LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 05/19

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11/27-32: “A woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!’But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!’When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, ‘This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise at the judgement with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here! The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgement with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here!

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on February 04-05/19
Aoun Says Govt. Hasn't Started Its Work to Face Criticism
Policy Statement Panel Holds 'Positive' 1st Meeting, May Finish Task Tuesday
Policy statement committee hopes to complete draft tomorrow
Jumblat to Hariri and Bassil: 'The State is Not Your Property'
Both Hariri and Bassil had blasted Jumblat in recent hours after he accused them of hegemony, unilateralism and disregard for the Taef Accord.
Hariri to Jumblat: We Want to Rescue State, Send Corruption Guardians to Retirement
Bassil Says Jumblat Seeking to Obstruct Government's Work
Jumblat Says ‘Greediness, Money, Power’ Have Blinded Some
Italy grants 1 million euros to UNICEF to strengthen the Lebanese WASH sector
Nasrallah Says Health Minister 'for All Lebanese', Party's Concern is 'Humanitarian'
Nasrallah: The new Lebanese government is not controlled by Hezbollah
Abu Faour Blasts Bassil, Accuses Him of 'Attack on Taef Accord'
Environment Minister: Give Me Some Time
Berri Expects ‘Tourist Boom’ if Govt. Resolves Chronic Files
LIC Statement on Lebanon's New Government
In Brewing Crisis with Hariri, Jumblatt Warns against Renouncing Taef Accord
UN Shields Lebanon from Instability, Economic Deterioration
Decoding Nasrallah’s messages on Lebanon and Syria
Hezbollah Deputy Says Israel Is Not Ready For A Confrontation With Lebanon
Hezbollah Supporters Bike Along Israeli Border In Protest Of IDF
Bassil addresses Institute of Political Science in Paris: Restoring relations with Syria in our interest

Litles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 04-05/19
Pope Urges End to Mideast Wars on Historic UAE Trip
Pope Francis meets Muslim leaders in Abu Dhabi on historic UAE visit
Gargash: Pope visit overcomes the challenge posed by extremism in all religions
Rabbis Praise Tolerance At UAE Interfaith Conference
Erdogan says Turkey has maintained contacts with Damascus
Iraqi president: Trump did not ask for permission to ‘watch Iran’
EU Backs Iran Trading System but Warns on Syria, Missiles
Trump wants US military in Iraq to ‘watch Iran’
U.S. Asks Nations to Repatriate Jihadists as It Leaves Syria
Egypt hosts Palestinian groups, urges calm with Israel
Arab Coalition intercepts Houthi drone, launches raids on Houthi military camps
Major EU Nations Rally behind Guaido as Venezuela Leader
After Surviving IS, Yazidi Women Ask to Go Home

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 04-05/19
Nasrallah Says Health Minister 'for All Lebanese', Party's Concern is 'Humanitarian'/Naharnet/February 04/19
Nasrallah: The new Lebanese government is not controlled by Hezbollah/NNA/February 04/19
LIC Statement on Lebanon's New Government/February 04/19
UN Shields Lebanon from Instability, Economic Deterioration/Nazeer Rida/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 04/19
Decoding Nasrallah’s messages on Lebanon and Syria/Joe Macaron/Al Monitor/February 04/19
Hezbollah Deputy Says Israel Is Not Ready For A Confrontation With Lebanon/Jerusalem Post/February 04/19
Hezbollah Supporters Bike Along Israeli Border In Protest Of IDF/Jerusalem Post/February 04/19
Bassil addresses Institute of Political Science in Paris: Restoring relations with Syria in our interest/NNA/February 04/19
Rabbis Praise Tolerance At UAE Interfaith Conference/Jerusalem Post/February 04/19
Bashir, Maduro, and the 'Pleasure of Being a Former President'/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/19
Huawei’s Problems Aren’t Just Political/Michael Schuman/Bloomberg/February 04/19
Turkey: Erdoğan's Unofficial Paramilitary Groups to 'Monitor' Elections?/Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/February 04/19
A Month of Multiculturalism in Britain: January 2019/Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/February 04/19
Iran regime exploiting Palestine to fulfill its own agenda/Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/February 04/19
Pope’s visit shines light on state of Christianity in the Middle East/Martin Newland/Arab News/February 04/19
How Pope Francis can inspire an epoch-making change/Max Ferrari/Arab News/February 04/19
US air bombardment of Iranian sites on Syrian-Iraqi border – reprisal for Iran’s bid to attack US base in Iraq/DEBKAfile/February 04/19

Latest LCCC English Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on February 04-05/19
Aoun Says Govt. Hasn't Started Its Work to Face Criticism
Naharnet/February 04/19/President Michel Aoun on Monday condemned perceived political attacks against the new government, noting that it has yet to start its work. “The formed government comprises new faces and they are good, but it is surprising that we have started hearing criticism against it and against its figures through the media before they even assume their posts and start their work,” Aoun said. “It seems that something wrong is happening in this regard, especially that the attacks started once we managed to overcome the financial crisis that erupted in connection with reports claiming that the lira and the financial markets were going to collapse,” the President added. Hoping “all difficulties” will be resolved and “further economic and financial achievements will be made,” Aoun said the new government will focus its efforts on three fronts: the ailing economy, the refugee crisis and the rampant corruption. “Corruption is the fiercest disease that has stricken Lebanon and we have started to confront it,” the President added. Aoun's remarks come amid a renewed war of words between his Free Patriotic Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party.

Policy Statement Panel Holds 'Positive' 1st Meeting, May Finish Task Tuesday
Naharnet/February 04/19/The ministerial panel drafting the new cabinet's policy statement held a “very positive” first meeting on Monday, Information Minister Jamal al-Jarrah said. “The meeting protracted with the aim of finalizing the biggest part of the draft policy statement and most essential articles were completed,” Jarrah said after the meeting, adding that the discussions will resume at 2:00 pm Tuesday. “The meeting's atmosphere was very positive and the debate was objective and aimed at strengthening the foundations of this statement in order for it to be clear, direct and responsible,” the minister added, noting that the statement could be finalized on Tuesday. Asked whether the meeting witnessed disputes, Jarrah said “not at all, especially regarding the sectoral, productive and economic issues in addition to the electricity file and the issue of lowering the budget's deficit.”As for the so-called army-people-resistance equation, the minister said “the issue was resolved in the previous policy statement,” adding that he believes that the “same text” will be adopted. Asked whether the war of words between Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat and Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil had affected the meeting's atmosphere, the minister said “what happened yesterday remained outside the doors of the meeting's room.” Jarrah also noted that the meeting witnessed a “discussion and not a dispute” over the controversial electricity file. The discussions revolved around “endorsing practical and quick plans and associated measures,” he said.

Policy statement committee hopes to complete draft tomorrow
Mon 04 Feb 2019/NNA - The President of the Council of Ministers Saad Hariri chaired today at the Grand Serail the first meeting of the ministerial committee in charge of drafting the ministerial statement. The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, Youth and Sports Minister Mohammad Fneish, Education Minister Akram Chehayeb, Minister of State for Presidency Affairs Salim Jreissati, Public Works and Transportation Minister Youssef Fenianos, Information Minister Jamal Jarrah, Minister of State for Administrative Affairs May Chidiac, Economy and Trade Minister Mansour Bteich, Minister of State for Refugee Affairs Saleh Gharib, Labor Minister Camille Abousleiman, the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers Fouad Fleifel, and the Director General of the Presidency of the Republic Antoine Choucair. After the meeting that ended at five in the afternoon, the Minister of Information Jamal Jarrah said: “The committee held its first meeting, which took a long time with the aim of completing the biggest part of the draft policy statement. Most of the basic items have been completed, and discussions will continue tomorrow afternoon at the Grand Serail. The atmosphere of the meeting was very positive, and the discussion objective, aiming at strengthening the principles of this statement in order for it to be clear and approach things directly and responsibly, because this is the government's commitment to the Lebanese people. We can say that if we hold a second long meeting tomorrow, such as today's meeting, it may be the last meeting, or we may need another short meeting for a final reading of the draft, hoping to complete it tomorrow.
Question: Are there any conflictual items?
Jarrah: There were no conflictual items during this meeting on all raised issues, especially the sectoral, productive and economic issues, the issue of electricity, reducing budget deficit, launching a new economic vision that would reduce the deficit, thus leading to financial and monetary stability, and that deals with economic issues. And just as Premier Hariri said, it is time for a bold, explicit, clear and fast approach.
Question: Will the relationship between Lebanon and Syria be addressed in the ministerial statement?
Jarrah: This subject has been postponed to tomorrow's meeting because we did not reach it today.
Question: What about the people, army and resistance trilogy?
Jarrah: This issue was solved in the previous policy statement, and I believe that the same text will be adopted.
Question: Did the problems that occurred yesterday evening reflect on the atmosphere of today’s meeting?
Jarrah: No. What happened yesterday stayed outside the meeting room.
Question: What are the most important items that were approved today?
Jarrah: Overall, all economic, development, electricity and environment sectors have been approached. It is also normal that we referred to CEDRE, which is the basis of the economic approach.
Question: Were there any objections on it?
Jarrah: No. All political parties agreed on it in the past and therefore all these parties are convinced that CEDRE is the only way out of the economic crisis.
Question: Minister Chehayeb made some remarks on the electricity file and said that Minister Jumblatt's tenseness yesterday is due to disagreement on some issues, including electricity
Jarrah: In fact, a discussion, and not a dispute, took place over the issue of electricity. The discussion focused on the adoption of practical plans that can have rapid implementation, and the accompanying procedures. We all know today that if we increase the production of electricity without increasing the tariff, we would be contributing to the increase in deficit. We have to set realistic dates for the implementation of these plans.

Jumblat to Hariri and Bassil: 'The State is Not Your Property'
Naharnet/February 04/19/Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat on Monday lashed out anew at Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil. “His Majesty is in a hurry and he gets angry quickly. An advice to you and to your colleague in power -- if we don't want to say your partner: things cannot be run this way,” Jumblat tweeted. “No, the state is not your property and you don't have a book of terms to outsource it as mentioned in the draft policy statement. The thing more important than the CEDRE conference is to pinpoint the sources of public money waste and smuggling and to reject any hike in electricity fees,” he added. “For example, you can recover 40/100 of the wasted funds,” the PSP leader went on to say.

Both Hariri and Bassil had blasted Jumblat in recent hours after he accused them of hegemony, unilateralism and disregard for the Taef Accord.
Hariri to Jumblat: We Want to Rescue State, Send Corruption Guardians to Retirement
Naharnet/February 04/19/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday hit back anew at Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat, telling him that “tweeting does not make a policy.”“Certainly the state is not our property, but it also does not belong to any leader or party. Our project is clear and aims to rescue the state from collapse and send the guardians of corruption to retirement,” Hariri tweeted, in response to a tweet by Jumblat. “Tweeting does not make a policy,” he added. Earlier, Jumblat hit out at Hariri and Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil, saying that the state is not their “property.”“The thing more important than the CEDRE conference is to pinpoint the sources of public money waste and smuggling and to reject any hike in electricity fees,” he added. Earlier in the day, Hariri said he was determined to work relentlessly following the monthslong gridlock, assuring that nothing will stop him despite “criticism” against his new government. “Criticisms against the government began and we haven't even started working yet. I am determined to work and won’t be affected by any attempts to stand in my way,” Hariri’s media office quoted him as saying. “The citizen will finally be the top priority, after a nine-month-long formation delay. I will work day and night to compensate for the time wasted during the formation process,” he added. Discouraging any attempts aiming at hampering the government’s work, he said he is eager to ease any difficulties. And in an apparent jab at Jumblat, Hariri criticized the “exploitation of leaderships,” adding that “if anyone thinks that he can undermine the citizens, I tell him that it won’t happen.”

Bassil Says Jumblat Seeking to Obstruct Government's Work
Naharnet/February 04/19/Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil on Monday hit out at Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat, accusing him of seeking to obstruct the new government's work. “The disturbance attempts started before the start of the government's work,” Bassil said. “Today we are at the beginning of a new phase in which we should give a chance to the country and the government. The time for work has come and a lot of parties seem to be annoyed,” Bassil added, apparently referring to Jumblat. Commenting on Jumblat's stance over the suspension of Internal Security Forces officer Colonel Wael Malaeb, the FPM chief said: “If every time a corrupt official is prosecuted the issue will be depicted as an attack on a sect and its leader, this means that accountability will not target any corrupt official.”“Corruption has no sect and there should be two sects: the sect of corrupts and the sect of upright people,” Bassil added. “It is unacceptable to face political protections whenever we want to hold someone accountable,” the FPM chief went on to say, wondering if it is “required that we stay as we are until the collapse of the country.”Referring to Malaeb and the officers who were suspended with him, Bassil added: “The officers gang that you are hearing about comprises Druze, Shiites, Sunnis, Maronites, Greek Orthodoxs and all sects, so why don't they all enter prison?”“Why is the issue being depicted as being targeted against a certain party while it is comprise of everybody?”Bassil's remarks come in response to statements voiced by Jumblat on Sunday. “We have noticed unilateralism in the formation of the government as if the premiership was nearly absent and as if Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil has laid out the broad lines of the cabinet’s policy statement and the upcoming period. This violates the Taef Accord and is tantamount to playing with fire,” Jumblat said. As for the case of Malaeb, Jumblat stressed that he supports the enforcement of the law but urged ISF chief Maj. Gen. Imad Othman to “eradicate all corruption at his directorate” and to ensure a “transparent probe” in the case of Malaeb and his colleagues. “And if he has the ability, he should rein in the major scandals at Beirut’s airport, where perhaps there are regional balances,” Jumblat added.

Jumblat Says ‘Greediness, Money, Power’ Have Blinded Some
Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat criticized the new government’s plans to borrow billions of dollars for public investment, as he accused government members --without naming anyone--of “greediness.”“The first item included in the draft government policy statement is public investment, which calls for borrowing $17 billion dollars. It was enough for this item to top the priorities (of the new government) for us to realize what abyss we are heading to, and how greedy they have become,” said Jumblat in a tweet. “They are blinded by money and governance,” added the PSP leader without naming anyone. Soon after the government was formed last week, Jumblat was reportedly quick to take the “train of opposition.”On Sunday, Jumblat fired series of criticisms against Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, ISF chief Maj. Gen. Imad Othman and new state minister for refugee affairs, Saleh al-Gharib. Jumblat has stressed the need to abide by the Taef Accord, arguing that it has been violated on numerous occasions.

Italy grants 1 million euros to UNICEF to strengthen the Lebanese WASH sector
Mon 04 Feb 2019/NNA - The Government of Italy reaffirmed its commitment to the most vulnerable children living in Lebanon by contributing 1 million euros to UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme in Lebanon. The announcement was made during the signature of the agreement by Ambassador of Italy, Massimo Marotti, and UNICEF’s Representative, Tanya Chapuisat. The Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Beirut, Donatella Procesi, also attended the event. Ambassador Marotti highlighted the importance of the UNICEF services in Lebanon and said: “Italy recognizes the enormous efforts of the Lebanese Government to host vulnerable refugees, and will continue to support its endeavors. With the agreement we signed today, Italy confirms its commitment to sustain the efforts of UNICEF in Lebanon, aimed at ensuring the access to clean water and contain the spread of diseases related to hygienic conditions. The vulnerable people are at the center of the Italian aid policy”. The new contribution ensures access to safe drinking water and healthy environments. The continuity of temporary WASH services in Informal Settlements is crucial to avoiding water-related communicable disease outbreaks amongst refugees and neighbouring communities, and to mitigating the impact of Informal Settlements on the environment. “We appreciate the significant contribution from the Italian Government, which aims to strengthen the WASH sector,” said Tanya Chapuisat, UNICEF Representative to Lebanon. “Together, we can ensure access to safe water for the most vulnerable children and their families and particularly those in the hard to reach areas.”

