LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 15/19

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy
Letter to the Romans 11/13-24: “Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry. in order to make my own people jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead! If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, do not vaunt yourselves over the branches. If you do vaunt yourselves, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you. You will say, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity towards those who have fallen, but God’s kindness towards you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And even those of Israel, if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.”

Titles For The Lastest English Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on 14-15/19
Lebanon Marks Hariri's Assassination Anniversary
Hariri on Feb. 14 Anniversary: We're Taef Accord Guardians and We Won't 'Hand Over' Refugees
War of Words between Kataeb, Hezbollah in Lebanese Parliament
Saudi Envoy Continues His Visit, Meets Jumblat
Lebanese Man Crosses into Israel after Serving Time in Jail
U.S. Ambassador Visits Hariri's Tomb, Says Justice Coming
Bassil: Unacceptable to Insult Any Martyr
Lebanese Mother, Son among Five killed in Plane Crash in Kenya
Guidanian Says Tourism Growth ‘Excellent’
Banks Association Board of Directors visit Berri, express their optimism over government formation
Army, UNIFIL follow up on infiltration of Jihad Shibli Saleh into occupied Palestine
Syrian Returnees Flee Back to Lebanon - SAWA Report
Kataeb: Mousawwi’s Remarks Not a Slip of the Tongue

Litles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on 14-15/19
Pompeo: Mideast Peace Can’t be Achieved Without 'Confronting Iran'
Mike Pence: Iran is greatest threat to peace and security in the Middle East
Pence calls for Europe to withdraw from Iran nuclear deal
Israel PM Hails Common Front with Arabs on Iran in Warsaw Talks
Putin: Russia, Turkey, Iran see US pullout from Syria as ‘positive step’
Russia, Turkey, Iran Hold Syria Summit, Welcome U.S. Pullout
Erdogan from Sochi: Uncertainty Surrounds US Withdrawal from Syria
Iran Vows Revenge on 'Mercenaries' behind Suicide Attack
Turki al-Faisal: No change in position, Saudi-Israeli cooperation ‘wishful thinking’
Saudi envoy to US responds to Iranian President: Arab lands are for Arabs
Iran’s Rouhani blames US, Israel for attack on Revolutionary Guards
Iran-linked terrorist group warns of more attacks in Bahrain
Palestinian Differences Scuttle Moscow Declaration
Lieberman Criticizes Netanyahu for Admitting Syria Strike
US Strikes Qaeda Position in Southwestern Libya
Saudi, UAE, American, British FMs Underline Support to Political Solution in Yemen
Sudan Opposition Insists on Toppling Bashir as he Declares 2019 Year of Peace
Egypt parliament overwhelmingly approves extension of president's term limits
Egypt Executes 3 Convicts over Police Murder in 2013
Britain will ‘do what it takes’ to beat ISIS: Defense minister
Turkey Media Publish Image of 'Local Collaborator' in Khashoggi Killing

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on 14-15/19
Syrian Returnees Flee Back to Lebanon - SAWA Report/The Daily Star/February 14th, 2019
Building A Joint Economic Future in the Maghreb/Jihad Azour/Asharq Al Awsat/February 14/19
40 Years of Khomeinism/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/February 14/19
South America is a Battlefield in the New Cold War/Hal Brands/Bloomberg View/February 14/19Turkey: Jihadist Literature Gets a Pass/Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/February 14/19
Palestinians: "Journalism" Hamas Style/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/February 14/19
Analysis/In Warsaw, Dream of Arab NATO Against Iran Shows Its Cracks/Zvi Bar’el/Haaretz/February 14/19
US-EU discord evident at troubled Warsaw summit/Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/February 14/2019
Warsaw summit has Iranian regime worried/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 14/2019

Latest LCCC English Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on 14-15/19
War of Words between Kataeb, Hezbollah in Lebanese Parliament
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 February, 2019/A quarrel between the Kataeb party and Hezbollah took center stage on the second day of parliamentary sessions dedicated to discuss a policy statement ahead of granting the new government of Prime Minister Saad Hariri a vote of confidence. The deputies exchanged accusations over corruption and malpractice. The dispute started with Hezbollah MP Nawaf Moussawi when Kataeb leader MP Sami Gemayel asked whether Hezbollah ruled the current government. Gemayel said he would not give a confidence vote to a cabinet in which ministers don’t trust each other. “It is not right to have one political party drag the entire nation into trouble," he said. When Gemayel recalled a statement made earlier by Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil who spoke about Hezbollah’s role in bringing Michel Aoun to the presidential seat, he was interrupted by Moussawi, who said “it honors the Lebanese that Aoun was elected through the rifle of the resistance while others reached the presidency on an Israeli tank,” in a hint to slain President-elect Bashir Gemayel. The quarrel between the two parties intensified and the son of Bashir, MP Nadim Gemayel, hit back at Moussawi saying “You were throwing rice on the Israelis and most of you voted for President Bashir in this parliament.”On Wednesday, most speeches dealt with fighting corruption. MP Paula Yacoubian rejected to give her vote of confidence to the government, describing it as “a miniature of the parliamentary blocs that are supposed to be observing the cabinet's work.”“How will the parliament be able to observe its own mini replica?" Yacoubian asked. She accused Hezbollah of illegally hiring more than 5,500 employees in the lead-up to the May parliamentary elections. But Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah denied the accusations.
Discussions are expected to last until Saturday, when parliament should grant the new government its vote of confidence with the support of a majority of political blocs, excluding the Kataeb and some independent deputies.
Saudi Envoy Continues His Visit, Meets Jumblat
Naharnet/February 14/19/Saudi royal envoy Nizar al-Aloula continued his official visit to Lebanon on Thursday by meeting Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat in Clemenceau. He was accompanied by Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid al-Bukhari and the meeting was held in the presence of the ministers Wael Abu Faour and Akram Shehayyeb and the MPs Marwan Hamadeh and Taymour Jumblat. Any of the conferees did not make a statement as Jumblat threw a lunch banquet in honor of his guest. Al-Aloula had held talks with President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday. He also hosted a dinner for a number of political guests including Jumblat and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in the evening. Upon arrival in Beirut, al-Aloula said around 20 agreements with Lebanon will be activated and on Wednesday the Saudi ambassador announced that the kingdom was lifting an eight-year ban on the travel of Saudis to the country.

Lebanese Man Crosses into Israel after Serving Time in Jail
Naharnet/February 14/19/A Lebanese man on Thursday crossed the Blue Line into Israel, the Lebanese Army and the National News Agency said. Identifying the man as Jihad Ahmed Shebli Saleh, the army said the man crossed from the outskirts of the Lebanese town of Aita al-Shaab and that the issue was being followed up in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). NNA said the man entered Israel after an Israeli force “opened a gap that helped him to cross the border.” “He had fled into Israel with his collaborator father, Ahmed Shebli Saleh, upon the liberation of the South in the year 2000. Two years ago he crossed the border returning into Aita al-Shaab, also through the al-Raheb area,” the agency said. “He was arrested by Lebanese Army intelligence agents and was put on a trial and after his release from prison he returned to the town and resided in it without being harassed by anyone,” the agency added.

U.S. Ambassador Visits Hariri's Tomb, Says Justice Coming
Naharnet/February 14/19/U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard on Thursday visited the tomb of slain ex-PM Rafik Hariri in central Beirut on his 14th assassination anniversary. Richard laid a wreath of flowers and said she was confident that justice will be served in the case. Hariri and 22 other people were killed in a massive suicide truck bombing on Beirut’s waterfront on February 14, 2005. The U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon was later created to identity the perpetrator and try them. It eventually accused four Hizbullah operatives of carrying out the attack, putting them on an in-absentia trial. The trial was completed last year and verdicts are expected this year or next year.

Bassil: Unacceptable to Insult Any Martyr
Naharnet/February 14/19/Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil announced Thursday that “it is unacceptable to insult any martyr,” a day after a verbal clash between the MPs Nawwaf al-Moussawi and Nadim Gemayel over the 1982 election of slain president-elect Bashir Gemayel. “On the Feb. 14 anniversary, we remember martyr premier Rafik Hariri and Lebanon’s martyrs – be them presidents, officials, fighters, resistance fighters or citizens. Each of them is the country’s martyr because if during his life he belongs to a party, a group or a sect, through his martyrdom he becomes for every Lebanese,” Bassil tweeted. “Accordingly, it is unacceptable to insult any martyr, because they have the right that we honor them, or that we remain silent if we did not agree with them,” the FPM chief went on to say. During a speech by MP Sami Gemayel in parliament on Wednesday, Moussawi said “it honors the Lebanese that President Michel Aoun was elected through the rifle of the resistance while others reached the presidency on an Israeli tank.” Nadim Gemayel hit back during the session, saying “no one reached the presidency on the top of an Israeli tank.”“You were throwing rice on the Israelis and most of you voted for President Bashir in this parliament,” he added, apparently referring to some Shiite citizens and ex-MPs. Moussawi snapped back, saying: “Your size is equivalent to an Israeli tank.”

Lebanese Mother, Son among Five killed in Plane Crash in Kenya
Naharnet/February 14/19/A small plane that crashed in the west of Kenya killed all five people on board including two Lebanese-American, a mother and her son, media reports said Thursday. According to preliminary information, the Lebanese victims were identified as Cynthia Sh.S and her son Karl R. Kenya police said a Kenyan pilot and four foreigners have died after a small plane carrying them from Kenya's Maasai Mara nature reserve crashed in the west of the country. "There were five occupants in the plane and they did not survive," said Edward Mwamburi, police chief for the Rift Valley region. He said the Cessna plane was heading from the famed Maasai Mara to Lodwar, near Lake Turkana, which is also popular with tourists. "There was a Kenyan pilot on board and four foreign nationals," said James Mugera, commander with the Kericho police. Three of the foreigners were identified as Americans -- two women and a man -- while one remained unidentified, a police source told AFP on condition of anonymity. In June last year, a plane belonging to the FlySAX airline crashed on the edge of the Aberdares mountain range, leaving 10 people dead. Kenya has a vibrant airline industry, with national airline Kenya Airways operating internationally and locally alongside successful low-cost airlines and charter companies. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 2014, some 130,000 planes land and take off from Kenya each year, and the country has 35 operating airlines.
The IATA said Kenya’s air transport infrastructure quality ranks 6th out of 37 countries surveyed in Africa. In October 2017 five passengers were killed when a helicopter crashed into Lake Nakuru, while in 2012 a helicopter carrying internal security minister George Saitoti crashed, killing all six passengers on board. Kenya's worst crash in recent years took place in 2007, when a Kenya Airways flight from Abidjan to Nairobi via Douala crashed into a swamp after take-off, killing all 114 passengers. In 2000 another Kenya Airways flight from Abidjan to Nairobi crashed into the Atlantic Ocean minutes after take-off, killing 169 people while 10 survived.

