LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 22/19

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Prophets are not without honour except in their own country and in their own house
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 13/54-58: “Jesus came to his home town and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?’ And they took offence at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour except in their own country and in their own house.’And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on January 21-22/19
Israeli Millitary Officials Sent To NY To Brief U.N. On Hezbollah Tunnels
Abul Gheit: No US Pressure on Arab Leaders to Skip Beirut Summit
Dispute on Refugees Ahead of ‘Beirut Declaration’
Aoun to Press Hariri on 32-Minister Govt. as 'Decisive Week' Begins
Aoun confers upon late Menassa high ranking citation
Hariri discusses with Bassil "ideas" to form government
P.M designate Saad Hariri received this afternoon at the Center House the caretaker F.M. Gebran Bassil.
Lebanese sentenced to one year in prison for entering occupied land
Berri Expects ‘Productive’ Govt. Efforts after Summit, Praises Bassil
Hariri Cancels Davos Trip to Resume Govt. Talks
Bassil Says Hariri Accepted Many Govt. Format 'Ideas'
Missile Remnants from Israel Raid Found in Zahle District
Qatar to Invest $500 Million in Lebanese Bonds
Uproar after Invitation of Dissident Druze Cleric to Arab Summit
Ghosn Vows to Stay in Japan if Granted Bail
Lebanon’s long forgotten Damour Massacre/Medium site
Helping Lebanon Succeed Is About More Than Countering Iran

Litles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 21-22/19
IDF: Iran’s Al Qods aimed the Fateh-110 missile at Golan, which Iron Dome intercepted
Netanyahu: Iran will face consequences for threatening Israel
Iran air force chief threatens to make Israel ‘vanish from earth’
Israel Says it Hit Iranian Military Sites in Syria; 11 Dead
Deadly Israeli Strikes on Iranian Military Targets in Syria
Israel, Iran Exchange Threats as Syria Tensions Flare
Polish deputy FM in Tehran over conference row
Germany bans Iranian airline on suspicion of spying, terror
Iran re-arrests labor protest leader Esmail Bakhshi
Deadly Suicide Attack on Kurdish-US Convoy in Hasakeh
UN Envoy in Russia, Hopes Conditions Met for Syrian Refugee Return
McGurk Decries 'Total Reversal' of US Policy on Syria
Erdogan Says Syria ‘Safe Zone’ Will Not Harbor Kurdish Separatists
Netanyahu Hopes for ‘Breakthrough’ as Israel, Chad Revive Ties
Turkey: Over 15,000 Military Officers Suspended Since 2016 Failed Coup
Iraq to Gradually Transfer Local Security from Army Hold to Police
PA Refuses to Close UNRWA Schools in Jerusalem
Sudan President Accuses ‘Infiltrators’ of Killing Protesters
Sisi: Looks Forward to Paradigm Shift in Ties with France
Calls for Amending Law on Presidential Terms Gain Legal, Media Attention in Egypt
British PM to Unveil New Brexit Strategy
Taliban Announces Meeting with U.S. Officials in Qatar
Venezuela Soldiers 'Arrested' after Video Urging Anti-Maduro Revolt

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 21-22/19
Lebanon’s long forgotten Damour Massacre/Medium site/January 20/19
Helping Lebanon Succeed Is About More Than Countering Iran/Dalia Dassa Kaye/The National Interest/January 21/19
IDF: Iran’s Al Qods aimed the Fateh-110 missile at Golan, which Iron Dome intercepted/DEBKAfile/January 21/19
Turkey's Unjust Justice System: Armenian MP Under Attack/Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/January 21/19
The Conflict Over Iraq/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat/January,21/19
Analysis/Israel and Iran Are on a Collision Course in Syria – and the U.S. and Russia Don't Care/Anshel Pfeffer/Haaretz/January 21/19
Analysis/Israel's Battle With Iran in Syria Is Back in High Gear and Far From Over/Amos Harel/Haaretz/January 21/19

Latest LCCC English Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on January 21-22/19
Israeli Millitary Officials Sent To NY To Brief U.N. On Hezbollah Tunnels
Jerusalem Post/Netanyahu: Israel’s deterrence, not UNIFIL, will prevent Hezbollah from digging more tunnels. Israel sent Military Intelligence officials to New York in recent weeks to meet with senior UN officials and representatives of the UN Security Council states to present intelligence information on Hezbollah's tunnel network to keep the issue on the diplomatic agenda, Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said on Monday. Danon said the IDF officials were sent following a special Security Council discussion in late December on the tunnels, during which certain member states asked to see more information. Though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said while standing near the border with Lebanon on December 25 that the military campaign against the tunnels was nearing completion – Israel discovered and destroyed six attack tunnels – Danon stressed that the diplomatic campaign is continuing. Jerusalem views this campaign as a protracted one likely to come to a peak in August, when the UN Security Council will be called upon to renew the mandate of UNIFIL, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.  Israel is preparing the groundwork for that discussion by – first and foremost – making sure that Danon, and ambassadors of other friendly UN Security Council states, address the issue of the Hezbollah tunnels during the monthly open debate on the Mideast. January's debate is scheduled for Tuesday, but it is likely that this month the tunnels will be overshadowed by the recent developments in Syria, including that attacks attributed to Israel in Syria, and the Iranian rocket fire at Mount Hermon. Nevertheless, part of Israel’s campaign is to ensure that this issue comes up in these discussions which – in the past – have been dominated by a monthly review of incidents in the West Bank and Gaza presented by UN Mideast envoy Nikolay Mladenov. Jerusalem has set a couple goals to the ongoing diplomatic campaign against the tunnels, which is primarily being wage in the UN. The first is that the UN begin relating more to Hezbollah, and not only – as has been the case up until now – to the Lebanese Army, the IDF and UNIFIL in the context of the Lebanon debate. From Israel's perspective, Hezbollah – and its responsibility for tension in the north – does not appear enough in UN discussions and statements on Lebanon.

Abul Gheit: No US Pressure on Arab Leaders to Skip Beirut Summit
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 January, 2019/Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abul Gheit stressed that he had not received any US sign or pressure regarding the absence of leaders from the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit (AESD) that was held in Beirut over the weekend. In a joint news conference with Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs in the caretaker government, Jebran Bassil, at the end of the summit, Abul Gheit said that the Arab League did not address the Syrian file in a comprehensive manner. He added that the decision to suspend Damascus’ membership was issued when he was not secretary-general, saying that he “personally did not like it.”Bassil, for his part, said: “We have sensed a positive response to Syria’s return to the Arab fold.”“There has been no communication with Syria in this respect and we do not know its position on this subject, but we express Lebanon’s opinion since the return of Syria to the League is part of its return to the Arab fold,” he added. As for Libya’s non-participation in the summit, Bassil remarked: “We regret, as a Lebanese State, Libya’s non-participation, and we express our dissatisfaction with it. But this does not prevent the Libyan leadership from fulfilling all of its duties to uncover the fate of Imam Moussa al-Sadr.”In his official speech at the opening of the summit, the minister stressed that the AESD was successful despite the surrounding controversy, pointing out that Lebanon had performed its duty to organize the event, which he said was an opportunity to activate communication with Arab countries. Lebanese President Michel Aoun concluded the summit on Sunday, underlining that its outcome would contribute to enhancing Arab joint action towards securing an integrated Arab economy.

Dispute on Refugees Ahead of ‘Beirut Declaration’
Beirut - Cairo - Nazeer Rida and Sawsan Abu Husain/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 January, 2019/The fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit concluded in Beirut Sunday by reaching an agreement on refugees and the displaced. Participants had agreed on the refugee clause in the final draft communique following lengthy discussions held Friday during the summit’s preparatory meetings. Lebanon had pushed for adding a clause on the return of refugees in paragraph 13 of the summit’s communique. But the proposal was rejected by three Arab states, forcing Lebanon to give up its demands in return for a separate announcement on refugees made by caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil during a joint press conference with Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Bassil considered the announcement a victory for his country and for all states hosting refugees. "We call on the international community to assume its responsibilities to reduce the tragedy of displacement and asylum, to provide all facilities to find radical solutions, and to intensify collective international efforts to promote the conditions for the return of displaced persons and refugees to their homeland," he said during the press conference. "The Syrian refugees' statement is a victory for Lebanon and a gesture of solidarity on part of the Arab countries towards the host countries, and a recognition of their sacrifices," the minister added. The Beirut Declaration recognized the worsening of the crisis of refugees and displaced persons in Arab states and the consequent economic and social burdens shouldered by host countries, and the major challenges for improving their situation and alleviating their suffering. The League's Secretary-General announced that the next Arab economic summit would be held in Mauritania's capital Nouakchot in 2023.

Aoun to Press Hariri on 32-Minister Govt. as 'Decisive Week' Begins
Naharnet/January 21/19/President Michel Aoun will press Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to accept the proposed 32-minister government format as the cabinet formation process enters a “decisive week,” media reports said. “Work is still ongoing on the five ideas that were proposed by caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil to PM-designate Saad Hariri, including the 32-minister government,” Free Patriotic Movement sources told al-Akhbar newspaper in remarks published Monday. “One of the ideas must be unavoidably endorsed, or else we will have a problem with everyone impeding the formation of the government,” the sources added. “Everyone is facing a decision week and we have offered all the possible facilitation and we cannot wait any longer,” the FPM sources went on to say. Informed sources meanwhile told al-Akhbar that Aoun has told mediators that he “will not be very patient” after the Arab economic summit and that he would ask Hariri to take his “final decision.” “He (Hariri) is before a practical solution based on the 32-minister format with a pledge that the appointment of an Alawite minister will not be turned into a norm. If he decides to reject it, he will have to present an alternative solution, or else Aoun might seek the intervention of parliament,” the sources added. The proposed solution “allows the president to replace the Sunni seat with a minorities minister (Syriac candidate Habib Ephram) while Hariri would choose the Alawite minister (the candidate Ali Darwish of ex-PM Najib Miqati's bloc),” the sources said. The Hizbullah-backed Sunni 'Consultative Gathering' would meanwhile pick “a figure with clear political affiliation,” according to a member of the Gathering. Al-Akhbar also reported that General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim could resume his role as a mediator should the President's camp reach a “unified stance.” “It turned out that he had decided to stop his mediation and express dismay because he was leading a dialogue with Hariri based on an agreement with Aoun before Hariri told him that Bassil is speaking of other things,” the daily added.

Aoun confers upon late Menassa high ranking citation
Mon 21 Jan 2019/NNA - President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, on Monday mourned the late renowned author and journalist May Menassa, eulogizing her as one of Lebanon's pioneering media and art critic pillars. "With her absence, Lebanon has lost one of its significant intellectual, artistic and media figures," President Aoun said, extolling her legacy marked by "purposeful words and critical opinion." Aoun exalted the late Menassa as "one of the leading women who advocated women's rights and their role in the Lebanese and Arab society." Aoun bestowed upon the late Menassa a high ranking citation, in recognition of her affluent legacy in the media and critic field. The President commissioned Caretaker Culture Minister Dr Ghattas Khoury to represent him at Menassa's funeral to be taking place tomorrow at Saint Maroun Church- Gemayzeh.