Nasrallah Says Health Minister 'for All Lebanese', Party's Concern is 'Humanitarian'
Naharnet/February 04/19
/Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Monday called for “calm and rapprochement” amid a war of words that followed the formation of the new government, as he reassured over the affiliation of the new health minister. “I call for calm and rapprochement,” Nasrallah said in a televised address. “We must be partners in addressing the difficult files,” he urged, warning that the government is “addressing highly sensitive economic and financial issues that will have an impact for tens of years.”“There is consensus that there is a financial and economic threat and therefore the government must say how it intends to prevent the financial collapse,” Nasrallah added. “Some want to drag us into political bickering, and there is no problem in that seeing as we all have media platforms, but today the living conditions are the main problem,” Hizbullah's leader underlined. He cautioned that focusing on “personal interests and the interests of leaders” will prevent the government from “finding solutions for the people.”“We don't any group to intimidate another group,” Nasrallah urged. “We are open to every discussion and all things can be addressed through dialogue and what's important is to approach things vigorously and realistically,” Hizbullah's leader went on to say. Turning to the issue of the new health minister, who was named by Hizbullah but is not a member of the party, Nasrallah sought to reassure the Lebanese and the international community. “The health minister is not a member of our party and we have taken this decision for the sake of the country's interest,” he said. “The health minister is for all Lebanese and all regions and so is the health ministry,” he added. And reminding that Hizbullah is an “Islamic party” and that theft is impermissible under Islam, Nasrallah said: “The money of the Lebanese state belongs to the state and there is a legal responsibility towards this money in addition to the ethical responsibility, because the minister and the ministry are entrusted with this money.”“We don't want projects, business or anything and we don't want to be accused of anything, seeing us our primal concern is humanitarian,” Hizbullah's leader added. Dismissing claims that the new government is “Hizbullah's government,” Nasrallah stated: “Saying that the government is Hizbullah's government is a wrong description. Ethically, this is a lie and the right description is that this government is comprised of a group of political forces in Lebanon among them Hizbullah.”“Our presence in the government is more effective than ever before, through our discussions, voting and work, but this does not mean that it is Hizbullah's government,” he added. “The government is the government of all those taking part in it,” Nasrallah emphasized. The U.S. State Department had announced Friday that Washington is “concerned that Hizbullah, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, will continue to occupy ministerial positions and was allowed to name the Minister of Public Health.”“We call on the new government to ensure the resources and services of these ministries do not provide support to Hizbullah,” the State Department urged. The new health minister, Jamil Jabaq, is not a member of Hizbullah but is believed to be close to Nasrallah and was his personal physician at one point. The health portfolio makes it difficult for international donors to avoid Hizbullah, which is under multiple U.S. sanctions. A donor meeting in Paris last year pledged $11 billion in low-interest loans and aid for Lebanon, hoping to avert disaster amid political and economic instability and the influx of 1.5 million refugees from neighboring Syria.

Nasrallah: The new Lebanese government is not controlled by Hezbollah
NNA/February 04/19
Hezbollah Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, on Monday confirmed in a televised speech aired via Al-Manar TV channel that the new Lebanese Government was not controlled by Hezbollah. He also affirmed that the new Lebanese Health Minister was close to Hezbollah, but not a member of the party. In his speech, the Hezbollah chief mainly focused on the situation in Lebanon after the formation of the government. “We need calm. We need to take a breath. We need to stay away from media debates. Most importantly, we need to opt for more convergence,” Nasrallah said as recommending what the post cabinet formation atmosphere should be like. "The government stands before huge bids and major deadlines," he said, stepping up calls on political parties to recognize the crucial nature of dossiers to be addressed by the government, especially due to their highly sensitive content, especially on the economic and financial levels. Moreover, Nasrallah expressed his belief that at the forefront of fortifying the economic situation was the fight against corruption and financial squandering. “Hezbollah was not present during the debate on the abolition of the anti-corruption portfolio," he said, stressing his political party’s keenness on implementing all the necessary decisions to fight corruption. The Hezbollah Chief then touched on issues involving the people's livelihood. “If we continue to solve things from personal, partisan, or regional perspectives, we will never reach the aspired solutions — solutions to matters that involve the lives of people deserve to be assessed and addressed quietly and patiently.”Nasrallah also capitalized on the fact that the Council of Ministers must be transformed into a real “discussion council”, and that the ministers should study the proposed items and not only vote in favor or against them. Most importantly, Nasrallah pointed out that all the issues that are directly linked to the fate of the people “should not be discussed via social media. “The Ministry of Health serves all of the Lebanese. It is neither the property of the minister who runs it, nor the property of the party that he represents,” Nasrallah added.
"Minister Jamil Jabbaq is not a Hezbollah member, but he is efficient, friendly, reliable and independent,” he explained. Nasrallah made clear that his political party has given priority to the country’s best interest by means of selecting a non-partisan minister to assume the Ministry of Health and to prevent negative repercussions. He also denied that "the new government is run by Hezbollah," as Netanyahu and others claim. “The Zionist PM is provoking the US, European countries, and the Gulf states against the Lebanese government, claiming it is controlled by Hezbollah.”“This government is composed of political forces and we, as Hezbollah, are one of its components," Nasrallah maintained. He wished of those on the internal scene who accuse the government to be that of Hezbollah “not to do so because this does not fall in the interest of Lebanon."He referred to the "understanding" of Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement on February 6, 2006, describing it as a great step that had been manifested during the Israeli aggression on Lebanon in July 2006, stressing Hezbollah's belief in this understanding. He also hinted to "the desire of some sides to end this understanding by pouring oil on fire over some issues with the hope of enflaming the situation between both sides.”

Abu Faour Blasts Bassil, Accuses Him of 'Attack on Taef Accord'
Naharnet/February 04/19/Industry Minister Wael Abu Faour of the Progressive Socialist Party on Monday launched a blistering verbal attack on Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, as a war of words between the two parties escalated further. “Minister Jebran Bassil should stop the heresy and he must lessen his hegemony over the country,” Abu Faour said at a joint press conference with outgoing minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan that followed a handover ceremony at the industry ministry. Referring to Cabinet's first session, which was held on Saturday, the minister said it was the “first time ever” that copies of the Document of National Accord (Taef Accord) were not distributed to the attending ministers. “If we want to live with the same historical concerns and malice towards the Taef Accord, then things will not be fixed in the country,” Abu Faour added, in a jab at the FPM. The minister also noted that Bassil named three representatives to the panel tasked with drafting the Cabinet's policy statement whereas the other parties named one representative each. “The attack against the Taef Accord is obvious and the vengeance against the Taef Accord is flagrant. That was primarily manifested in the rule that Minister Bassil tried to introduce and was rejected by us and today we are rejecting it again. That rule was that every four or five MPs are entitled to name a minister. Where did this heresy come from?” Abu Faour added. “All political parties and forces should be equal in the Council of Ministers, or else this political system will not run in a proper way,” the minister warned.

Environment Minister: Give Me Some Time
Naharnet/February 04/19/The newly appointed Environment Minister, Fadi Jreissati, said on Monday that he is going to propose “appropriate plans” to address the environmental concerns of the Lebanese people, in light of Lebanon’s looming garbage crisis. “Your environmental concerns are mine as well.. I read them...I hear them...Just give some time to propose suitable plans and solutions,” Jreissati said in a tweet. Experts have warned that Lebanon’s Bourj Hammoud landfill is nearing full capacity, which raised concerns of a nearing garbage crisis. Lebanon has been in a waste-management crisis since 2015 when the Naameh landfill, that receives trash from Beirut and Mount Lebanon, was closed.

Berri Expects ‘Tourist Boom’ if Govt. Resolves Chronic Files
Naharnet/February 04/19/Speaker Nabih Berri said he expects Lebanon to witness a “tourist boom” if the newly formed government focused on addressing the problematic issues of electricity, waste management and corruption, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday. “The policy statement should focus on fundamental issues, first and foremost the electricity file in order to stop the squandering there. Second, the waste management issue because it affects the environment and people’s health. Third, the most important issue of corruption which should be a priority for the new government,” said Berri. Shall Lebanon succeed at addressing these “three issues, only then can we say that the country is taking the first step towards self salvation,” added Berri, noting that it will pave way for “tourist attraction ahead of the Spring and Summer seasons.”On the government policy statement, to be drafted by a 10-minister committee, Berri noted “there are no disagreements over the statement. I believe it can be devised in a week or less.”Berri said a government confidence vote could be held next week if the policy statement was devised and approved in the Cabinet and referred to the parliament soon.

LIC Statement on Lebanon's New Government
بيان المركز اللبناني للمعلومات في أميركا التابع لحزب القوات اللبنانية حول الحكومة الجديدة
01-31-2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/71800/lic-statement-on-lebanons-new-government-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%88%D9%85/
The Lebanese Information Center (LIC) welcomes the formation of a new government in Lebanon, albeit with significant reservations. After several months of delay, the cabinet is far from the so-called “unity government” for which Lebanon’s political blocs had long been calling. Instead, this new cabinet has been molded by the destabilizing dictates of a troubling alliance: the axis formed among Hezbollah, President Michel Aoun, and his son-in-law Foreign Affairs Minister Gibran Bassil.
For nine months, this axis has jockeyed for a government in which the President and his parliamentary bloc would wield veto power with one-third-plus-one of cabinet seats. It has also sought to monopolize the representation of Lebanon’s Christians in the cabinet, chiefly by sidelining the Lebanese Forces Party despite the latter’s parliamentary wins. And, finally, it aimed to hamstring Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who has stood against Hezbollah, by imposing a Sunni allied with Hezbollah onto the share of the government reserved for Sunnis. Regrettably, the trio has largely succeeded in these three aims.
President Aoun’s son-in-law Gebran Bassil is claiming 11 seats out of 30, albeit through counting as part of his share 1 Armenian Tashnag, and 2 pro-Hezbollah members from Talal Arslan’s and Abdel Raheem Murad’s parties; Hariri ended up with 6 ministries counting as part of his share one seat for each of Safadi and Mikati; Hezbollah gained important portfolios including the Ministry of Health which has the largest public services budget and receives aid from the US and international organizations, and has further cemented its influence on the Ministry of Defense, through member of Aoun’s bloc, Defense Minister Elias Abu Saab, a well-known Hezbollah sympathizer. On a positive note, the cabinet has a record-breaking four females, including the Minister of Interior; and the Lebanese Forces Party holds 4 seats, including the Deputy Prime Minister.
Context
This cabinet comes at a particularly concerning time for Lebanon, as the state’s grip on internal and external security appears to be slipping. The Lebanese Army has been expelled from Baalbek, a Hezbollah stronghold. Lebanese troops and the United Nations Interim Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are standing by as Hezbollah continues to expand its military presence along the southern border with Israel. The militant group has dug tunnels across the border in violation of UNSCR 1701, sparking fears of a new and devastating conflict between the two countries. Moreover, the economy is deteriorating, with Moody’s downgrading Lebanon’s credit rating to negative. Public services have seen no improvement despite repeated promises from political leaders, and corruption remains rampant.
Challenges Ahead
Lebanon’s incoming government faces a host of challenges and few reasons to be optimistic. Its first hurdle will be agreeing on a ministerial statement, in which Lebanese governments outline their visions and policies. As usual, Hezbollah and its cronies will insist the statement explicitly grant “the people, the army, and the resistance” - another term for Hezbollah - the prerogative to defend Lebanon. This line effectively grants state cover to Hezbollah’s activities, and with the Hezb’s consolidating power across the country, its inclusion in the ministerial statement will be more dangerous than ever. A second major challenge will be implementing the necessary economic reforms for Lebanon to have access to billions of donors pledged by donors at the Cedre Conference in 2018. If Lebanon is not awarded those funds, its economy - already on the brink - risks falling apart. And finally, Lebanon must provide basic social services to a public whose anger is rising over a lack of clean water, regular electricity, and unpolluted environment.
Recommendations
The LIC is grateful for the United States Government’s political, economic, and military aid to Lebanon, which has amounted to over $5 billion in recent years. To maintain the robust relationship between the US and Lebanon that secures the national interests of both countries, the LIC believes the US is entitled to demand the below from Lebanon’s new government and its most influential figures, namely President Aoun and Minister Bassil:
• Commit to Lebanon’s sovereignty by respecting UNSCR resolutions
• Work on disarming all militias
• Cease empowering and granting state cover to Hezbollah
• Resist pressure by Hezbollah in military and security appointments
• Fight and eradicate corruption
In addition to these demands, the US Government should work more closely with the opponents of the Hezbollah-Aoun-Bassil axis, namely Hariri and the Lebanese Forces Party, which is America’s only reliable ally in Lebanon. The US and its allies must spare no effort to prevent a complete takeover of Lebanon by the aforementioned trio and its regional backers, Iran and Syria. At the same time, the US should work on enforcing Lebanon’s sovereignty through an Israeli withdrawal from Ghajar and assist Lebanon in its border and maritime negotiations with Israel to give Lebanon what is unto Lebanon.

In Brewing Crisis with Hariri, Jumblatt Warns against Renouncing Taef Accord
Beirut/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 4 February, 2019/Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblatt said Sunday that Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil has already laid out the main ideas of the new government’s policy statement and the upcoming period in Lebanon by “challenging the Taef Accord and playing with fire.”He also warned of a major crisis in the country should “Prime Minster Saad Hariri renounce the accord.”Following a meeting of the Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc in Beirut, Jumblatt, indirectly referring to Bassil, remarked: “We have noticed unilateralism in the formation of the government as if the premiership was almost absent.”Despite his criticism, he said he would not withdraw his ministers from the newly formed government, but would rather adopt a policy of “confrontation.” On Thursday, Hariri announced his 30-member government following nine months of bickering among political forces over shares. The PSP leader uncovered that a delegation from the Democratic Gathering would soon visit the PM, President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss the “fate of the Taef Accord.”Jumbatt’s comments came amid a crisis that emerged between the Druze leader and both Hariri and Bassil following the formation of the government. Hariri on Sunday responded to Jumblatt without naming him. "The comments that try to undermine the Presidency of the Council of Ministers’ performance in dealing with the government crisis are attempts to divert attention from the problems that these sides are facing and the concessions that they were the first to offer,” a statement from Hariri’s office said Sunday. It added that the Council of Ministers, “which is entrusted to preserve the Taef and the powers vested in it by the Constitution, will not be anyone’s scapegoat and it does not need lessons on constitutional obligations.”

UN Shields Lebanon from Instability, Economic Deterioration
Nazeer Rida/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 04/19
The United Nations raises a security, economic, political and diplomatic umbrella over Lebanon – a country suffering from economic deterioration, security threats on the southern border, and tensions of political alignments. With 26 offices in Lebanon, and other Beirut-based organizations, the UN spends more than $1 billion a year in the form of aid pumped into the Lebanese market. This international diplomatic presence is primarily a lever for Lebanese affairs in global forums and has gained momentum strength amid a determination by the international community to protect Lebanon’s stability at various levels. The country hosts tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and more than a million displaced Syrians. It is also characterized by its pluralistic model of government, which is necessary to maintain, despite its fragility.
Based on the factors listed above, Lebanon enjoys a special international attention, and reportedly receives one of the highest rates of UN aid in the region, which gives it some economic immunity.
There are more than 26 UN offices that carry out diplomatic and service missions, led by the Office of the Special Coordinator of the UN Secretary-General in Lebanon. Entities include the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and many others.
The UN Resident Coordinator, Philippe Lazzarini, heads the United Nations team in the country. But the UN offices certainly do not include the UN Truce Supervision Force (UNTSO), the role of which is not confined to Lebanon.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Lazzarini noted that the United Nations has developed during the past three years the so-called full approach to Lebanon.
“Our contribution to Lebanon will be to provide support to maintain stability and help in dealing with the impact of regional crises,” he said.
The UN approach initially focused on peace and security. To that end, the UNIFIL in the south plays an important role in maintaining stability on the southern border. UN contributions also focus on other pillars called the “pillars of stability” which address issues of governance, the rule of law and human rights, and support municipal or parliamentary elections.
The third pillar is represented by a socio-economic approach, divided into two parts. The first is to help the country mitigate the impact of the Syrian crisis, which means direct support for Syrian refugees and for host communities. The second is to assist the government in addressing existing reform programs in order to obtain a more favorable environment for economic activities. UN figures show that there are more than 2,700 employees working within UN agencies in the country, 80 percent of whom are Lebanese, and 20 percent foreign nationals. These figures do not include the more than 10,500 UNIFIL peacekeepers in the south. The staff budget is part of the overall assistance provided by the United Nations to Lebanon.
Since 2015, the UN has spent an average of $1.3 billion to $1.5 billion a year in Lebanon. About $1 billion is spent through UN agencies and the rest through other partners and organizations in the country.
This aid represents an international shield for Lebanon’s economic stability. According to Lazzarini, this contribution certainly helped the country, although it did not address all the existing problems. Aid cannot resolve all the political, economic, social and security problems because most of the assistance is of a humanitarian nature at present. “If you compare Lebanon with many other countries in the world, you will find that over the past four years, the country topped the recipients of humanitarian or international aid, because the volume of contributions exceeds $1 billion per year, excluding support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, Internal Security Forces, and the annual budget of UNIFIL,” the UN Resident Coordinator said.
“It is true that we have not compensated for the slow growth of the economy, but we have contributed to preventing its further decline; because a billion dollars and more, injected into the economy, helps reduce the burden,” he remarked.
The UN official believes that the organization’s work has also contributed to maintaining some stability, but without keeping Lebanon out of danger.
However, Lazzarini asserts that the country “is still outside the danger zone, and has shown its ability in the last eight years not to fall into it.”