Guidanian Says Tourism Growth ‘Excellent’
Naharnet/February 14/19/Tourism Minister Avedis Guidanian on Thursday said that tourism in Lebanon has improved remarkably, noting that "Valentine Day is an exceptional occasion” that increased hotel occupancy and customer demands for restaurants. In an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3), Guidanian said: “2019 witnessed a great return for European tourists and a good presence for Arab tourists,” noting that “the total number of tourists exceeded one million and nine hundred thousand last year, the second best after 2010.”The Minister expected a significant increase in the number of Arab tourists after the government formation and lifting travel ban on Saudi nationals, “the Ministry is preparing for this important return,” he said. Saudi Arabia on Wednesday lifted a travel warning for Lebanon that remained in place for eight years.

Banks Association Board of Directors visit Berri, express their optimism over government formation
Thu 14 Feb 2019/NNA - House Speaker Nabih Berri met this afternoon at Ain Al-Teeneh with the Banks Association Board of Directors, headed by Joseph Tarabeih. "We visited Speaker Berri and expressed our optimism about the formation of the new government and the near resumption of its work. We are waiting for this start because the economic situation can no longer be delayed," Tarabeih said after the meeting. He added: "The banking sector, of course, is waiting for improvement in the investment climate to go back to focusing on the main dossiers, most prominently the public debt and Lebanon's classification, which as a result of the delay in the government formation was lowered, and this is a key concern for us and definitely we will work on it once the cabinet kicks off," Tarabeih added. "We have listened to his vision [Speaker Berri] and to the role that the Parliament will play in the coming period, namely in terms of questioning and accountability, for which reason the Parliament Council will hold monthly meetings to follow-up on and assess the performance of the government," Tarabeh went on. "Hence, it will put pressure on the situation, most importantly the issue of combating corruption, a concern that is shared by all," he asserted. Earlier today, Speaker Berri received UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubiz on a cordial visit. Additionally, he also conferred with United Nations Under-Secretary-General, newly appointed ESCWA Executive Secretary in Lebanon, Rola Dashti, who came on an acquaintance visit.

Army, UNIFIL follow up on infiltration of Jihad Shibli Saleh into occupied Palestine
Thu 14 Feb 2019/NNA - On Thursday, 14 February, Jihad Ahmad Shibli Saleh crossed the Blue Line in the outskirts of the southern town of Aita al-Shaab into the occupied Palestinian territories, an Army Command communiqué indicated this afternoon. The incident is being followed-up by Army units in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the communiqué added.

Syrian Returnees Flee Back to Lebanon - SAWA Report
The Daily Star/February 14th, 2019
Amid increasing calls for Syrian refugees to return, a Lebanon-based NGO said in a report earlier this week that its researchers had spoken to refugees who returned to Syria only to flee back to Lebanon after encountering unexpected dangers and obstacles.
Researchers with SAWA for Development and Aid, a small NGO that has been working with refugees in the Bekaa Valley for the past seven years, interviewed 40 refugees living in various parts of Lebanon - most of them in camps - about conditions in Lebanon and the factors that influenced their decision to return or stay in Lebanon. Among the factors pushing refugees to go back to Syria, the report cited increasing economic pressure, including crackdowns on Syrian-owned businesses and Lebanese businesses employing unauthorized Syrian workers; cuts to aid programs; increasing levels of debt among the refugees; and financial and bureaucratic obstacles to obtaining legal residency.
Lebanese political leaders have increasingly called on the international community to facilitate refugee returns, with some arguing that much of Syria is now secure. President Michel Aoun used the platform of last month’s Arab Economic and Social Development summit held in Beirut to do so; and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, at a meeting in Brussels earlier this month, called on the European Union to “start redirecting the aid sent for refugees staying in Lebanon to be used to support a safe and dignified return for those who can.”But in some cases, the SAWA report argued, those returns may be premature. Researchers spoke directly to two families who reported having returned to Lebanon after making unsuccessful return journeys to Syria. The report also contained anecdotal information on a third case. Elena Hodges, a policy, research and advocacy officer with SAWA, said that finding those cases had not been the main objective of the report and that the information was not comprehensive. “There are more of these stories,” she said. “They’re not represented in this report, and we don’t know what the incidence is in terms of percentage of returnees."
One family from Raqqa told researchers they had sold their belongings in Lebanon and returned to Syria with their six children in January 2018, after the wife became sick and the family was unable to meet her medical expenses, the report said. Upon arriving back in their city, they found the extent of the destruction to be worse than they had been led to believe - their house was partially collapsed and looted, with roving militias occupying the area. Discouraged, they borrowed money and returned to Lebanon.“We lost everything by going back to Raqqa,” the report quoted the father of the family as saying. “It cost $400 in transport to and from Raqqa within Syria, $233 to rent the house outside Raqqa, hundreds of dollars for price-inflated food and water, and $900 for the smuggler. We sold everything before returning, so when we fled back to Lebanon we had nothing.”
Another woman, a widow, told the NGO that she had left her children in a neighbor’s care in Lebanon and returned to Homs to see if conditions were ready for return. She found her house intact but occupied by squatters who refused to let her in. On top of that, she was slapped with about $200 in phone bills and $2,500 in unpaid electricity bills that accumulated over the six years she and her children had been in Lebanon.
Although the woman had documents proving ownership of the house, she told researchers she felt helpless to do anything: “The authorities are part of the problem, so how could I go to them asking for justice?” She too returned to Lebanon, traveling via a smugglers’ route through the mountains as she had been banned from entering Lebanon for five years when she returned to Syria. In a third case, a woman in her 60s attempting to return to Damascus had reportedly been detained at the border and jailed for 45 days for reasons that were unclear, but possibly related to her grandson’s involvement in the Free Syrian Army, the report said, citing another refugee who knew the woman. Upon her release, the woman reportedly fled back to Lebanon, but Hodges said the researchers were not able to reach her to confirm the story. At a forum at the American University of Beirut's Issam Fares Institute, where the report was discussed Wednesday, Amnesty International researcher Diana Semaan said refugees in Lebanon have difficulty getting accurate information on conditions in Syria. The U.N. and international NGOs have not been able to get permission to access returnees in some areas, and Syrians inside the country may be hesitant to share negative information with friends and family in Lebanon, concerned about surveillance of their communications, she said. “Refugees may have relatives inside, but the relatives are so afraid to speak about the situation that they give them false information,” Semaan said. “There’s serious misinformation coming out from inside Syria that doesn’t allow refugees to make an informed decision.”
This article has been adapted from its original source.[The Daily Star]

Kataeb: Mousawwi’s Remarks Not a Slip of the Tongue
Naharnet/February 14/19/After a heated debate between Hizbullah and Kataeb deputies in parliament on Thursday, Kataeb party said that remarks made by Hizbullah MP Nawwaf Moussawi reflect a “public declaration that Hizbullah controls the state institution by force of arms,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday. “Moussawi’s remarks were not a slip of the tongue, nor a mere political position. His remarks were more a public declaration that Hizbullah is controlling the state’s institutions mainly the presidency by the force of arm,” a prominent Kataeb source told the daily. The source added: “What was witnessed in the House of Representatives yesterday calls for a political and popular opposition to address the logic of coup that is controlling all institutions and decisions.”During a speech by Kataeb MP Sami Gemayel in parliament on Thursday, Moussawi said “it honors the Lebanese that President Michel Aoun was elected through the rifle of the resistance while others reached the presidency on an Israeli tank.”He was referring to slain president-elect Bashir Gemayel -- the father of Kataeb MP bloc Nadim Gemayel. Nadim Gemayel hit back during the session, saying “no one reached the presidency on the top of an Israeli tank.”“You were throwing rice on the Israelis and most of you voted for President Bashir in this parliament,” he added, apparently referring to some Shiite citizens and ex-MPs. Moussawi snapped back, saying: “Your size is equivalent to an Israeli tank.”Kataeb and LF supporters held a sit-in to denounce Moussawi's remarks at Ashrafieh's Sassine Square in the evening. 
Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports & News published on February 14-15/19
Pompeo: Mideast Peace Can’t be Achieved Without 'Confronting Iran'
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 February, 2019/US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday at a security conference in Warsaw that Iran is the top threat in the Middle East and confronting the country is key to reaching peace in the entire region. Pompeo met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the opening session at the conference and said "pushing back" against Iran was central to dealing with all the region's other problems. "You can't achieve peace and stability in the Middle East without confronting Iran. It's just not possible," Pompeo said alongside Netanyahu. The US and Poland are sponsoring the conference. "No one country will dominate the discussion today nor will any one issue dominate our talks. Everyone should speak thoughtfully and honestly. Each country should respect the voice of all others. Our hope is that every engagement will entail true back-and-forth dialogue, not just be a chance to recite prepared statements," Pompeo said in opening the meeting. "We want to bring together countries with an interest in stability to share their different views,” he told foreign ministers and other officials from more than 60 countries. "We must work together for security. No country can afford to remain on the sidelines," he added.