Hariri discusses with Bassil "ideas" to form government Prime Ministerdesignate Saad Hariri received this afternoon at the Center House the caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil.
NNA/ Mon 21 Jan 2019 /After the meeting, Bassil said: "There are several ideas that are being discussed. Premier Hariri agreed to more than one idea. There is a real possibility of working to form a government if there are good intentions. Premier Hariri will carry out the necessary contacts over the next two days to follow up the issue."

Lebanese sentenced to one year in prison for entering occupied land
Mon 21 Jan 2019/NNA - The permanent military court chaired by General Hussein Abdallah on Monday sentenced Lebanese citizen, Rima Hijazi, to one year in prison for having entered the occupied land without prior permission from the Lebanese authorities.

Berri Expects ‘Productive’ Govt. Efforts after Summit, Praises Bassil
Naharnet/January 21/19/Speaker Nabih Berri voiced expectations that the government formation process is likely to take a “productive” turn after the conclusion of the Beirut economic summit, as he hailed Bassil's Sadr remarks, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday. “I have heard talks that things will turn positive after the summit,” the Speaker told the daily one day after the Arab Economic and Social Development summit concluded in the Lebanese capital Beirut. Berri refuted reports claiming that U.S. envoy David Hale reintroduced the issue of allocating the ministries of health and finance to AMAL Movement and Hizbullah. "This is not true and it wasn’t discussed with me at all. There is a fundamental issue that leads to the formation of the government by going the sole way out I suggested,” he said. The United States has reportedly had reservation about the allocation of Lebanon’s health and finance ministries to the Shiite duo. Moreover, Berri added that the “Americans did not hide their intention to seek pressure on Iran (Hizbullah’s ally) to subject it in a period of months, according to what they said, they will not let it rest.”
On the other hand, Berri expressed “great satisfaction” with the message of caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil to the Arab League on founder of the AMAL Movement, Imam Moussa al-Sadr, according to the newspaper. At the AESD, Bassil had urged the Libyan leadership to “perform all its duties to unveil the fate of Imam Moussa al-Sadr,” noting that the cleric “is not the imam of Shiite Muslims but rather the best role model for coexistence.”Berri said he “highly appreciated” what Bassil said in his press conference on the responsibility of the Libyan authorities to reveal the fate of Sadr.

Hariri Cancels Davos Trip to Resume Govt. Talks
Naharnet/January 21/19/Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has canceled a trip to Davos and is expected to resume talks aiming to end the government formation gridlock, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday. Hariri will resume consultations with various political parties. A few days ago he held talks with Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat, and on the sidelines of Beirut’s economic summit with ex-PMs Tammam Salam and Fouad Siniora.The Premier was scheduled to participate in the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland which runs from January 22-25.

Bassil Says Hariri Accepted Many Govt. Format 'Ideas'
Naharnet/January 21/19/Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has expressed his approval of several new ideas regarding the format of the new government, Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil announced Monday after Center House talks. “There are several ideas that are being mulled and they're all negotiable and PM-designate Hariri has expressed his approval of many of them,” Bassil said. “There is a real opportunity to form the government if there are intentions in this direction and PM-designate Hariri will carry out the necessary contacts over the next two days to follow up on the issue,” Bassil added. Media reports have said that President Michel Aoun will press Hariri to accept a proposed 32-minister government format as the cabinet formation process enters a “decisive week.” “Work is still ongoing on the five ideas that were proposed by caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil to PM-designate Saad Hariri, including the 32-minister government,” Free Patriotic Movement sources told al-Akhbar newspaper in remarks published Monday.

Missile Remnants from Israel Raid Found in Zahle District
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January 21/19/The remnants of a missile fired during Israel's overnight raids in Syria were found Monday in an agricultural field in the Wadi Hawsh al-Ghanam area in Lebanon's Zahle district, the Lebanese National News Agency said.
Israel struck what it said were Iranian targets in Syria early Monday in response to missile fire it blamed on Iran, sparking concerns of an escalation after a monitor reported 11 fighters killed. It said the strikes were in response to a medium-range, surface-to-surface missile the Quds Force fired from Syria at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, which Israeli air defenses intercepted. Israel said targets included munitions stores, a site at Damascus International Airport that was allegedly the Quds Force's main logistics hub in the country, an Iranian intelligence installation and an Iranian military training camp.It said it also hit Syrian air defense batteries in response to dozens of missiles fired from them.

Qatar to Invest $500 Million in Lebanese Bonds
Naharnet/January 21/19/Qatar said on Monday that it plans to invest $500 million in Lebanon government bonds, the Qatari News Agency said on Twitter on Monday. “Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs revealed Qatar's intention to invest in Lebanese government bonds in support of Lebanon’s economy,” QNA said on Twitter. “The state of Qatar will buy Lebanese government bonds valued at $500 million,” the agency quoted Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. The Minister emphasized “Qatar’s backing for Lebanon’s economy, and its commitment to supporting the Lebanese brothers in the face of the challenges facing them. This step comes from the deep bonds of brotherhood that bring together the two brotherly countries,” QNA quoted the minister. The Qatari move comes one day after its participation in the Arab Economic and Development summit held in the capital Beirut.

Uproar after Invitation of Dissident Druze Cleric to Arab Summit
Naharnet/January 21/19/The invitation of dissident Druze cleric Sheikh Nasreddine al-Gharib to Beirut's Arab economic summit has dismayed the religious leadership of the Druze community in Lebanon, which said that inviting any figure other than the community's official spiritual leader represents a “violation of protocol” and an attack on the National Pact. Al-Gharib is backed by Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan and Arab Tawhid Party chief ex-minister Wiam Wahhab, who have rejected a 2006 law issued by Parliament and limiting the official representation of the Druze community to a single spiritual leader and to an elected confessional council. Progressive Socialist Party chief ex-MP Walid Jumblat and large segments of the Druze community meanwhile support Sheikh Naim Hassan and consider him the sect's official spiritual leader. The controversy prompted the Lebanese Presidency, which was in charge of protocol during the economic summit, to issue a clarification. “To prevent any erroneous exploitation, the Presidency's press office stresses that the invitation of any religious or non-religious figure to an official ceremony does not represent, in any way, a violation by the Presidency of the national values and principles and subsequently does not represent a violation of the constitution or law and regulations,” the office said. “Therefore, the Presidency is keen on respecting the constitution and preserving it and implementing the laws, as much as it is keen on the unity of Lebanese religious communities and respecting their leaderships and representation in official ceremonies and events,” the office added.The Jumblat-backed Druze spiritual leadership had slammed in its statement what it called a “suspicious interference in the private affairs of the Druze community.” “The President is asked to address the whole affair, seeing as the mission of respecting and preserving the constitution, implementing the law and protecting coexistence and sensitivities of Lebanon's religious fabric falls on his shoulders,” the leadership added. MP Akram Shehayyeb of Jumblat's bloc meanwhile warned that “the invitation of a religious figure to the Arab economic summit for premeditated political goals targeted against a founding community of this country is a bizarre, unacceptable and dangerous issue.” Arslan had earlier thanked President Aoun for inviting al-Gharib to the summit. Gharib himself tweeted thanking the President for “respecting diversity and democracy regarding the sensitivities of sects and religions” and for “not bowing to the policies of elimination and hegemony.”“You will remain the guardian of the republic against those tampering with the country's security, safety and prestige, those who have looted and robbed Lebanon's resources and people. Together with you we will keep in check every corrupt and corruptor,” Gharib added.

Ghosn Vows to Stay in Japan if Granted Bail
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January 21/19/Carlos Ghosn, the ousted Nissan boss detained in Tokyo on charges of financial misconduct, on Monday vowed to remain in Japan if granted bail and again proclaimed his innocence. The Tokyo District Court will later Monday consider the 64-year-old's latest petition for bail but has already rejected previous applications, judging Ghosn a flight risk who might seek to destroy evidence. "As the court considers my bail application, I want to emphasise that I will reside in Japan and respect any and all bail conditions the Court concludes are warranted," Ghosn said in a statement released by his US-based representatives. He vowed to attend any subsequent trial "not only because I am legally obligated to do so, but because I am eager to finally have the opportunity to defend myself". "I am not guilty of the charges against me and I look forward to defending my reputation in the courtroom," concluded the statement. A spokeswoman for Ghosn, Devon Spurgeon, said his family had already rented an apartment in Tokyo where he promised to reside while awaiting trial. He has also promised to hand over his passports, refrain from contacting people connected with the case and pay for security guards approved by prosecutors to monitor his movements, according to Spurgeon. She added that Ghosn has also offered a higher bail fee by stumping up Nissan stock as collateral and promised to wear an electronic tracking bracelet paid for by himself. The Tokyo court has dismissed all previous attempts by Ghosn to secure his freedom and even his lead lawyer has said he is unlikely to be granted bail until a trial takes place -- which could take six months. However, the case has been full of twists and turns that have kept Japan and the business world gripped since his first stunning arrest as he landed in his private jet at Haneda Airport. The Franco-Lebanese-Brazilian executive said he has been in his Tokyo detention cell for 64 days "with no release in sight".Since then, he has only been seen in public once, in a dramatic court appearance where the much thinner executive pleaded his innocence in a packed courtroom. His wife Carole has appealed to Human Rights Watch, claiming he is being held in "harsh" conditions and subjected to round-the-clock interrogations intended to extract a confession.
'Solid, stable, sustainable governance' -
Ghosn's arrest represented a sudden fall from grace for a once-revered tycoon widely credited with turning Nissan around from the verge of bankruptcy. Nissan immediately ousted him as chairman after the arrest, as did Mitsubishi Motors, the other Japanese firm in the three-way alliance with Renault. The French firm is expected to meet later this week to discuss removing Ghosn as chairman and CEO. French government officials have already urged the company's board to pick a "new lasting leadership". Late Sunday, Nissan held an inaugural meeting of a special committee designed to improve governance in the wake of the scandal. The head of the committee, Seiichiro Nishioka, said the problem was "an excessive concentration of authority in the hands of a single person". The committee is expected to meet three or four additional times before issuing a final report at the end of March. The charges against Ghosn are that he under-declared his income in official documents to shareholders over an eight-year period -- in an apparent bid to dodge accusations he was overpaid. In addition, prosecutors have formally charged him with involvement in a complex scheme they say was designed to make Nissan pay for personal investment losses sustained in the financial crisis of 2008. Ghosn's arrest has thrown into question the future of the auto alliance he forged, which has come under pressure in his absence. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire on Sunday denied talk of a potential merger between Renault and Nissan, despite reports in the Japanese media that Paris was pushing for that outcome. "The subject is not on the table today. What is on the table today is the governance of Renault," he told journalists during a visit to Cairo. "The most important thing for us is to have solid, stable, sustainable governance for Renault."