Decoding Nasrallah’s messages on Lebanon and Syria
Joe Macaron/Al Monitor/February 04/19
ARTICLE SUMMARY
In his latest interview, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah seemed to adopt a more measured tone toward Israel when compared with his previous speeches.
REUTERS/Aziz TaherLebanon's Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gestures as he addresses his supporters via screen during the last day of Ashura, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 20, 2018.
After an absence of 77 days from the public eye since Nov. 10, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah had a three-hour interview Jan. 26 with al-Mayadeen TV. Decoding his messages might be key to understanding how Hezbollah will deal with major challenges ahead, most notably tensions on the southern border with Israel and its military intervention in Syria.
In a relatively subdued tone, Nasrallah had a measured posture, evading a direct provocation of Israel, overly accommodating Lebanese politicians and acting as a political commentator on Syria instead of being assertive, as he is known to be.
The timing of this interview seems orchestrated to fit the Iranian strategy this week to heighten the rhetoric against Israel after suffering successive airstrikes in Syria — most recently on Jan. 21.
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani was quoted Jan. 29 warning Israel that Hamas and Hezbollah are prepared to unleash an “inferno” against Israel.
There are, however, four noteworthy trends in Nasrallah’s interview.
Nasrallah went out of his way to ease the tensions with Israel. Beyond the expected attempt to establish deterrence by showcasing Hezbollah’s capability to strike when needed, he assured that Hezbollah made no decision to launch an attack on the Galilee. Nasrallah’s rhetoric was merely advising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to alter the rules of engagement in Lebanon.
While Israel managed to outmaneuver Hezbollah on discovering cross-border tunnels, Nasrallah justified the Shiite group’s silence on this issue as intentional to avoid being lured into what he considered an Israeli campaign. Hezbollah’s leader remained ambiguous on whether these tunnels have been dug recently in an attempt to lessen their implications or relevance to any plan to attack Israel.
It is not clear whether defusing the tensions with Israel is based on advice from close Lebanese allies, instructions from Tehran or upon Russian request. But Nasrallah explicitly affirmed, “I am interested for him [Netanyahu] to calm down a bit,” and advised the Israeli prime minister to “be careful of going overboard in what you are doing in Syria.”
Netanyahu’s reaction to Nasrallah’s interview was also subdued, implicitly claiming that Israeli pressure forced Hezbollah to back down. The Israeli prime minister noted that Nasrallah is embarrassed that Israel exposed Hezbollah’s tunnel plans, by the financial distress caused by US sanctions on Iran and by Israeli determination.
Hezbollah seems invested in the current status quo on the southern border as Israel has been, in recent weeks, attempting to alter these dynamics — an attempt that was incidentally aborted by US officials when Israel sought to punish the Lebanese government for the existence of the tunnels.
On Hezbollah’s regional role, the interview showed how much Hezbollah’s demeanor and calculations have evolved when compared with a few years ago when the Shiite group threatened an open war against Israel and showed readiness to retaliate against Israeli actions in Gaza or Saudi actions in Yemen.
Nasrallah justified the restraint to retaliate against recent Israeli attacks in Syria as “a political decision based on managing priorities in this phase, not based on military deficiency.” This subdued tone shows how much Hezbollah’s regional role has dwindled and is increasingly restricted to Lebanon, as Russia and Iran are directly taking the lead on Syria.
Nasrallah gave the impression that Hezbollah does not decide what happens in Syria. He acknowledged that the retaliation against Israel is “obviously” a decision to be made by the “axis,” in a reference to Damascus, Tehran and potentially Moscow. His only affirmation was that an attack on Hezbollah in Syria will be met by retaliation in Lebanon, which is a shift from previous threats of simultaneously opening two borders against Israel.
This interview also shows how Iran is increasingly in full control of Hezbollah’s decisions when compared with the margin the Lebanese group had a decade ago. US sanctions on Iran made Hezbollah more reliant on Tehran for funding. Nasrallah spoke in this interview on behalf of the Iranian regime because his voice is heard in Israel and his threats are taken more seriously.
Nasrallah was cautious in addressing Russia’s role in Syria, sticking to the Iranian regime’s talking points despite the increasing cracks in the alliance between Moscow and Tehran. He indirectly acknowledged Russia’s role in regulating the tensions in Syria by noting that, “to be fair,” the Israelis are not trespassing on the rules of engagement with Iran in Syria and are not intentionally targeting Iranian officials in their airstrikes.
Nasrallah described how Moscow relayed with “sincerity” the US offer to withdraw Iranian forces from Syria and reaffirmed the stance that Tehran is not ready yet for a deal that synchronizes US and Iranian withdrawal from Syria. He linked any withdrawal plans to the end of the war against extremist groups, mainly in Idlib and northern Aleppo. Reluctantly consenting to Moscow’s role as mediator between Israel and Iran in Syria, Nasrallah noted that “Russia can give Israel a margin to act in Syria but cannot open all margins and let them go far.”
From a Lebanese perspective, Nasrallah announced that Hezbollah “stands behind” the state in all issues related to negotiating the land and maritime borders with Israel. He noted that Hezbollah will only intervene if Israel launches an attack against Lebanon.
Hezbollah feels comfortable with the positions taken by the Lebanese government and does not want to bypass decisions taken by President Michel Aoun and parliament speaker Nabih Berri.
Moreover, Nasrallah believes US officials are trying to drive a wedge between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement that was founded by Aoun. The last meeting of the High Defense Council showed the impact of US mediation that asked both the Lebanese and Israeli sides to show restraint on the border. President Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri reportedly tried to make sure they have the final say in the Lebanese army’s decision to retaliate against any Israeli violation on the border, and they both agree with the US offer to negotiate the land border for now and delay discussing the maritime border with Israel — a view that is not shared with Berri or Hezbollah.
Most of all, Nasrallah’s interview shows that Iran is sending messages to Israel, the United States and Russia that it will not stand still for long and its patience might run out if provocations continue. Hezbollah is planning long-term for Lebanon and Syria and hence sees any short-term confrontation with Israel as a setback. Both Netanyahu and Nasrallah are facing domestic challenges (Israeli elections and the Lebanese Cabinet formation) and want to maintain their political leverage at home, which make them less inclined to initiate a confrontation that might trigger a regional war.
Found in:SYRIA CONFLICT
Joe Macaron primarily focuses his research on US strategy, international relations, and conflict analysis in the Levant. His previous analyst roles include the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, the Issam Fares Center in Lebanon and the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies. A former journalist, he also advised the International Monetary Fund on public engagement in the Middle East and served in different capacities in the United Nations system. He is a currently a fellow at the Arab Center Washington DC. On Twitter: @macaronjoe

Hezbollah Deputy Says Israel Is Not Ready For A Confrontation With Lebanon
Jerusalem Post/February 04/19
Naim Qassem said that "Lebanon's new government is a unity government," and that only three of its government ministers are members of the Hezbollah terrorist organization. Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general accused Israel of not being ready for a confrontation with Lebanon in an interview on Lebanese TV on Sunday. Naim Qassem said that “Lebanon’s new government is a unity government,” and that only three of its government ministers are members of the Hezbollah terrorist organization. Qassem was responding to comments made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Hezbollah has infiltrated Lebanon with the support of Iran. “Hezbollah joined the Lebanese government, and now it controls the government, and thus Iran controls it,” Netanyahu said while briefing a delegation of United Nations leaders, just before they headed to Israel’s northern border to inspect one of Hezbollah’s cross-border attack tunnels. The delegation is in Israel on a mission headed by Israel’s UN envoy Danny Danon. Netanyahu then spoke about Operation Northern Shield, which ended three weeks ago: “Just as we stopped the tunnels, we will stop all acts of aggression from Lebanon, Syria or Iran.”
He said that the Hezbollah’s terror tunnels are a “flagrant violation of international law… The very fact that you arrived in Israel attests to your integrity. I hope that this will also characterize your future actions in the UN, which only last year pushed forth 20 resolutions against Israel, while only six against other countries, including Syria, Iran and Sudan.“What matters is not only that you see the truth, but also that you tell it,” the prime minister continued. “We want to see you change your decisions.”Last week, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah spoke out for the first time since Operation Northern Shield in a public interview with the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen station, first denying reports of his death. “I am completely healthy and I do not suffer from anything,” he told the interviewer. “It’s funny to hear that I’m dead.”
Nasrallah said he made a strategic decision not to speak up until the end of Israel’s campaign against the terror tunnels, some of which stretched from Lebanon into Israeli territory. He refused to accept responsibility for the construction of the tunnels between Lebanon and Israel: “The tunnels exist, they may be old or new, but it does not matter who dug them.”He then threatened Israel: “I warn Israel, I do not want to enter their elections, but the Israelis must note that Netanyahu, and especially in recent weeks, is making a lot of mistakes in his assessment of many issues.” The next day, the PM responded to Nasrallah’s statements by mocking the secretary-general and saying that the terror organization is “very embarrassed by our determination.”“He and his men invested tremendous effort in the weapons tunnels, including excavating them, contrary to what he said in recent years and in recent months,” Netanyahu said, noting that within six weeks Israel managed to “completely deprive him of this weapon.”Speaking at the start of last week’s cabinet meeting, Netanyahu added that Nasrallah is “embarrassed by financial distress, and the policy we promoted to renew the sanctions against Iran is a policy adopted by President Donald Trump, which seriously harms the sources of funding for Iran and its satellites, especially Hezbollah.”

Hezbollah Supporters Bike Along Israeli Border In Protest Of IDF
Jerusalem Post/February 04/19
If Israel "wants to start a war, we're ready," says Hezbollah's deputy leader Naim Qassem.
Dozens of Hezbollah supporters rode motorbikes used in military operations along Lebanon’s border with Israel to protest against the IDF, Lebanese media reported. According to Lebanon’s The Daily Star, the group of 60 men rode from the town of Bint Jbeil across from the Israeli community of Yiron on “cross motorbikes which the party has used before for military resistance operations.”“We’re ready if you ask,” one of the riders was quoted by The Daily Star as saying, adding, “If you want us on cross [motorbikes], then we are at your service.”The individual stated that the slogan for the ride was “to Jerusalem on millions of cross bikes” and aimed to show loyalty to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The Shi’ite terrorist organization last fought a war – the Second Lebanon War – against Israel in 2006, and has since then morphed from a guerrilla group to an army with a set hierarchy and procedures. With the help of Iran, Hezbollah has rebuilt its arsenal since 2006 and has hundreds of thousands of short-range rockets and several thousand more missiles that can reach deeper into Israel. It is believed that in the next war the terrorist group will aim to fire some 1,500-2,000 rockets per day. In addition to their massive arsenal, Hezbollah also has the ability to mobilize close to 30,000 battle-hardened fighters, some of whom were expected to try to infiltrate into Israeli communities on the border to kill or kidnap civilians and soldiers.
Israel launched Operation Northern Shield in early December to discover and destroy tunnels dug by the Lebanese Shi'ite terror group into northern Israel. It announced the end of the operation in mid-January after finding six cross-border attack tunnels, including one stretching hundreds of meters from the southern Lebanese village of Ramiya and infiltrated several dozen meters into northern Israel.While the military announced the end of the operation, it noted that it “is simultaneously monitoring several locations where Hezbollah is digging underground structures which have yet to cross into Israel.”
It will also continue a “broad defense effort” along the Lebanese border to ensure that Hezbollah does not try to dig future tunnels into Israel by integrating various means such as the ongoing construction of the border wall with Lebanon.
Also on Sunday, dozens of United Nations ambassadors toured one of the tunnel sites outside the community of Metulla with Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon. The ambassadors were able to see inside the tunnel by a robotic camera operated by IDF engineering troops.
"It is important to convey this powerful message: just as we prevented the terror tunnels from reaching Israel, we will thwart any aggression from Lebanon, Syria or Iran itself,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told them. “We are committed to preventing this aggression and thus we are protecting not only Israel but also our neighbors and the peace of the entire world."Meanwhile, Nasrallah’s deputy Naim Qassem said that while he did not think Israel was interested in war with Lebanon, the group was ready if one were to break out. "I don't think Israel can go into a conflict with Lebanon because the conditions are complicated, and Israel is not interested in war,” Qassem told Lebanese TV, adding nonetheless that “if it wants to start a war, we're ready.”

