these performances are a sham.
Some commentators pointed out that the term "register of grievances" has not been used since the time of absolute monarchy, that mayors are treated as waxworks and that placing the cities Macron visits in a state of siege is unworthy of a democracy.
A French economist, Nicolas Lecaussin, who grew up in Romania, wrote that these meetings reminded him of those in Romania during communism.
The author Éric Zemmour said that Macron is desperately trying to save his presidency but that the attempt will be useless:
"Macron has lost all legitimacy. His presidency is dead... For three months the country stopped economically; and Emmanuel Macron, to try to save his presidency, inflicts on the country two months of additional economic stagnation, and two more months of demonstrations. When people understand that they have been deceived, anger could increase... France is already a country in very bad shape."
The French economy is, in fact, sclerotic. The Index of Economic Freedom created by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal ranks it 71st in the world (35th among the 44 countries in the Europe region) and notes that "the government spending accounts for more than half of total domestic output". The Index also reveals that "the budget has been chronically in deficit"; that "corruption remains a problem and that "the labor market is burdened with rigid regulations" leading to a high level of unemployment.
France has lost almost all its factories (industrial jobs account for only 9.6% of total employment). Its agriculture is in ruins, despite huge European subsidies: 30% percent of French farmers earn less than 350 euros ($400) a month and dozens commit suicide each year. In the high-tech sector, France is essentially absent.
A brain drain has started that show no signs it will stop.
In parallel, each year, 200,000 immigrants from Africa or the Arab world, often without skills, arrive. Most are Muslim and have been contributing to the Islamization of France.
When a talk show host recently asked Zemmour why Macron is not placing the country's interest higher by taking the reality on the ground into account, the author replied:
"Macron is a technocrat. He thinks he is always right. He was programmed to do what he does. For him, France and the French people do not count. He is at the service of technocracy. He will do exactly what is wanted by the technocracy and a higher class, [who are] totally disconnected from the bulk of the country's population... Those who want to understand have to read Christophe Guilluy."
Guilluy, a geographer, published two books: La France périphérique ("Peripheral France") in 2014, and, just weeks before the outbreak of the uprising, No society. La fin de la classe moyenne occidentale ("No Society. The End of the Western Middle Class"). In them, he explains that French population today is divided into three groups. The first group is a ruling upper class, totally integrated into globalization, made up of technocrats, politicians, senior civil servants, executives working for multinational companies, and journalists working for the mainstream media. The members of this class live in Paris and the main cities of France.
The second group lives in the suburbs of the main cities and in no-go zones ("Zones Urbaines Sensibles"). It consists mainly of immigrants. The French upper class, who rule, recruit people to serve it directly or indirectly. They are poorly paid, but highly subsidized by the government, and increasingly live according to their own cultures and standards.
The third group is extremely large: it is the rest of the population. It is this group that is called "peripheral France." Its members are made up of low-ranking civil servants, blue collar workers and former blue-collar workers, employees in general, craftsmen, small entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, farmers, and the unemployed.
For the ruling upper class, they are useless. The ruling upper class treat them as regrettable dead weight and expect nothing from them except silence and submission.
Members of "peripheral France" have been driven out of the suburbs by the influx of immigrants and the emergence of no-go zones. These "peripherals", for the most part, live 30 kilometers or more from the big cities. They can see that the upper class dismisses them. They often have a hard time making ends meet. They pay taxes but can see that a growing portion is being used to subsidize the very people who drove them out of their suburban homes. When Macron lowered the taxes of the wealthiest, but increased the taxes of the "peripherals" with a fuel tax, it was seen as the last straw -- in addition to his arrogant condescension.
In a recent interview on the British web magazine Spiked, Guilluy said that the "yellow vests" movement is a desperate awakening of "peripheral France". He predicted that despite Macron's efforts to displace the problem, the awakening will last, and that either Macron "will recognize the existence of these people, or he will have to opt for a soft totalitarianism".
For the moment, Macron does not seem to want to recognize that these people even exist.
According to François Martin, a journalist for the monthly Causeur, Macron has placed himself in a stalemate: "He must make decisions and he can no longer take any decision without making things much worse... Macron should agree to resign, but will not do it, and would prefer to go to the end, and hit a wall... The next three years will be hell for the yellow vests and for the French".