Lebanon’s long forgotten Damour Massacre
Medium site/January 20/19
Before you begin reading, you should know that all credits go to @HadiNasrallah , I only helped put in an article after he shared it on his twitter page.
“Before the infamous Sabra and Shatila massacre there was the Damour Massacre.
Today marks the 43rd anniversary of this horrific and outrageous crime against my people. When nearly 600 Lebanese civilians were brutally killed and thousands more forcibly displaced out of their homes.
Back then the Palestinian militias sparked the beginning of a long destructive civil war. The Palestinian armed militants led by Yaser Arafat aimed to cleanse the south from its inhabitants whom were opposing the oppressive Palestinian military presence and Arab nationalism
Palestinian militiamen taking celebratory pictures after taking over The Damour.
Arafat once stated that “the road to Jerusalem goes through Jounieh”, a Lebanese coastal city. This statement was regarded by many Lebanese as a disloyalty to Lebanon and a direct threat to the Lebanese.
On the 20th of January, 1976, Palestinian militias managed to besiege the Damour town after they’ve invaded the surrounded towns backed by leftist Lebanese militias.
It was a dark and bloody day in the history of the PLO in Lebanon. A History soaked in the blood of the slaughtered Lebanese infants and women.
For 2 weeks the town was bombarded with cannons by the Palestinian militants killing hundreds of civilians and amputating/injuring others, which eventually led to the disastrous fall of Damour.
Palestinian militias entered the Damour town and started massacring the Lebanese residents and forcibly displaced them. The militiamen closed all main entrances of Damour. Whole families were killed of whom the Kanaan family was the first, a family of a father, a pregnant mother and 4 children was brutally butchered.
Families like Abou Merhi, Eid, Makne and Abadallah were eliminated.
During the attack, most residents of Damour escaped to a nearby town and took shelter in one of the presidential castles there. The Lebanese Army failed to stop this massacre and only sent helicopters to rescue the Lebanese civilians. Those who couldn’t leave Damour were literally thrown in the sea by the Palestinian militias, Lebanese people were fleeing the atrocities of the PLO via boats while others fled along train tracks to find a way out.
Unfortunately many didn’t make it out, and dozens of trapped civilians hid in the churches that were being attacked by Palestinians with grenades.
It was estimated that the number of Palestinian militants who entered Damour was 5000.
“According to an eyewitness, the attack took place from the mountain behind the town. “It was an apocalypse,” said Father Mansour Labaky, a Christian Maronite priest who survived the massacre. “They were coming, thousands and thousands, Let us attack them for the Arabs, let us offer a holocaust”, and they were slaughtering everyone in their path, men, women and children.”
The militiamen arrested Lebanese men and publicly executed the young ones in the main square of Damour.
Women were raped and children were forced to witness their fathers being executed and stepped on by militants.
Perhaps the ironic part of this event is the fact that the Palestinian militias, who claimed to be against the Israeli atrocities against their people, butchered and forcibly displaced indigenous Lebanese people from Damour and the surrounding areas to settle Palestinian immigrants instead. Sounds familiar?
For decades many sides aimed to shy away this anniversary as it might “harm” the “Palestinian cause” that the same people have been milking for the past years to climb into power.
We are here to say that our blood also matters and we won’t allow any degradation of our martyrs, all the Lebanese martyrs.”
https://medium.com/@AsAbove_SoBelow/lebanons-long-forgotten-massacre-e3909e4bf13e?fbclid=IwAR3CG6WZ2BrojhVP9olYVroVVCRZUdFc0BhO9XaBXInRSdSmFciK8m19ThU

Helping Lebanon Succeed Is About More Than Countering Iran
Dalia Dassa Kaye/The National Interest/January 21/19
As tensions increase on the Israeli-Lebanese border following the discovery of Hezbollah-built tunnels last month and with President Donald Trump announcing a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria, the possibility is growing that a confrontation with Iran may move from Syria to Lebanon. Lebanon is increasingly viewed within the prism of containing Iranian influence, mainly as an arena to pushback on Iran’s key nonstate ally Hezbollah. But turning Lebanon into a new front against Iran would be a mistake.
Instead, American policymakers would be wise to engage Lebanon on its own terms. That is, as an important American partner and a rare example of a Middle East country with religious coexistence and a functioning democracy, albeit with the flaws and deadlocks inherent in a confessional political system. Yes, Hezbollah is a destabilizing influence within Lebanon and the region, but the best way to marginalize and weaken Hezbollah may be to help Lebanon succeed as a state, not to reduce Lebanon into a proxy front in a confrontation with Iran.
Yet despite remarkable resilience in containing the destabilizing spillover of the war in Syria next door and managing a refugee influx that is now at least a quarter of its population, Lebanon is in trouble. Most worrying is the possibility of an impending economic collapse. Widespread corruption, regular electricity shortages, poor infrastructure, reduced tourism, a debt to GDP ratio that is the third largest in the world (projected at 155 percent by the end of 2018), and an unemployment rate of 35 percent all contribute to economic anxiety. The continuing stalemate in forming a government since last May’s elections only further diminishes confidence in the government’s ability to handle the crisis. Another failed state in the region, let alone one on Israel’s border, could further ignite new regional wars and increase refugee flows and terrorism. This is not in anyone’s interest, including the United States.
The good news, however, is that Lebanon has attributes that may help it weather this storm. Known for its human capital with some of the top academic institutions in the region, Lebanese entrepreneurship continues to thrive despite the general economic and political malaise. Lebanon’s renowned banking sector maintains its professionalism and adheres to sanction restrictions against Hezbollah-linked entities as one of the most scrutinized sectors in the country.
The other key institution that transcends sectarianism is the widely respected Lebanese Armed Forces, or the LAF. Over the past decade this U.S.-trained army has proved to be highly capable in maintaining stability within the country, monitoring its borders and ports to prevent smuggling, and countering Islamic State extremists flowing in from Syria. On a recent visit to Lebanon a message a group of us from RAND heard again and again from a range of actors (who otherwise disagree) is that the LAF is one of the few state bodies that is independent and working. U.S. officials similarly view the LAF as a success story, one of the most reliable and professional military partners in the region. Many LAF officials have attended U.S. military colleges and are proud of their American training.
Appreciating these strengths and treating Lebanon as an independent actor may be the best way to ultimately weaken the influence of Iran and Hezbollah, and bolster one of the few free and pluralistic societies left in the region. Several practical steps could help.
First, maintaining U.S. assistance to the LAF is a relatively low-cost investment that is yielding high returns. U.S. security assistance to Lebanon has totaled over $1.5 billion dollars over ten years; in comparison, Egypt receives $1.3 billion in annual military aid. An effective multi-confessional army producing tangible gains for Lebanon’s security offers an important counter to Hezbollah and its sectarian agenda, even if it cannot take on the group directly (that needs to be done through political means).
Second, continued support for the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) and its peacekeeping mission on Lebanon’s southern border is helping to prevent another war between Israel and Hezbollah. Since the end of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, UNIFIL has kept the “blue line” (established after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000) quiet for twelve years, not a minor accomplishment in an area that has endured multiple conflicts. A tripartite committee comprised of UNIFIL, Israeli and Lebanese military officials meet regularly to discuss violations and de-escalate sources of tension. With no direct contact between the Israel Defense Force (IDF) and the LAF, the UN forces serve as an indispensable mediator to keep things calm in the border region. As tensions heighten over Hezbollah-built tunnels , UNIFIL is again playing a key role in preventing escalation. With all the conflicts in the region today, keeping this area quiet is an objective worthy of strong U.S. support and ample resources to help UNIFIL fulfill its mission.
It may also be important to expand the U.S. relationship with Lebanon beyond the military dimension to boost long-term stability. Increasing economic assistance and investment could usefully complement the strong U.S. military relationship with the LAF. Helping Lebanon secure a demarcation for natural gas exploration off its coast and encouraging U.S. companies to invest could enhance long-term economic ties and help spur growth and development. Setting benchmarks for assistance linked to crackdowns on corruption could encourage improved governance and narrow socioeconomic gaps. In short, the strategic goal could be to help Lebanon build a civil state that serves the broader public rather than only a small circle of sectarian leaders. As one official put it, Lebanon needs support for the rule of law, not just the rule of the strong.
Finally, American leaders should be wary of the narrative that “ Hezbollah is Lebanon .” As some Lebanese like to say, Hezbollah doesn’t control Lebanon; the Lebanese people are the victim of Hezbollah. The best way to prevent this false narrative from becoming reality could be supporting a successful Lebanese state and offering its people a better alternative. For the United States, turning its back on this small but strategically critical country and conflating U.S. interests in Lebanon solely with countering Iran could be short-sighted, and a missed opportunity at a time when the region has few.

Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports & News published on January 21-22/19
IDF: Iran’s Al Qods aimed the Fateh-110 missile at Golan, which Iron Dome intercepted
DEBKAfile/January 21/19
The ground-to-ground missile aimed at the Golan on Sunday, Jan. 20 was fired by Al Qods and made in Iran, the IDF spokesman said Monday. DEBKAfile: It was a Fateh-110 missile that was launched from a point in the Damascus region which Russia had promised would be kept out of bounds to the Iranians. The missile was intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system. It may be recalled that last year, Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, affirmed that the Iranians had withdrawn deep inside Syrian territory, more than 80km from the Israeli border.
IDF army spokesman Brig. Gen. Manelis said in a statement on Monday, Jan. 21 that Sunday’s missile attack on the Golan was aimed at civilians and carried out by the Iranian command – not local militias. For the first time, an Israeli military spokesman named the Al Qods Brigades (of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards under the command of Gen. Qassem Soleimani) as being present in the Damascus region. He said the Iranians “had planned the attack in advance for the purpose of deterring Israel from continuing its operations against them,” stressing: “This was an Iranian attempt to attack Israel.” Manolis said that, early Monday, Jan. 21, Israel, in its most extensive offensive hitherto against Iranian sites in Syria, had struck 10 targets, including “an important weapons warehouse” near the civilian section of Damascus International Airport” and, in other locations, an Iranian intelligence site and an Iranian training camp in Syria’s south. Some Iranian military facilities were embedded in Syrian military compounds. A series of secondary explosions was set off. Manelis said: “We warned the Syrians not to fire anti-aircraft missiles at our planes during the strike and they chose to fire anyway.” The IDF had responded with three waves of air strikes against the Syrian batteries.  DEBKAfile: The IDF spokesman made no mention of Russian involvement in Syria’s air defense operations against Israel. On Monday morning, the Russian army issued the following statement: Syrian air defenses destroyed over 30 cruise missiles and guided bombs when repelling the Israeli air strike. The statement added that 4 Syrian soldiers had been killed in the Israeli attack and 6 injured.

Netanyahu: Iran will face consequences for threatening Israel
Reuters, Timna, Israel/ Monday, 21 January 2019/Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s air strikes on Syria on Monday had mainly targeted military positions set up by Iran, which he warned would face consequences for threatening to destroy Israel. “We are operating both against Iran and against the Syrian forces that are abetting the Iranian aggression,” Netanyahu said in a speech. “We will strike at anyone who tried to harm us. Whoever threatens to eliminate us, bears full responsibility,” he said. Earlier, the commander of Iran’s air force, Brigadier Aziz Nasirzadeh, said that Iran will “eliminate Israel from the Earth” in a fiery statement to the Young Journalist Club, a website supervised by state television, Al Arabiya reported. This comes after Israel’s military said on Monday it struck Iranian Quds targets inside Syria and warned Syrian forces not to attack Israeli territory or forces. The Israeli air strikes and ground-to-ground missiles killed at least 11 fighters including two Syrians, a Britain-based war monitor said. “The young people are impatient and fully ready to battle the Zionist regime and make them vanish from the Earth,” Nasirzadeh said. “Our next generation with the knowledge necessary to learn their strengths are the promised ones who will destroy Israel,” he added in the statement.