Bassil addresses Institute of Political Science in Paris: Restoring relations with Syria in our interest
NNA/February 04/19
 Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Gebran Bassil, on Monday delivered a lecture at the Institute of Political Science in Paris, in which he touched on the Lebanese foreign policy and the delicate stage that the Middle East endures.
“Thank you, Mr. (Frederic) Mion for your kind introduction.
I thank Science Po and the organizers for affording me the opportunity to be here with you.
Last week I took part in the Forum of Davos and had the chance to debate with the global elite of today. This afternoon I’m happy to debate with the elite of tomorrow. You are of course less experienced today in comparison with the Davos crowd, but I’m sure you will be more influential tomorrow.
I will give you two pieces of advice. The second one I’ll leave it to the end of the talk but the first one is the following: please learn from our mistakes, and if you ever be in command in the future, try to avoid them.
I have been in charge of Lebanon’s foreign policy since February 2014. I have a confession to make: being the Foreign Minister of Lebanon is far from being an easy task, though I don’t regret it at all. You always have to make cornelian choices, and always have to be prepared to one bad news per day at least.
Foreign Policy is essentially about safeguarding the interests of your country in an international environment largely determined by forces and events,that you can hardly influence. This said, it becomes easy to infer that the level of success of your foreign policy depend essentially on two factors:
the first one is your aptitude to reinforce your domestic situation in a way to improve your margin of maneuver in the regional and global environments.
The second factor is the level of stability and coherence of the very same regional and global environments. The more these environments are clearly regulated, the more your foreign policy could avoid falls and achieve its major aims.
I apologize for this abstract « entrée en matière » which is nevertheless necessary in order to make it easier for you to grasp the pattern that informs Lebanon’s foreign policy. The equation I spoke about is very unfavorable to Lebanon and its foreign policy.
I intend here to demonstrate that against all odds and despite massive challenges, the foreign policy of my country is far from being irrelevant.
I will be stressing on the huge challenges that impede our foreign policy (both on the regional/international front and on the domestic one.)
The international situation has become so foggy, so volatile and dangerous that it constitutes a real nightmare. Let us examine together the main characteristics of the mess we are in. The “Liberal global order” mainly driven by western countries that was supposed to reign supreme after the collapse of the Soviet Union is in turn falling apart, provoking shockwaves of instability and uncertainty all over the planet and more particularly in the Middle East. It’s beyond the purpose of my talk to enter into the pros and cons,
But we have to reckon that no global order is eternal.
When a global order is crumbling, and those who maintain it are losing their grip progressively, all major players that resented this order will feel encouraged to challenge it more. The custodian of the threatened order, scramble desperately to keep it alive, hence the huge hostility between the two camps will contribute to more instability and augment the risk of violent conflict in all fields.
Indeed we witness hot competition in International trade, technology, natural resources, World Wide Web, etc.
International relations suffer from overheat, and cooling systems seem to have gone out of order.
Some keep resorting to simplistic explanations easy to grasp by the general public and proper to distract from the real elephant in the room, like always blaming “bad guys” or “failed states”, or to rely heavily on confusing concepts like “populism”. We don’t downplay the negative effects this phenomenon could have, but the international liberal order, is in its present form less and less able to contain the big transformations that are occurring.
I make a pause in order not to be misunderstood. I don’t want here to be dragged into a debate about the desirability or the ethical value of this flailing global order. I observe that those who hate it are impatient to see its demise, whereas those who idolize it, consider it the “end of History” and humanity’s best achievement are in a state of denial, preferring to criticize Mr. Trump, or Mr. Putin or Mr. Xi Jin Ping or the Brexit, instead of honestly and courageously examining what is really going wrong.
Both attitudes are wrong. The liberal international order might be a good achievement for Europe and the Western world but it has proven more and more impotent to tackle the spasms that are affecting our times, (like in our case, protecting the inalienable rights of small countries). The world cannot be but equilibrated (cannot live but in equilibrium).
The fact that many decision makers have become out of touch with reality is something tangible that you could experience when you take part in international meetings. You probably think that these meetings provide real space for dialogue and constructive engagement. Sorry to damp down your optimism. International meetings have almost turned into either being “Dialogues of the likeminded” or “Dialogue of the deaf”. Real dialogues have become very difficult to find. Therefore, it has become difficult to make progress in delicate issues that are of importance to humanity at large despite of tons of studies.
Major Powers are in disarray, which in turn translates into more disorientation at the regional level, where local influential actors are terrified by the perspective of losing influence, or being sidelined at times to redesign the concerned region. The Middle East is an example to that. The situation here shows all the ills that surface when a global order is crumbling and the future is uncertain.
Let me name some of these ills:
All red lines are crossed: the principles and rules of international law and Human rights tend to be violated. The will to power or to survival complicates all other considerations and at some point even civilization becomes at stake. The famous Russian writer Dostoyevsky once said that “if god doesn’t exist everything is allowed”. To paraphrase him we can say: “when the global order is pierced everything is permitted in international relations”.
Most of the conflicts become impossible to circumscribe: You easily notice that it becomes impossible to speak about limited conflicts. Everything is interlinked, and the lack of trust between major actors makes them disposed to ill-fated decisions, thus increasing the risk of major conflict.
Alliances change thus increasing the instability risk and the sense of insecurity since nobody feels really protected.
The thriving of criminal activities: It is undeniable that terrorism, human trafficking and all kind of transnational crimes feed on the collapse of the global order, and what is more preoccupying is that some players sometimes turn a blind eye not to say nurture them, on these misconducts when they feel that it could serve their strategic interest.
Huge collateral damage: When fierce competition is at the order of the day, and there is no global order or leadership to contain it, lives are sacrificed by hundreds of thousands, cultural heritage is destroyed, identity is erased, minorities are decimated and nobody seems to care anymore about the basic principles of humanity. Mass displacement and refugee crises of terrible magnitude are created, depriving refugees of dignity and hope in their future, turning them to violence and putting host communities under unbearable duress. The suffering of Lebanon is exemplary in this regard. (2oo/km2 and 40% of GDP as losses)
The exacerbation of “identity politics”. Since actors are engaged in a multifaceted competition that could at any moment lapse into war, they need to cement their constituencies around slogans that spark intense hostility against virtual enemies. This, in turn, renders reconciliation and dialogue almost impossible. This aspect is very manifest in the Sunni/Shia divide or in the protracted Israeli Arab conflict.
These ills are ravaging the Middle East these days, especially in Syria and Palestine.
So, this is the environment we try to survive in, we Lebanese. You can easily imagine the terrible situation. All these ills are troubling us, and it’s a terrible task to try to strip them off especially that the domestic situation can sometimes stand in the way of a convincing foreign policy.
You know very well that Lebanon is very attached to its model of “consensual democracy”. Despite its many imperfections, notably the fact that it slows down he decision making process, and makes it easy sometimes to encourage bad practices, it nevertheless contributes to safeguard social concord, to keep Lebanon as a beacon of tolerance, and cultural openness. Those are values that have, unfortunately, evaporated from the major part of the Middle East.
I have to recognize that the Lebanese model often doesn’t make it easy for me to conduct the foreign policy. Because getting consensus on the major headlines of this policy is difficult, given that Lebanese religious and political communities are not immune to foreign influences. They even find it sometimes difficult not to take sides in the regional raging conflicts.
The situation, being as it is, how are we managing to keep afloat, and what are our perspectives?
We are resolute to prevent these conflicts that are setting the region afire to disrupt our model of democracy, tolerance and coexistence. We will spare no effort and avoid precipitation in order to gather the largest consensus possible when delicate matters of the Foreign Policy are at stake.
We are setting the priorities straight: What is paramount is that Lebanon continues to play its role and to salvage its identity and not end up as collateral damage, no matter how things are going to evolve.
We are intent on shoring up our domestic situation in order to reverse the downward trend of our economy and to strive towards a recovery. Reforms are needed and we are determined to implement them, in order for us to benefit from the support of our friends and to harness the huge potential of our diaspora.
Not to align with any coalition in the region and to dissociate ourselves from all these conflicts we are not part of. At the end of the day, parties will be forced to sit around the table; we want to be around the table not on the table.
Our pragmatism and our determination are helping us to remain immune to ideological partialities and simplistic stereotypes:
We consider that when we say that the JCPOA, which ended the quarrel around Iran nuclear program, was a great opportunity and that undermining it is a setback for the region, it doesn’t mean that we aim to antagonize Iran foes.
And when we estimate that Arab countries have the right to protect their security and to resent foreign interference it doesn’t mean that we are against Iran.
When we call for a unified Syria, secular and tolerant, it doesn’t mean that we are vindicating the current Syrian government against the opposition. For us it’s up to the Syrians to decide their own future and the identity of their leaders.
When we declare that one of the biggest obstacles in the way of a fair and just peace in the middle east between the Arabs and Israel is the complete partiality of the US, we are not professing enmity against the US, but on the contrary we are deploring the fact that the major superpower that we respect and which is supposed to uphold international law and to broker peace is shunning its responsibility for just peace.
We think that a good foreign policy is predicated on the ability to tell the truth, and to stay true to the values we believe in, even though it could earn us a reputation of stubbornness.
We remain keen on abiding by international laws and regulations despite all the challenges. Few days ago, Mr. Lazzarini, UN resident and Humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, said that the Lebanese border with Israel was one of the most stable in the Middle East in the recent years. We have as well ratified recently the Arms Trade Treaty, ATT despite the very volatile situation in the region. All this showcases that we are a peace-loving nation. But this doesn’t mean that we will stand idle in case our sovereignty or integrity are threatened. Therefore we don’t spare any effort (or shrink away from any sacrifice) when it comes to empower our armed forces. They remain one of the brightest symbols of the unity of our nation.
Are we succeeding in measuring up to the challenges that face our foreign policy?
We think that judging by the deadly dangers we have managed to overcome so far, it’s fair to say that we Lebanese are resilient and resourceful. We are hopeful and we will continue to strive in order to keep afloat. We consider that Lebanon is more than a country. It is a great civilization and a model. If God forbids, this model were to perish the Middle East will morph into a “Waste land”.
And now, if you ask me how I envisage the outcome of the crises we are in, I can’t give a clear cut answer (since I don’t have a crystal ball).
We can nevertheless predict that the current disorder is here to stay for a while, with competing powers using all sorts of tricks (and trump cards). But at some point or another, the system will come back to some sort of stability. Three alternatives could be envisaged.
The liberal order will resurrect but it will be amended and reconfigured in a way to make it more agreeable to new emerging big players.
Contradictions and tensions will increase in a way that forces us into major confrontations and wars, whereby new weapons and new ways of inflicting harm could be rehearsed.
A totally new global order will emerge on the ruins of the current one, but its contours remain to be defined.
My aim is not to portray a bleak picture or to propagate despair. We live in a very dangerous world where numerous demons have been set loose. But it is up to us to pull ourselves together and to fight for the better angels of our human nature.
As I come to the end, I will give you the second piece of advice I promised you. We are in the country of Montaigne and Descartes, two great thinkers that put sound skepticism as a major tenet of their way of thinking. Their example is always relevant. We should always question the common belief especially in times when we find ourselves facing unprecedented challenges. Do not hesitate to be creative in your thinking.
I hope that my remarks will be serving as a food for thought. I tried as much as possible to avoid sloganeering. It’s not always easy for a politician. (You know that).
On a lighter note, I wish that my talk will serve to ignite renewed interest for Lebanon. I invite you to visit Lebanon in the future and to benefit from all the opportunities my country can offer. I have launched as an MP, a youth program called PT- political tourism where we host Lebanese emigrant students in our diaspora house and offer them a political tour and course in Lebanon. Believe me : « Le Liban est un pays qui vaut le détour ».
Thank you very much.”

Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports & News published on February 04-05/19
Pope Urges End to Mideast Wars on Historic UAE Trip
Associated Press/Naharnet/February 04/19/Pope Francis on Monday called for an end to wars in the Middle East during the first visit by the head of the Catholic church to the birthplace of Islam -- the Arabian Peninsula. Francis, who has made outreach to Muslim communities a cornerstone of his papacy, is on an historic three-day visit to the United Arab Emirates. He is scheduled to hold an open-air mass on Tuesday for 135,000 of the Muslim country's million Catholic residents, set to be the largest ever public gathering in the Gulf state. On Monday, the pope held talks in Abu Dhabi with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb -- imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's prestigious seat of learning -- before delivering an address at an interfaith meeting. In his address, the pontiff pushed the need for justice, equality of citizens' rights and an end to all wars, including in Yemen. The United Arab Emirates and neighboring Saudi Arabia are key allies of the Yemeni government, which is locked in a war against Iran-backed rebels that has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. The pope said all religious leaders had a "duty to reject every nuance of approval from the word war.""I am thinking in particular of Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya," he said at the interfaith meeting attended by Sheikh Ahmed and UAE leaders. Yemen is the scene of what the U.N. calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, triggered by the intervention of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their allies in a war between the government and Huthi rebels.More than 10 million Yemenis now risk imminent starvation. The UAE, which prides itself on its religious diversity in the Gulf, is also a member of the U.S.-led coalition battling the Islamic State group in both Syria and Iraq. Sheikh Ahmed, who stressed in a speech that religion must never be used to justify violence, and the pope signed on Monday a document that Al-Azhar and the Vatican will work together to fight extremism.
Citizenship rights
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, one of the most powerful rulers in the seven emirates, on Monday gifted the pope a deed for the plot of land on which the first church in the UAE was built. Pope Francis in turn gave the crown prince a framed medallion of the meeting between St. Francis Assisi -- the pope's namesake -- and the Sultan of Egypt Malek al-Kamel, in 1219. While the pope did not openly discuss politics, he called for "the full recognition" of rights for people across the Middle East, a potential reference to communities including Shiites in Saudi Arabia, refugees and migrants, stateless peoples and other minorities.The pontiff called for "concrete opportunities for (interfaith)  meeting, not only here but in the entire beloved region, a focal point of the Middle East". "I look forward to societies where people of different beliefs have the same right of citizenship and where only in the case of violence in any of its forms is that right removed," he said.
'Year of tolerance'
The UAE has dubbed 2019 its "year of tolerance", but rights groups have criticized the country for its role in Yemen, where an estimated 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led alliance including the UAE joined the government's fight against the Huthis in 2015. Rights groups, which have slammed the UAE over its intolerance of dissent, have also urged the pope to raise the issue of Ahmed Mansoor, an Emirati activist serving a 10-year prison term. Muslims make up nearly four fifths of the UAE's population, but the country is also home to nearly a million Catholics, according to the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. Migrants from Asian countries make up about 65 percent of the population. The UAE has pushed itself as an open society in a conservative region. The country is home to churches, Hindu temples and a place of prayer that serves as a synagogue. Bahrain, the only Gulf state with a Shiite majority, has been gripped by protests demanding an elected government. It has been ruled for more than two centuries by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty. Hundreds of protestors have been arrested, jailed and had their citizenship revoked over what the government says is "terrorism" linked to Iran. Bahrain and Qatar are home to one Catholic church each while Oman, Kuwait and Yemen each have four and the UAE has eight Catholic churches. Ultra-conservative Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia bans all non-Muslim places of worship.

Pope Francis meets Muslim leaders in Abu Dhabi on historic UAE visit
Arab News/February 04/19
ABU DHABI: Pope Francis met with Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the imam of Al-Azhar, and Emirati leaders on Monday during his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates. In a trip laden with interfaith symbolism and messages of religious tolerance, the Pope began his day at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi and ended with the signing of an agreement pledging to make efforts to strive for peace.  The day’s tour of key locations in Abu Dhabi, both religious and political, marked the end of a two-day conference – the Human Fraternity Meeting – in which religious leaders from many faiths, both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic discussed the importance of tolerance. At the end of the day - giving thanks to his hosts, Pope Francis said: “I have welcomed the opportunity to come here as a believer thirsting for peace, as a brother seeking peace with the brethren. Pope Francis also urged religious leaders to work together to reject war and strongly denounced violence committed in God's name. The Human Fraternity Meeting was also attended by Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar mosque and university, and he called on Muslims in the Middle East to "embrace" local Christian communities.
He addressed Muslims saying: "Continue to embrace your brothers the Christian citizens everywhere, for they are our partners in our nation," he said during the televised speech from the ceremony in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi. Then he addressed Christians saying: "You are part of this nation. You are citizens, you are not a minority.. You are citizens with full rights and responsibilities."Sheikh Tayeb also called on Muslims in the west to integrate in their host nations and respect local laws. Pope Francis and Sheikh Tayeb signed the Human Fraternity Document during the ceremony, and they were presented with the inaugural Human Fraternity Award for their efforts to spread international peace.
Earlier at the Presidential Palace he was met by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum vice president and prime minister of the UAE.
Soldiers marched to the square inside the presidential palace grounds, led by a military band. A fly past saw jet planes leaving a trail of white and yellow smoke – the colors of the Vatican’s flag - and in the background the thundering noise of a 21-gun salute could be heard echoing from behind the palace buildings. They stood for the national anthems and then the Pope was introduced to members of the UAE government. Then it was the turn of members of the Vatican to shake hands with the two Emirati leaders. The Pontiff was then taken in a simple Kia car to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi where he and Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb met the Muslim Council of Elders. It was a short visit and within an hour the convoy of Emirati and Vatican staff and security drove to the final and most significant part of the day which was at the Founder’s Memorial, a tribute to the UAE's founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Sheikh Mohammed said on Monday that UAE rulers were “delighted” to meet the pontiff “in our homeland of tolerance.”“We discussed enhancing cooperation, consolidating dialogue, tolerance, human coexistence and important initiatives to achieve peace, stability and development for peoples and societies,” he tweeted. Pope Francis, who touched down in Abu Dhabi on Sunday night, said he came “as a brother, in order to write a page of dialogue together, and to travel paths of peace together.” The pontiff offered the crown prince a framed medallion of the meeting between St. Francis Assisi – the pope’s namesake – and the Sultan of Egypt Malek al-Kamel, in 1219. Sheikh Mohammed, in turn, offered a deed for the plot of land on which the first church in the UAE was built.

Gargash: Pope visit overcomes the challenge posed by extremism in all religions
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Monday, 4 February 2019/Pope Francis’ historic visit to Abu Dhabi is a significant step toward breaking the barriers of extremism and is in line with the country’s message of promoting co-existence and tolerance, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, said on Monday. “There is no doubt that the visit is historic. It is his first visit to the Arabian Peninsula. It particularly overcomes the challenge posed by extremism in all religions, not just in a specific one,” Gargash told Al Arabiya. The head of Catholic Church and the sovereign of the Vatican, was accorded a state welcome to the UAE at a grand ceremony organized at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The Pope’s visit coincides with the Year of Tolerance being marked by the UAE in 2019. The pope’s three-day visit, which began on Sunday, has also brought Dr. Ahmad al-Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of al-Azhar al-Sharif to the country. Gargash called this an important event in the path of promoting interfaith dialogue. “The presence of someone like Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar in one place is significant in sending out the message of interfaith dialogue, which the UAE is eager to promote. This also marks breaking of the scourge of extremism during the past few decades,” Gargash said. “In order to compete on a global level, every country has to break the barriers of extremism, which only divides us instead of uniting,” he said. Later on Monday, al-Tayyeb is scheduled to take part in the International Conference for Human Fraternity alongside Pope Francis. The conference brings together 700 multi-faith representatives from around the world. They will visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque together and the Pontiff and will also meet the Muslim Council of Elders. On Tuesday, Pope Francis will hold a Holy Mass at the Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi, which is expected to be attended by more than 135,000 people.

Rabbis Praise Tolerance At UAE Interfaith Conference
Jerusalem Post/February 04/19
Pope and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar meet in Abu Dhabi as 700 religious leaders gather for Conference of Human Fraternity. The Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich said that Jews and Muslims have lived together for thousands of years in comments on the sidelines of a major interfaith gathering in Abu Dhabi. He is one of several rabbis, including Rabbi Marc Schneier, founder of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, attending the event, according to local reports and sources. “It was only in the past century that we came on this tremendous tension,” Schudrich said to UAE’s The National. “Let’s diminish the tension.” He said that there is a small and vibrant Jewish community in the UAE today. “This is something that was not obvious three to five years ago.” He participated in a panel on promoting peace and celebrating diversity.
“There is a wrong stereotype that we use that says different religions can’t speak to each other, that a Jew can’t talk to a Muslim,” he said. But in fact, all these different religions can sit together, he said, according to the report.
The interfaith events of the Conference of Human Fraternity coincide with the pope’s visit. Pope Francis arrived Sunday night and has already met with guides, including Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of al-Azhar. The Tayeb-Francis meeting is considered a high point of the tolerance events. Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, welcomed the pope and the Grand Imam. “The flourishing of love, tolerance and harmony instilled in this good land,” he tweeted. He says that the UAE is becoming an oasis of tolerance that “serves the good of all mankind.” The UAE has declared 2019 the year of tolerance. The UAE says that 700 leaders from more than 12 religions are taking part. Schneier, who has played a formative role in outreach to the Gulf, has praised the event. In a tweet, he wrote that it was an honor to be in Abu Dhabi and to represent Jewish communities in the Gulf during the historic visit: “A new era for interfaith relations.” In comments at The Financial Times, he said that there is a shift in the Gulf to develop Jewish communities as state engage in more interfaith activity. In a video that UAE Forsan put up, Schudrich discussed the need to bring the world closer to peace and praised UAE’s efforts to host religious figures from around the world.  Rabbi Abraham Skorka, author of an interfaith book and rector of the Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano, which trains Conservative rabbis, also attended the gathering. “What we must create is a language and attitude of peace,” he told the Emirates News Agency. He had worked on interfaith issues with Pope Francis when the pope was Archbishop of Buenos Aires. “Both of us understood and understand that one of the most important things through which we serve God is creating a reality of peace,” the news agency reported he said. He also praised UAE for the tolerance initiative amid the wars and conflicts that have taken place recently in the region and the world.