Mike Pence: Iran is greatest threat to peace and security in the Middle East
Arab News/February 14, 2019/WARSAW: Iran is the “greatest threat to peace and security in the Middle East”, US Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday at a conference on the region taking place in Warsaw, Poland. Pence also accused Washington's European allies of trying to break US sanctions against Tehran and called on them to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. "Sadly, some of our leading European partners have not been nearly as cooperative. In fact, they have led the effort to create mechanisms to break up our sanctions," Pence said during a conference on the Middle East organised by the United States in Warsaw. Pence said a scheme set up by the EU to facilitate trade with Iran was "an effort to break American sanctions against Iran's murderous revolutionary regime". "It is an ill-advised step that will only strengthen Iran, weaken the EU and create still more distance between Europe and the United States," he said. As Iran's clerical state marks 40 years since the overthrow of the pro-US shah, Pence vowed maximum pressure while not explicitly urging regime change. "As Iran's economy continues to plummet, as the people of Iran take to the streets, freedom-loving nations must stand together and hold the Iranian regime accountable for the evil and violence it has inflicted on its people, on the region and the wider world," he said. Pence added that his country will keep a strong presence in the Middle East, continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with allies, and work with coalition partners to defeat Daesh to make the region safe for peace and prosperity. He also said that there are winds of change happening in the region, with the recent historic visit of Pope Francis to the UAE and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Oman. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed Pence's warnings over Iranian agression, saying that the US was determined to "convince all nations of the world" that it was in their best interests to stop the threat of the Iranian regime. "The US and Europe are working together and there have been lots of places where we have cooperated on isolating Iran, and there is still more work to be done," he said.
Pompeo also said that during discussions at the conference, there had not been "one defender of Iran in the room, no country spoke out," saying agreement was unanimous between countries from Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Pence calls for Europe to withdraw from Iran nuclear deal
The Associated Press, AFP, Warsaw, Poland /Thursday, 14 February 2019/US Vice-President Mike Pence called for Europe to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, and urged allies to back US sanctions. Speaking at a conference in Poland on Thursday attended by Israel and senior Arab leaders, Pence denounced Iran as the “greatest threat to peace and security in the Middle East” and accused the clerical regime of plotting a “new Holocaust” with its regional ambitions. He lamented that Britain, France and Germany created a special financial mechanism that Washington believes is aimed at “breaking” tough US sanctions on Iran. Those sanctions were eased by the Obama administration under the terms of the nuclear deal but were re-imposed after President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement last year.
Israel PM Hails Common Front with Arabs on Iran in Warsaw Talks
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/19/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday hailed as a breakthrough a conference in Warsaw where he is standing side-by-side with Arab powers to confront Iran, hoping their common front can pave the way to greater normalisation of relations. The United States initiated the two-day meeting in the Polish capital as it seeks to squeeze Iran, but the talks have drawn little interest from European powers which are deeply suspicious of President Donald Trump's intentions. But Netanyahu voiced delight after an opening dinner Wednesday night at Warsaw's Royal Castle where he spoke in the same room as top officials of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain -- none of which recognise the Jewish state. "In a room of some 60 foreign ministers representative of dozens of governments, an Israeli prime minister and the foreign ministers of the leading Arab countries stood together and spoke with unusual force, clarity and unity against the common threat of the Iranian regime," Netanyahu told reporters as he arrived for Thursday's main session at a football stadium. "I think this marks a change and important understanding of what threatens our future, what we need to do to secure it, and the possibility that cooperation will extend beyond security in every realm of life," he said. Netanyahu also met one-on-one with Oman's foreign minister, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, after paying a rare visit to the sultanate last year. Israel only has diplomatic relations with two Arab countries, neighbouring Egypt and Jordan. But Gulf Arab leaders -- especially Saudi Arabia's powerful, US-allied crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman -- have increasingly put the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the back burner as they instead push to contain historic rival Iran. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser, is taking part in the Warsaw conference where he will speak behind closed doors on the contours of a US peace proposal to be presented after Israeli elections in April. The Palestinian government is not attending and has called the conference an "American conspiracy". It is refusing US mediation after Trump in 2017 recognised bitterly contested Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Low interest elsewhere
Most European countries sent low-level representatives to Warsaw as they still support a deal negotiated under former president Barack Obama that constrained Iran's nuclear programme in return for promises of sanctions relief. Trump called the deal "terrible" and has slapped sweeping sanctions back on Iran, seeking to curb the Shiite power's influence in regional hotspots Syria, Yemen and Iraq. The European Union has defied Trump by setting up a financial tool for European firms to skirt US sanctions and keep doing business in Iran, the Middle East's second most populous country. Even host Poland -- eager to please the United States as it worries about a resurgent Russia -- has said that it backs the nuclear accord, with which UN inspectors say Iran is complying. Russian President Vladimir Putin has managed to divert the spotlight by holding a simultaneous summit in the resort of Sochi with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and their Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the future of war-battered Syria. Also casting a cloud over the Warsaw talks, a suicide car bombing in southeastern Iran on Wednesday killed 27 troops of the elite Revolutionary Guards who were returning from patrol, according to the force. Iran quickly linked the attack to the conference in Warsaw, where supporters of the formerly armed opposition rallied in the streets on Thursday. Dubbing the meeting in Poland the "WarsawCircus", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the attack's timing was "no coincidence" and called the conference "dead on arrival". An extremist group from the Sunni Muslim minority claimed responsibility for the attack in the volatile southeastern Baluchistan region. The latest violence -- and the conference -- come just as the clerical regime was celebrating 40 years since the Islamic revolution that overthrew the pro-US shah.
Talks on Syria, Yemen
US Vice President Mike Pence is also set to address the conference, which the United States and Poland say will be followed up by working groups on key issues. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo opened by insisting that the United States will remain committed to Syria, despite Trump's abrupt order in December to pull out all 2,000 US troops. Pompeo also hailed the presence of Arab and Israeli leaders all "in the same room, sharing a meal and exchanging views". "They all came together for a single reason -- to discuss the real threats to our respective peoples emanating from the Middle East," Pompeo said. The only major European power to send a top official was Britain, although Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was primarily interested in seeking progress in ending the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Putin: Russia, Turkey, Iran see US pullout from Syria as ‘positive step’
AFP, Sochi /Thursday, 14 February 2019/Moscow, Ankara and Tehran see the planned US withdrawal from Syria as a positive step, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after a summit with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts on Thursday. Putin, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran’s Hassan Rouhani agreed the US pullout from northeastern Syria “would be a positive step that would help stabilize the situation in this region, where ultimately the legitimate government should re-establish control,” the Russian leader told a joint press conference. The leaders of the three countries, who have positioned themselves as the key foreign players in Syria’s long-running war, were meeting for talks on how to work more closely together in resolving the conflict. Putin said the talks were “constructive and business-like” and that “close coordination” was crucial to ensuring long-term stability in Syria. He said the three agreed to “strengthen cooperation” in the so-called Astana framework, a process initiated by Russia, Iran and Turkey that has eclipsed parallel peace talks led by the United Nations. They also agreed to work to put together a constitutional committee that would work to resolve Syria’s political future, Putin said, adding that another round of talks would take place in Astana in late March and early April. Rouhani said Thursday’s talks were “very helpful and frank” and insisted on Syria’s territorial integrity, calling for a “purge of terrorists” from the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib. He also suggested he didn’t believe the US was planning to withdraw from Syria. “We have no optimism about what the Americans say... but if they do withdraw, it will be very good news.”