Iran air force chief threatens to make Israel ‘vanish from earth’
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Monday, 21 January 2019/The commander of Iran’s air force, Brigadier Aziz Nasirzadeh, said that Iran will “eliminate Israel from the Earth” in a fiery statement to the Young Journalist Club, a website supervised by state television. This comes after Israel’s military said on Monday it struck Iranian Quds targets inside Syria and warned Syrian forces not to attack Israeli territory or forces.The Israeli air strikes and ground-to-ground missiles killed at least 11 fighters including two Syrians, a Britain-based war monitor said. “The young people are impatient and fully ready to battle the Zionist regime and make them vanish from the Earth,” Nasirzadeh said. “Our next generation with the knowledge necessary to learn their strengths are the promised ones who will destroy Israel,” he added in the statement. The overnight strikes followed cross-border attacks on Sunday in which Syria said it repelled an Israeli air attack. Israel said it intercepted a rocket fired at the Golan Heights. “We have a permanent policy, to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier.

Israel Says it Hit Iranian Military Sites in Syria; 11 Dead
Associated Press/Naharnet/January 21/19/Israeli jets struck a series of Iranian military targets in Syria early on Monday, the military said in a rare departure from its years-long policy of ambiguity regarding activities in neighboring war-torn Syria. The military said the targets included munition storage facilities, an intelligence site and a military training camp. The strikes were in response to a surface-to-surface rocket that Iranian forces fired toward Israel on Sunday that was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system over a ski resort in the Golan Heights. That followed a rare Israeli daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday's strikes lasted for nearly an hour and were the most intense Israeli attacks since May. It said 11 were killed in the strikes. The Russian military said four Syrian troops were among those killed. There were no further details on the casualties or their nationalities. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said the Iranian missile attack that prompted the strong Israeli response was "premeditated." Iranian forces in Syria fired the mid-range surface-to-surface missile toward Israel from the Damascus area — a missile that had been smuggled into Syria specifically for that purpose, he said. Conricus declined to further identify the type of missile, but said it hadn't been used in any of the internal fighting of the civil war and had "no business" being in Syria. Israel only recently acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes in Syria in recent years. It previously typically offered only general warnings against allowing Iran to establish a military foothold in Syria and refrained from commenting directly for fear of triggering a reaction and being drawn into the deadly fighting. Monday's announcement went a step further, reporting the strikes in real time and detailing the targets. Conricus would not confirm whether the measures marked an official abandonment of the policy of ambiguity, merely saying that it was a "retaliatory strike against active aggression by Iran." He said Israel had sent warnings to Syria ahead of the attack to refrain from attacking Israeli warplanes, but that Syria ignored those warnings and fired anti-aircraft missiles. He said Israel responded by destroying Syrian anti-aircraft batteries. The Russian military said that the Syrian air defenses shot down over 30 Israeli cruise missiles, a claim that was doubted in Israel. The military said the Mount Hermon ski site has been closed. Israel holds Syria responsible for allowing the Iranian forces to use Syrian territory as a base of operations against Israel. "Syria yesterday paid the price for allowing Iran to conduct attacks and to plan attacks from its soil," he said.

Deadly Israeli Strikes on Iranian Military Targets in Syria
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 January, 2019/Israeli air strikes and ground-to-ground missiles that hit Iranian and Syrian targets near Damascus in the early hours of Monday killed at least 11 fighters including two Syrians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. According to the war monitor, the bombardment hit the targets around Damascus as well as near a military airport to the south of the capital. Syrian military air defenses destroyed more than 30 cruise missiles and guided bombs during the Israeli air strikes, Russia's defense control center was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying. But the military center said that the air strikes killed four Syrian soldiers and wounded six. In an extraordinary statement, the Israeli military confirmed early Monday that it attacked Iranian military targets in Syria. The statement was issued hours after Israeli missile defenses intercepted an incoming missile over the Golan Heights in the wake of the airport raid. "We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory," the military statement said, warning the Syrian army “against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory."Until now Israel has largely refrained from public admissions of its covert military operations in neighboring Syria, in order to avoid large-scale involvement in the eight-year civil war. On Sunday, Syrian state media said air defenses repelled an Israeli air raid near the international airport south of Damascus. State TV said Syria's air defenses "prevented" the attack from achieving its goals. It said Israel targeted six missiles on an area near Damascus International Airport, of which five were shot down and one diverted to nearby empty farmland.

Israel, Iran Exchange Threats as Syria Tensions Flare
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 January, 2019/Tel Aviv and Tehran exchanged threats on Monday after Israeli warplanes pounded Iranian targets in Syria in response to a rocket that Iranian forces fired toward Israel. Speaking at a dedicating ceremony for a new airport, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel won't "allow such acts of aggression to go unanswered." Netanyahu vowed that "whoever tries to harm us, we will harm them. Whoever threatens to destroy us, will bear the full responsibility."It was Netanyahu's first acknowledgment of Israel's most severe strike in Syria in nearly a year. The Israeli military said the Iranian Revolutionary Guards targets that its jets struck in Syria included munition storage facilities, an intelligence site and a military training camp. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 11 were killed in the strikes. Netanyahu’s threats came after chief of the Iranian Air Force Gen. Aziz Nassirzadeh said his forces are "impatient and ready" to fight Israel in order to destroy it. A news website affiliated with Iran's state television, YJC.ir, quoted Nassirzadeh as saying that the Air Force's "young generation are impatient and ready for a fight against the Zionist regime to wipe it off the Earth." Nassirzadeh spoke during a visit to the Air Force's academy after the pre-dawn Israeli strikes. On Sunday, Iranian forces fired toward Israel a surface-to-surface rocket that was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system over a ski resort in the Golan Heights. That followed a rare Israeli daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport.

Polish deputy FM in Tehran over conference row
AFP, Tehran/Tuesday, 22 January 2019/Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Maciej Lang met in Tehran on Monday with his Iranian counterpart in an effort to solve a dispute over a conference his country is to host. Lang described as “constructive” his talks with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over the jointly organized conference with the United States on peace and security in the Middle East. “We spoke about a wide range of issues, including misunderstandings about the Warsaw conference, and I presented our point of view on this issue. We had a long discussion and I hope that I did it in a clear way,” Lang told AFP in an interview. “For Poland this conference is not against any country,” he said. The summit had first been announced on January 11 by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said that it “includes an important element of making sure that Iran is not a destabilizing influence” in the region. The Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement the reasons provided by the Polish government for co-organizing the summit were unacceptable and that the Poles “must be mindful of the consequences”.The Islamic republic would not allow any country in or outside the region “to build coalitions against its interests”, the statement said. Lang expressed hopes that the conference would have a positive impact on relations with Iran.

Germany bans Iranian airline on suspicion of spying, terror
Reuters, Berlin/Monday, 21 January 2019/Berlin has revoked Iranian airline Mahan’s right to operate in Germany, a senior government source told Reuters on Monday, giving both safety concerns and the suspicion that the airline was being used for military purposes as reasons.
The government suspects the airline, which has been on a United States sanctions list since 2011, is used for military purposes by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as well as for terrorist activities. Several European Union countries accuse Iran of carrying out spying operations or planning attacks on the continent. The government source said that the flight did not constitute general sanctions against Iran.

Iran re-arrests labor protest leader Esmail Bakhshi
AFP, Tehran/Monday, 21 January 2019/Iranian labor protest leader, Esmail Bakhshi, has been arrested for the second time, state media reported Monday, after the judiciary denied his claim that he was tortured in custody late last year. Bakhshi “was arrested last night in cooperation with security and law enforcement forces,” Mansour Mohammadi, the prosecutor general of Dezful, in Khuzestan province, told the judiciary’s news website Mizan Online. Bakhshi was one of the organizers of weeks of protests at the Haft Tapeh sugar factory in the city of Shush in November and December, over unpaid wages and alleged criminal activity by new private owners. State TV on Saturday broadcast a program claiming that Bakhshi and Sepideh Gholian, another activist who supported the Haft Tapeh strikers, had connections with Europe-based activists who “aim to topple the state”.
A screengrab from a video tweeted by Iran Freedom on November 16, in Shush, southwest where workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane factory had been protesting for the last 12 days at the time. (Supplied) The program featured footage of Bakhshi and Gholian sitting behind desks in front of red and blue curtains, detailing their connections and activities with the activists, allegedly based in several European countries. The footage was undated and taken in an unknown location. Both Bakhshi and Gholian were detained last year during the protests. Gholian was also arrested Sunday, according to Mizan Online.
Torture Claims
The semi-official Fars News Agency, close to conservatives, said Bakshi had attempted to flee the country to continue the “torture allegation project” abroad. After his release from his first detention, Bakhshi claimed on his Instagram account, that he had been tortured during his 25-day detention by agents of the intelligence ministry. In the post in early January, he also said the ministry had been eavesdropping on him and his family. His Instagram account was later deleted. The torture claim sparked a controversy in Iran, with officials from members of parliament to high-ranking judicial figures promising a full investigation. Enquiries by parliament, the judiciary and the intelligence ministry found that Bakhshi had not been tortured.
Protests
Iran saw multiple strikes and protests last year over working conditions in key sectors including steel, education, mining and transport. The Haft Tapeh protests ended in late December, with the workers being paid and the factory re-opening. In November, the head of Iran’s judiciary warned restive workers against creating “disorder”. Mizan Online quoted Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani saying: “workers should not allow their demands to become an excuse and an instrument for the enemy.”

Deadly Suicide Attack on Kurdish-US Convoy in Hasakeh
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 January, 2019/A suicide car bomb attack on a military convoy in the northeastern Syrian province of Hasakeh Monday killed five members of a Kurdish-led force accompanying US-led coalition troops, a monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said five fighters from the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces were killed in the attack. President Donald Trump announced last month that he planned to speedily withdraw US troops from Syria, but has since said it does not need to go quickly as he tries to ensure safety of Kurdish allies in northern Syria who are at risk of attack from neighboring Turkey. Last Wednesday, 19 people, including four Americans, were killed in an attack on a grill house in the central market of the flashpoint northern town of Manbij. The suicide bombing, claimed by ISIS, was the deadliest to hit US troops since they deployed to Syria in 2014. The four Americans killed in the blast were two soldiers, a civilian defense department employee and a Pentagon subcontractor.

UN Envoy in Russia, Hopes Conditions Met for Syrian Refugee Return
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 January, 2019/UN special envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen underlined on Monday the need to implement Security Council resolution 2254 to ensure the safe return of refugees to their homes.He made his remarks in Moscow where he met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He voiced his determination to work with Russia to set the political settlement on Syria back on track. The UN and Russia must play a central role in Syria and ensure the success of the political process, said Pedersen. Relations between Moscow and the UN must also be developed, he added. Pedersen had kicked off his duties last week by holding talks with Syrian officials in Damascus. He is the fourth UN envoy to seek a solution to Syria's conflict, after endless rounds of failed UN-brokered peace talks.