Erdogan says Turkey has maintained contacts with Damascus
Reuters, Istanbul/Monday, 4 February 2019/Turkey has maintained low-level contact with the Syrian government, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday, even though Ankara has supported rebels who fought for years to topple President Bashar al-Assad. Erdogan has described Assad as a terrorist and said several times during Syria’s eight-year conflict that the Syrian leader must go. But with support from Russia and Iran, Assad has recaptured large parts of Syria from rebel fighters, driving them from most of their former strongholds. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in December Turkey and other countries would consider working with Assad if he won a democratic election, and last month said Ankara was in indirect contact with Damascus via Russia and Iran. Erdogan suggested on Sunday that Turkey also had direct contacts with the Syrian government. “Foreign policy with Syria continues at a lower level,” he told broadcaster TRT in an interview, adding that intelligence services operated differently to political leaders. “Leaders may be cut out. But intelligence units can communicate for their interests,” Erdogan said. “Even if you have an enemy, you should not break the ties. You may need that later.”
Safe zone proposal
The Turkish president also said that a proposed safe zone in northeastern Syria, which President Donald Trump has said should be established as US forces withdraw from the area, could not be set up by Western coalition forces without Turkey. “We can provide the security in the area. We can manage the region together with you,” Erdogan said. “No problem there. But we can’t leave the region for coalition forces.”Washington has said the proposed safe zone should address Turkish concerns about preventing any cross-border threat from Kurdish YPG militia fighters in north Syria, while also preventing Turkish military operations against the YPG.Trump abruptly announced his intention in December to withdraw the 2,000-strong US forces from Syria, over the objections of top advisers including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis who quit in protest. One of the main concerns of critics of Trump’s decision is the fate of the YPG if US forces leave. The group has been the main ally of US forces battling ISIS in Syria. Turkey, however, considers the YPG to be a terrorist group indistinguishable from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has fought an insurgency in mainly Kurdish southeastern Turkey since the 1980s. Erdogan is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for talks on Syria in the Russian resort of Sochi on February 14.

Iraqi president: Trump did not ask for permission to ‘watch Iran’
Reuters, Baghdad/Monday, 4 February 2019/Iraqi President Barham Salih said on Monday that US President Donald Trump did not ask Iraq’s permission for US troops stationed there to “watch Iran.”Speaking at a forum in Baghdad, Salih was responding to a question about Trump’s comments to CBS about how he would ask troops stationed in Iraq to “watch” Iran. US troops in Iraq are there as part of an agreement between the two countries with a specific mission of combating terrorism, Salih said, and that they should stick to that. Trump said it was important to keep a US military presence in Iraq so that Washington can keep a close eye on Iran “because Iran is a real problem,” according to a CBS interview broadcast on Sunday. “Don’t overburden Iraq with your own issues,” Salih said. “The US is a major power ... but do not pursue your own policy priorities, we live here.” Iraq is in a difficult position as tensions between its two biggest allies, the United States and Iran, increase. “It is of fundamental interest for Iraq to have good relations with Iran” and other neighboring countries, Salih said.

EU Backs Iran Trading System but Warns on Syria, Missiles
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 04/19/The EU warned Tehran over its ballistic missile program and interference in the Syria conflict Monday, while welcoming a new mechanism to trade with Iran while bypassing U.S. sanctions. In a long-awaited statement on Iran that has been the subject of more than a week of wrangling in Brussels, the EU restated its commitment to saving the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and took aim at Washington for abandoning the pact and reimposing sanctions. The bloc hailed the creation last week by France, Britain and Germany of a system to allow firms to trade with Iran without falling foul of U.S. sanctions as vital to supporting legitimate business and said the "resolve to complete this work is unwavering". But with numerous European powers growing increasingly concerned about Tehran's missile program, meddling in several Middle East conflicts and recent attempted attacks on opposition figures living in the EU, the bloc urged Iran to mend its ways. The statement criticized Iran's "provision of military, financial and political support to non-state actors in countries such as Syria and Lebanon.""The (EU) Council has serious concerns regarding Iran's military involvement and continuous presence of Iranian forces in Syria," the statement said. Iran is a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the statement urged Tehran to use its leverage to get Damascus behind U.N.-led efforts to end the civil war, which has claimed more than 360,000 lives since it began in 2011.
While defending the nuclear deal -- which limited Tehran's atomic ambitions in return for sanctions relief -- Europe has sought to keep up pressure with sanctions, most recently listing Iranian intelligence services over plots to assassinate regime opponents on Dutch, Danish and French soil.
Continuing Iranian missile tests have also alarmed the EU -- not to mention countries in the Middle East -- and Monday's statement called on Tehran to stop such activities. "Iran continues to undertake efforts to increase the range and precision of its missiles, together with increasing the number of tests and operational launches. These activities deepen mistrust and contribute to regional instability," the statement said. Brussels hopes the new Iran trading mechanism -- registered last week in Paris under the name INSTEX -- will keep Tehran in the nuclear deal by preserving some of the economic benefits it received. Iran gave INSTEX a cautious welcome but U.S. officials have dismissed the idea that the new entity would have any impact on efforts to exert economic pressure on Tehran. Before INSTEX can go live, Iran has to set up a similar entity of its own so the two sides can clear trading on a barter basis without transferring money. It is not clear how long this will take.

Trump wants US military in Iraq to ‘watch Iran’
Reuters, Washington/February 04/2019éUS President Donald Trump said it was important to keep a US military presence in Iraq so that Washington can keep a close eye on Iran, according to a CBS interview to be broadcast on Sunday. Trump said the United States spent a fortune on a base in Iraq. “We might as well keep it. One of the reasons I want to keep it is because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran because Iran is a real problem,” he said in excerpts from a CBS “Face the Nation” interview. Asked if that meant he wanted to be able to strike Iran, Trump said, “No, because I want to be able to watch Iran.”“All I want to do is be able to watch. We have an unbelievable and expensive military base built in Iraq. It’s perfectly situated for looking at all over different parts of the troubled Middle East rather than pulling up.”Trump defended his decision to withdraw troops from Syria but refused to provide a timetable for the pullout, which was criticized by members of his own Republican Party and caused concern among some allies in the region. He said some of the forces moving out of Syria will go to the base in Iraq and “ultimately some will be coming home.”

U.S. Asks Nations to Repatriate Jihadists as It Leaves Syria
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 04/19/The United States urged other countries Monday to bring home hundreds of Islamic State sympathizers captured in Syria, a delicate issue for allies such as France as Washington withdraws troops. After allies grappled for weeks on what to do with the extremists left in Syria, the United States came down clearly on the side of repatriation. The United States said that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) -- which played a major role in crushing the Islamic State group and has warned that it may not be able to guard its jails once US troops leave -- had been holding the jihadists "securely and humanely.""The United States calls upon other nations to repatriate and prosecute their citizens detained by the SDF and commends the continued efforts of the SDF to return these foreign terrorist fighters to their countries of origin," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said in a statement. The announcement comes two days before foreign ministers of U.S. allies are set to meet in Washington for talks on the anti-IS coalition, with question marks on how to move forward without the military backing of the United States. President Donald Trump on December 19 stunned Western allies by announcing that the United States will pull its 2,000 troops out of Syria, declaring that the Islamic State movement, also known as ISIS, had been defeated. In a carefully worded statement, the State Department conceded that the group still had fighters who pose concerns. "Despite the liberation of ISIS-held territory in Iraq and Syria, ISIS remains a significant terrorist threat and collective action is imperative to address this shared international security challenge," Palladino said.
Fears in France
One of the countries most concerned is France, which has been hit by a series of attacks inspired by the Islamic State group including the grisly November 2015 siege of the Bataclan nightclub. Paris last week opened the door to bringing back its citizens, after earlier insisting that the jihadists should be prosecuted locally and not step foot back in France. The French foreign ministry said its goal was to "avoid the escape and scattering of these potentially dangerous individuals" and acknowledged that the situation on the ground was changing with the U.S. withdrawal. A French security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, earlier told AFP that 130 people could be repatriated. A second French official said the group included 70 to 80 children held with their mothers. The Syrian Democratic Forces are worried that, without U.S. troops as a buffer, they will be crushed by neighboring Turkey -- which equates them with Kurdish separatists at home and had encouraged Trump to withdraw U.S. forces. Shortly after Trump's announcement, the SDF warned that it would pull back from the battle against the Islamic State movement if Turkey attacked. SDF leaders told Western leaders that they could lose control of their jails and redirect guards elsewhere in the case of a Turkish incursion, although they said they would not release foreign fighters willfully.

Egypt hosts Palestinian groups, urges calm with Israel
Reuters, Gaza/February 04/2019/Egypt will hold talks with leaders of two major Palestinian factions to try to salvage faltering unity efforts and to restore calm with Israel, officials said on Sunday. The head of Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, led a delegation to meet with Egyptian security officials in Cairo. The leader of a smaller Gaza-based faction, Islamic Jihad, also headed to Cairo, Palestinian officials said. Hamas has been in a bitter rivalry with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is based in the occupied West Bank, for more than a decade. Numerous reconciliation efforts have failed.
Egypt is also trying to prevent an escalation in violence between Hamas and Israel, after months of tension along the Israel-Gaza border. Cairo sent officials to Gaza in recent weeks to keep an eye on the situation. “Cairo is driven by its interest to avoid a new war in Gaza and in improving the living conditions of Gaza residents,” said one Palestinian official, who asked not to be named. Relations between Hamas and Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA) worsened last month when Abbas ordered his men to leave their posts at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the main corridor for Gazans. This prompted Cairo, which had in the past year coordinated operations with the PA, to close the crossing. Gaza officials now say that Egypt has quietly resumed operations at the Rafah crossing over the past week, this time working with Hamas. However, there was no immediate comment on the reopening of Rafah from Egyptian officials. On Sunday, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh passed through the Rafah crossing, along with dozens of other Palestinians. Two million Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip, where poverty is rampant and unemployment stands at 50 percent. Israel, together with Egypt, maintains a blockade of the enclave, citing security concerns. Gaza’s health ministry says more than 220 Palestinians have been killed in the past year by Israeli troops in weekly protests along the border, billed as pressing for an end to the blockade.

Arab Coalition intercepts Houthi drone, launches raids on Houthi military camps
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Monday, 4 February 2019/The Arab Coalition succeeded in intercepting a Houthi drone days ago, Coalition spokesperson Colonel Turki al-Maliki said on Monday. The spokesperson displayed pictures of the drone that he said indicated that it is Iranian made. The pictures of the intercepted and destroyed drone were released in the press conference that Maliki held in Riyadh on Monday. The Coalition also said that it’s targeting drone experts and storage sites near the capital Sanaa, while “constantly avoiding civilian casualties” in attacks on Houthis. According to the Coalition, Houthis set military camps east of Hodeidah in a breach to the Sweden deal. On the 23rd of January the Coalition targeted Houthi military camps in al-Mahwit governorate, killing 181 Houthis, the Coalition confirmed, while ensuring through intelligence that no recruited children were present at the military camp. The Coalition also renewed accusations of Houthis recruiting children in the ongoing conflict. Meanwhile, the Coalition said it’s working on facilitating ship entrance to the ports of al-Salif and Ras Issa, but that Houthis are hindering their movement.So far, 448 ship permits were issued for aid to enter Yemeni ports, according to the Coalition.

Major EU Nations Rally behind Guaido as Venezuela Leader
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 04/19/
Spain, Britain, France and other EU nations on Monday recognized Venezuela's opposition chief Juan Guaido as interim leader after President Nicolas Maduro rejected their ultimatum to call snap presidential elections. Russia, one of the main allies of Maduro's regime, slammed what it dubbed European "interference" in the oil-rich but impoverished Latin American country, saying it was an attempt "to legitimize usurped power." Already recognized by the United States, Canada, Australia and several Latin American countries, Guaido is trying to force the socialist leader from power, aiming to set up a transitional government and hold new presidential elections. After announcing the Spanish government's official recognition of Guaido, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged the 35-year-old National Assembly head to "call elections as soon as possible, elections that have to be free and democratic." Sanchez said he wanted Spain to spearhead a plan of humanitarian aid for Venezuela in the European Union and United Nations. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt promptly followed suit, saying on Twitter he hoped "this takes us closer to ending humanitarian crisis."France, Germany, Portugal, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and the Netherlands also recognized Guaido. "Venezuelans have the right to express themselves freely and democratically," French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted.
'Confrontation'
Seven EU states had given Maduro a Sunday deadline to call presidential elections or they would recognize Guaido. But in an interview with Spanish television station Sexta broadcast on Sunday evening, Maduro said he would not "cave in to pressure" from those calling for his departure.
"Why does the European Union have to tell a country in the world that has already had elections that it has to repeat its presidential elections, because they were not won by their right-wing allies?" said Maduro, interviewed in Caracas. "They are trying to corner us with ultimatums to force us into an extreme situation of confrontation," Maduro said. Maduro started a new term in office last month after 2018 elections that were branded invalid by the opposition. He has said he is only willing to call new elections to the opposition-held National Assembly.
However, he supported plans for a meeting of Latin American and EU states in a "Contact Group" meeting in Montevideo next Thursday.
Humanitarian crisis
Under Maduro's stewardship, oil-dependent Venezuela has plunged into an economic crisis, suffering from hyperinflation and shortages of food and medicine. On Monday, oil prices rose to their highest level yet this year on European markets on the back of the crisis in Venezuela.
After several years of opposition efforts to oust Maduro, Guaido declared himself acting president at a rally on January 23. At the weekend, he called on the army to allow in humanitarian aid from the United States via neighboring Colombia and Brazil. Maduro claims the U.S. pledge to deliver $20 million in aid relief would precede military intervention. Guaido says up to 300,000 people are "at risk of death" in Venezuela for want of humanitarian assistance. U.S. President Donald Trump warned that military intervention remains "an option" for dealing with the crisis in Venezuela. All eyes are now on Venezuela's military, which has so far been Maduro's main pillar of support, but there have been signs of wavering in the ranks. A top air force general publicly sided with Guaido on Saturday. On Sunday, Maduro addressed troops on military exercises, calling on them for "maximum cohesion."
New protests called
Tens of thousands of people turned out Saturday for competing shows of support for Guaido and for Maduro. Guaido has called for a new demonstration on February 12 and another protest to push for the entry of aid. Forty people were killed in clashes with security forces in a week of protests coinciding with Guaido's self-proclamation as acting leader, with hundreds more arrested, according to the United Nations. The 14-nation Lima Group -- made up of Canada and Latin American countries -- meets in Ottawa on Monday. Eleven of its members have recognized Guaido.