Russia, Turkey, Iran Hold Syria Summit, Welcome U.S. Pullout
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/19/The leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran hailed the planned U.S. withdrawal from Syria as they met for talks Thursday on how to work more closely together in the country's long-running conflict. Hosting his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in the southern city of Sochi, President Vladimir Putin said the three welcomed the expected U.S. pull-out from northeastern Syria. It would be "a positive step that would help stabilize the situation in this region, where ultimately the legitimate government should re-establish control," he told a joint press conference after the talks. Russia and Iran -- who both back the regime of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad -- and rebel supporter Turkey have positioned themselves as key foreign players in Syria's long-running war. The United States has had troops in Syria backing Kurdish-led forces fighting the Islamic State group but President Donald Trump issued an abrupt order in December to pull out all 2,000. The Kurdish-led fighters were on Thursday battling to expel IS jihadists from the small town of Baghouz in eastern Syria, the last bastion of their "caliphate" that once controlled large parts of the country. Putin said Thursday's talks were "constructive and business-like" and that "close coordination" was crucial to ensuring long-term stability in Syria. He said the three leaders agreed to "strengthen cooperation" in the so-called Astana framework -- a process initiated by Russia, Iran and Turkey that has eclipsed parallel peace talks led by the United Nations.
They also agreed to work together to put together a constitutional committee that would work to resolve Syria's political future, Putin said, adding that another round of talks would take place in Astana in late March and early April. Rouhani said Thursday's talks were "very helpful and frank" and insisted on Syria's territorial integrity, calling for a "purge of terrorists" from the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib. He also suggested he did not believe the U.S. was planning to withdraw from Syria. "We have no optimism about what the Americans say... but if they do withdraw, it will be very good news."
'Important we work together'
At a separate meeting Thursday with Putin, Erdogan said the planned U.S. pull-out made it more important for other foreign powers to work together in Syria. "The US withdrawal decision is one of the most important tests ahead of us. The uncertainty over how the decision will be implemented remains. It is very very important that we work together in this new situation," he said. As a sign of cooperation, he said Russia and Turkey had agreed to start "joint patrols" in order to contain "radical groups" in Idlib province. The two countries agreed last year to jointly monitor a buffer zone around Idlib and a statement from the three leaders on Thursday agreed to take "concrete steps" to further control the zone. Erdogan also called for the removal of the Kurdish forces battling IS in northeastern Syria. "Syria's territorial integrity cannot be ensured and that region cannot be returned to its real owners before PYD-YPG is cleared from Manbij and the east of Euphrates," Erdogan said. The Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) have held the strategic city of Manbij and areas east of the Euphrates since pushing out IS fighters. Turkey considers the YPG, and its political branch the Democratic Union Party (PYD), as offshoots of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Both Russia and Iran have provided military backing to Assad's forces, while Turkey has supported rebel groups in the north who have fought with the Kurds. Thursday's meeting was the fourth summit between the countries' leaders since November 2017. It came as the United States holds a two-day conference in Warsaw devoted to security in the Middle East, with a strong emphasis on Iran. The conference includes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several Arab powers but has drawn little interest from European powers. Rouhani dismissed the Warsaw talks as pointless. "We see what's happening in Warsaw, it's an empty result, nothing," he said in Sochi.
Erdogan from Sochi: Uncertainty Surrounds US Withdrawal from Syria
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 February, 2019/Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remarked on Thursday that “uncertainty” still clouds the United States’ decision to withdraw its troops from Syria. He made his comments from Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi ahead of a summit with President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss Syria. Erdogan said Ankara wanted to move in coordination with Russia on a planned safe zone in northern Syria and added that Syria’s territorial integrity could not be established as long as the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) is not cleared from the area. Turkey wants to set up what it calls a safe zone in northeast Syria, parts of which are now controlled by US forces. But, speaking ahead of the start of the summit, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Ankara would need the green light from Bashar Assad’s regime to create any safe zone inside Syrian borders. “The question of the presence of a military contingent acting on the authority of a third country on the territory of a sovereign country and especially Syria must be decided directly by Damascus,” Maria Zakharova said in answer to a question about the Turkish safe zone plan. “That’s our base position.”The Kremlin on Thursday also made clear that its patience with Turkey over a joint deal to enforce a demilitarized zone in the northwestern Idlib region was running short.Moscow and Ankara brokered the deal in September, saying they wanted the region free of heavy weapons and extremists. The agreement helped avert a regime assault on the region, the last major opposition stronghold. But Moscow has since complained that extremists who used to belong to the Nusra Front group are now in control there and wants military action to drive them out. Ankara is less keen as it is concerned about potential refugee flows from Idlib in the event of a military operation. It also does not want developments in Idlib to distract from its plan to set up a safe zone in the northeast. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow wanted action on Idlib, referring to the “continued presence there of terrorist groups.”“... Implementing the decision on Idlib is one of the overall components in our policy to stabilize Syria to definitively create the conditions for things to move onto a political settlement,” said Peskov, who made clear Putin would press Erdogan on the subject later on Thursday.
Iran Vows Revenge on 'Mercenaries' behind Suicide Attack
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/19/President Hassan Rouhani vowed revenge Thursday against the "mercenary group" behind a suicide bombing which killed 27 people in southeastern Iran and accused the US and Israel of supporting "terrorism". "We will certainly make this mercenary group pay for the blood of our martyrs," the official IRNA news agency quoted the Iranian president as saying in response to Wednesday's attack. "The main root of terrorism in the region is America and Zionists, and some oil-producing countries in the region also financially support the terrorists," he added. Rouhani was speaking at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport before leaving for the Russian resort of Sochi for a summit with his Russian and Turkish counterparts Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the future of war-battered Syria. Wednesday's attack, which targeted a busload of Revolutionary Guards in the volatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, was one of the deadliest on Iranian security forces in years. The bomber struck as the troops were returning from a patrol mission on the border with Pakistan, where Baluchi separatist and jihadist groups have rear bases, the Guards said.
Sistan-Baluchistan is home to a large ethnic Baluchi community, who straddle the border and who, unlike most Iranians, who are Shiite Muslims, are mainly Sunni.
Warning to neighbours
Rouhani called on Iran's neighbours to assume their "legal responsibilities" and not allow "terrorists" to use their soil to prepare attacks. "If this continues and they cannot stop the terrorists, it is clear -- based on international law -- that we have certain rights and will act upon them in due time," he said, without elaborating. The attack came on the same day as the United States gathered some 60 countries in Poland for a conference on the Middle East and Iran which they hoped would increase pressure on Tehran. Iran quickly linked the attack to the Warsaw conference, where supporters of the formerly armed opposition People's Mujahedeen plan a second day of protests on Thursday. Dubbing the meeting the "WarsawCircus", Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was "no coincidence that Iran is hit by terror on the very day" that the talks began in the Polish capital. "Especially when cohorts of same terrorists cheer it from Warsaw streets & support it with twitter bots? US seems to always make the same wrong choices, but expect different results," Zarif wrote on Twitter. Wednesday's bombing was claimed by the jihadist Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), which is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Iran, the SITE Intelligence Group reported. The group was formed in 2012 as a successor to Sunni extremist group Jundallah (Soldiers of God), which waged a deadly insurgency against Iranian targets over the previous decade. Sistan-Baluchistan has been hit by previous deadly attacks in recent months. On January 29, three members of an Iranian bomb squad sent to the scene of an explosion in provincial capital Zahedan were wounded when a second device blew up as they were trying to defuse it. And in early December, two people were killed and around 40 wounded in an attack in the strategic port city of Chabahar, on the province's Arabian Sea coast, which Zarif blamed on "foreign-backed terrorists". In October, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for abducting 12 Iranian security personnel near the border, five of whom were later released and flown home after Pakistani intervention. Zarif visited Islamabad twice in a month for briefings on the progress of the efforts to secure the captured unit's release.

Turki al-Faisal: No change in position, Saudi-Israeli cooperation ‘wishful thinking’
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Thursday, 14 February 2019/In an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya English, Prince Turki al-Faisal, Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, dismissed the idea of Saudi Arabia cooperating with Israel saying that there’s no change in the Saudi position. Responding to a question regarding the claims that the recent intersection of interests in the Iran file could translate to normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel, prince al-Faisal dismissed the notion. “There has been no change in the Saudi position and the media and other wishful thinking about the Israeli-Saudi cooperation because of the Iranian threat is only that, wishful thinking,” the Prince said. As part of a wider interview, the Prince reminded of the last Arab summit that was held in Saudi Arabia following the American administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in which King Salman said the summit is the Jerusalem summit. “The statement that came out at that summit affirmed the insistence of the Arab world that Jerusalem be the capital of the Palestinian independent state, according to the Arab peace initiative,” he said. Prince al-Faisal referred to King Salman’s recent statement during his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas where he reiterated that Saudi Arabia stands by the Palestinian people’s right in establishing their own state with Jerusalem as its capital. “Look at the statements that came out yesterday from King Salman about the Kingdom’s commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative and to the independence of the Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem,” he said. The statement of King Salman is “only the recent vocalization of a long-standing policy,” he added.

Saudi envoy to US responds to Iranian President: Arab lands are for Arabs
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Thursday, 14 February 2019/Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the US Prince Khalid bin Salman responded on Thursday to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s historical claims on Gulf countries by saying that “Arab lands are for Arabs.”
“The (Iranian) regime represents the biggest threat to stability in our region, and it is still holding on to its expansionist dreams. In their revolution’s 40th anniversary speech, the regime’s President unveiled their expansionist intentions by claiming that Arab lands in the Arabian Gulf are part of their lands, calling the area ‘Southern Iran’. Arab lands are for Arabs, and the honorable Yemen and Coalition actions speak louder than illusionary speeches,” the Prince tweeted in Arabic. Prince Khalid also called Rouhani’s rhetoric dangerous and expansionist. “Rouhani’s dangerous & expansionist rhetoric is a reminder that this regime has not moderated” Prince Khalid said in another tweet. “Sadly, it appears that it will continue to waste the Iranian nation’s wealth on funding terrorism and radical militias,” he added. The Prince also described the overall situation of Iran after the Islamic Revolution using the hashtag #40YearsOfFailure and saying that 40 years ago “the Ayatollah landed in Iran and ushered a reign of terror and destruction.”Comparing Iran’s economy to Saudi Arabia’s, Prince Khalid said that in 1979, the two economies were the same size, however, today, Saudi Arabia’s GDP is double that of Iran’s and its GDP per capita increased tenfold, while Iran’s has fallen by more than half. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday laid historical claims to a number of Arabian Gulf countries without naming them. “Hundred years ago, a large part of Iran was separated. In those parts, many countries in the south of the Gulf have formed,” Rouhani said. In addition to the Arab countries Rouhani also laid claims to several areas including parts of land that are currently in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia.
Iran’s Rouhani blames US, Israel for attack on Revolutionary Guards
Reuters, Dubai/Thursday, 14 February 2019/Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blamed the United States and its regional allies on Thursday for a suicide bombing in southeastern Iran that killed 27 members of the country’s elite Revolutionary Guards, Iranian state TV reported. The force said on Wednesday a suicide bomber driving a vehicle laden with explosives had attacked a bus transporting members of the Guards in the province of Sistan-Baluchestan. A militant Sunni Muslim group, Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for the ethnic minority Baluchis, has claimed responsibility for the attack, Iranian media have reported. “The crime will remain as a ‘dirty stain’ in the black record of the main supporters of terrorism in the White House, Tel Aviv and their regional agents,” Rouhani said. Apart from Israel, Rouhani did not name the regional states he believed were to blame. Mainly Shiite Muslim Iran does not recognize Israel, which is a key US ally in the region and sees Tehran as posing an existential threat to its existence. In the past, Tehran has accused its main regional rival Saudi Arabia of backing Sunni militia groups who have carried out bloody attacks against Iranian security forces. Riyadh has denied the charges. Repeating warnings made by senior commanders of the Guards, Rouhani said Iran was determined to bring justice to those responsible for one of the worst assaults ever against the Revolutionary Guards in years. The assault, which wounded at least 13 people, took place in the province of Sistan-Baluchestan, which has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim, ethnic Baluchi community, which straddles the border with Pakistan. Jaish al Adl has carried out attacks against the border guards from Pakistan since its founding in 2012. Iran has called on neighboring countries to crack down on separatist groups.

Iran-linked terrorist group warns of more attacks in Bahrain
Ismaeel Naar Special to Al Arabiya English/Thursday, 14 February 2019/An Iranian-linked terrorist group has released a statement threatening attacks on American and British targets in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Saraya al-Ashtar, recognized by the United States and the United Kingdom as a terrorist organization, accused “American and British intelligence” of operating in Bahrain, and said: “so we say to the conspirators against our people that your support for the occupying Khalifa regime will carry a high price for you and will make you a legitimate target for our attacks.”The terrorist group also decried the Bahraini “regime’s openness to the Zionists” saying that it “has strengthened the will and the soul of the Islamic Resistance in Bahrain.” The statement also said that the “Zionist targets in Bahrain are a direct target of our attacks and revenge.”Saraya al-Ashtar, also known as the al-Ashtar Brigades, have claimed responsibility for more than 20 attacks in Bahrain, mainly against police officers and security forces. They were added to a designated terror list by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt. After adding two people affiliated with Saraya al-Ashtar to its terrorist list in 2017, the US State Department said in a statement that the “actions follow a recent increase in militant attacks in Bahrain, where Iran has provided weapons, funding, and training to militants,” the State Department said in a statement. The group changed its logo last year, with branding on its flags resembling those of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In the past, large quantities of advanced Iranian weapons shipments and explosives, including armor-piercing explosively formed penetrators (EFPs), were intercepted by Bahraini authorities. “Saraya al-Ashtar has not claimed any attacks since 2017, however, today’s video is meant to show that the group, despite Bahraini security operations against it, is still alive,” a report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies released on the terror group’s video statement read. “And while Saraya al-Ashtar has yet to claim any attacks on American or British personnel or institutions in Bahrain since its inception in 2013, the video reaffirms that it, and Iran, see these countries as legitimate targets,” the report added. According to Bahrain observers, Saraya al-Ashtar are known for perpetrating what many have called “single worst incident of terrorism on Bahraini soil” when in March 2014, members of the terror group carried out an attack that claimed the lives of Bahraini police officers Ammar Abdu-Ali al-Dhalei and Mohammed Arslan Ramadhan and Emirati officer First Lieutenant Tariq al-Shehhi.