McGurk Decries 'Total Reversal' of US Policy on Syria
Washington- Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 January, 2019/The United States has no plan for Syria as it proceeds with President Donald Trump's order to pull American troops out of the country, a top official who quit in protest at the policy said on Sunday. Brett McGurk, who was America's envoy to the US-led global coalition against ISIS, said "there's no plan for what's coming next" and this is increasing the risk to US forces. He spoke in an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation," after a suicide bomber on Wednesday killed four Americans and 15 others in the northern Syrian town of Manbij. It was the deadliest attack to hit US troops since they deployed to Syria in 2014 to assist local forces against ISIS. The bombing came after Trump's announcement last month that he was ordering a full withdrawal of the 2,000 US troops from Syria, shocking allies and leading to the resignations of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis as well as McGurk. McGurk, a longtime diplomat who was appointed special envoy by President Barack Obama in 2015, criticized Trump's decision to order the withdrawal of US troops, which he cast as a "total reversal" of years of US policy in the region. "On instructions from the White House, we were telling [U.S. partners on the ground that] we'd stay in Syria until we completed the enduring defeat of ISIS, not just the physical territory. We'd stay in Syria until the Iranians left Syria, and also until there was a irreversible political progress in Geneva to end the ultimate civil war," McGurk said. "And it was the total reversal of our policy that made it — I just, I concluded I could not be effective in carrying out those new instructions."McGurk said a "sustainable" plan had been in place to defeat ISIS and begin serious negotiations with parties in Syria, including Russia. "The minute you announce to the world that you're leaving, a vacuum opens up and all the other powers in the region start making different calculations," he said. Still, givenTrump's announcement, he said the world "has to really accept some hard truths — I think, number one, we are leaving. The president has made that clear — we are leaving." Senior US officials have since given contradictory statements about US intentions, but the Pentagon said it had begun the withdrawal, although how long it would take remained uncertain. Trump announced the US withdrawal because, he said, ISIS had been defeated -- something McGurk and other experts dispute.
McGurk has previously warned that the US pullout would shore up Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and lessen America's leverage with Russia and Iran.

Erdogan Says Syria ‘Safe Zone’ Will Not Harbor Kurdish Separatists
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 January, 2019/Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated Monday that Ankara will not allow Kurdish separatists to set up base in a planned “safe zone” in northern Syria. Last week, following US President Donald Trump’s decision on December 19 to withdraw all 2,000 US troops from Syria, Erdogan said he and Trump had discussed Turkey setting up a 20-mile-deep safe zone inside Syria along the length of their border. Erdogan said Turkey would work with anyone willing to provide it with logistics support for the zone, but that it would take action in Syria if promises were not kept. “We are not talking of a safe zone (as protection) against Turkey, but rather one against terrorists.”Turkish planes regularly attack bases in northern Iraq belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been fighting for three decades for autonomy for southeast Turkey. It is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and European Union. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the Syria pullout process and bilateral issues in a phonecall on Monday, a Turkish foreign ministry source said. No further details were immediately available. On Sunday, Erdogan told Trump that Turkey was ready to take over security in Syria’s Manbij, where two US soldiers and two American civilian staff died last week in an attack claimed by ISIS. Turkey has welcomed Trump’s decision to pull out US forces as it makes preparations for an offensive in northern Syria against the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey says is linked to the PKK. US forces have been helping the YPG to drive ISIS out of swathes of northern Syria, and Trump’s decision, which confounded his own national security team, has prompted accusations at home that he is abandoning an ally. US-Turkish ties have been strained for months over US support for the YPG and a host of other issues. “If the promises made to us are kept and the process continues, all the better. If not, we have already largely completed our preparations, so we will start taking steps in line with our own strategy,” Erdogan said.

Netanyahu Hopes for ‘Breakthrough’ as Israel, Chad Revive Ties
N'Djamena - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 January, 2019/Israel and Chad restored diplomatic relations after nearly 50 years as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the central African nation on Sunday. Netanyahu and Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno have "announced the renewal of diplomatic relations between Chad and Israel", a statement from the Israeli premier's office said, shortly after he arrived in N'djamena. Netanyahu on Twitter called the announcement "a historic moment". "Israel is making inroads into the Islamic world. This is the result of considerable effort in recent years," Netanhyahu's office said. He hailed what he called a "historic and important breakthrough" with the Muslim-majority country that borders Libya and Sudan. Speaking at a joint press event, Deby said that despite the renewal of ties with Israel, "Chad remains attached to the peace process between Israel and Palestine." Both sides should prioritize dialogue and negotiation towards a lasting peace "in conformity with United Nations resolutions", he added. Deby echoed Netanyahu's call for closer cooperation: "I note with satisfaction our shared view on the need to combine forces to tackle terrorism, which spares no country." The two leaders signed defense and security cooperation agreements Sunday, but no details were released to the media. They have in the past declined to comment on whether their talks have included arms deals. But Chadian security sources say the country has acquired Israeli equipment to help battle rebels in the country's north.

Turkey: Over 15,000 Military Officers Suspended Since 2016 Failed Coup
Ankara - Saeed Abdelrazek/Monday, 21 January, 2019/Turkish authorities have suspended 15,213 military personnel, including generals and officers of various ranks, since the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. Following the abortive coup, which has been blamed by Ankara on an organization affiliated with Fathullah Gulen, the authorities have investigated 6,838 officers and military personnel, according to the recently-appointed Defense Ministry spokeswoman Lieutenant Commander Nadide Sebnem Aktop. In the wake of the failed attempt to overthrow the government, the Turkish army witnessed the largest restructuring in its history and became directly subject to the president’s authority. Ankara says these measures are part of a “purge” against followers of Gulen, a former ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). They broke their ties after corruption and bribery investigations carried out by the security services and the prosecution in late 2013. The cases involved several ministers, their sons, businessmen and senior banking officials close to Erdogan, who at the time was the country’s prime minister. Gulen has denied the charges, and the West and international human rights groups have said that Erdogan has used the abortive coup as a pretext to quash dissent. As part of the campaign, authorities forced a state of emergency for two years until July 19 last year, replaced articles in the country’s anti-terrorism law, arrested 402,000 people, of whom around 80,000 remain in detention, and suspended over 175,000 employees, according to international rights reports.
In a related development, the Turkish prosecutor has issued an indictment against local employee of the US Consulate in Istanbul, Metin Tobuz, who was arrested in October 2017 on suspicion of links to Gulen’s organization. Topuz’s 78-page indictment stated that he had very close contact with police officers suspected of playing a role in the coup attempt. The document listed Erdogan and former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, among others, as plaintiffs. Relations between Ankara and Washington have been strained over US support for Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, Turkey’s plan to buy a Russian missile defense system, S-400, and the US jailing of an executive at a Turkish state bank in an Iran sanctions-fleeing case. Ankara has repeatedly demanded that the United States extradite Gulen, who has been in self-imposed exile since 1999. Topuz, along with two other local consulate employees, remain in jail as does a Turkish-US national and former NASA scientist who faces terrorism charges. Washington wants them freed as Ankara demands the release of Mohammed Hakan Atilla. This has led to a months-long suspension of bilateral visa services.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights indicated that Turkey is holding more than 160,000 people and suspended even more public servants over alleged links to the attempted coup. In other news, the Turkish Parliament rejected a proposal to investigate the murder of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink. Dink was assassinated in Istanbul on January 19, 2007 by teenage nationalist, Ogun Samast, near the Istanbul-based newspaper Agos. Dink, whose family and friends celebrated the 12th anniversary of his murder on Saturday, was outspoken about Armenian issues and minority rights. He was prosecuted three times for violating Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, which makes it a crime to insult the Turkish nation or Turkish institutions. Turkish media reported on Sunday that parliament had rejected a proposal of Armenian MP Garo Paylan of the People’s Democratic Party to take up the case of Dink. Samast was arrested on his way to Trabzon province and later said he didn’t regret his crime. In his testimony, Samast claimed he committed the assassination of Dink on his own after he read in the newspapers accusations against the journalist of insulting the Turkish identity.

Iraq to Gradually Transfer Local Security from Army Hold to Police
Baghdad- Hamza Mustafa/Asharq Al-Awsat//Monday, 21 January, 2019/Iraqi authorities are considering the gradual transition of security affairs in the country from the army-dominated Iraqi Security Forces to the police, in a move advocating for the argument that the once war-torn country is back on track to stabilizing. The defense and security committee at the parliament said it had arrived at an agreement with the National Army Chief of Staff Othman al-Ghanmi for the transfer of security operations in central and southern provinces from the army’s hold to police apparatuses.
The agreement, however, excludes western provinces which are still undergoing clearing ops and efforts to remove war debris and rubble. A security official told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the meeting with the Security and Defense Committee discussed, among other things, the rumored existence of US bases in the country or the presence of foreign forces. The meeting also tackled the transferring of security regulation in a number of provinces to the ministry of interior and local police station.” “Baghdad will be included in the second phase the transfer plan and there is a third phase related to some western and northwestern provinces,” the security official added. Member of the parliamentary defense and security committee Nayef Al Shimmeri confirmed that the body has met with Ghanmi who in turn voiced the army’s preparedness to hand over security control to local police stations in seven central and southern provinces.
Shimmeri explained that it was imperative that three security agencies- local police, federal police and the army-- be active in every Iraqi province. “The Iraqi army has fought against ISIS on behalf of the world, and the coming fight against the terror group will be unorthodox and heavily rely on intelligence, not conventional warfare,” Shimmeri said as Iraq has seen the near-complete elimination of ISIS’ physical space in the country. The Iraqi official also stressed a strong desire for positive engagement between local police services and the public. Shimmeri went on to reaffirm a need for strong support from the government and legislative bodies to be given to intelligence agencies in Iraq, calling for a substantial upgrade in available equipment.