After Surviving IS, Yazidi Women Ask to Go Home
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 04/19/
Among thousands fleeing the crumbling dream of an Islamic State group "caliphate" in eastern Syria are alleged jihadists but also survivors of some of their worst atrocities. "I'll never forget," 40-year-old Bissa says softly, as she recounts being "bought and sold" by six different jihadists. "We did everything they wanted to do with us. We couldn't say no," says the Iraqi woman from the Yazidi religious minority, after fleeing her IS captors. Bissa was one of at least seven Yazidi women and girls to finally escape captivity last week, after years as "sex slaves" at the hands of the extremist group. Speaking to AFP in territory held by U.S.-backed forces, the women -- and at least one teenager abducted when she was 13 -- say they just want to go home. "They would sleep with us against our will," Bissa tells AFP, wearing a dark red headscarf and appearing years beyond her age, her face and hands etched with lines.
More than 36,000 people have fled a crumbling IS holdout near the Iraqi border in recent weeks, among them 3,200 alleged jihadists. But now in territory held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), none perhaps have tales so harrowing as the Yazidi women. In 2014, IS jihadists rampaged across swathes of Syria and neighboring Iraq -- including the northern Iraqi region of Sinjar, home to a large Yazidi community. The Kurdish-speaking Yazidis follow an ancient religion rooted in Zoroastrianism, but IS considers them to be "apostates."
In Sinjar, IS fighters killed the men, forcefully enlisted boys as soldiers and kidnapped more than 6,000 women.
'When I see my mum'
After Bissa was captured, she was "bought and sold" by six different jihadists -- including three Saudis and a fighter who said he was Swedish. She was repeatedly brutalized, but was too scared to escape. "They said whoever tried... would be punished by a different man sleeping with her every day," she says inside an SDF center near the Omar oil field. But 17-year-old Nadine, who jihadists kidnapped from Sinjar when she was just 13, says she twice tried to escape. Both times the jihadist group's police caught her. "They flogged me with a hose. It left marks on my back, and I couldn’t sleep on it," she says. "The second time, they said I couldn't eat for two days," she added. After they abducted Nadine, IS jihadists took her across the border to the group's then de facto Syrian capital of Raqa. Over four years, she says, six different men bought her -- Saudis and a Tunisian. She had to adapt to their brutal interpretation of religion, and adhere to their strict dress code of covering from head to toe in public. "I love color, and I used to wear trousers," Nadine tells AFP. Inside the SDF center, she wears a black-and-white bead bracelet around her wrist, bearing the name of her little brother in English. But she can't bring herself to remove her black face veil. "I got used to it. I can't yet take it off," she says. "But I will do so when I see my mum."After escaping, Nadine says several cousins are still being held in an IS pocket in eastern Syria.
'Saved my children'
At the height of its rule, IS controlled territory the size of Britain, but today it has lost all but the eastern patch to various offensives -- including by the SDF, backed by air strikes of the U.S.-led coalition. Between 2015 and 2018, at least 129 Yazidi women and girls were handed over to the Kurdish Women's Protection Units (YPJ), who are part of the SDF. "We're definitely... fighting IS to free more captives -- and not just Yazidis," YPJ spokeswoman Nasreen Abdallah told AFP. At the YPJ center, Sabha, 30, waited with to take her 10-year-old daughter to hospital, after a kettle of boiling water fell on her legs. Also a Yazidi woman, Sabha fled the last patch of IS territory with her six children, after the man she was forced to marry was killed in an air strike. Five of her children are from a first husband killed by IS after they overran Sinjar. But her 18-month-old girl was fathered by a Kurdish jihadist from the Iraqi region of Kirkuk, who said he spent 15 years of his life in Britain. Sebha says the jihadist beat her and threatened to kill her children if she disobeyed. "All I could think of was how to get out," says Sabha, wearing a green headscarf. "I'd wish him dead so I could escape." Today, Sabha looks forward to going home to her family, she says. "But what makes me most happy is that I saved my children."

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 04-05/19
Bashir, Maduro, and the 'Pleasure of Being a Former President'
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/19
“A ruler’s best protection is to remain in office. The walls of the palace are the strongest guards. Woe to those who lose the grip of power. People have a natural tendency to take revenge on those who no longer have the ability to intimidate them. They open the books of the former ruler’s tenure and hold him accountable for all of his decisions – the good and the bad. They blame him for all burdens, including floods, earthquakes and climate change. Calling on a ruler to step down is tantamount to asking him to commit suicide. Staying long in power becomes part of a sovereign’s heart and soul. It makes voluntary withdrawal an act that requires supernatural capabilities.”
That’s what I heard one day in a capital. The Intelligence director told me: “I liked your interview with the decision maker. Your questions were quick and you addressed sensitive issues without issuing an accusation. I do not hide that I was surprised by a question and wished that you had not mentioned it. But I remembered that you have been living in Britain for years, and naturally, one becomes influenced by the culture and methods of Westerners, which is far from our reality.”
When I asked him about that question, he replied: “In this part of the world, it is difficult to adopt a dictionary that you can use in London, Paris, Washington or similar capitals. Our story is different. When you ask the decision maker whether he is considering retirement, it means that his experience is unsuccessful. When you ask a practicing president if he can later assume the title of former president, you practically hint that the palace needs a new resident. Even our elections are closer to a referendum. British ballot boxes can disappoint a leader like Churchill. The French ballot boxes can thwart hopes of a prominent figure like Charles de Gaulle. But neither our boxes nor our countries can do the same.”
I remembered this conversation as we were watching for weeks the heated developments in Venezuela and Sudan. In Caracas, opponents flock to the streets demanding President Nicolas Maduro to step down. In Sudan, demonstrations are repeatedly held, calling for the withdrawal of President Omar al-Bashir.
We are talking here of two countries on two separate continents… About two different systems… And about two men who use different dictionaries.
What is common is the economic deterioration, the lack of goods and services, the presence of millions of displaced people and doubts surrounding election results.
The two leaders belong to two different generations. When Maduro was born in Caracas in 1962, Bashir was a young man dreaming of joining the Sudanese military academy, from which he later graduated in 1967. When Bashir and his comrades seized power on June 30, 1989, Maduro was pursuing courses in Marxism-Leninism and political economy at the cadres’ school of the Cuban Communist Party. After that, he worked as a bus driver, trying to realize his union and leftist dreams, which he prioritized over joining the university.
Bashir, in conspiracy with Dr. Hassan al-Turabi, led the “Salvation Revolution” to free the country from the disruptions of civilians and the elected government headed by Sadiq al-Mahdi. Maduro said he wanted to participate in “rescuing” his country.
Maduro’s thinking, behavior, and vocabulary were marked by three teachers. Simon Bolivar – a leader who mesmerized many young Latin Americans in stories that glorified the image of the continent’s “Libertador”; Fidel Castro, who has long stood in his olive outfit as a thorn in the eyes of America; and Hugo Chavez, the fiery and angry man who nurtured Maduro and put him at the forefront, before choosing him as his a successor when cancer attacked the guardian of the Bolivarian Revolution.
I remembered the words of the Intelligence director. We are talking about another world. We should not compare Maduro with Tony Blair. Nor Omar al-Bashir with Emmanuel Macron. Democracy is not a mantle that you decide to wear overnight. Democracy is tightly linked to economic, social and cultural progress, to the presence of institutions and safety valves. In a democracy, the ruler has no choice but to leave the palace immediately after his term ends. He doesn’t have the luxury to mandate the minister of the Interior to conduct elections with foreknown results.
At sunset, he sits on the bank of the Nile. He closes his eyes and recalls three noisy decades. Taking shelter under Al-Turabi’s mantle to later abandon it despite the pain of divorce… Forging and breaking alliances… Engaging in wars and truces… inside and outside the borders. He trained to swim in the midst of storms and mastered the art of forestalling the wind or flying in its orbit. Long and thorny tales… Osama bin Laden came and went away, so did Abu Nidal. Carlos the Jackal terrorized the world, before being handed over to the French and imprisoned. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest, but he remained in power. South Sudan was removed from the map and the president stayed in the palace in Khartoum.
The world talked about the tragedy of Darfur and the Janjaweed and he remained… He endured US administrations and missiles… Will he accept today what he has always refused? He explicitly declared that governments and presidents “cannot be changed through WhatsApp and Facebook”, stressing that only the results of the elections, to be held in 2020, will make him leave.
Maduro’s problem is not only with Facebook and WhatsApp. His biggest enemy is Twitter. In a surprise tweet, President Donald Trump recognized Opposition and Parliament Leader Juan Guaido as acting president and called Maduro to step down. The statement caused an earthquake.
Two years ago, I interviewed President al-Bashir, who told me that the constitution prevented him from running for a new term after the next elections. I asked him: “Is it easy for a long-term ruler to live in the future with the title of former president?”
“It is not only easy,” he replied. “It’s pleasurable.”
He recounted that one day as he was traversing a route in Khartoum, a policeman stopped the circulation to allow the convoy of former President Gaafar Nimeiry to pass. It reminded me of the experience of Marshal Swar Al-Dahab.
The Arab journalist’s career is really arduous. Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, May God Have Mercy on him, and others had told me about the pleasure of being a former president.

Huawei’s Problems Aren’t Just Political
Michael Schuman/Bloomberg/February 04/19
The US pushed its campaign against Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. into hyperdrive on Monday, with the Department of Justice unveiling indictments against the Chinese telecom giant for allegedly violating US sanctions on Iran and pilfering American commercial secrets. Some may see these latest accusations as part of a larger effort by the administration of US President Donald Trump to stifle China’s technological rise, as economic relations between the world’s two largest economies deteriorate. Huawei, as it has in the past, denied breaking US law.
Clearly, the US is engaged in a wider, geopolitical struggle to contain a rising China, while trust of Beijing in Washington has plunged to a dangerous low. To some extent, Huawei has gotten caught in the crossfire.
Nevertheless, it’s becoming harder and harder for the company to paint itself as an entirely innocent victim. The list of accusations and scandals in which Huawei has been embroiled is already long, and the resulting list of questions swirling about its operations is getting longer. Even if you don’t buy claims that Huawei presents a dire security threat -- which, so far, has remained in the hypothetical -- companies and countries have to ask themselves: Is there fire where there’s smoke?
Let’s face it: Huawei’s sinking reputation isn’t merely a victim of geopolitics. Way back in 2003, Huawei admitted copying some router software code from Cisco Systems Inc., which had sued the Chinese firm. Huawei had to remove the pilfered property. In 2010, Motorola Solutions Inc. sued Huawei for stealing its trade secrets, a case that was later settled. Now, part of the latest indictment accuses Huawei of snatching robotics technology from T-Mobile USA Inc.. A Seattle court already ruled in favor of T-Mobile in the dispute in 2017. And, earlier this month, authorities in Poland arrested a Huawei employee on accusations of espionage. Huawei quickly fired the employee and stated his alleged actions had nothing to do with the company.
Perhaps Huawei is always being wrongly blamed. Yet few companies of such size and consequence have attracted such a litany of accusations of rule-breaking. It wouldn’t be a particularly large leap to conclude that Huawei’s management has failed to instill a proper code of business ethics in its employees. If you believe the US indictment, they’re guilty of much more than that. The Justice Department claims Huawei managers offered bonuses to staffers who successfully stole trade secrets from other companies.
That suggests that alleged stealing was not the unsanctioned action of some rogue employee, but an organized effort by the company to plunder its rivals. Scott Kennedy, director of the Project on Chinese Business and Political Economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., deemed that the “most damning” element in the indictment. (Huawei had no further comment on this part of the charges.)
Then, too, naming Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, daughter of the company’s founder, in a different set of charges -- for her alleged involvement in misrepresenting Huawei’s business with Iran -- implies that the suspected illegal activity is taking place at very senior levels. (Meng is facing extradition to the US to face the charges.) Indeed, acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker claimed that criminal activity “goes all the way to the top of the company.”
Maybe these repeated infractions are a consequence of a drive to succeed that fosters an end-justifies-the-means mentality, enhanced further by a Chinese business environment that lacks proper rule of law. Huawei’s management, though, seems to have compounded the problem by creating a corporate culture of secrecy and opacity. Even as accusations against Huawei mounted, its executives generally avoided public appearances and failed to address nagging questions about the privately held company’s ownership and origins. Technically its employees are also its shareholders, but how the management system actually works remains clouded in mystery.
Recently, Huawei’s top brass has tried to become more transparent. Even its notoriously reclusive founder, Ren Zhengfei, stepped out from behind the curtain to address the media earlier this month. And, certainly, some of the headwinds Huawei is facing stem from the fact that it’s a Chinese company. No matter how fiercely its executives deny they would spy for Beijing, the rest of the world knows how difficult it would be for any mainland company to say “no” to the Communist Party.
But the firm’s problems lie deeper, in a management style and method that seems conducive to bad behavior. With more and more countries scrutinizing the company’s activities and rejecting doing business with it, Huawei can’t afford not to fix those issues.

Turkey: Erdoğan's Unofficial Paramilitary Groups to 'Monitor' Elections?
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/February 04/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13657/turkey-paramilitary-groups
The memo, sent by the Turkish Interior Ministry to the country's governors, states that in the March 31 elections, in addition to police and security officials manning the polls and taking the necessary "precautions required for election security," there will also be "volunteer security guards" involved.
The reason this announcement is worrisome to opposition activists, among others, has to do with what they suspect is the nature and makeup of these "volunteers" -- particularly with rise of unofficial paramilitary groups connected to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Turkish Interior Ministry's new plans for "volunteer security guards" at polling stations during upcoming mayoral elections is worrying opposition activists, given the rise of unofficial paramilitary groups connected to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling party. Pictured: Erdoğan casts his ballot at a polling station on November 1, 2015, in Istanbul, Turkey.
A Turkish government memo related to the upcoming mayoral elections in Turkey is causing deep concern among oppositionists throughout the country.
The memo, sent by the Interior Ministry to the country's governors, states that in the March 31 elections, in addition to police and security officials manning the polls and taking the necessary "precautions required for election security," there will also be "volunteer security guards" involved.
The reason this announcement is worrisome to opposition activists, among others, has to do with what they suspect is the nature and makeup of these "volunteers" -- particularly with the rise of unofficial paramilitary groups connected to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
One dissident author, İnci Hekimoğlu, likened the establishment of these groups to the Village Guards, a paramilitary force established in the 1980s by the Turkish military to combat the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) insurgency in eastern Turkey.
The Village Guards, which are still operating, have committed innumerable human rights abuses against Kurdish civilians. According to a 2006 Human Rights Watch report, these abuses include: "murders, rapes, robberies, house destruction, and illegal property occupation."
Hekimoğlu warns that similar groups could soon be active across the country.
One such organization, the Ottoman Hearths -- established in 2005 as a publication, then registered in 2009 as an association -- is accused of attacking the headquarters of daily newspaper Hürriyet in Istanbul, an office of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Ankara and dozens of buildings associated with the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). The group's stated aim is to promote "Ottoman civilization and culture," a goal in line with Erdoğan's neo-Ottomanism.
The Hearths' headquarters is decorated with Ottoman paraphernalia and photos of Erdoğan, to whom the organization pledges full loyalty: "Being a burial shroud-wearing soldier for the burial shroud-wearing leader," is one criterion for membership. The "shroud-wearing leader" is a reference to Erdoğan, who often reminds audiences during his speeches that he began his political journey with his shroud on -- symbolizing that he is ready to be a martyr for his cause. A video of a Hearths swearing-in ceremony shows new members using the same shroud reference. After an AKP election victory in Istanbul, several Ottoman Hearths members reportedly wore shrouds to greet Erdoğan.
On January 12, Kadir Canpolat, the head of the Ottoman Hearths, declared: "The great chieftain Erdoğan, who saved our nation in every respect, is our mutual honor. Those who betray him, betray us."
Canpolat was briefly detained in November 2006 as one of six suspects involved in a plot to kill Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Turkey. Another suspect was Mustafa Öztürk, a friend of Canpolat's, who was also arrested during the investigation into the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.
In 2015, Furkan Gök, the head of Ottoman Hearths' youth branches in İstanbul, tweeted praise for the ISIS suicide bomber who carried out an attack that killed 33 people in Suruç.
On December 12, Hearth members demonstrated in front of the Fox News affiliate in Istanbul against one of its anchors, Fatih Portakal, who had suggested that Turks might wish to stage "yellow vest"-like protests against rising prices. Just over two weeks later, a Turkish prosecutor launched an investigation into Portakal for "openly inciting others to commit a crime."
Another controversial pro-Erdoğan group is "People's Private Forces" (HÖH). Established in the wake of the failed July 2016 coup, the HÖH is led by Fatih Kaya, a former Turkish army official, who said in an interview last year that the "most beautiful democracy is Islamic law." When asked about a 2016 interview -- in which he had mentioned joining the pro-AKP government fighters in Syria and saying at the time, "This [fight] ... is now a war of the ummah [Islamic nation] of [Islam's founder] Mohammed" -- Kaya said, "True."
In February 2018, the "People's Private Forces" (HÖH) was closed and turned into a local association but in December, it reemerged with the same leadership as a nationwide organization under a new name - "the Platform for National Mobilization Movement" - whose aim is to "confront unlawful perceptions against the president and state officials."
At the end of 2017, Murat Bakan from the opposition CHP, who first exposed the existence and operations of the HÖH, said:
"When one looks at the examples of paramilitary structures across the world, one can see that the sovereigns in countries where fascism was on the rise escalated pressure and violence through paramilitary organizations in order to reach absolute power. The black shirts of the Mussolini era in Italy, the brown shirts in Germany and the Ulster Defense Association in Ireland... The regimes established on these structures wrought disasters on their countries and the world. They resulted in tragedies for humanity by causing the massacres of millions of people... Such associations and structures are making the public concerned... Are these structures being monitored? Are the authorities aware of what these organizations can eventually cause?"
So, as of now, it looks as if the "security guards" will be gracing Turkey's upcoming municipal elections.
*Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute. She is currently based in Washington D.C.
© 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.