Palestinian Differences Scuttle Moscow Declaration
Moscow - Raed Jabr/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 February, 2019/Disagreements between Palestinian factions have hindered the adoption of the “Moscow Declaration” following a failure to agree on its final draft. Palestinian parties exchanged blame for such failure, but decided to pursue discussions as part of a new call for dialogue that Cairo is expected to launch in the coming weeks. On the third day of the round of talks in Moscow, the situation seemed unclear, as the factions continued heated discussions shortly after the announcement of a "semi-final" draft of the joint statement. Disagreements mainly lied on the wording of some items, as several participants have refused to sign paragraphs underlining that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was the “legitimate and sole representative” of the Palestinians. The head of Fatah delegation to the meetings, Azzam Al-Ahmad apologized in public to Russia as an organizer of the event. “We apologize, we could not appreciate friendship well,” he said. He also expressed “regret” over “optimistic positions in our talk with journalists.”Al-Ahmad explained a few differences, pointing out that some of the attendees refused to sign paragraphs confirming the PLO as the "sole and legitimate representative", as well as texts referring to "the Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital." But a Hamas source held Fatah responsible for Wednesday’s failed discussions, noting that the parties had agreed on an acceptable draft of the final statement. The head of the Hamas delegation, Moussa Abu Marzouk, said Moscow wanted to issue a joint statement that would be a powerful pressure card in the face of Washington’s moves and the "deal of the century," but “time was not in our favor.”Despite the disagreements, Abu Marzouk pointed to many converging points, including the importance of restoring unity, the need to end the siege on Gaza and to confront US plans.

Lieberman Criticizes Netanyahu for Admitting Syria Strike
Tel Aviv - Nazir Majli/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 February, 2019/Former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman lashed out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after confirming the last Israeli strike on an Iranian site in Syria. "We are operating every day, including yesterday, against Iran and its attempts to establish its presence in the area," Netanyahu said in response to a journalist’s question before leaving for an international conference in Warsaw. He added, “I can tell you unequivocally that the economic pressure is being felt and that we can see the economic crisis affecting also Iran’s attempts against us. We can see cuts of budgets, cuts of forces, withdrawal of forces, and we can see this in all areas around the world without exception. “We see it in Syria, we see it in Lebanon, we see it also in Gaza and we also see it in very important weaponry systems that Iran is struggling to deploy because of, among other things, financial problems, and first of all because of Israel’s active military resistance.’’He wondered if the countries in western Europe and the European Union are deliberately unseeing what Iran is doing. These states are simply disregarding the fact that Iran is sponsoring terrorist groups inside their territories, Netanyahu said.But Lieberman considered the PM’s statement unnecessary after Netanyahu started to become increasingly open about carrying out air strikes in Syria with an election looming in April. Sources close to the Israeli premier said that the change in policy has been initiated by outgoing Israeli Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot who claimed that Israel attacked Syria several times to prevent Iran from positioning militarily there. .

US Strikes Qaeda Position in Southwestern Libya
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 February, 2019/Libya and American forces carried out a joint strike against a position of al-Qaeda operatives in the southwest, announced an official in the Government of National Accord (GNA) on Wednesday. Government spokesman Mohammed al-Salak said the bombing took place in the town of Ubari, about 950 kilometers, or 590 miles, south of the capital, Tripoli. He did not provide further details. He said that the strike was part of joint efforts between the GNA’s presidential council and American administration. He said that "this joint work coincided with a meeting between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Foreign Minister Mohamed Sayala at the Global Coalition to Defeat meeting last week" in Washington. There was no immediate comment from the US military.
Saudi, UAE, American, British FMs Underline Support to Political Solution in Yemen
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 February, 2019/The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America met in Warsaw Wednesday to discuss the situation in Yemen. In their statement following the meeting, the ministers reiterated their commitment to a comprehensive political solution to the conflict in Yemen and their endorsement of the agreements reached in Sweden by the Yemeni parties in December 2018. They welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council resolutions 2451 and 2452, which support the implementation of these agreements and build on the political framework set out in resolution 2216, the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and the national dialogue conference outcomes. The ministers therefore, reiterated their full support for the tireless efforts of the UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths.
They called on the Yemeni parties to rapidly and fully implement the agreements reached in December, welcoming the preliminary agreement reached on the deployment of forces in Hodeidah by the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC). They called on the legitimate government and Iran-backed Houthi militias to confirm their agreement to this plan and to work urgently with the RCC and the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA). This demands that they implement the mutual redeployment of forces from the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa in compliance with their obligations. They stressed that there should be no further stalling tactics with regards to the implementation of the deal. They agreed to monitor the situation, coordinate closely and meet again if there are any further delays. Moreover, they urged the Yemeni parties in their areas of control, in particular the Houthis who still control Hodeidah’s three ports, to ensure the security and safety of UNMHA personnel, and to facilitate the unhindered and expeditious movement into and within Yemen of personnel, equipment, provisions and essential supplies in accordance with UNSCR 2452.
They expressed concern about the bureaucratic impediments puts in place by the Houthis which are hampering UNMHA’s vital work. They also called on the Yemeni parties to redouble their efforts to finalize arrangement for implementation of the prisoner exchange agreement and to establish the Taiz Joint Coordination Committee.
Furthermore, the gatherers in Warsaw also addressed Iran’s destabilizing effect on Yemen, through the illicit provision of funds, ballistic missiles and advanced weaponry to the Houthis, and in the wider region. The ministers noted a UN Panel of Experts’ finding that Tehran has provided advanced weaponry to the Houthis in violation of resolutions 2216 and 2231. In addition, they strongly condemned the Houthi drone attack on Al-Anad airport on January 19. They underlined that the firing of ballistic missiles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Houthi forces into neighboring countries posed threats to regional security and prolonged the conflict. The ministers expressed full support for Saudi Arabia and its legitimate national security concerns and called for an immediate end to such attacks by Houthi forces and their allies. In efforts to reduce illicit fuel imports by the Houthis, the ministers discussed steps to curb activity facilitating Iranian oil flows while at the same time, ensuring fuel flows through Red Sea ports. They also discussed the urgent humanitarian crisis, which the conflict has created and reiterated the importance of stabilizing the economy, keeping food and fuel coming into the country and supporting economic confidence-building measures as part of the peace process. In this regard, the ministers welcomed the deposit of $2.2 billion by Saudi Arabia to the Central Bank of Yemen, their financial contribution to oil derivatives and the $570 million contribution paid by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to tackle food security and pay teachers’ salaries. They also welcomed the government of Yemen’s determination to resume regular payment of the salaries of civil servants, teachers and health workers across the country and called on the Houthis to cooperate with this process. The ministers agreed that there is a window of opportunity to end the conflict in Yemen and to redouble their efforts to reach a political solution.

Sudan Opposition Insists on Toppling Bashir as he Declares 2019 Year of Peace
Khartoum - Ahmed Younes/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 February, 2019/Sudan’s opposition Freedom and Change Coalition called on Wednesday President Omar al-Bashir to step down immediately. The president rejected the demand, saying elections will determine his fate, declaring “2019 will be a year for peace” across the country. Sudan’s main opposition groups issued their first joint call for the president to resign, appearing at a news conference together for the first time since protests erupted across the country in December. Mohammad Farouk, who represents one of the organizations that signed the Declaration of Freedom and Change, said the alliance has united its goals to ensure the way towards salvation. Farouk welcomed all efforts and national initiatives to topple the current regime, put it on a transitional path that ends corruption and tyranny and introduces democracy.
Representative of the Sudanese Professional Association Mohamed Youssef al-Mustafa said that the Coalition is working on activating key parties in the popular movement, through engaging cities outside the capital Khartoum in shaping the country’s future. He also stressed the importance of accountability, saying no party has the right to offer amnesty to anyone on behalf of the victims of the regime. Representative of the National Consensus Forces, Mohamed Mukhtar al-Khatib said the main goal of the ongoing protests is to overthrow the regime. He stated that the forces of freedom and change will continue their struggle until they achieve that goal, saying they seek to mobilize the masses towards a general political strike and civil disobedience. Representative of the Sudan Call Sara Nugd Allah, said they seek to topple the regime and establish a democratic system that accommodates all Sudanese.
She stressed the revolution will not back down until the country is liberated, saying they are ready to offer every sacrifice to ensure the success of the revolution. Representative of the Unionist Gathering Merghani Ibn Ouf said the country is not suffering from an economic crisis, but rather a tyrannical regime. Bashir, meanwhile, held his own rally in Khartoum and called for peace. “We reaffirm that this year 2019 will be the year of peace and the permanent silencing of the rifle in Sudan, and there is a will to continue peace in Sudan and convince the other side of the utility of peace,” he said.
Egypt parliament overwhelmingly approves extension of president's term limits
AP/February 14, 2019/CAIRO: Egyptian lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to extend term limits for President Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi until 2034, part of a package of constitutional amendments also set to further enshrine the military's role in politics that will now face a national referendum. Of the 596-seat Parliament, 485 lawmakers backed the amendments, which could see the former general ruling for the length of four US presidential terms, in addition to the nearly five years he's already spent in office. Critics of the move argue that Egypt is slipping back into authoritarianism, eight years after a pro-democracy uprising ended autocrat Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule, and nearly six years after El-Sissi led a popular military overthrow of the country's first freely elected but divisive Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, after protests against his rule. With Parliament and state institutions packed with fervent El-Sissi supporters, the amendments focusing on him are almost certain to survive any scrutiny, allowing the general-turned president 12 more years of potential rule after his second term expires in 2022. Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Al said the motion would now be discussed by the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee for 60 days before returning to Parliament for a final vote followed by the referendum, likely to take place before early May, the start of Ramadan. Thursday's vote followed three rounds of discussions among representative lawmakers that started the previous day. Very few opposed openly the amendments focusing on El-Sissi or the military. Abdel-Al's statement mentioned neither specifically.Since taking office, El-Sissi has led an unprecedented crackdown on dissent, opposition and civil liberties, justifying his unique leadership as necessary to bring stability and economic growth. El-Sissi was elected president in 2014, and re-elected last year after all potentially serious challengers were either jailed or pressured to exit the race. The amendments also include clauses allowing the president to appoint top judges and bypass judiciary oversight in vetting draft legislation before it is voted into law. They declare the country's military "guardian and protector" of the Egyptian state, democracy and the constitution, while also granting military courts wider jurisdiction in trying civilians.