PA Refuses to Close UNRWA Schools in Jerusalem
Asharq Al-Awsat//Monday, 21 January, 2019/The Palestinian Authority rejected the decision of Israel’s National Security Council to revoke permits allowing UNRWA schools in Jerusalem to operate starting next school year.Officials considered it a further step in the process of Judaizing the city and violating refugee rights. Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi said the Israeli government's provocative decision targeting Palestinian refugees in Jerusalem, including closing down and appropriating UNRWA institutions, is an affront to international law and international humanitarian law as well as the will of the international community as expressed in United Nations resolutions. "This plan is part of a wider Israeli strategy that targets Jerusalem and its institutions within the framework of the occupying state's strategy of Judaizing the Holy City, promoting the policy of ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, extending control over all aspects of life, and imposing new facts on the ground," said a statement issued by Ashrawi’s office. She pointed out that UNRWA’s schools and institutions were internationally mandated before Israel occupied the territories in 1967. Israel is an occupying power and does not have sovereignty, she stressed, adding that the Palestinian refugees are victims of the establishment of the State of Israel, which is responsible for their displacement and deprivation of their land and property. Ashrawi noted that Israel does not have the right to change UNRWA’s duties and responsibilities as defined by the UN. She also accused the United States of providing Israel with political, financial and legal cover, considering that the latter should not be allowed to impose its will on the international community or target its institutions. Notably, UNRWA schools will be replaced by schools run by the Jerusalem municipality and under the aegis of the Israeli Education Ministry, according to Israel’s National Security Council’s decision. Prior to the end of his tenure in December, Jerusalem former mayor Nir Bakat detailed a proposal to expel UNRWA from the capital and have the municipality provide education, health, welfare, and sanitation services in its place. UNRWA was established in 1949 after 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes by Israel’s paramilitaries in the run-up to the establishment of its state. It currently provides services to five million Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

Sudan President Accuses ‘Infiltrators’ of Killing Protesters
Khartoum/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 January, 2019/Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir accused Sunday "infiltrators" of killing anti-government protesters in order to incite strife, denying that his forces were involved in any attacks. During an annual gathering of Sufi sects at al-Kireida area, he vowed to respect the will of the people in the 2020 elections. “We tell the youth that the country is your country and the future is your future. Next year’s elections are not far off and we will respect the people’s choice.”“The youth went out to express themselves but sabotaging forces hid among them and created chaos,” Bashir added. He said: “We have arrested rebels in Darfur who admitted to killing protesters. Investigations have proven that the death of protesters has been executed by infiltrators who want chaos.”He admitted the country is going through an economic crisis, however, he blamed it on the “economic, media and diplomatic blockade, as well as war and rebellion.”“The Sudanese people decide who rules them," he asserted, adding that this decision is made through the ballot boxes.“We have a year until 2020. After a year, the Sudanese people will decide who will rule them.”"We stand by the choice of the Sudanese people. We respect people's choice. We gave power to citizens to choose their...MPs and their government... through free elections,” he concluded. Meanwhile, police used tear gas to prevent protesters from marching towards the parliament in Omdurman who were calling for the president and government’s resignation. Shortly after the main demonstrations were dispersed, protesters staged smaller rallies in neighborhoods and alleys. Before the protests began, police fired tear gas at people in the streets to prevent their gathering. Witnesses said the demonstrators ignored the police and organized a march chanting: "Freedom, Peace, Justice" and then dispersed to the demonstrations inside neighborhoods. Police and security services heavily fired tear gas in Omdurman, detained dozens of demonstrators and took them to unknown destinations, while gunshots were heard in several areas, according to witnesses.
Near Bashir’s residence in the Kafouri district of Khartoum, demonstrators gathered outside the home of doctor Babeker Abdul Hamid, who was shot dead by police on Thursday. They have been blocking the road leading to his house for the past two days. Students at the National Ribat University organized a protest, which the police dispersed amid unconfirmed reports about the suspension of the university's classes. Doctors in several cities held protests, which began with a work strike, as teachers, lawyers and pharmacists continued their protests. Meanwhile, the Sudanese Doctors Committee, linked to anti-government protests, apologized for incorrectly reporting that a child had been killed in Thursday’s demonstrations. Authorities said that two people were killed in last week’s protests, but the organizers put the figure at three. Since December 10, 26 people have been killed by security forces, according to official numbers, but Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch cited reliable sources and announced that the number reached 40, including children and doctors. Opposition parties accuse “unregulated” brigades, affiliated with First Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, of carrying out widespread violations against demonstrators and using live ammunition. Taha had threatened the opposition with the brigades’ readiness to sacrifice lives to preserve the regime. The Sudanese Professionals Association that is leading the protest movement called for new demonstrations throughout the week, and announced that the capital and Omdurman will witness night demonstrations on Tuesday, and that Thursday will witness marches across Sudan. In addition, the Democratic Lawyers Alliance announced that all lawyers in Khartoum and the various states of Sudan will begin a two-day work strike on Monday in all of the country’s courts and government bodies.

Sisi: Looks Forward to Paradigm Shift in Ties with France
Cairo - Mohammed Abdo Hassanein/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 January, 2019/Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said Sunday that his country looks forward to achieving a paradigm shift in relations with France, stressing that Cairo is keen to continue cooperation with Paris and boost ties in all fields. He made his remarks following talks in Cairo with French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire over economic ties and bilateral relations. Presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement that Sisi expressed Egypt’s aspiration to maximize cooperation with France on various regional and international issues, especially the current crises in the Middle East, the repercussions of which extend to the Mediterranean region. Le Maire is in Cairo in preparation for an anticipated visit by French President Emmanuel Macron later this month. It would be his first since assuming office in 2017, state-owned MENA agency reported. Sisi had visited Paris in October 2017 where he discussed with Macron joint efforts to combat terrorism, the Middle East peace process and situation in Libya. Le Maire stressed his country’s pride in the strong relations with Egypt as a cornerstone of stability in the Middle East and its keenness to support and strengthen them further. Since Sisi came to power in 2014, relations between Cairo and Paris improved significantly due to French arms deals which include 24 Rafale aircraft, in addition to a Naval Group multi-mission frigate and two Mistral helicopter carriers worth 950 million euros. Radi said that the two leaders discussed maximum cooperation in the health, renewable energy, transportation and logistics sectors. Sisi highlighted the priority of economic and trade cooperation between Egypt and France and the enhancement of French investments in the Egyptian market, which represents a starting point for French exports to the region.

Calls for Amending Law on Presidential Terms Gain Legal, Media Attention in Egypt
Cairo- Mohammed Nabil Helmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 January, 2019/The legal battle to ratify amendments allowing Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s stay in office for the duration of national political transition in Egypt continues to gain steam, despite the Cairo Court for Urgent Matters on Sunday postponing the revision of a lawsuit addressing the topic to February 24. The lawsuit, filed by several people, calls on the House of Representatives’ speaker to request the parliament to convene with the aim of voting on a proposal to amend article 140 of the Constitution, Egypt’s official MENA news agency reported. Egypt’s influential journalist and editor-in-chief of state-run Akhbar Al-Youm daily Yasser Rizk, stressed the need for a minimal “10-year transitional period for political reform in the country.” In an editorial published on Sunday, Rizk explains that Sisi’s time in office has launched a “process of political reform” and will not be seen to completion if another person is elected to post. Rizk said that article 226, which prevents the amendment of provisions pertaining to the president’s re-election, undermines the power of the people which is enshrined in their right to vote in referendums. According to article 226 of the Egyptian Constitution, the President of the Republic, or five members of the House of Representatives, may request the amendment of one or more articles of the constitution. Nevertheless, it later places several hurdles on modifying legislation concerning “presidential terms and national principles of freedom and equality.”Last June, after a landslide victory, Sisi was sworn in for the second term, the last allowed for him to serve according to existing law. The article in question by the lawsuit stipulates that the president of the republic can only be re-elected for a one four-year term. According to the proposal stated in the lawsuit, the president shall be re-elected for more similar terms as long as the people approve via a referendum. The proposal said the current president’s available terms, estimated at eight years, are “too short, given the dangers, challenges and economic and security hazards that have been encountered by the state.”

British PM to Unveil New Brexit Strategy
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January 21/19/British Prime Minister Theresa May unveils her Brexit "Plan B" to parliament on Monday after MPs shredded her EU divorce deal, deepening the political gridlock 10 weeks from departure day. Britain will crash out of the European Union on March 29 unless MPs can force a delay or come up with an alternative plan that Brussels is also happy with, before the deadline. London and Brussels have spent the best part of two years working on the divorce deal but MPs in parliament's lower House of Commons comprehensively rejected it on Tuesday. EU leaders have signaled they could alter the agreement if May dropped some of her negotiating "red lines" but British media on Monday reported that she would instead attempt to negotiate some changes to the existing agreement. The reports were met with skepticism in Europe. "I don't think it can be saved by marginal adjustments in the current plan. I don't think she can convince MPs by presenting the same thing to them with slight tweaks," Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said in Brussels. "It therefore has to present something substantially different." Asked if he would change the Brexit deal, Slovakia's Miroslav Lajcak said: "Why? So you want the EU to be a bigger loser than the UK? Is this what you really want? "This is a fair deal that 27 members strongly support so I would really not touch," he said. After surviving a Commons confidence vote on Wednesday, May last week reached out to opposition parties to seek a compromise solution but the talks appear to have fallen through. Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labor Party stayed away, saying that a "no-deal" departure must be ruled out first -- something May says is impossible.
Amendments
After May sets out her plans for the way ahead, lawmakers are set to table a series of amendments, to be voted upon on January 29. At least two groups of MPs are planning to table amendments to enable backbenchers to delay Brexit and prevent Britain leaving the EU with no agreement. One of the proposals would enable MPs to debate and vote on Brexit issues, giving them far greater influence over government strategy. May's Downing Street office has called them "extremely concerning." "You've got a Leave population and a Remain parliament," International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, one of the senior Brexiteers in May's cabinet, said on Sunday. "Parliament has not got the right to hijack the Brexit process... and in fact steal the result from the people," he told BBC television. Britain voted by a 52-48 margin in favor of leaving the EU in a referendum in 2016 that exposed deep divisions in British society.
Irish backstop
One of the most problematic areas of the divorce deal is the so-called backstop on the Irish border -- a legal guarantee that the frontier would remain free-flowing if Britain and the EU cannot agree a long-term free trade pact. Changes in the backstop could help win over Conservative euroskeptics, and the party's Democratic Unionist allies that May counts upon for a majority in parliament. Graham Brady, who chairs the committee of backbench Conservative MPs, said he thought May could get her Brexit deal past Conservative rebels if the Irish backstop "can be sorted out". "So much of the vote against was from people who simply cannot support a potentially permanent backstop, if that can be sorted out then I think we might get that withdrawal agreement through," he told BBC radio. He said it was in Ireland's interests to help Britain leave the EU with a deal, saying they would be far more hurt by a no-deal Brexit that Britain as most of their trade comes through the UK. But Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said Sunday that he and Prime Minister Leo Varadkar were in no mood to support alterations to the withdrawal agreement (WA) or the backstop. "We remain united and focused on protecting Ireland," he said.
"That includes continued support for the EU/UK agreed WA in full, including the backstop as negotiated."

Taliban Announces Meeting with U.S. Officials in Qatar
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January 21/19/The Taliban said it met with U.S. officials in Qatar on Monday, in the latest round of talks between the insurgents and Washington aimed at bringing an end to the 17-year war. The U.S. has not officially commented on the reported meeting, which follows the last confirmed talks between the two parties in the UAE in December. "Following American acceptance of the agenda of ending the occupation of Afghanistan and preventing Afghanistan from being used against other countries in the future, talks with American representatives took place today in Doha, the capital of Qatar," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement. The announcement comes a day after U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad left Pakistan where he had met with Prime Minister Imran Khan, who arrived in Doha for an official visit Monday. Khalilzad's has held a flurry of meetings around the region, including in Kabul last week, to garner support for the burgeoning dialogue. Taliban representatives have met several times with U.S. officials in recent months, but last week threatened to suspend the fledgling process, lambasting Washington for changing the agenda of the talks and "unilaterally" adding new subjects. The insurgents have long refused to hold direct talks with the Kabul government -- despite U.S. pleas -- which the Taliban dismisses as a puppet of Washington. U.S. officials said in December that President Donald Trump intends to withdraw as many as half of the 14,000 U.S. troops deployed in Afghanistan.