A Month of Multiculturalism in Britain: January 2019
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/February 04/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13667/multiculturalism-britain-january
More than 5,000 people signed a petition to boycott Marks and Spencer toilet paper: they alleged it was embossed with the Arabic word for God. Marks and Spencer, in a statement on Twitter, denied the claims: "The motif on the aloe vera toilet tissue, which we have been selling for over five years, is categorically of an aloe vera leaf and we have investigated and confirmed this with our suppliers."
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe urged Britain to make it a legal requirement for Muslim couples to register their marriages civilly before or at the same time as their religious ceremony, because Sharia marriages alone "clearly discriminate against women in divorce and inheritance cases."
The Guardian reported that hundreds, and possibly thousands, of young girls in Britain are being subjected to so-called breast-ironing, an African practice whereby mothers or grandmothers use a hot stone to massage across the breast repeatedly in order to "break the tissue" and slow its growth. The objective is to stop unwanted male attention.
At the request of UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid, the Royal Navy deployed patrol ships in January to the English Channel to deter migrant crossings. Pictured: Javid (center) meets UK Border Force staff on board HMC Searcher on January 2, 2018 in Dover, England. (Photo by Gareth Fuller - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
January 1. A 25-year-old Somali man stabbed three people — including a police officer — at Victoria Station in Manchester. BBC producer Sam Clack, who was waiting for a tram when the attack took place, reported: "The guy, his exact words were, he said: 'As long as you keep bombing other countries, this sort of sh*t is going to keep happening.' The suspect also screamed "Allahu Akbar!" ("Allah is the greatest!") as he was bundled into a police van. Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson nevertheless said that officers were "retaining an open mind in relation to the motivation for this attack." The suspect was eventually detained under the Mental Health Act.
January 2. Golders Green Mosque in London cancelled an exhibit about Muslim Albanians who helped, protected and rescued their Jewish neighbors during the Holocaust. The exhibit, which was intended to be part of the mosque's drive to open and maintain dialogue with its neighbors, was cancelled after Muslim groups urged a boycott.
January 3. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson deployed the Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Mersey to the English Channel to deter migrant crossings to "help prevent migrants from making the dangerous journey." The navy's involvement was requested by Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who said it would be an interim measure until two more Border Force cutters, HMC Protector and Seeker, are redeployed from the Mediterranean to UK waters. More than 200 people are known to have reached the UK in small boats since November.
January 4. Lewis Ludlow, a 27-year-old British convert to Islam, swore allegiance to the Islamic State and apparently planned to kill 100 people in a vehicle ramming attack in London, all while he was taking part in a government-sponsored deradicalization program, London's Old Bailey was told during a sentencing hearing. The former Royal Mail worker also told the court that he was filled with "animosity and hatred" for the British public and carried out reconnaissance of high-profile targets around London. Ludlow, an associate of the convicted jihadi Anjem Choudhary, filmed himself denouncing his British citizenship: "I spit on your citizenship, your passport, you can go to hell with that."
January 5. Britain has spent almost £200,000 ($260,000) protecting the welfare of an Islamist preacher, Abu Qatada, since he was deported to Jordan in 2013, according to The Times. Under terms agreed to by Theresa May when she was Home Secretary, the government has paid for the cleric to have appointments with human rights workers and doctors for three years. The payments were permitted despite May telling parliament in 2013 that "significant costs" to the taxpayer relating to the Abu Qatada case were "not acceptable to the public and not acceptable to me." The "welfare visits" were to ensure that he was not tortured after he was removed from Britain for being a threat to national security, details released under freedom of information laws disclosed.
January 6. An eight-year-old boy was questioned by two counter-terrorism police officers and a social worker at a school in east London over fears that he might have been radicalized, according to The Independent. The Counter Terrorism Professional Standards Unit launched an investigation into the matter after the boy's parents lodged a formal complaint about how their son was being treated. The parents, who said they wished to remain anonymous, said their child was left "frightened" and "traumatized" after he was separated from his classmates at a school in Ilford to be interviewed by the officers. The father claimed his son was asked about Islam, the mosque he attends, whether he prays, and his views on other religions. He was also asked to recite verses from the Quran.
January 7. Ten men — Parvaze Ahmed 36, Naveed Akhtar, 43, Saeed Akhtar, 55, Zeeshan Ali, 32, Kieran Harris, 28, Izar Hussain, 32, Faheem Iqbal, 27, Basharat Khaliq, 38, Yasar Majid, 37, and Mohammed Usman, 31 — went on trial accused of grooming and sexually abusing two teenage girls. The alleged abuse is said to have begun in 2008 when both girls were 14 and living in a Bradford children's home. Prosecutor Kama Melly QC told Bradford Crown Court the men used threats, violence, alcohol and drugs sexually to exploit the girls. The men denied a total of 25 offenses, including allegations of rape and inciting child prostitution. Melly said the men had "exploited and manipulated" the two girls, who, for legal reasons, could not be named.
January 9. In a now-deleted tweet, the BBC asked viewers if they "respected the decision" of a teenager who had fled Saudi Arabia after renouncing Islam. The tweet read, "18-year-old Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun fled Saudi Arabia as she said her family would kill her for choosing to leave Islam — do you respect her decision?" Irate readers responded on Twitter with comments such as, "You're a waste of taxpayer's money," and the BBC rapidly deleted the tweet. A BBC spokesperson said, "We accept that the original wording of our tweet did not reflect the question being posed on air and was open to misinterpretation." The BBC had previously stirred up controversy with a tweet asking, "What is the right punishment for blasphemy?"
January 9. A report on religious education presented to the Thurrock Council found that parents were refusing to allow their children to attend lessons about Islam and participate in school trips to mosques. The report warned about "integration issues" and concluded that an investigation should be launched into the "nature and extent" of the refusals. It stated:
"Parents have objected to the teaching of Islam and withdrawn children from lessons and visits to places of worship.
"The outcome for those children, who arguably are those that most need to be taught about Islam, are no longer being taught about it.
"It is not clear whether or not this is a widespread issue in Thurrock, but it is clear that the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education needs to investigate.
"Schools have a statutory duty to promote community cohesion."
A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain said that it was vital that British children learn about Islam to prevent Islamophobia:
"In an ever increasingly diverse society, it is more crucial than ever to learn about each other's faith and cultures, and help foster better understanding between communities.
"In particular, as hostility towards Muslim communities remains widespread and more young people are brought up with inaccurate views about Muslims, we believe visits to mosques are an important way to help resolve misunderstandings."
January 9. Asher Samson, a 41-year-old Pakistani Christian, was deported back to his home city of Abbottabad after living in Britain for 15 years. Samson first arrived in the UK in 2004 to attend seminary to become a pastor, but later applied for asylum after receiving threats from Islamic extremists during visits home. Samson's asylum claim was rejected in 2018 and he was detained in Morton Hall Detention Centre in Lincoln on November 24. There, he was told he was to be deported. "I'm so scared," he said. "People know who I am, they know I am a Christian and they have seen me on social media." Due to religious persecution in Pakistan, Samson's entire family had fled, and settled in Britain. While his siblings both have spousal and unmarried partner visas, he was unable to secure his status.
January 10. Mohammed Abdul, 21, was sentenced to 28 years in prison after being found guilty of two counts of attempting to murder multiple people. Maidstone Crown Court heard how Abdul had been thrown out of Blake's nightclub in Queen Street on March 17, 2018 before he drove a stolen car into the place and injured party-goers.
January 11. Mohammed Sawalha resigned from the board of trustees of Finsbury Park Mosque, one of Britain's most prominent, after an investigation by The Times revealed that he was a senior operative of Hamas. Finsbury Mosque is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, the parent movement of Hamas.
January 13. Councillors in Bradford called for an investigation into why a high proportion of child grooming perpetrators in the area come from the Pakistani community. During a debate organized by Bradford Council's Bradford East Area Committee, police told members of the good work being done to educate people how to spot the dangers of grooming. Councillor David Ward said while this work was commendable, there was no reference to the fact that British Pakistani men were disproportionately more likely to be perpetrators of child sex crimes. He said he was "gobsmacked" that police had not done more work investigating this link. He added, "This is not simply about catching people who do this type of crime, it is about knowing why people are doing this. Unless we know why certain people do this, we can't stop them."
January 14. Police arrested 55 men from Dewsbury, Batley and Bradford in connection with historical child sex abuse cases in West Yorkshire. The arrests began in November, according to West Yorkshire Police. All the men were interviewed and released under investigation, the force said. The claims made by seven women relate to abuse against them when they were children, between 2002 and 2009. The allegations are connected to offenses in the Kirklees area, predominantly in the towns of Dewsbury and Batley.
January 16. Prosecutor Caroline Carberry QC told London's Old Baily that investigators found evidence of spells and curses aimed at police officers in the home of a Ugandan woman, 37, and a Ghanaian man, 43, both from east London. They are accused of performing female genital mutilation (FGM) on her three-year-old girl. The woman claimed the girl "fell on metal and it ripped her private parts" after she had climbed to get a biscuit. Carberry told the court that the girl had been subjected to FGM at her mother's home in the presence of her father, who lived nearby. Highlighting WhatsApp messages between the parents after the alleged FGM, Carberry said the pair were discussing casting a spell to "silence the police and the doctors." She said:
"Two cow tongues were bound in wire with nails and a small blunt knife also embedded in them, 40 limes were found and other fruit which when opened contained pieces of paper with names on them.
"The names embedded included both police officers involved in the investigation of the case, the social worker, her own son and the then director of public prosecutions.
January 16. West Midlands Police reported that more than a dozen churches in the region had received "threatening letters," including one warning of a petrol bomb attack, and another threatening to "stab" congregants "one by one." All of the letters originated in the West Midlands region. The National Counter Terrorism Security Office recently issued a "Crowded Places Guidance" to mitigate the threat of jihadi attacks against British churches and other public venues.
January 17. Seven members of a Turkish gang from Hackney were sentenced to a total of 55 years in prison for spraying passersby with acid. The unprovoked attack occurred in Hackney in May 2018 and was recorded by CCTV cameras. The gang fled the scene in three cars as they shouted homophobic comments and that they "run Hackney."
January 18. Violent crime on London's Tube network increased by more than 43% in the last three years, according to official statistics. British Transport Police data showed there were 2,838 crimes between November 2017 and September 2018, compared to 1,980 reported incidents between November 2015 and October 2016. King's Cross St Pancras station in central London had the highest number of recorded offenses. The figures, which were released following a request from the Greater London Authority Conservatives, are to September 2018 because data for October was not available.
January 21. Mohammed Karrar, 44, Bassam Karrar, 39 and Anjum Dogar, 37, three men from Oxford, who groomed, raped and sexually abused a vulnerable school girl, were sentenced to a total of 48 years in prison. During the three-week trial, jurors at Oxford Crown Court were told that between 2002 and 2005, the girl, aged between 14 and 16 at the time, was subject to repeated sexual abuse by the men. In one instance of rape detailed to the court, she revealed that she had been attacked by a number of men while at a party at Plowman Tower, Oxford. The victim, now an adult, described feeling hands all over her body after she was plied with drink and drugs before passing out. When she woke up, the court heard, she was naked except for a single sock and covered in blood after suffering injuries, including bite marks. It was this rape, the court heard, that led to her becoming pregnant.
January 22. Around 5,000 people signed a petition to boycott Marks and Spencer toilet paper: they alleged it was embossed with the Arabic word for God. Footage taken by an unidentified man showed the Aloe Vera 3-ply toilet tissue with the indentation in question. Speaking on the video, the man urged his "brothers and sisters" not to buy the £2.50 roll because "every toilet tissue has the name of Allah on it." The petition stated, "This is a very weasly [sic] and pathetic attempt to insult Islam." Marks and Spencer, in a statement on Twitter, denied the claims: "The motif on the aloe vera toilet tissue, which we have been selling for over five years, is categorically of an aloe vera leaf and we have investigated and confirmed this with our suppliers."
January 22. The trial began at Worcester Crown Court of Saied Hussini, a 40-year-old Afghan national, and six other co-conspirators accused of spraying sulfuric acid on Hussini's three-year-old son. The boy suffered burns to his arm and face during the attack, which occurred outside a Worcester school on July 13, 2018. Prosecutors said the attack was organized by the boy's father to show that his estranged wife was "unable to properly care" for their three children. The seven defendants deny the accusations.
January 23. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe urged Britain to make it a legal requirement for Muslim couples to register their marriages civilly before or at the same time as their religious ceremony, because Sharia marriages alone "clearly discriminate against women in divorce and inheritance cases." The recommendation added:
"The Assembly considers that the various Islamic declarations on human rights adopted since the 1980s, while being more religious than legal, fail to reconcile Islam with universal human rights, especially insofar as they maintain the Sharia law as their unique source of reference. This includes the 1990 Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, which, whilst not legally binding, has symbolic value and political significance in terms of human rights policy under Islam....
"The Assembly is also concerned about the 'judicial' activities of 'Sharia councils' in the United Kingdom. Although they are not considered part of the British legal system, Sharia councils attempt to provide a form of alternative dispute resolution, whereby members of the Muslim community, sometimes voluntarily, often under considerable social pressure, accept their religious jurisdiction mainly in marital and Islamic divorce issues, but also in matters relating to inheritance and Islamic commercial contracts. The Assembly is concerned that the rulings of the Sharia councils clearly discriminate against women in divorce and inheritance cases. The Assembly is aware that informal Islamic Courts may exist in other Council of Europe member States too."
January 25. Asma Aweys, a 30-year-old jihadi from Edmonton, London, was sentenced to 19 months in prison for three counts of "dissemination of a terrorist publication." Her brother Ahmed Aweys was sentenced to 25 months and her husband Abdulaziz Abu Munye to 15 months, also for disseminating terrorist materials. Asma had copies of the jihadi magazine Rumiyah, which included advice about how to make napalm and Molotov cocktails, as well as an article about the 'perfect knife' for murder. She also gloated on social media that the March 2017 Westminster jihadi attack, which left four people dead, "was by the decree of Allah." Ahmed pled guilty to using WhatsApp to distribute the ISIS online magazine Dabiq. Munye, apparently a common thief, who said he was entitled to steal from the 'kuffar' [infidels], admitted to using WhatsApp to distribute an ISIS film called "Flames of War 2." "It shows brutal executions of various kinds, battle footage, references to attacks in the West and praising the faith-based nature of the participants," prosecutor Lee Ingham said.
January 26. The Guardian reported that hundreds, and possibly thousands, of young girls in Britain are being subjected to so-called breast-ironing, an African practice whereby mothers or grandmothers use a hot stone to massage across the breast repeatedly in order to "break the tissue" and slow its growth. The objective is to stop unwanted male attention. A community activist said: "It's usually done in the UK, not abroad like female genital mutilation (FGM). Sometimes they do it once a week, or once every two weeks, depending on how it comes back."
One of UK's leading QCs, Alex Carlile, said: "It is surprising to me that the police and other authorities are not allocating even the resources clearly needed to deal with this horrific phenomenon. Surely, it's high time for the police and prosecuting authorities to address and tackle the issue in a robust manner, sensitive to the personal issues that arise for young victims and their communities."
Conservative MP Maria Miller added: "It's not only an issue of funding, it is also an issue of political will to tackle something that historically has been accepted as a cultural practice."
January 28. Comedian Russell Howard revealed that the BBC required him to re-record a joke about the Islamic State in case it offended the jihadi group. Speaking about freedom of speech on Sky One's "The Russell Howard Hour," he recalled filming a segment for the BBC on the 2015 jihadi attacks in Paris. Howard said about ISIS, "they're not Muslims, they're terrorists" — a remark which drew cheers from the studio audience during filming. "At the end of filming, the BBC lost their minds, saying 'You need to re-record it! You need to say ISIS aren't *devout* Muslims,'" he recalled. "I was like, 'Are you worried we are going to offend ISIS? Are they going to write in?'"
January 30. Asim Hussain, an imam at the Al-Hikam Institute in Bradford, was removed from his position and told to delete his social media accounts after Muslim scholars found that he was guilty of "serious violations of morality" and "abuses of authority." Although the exact details of the allegations were not revealed, the imam had been ordered to "pray his five times daily prayers, look for a spouse and refrain from contact with 'Ghayr Mahram' women, referring to incestuous relationships. West Yorkshire Police said they were making enquiries "to establish if any offences have been committed." Hussain's supporters started a petition to "stop him retreating as an imam... we hate the sin and not the sinner."
January 30. Government inspectors reported that Al-Hijrah Muslim primary school in Birmingham was still separating boys and girls, despite a 2017 Court of Appeal ruling that found the practice was unlawful. Addressing the Parliament's Women and Equalities Select Committee, Luke Tryl, a director at the education regulator Ofsted, said that Al-Hijrah school was enforcing a "very strict gender segregation" which included "denying the girls to have their lunch until the boys had had theirs." He added: "We [Ofsted] found some very discriminatory texts for instance, encouraging violence against women."
January 31. A 21-year-old man was arrested after a machete attack outside a McDonald's in Sheffield. One woman said she saw the man brandishing what she thought was a sword as she walked past on her way to work. "We were so scared. We thought he was going kill everyone. The first thing I thought was it was terrorism." Another man said:
"I turned around to see what the commotion was. There was a colored guy with a big machete, about 15 inches long. And then there's a bloke running towards me with his face slashed all down one side. The manager and me ran towards the door, we locked the door. The next thing, the coppers Tasered the attacker and jumped on him. He didn't seem in the right frame of mind, at all."
January 31. A man who has spent three years on the run after fleeing Britain while on trial for the rape of a girl in Rochdale was arrested in Pakistan. Choudhry Ikhalaq Hussain, 41, was convicted in his absence and sentenced to 19 years in prison for rape, sexual activity with a child and conspiracy to rape. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said that Hussain was arrested north of Faisalabad, and will now face extradition to the United Kingdom.
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute.
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Iran regime exploiting Palestine to fulfill its own agenda
Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/February 04/19
Prior to Iran’s 1979 revolution, Iranian-Israeli ties were normal. Afterward, however, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini deemed the Palestinian issue more important than these ties, using Palestine as a strategic tool to infiltrate the Arab world. Since then, the Iranian regime’s voice has been projected across the Islamic world with fiery speeches opposing Zionism and, with it, heading an “Axis of Resistance” and rejecting any relations with Israel. Iran’s regime was appealing to some Arabs, who were attracted by slogans such as “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” These slogans were promoted by Tehran tirelessly across different media platforms, and in speeches and sermons, as well as at regional and international forums. Despite all this, however, in reality, Tehran’s private moves contradicted its public proclamations of eternal enmity against Israel. Only a few years after the 1979 revolution, the first scandal emerged in the form of the Iran-Contra affair. This was an Israeli-brokered arms deal providing weapons to Iran to support the regime in its war with Iraq. Ayatollah Hussein-Ali Montazeri, who was then Khomeini’s deputy, opposed the deal, but the supreme leader insisted on proceeding with it and punished Montazeri, who was dismissed and placed under house arrest. In his memoirs, Montazeri provided details of the deal, the exchange of visits between the two “enemy states,” and the brokers who helped render it successful.
In recent years, scandals regarding covert Iranian-Israeli relations and cooperation have emerged one after another. In 2011, Israeli reports revealed that at least 200 Israeli firms had established commercial ties with Iranian businesses, all of which were tightly controlled by the regime. These ties included investing in the Iranian energy sector, whose revenues have been used by the regime to develop its nuclear program. According to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the goods exported by Israel to Iran included farming equipment and items used in agricultural production, including organic fertilizers and hormones for producing milk and cereals. In 2014, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported a statement by parliamentarian Mostafa Afzalifard, a spokesman for the “Article 90” committee, in which he accused 55 Iranian companies of having links with Israeli companies. The parliament called on Iran’s security and foreign ministries to investigate the matter.
Trade in Iranian oil during the sanctions period was another feature of the secret dealings between Iran and Israel. There were also reports that an Israeli transport company was selling an oil tanker belonging to the Israeli company Ofer Brothers Group to Iran.
When Hassan Rouhani came to power, an anti-Israel exhibition and conference were prepared to mark the event in Tehran. Before the opening, however, orders were issued to cancel this event and replace it with one hostile to Saudi Arabia.
Iran’s regime continues its exploitation of Arab hostility toward Israel by using the Palestinian issue as a Trojan horse to fulfill its own agenda
Shortly afterward, Rouhani demanded that the words “Death to Israel” be removed from Iran’s ballistic missiles, the semi-official Mehr News Agency reported. Rouhani apparently sent a letter to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei seeking his approval to remove the phrase.
Recently, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, in a television interview with a Western media outlet, denied that there were any official Iranian statements calling for the “demise of Israel.”In 2016, Russia Today exposed a high-profile scandal, confirming a report by the site Satellite Age — which specializes in monitoring the movement of satellites around the world and the television channels they help broadcast — that six Iranian religious channels directed at the Arab world were being broadcast from Israel. The Russia Today report named these channels as Ahlulbayt TV, Alanwar TV, Fadak, Al-Hussein, Al Alamia TV, and Alghadeer TV, all of which, it stated, were broadcast via the Israeli satellite “Amos” through the RRsat company. Interestingly, Russia Today subsequently removed this report from its Arabic language website. Iran’s regime continues its exploitation of Arab hostility toward Israel by using the Palestinian issue as a Trojan horse to fulfill its own agenda. It has no interest in resolving this conflict, which gives it leverage to continue meddling in the affairs of Arab countries. Meanwhile, Tel Aviv raises anti-Iranian slogans and amplifies its own power to distract Arabs’ attention from the region’s foremost issue: Palestine. To conclude, according to a large part of Arab public opinion, Iranian-Israeli relations are a political game, with ongoing hostility between the two sides not really reflecting relations between Tehran and Tel Aviv. Some may argue that this attitude is influenced by conspiracy theories, but it has become very popular since the so-called “Arab Spring.” Such a way of thinking might be exaggerated but, at the same time, it can’t be totally ignored as it carries some element of truth, as supported by the evidence presented.
•Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is Head of the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah). Twitter: @mohalsulami