Egypt Executes 3 Convicts over Police Murder in 2013
Cairo - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 February, 2019/Egyptian authorities executed on Wednesday three detainees convicted in the 2013 murder of a senior police official, security and judicial officials told AFP. They were hanged for the murder of General Nabil Farag while the police was carrying out a raid in the Kerdasa region in 2013. The area is known for being the residence of several Muslim Brotherhood supporters. The raid targeted Islamist suspects linked to an armed attack against the Kerdasa police station that left 13 officers dead. The attack was prompted by the security forces’ dispersing of a rally in Cairo by supporters of deposed President Mohammed Morse, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, in August 2013. Authorities have designated the Brotherhood a terrorist organization.'

Britain will ‘do what it takes’ to beat ISIS: Defense minister
AFP/Thursday, 14 February 2019/Britain is ready to do “all that is required” to neutralize the threat from ISIS, defense minister Gavin Williamson said Wednesday, after the US suggested creating a new international mission in northeast Syria. Acting US defense secretary Patrick Shanahan said he would consult with allies at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels about the “potential” for an observer force in northeast Syria after American forces pull out.US-backed forces are currently in the fifth day of a fierce battle to expel ISIS fighters from their last holdout in eastern Syria -- the final remaining scrap of the “caliphate” the extremist group declared in 2014. But the US is set to withdraw its 2,000 troops from the country, as announced by President Donald Trump in December, in a move that shocked America’s allies and raised security fears for the region. Asked if Britain would support an observer force with boots on the ground, Williamson did not demur but pledged to carry on the fight against ISIS, also known as Daesh. “We recognize the fact the threat of Daesh is going to evolve and it’s going to change and it’s going to disperse,” Williamson said as he arrived for the NATO meeting.“We will continue to do all that is required to ensure that Britain and our allies remain safe.” Shanahan visited Baghdad on Tuesday to reassure Iraqi leaders after President Donald Trump angered many by saying he wanted to maintain some troops at the Al-Asad airbase, northwest of Baghdad, to keep an eye on Iran. Afterwards Shanahan said he would use the NATO meeting to discuss “where we can take advantage of the opportunities there... in terms of the potential in northeast Syria to establish an observer force” to ensure stability in the longer term. The international anti-ISIS coalition, which includes the US and many NATO countries as well as Middle Eastern nations, could be an option for the proposed force, Shanahan said.

Turkey Media Publish Image of 'Local Collaborator' in Khashoggi Killing
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/19/Turkish media on Thursday published images of a so-called "local collaborator" who allegedly helped the Saudi hit squad dispose of the body of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, citing Istanbul police. The dissident journalist and Washington Post contributor was dismembered after being killed on October 2 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul but his remains have not yet been found. CCTV images leaked previously showed a Saudi agent leaving the consulate after the murder wearing Khashoggi's clothes, who was identified as a "body double". At one point, a hooded man was seen walking alongside him, who was identified in an Istanbul police report as a "local collaborator, the private NTV television reported. After weeks of denial, Saudi Arabia admitted that Khashoggi had been killed after entering the consulate to obtain the paperwork necessary for his upcoming marriage to a Turkish woman called Hatice Cengiz. Turkey says he was killed by a team of 15 Saudis who strangled him, and Ankara has repeatedly asked Riyadh to identify the local who allegedly helped them dispose of the body. The police report also said that after the murder, the hit team ordered a large quantity of meat which was then delivered to the Saudi residence near the consulate where there was a large industrial oven. Several Turkish media outlets speculated whether the oven may have been used to dispose of the dismembered corpse. "Was barbecuing meat... one of the previously made plans?" wondered the police report, which was published by the state-run Anadolu news agency. The murder sparked international outrage and hurt the kingdom's image. Riyadh arrested a number of senior Saudi officials allegedly involved in the murder.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on 14-15/19
Turkey: Jihadist Literature Gets a Pass
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/February 14/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13715/turkey-jihadist-literature
"It is really sorrowful to live in a country that silences, prosecutes, jails its authors and forces them to live in exile," Hasan Cemal wrote in January.
It is worse than "sorrowful," however, that writers in Turkey who promote jihad are given a pass.
Turkish journalist Hasan Cemal recently bemoaned that a publishing house rejected his latest book, Sorrow, on the grounds that it would lead to the imprisonment of both the author and the publisher for expressing liberal views antithetical to the government of President Erdoğan. Pictured: Hasan Cemal. (Image source: Armineaghayan/Wikimedia Commons)
The Turkish journalist Hasan Cemal recently bemoaned that a publishing house rejected his latest book, Sorrow, on the grounds that it would lead to the imprisonment of both the author and the publisher for expressing liberal views antithetical to the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. According to Cemal, the works of other well-known writers in Turkey -- such as Oya Baydar, Nedim Gürsel, Aslı Erdoğan, Baskın Oran and Nurcan Baysal -- have met a similar fate, for the same reason.
Not all authors and publishers in Turkey, however, live in such fear. For instance, the Turkish translation of the book Al-Wala' Wal-Bara ("Loving and Hating for the Sake of Allah Alone"), written by al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, are freely published by Beyaz Minare and distributed by Benli.
Many other publishers and media outlets in Turkey that not only promote violent jihad, but also maintain ties to terrorist organizations, continue functioning. The staff of the magazine İslam Dünyası ("Islamic World"), for instance, was under indictment in 2012 for links to al Qaeda.
The daily BirGün reported that, according to the investigation file, the magazine's managing editor, Osman Akyıldız, the magazine's Ankara representative, Ömer Belül, and other al Qaeda supporters traveled illegally to Syria to recruit terrorists and provide aid to al Qaeda-affiliated training camps in Syria.
Belül is also a representative of an al-Qaeda-linked Turkish association, Garip-Der (Guraba Muslims Association); its head, Abdurrahman Koç, was killed in 2013 while fighting along with foreign jihadists against the Syrian government.
Garip-Der is known for its pro-jihad demonstrations. In December 2012, for instance, the group gathered near the US Embassy in Ankara, where Belül made a speech endorsing the al-Nusra jihadists and condemning the countries that listed al-Nusra as a terrorist organization.
Garip-Der held another pro-jihad demonstration in January 2013 in front of the French Embassy in Ankara, to protest French operations against al-Qaeda in Mali. The group's members held banners that read, "Death to France" and "the caliphate will be established." The same month, Garip-Der protested Russia to show support for the jihadists in Syria. Belül made another straightforward pro-jihad speech there, threatening both non-Muslims and Muslims who oppose jihad:
"Allah, who is a curser, will give [his] response through jihad... And you Muslims who are not jihadists or who do not support jihadists. When the Rashidun caliphate is established, you will regret it and say, 'I wish I had acted on the side of jihadists or at least had not betrayed them'."
Akyıldız owns Küresel Kitap, a publishing company that translates, publishes and sells pro-jihad books, some of which are written by terrorists. One book, Kayip Minare ("The Lost Minaret") was written by Abdullah Azzam, also known as the "Father of Global Jihad," who has had a profound impact on several jihadist organizations, particularly on the foundation of al-Qaeda. Although a Turkish court ruled in 2013 that Azzam's book must be "pulled from the market," it is still being sold openly by Küresel.
Other pro-jihad books published and distributed by Küresel include:
Jihad and the Battle Against Doubts (Cihad ve Şüphelerle Savaş), by Abu Yahya al-Libi, a leader of the Libya branch of al Qaeda, who, in 2012, declared Syria "a region of jihad" and instructed al Qaeda members in Turkey and other countries to fight against the Syrian government.
Memories of al-Khattab (Hattab'ın Anıları), by Saudi-born Jordanian Ibn al-Khattab, a jihad leader in the First and the Second Chechen Wars who was also active in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Tajikistan.
Allah Is Preparing Victory for Islam (Allah İslam'a Zafer Hazırlıyor), by Anwar al-Awlaki, an Islamic preacher who was a recruiter for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
The power and influence of the such works and their authors cannot be underestimated. Although al-Awlaki was killed in 2011, his words of violence continue to reach across the world. According to a 2016 article in The Week,
"...[Y]ears after the U.S. killed American-born imam Anwar al-Awlaki, he is still inspiring jihadists at home and abroad.
"Who has been influenced by him?
"Just about every Islamist who has attacked the U.S. since 9/11. He had direct email contact with Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 people in a 2009 shooting attack at Fort Hood, Texas. He helped recruit and train Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who in 2009 tried to blow up an airplane over Detroit with a bomb in his underwear. Awlaki died before the rise of ISIS, but nearly every ISIS adherent who speaks English has seen his lectures on YouTube or read his articles in Inspire, the online al Qaeda magazine he helped launch. Syed Rizwan Farook, who along with his wife killed 14 people in a 2015 rampage at his workplace in San Bernardino, California, watched Awlaki sermons; so did Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez, who killed four Marines and a Navy sailor in Chattanooga, Tennessee, also in 2015. The Tsarnaev brothers, who bombed the Boston Marathon in 2013, were fans of the videos, and plans for the pressure-cooker bomb they used can be found in Inspire's article 'How to Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom...'"
Another jihadist influenced by al-Awlaki was the Turkish police officer, Mevlüt Altıntaş, who murdered a Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, in 2016. According to court documents, the day before the assassination, Altıntaş gave a suitcase filled with written materials -- such as the Koran and a book by al-Awlaki -- to an Islamist in Ankara, and said that he hoped "others too will benefit from the books."
Other materials found in Altıntaş's suitcase and at his home included:
The Muslim Brotherhood Organization, a book by Hasan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Strategy of the Islamic Dawaa and other books by Sayyid Qutb, a leading member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and a convicted terrorist.
Books by Turkish jihadist Bülent Tokgöz, whom the indictment stated "is currently in conflict zones" in Syria.
The Risale-i Nur Collection, by the Sunni Muslim theologian Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (1877-1960), which includes 14 books on Koranic interpretation, and aims to bring about an Islamic revival in Turkey.
Books by the cleric Nureddin Yıldız, head of the pro-Erdoğan government Social Fabric Foundation, the website of which includes statements such as: "Jihad is the greatest worship of our religion... There is jihad by the hand, by the pen, by the tongue and of property. They [the different forms of jihad] should be implemented whenever and however they are required."
Apparently, "jihad by the pen" is what is required in modern Turkey; given Erdoğan's ideology, it is not surprising that the Turkish government is lenient with promoters of radical Islamism while cracking down on dissident liberal reformers.
Erdoğan himself was a student and follower of the late Necmettin Erbakan, a Turkish PM who in 1969 founded the National View (Milli Görüş) movement -- the Turkish Muslim Brotherhood. Erdoğan continues to support the Brotherhood, and the support appears to be mutual.
Last year, Yusuf Neda, the international relations representative of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, reportedly called Turkey the "hope of the entire Islamic world," and the "only country in the Middle East that acts responsibly."
For Turkish defenders of liberalism, such as Hasan Cemal -- whose publisher fears the repercussions of releasing his book -- the Erdogan government represents anything but hope and responsible behavior.
"It is really sorrowful to live in a country that silences, prosecutes, jails its authors and forces them to live in exile," Cemal wrote in January.
It is worse than "sorrowful," however, that writers in Turkey who promote jihad are given a pass.
*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.