Venezuela Soldiers 'Arrested' after Video Urging Anti-Maduro Revolt
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January 21/19/A group of soldiers rose up against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at a command post near Caracas Monday, posting an appeal for public support in a video. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino issued a statement after the video was posted saying the soldiers were arrested. The soldiers rose up at a National Guard command post in Cotiza, north of Caracas, which was surrounded by police and troops. "We are the professional troop of the National Guard against the regime, which we completely repudiate. I need your help, take to the streets," a man who identified himself as the group's sergeant said in video images circulated on social media.

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 21-22/19
Turkey's Unjust Justice System: Armenian MP Under Attack
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/January 21/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13569/unjust-turkey
Armenian member of parliament Garo Paylan has good reason to fear for his safety. In January 2007, the Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was shot and killed outside his newspaper's office in Istanbul. Dink, known for his outspokenness on the Armenian genocide, was prosecuted under Article 301, and received numerous death threats. It has been 12 years since Dink's murder, and the case has yet to be solved.
Prosecutors are stepping up their efforts to have Paylan's parliamentary immunity removed, so that he can be tried for "insulting Turkey." This is a travesty of justice perpetrated by the very system charged with upholding justice.
On January 13, US President Donald Trump warned Turkey of possible economic sanctions if it attacks Kurds in Syria following the American withdrawal of troops from the war-torn country. Washington would do well to apply similar pressure to Ankara, a member of NATO, to cease violating the human rights -- and endangering the lives -- of other ethnic minorities and critics, such as Paylan.
Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of Turkey's parliament, was physically attacked by a group of lawmakers from President Erdogan's ruling AKP party, because he spoke out against Turkey's "ethnic cleansing" of the Kurds in Afrin, Syria. Pictured: Garo Paylan. (Image source: Armenian National Committee of America video screenshot)
Turkish prosecutors have filed a motion to strip an Armenian lawmaker of his parliamentary immunity over his outspoken criticism of the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Invoking Article 301 of the Turkish penal code -- which states that "insulting the Republic of Turkey, the Turkish nation or Turkish government institutions" is punishable by a prison sentence -- the prosecutor's office of Diyarbakir began proceedings against Garo Paylan, who was elected in 2015 to Turkey's Grand National Assembly as a member of the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).
Since that time, Paylan has been targeted by Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Last March, for example, Paylan and fellow HDP members were physically attacked by a group of AKP lawmakers for speaking out against Turkey's "ethnic cleansing" of the Kurds in Afrin, Syria. The following day, Paylan tweeted:
"Last night at the parliament, the AKP members tried to lynch us. They show their barbarism everywhere. We will continue to resist the fascists and we will win."
In May 2017, Erdogan watched as 12 of his guards beat up protestors in Washington, DC. Last July, all but seven indictments against the guards had quietly been dropped.
The assault on Paylan during a parliamentary session was not the first. In May 2016, after voting against a proposed bill to strip parliamentary immunity from some of his fellow MPs, Paylan was shoved, kicked and punched by angry AKP members calling him "Armenian bastard."
Istanbul's Committee Against Racism and Discrimination of the Human Rights Association of Turkey (IHD) condemned the attack in a letter to the president of the parliament. The letter read, in part:
"The physical assault by members of the Justice and Development Party against members of the Peoples' Democratic Party... which in fact left some members of the HDP injured, has thoroughly exposed the absence of the rule of law in this country.
"The perpetrators of the physical attacks, which are reminiscent of lynching, against HDP members of Parliament, have committed an egregious crime at a time when significant efforts are made to sideline the Peoples' Democratic Party from politics, to imprison the MPs, and to prevent the necessary conditions for the representation of a people.
"This crime is not only one of assault, battery, or injury. This is also a crime of racial hatred...
"This act of racism directed against Garo Paylan under the roof of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey also violates international conventions, signed by the Turkish state, which prohibit racism and discrimination. For instance, Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights prohibits discrimination in no uncertain terms. Moreover, the state of the Republic of Turkey has signed the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action of 1993, which obligate the signatory states to take precautions against racism."
A few months later, in January 2017, Paylan was censored and temporarily banned from parliamentary sessions after delivering a speech in which he said:
"Between 1913 and 1923, we [Turkey] lost four peoples: Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, and Jews were lost. They were either exposed to major massacres and genocides or subjected to population exchanges and exiles...
"We [Christians] used to account for 40 percent [of the country's population]. Now we are barely one out of a 1,000. It seems likely that something happened to us. I call it genocide. You can call it whatever you want.
"The Armenian people know very well what was done to them... I know very well what was done to my ancestors, my grandfather. To you, I am one of the 'leftovers of the sword' [a Turkish expression often used to describe survivors of massacres against Christians]... to learn lessons... from the past, let's look at this together."
Paylan's statements were greeted by angry shouts from AKP members. The deputy speaker of the Assembly, Ahmet Aydin, warned Paylan to "watch out for [his] behavior and attitude, and stop uttering words that offend the Turkish nation."
The Turkish lawmakers then voted to ban Paylan from participating in the parliament for the next three sessions, and the section of his speech about the Armenian genocide was removed from the parliamentary minutes.
The hysteria over Paylan's speech, however, did not remain in the confines of the parliament. As a result of the address, and of an interview Paylan gave to an Armenian publication in Canada, a former university rector filed a criminal complaint against him. The office of the chief prosecutor in Ankara accepted the complaint, and by the end of 2017, the Turkish Justice Ministry gave permission to open a formal investigation into Paylan, in accordance with Article 301.
This kind of hostility to Armenians is widespread in Turkish society and, as is evident, protected by the government.
During a pro-Erdogan rally in Trabzon in October 2016, in another example, the crowd started chanting, "Armenian bastards cannot deter us." Erdogan and the ministers there did not intervene.
Paylan's lawyer then filed a criminal complaint against rally organizers and those who shouted the ethnic slurs. The complaint read in part:
"The fact that Erdogan stayed silent and did not stop the slogans has facilitated the targeting of Armenians... Paylan has seriously been impacted by these slogans and has been exposed to threats and insults by people encouraged by [them]."
Paylan has good reason to fear for his safety. In January 2007, the Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was shot and killed outside his newspaper's office in Istanbul. Dink, known for his outspokenness on the Armenian genocide, was prosecuted under Article 301, and received numerous death threats. It has been 12 years since Dink's murder, and the case has yet to be solved.
It has been three years since Paylan was verbally and physically abused by Turkish parliamentarians. Not only has nothing been done by Turkish authorities to prevent Paylan from experiencing the same fate as Dink, but prosecutors are stepping up their efforts to have his parliamentary immunity stripped, so that he can be tried, under Article 301, for "insulting Turkey."
This is a travesty of justice perpetrated by the very system charged with upholding justice.
On January 13, US President Donald Trump warned Turkey of possible economic sanctions if it attacks Kurds in Syria following the American withdrawal of troops from the war-torn country. This was apparently Trump's way of leveraging the Erdogan regime to comply with US wishes. Washington would do well to apply similar pressure to Ankara, a NATO member, to cease violating the human rights -- and endangering the lives -- of minorities and critics, such as Paylan.
*Uzay Bulut is a Turkish journalist born and raised in Turkey. She is presently 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.

The Conflict Over Iraq
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat/January,21/19
Uncertainty is a permanent occupant in the Iraqi-Iranian relations. It involves mutual suspicions and concerns which prove that what’s between them surpasses border disputes. Iraq has long presented itself as a barrier to the flow of Iranian influence in the direction of Arab land. Iran has long regarded Iraq as an obstacle to expanding its role and movement. Under this climate, each side sought to secure advantages on the other’s land. Iran considered that Iraq’s fragile structure could be penetrated through the Shiite and Kurdish components. Iraq, for its part, did not hesitate to raise the issue of “Arabistan” and sympathize with the Kurds beyond the border, despite the suppression of the same community within its map.
A number of events confirm the thorny nature of relations between Tehran and Baghdad. On March 6, 1975, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Iraqi Vice President Saddam Hussein signed the “Algiers Accord”, under the auspices of President Houari Boumediene. Saddam made border concessions to Iran in return for a pledge to stop supporting the Kurdish revolution that collapsed under the agreement. Those compromises left deep wounds in the soul of Saddam Hussein and were among the reasons that led him to wage war against Iran.
A year before the war, in September 1979, President Saddam participated in the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Havana, where he met with Iranian Foreign Minister Ebrahim Yazdi. Following the meeting, Iraq’s permanent representative to the United Nations and member of the Baath Party’s national leadership, Salah Omar al-Ali, tried to encourage Saddam to deepen dialogue with Iran, which was in turmoil. Saddam’s response was resounding: “This opportunity may not happen once every hundred years. Opportunity is available today. We will break the heads of the Iranians and we will return every inch they occupied. We will regain Shatt al-Arab.” Saddam inaugurated the 1970s by foiling what was known as “Al-Rawi plot”, sponsored by the Iranian apparatuses with the knowledge of the Shah himself.
The opportunity that may not come once every hundred years has been given to Iran on a plate, perhaps unwittingly. The opportunity came when the US uprooted Saddam’s regime, split the Iraqi army and went too far in its de-Baathification policy. Tehran realized that the opportunity might not be repeated. That is why it decided to penetrate the Iraqi structure, not only to prevent the possibility of the emergence of a hostile Iraq, but also to ensure that the country will move in its orbit. The road will be paved for such an opportunity when Barack Obama executes his decision to withdraw the US troops from Iraq, knowing that the American influence in Mesopotamia had diminished long before the troops’ departure.
A new Iraqi tragedy that Iran has transformed into an opportunity: In June 2014, Mosul fell in the hands of ISIS. The government of Nuri al-Maliki did not have a choice but to ask for the Americans’ help. In parallel, the Shiite authority, represented by Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, called for “Jihad” against ISIS. The pro-Iran Iraqi armed factions took advantage of this environment to engage in the “popular mobilization forces.” In 2016, under the government of Haider al-Abadi and by pressure from Iran, the Popular Mobilization Forces’ authority was legitimized to become part of the state security institutions.
It is no longer possible today to talk about an Iraqi-Iranian conflict. Iran lives inside Iraq, in its entity and decision-making. It is a mandatory crossing in the selection of presidents and officials in sensitive security posts. If it avoids boasting about its right to appoint, it certainly has the right to veto persons who do not follow its directions. It enjoys a crucial presence within the Shiite component, with a certain influence within the Arab Sunni and Kurdish components. The best proof is the intervention of General Qassim Soleimani so that Baghdad does not go far in punishing the Kurds after they voted in favor of self-determination, in a referendum called for by Massoud Barzani in September 2017.
We are witnessing today some features of a chapter of conflict over Iraq between the United States and Iran. Many considerations have imposed a kind of coexistence between the American and Iranian hegemony under the governments of Maliki and Abadi. The circumstances are different today, especially after Donald Trump’s administration abandoned the nuclear agreement with Iran and returned to impose “unprecedented” sanctions on Tehran.
A quick comparison with its connotations: Trump visited US troops in Iraq without prior notice and did not go to Baghdad. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Baghdad without prior announcement. This happened in a country where the US has spent the blood of thousands of soldiers and billions of dollars and imagined that it would create a democratic state or a loyal regime at worst.
After Pompeo’s visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif toured Kurdistan, Baghdad and the South. He met officials, leaders from the Popular Mobilization Forces, clan chiefs and businessmen. Zarif said Pompeo had absolutely no right “to intervene in the affairs of Iran and Iraq.”
“We and Iraq have relations older than the presence of the United States and we will maintain those relations,” he went on, noting that his visit to Iraq was “the longest trip I make to a country in the world.”
Zarif’s visit coincided with repeated statements by Iraqi MPs calling for the drafting of a law that provides for the departure of “foreign forces”, hinting at the US troops. A bit of tolerance towards the Turkish military presence has emerged after Ankara approached Moscow and Tehran in the Syrian file. There are those who believe that speeding up the withdrawal of Americans may require harassment by “unknown” organizations, as implicitly said in a report by the International Crisis Group, which quoted a senior Iranian national security official as saying that Iraq was the most probable theater of confrontation with the US.
There are those who believe that Iran insists on resolving the Iraqi situation in its favor, fearing gradual limitation to its role in Syria, with the mounting acknowledgment of the Russian influence there. Moreover, field developments in Yemen are proving to be not in favor of the Houthis. In the conflict over Iraq, Turkey has not been able to attain a prominent role as it is trying to do in Syria. As for the Arabs, the option available to them is to engage with the current Iraqi regime to encourage it to recognize the importance of the Arab embrace, even as a balancing factor.
In the past decades, there have been talks about the conflict over Syria. We are now talking about the conflict over Iraq. Some Iraqi politicians believe that the United States, which is focusing on besieging Iran economically, is no longer ready to invest heavily in the Iraqi fate, and would prefer to transfer this potential and efforts to contain the Chinese rise.

Analysis/Israel and Iran Are on a Collision Course in Syria – and the U.S. and Russia Don't Care
تحليل من الهآرتس بقلم أنشل فيفر: إسرائيل وإيران على مسار تصادمي في سوريا - والولايات المتحدة وروسيا لا يهتمان
Anshel Pfeffer/Haaretz/January 21/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/71344/anshel-pfeffer-haaretz-israel-and-iran-are-on-a-collision-course-in-syria-and-the-u-s-and-russia-dont-care-%d8%aa%d8%ad%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%84-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%d8%a2%d8%b1/
Sunday's escalation in Damascus shows what happens when the two global powers' inaction create a vacuum in the Middle East.
The escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran in the skies over Syria in the past 24 hours has brought their secret war of the last two years well and truly into the open.
On Sunday, Israel carried out a rare daylight series of airstrikes in the Damascus area, followed by an Iranian attempt to fire a mid-range missile toward northern Israel. Overnight Monday, at 1 A.M., Israel not only launched a second, much wider series of attacks against Iranian targets in Syria, but for the first time announced in real time that they were taking place.
Israel and Iran are now engaged in direct and open conflict in Syria – which is perhaps not so surprising, considering how the events of the last eight years since Syria was plunged into civil war have led to this moment.
What is remarkable is how this latest development is happening without either of the world powers – the United States and Russia – trying to exert any significant influence on the outcome.
In recent years, geopolitical analysts have talked about the world and the Middle East transitioning from an international system where the United States was the only superpower to a more “multipolar” balance. What is happening in Syria now is a nonpolar situation. Neither side, Israel or Iran, seems to want to go all the way to all-out war, but without any restraining hand that could well happen.
Russia pretends to have plans for Syria’s future, but doesn’t seem to be doing much to implement them. The United States, meanwhile, doesn’t even pretend. It is now well into its second White House administration that quite clearly does not consider Syria and the surrounding region important enough for any meaningful U.S. intervention.
On December 19, President Donald Trump ordered a “full” and “rapid” withdrawal of the U.S.’ 2,000 troops from Syria, declaring the Islamic State defeated. Over a month later, it is still unclear how soon “rapid” will be and whether the withdrawal will indeed be “full.”
Since ISIS has obviously not been beaten (though it has lost most of its strongholds and is now a more traditional insurgent movement, without fixed bases) and the United States still claims to be at the forefront of the regional struggle against Iran, there remains the distinct possibility that at least some of the U.S. troops – particularly those near Syria’s border with Iraq – may remain for the time being. But while these will have some tactical, and even strategic, importance, they hardly change the balance of power within Syria.
Two recent ISIS attacks against U.S. forces in Manbij, and the incoherent relationship between the Trump administration and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have placed even more question marks on the administration’s Syria policy, if it even has one.
Last year, Russia promised to keep Iranian forces at least 60 kilometers (nearly 40 miles) away from Israel’s border. It also said it would greatly upgrade Syria’s anti-aircraft capabilities and, through its various media patsies, darkly warned of reining in Israeli attacks.
In reality, none of this has happened. Nothing Russia has said or done in recent months has had any real effect on the ground.
Russian military police have occasionally been deployed to checkpoints on the Golan Heights, but they haven’t prevented Iran from establishing outposts overlooking Israeli positions. Neither has Russia done anything to remove the base south of Damascus where Iran is currently stationing thousands of its Fatemiyoun battalions (Shi’ite mercenaries from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq).
Russia may have shipped new surface-to-air missile batteries to Syria, but it hasn’t resulted in a noticeable upgrade – certainly not enough to hinder Israeli airstrikes, which continue unabated despite Moscow’s obvious displeasure.
Russia’s apparent ineffectiveness should not be surprising. The Kremlin wants to give the impression that it controls events in Syria. But the truth is that it has only two real objectives there: Safeguarding the Assad regime; and establishing its own air base and port on Syria’s Mediterranean coast. It has achieved both of these at relatively little cost – the deployment of less than 30 aircraft and a couple of battalions of ground troops.
Curtailing either Iran or Israel’s operations in Syria would necessitate way more diplomatic and military resources than Russia is prepared to invest. It is clear now that the most Israel can expect from its own engagement with the Russian leadership is “deconfliction” – ensuring there is no direct clash between the two countries’ aircraft in the skies above Syria. But that’s about all.
The bottom line is that Syria remains as it was from the beginning of the civil war in 2011. Neither the Assad regime nor any of the external players can (or want to) control it outright. Russia wants bases and the United States just wants to get the hell out; Turkey is interested in controlling various northern regions and suppressing the Kurdish population; Iran is interested in a beachhead that will serve as a link in its Shia crescent, encompassing Iraq and Lebanon as well; Israel will do almost anything to stymie Iran’s plan.
With the global powers effectively leaving a vacuum in Syria, Israel and Iran are increasingly on a collision course no one is trying to prevent. This is what a region the world powers have left to its own devices looks like.

Analysis/Israel's Battle With Iran in Syria Is Back in High Gear and Far From Over
تحليل من الهآرتس بقلم عاموس هاريل: عودة المعرك الإسرائيلية مع إيران في سوريا وبوتيرة متصاعدة
Amos Harel/Haaretz/January 21/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/71346/amos-harel-haaretz-israels-battle-with-iran-in-syria-is-back-in-high-gear-and-far-from-over-%d8%aa%d8%ad%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%84-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%d8%a2%d8%b1%d8%aa%d8%b3-%d8%a8%d9%82%d9%84/
Recent developments cast Israel's self-aggrandizement regarding military action against Tehran in Syria in a dubious light.
Israel’s conflict with Iran, playing out in Syria, is back in high gear. That is what Sunday's events on the Syrian-Israeli border mean.
There was a strike on Damascus, then, unusually, a surface-to-surface missile was shot from Syria toward Israeli territory and was intercepted by an Iron Dome battery. Following this, the air force mounted another attack during the night, hitting a number of Iranian Revolutionary Guards' targets in Syria.
These recent developments cast the self-aggrandizement of the Israeli leadership, regarding their achievements in Syria against Iran, in a dubious light.
The Israeli army can claim considerable gains in its efforts to block Iran from establishing a military presence in Syria, and the arms-smuggling to Hezbollah in Lebanon via Syrian territory. The commander of the Al Quds Brigade in the Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, apparently planned for his moves in Syria to advance much faster, but was thwarted by the Israeli activity.
But contrary to the erroneous impression one might get from articles in the press and official Israeli statements over the past few weeks, the story is far from over.
The seasoned general has been fighting Israel for decades and doesn’t seem to have abandoned his efforts. After the Iranians were bruised in the clash between the parties last May, Soleimani rethought his tactics and waited for the right time to resume the battle.
Now, as the Assad regime stabilizes its control over Syria, the struggle is to determine the rules of engagement on the northern front. Iran would like to continue smuggling arms to Hezbollah while building army bases and deploying weapons systems in Syria.
Israel wants to foil that. The extraordinary fact that a mid-range surface-to-surface missile was fired from Syria toward Israel does not attest that Iran is winning the battle. However, it does show that the conflict is far from over.
All this would probably have happened in any case. However, it is possible that the recent Israeli statements hastened the process to some degree.
It began with a statement by the outgoing chief of staff, Gadi Eisenkot, to the New York Times about the thousands of Iranian targets that the air force has attacked in recent years. It continued with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to publicly take responsibility for the strike near Damascus about 10 days ago. The security brass took no part in the decision to break Israel’s policy of ambiguity, and they were not pleased by it.
The Israel Defense Forces formally cast the responsibility for the rocket shot at Israel Sunday on the Revolutionary Guards. Following the rocket fire, a number of military sites affiliated with Iran around Damascus were bombed – arms depots, a training camp and an intelligence camp. Several Syrian aerial defense batteries that had fired missiles toward Israeli jets were also bombed and sustained damage.
On Monday morning, Russia announced that four Syrian soldiers had been killed in the attack.
The Israeli raid, yet again, exposed the false promises Moscow made just six months ago. Then, in the context of Assad’s forces regaining the Syrian Golan from the rebels, Russia promised Israel (in exchange for not intervening on behalf of the rebels) to keep Iranian forces far away from the Syrian-Israeli border (various figures were discussed: 60 kilometers, 70, up to 100).
In time, it turned out that the Russian promise didn’t encompass the area of the capital, Damascus, nor were they exactly keeping their word in the Golan. When the Assad regime returned to southern Syria, the Israeli government presented the accord with Russia as a major achievement. Now, for some reason, Israel is silent on the matter.
On Monday morning, Russia announced that four Syrian soldiers had been killed in the attack.
The Israeli raid, yet again, exposed the false promises Moscow made just six months ago. Then, in the context of Assad’s forces regaining the Syrian Golan from the rebels, Russia promised Israel (in exchange for not intervening on behalf of the rebels) to keep Iranian forces far away from the Syrian-Israeli border (various figures were discussed: 60 kilometers, 70, up to 100).
In time, it turned out that the Russian promise didn’t encompass the area of the capital, Damascus, nor were they exactly keeping their word in the Golan. When the Assad regime returned to southern Syria, the Israeli government presented the accord with Russia as a major achievement. Now, for some reason, Israel is silent on the matter.