Pope’s visit shines light on state of Christianity in the Middle East
Martin Newland/Arab News/February 04/19
The visit of Pope Francis to the UAE — the first by a pontiff to the Arabian Peninsula — should not merely be seen as a glossy exercise in internationalism and interfaith tolerance. Experts are predicting the near-extinction of Christianity in the region of its birth and the celebration of Mass by the spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday might give this development the attention it deserves. The Mass is the only public event of the three-day visit. Pope Francis will be renewing acquaintances with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, who visited the Vatican in 2016. He will also attend a closed session with the Muslim Council of Elders, founded as a forum made up of ranking Islamic scholars and dignitaries to unite the faith and counter the region’s Salafist excesses after the invasion of Iraq and the so-called “Arab Spring.”In many respects, the Roman Catholic Church, with its doctrinal focus on marriage and family life and its distrust of relativism, enjoys a degree of pastoral kinship with Islam. But hopefully the Pope will find time to acknowledge the unique political risks that come with promoting relative freedom of religion in a part of the world that has become markedly less sympathetic to tolerance of this kind.
As a matter of practice, Gulf states must balance Islam as an integral part of a country’s constitutional framework with the multiculturalism and multilateralism necessary to function in a globalized world, while developing post-oil economies. This is an alien concept to the largely post-Christian West, but normal in a region saturated in religious principle and obligation in all spheres of life. The rise of fundamentalism has brought with it an increased expectation that no other religion apart from Islam be practiced on the Arabian Peninsula. Opposition to freedom of religion, along with alcohol availability, tourism and other so-called capitulations to Western culture, form part of the Islamist rallying cry against the current political settlement in the Arabian Gulf. The spectacle of Pope Francis celebrating Mass in front of 135,000 of the UAE’s 1 million Catholics in Abu Dhabi is a clear sign that such complaints are falling on deaf ears, however. Moreover, the country, which for centuries has stood on trading routes used by other cultures and religions, has a particular relationship with Christianity.
As a matter of practice, Gulf states must balance Islam as an integral part of a country’s constitutional framework with the multiculturalism and multilateralism necessary to function in a globalized world, while developing post-oil economies
A hospital run by a Christian mission delivered babies born to the ruling Al-Nahyan family soon after oil was discovered. At the same time, land was granted for the building of churches and the UAE’s founder, Sheikh Zayed, ordered that an ancient Christian monastery discovered in the emirate of Abu Dhabi be preserved as part of the UAE’s heritage. One of his sons, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, has also attended midnight Mass in Bethlehem.
But the overarching significance of the visit, despite the fact that Roman Catholics make up only one part of the region’s Christian population, is that it serves to highlight the appalling violence visited on the faith as a result of sectarian and fundamentalist excesses across the Middle East.
In Europe, a largely indifferent, post-religious public might prick up its ears when Islamists persecute minorities such as the Yazidis or dynamite ancient sites of historic significance, but it remains largely oblivious to the widespread persecution of a faith that helped lay the foundations of Western civilization.
Iraq, Syria and Egypt, the historic heartland of early Christianity, have seen numbers decline exponentially as Christians, caught between opposing militias and lacking official protection, have been faced with a stark choice: Remain in the land of their birth and risk death, or leave and become part of a growing dispossessed and exiled diaspora.Even though the papacy is facing multiple challenges — a global sex abuse scandal, internal divisions over pastoral and doctrinal issues, and near empty churches in what used to be Christendom — it still enjoys a moral authority recognized throughout the world.
The Gulf region gave birth to Islam and remains conservative and wedded to its faith. But the UAE in particular has acted as a haven for growing Christian observance in a time of persecution and deserves the recognition the Pope’s visit brings. Martin Newland is a former editor of the Daily Telegraph in London, The National in Abu Dhabi and deputy editor of the National Post in Canada. He consults on media, risk and reputational issues.

How Pope Francis can inspire an epoch-making change
Max Ferrari/Arab News/February 04/19
Surely Pope Francis’ trip to the UAE is a milestone, but what are the deep convictions that the Vatican has on relations with the Gulf countries and what could the next steps be? To find out, I asked for some help from colleagues at the Vatican News Agency, Agenzia Fides, who gave me the right name: Cardinal Fernando Filoni, the so-called “Red Pope”. “Red” because it is the cardinal color and “Pope” due to the enormous power he exercises in his role as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. This Vatican dicastery has jurisdiction over the Apostolic Vicariates in the Arabian Peninsula and over 1,100 Catholic Church headquarters in the five continents: A third of the dioceses throughout the world. The Middle East, however, certainly has a special place in the heart of the cardinal. After being a nuncio (papal ambassador) in Iraq and Jordan, in 2014 he was chosen by Pope Francis as his personal envoy in Iraq.Filoni explained that, in the face of the atrocities performed by Daesh, words and good intentions were no longer enough to protect people, so he has called for political and proportional military action. Unfortunately, the violence in Syria and Iraq has not yet ceased and, for this reason, the interfaith conference that coincided with Pope Francis’ visit to Abu Dhabi is very important in terms of creating platforms for dialogue and synergies that will allow the Gulf to help stabilize the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Thoughts of pacifying the Middle East with external interventions without making the local decision-makers protagonists and partners is a folly, and the Vatican understands this well. The cardinal, who in 2013 was strongly considered one of the eligible candidates to become Pope, answered my questions with weighed and important words, starting with the little-explored topic of relations with Saudi Arabia.
Will the Pope’s trip to Abu Dhabi facilitate them? “This is what we hope,” he said. “In 2017, the Holy Father received an important Saudi delegation in the Vatican and, during the meeting, there was talk of a common effort for peace and coexistence.” Filoni added: “The historic meeting between King Abdullah and Pope Benedict XVI, held in 2007, was a sign of the harmony and dialogue between religions and civilizations. We are within a journey and this journey is at a stage that can open another stretch of road. It is up to each of us to do our own part. Peaceful coexistence is possible here in the West but also in Arabia, where Christian workers contribute to the economic and social good of the country and give testimony of respect, peace and benevolence.”What emerges from speaking to the “Red Pope” is that Pope Francis’ visit is an important step in the dialogue between Christians and Muslims, but that it will not lead to anything without the help of equally enlightened Arab leaders who are eager to reform and without the help of a proper media system that does not only spread prejudices.
The cardinal was keen to say that dialogue does not start from scratch, even if the media often emphasizes negative things. In fact, in the European press, there is a lot of talk about the Gulf but with little knowledge of the situation and with many prejudices. We could talk about disinformation more than information: Just think that many readers have only just discovered that in the UAE there are Christian churches of all kinds. Filoni knows this very well since, in 2013, he made a memorable visit to inaugurate and bless the new St. Anthony of Padua Church in Ras Al Khaimah, after the faithful there had outgrown their previous church. This is an almost inverse logic to what is happening in Europe, where many churches close due to a lack of worshippers. What emerges from speaking to the “Red Pope” is that Pope Francis’ visit is an important step in the dialogue between Christians and Muslims, but that it will not lead to anything without the help of equally enlightened Arab leaders who are eager to reform and without the help of a proper media system that does not only spread prejudices. He says that the year of tolerance being celebrated in the UAE can be an example and an important starting point for the whole region. “Positive aspects must be highlighted. Many elements of the Christian and Islamic faith are in common: The uniqueness of God, the fatherhood of Abraham, prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage are fundamental aspects that we share. For centuries, Christians and Muslims lived in peace and these elements should be strengthened today thanks to an enlightened policy,” he said. And Saudi Arabia? “It is well known,” the cardinal said, “that Saudi Arabia is considered the cradle of Islam and therefore ‘sacred land.’ But, when migrants are welcomed, it is necessary to respect their fundamental rights and freedoms, including of conscience and faith. In this sense, a perspective can be opened to develop a path in the name of tolerance and coexistence. Saudi Arabia is a full member of international forums, meetings, UN activities, and has economic and political ties with many nations all over the world. If there is respect and friendly relations are established in these contexts, I believe that this same paradigm can also be envisaged at a religious level, as a way forward for the future, based on a relationship of mutual respect.” To sum up, enlightened leaders, courageous and correct journalists, dialogue and a lot of goodwill are the key elements for an epoch-making change. It will not be easy, but not impossible. Let us hope.
*Max Ferrari is a journalist and politician. He is a former parliamentary journalist, a war correspondent in the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, and director of a TV channel. He is an expert in geopolitics and energy policy. Twitter: @MaxFerrari​

US air bombardment of Iranian sites on Syrian-Iraqi border – reprisal for Iran’s bid to attack US base in Iraq
موقع دبيكا/الطائرات الأميركية تقصف مواقع إيرانية على الحدود العراقية-السورية انتقاماً لتهديد إيران مهاجة القاعدة الأميركية في العراق
DEBKAfile/February 04/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/71818/debkafile-us-air-bombardment-of-iranian-sites-on-syrian-iraqi-border-reprisal-for-irans-bid-to-attack-us-base-in-iraq-%D9%85%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B9-%D8%AF%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%A7/
“Multiple Iranian military sites” were struck by US warplanes early Monday, Feb. 3, , near Abu Kamal in Deir ez-Zour on the Syrian-Iraqi border. Reporting this, Syrian military spokesmen claimed that Syrian artillery positions were also hit and sustained casualties.
DEBKAfile’s military sources revealed on Saturday, Feb. 2, that three Iranian missiles were posted ready to strike the big US Ain Al Assad air base in Anbar, the Iraqi province bordering on Syria, when they were discovered in time by Iraqi security forces. They were to be launched by one of the pro-Iranian Iraqi militias. This incident graphically demonstrated Tehran’s ruthless resolve to drive US forces not just out of Syria but from Iraq as well. For the Trump administration, this foiled attempt crossed a red line.
The USAF struck during a CBS TV interview with President Donald Trump, in which he referred to the same Ain Al Assad base when he stressed the importance of maintaining US forces in Iraq. “All I want to do is to be able to watch,” he said. “We have an unbelievable and expensive military base built in Iraq, It is perfectly situated for looking at all over different parts of the troubled Middle East.” Rather than pulling it up, he said, “We’re going to keep watching and we’re going to keep seeing and if there’s trouble, if somebody is looking to do nuclear weapons or other things, we’re going to know it before they do.”
Posted at Ain Al Assad is a US intelligence station.
DEBKAfile’s sources report that the US air raid over Iranian targets was prompted additionally by a video film released on Sunday, Feb. 3 by Tasnim, mouthpiece of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). It depicted what was described as a US army patrol near the northern Iraqi town of Nineveh being “forced to return to their base” by “pro-Iranian Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) fighters.
Our sources identify the “multiple Iranian sites” attacked by US aircraft as the headquarters of the IRGC’s Al Qods Brigades, which are visited regularly by their commander Brig. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Located there too are command centers of the PMU and another pro-Iranian Iraqi militia, Kata’ib Hezballah, which collaborates with the Lebanese Hizballah in southern Syria.