Palestinians: "Journalism" Hamas Style
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/February 14/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13721/palestinians-journalism-hamas
For Hamas, "accuracy" means that a journalist working in the Gaza Strip will show Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the worst possible light -- regardless of the facts.
Instead of honoring the young and dedicated journalist for her courage, Hamas has decided to punish her. Instead of interrogating and prosecuting the corrupt officials whose identities were mentioned in her reporting, investigative journalist Hajer Harb is the one who is now standing trial for telling the truth.
It now remains to be seen whether Western journalists and media outlets will voice any concern at all over the ongoing attempts by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas to silence and intimidate Palestinian journalists.
Hajer Harb, a courageous Palestinian investigative journalist and cancer survivor, is standing trial in the Gaza Strip for the "crime" of exposing corruption in Hamas-run ministries and institutions. (Image source: Hager Press video screenshot)
Hamas, as part of its crackdown on freedom of the media, has imposed yet another restriction on the work of journalists in the Gaza Strip. The Hamas measure has left many Palestinian journalists worried about their ability to report on what is happening in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Foreign journalists, for their part, have yet to respond to the latest assault on public freedoms.
What exactly did Hamas do to anger the Palestinian journalists? Earlier this week, the Hamas-controlled Government Press Office issued a directive in which it said that, as of April 1, journalists will not be permitted to conduct interviews or enter government institutions in the Gaza Strip unless they have obtained a "press card" issued by the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Information.
This new directive means that any journalist who does not receive a "press card" from Hamas will not be able to operate freely and independently in the Gaza Strip.
Needless to say, Hamas is not about to give credentials to any journalist who is not affiliated with the Islamist movement and its ideology. Also, Hamas is not going to give its "press cards" to any journalist who dares to criticize its rule over the Gaza Strip or express a different opinion. Worse, by granting itself the right to issue "press cards," Hamas can now decide who is a journalist and who is not. Basically, Hamas's message to journalists is, "If you're not with us, go find yourself another job."
The new measure is Hamas's way of controlling the story. Hamas clearly wants to make sure that the journalists who work in the Gaza Strip report only on issues that make the movement and its leaders look good in the eyes of Palestinians and the international community.
It is not that the stories coming out of the Gaza Strip in recent years haven't been sympathetic to Hamas. Ever since Hamas violently seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, in fact, its leaders and security forces have maintained a tight grip on the local media to make sure that Palestinian journalists living there "toe the line." The result: most of the stories emerging from the Gaza Strip in the past 12 years have largely ignored Hamas's failure to improve the living conditions of its constituents.
By controlling the media, Hamas has been able to send a message to the world that the misery of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip can be laid squarely at the feel of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority (PA). A few foreign journalists who briefly visited the Gaza Strip and filed reports that Hamas did not like have been quietly told that they are no longer welcome to return to the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave. Palestinian journalists who nevertheless challenged Hamas by reporting on sensitive issues, such as financial and administrative corruption in the Gaza Strip, are still suffering from the long arm of Hamas. Consider, for example, the plight of female investigative journalist Hajer Harb, who is currently standing trial before a court in the Gaza Strip for exposing corruption in Hamas-run ministries and institutions. Harb, a cancer survivor, has been repeatedly summoned for interrogation by Hamas security forces for her role in reporting on corruption in medical and housing institutions. Earlier this week, the court again postponed Harb's trial until February 26. She is accused of "failing to display objectivity, fairness and accuracy" in her reporting. Instead of honoring the young and dedicated journalist for her courage, Hamas has decided to punish her. Instead of interrogating and prosecuting the corrupt officials whose identities were mentioned in her reporting, Harb is the one who is now standing trial for telling the truth.
Her lawyer, Baker al-Turkumani, described the charges against her as "flimsy." The charges, he said, are an "assault on the freedom of the media and expression, which are protected by the law. The law and justice are the journalist's weapon against corruption. The law cannot be used to limit the work of a journalist or freedom of expression." The accusation that Harb had failed to demonstrate objectivity and accuracy in her journalistic work is both disingenuous and laughable. It is disingenuous because it is coming from Hamas -- a group for whom the terms objectivity and accuracy are wholly inimical. It is laughable because it allows Hamas to set the standards for objectivity and accuracy.
When, one wonders, did Hamas received the right to preach to the media about "objectivity" and "accuracy"? For Hamas, objectivity in the media means that journalists shut their mouths about their leaders and government officials. For Hamas, "accuracy" means that a journalist working in the Gaza Strip will show Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the worst possible light -- regardless of the facts.
Back to the Hamas's intention to issue its own press cards to journalists working in the Gaza Strip: the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, a body dominated by Abbas loyalists, condemned the Hamas decision as "illegal." Tahseen al-Astal, the deputy chairman of the syndicate, complained that the Hamas decision was a "clear violation of the journalists' access to information." He called on all journalists to boycott any news related to Hamas in protest against the decision.
While this syndicate's criticism of Hamas is completely justified, it is important to note that it rarely cares to protest assaults on Palestinian journalists living under the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. By directing its criticism against Hamas only, the syndicate is displaying an obvious double standard.
Since the beginning of this year, the Palestinian Authority security forces have arrested 10 Palestinian journalists in the West Bank for their "negative" reporting and alleged criticism of Abbas and other senior Palestinian figures. In the Gaza Strip, meanwhile, Hamas summoned for interrogation only four.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate regularly chooses totally to ignore the plight of the journalists arrested by the Palestinian Authority security forces. The only evils the Syndicate sees are those that can be linked to Hamas or Israel. That is because its heads and senior staff are affiliated with Abbas's Fatah faction. Now this syndicate, which is condemning the latest Hamas measure, has called on Palestinian officials and journalists to boycott Israeli reporters and media organizations.
Like Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, with the help of its associates in the syndicate, is apparently seeking to control the news and narrative to make sure that journalists direct their criticism only against Israel. Like Hamas, the Palestinian Authority has been relatively successful in its effort to limit the flow of information from areas under its control. A Palestinian journalist living in Ramallah will think at least a dozen times before he or she writes or says a word that could rile Abbas or one of his senior officials.
The latest Hamas decision targeting journalists will undoubtedly make it harder for journalists to operate in the Gaza Strip. Many have already been facing a campaign of intimidation and threats by Hamas. The new decision will now force many of the Palestinian journalists there to change their profession: unless they have been cleared by Hamas's security forces, they will no longer have access to sources.
The continued Palestinian Authority crackdown on Palestinian journalists in the West Bank has become every journalist's nightmare; many now practice strict self-censorship for fear of being punished by Abbas and his security agencies. In the absence of a free and independent media under the Palestinian Authority, several Palestinian journalists have been forced to seek work in Israeli, Western or Arab media organizations. It now remains to be seen whether Western journalists and media outlets will voice any concern at all over the ongoing attempts by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas to silence and intimidate Palestinian journalists. If the foreign journalists continue to ignore the situation of their Palestinian colleagues, the day will soon come when they themselves will fall victim to the unacceptable and unprofessional measures imposed by Palestinian leaders against the media.
*Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 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.