At the end of the protests in Paris on January 26, thousands of "yellow vests" had planned to gather peacefully on one of the main squares of the city, the Place de la République, for a "debate" and to provide responses to the "debate" organized by Macron. The police were ordered to disperse them brutally; they once again used rubber ball launchers and Sting-Ball grenades to do just that.
One of the leaders of the "yellow vests" movement, Jerome Rodrigues, was shot in the face while filming police officers in a square nearby, the Place de la Bastille. He lost an eye and for several days was hospitalized. Other protestors were wounded.
In the spring of 2016, leftists had organized debates in the same locations and were allowed to remain there for three months with no police intervention. In an article describing the events of January 26, columnist Ivan Rioufol wrote in Le Figaro: "Repression seems to be the only argument of the caste in power, faced with a large-scale protest that will not weaken".
Why today's events are especially ugly, according to Xavier Lemoine, the mayor of Montfermeil, a city in the Eastern suburbs of Paris where the 2005 riots were notably destructive, is that:
"In 2005, the police were clearly the target of rioters, and they showed restraint in the use of force to bring down the violence. Today, most of those who protest do not attack the police. But instead of acting to bring down the violence, the police are receiving orders pushing them to be very violent. I do not blame the police. I blame those who give them orders".
The next day, Sunday, January 27, a demonstration was organized by Macron's supporters, who called themselves "the red scarves". The demonstration was supposed to show that an impressive number of people were still on Macron's side. Organizers said that ten thousand people came. Videos, however, show that the number seems to have been far lower.
*Dr. Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris, is the author of 27 books on France and Europe.
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Neither Israel nor US has the capacity to counter Iran’s new cruise missile
موقع دبيكا/ليس بمقدور لا إسرائيل ولا أميركا مواجهة الصاروخ الإيراني الجديد
DEBKAfile/February 02/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/71751/debkafile-neither-israel-nor-us-has-the-capacity-to-counter-irans-new-cruise-missile-%D9%85%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B9-%D8%AF%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B3-%D8%A8%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AF/
The new Hoveizeh cruise missile with a range of 1,350km was tested on Saturday, Feb. 2, as Iran’s answer to the successful Israeli-US Arrow-3 missile test on Jan. 22, DEBKAfile’s military sources report.
Iran has made rapid strides towards developing a medium-range missile for attacking Israel in three tests launches in recent weeks. In the first, on Dec. 29, a Fajr 5 was aimed at central Israel; three weeks later, on Jan. 21, a Fatteh 100 was fired towards the Golan (and was intercepted); and in the last one, marking the 40th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, a cruise missile was hailed by Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami as accurately hitting its intended target at 1,200 km. This is the distance from Iran to Israel.
By test number three, the Hoveizeh, which belongs to the Soumar family of cruise missiles, Iran demonstrated that, while the Israel’s Defense Ministry Research Administration and the US Missile Defense Agency were intent on developing missiles capable of striking targets outside earth’s atmosphere, the Islamic Republic had succeeded in producing low-flying cruise missiles that fly to target under their radar. Iran is confident that neither the United States nor Israel has the answer to this threat. And indeed, say our military experts, no military force in the world has so far found an effective means of intercepting cruise missiles before they strike, unless they are of short range.
Cruise missiles can hug mountains and hills and dip into valleys, thereby evading the radars of counter-missile systems. Because of these assets, the US has used Tomahawk cruise missiles for attacks in Syria and other parts of the world; the Russians use Kalibr-NKs and Israel, the Delilah, which has a range of 250km, and which the Syrian army and the Russian forces based in Syria have not been able to intercept. Israel also has cruise missiles of other types.
The closest answer to cruise missiles may be provided by US nuclear aircraft carrier strike groups, due to the blanket of concentrated radar, sensors and data processing systems thrown up over a vast area by this heavy concentrations of warships, surveillance planes and fighter-bombers. Even this capacity is limited to wide stretches of sea while ineffective against cruise missiles over land.
Therefore, the successful test of the Hoveizeh cruise missile is highly significant despite western attempts to play it down. When Brig, Gen. Hatami was appointed Defense Minister in September 2017, DEBKAfile characterized him as an enthusiast of ballistic and cruise missile development and an ardent admirer of the Al Qods chief Brig. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The Hoveizeh provides Soleimani, supreme commander of Iran’s Middle East war fronts, with a powerful new weapon.