Analysis/In Warsaw, Dream of Arab NATO Against Iran Shows Its Cracks
زفي بارئيل من الهآرتس: تصدعات في حلم مؤتمر وارسو لإقامة تحالف عربي _إسرائيلي ضد إيران
Zvi Bar’el/Haaretz/February 14/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/72186/zvi-barel-haaretz-in-warsaw-dream-of-arab-nato-against-iran-shows-its-cracks-%D8%B2%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87%D8%A2%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%B3-%D8%AA/
The drift between the U.S. and European countries over the nuclear deal may not be resolved, but a photo-op for Netanyahu alongside Arab leaders could bolster diplomatic ties.
The American, European, Arab and Israeli summit being held on Thursday in Warsaw is intended to build an international coalition to apply pressure on Iran and force countries who refuse to take part in American sanctions U.S President Donald Trump imposed on Iran in November to participate. But for now, this summit is more like a party and many of those invited have arrived wearing a mask to block bad odors.
The star of the summit was supposed to be Iran, but the deep disagreements between some of the European countries and the Trump administration on the question of sanctions has caused some participants, such as Germany and France, to send low level representatives. The British foreign minister announced he would be present for only a short time; Turkey, an important member of NATO and an ally of Iran, will not send a representative and said that the Turkish embassy in Warsaw would follow the events of the conference. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman and Israel will be represented by high level delegations of heads of state, prime ministers and foreign ministers – while Egypt will be represented its deputy foreign minister.
All of these groups have their own interests and their participation does not show that they are willing to establish an active joint framework to act against Iran. For Poland, the host, the importance of the summit is in the message it hopes to give to Moscow, which it sees as a strategic threat – by which the cooperation between Poland and the United States is sustainable. Poland hopes the United States will build a permanent military base in the country, in addition to the ballistic missiles already based there. The sanctions against Iran, which it supports, do not particularly interest the country.
Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States are working to establish a cooperative international mechanism whose goals and authority are hazy. If the intention is to force Iran to hold negotiations on a new nuclear agreement and on the halting of its ballistic missile program, meaning that these countries see Iran a legitimate partner that can be relied on to keep future agreements, otherwise there is no point in obligating it to hold new negotiations. If this is their view of Iran, then we can only wonder why Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal rather than seeking further negotiations with Iran. If the goal is to build a broad coalition in support of the sanctions, which will force Iran to give in to U.S. demands without negotiation, such a conference cannot help as without the cooperation of Russia, China and Iraq, the holes in the sanctions could very well be too large to force Iran’s hand.
Iran, which vehemently opposes changing the nuclear agreement and any intervention in its ballistic missile program, has already made it clear that it intends on conducting no negotiations on these two issues, mostly because any negotiations with the United States is doomed to failure because the United States has proved in the past that it is an unreliable partner for agreements. The policy of most member countries of the European Union, and in particular Germany, Britain and France – the European bridesmaids of the nuclear deal – feel the nuclear deal must be left as is, remove the sanctions on Iran as the nuclear deal states and to conduct negotiations on amending the agreement and the Iranian ballistic missile plan.
These three countries are now trying to bypass the new sanctions regime using INSTEX (The Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges), which will enable trade with Iran through a joint special-purpose vehicle that will not use dollars as its base currency. This invention may not be able to replace the large trade agreements Iran signed with European and other companies since the nuclear deal was signed, and will also not help it to overcome the financial crisis it faces. However it is expected that the European effort will provide Iran with justification to continue and keep to the nuclear deal and not return to developing its nuclear program.
At the same time, the European bypass makes the deep divide between the policies of the EU and Washington completely clear – a split that all the charms of the Polish hospitality cannot overcome. And this is how – without having intended to do so – Trump’s policy is building a European – Russian bloc and at the same time is creating an international bloc as an alternative to the United Nations, two results that could well play into Iran’s hands in the end.
Saudi Arabia and Israel are the most obvious partners in any policy against Iran, but this does not mean that Saudi Arabia and its allies in the Gulf States will be willing to embrace Israel – mostly because of Israel’s policies concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Such a summit could have promoted Israeli – Arab cooperation if the U.S. and Israel had agreed to include the Israeli – Palestinian conflict in its discussions, but then it would have been doubtful whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have been willing to attend the forum, just as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has passed on partcipating due to the boycott he has imposed on the American administration.
For Netanyahu this is an opportunity to be photographed with Arab leaders who do not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, pictures that will certainly decorate the Likud’s campaign posters and billboards. It can already be assumed that the bundle of gifts Netanyahu will bring back from Warsaw will contain mostly empty words and declarations – and no real achievement on the Iran question. But such an Israeli – Arab meeting, the first since the international summits that accompanied the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, is a positive development and even if it does not supply concrete diplomatic results such as the establishment of diplomatic relations or trade agreements, it still could very well advance understandings with Israel, waken the across-the-board official Arab ban not to conduct contacts with Israel – and it also strengthens the foundations of the formal agreements Israel has with Egypt and Jordan.
The paradox is that thanks to, or because of, Iran a new diplomatic framework is being woven that it seems never would have come together if it was not for the shared strategic interests of enemy nations.

US-EU discord evident at troubled Warsaw summit
Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/February 14/2019
The Warsaw meeting seems to have failed before it even started. This is due mainly to what players in the Middle East see as an unprecedented retreat by US President Donald Trump’s administration in the face of an assertive Russia and Iran.
The conference, as expected, did not rally consensus for a serious drive to change the behavior of the Iranian regime, since the objectives of those meeting in Warsaw were so divergent on the means to confront Tehran in the region and globally.
Maybe the US and Europe should instead have called for a Euro-US meeting to counter the Russian and Iranian Trojan horses within the West, which have been interfering in elections, funding radicals, and promoting an anti-Western narrative.
The US retreat from the Middle East under the Trump administration is making allies jittery, and Trump’s style of erratic decisions on international affairs is pushing all those who orbit the US model of liberal democracy to scramble for containment or bilateral deals to circumvent America’s chaotic foreign policy.
The conference was surely a good photo opportunity but, as it drew to a close on Valentine’s Day, it reflected how fractured our world has become.
The US withdrawal from Syria, the inefficiency of US policies and military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the trade wars with China, the alleged collusion with Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Trump’s reservations on the EU as a whole, and his questioning of NATO’s role are examples that will make many diplomats jittery around US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Warsaw.
The proposed meeting of 70-plus foreign ministers in Poland was eventually watered down to 50 or 60 senior representatives, mainly ministers, deputy ministers and ambassadors: A game of numbers that makes Iran, Russia and their allies grin. The initial conference theme of containment of Iran also shifted to become a “Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East” in order to accommodate allies with economic interests with Iran, mostly Europeans.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif has dubbed the meeting in Poland the “Warsaw Circus”. Many Arab countries have for long held Iran responsible for incitement and meddling in their affairs, exporting its Islamic revolution through propping up groups loyal to its cause in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen and Gaza to undermine the states and societies of those countries.
Trump walked away from what he called a “terrible” 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama, which left Tehran free to develop its ballistic missile technology and pursue its indirect military interference in many Arab countries. But the EU has defied Trump and kept its commitment to the accord by setting up a financial tool for European firms to skirt US sanctions and keep doing business in the Middle East’s second most populous country.
Even Poland — always eager to please Washington as it fears a resurgent Russia — has been at pains to continue backing the agreement. Poland, as co-host, even chose to tone down the conference’s aims to a vague goal of seeking peace in the Middle East, rather than mentioning Iran as the main precursor for the meeting.
European officials, especially those from France and Germany, are livid about the conference, which they see not only as an attempt to increase pressure on Iran, but also to lead EU members into rubber-stamping the US’ Middle East agenda, as championed by the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner. The sole senior EU power to send its foreign minister will soon be leaving the bloc. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt agreed to attend, if only to ratchet up support for a flagging Yemen cease-fire.
The conference was surely a good photo opportunity but, as it drew to a close on Valentine’s Day, it reflected how fractured our world has become and how tense the relationship between Europe and the US is. Meanwhile, the absence of Russia and China is an indication of the failure of multilateral action and diplomacy in the world today.
Even amongst traditional allies, differences were prominent in Warsaw, as conflict in the Middle East intersected with other global crises like the fear of Russian assertiveness returning to Eastern Europe and the rise in tensions within the EU due to the growth of right-wing populism.
If anything, Warsaw should have been a venue for Europe to clear the air with Washington, as EU officials have expressed outrage at the US’ alleged efforts to widen divisions within the bloc and encourage members to leave the union or downgrade ties with Brussels.
*Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with more than 25 years’ experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy. He is also a media consultant and trainer.

Warsaw summit has Iranian regime worried
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 14/2019
The US this week led a two-day summit on the Middle East in Warsaw, Poland. Although the official title was “Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East,” the main topic on the agenda was to chart a path toward confronting Iran’s destructive, militaristic and aggressive behavior in the region.
The timing of the Warsaw conference is significant due to the fact that Iran’s footprints can be observed in various conflicts in the Middle East. Iran’s terrorist and militant groups are among the key reasons for the ongoing tensions, conflicts and instability across the region.
The Warsaw conference comes at a time when the Islamic Republic has extended its influence in various foreign nations to an unprecedented level. The regime’s sectarian policies, military adventurism and expansionism have also become the major cause of conflicts and tensions in the region. In Iraq, the theocratic Iranian government continues to intervene through various tactics and strategies, ranging from influencing elections, silencing individuals or groups that oppose its policies and intervention in Iraq’s internal affairs, to dispatching troops and transferring arms and missiles to militias.
Iran continues its efforts to build permanent military bases in various cities in Syria, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps continues to strengthen a coalition of Shiite forces and militias that have committed crimes against humanity. Iran’s militias are determined to advance the regime’s interests and are becoming the bedrock of other nations’ sociopolitical and socioeconomic infrastructures.
Iran is also intensifying the conflict in Yemen by providing advanced weaponry to the Houthis. And Tehran has been increasing its efforts to ship advanced weaponry to its militias and proxies, such as Hezbollah, that can turn unguided rockets into precision-guided missiles.
The summit also comes at a time when there appears to be a core division between US and EU policy on the Islamic Republic. US President Donald Trump last year pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, and the Treasury Department consequently reimposed primary and secondary sanctions on the Iranian regime, which targeted critical sectors such as the banking, energy, currency and financial systems.
On the other hand, the EU has been trying to help Iran bypass US sanctions through a newly established mechanism called the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX). These efforts are mainly led by the EU’s chief diplomat Federica Mogherini.
The Iranian authorities, from across the political spectrum, including moderates, hardliners and the Principlists, reacted by attempting to downplay the significance of the conference. For example, a headline in the newspaper Ebtekar read: “Top general: Warsaw summit will not impact Iran’s power.” The hardline military chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Baqeri described the summit in Poland as “insignificant” and “worthless,” adding: “Whether or not anything is said against Iran during the Warsaw meeting, it will fail to affect the Islamic Republic’s policy and power.” The so-called moderate Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif similarly said that the two-day conference was “dead on arrival.”
Iran’s terrorist and militant groups are among the key reasons for the ongoing tensions, conflicts and instability across the region.
But, in reality, the fact that the Warsaw summit was a top story in Iran points to the fact that the regime is indeed concerned about the conference and its potential consequences. Top officials from more than 60 countries attended the summit. In addition, Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani was present to represent the Iranian opposition and he has called for regime change, stating that Iran’s leaders are “assassins, they are murderers and they should be out of power.” The Iranian leaders have grown more worried about the influence of the opposition, and as a result it has been the target of bombing and assassination attempts by the regime.
Furthermore, the Warsaw summit was the largest diplomatic gathering and the first of its kind that has been organized to confront the Iranian regime. It effectively formed a coalition of countries from different parts of the world including Europe, North America and the Middle East. Iran is particularly concerned that the gap between the EU and the US might be bridged, as diplomats from France and Germany, as well as the British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt, agreed to attend.
Finally, any additional pressure on the Iranian regime, whether it is diplomatic or economic, can endanger the power of the ruling mullahs. The Islamic Republic has been struggling with the worst economic crisis since its establishment in 1979. The Iranian people’s disenchantment and resistance to the ruling politicians have also reached a new high, as protests against the regime persist.
In conclusion, although the Iranian leaders downplay the significance of the Warsaw summit, they are concerned about it as pressure against the regime is continuing to mount.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and president of the International American Council. He serves on the boards of the Harvard International Review, the Harvard International Relations Council and the US-Middle East Chamber for Commerce and Business. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh