LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 15/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Peter said to the lame man, ‘I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk
Acts of the Apostles 03/01-10:”One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.’And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on July 14-15/2019
Netanyahu Warns of 'Crushing' Retaliation after Nasrallah's Remarks
Netanyahu Threatens 'Hezbollah' with 'Crushing' Response
Lebanon: Hariri Supports Major General Ibrahim’s Efforts to Solve Jabal Incident
Bassil Urges ‘Christian-Muslim Equality’ on Visit to South
FPM, PSP Ministers in Fresh War of Words
Hizbullah MP Denies Opening Fire at Damour Police Station
Rahi from Diman: Cabinet is barred from convening, constrained by the contradictory demands of counterparts
Tony Frangiyeh calls on Presidents to provide support for solving waste problem
Mohamad Nasrallah: No Israeli war on Lebanon, cabinet will soon convene and budget endorsement will not take longer than upcoming Thursday
Bassil from Ain Ibil: Presidency issue out of discussion, FPM supporters to refrain from dwelling on subject
Qamati says Hezbollah is a security and political force alongside the army, will not be dragged into any disputes

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 14-15/2019
Rouhani says Iran ready to talk to U.S. if sanctions lifted
Rouhani Says Iran Ready to Talk to US if it Lifts Sanctions as Europeans Voice Concern
European Powers Urge Dialogue, End to Escalation in Iran Nuclear Crisis
SNHR: 1995 Barrel Bombs Used, More than 600 Civilians Killed in Bombings Since April 26
Kuwait Studies Deporting 'Muslim Brotherhood Cell' to Egypt
Egypt Committed to Two-State Solution as US Excludes It
Syria: Militant Attack Shuts Down Gas Pipeline
Libyan MPs Warn against Turkey’s Arming of Militias in Tripoli
Iraq: Abadi Hints at Comeback to Replace Abdul-Mahdi
Palestine: President Meets Egyptian Security Delegation
Fitch Cuts Turkey’s Credit Rating with a Negative Outlook
Macron Showcases Europe Military Prowess at Paris Parade

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 14-15/2019
Macron Showcases Europe Military Prowess at Paris Parade/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 14/2019
Tehran is preparing for a showdown with the US/Raghida Dergham/The National/July 14/2019
The Taliban Promise to Protect Women. Here's Why Women Don't Believe Them/ Cora Engelbrecht/The New York Times/July 14/2019
Acosta's Resignation May Result in More Losses for Prosecutors/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute./July 14/2019
Iran only a threat if the world allows it to be/Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/July 14/2019
Iran has a history of violating nuclear deal’s terms/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh//Arab News/July 14/2019

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on July 14-15/2019
Netanyahu Warns of 'Crushing' Retaliation after Nasrallah's Remarks
Naharnet/Agence France Presse
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday warned Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah that "crushing" retaliation would follow any attack, after Nasrallah said the group's rockets could reach Tel Aviv. "Over the weekend we heard Nasrallah's boasting about his attack plans," he said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. "Let me be clear -- if Hizbullah dares to make the mistake of attacking Israel, we will lay upon it and on Lebanon a crushing military blow," he added. In a Friday interview broadcast on Hizbullah's al-Manar television, Nasrallah warned that key Israeli sites along the Mediterranean coast, including Tel Aviv, are "within range of our rockets." Nasrallah also said that Israel's arch-foe Iran was "able to bombard Israel with ferocity and force," but "will not start a war." Last week, Netanyahu said that "Iran has been threatening the destruction of Israel" and warned that Israel's fighter jets "can reach anywhere in the Middle East, including Iran."Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in neighboring Syria against what it says are Iranian and Hizbullah military targets. It has vowed to keep Iran from entrenching itself militarily there. Israel recently uncovered and destroyed six tunnels passing under the border from Lebanon into Israel. It alleges Hizbullah had planned to use the tunnels for attacks in Israel.

Netanyahu Threatens 'Hezbollah' with 'Crushing' Response
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 14 July, 2019
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would react with a "crushing" strike against "Hezbollah" if the Lebanese militant group attempts to make any attack. Netanyahu's statements came while speaking to his Cabinet on Sunday during which he criticized what he called Nasrallah's "arrogant" words. He noted that "if Hezbollah dares to do something stupid and attack Israel, we will strike it and Lebanon, a crushing military strike," the Associated Press reported. Nasrallah announced on Friday that his group is much stronger than during the 2006 war and is capable of striking anywhere in Israel. He also said Nasrallah he had decreased the number of his movement's fighters in Syria.Nasrallah's statements came after Washington announced new sanctions against Hezbollah, targeting elected officials from the movement for the first time.

Lebanon: Hariri Supports Major General Ibrahim’s Efforts to Solve Jabal Incident
Beirut - Mohammed Choukeir/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 14 July, 2019
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri refuses to surrender to the obstacles that continue to prevent the disengagement of security and political repercussions that resulted from the al-Jabal incident. Hariri wants to overcome the troubles that are preventing the resumption of the government sessions and to end the stalemate that could hinder tackling the economic and social issues that are in urgent need of solutions. Hariri is trying to compensate the non-resumed cabinet sessions through financial meetings, which he said would ease the negative repercussions of the inability to hold government sessions. In this context, Asharq Al-Awsat learned that Hariri is supporting the efforts of General Director of Security General Major General Abbas Ibrahim, aimed to contain the repercussions of al-Jabal incident and conditioning the holding of the government’s session with referring the incident to the Judicial Council. Ibrahim is also in contact with Walid Jumblatt, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, whom he met after holding talks with the head of the Lebanese Democratic Party, MP Talal Arslan, at the presence of Minister of State Saleh al-Gharib for the first time since the incident. Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah affirmed his support to Arslan in a recent television interview, supporting Arslan's request to refer the incident to the Judicial Council. Circles are looking forward to Hariri’s move, in the light of the government's inability to convene for an emergency session prior to a parliamentary session to discuss the budget. They do not rule out the possibility that the premier discussed with the President the post-budget adoption stage. Some are inquiring about the position of Speaker Berri, in light of Hezbollah’s support for Arslan, and his battle in settling accounts with the Progressive Party. Others are also asking about the President’s position regarding Hariri's insistence on re-activating the government, especially since ministerial sources suggest that this particular issue may have been discussed between Aoun and Hariri.

Bassil Urges ‘Christian-Muslim Equality’ on Visit to South
Naharnet/July 14/2019
Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Sunday called for “equality between Christians and Muslims” during a tour of the South governorate. “From now until a civil state reached, we must live equality between Christians and Muslims, according to our system and constitution, but not to remain captives of sectarianism, seeing as we believe in the civil state,” Bassil said in the Marjeyon district town of Qlayaa. “National unity means defending sovereignty first, which is indivisible, and on the anniversary of the July War, we are living the meaning of sovereignty, and had it not been for national unity, victory would not have been achieved,” Bassil added. As for those who fled to Israel in the wake of its withdrawal from southern Lebanon in the year 2000, Bassil said Justice Minister Albert Serhan has prepared “a draft decree for devising an implementation mechanism for the law of exiles who have the right to return.” Speaking later in the town of Ain Ebel, the FPM chief said “the time now is not for talking about the presidential election, but rather for work.”Bassil had spent the night hosted by General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim at the latter’s residence in the town of Kawthariyat al-Siyyad. The southern district of Hasbaya meanwhile witnessed a “war of banners” between supporters of the Progressive Socialist Party and the Lebanese Democratic Party, although Bassil is not scheduled to visit it. “The Hasbaya of Walid Jumblat Despises the Rhetoric of Gravediggers”, a PSP banner read. Bassil’s latest visit to the Aley district has sparked a major security and political crisis in the country after a deadly incident in the town of Qabrshmoun. Two bodyguards of State Minister of Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib were killed and a third was wounded in a clash with PSP supporters in the aforementioned town. Gharib, a member of the LDP which is allied with Bassil’s FPM, escaped unharmed as a PSP supporter was wounded. The PSP supporters were blocking roads to prevent Bassil from touring the district, accusing him of being “sectarian” and “provocative.”Bassil's recent visits to Tripoli and Baalbek had also sparked controversy.

FPM, PSP Ministers in Fresh War of Words
Naharnet/July 14/2019
A fresh exchange of tirades erupted Sunday between a minister from the Progressive Socialist Party and another from the Free Patriotic Movement. “It was wrong to allocate the Ministry of the Displaced to a movement that does not believe in the (Mount Lebanon) reconciliation and to a person who does not believe in coexistence but is rather living the grudges of the past, the tumors of the present and the paranoia of the future,” Industry Minister Wael Abu Faour of the PSP said in a statement. Minister of the Displaced Ghassan Atallah, who belongs to the FPM, swiftly hit back via Twitter. “Everyone knows who displaced the people and who returned them to the barbaric war scenes on Sunday,” Atallah tweeted, referring respectively to the Mountain War chapter of Lebanon’s civil war and the deadly Qabrshmoun incident that occurred on Sunday, June 30. “I will not be dragged to the level of fanatics who want to stir a strife in Mount Lebanon… The Lebanese know well who wants the return of the displaced and who used the ministry for brokering deals and blackmailing people,” Atallah added.

Hizbullah MP Denies Opening Fire at Damour Police Station
Naharnet/July 14/2019
MP Nawwaf al-Moussawi of Hizbullah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc on Sunday denied reports claiming that he had “stormed the Damour police station at midnight” where he “shot a young man.” “Reports that I shot a person from the Mokdad family are utter lies,” Moussawi told al-Jadeed TV. He explained that his son-in-law attacked his daughter Ghadir and “started cursing her out.” “No one hit him with a screwdriver and no one opened fire… I came and took my daughter from the area outside the station,” Moussawi added. TV networks meanwhile published a cable sent out by Damour Police Station chief Colonel Joseph Ghannoum. The cable says Moussawi arrived at the station with 20 men carrying visible guns around their waists but were prevented from entering the station. According to the cable, “an altercation erupted between MP Nawwaf al-Moussawi’s daughter and her divorcee on the Damour-Sidon international highway in connection with previous disputes and the right to see children.”“They were taken by a patrol to the Damour police station, where Moussawi’s daughter sought to file a report against her divorcee,” the cable adds. “As the investigation got underway, four people arrived at the station and attacked the divorcee of Moussawi’s daughter with a screwdriver, injuring him in the leg, which prompted the station’s guards to arrest two of them as two others managed to escape,” the cable says. “After closing the main door, MP Nawwaf al-Moussawi accompanied by 20 armed men arrived at the station, where they were denied entry by the station’s guards, who tried to calm him down seeing as he was very nervous,” the cable adds. “As the wounded person was being offered first aid, unknown individuals opened fire from outside the station at the office of the station’s chief, wounding the divorcee of Moussawi’s daughter in the wrist and causing him severe bleeding, after which MP Moussawi left to an unknown destination,” the leaked cable says.

Rahi from Diman: Cabinet is barred from convening, constrained by the contradictory demands of counterparts
NNA - Sun 14 Jul 2019
"The government is prevented from meeting or constrained by the contradictory demands of counterparts," said Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rahi during Sunday Mass service in Diman this morning. He added that "the Government has the responsibility to take clear-cut decisions," calling on Lebanese officials to exercise wisdom and vigilance in the face of the dangers confronting Lebanon. Referring in this context to the turbulence in the region, the economic risks threatening financial stability and the "Deal of the Century" aimed at naturalizing Palestinian refugees against their will, the Prelate recalled that politicians were not allowed to exploit the work of constitutional institutions for their desires and demands, and subsequently block their action.

Tony Frangiyeh calls on Presidents to provide support for solving waste problem
NNA - Sun 14 Jul 2019
MP Tony Frangieyh called Sunday on President of the Republic Michel Aoun, House Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri to "ensure support and find a suitable land to solve the waste problem."
He added: "Current efforts are insufficient to provide the urgent solutions we seek for the waste file."

Mohamad Nasrallah: No Israeli war on Lebanon, cabinet will soon convene and budget endorsement will not take longer than upcoming Thursday
NNA - Sun 14 Jul 2019
Member of the "Liberation and Development" Parliamentary Bloc, MP Mohamad Nasrallah, ruled out any Israeli war against Lebanon, adding that the resistance axis is advancing and growing in the region. Speaking before several popular delegations who visited him at his West Bekaa office earlier today, Nasrallah explained that whoever follows closely on the positions of Israeli officials concerned with war in the Middle East can realize, accurately and calmly, that Israel is avoiding a war against Lebanon. Over a near cabinet session, Nasrallah indicated that the government will convene soon and the endorsement of the 2019 annual budget will not take longer than next Thursday. "The government exists, and there is nothing to shake its entity, despite the critical phases that the country is going through, which are on their way to a final solution through the wisdom of the Lebanese in confronting all challenges," said Nasrallah. "The government shall remain and will play its role, and in the next few days will approve the budget of 2019, which will not be up to the dreams and aspirations of the Lebanese and bring about all peace and tranquility, but will serve to eliminate the theory of a near economic collapse," he maintained. However, Nasrallah highlighted the need for initiating proper planning and developing a vision for promoting the national economy in industry, agriculture, tourism, services and others, and to stop improvising in the management of public affairs in the country, which is a method that has disrupted the country economically, socially and administratively.

Bassil from Ain Ibil: Presidency issue out of discussion, FPM supporters to refrain from dwelling on subject
NNA -Sun 14 Jul 2019
Free Patriotic Movement Chief, Foreign Affairs Minister Gebran Bassil, asserted Sunday that the issue of the Republic Presidency is not proposed for discussion and hence, urged all FPM supporters to refrain from dwelling on the subject.
Bassil's words came as he pursued his visit to the southern district of Marjayoun, where he had two stop overs in the towns of Ain Ibil and Debl.Bassil commended the people of the region for their steadfastness and attachment to their lands, saying, "The Free Patriotic Movement will continue to work with the community for its development and prosperity. We aim to work, yet there are those who try to hinder our steps...But we must go on despite the false news we hear every day...""After two days I will be heading to the United States and you will hear rumors about this visit," he went on. "It comes at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to a conference on religions. It is important that Lebanon is not absent from this event due to its symbolism...These conferences bring together a large number of countries and we know their purpose and achievements, and whenever we may be, we speak of a one united Lebanon," assured Bassil. He indicated that time now is a time of work, since the country is going through difficult economic crises and the Parliament Council is before a challenge next week which entails taking bold decisions and working to ease the problems at stake and reach the needed solutions. "The current stage requires responsibility and action and not giving up," he maintained. Bassil's next stop-over was in the town of Jdeidet Marjayoun where he was warmly welcomed by FPM supporters and partisans. He also attended a Mass serve at Saint George Church in Qlai'aa, following which he met with townsmen and officials from the region. Bassil touched on the issue of Lebanese nationals who have been deported to the occupied Palestinian territories, saying, "We are committed to their issue as our commitment to sovereignty and we will work on the law that can help ensure their return." Referring to their right to return to their homeland, Bassil disclosed that "Justice Minister Albert Sarhan will submit a draft decree to establish a mechanism for implementing the law that will aid in the return of Lebanese deportees and start their return process."Bassil underlined Lebanon's political and military victory over Israel, while noting that our country still has to win economically over it. 'We have to ensure an economic resistance," he said. "We, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have begun to consider ways to promote the export of Lebanese products abroad, including oil and olives," disclosed Bassil.

Qamati says Hezbollah is a security and political force alongside the army, will not be dragged into any disputes
NNA -Sun 14 Jul 2019
State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mahmoud Qamati, deemed Sunday that "the recent US sanctions denote an economic war to push the resistance to surrender," stressing that "Hezbollah is a security, political and popular force alongside the army.""We will not be dragged into any conflicts or quarrels, for we want to build the nation," he underlined. Qamati's words came during his launching of the "Mount Rihan Honey and Pine Festival" held in the southern town of al-Rihan earlier today. The Minister called for "confronting all conspiracies woven against us, whether economic, security, military, political, or those plotted against the industry and agriculture," stressing "the need to develop these areas to render them strong in the face of any targets aimed at our homeland." Qamati also highlighted the need for "addressing the crises confronting the nation, from electricity to dealing with the waste issue to the oil and gas dossier, and the completion of the annual budget to activate the country's economic wheel."

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 14-15/2019
Rouhani says Iran ready to talk to U.S. if sanctions lifted
Ynetnews/Reuters/July 14/2019
France, Britain and Germany all parties to the 2015 pact said on Sunday, they were preoccupied by the escalation of tensions in the Gulf region and the risk the nuclear deal might fall apart as they called for dialogue betewen the parties
the United States if Washington lifts sanctions and returns to the 2015 nuclear deal it quit last year, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech on Sunday. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration says it is open to negotiations with Iran on a more far-reaching agreement on nuclear and security issues. But Iran has made any talks conditional on first being able to export as much oil as it did before the United States withdrew from the nuclear pact with world powers in May 2018. "We have always believed in talks ... if they lift sanctions, end the imposed economic pressure and return to the deal, we are ready to hold talks with America today, right now and anywhere," Rouhani said in his Sunday speech. Confrontations between Washington and Tehran have escalated, culminating in a plan for U.S. air strikes on Iran last month that Trump called off at the last minute. Calling for dialogue between all parties to resume, France, Britain and Germany -- parties to the 2015 pact -- said on Sunday they were preoccupied by the escalation of tensions in the Gulf region and the risk the nuclear deal might fall apart. "We believe that the time has come to act responsibly and to look for ways to stop the escalation of tension and resume dialogue," they said in a joint statement that was released by the French president's office.
In spite of calling for talks with Iranian leaders, Trump said on Wednesday that U.S. sanctions on Iran would soon be increased "substantially". In reaction to U.S. sanctions, which have notably targeted Iran's main foreign revenue stream in the shape of crude oil exports, Tehran announced in May that it would scale back its commitments under the deal. Defying a warning by the European parties to the pact to continue its full compliance, Tehran has amassed more low-enriched uranium than permitted and it has started to enrich uranium above the 3.67% permitted by the agreement. "The risks are such that it is necessary for all stakeholders to pause, and consider the possible consequences of their actions," France, Britain and Germany, who have been trying to salvage the pact by shielding Tehran's economy from sanctions, said in their statement. Iranian clerical rulers have said that Tehran will further decrease its commitments if Europeans fail to fulfil their promises to guarantee Iran's interests under the deal. The nuclear deal aimed to extend the amount of time it would theoretically take Iran to produce enough fissile material for an atomic bomb -- so-called breakout time -- from several months to a minimum of one year until 2025. Iran denies ever having considered developing atomic weapons.

Rouhani Says Iran Ready to Talk to US if it Lifts Sanctions as Europeans Voice Concern
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 14 July, 2019
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that Tehran would be ready to talk to the United States if it lifts sanctions and returns to the 2015 nuclear deal. “We have always believed in talks ... if they lift sanctions, end the imposed economic pressure and return to the deal, we are ready to hold talks with America today, right now and anywhere,” he said in a televised speech. The US quit the accord with world powers in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran. US President Donald Trump’s administration says it is open to negotiations with Iran on a more far-reaching agreement on nuclear and security issues. But Iran has made any talks conditional on first being able to export as much oil as it did before the US withdrew from the pact. Confrontations between Washington and Tehran have escalated, culminating in a plan for US airstrikes on Iran last month that Trump called off at the last minute.
Calling for dialogue between all parties to resume, France, Britain and Germany — parties to the 2015 pact — said on Sunday they were preoccupied by the escalation of tensions in the Gulf region and the risk the nuclear deal might fall apart. "We believe the time has come to act responsibly and seek a path to stop the escalation of tensions and resume dialogue," said the English-language version of the statement issued by the Elysee. The statement was published after President Emmanuel Macron hosted German Chancellor Angela Merkel and senior British cabinet minister David Lidington at the annual Bastille Day parade in Paris. "The risks are such that it is necessary for all stakeholders to pause and consider the possible consequences of their actions," it added. Trump said on Wednesday that US sanctions on Iran would soon be increased “substantially”. In reaction to US sanctions, which have notably targeted Iran’s main foreign revenue stream in the shape of crude oil exports, Tehran announced in May that it would scale back its commitments under the deal. Defying a warning by the European parties to the pact to continue its full compliance, Tehran has amassed more low-enriched uranium than permitted and it has started to enrich uranium above the 3.67% permitted by the agreement. "We are extremely concerned by Iran's decision to stockpile and enrich uranium in excess of authorized limits," France, Britain and Germany said. "We strongly urge Iran to reverse its recent decisions in this regard," the statement said. They said they would continue to support the nuclear deal but said its implementation "was contingent on Iran´s full compliance."

Mogherini from Kuwait: EU Increasing Its Presence in Middle East
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/July 14/2019
The EU's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said Sunday the bloc is increasing its engagement in the Middle East, as she opened a new mission in Kuwait City. The office in Kuwait's tallest skyscraper is the third such EU mission in the Gulf, after Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. "This also sends a message to the whole region; the European Union is increasing its presence and engagement in the Middle East," Mogherini said at the opening ceremony. "What happens to the Gulf matters to Europe and what happens to Europe matters to the Gulf," she added. The ceremony in the Al Hamra Tower, which is also home to the French embassy, was attended by Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah. The opening, decided several months ago, comes amid a tense standoff between the United States and Iran which has affected the Gulf. "In a moment of regional and global tensions, Kuwait is a voice of wisdom and force of peace and this is what made us natural partners," Mogherini said. Kuwait has strong relations with Brussels and Washington and, unlike Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, it maintains good ties with Tehran.

European Powers Urge Dialogue, End to Escalation in Iran Nuclear Crisis
Naharnet/Agence France Presse
Three key European powers on Sunday called for dialogue and an end to the escalation over Iran's nuclear program, as tensions further intensify between Tehran and the United States. "We think that the moment has come to act in a responsible way and look for ways to stop the escalation of tensions and to resume dialogue," said a statement by the leaders of Britain, France and Germany issued by the Elysee. "The risks are such that is is necessary that all the parties take a pause and think about the possible consequences of their actions," it added.

SNHR: 1995 Barrel Bombs Used, More than 600 Civilians Killed in Bombings Since April 26
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 14 July, 2019
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) revealed Friday in its latest report that 606 civilians, including 157 children and 111 women, have been killed during attacks launched by Syrian regime forces and its allies in Idlib’s de-escalation zone since April 26. According to the report, the Syrian regime killed 521 civilians, including 136 children and 97 women, using 1995 barrel bombs. It added that victims of the Russian attacks have amounted to 85 civilians, including 21 children and 14 women, pointing out that these attacks targeted several areas and sites, including educational institutions, health facilities, roads, gardens, markets, camps and gathering centers. The attacks, said the report, resulted in at least 294 operations on vital civilian facilities, including 87 on schools, 62 on places of worship, 43 on medical facilities, 30 on Civil Defense facilities (centers and vehicles), 10 on markets, and four on camps. Among these attacks, 211 were carried out by Syrian Regime forces while 73 were carried out by Russian forces. The report also documents at least nine massacres since June 12, all committed by the Syrian Regime forces. It added that at least four medical personnel, including one woman, have been killed since June 12 by the Syrian Regime forces while three Civil Defense personnel were killed in the same period by Russian forces. It urged the international community to take action at both national and regional levels to form alliances to support the Syrian people and protect them from the daily killings, to lift the sieges and to increase support for relief efforts. It also called on the UN Security Council to pass a resolution to stabilize ceasefire in Idlib and include punitive measures against all violators of the ceasefire, to genuinely support serious implementation of the peace process in Syria, to assist in achieving a just political transition that guarantees security and stability, to refer the Syrian issue to the International Criminal Court and to ensure that all those involved in these crimes are held accountable, including the Russian regime.

Kuwait Studies Deporting 'Muslim Brotherhood Cell' to Egypt
Kuwait - Merza al-Khuwaldi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 14 July, 2019
Kuwaiti authorities continued on Saturday investigations with members of a "Muslim Brotherhood" cell who had fled Egypt to Kuwait, one day after the Interior Ministry said it has detained members of the outlawed group convicted of terrorism crimes. Sources said Saturday Kuwait is currently looking at some procedures that would allow the deportation of the convicted men to Egypt. A Kuwaiti legal expert told Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday that Kuwait has a legal framework to deal with the case of the Egyptian cell. In January 2017, both countries signed in Cairo a legal and judicial cooperation agreement on civil, commercial, criminal and personal status issues, as well as on the transfer of sentenced persons. Kuwaiti media sources reported on Saturday that an Egyptian security delegation arrived to the country to examine details of the case and to coordinate the deportation of the convicted men to Egypt.
However, such reports were not confirmed. On Friday, the state-run KUNA news agency said eight members of the group were detained but did not verify if Kuwait planned on extraditing them to Egypt. The news agency quoted the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry saying that during investigation the men admitted to carrying out terrorist attacks in Egypt. On Saturday, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that any legal procedures, which might be taken against the eight convicted, would not happen before Kuwaiti authorities conclude the necessary investigations into the case. Sources in Egypt said members of this cell had participated in terrorist acts that previously took place in several Egyptian areas, including Cairo and Fayoum. The sources also said that one of the suspects was involved in the 2015 assassination of Egypt's General Prosecutor. Unlike Egypt and Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait has not branded the "Muslim Brotherhood" a terrorist organization.

Egypt Committed to Two-State Solution as US Excludes It
Cairo - Mohammed Nabil Hilmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 14 July, 2019
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reiterated Saturday his country’s commitment to a “two-state solution” within the framework of settling the Palestinian issue. His remarks were made following the announcement made by US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt that the awaited Deal of the Century does not include the two-state solution. Sisi spoke during his visit to the Military Academy about various regional issues and he pointed to his country’s clear stance regarding the Palestinian cause. “Egypt is committed to the Palestinian people's rights in accordance with the international references and resolutions and the two-state solution,” he said. When asked by Asharq Al-Awsat about the two-state solution, the US envoy said the peace plan did not mention this term. “The use of this term leads to nothing,” he noted, adding that a conflict of such complexity could not be resolved with a two-word slogan. Last month, Egypt participated in the US-led "Peace to Prosperity” workshop hosted by the Bahraini capital of Manama and was part of the US administration’s measures taken to implement its new peace plan between the Palestinian and Israeli sides. An Egyptian delegation led by Deputy Finance minister will take part in the “Peace to Prosperity” economic workshop, which will be held in the Kingdom of Bahrain on Tuesday and Wednesday (June 25-26), said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry back then. Foreign Ministry’s Official Spokesman Ahmed Hafedh stressed his country’s unwavering keenness on dealing with economic challenges facing the Palestinian people. He also reiterated Egypt’s steadfast commitment to the achievement of the Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations and the reinstatement of their inalienable rights, including the establishment of an independent state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with Eastern Jerusalem as its capital, conducive to the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution, the international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Syria: Militant Attack Shuts Down Gas Pipeline
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 14 July, 2019
Syrian state media said a militant attack has shut down a gas pipeline in the country's center. The official SANA news agency said Sunday that technical teams are working to fix the pipeline that runs through the central Homs province, linking the Shaer fields to the Ebla processing plant, Reuters reported. No further information was provided on the extent of the damage or the nature of the attack. The pipeline carries about 2.5 million cubic meters of gas to the processing plant and onward to power stations, SANA added. ISIS militants briefly seized the Shaer fields in 2014 and 2016 before pro-government forces recaptured them.According to Reuters, today much of Syria's oil fields and infrastructure are held by US-backed and Kurdish-led forces in the east.

Libyan MPs Warn against Turkey’s Arming of Militias in Tripoli
Cairo - Jamal Jawhar/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 14 July, 2019
Libyan MPs warned Saturday against the dangers of the "Turkish role over their country’s stability,” due to Ankara's arming of terrorist militias in Tripoli. They also stressed their keenness to “extend bridges of cooperation with Egypt and bolster means of communication to eliminate terrorism in their country.”This came during the visit of Libyan parliamentarians to Cairo to participate in the meeting organized by the Egyptian national committee entrusted with helping Libyans reach a political solution. Around 80 deputies arrived in Cairo by Saturday to discuss several issues, mainly the sharp division among MPs, the financing of armed militias and the fight against terrorism.Since May, around 60 deputies boycotted the parliament sessions in Tobruk, chaired by Libyan parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh. They began holding parallel sessions at Rixos hotel in the capital, where they elected Sadiq al-Kahili as the Libyan Parliament Speaker.
The parliament – elected in 2014 – consists of 188 deputies and it exercises its tasks besides the interim government headed by Abdullah al-Thani alongside the National Accord government chaired by Fayez al-Sarraj. Libyan MP Assalheen Abdul Nabi told Asharq Al-Awsat that his country’s delegation briefed Egypt’s parliament and its speaker, on Saturday, on the political changes taking place in Libya. Abdul Nabi pointed out that the Libyan delegation will also head Sunday to the Arab League to meet officials and discuss several issues concerning Tripoli. He noted that the upcoming meetings “will focus on means of ending internal differences and returning cohesion among Libyans within the framework of common understandings on Libya’s interests.”Meanwhile, Ebtisam al-Rubai, a member of the Libyan House of Representatives, said: “there is a suspicious Turkish role in the increase of the Libyan crisis as they are supporting militias with arms and money.” “The Turkish role is well known to all, causing casualties and negatively affecting Libya’s security and stability. Our priority now in Libya is to eliminate terrorism,” she said. Rubai also highlighted the importance of Egypt’s role in supporting the Libyan people and achieving security and stability. For his part, Libyan MP Abdul Muttalib Thabit said on the sidelines of the visit: “We have sought through our meetings on Saturday in the parliament and the Arab League on Sunday to work on uniting Arab efforts to counter the Turkish intervention in Libya.” He pointed out that “Arab countries are able to stop Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s project in the region, just as the Egyptian people did in the June 30 revolution.”

Iraq: Abadi Hints at Comeback to Replace Abdul-Mahdi
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 14 July, 2019
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi is preparing to return to the political arena, offering himself an alternative to current Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, especially after the public began to feel the disappointment with the current government’s performance. Speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Abadi discussed the dangers of sectarian conflict and corruption in a country ranked by Transparency International as the world’s 12th most corrupt. Abadi's political mobilization relies on Iraqi protests during summertime and chronic power outages as well as lack of services, as a way to comeback to politics, according to a government source. Asked about his ambitions, Abadi told AFP that “We have good intentions.”He also discussed corruption, saying whoever claims to fight all corruption at once is really not going to fight any. “There is a new kind of state corruption now, selling positions, which happened secretly in the past but now goes on in the open,” Abadi told AFP, adding that “everything has a price.”Especially as rumors reported during the formation of the government that prominent parties are pursuing to buy the post of minister by paying other candidates money to withdraw. Abadi links corruption to sectarianism, which he fears will make a comeback, if things continue as they are in the political arena. The former premier said the government should also tackle sectarian violence, “in the past, sectarianism was used as a weapon in the conflict between factions to divide up the spoils of war.”
“If ISIS or another terrorist group returns, or if a cocktail of terrorists and politicians is formed, it'll be so dangerous that everything will completely fall apart,” he told AFP. Despite its defeat, several ISIS sleeper cells remain operations in areas near Baghdad and on the borders. By the end of 2017, Abadi became a national hero when he declared ISIS defeated after a draining three-year military campaign. In addition, he is the man who regained the majority of the disputed territories with the Kurdistan region of Iraq, after the independence referendum, which political observers believe made him win support in Iraq, but lose the Kurds. Abadi considered there is a problem with certain Kurdish parties but not the people. "I have no problems with Kurdish citizens," he said, adding there is a problem with some of the “parties which control the region, its wealth and its oil.”Abadi believes that the current government can only return to decisions and steps that he had taken during his rule. Abadi lauded the Prime Minister’s solutions and encouraged him to rely on previous decisions, referring to Abdul Mahdi’s recent decision to integrate the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) within the state's security forces by July 31. Analysts believe Abadi's position in favor of the US sanctions on Iran was sufficient to end his political career and cost him the premiership, but he says popular protests that took place in Basra and spread south were a scenario devised by “some parties ... and the Iranian leadership is far from it.”

Palestine: President Meets Egyptian Security Delegation
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 14 July, 2019
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with the Egyptian security delegation, headed by Major-General Ayman Badee, in Ramallah after the delegation concluded a round of talks with Hamas leadership.Abbas thanked President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and the Egyptian leadership and people, praising Egypt's continued efforts to end the division and promote Palestinian national unity within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). He reiterated the importance of Egypt’s efforts in consolidating the Gaza-Israel ceasefire and bringing about intra-Palestinian national reconciliation, stressing the joint Arab efforts to protect the unified Arab position regarding the Arab Peace Initiative, which has been underlined in various Arab summits. Badee briefed the President on the Egyptian move regarding the situation and developments in the Arab arena, in light of the current challenges and risks, and all that concerns the truce with Israel and the reconciliation process. Badee stressed the Egyptian stance on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, adding that the peace process should be in line with the two-state solution, international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative aimed at ending the Israeli occupation and creating a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. After meeting with Abbas, the security delegation held a meeting with Fatah movement delegation and reviewed the results of its meetings with Hamas leaders on the efforts to end the division and establish reconciliation and establish the understandings of the ceasefire with Israel. Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egypt had offered the handing over of the Gaza Strip, then calling for a national unity government and elections. Head of Hamas politburo Ismail Haniyeh met the Egyptian intelligence delegation twice. Haniyeh's office said in a statement that during the meeting, the two sides continued discussing the bilateral relations and common issues, including the latest developments regarding the Palestinian unity and developments on understandings with the enemy. Hamas noted that the leadership was willing to achieve national unity, discussing the dangers targeting the Palestinian cause and the region. It also reiterated the importance of having a Palestinian position stemming from the national consensus on the strategy of facing risks, namely the “deal of the century”. During the meeting, the leadership presented a detailed explanation of Israeli violations against the Gaza Strip and its slow implementation of the understandings, stressing that the occupation must understand that the resistance in Gaza wants to break the siege on Gaza. Fatah wants comprehensive empowerment in the Strip, including the security forces, the judiciary, land authority, tax collection and crossings, which are rejected by Hamas. Hamas wants to lift off the sanctions and secure full salary payment of its military personnel. The movement also calls for the formation of a new government that includes all factions and independent parties. The government should be tasked with finding solutions to the problems in the Strip, foremost issues of the health and electricity sectors. It also wants ensuring that security issues are resolved without any exclusion of Hamas security leadership, as well as any of its employees, and integrate them fully within the framework of a full security institution operating according to a constant national doctrine.

Fitch Cuts Turkey’s Credit Rating with a Negative Outlook
Ankara - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 14 July, 2019
Credit rating agency Fitch downgraded Turkey’s sovereign debt by one notch on Friday in a move that comes following Moody's lowering of its credit rating for Ankara in June. The move also came less than one week after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed the country’s central bank chief from his post. Fitch cited Murat Cetinkaya’s dismissal in its decision to cut Turkey’s long-term debt rating deeper into junk territory, to BB- with a negative outlook. “The firing of the central bank governor . . . risks damaging already weak domestic confidence (evidenced by rising dollarisation), jeopardising the inflow of foreign capital needed to meet Turkey’s large external financing requirement, and worsening economic outcomes,” Fitch said. It added: “The move adds to uncertainties over the prospects for structural reforms and management of the public sector finances.”Earlier in June, Moody’s lowered its credit rating for Turkey to B1, bringing it in line with Standard & Poor’s rating of B+. The Turkish lira was about 0.8 per cent weaker against the dollar at 5.7199 after Fitch’s move. Also, Turkey raised its main rate to 24 per cent in September 2018 in reaction to a steep drop in the value of the lira and in light of inflation.

Macron Showcases Europe Military Prowess at Paris Parade
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 14/2019
President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday sought to showcase European military cooperation in France's annual Bastille Day parade at a time of growing tensions between Europe and the United States. Key EU leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, joined Macron in Paris to watch the parade down the Champs-Elysees that commemorates the July 14, 1789, storming of the Bastille fortress in Paris during the French Revolution. Some 4,300 members of the armed forces, including regiments from other European armies, marched down the avenue's famed cobblestones in a tradition that dates back to the aftermath of World War I. Army dogs festooned with medals, members of France's celebrated Foreign Legion and mounted cavalry in glittering uniforms brandishing ceremonial sabers all paraded in front of the high-ranking guests.
Meanwhile, French inventor and entrepreneur Franky Zapata showed off his futuristic flyboard, soaring above the Champs Elysees and the assembled leaders. "The army is transforming: it is modernizing for our soldiers, our sovereignty and our independence," Macron told France 2 television in brief remarks.
Standing in an open-top command car alongside France's chief of staff General Francois Lecointre, Macron was met with some jeers and whistles from supporters of the "yellow vest" movement who have staged weekly protests against the government since last fall. Two prominent members of the movement, Jerome Rodrigues and Maxime Nicolle, were both detained by the police, sources told AFP.
'Europe never so important'
Closer European defense cooperation has been one of Macron's key foreign policy aims and the president shows no sign of wavering despite growing political turbulence in Germany and Britain's looming exit from the European Union. At the 2017 parade, Macron's guest of honor was the newly inaugurated President Donald Trump as the young French leader sought to take the initiative in forming a bond with his U.S. counterpart. But since then ties between Trump and Macron have soured over the US pullout from the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal, as well as France's new law for a tax on digital giants, mostly U.S. companies. "President Trump has been an excellent ambassador for a Europe of defense," Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told the Parisien newspaper Sunday, pointing to "questions, even thinly veiled threats he made towards Europe or on the durability of American commitment". Macron, who pushed the idea of the European Intervention Initiative (EI2) to undertake missions outside of existing structures like NATO, insisted on the importance of European defense cooperation. "Never, since the end of World War II has Europe been so important," Macron, who after coming to power in 2017 controversially dispensed with the president's traditional July 14 television interview, said in a written statement. Merkel told reporters after the event that the parade was a "great gesture for a European defense policy" and Germany was "honored" to have taken part. Forces from all nine countries taking part alongside France in the initiative -- including Britain and Germany -- were represented at the parade. In a sign of France's ambition to be a leading modern military power under Macron, the president Saturday announced the creation of a national space force command that will eventually be part of the air force.
Eyes on Merkel
A German A400M transport plane and a Spanish C130 took part in fly-bys, as well as two British Chinook helicopters.
The Chinooks are a major symbol of British-French defense cooperation even as Brexit looms, with Britain deploying three of the aircraft and 100 personnel for France's operation in the African Sahel region. Outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May had been expected to attend, but Britain was instead represented by senior cabinet minister David Lidington, the Elysee said. Also present were members of the 5,000-strong Franco-German Brigade (BFA), which was created in 1989 as a symbol of postwar unity between France and Germany, and celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Merkel, who is battling to keep her grand coalition together at home, was again under close scrutiny after she suffered three episodes of shaking at official events in recent weeks. But she appeared to suffer no problems and also stepped off the tribune with Macron to greet wounded veterans.

 Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 14-15/2019
Tehran is preparing for a showdown with the US
Raghida Dergham/The National/July 14/2019
Iran's escalation has backfired, even with trusted allies, and it is edging closer to red lines
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Following US accusations of Iran being behind the recent attacks on tankers in the Gulf, tensions between the two countries are set to escalate further this week as decision-makers in Tehran continue to see the status quo as favouring them, and feel gleeful at the level of panic shown by the Europeans and the International Atomic Energy Agency. For its part, the US administration has adopted “strategic patience”, content with its policy of economically strangling Iran to coerce it into negotiating a new deal that covers both its nuclear enrichment and its ballistic missiles and possibly its regional expansionism and regime reforms. Both sides want a deal but have mutually exclusive conditions and are preparing for the next step as they inch closer to a military confrontation.
Washington is now in the process of forming a naval alliance that Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the US, said would be ready within a fortnight with the aim of protecting navigation in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al Mandeb. This is while the US and Britain have blamed Iran for attacks on oil installations and tankers in the Gulf, with London deploying two British warships so far to the region.
Iran has responded to the formation of this US-led naval coalition by demanding all foreign forces leave the Middle East. The leadership in Tehran believes prolonging the current situation serves its interests and thus intends to escalate further. If the US fires first, Iran might attack US bases in Bahrain and Qatar. But the Trump administration will also escalate by greatly tightening the sanctions on Iran and its proxies, according to the US president. Sources said the sanctions would be tantamount to a full blockade of Iran, with the assets of Iranians and non-Iranians affiliated to the regime frozen.
Both sides are also preparing for a military showdown. According to sources, the US needs a week to ensure full readiness to do so, although its current deployment is sufficient for a swift military strike if necessary. Iran is also preparing its forces and proxies in the Arab region, from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Popular Mobilisation Forces in Iraq. In other words, unless a deal precludes confrontation, the current trajectory of events indicates pending military hostilities in the Gulf and Middle East.
From the US perspective, meanwhile, and even from the perspective of some European countries, Iran’s violation of the cap on uranium enrichment cannot be ignored.
So far, all mediation efforts have failed to convince Iran to abandon its demands for an end to sanctions before agreeing to negotiate.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is still trying to play the role of broker with the Iranians to curb their escalation and attempts to provoke a US military strike. Mr Putin’s previous attempts have all failed but he continues his quest to stop military confrontation in its tracks.
Iran’s leaders, however, are dissatisfied with Russia’s "soft" position. Iran had wagered on Russia, China, and EU powers to help navigate a way out of US sanctions.
Yet so far, Iran’s escalation has backfired with the Europeans, who have distanced themselves from Iran and edged closer to the US, especially after Tehran increased uranium enrichment and exposed the flaws of the nuclear agreement. Iran also understands now that China is unwilling to enter the fray on its side. As for Russia, Iran has miscalculated in assuming the alliance with Russia in Syria would extend to the Gulf or to a US-Israeli-Iranian triangle.
If Iran crosses the threshold of uranium enrichment to 20 per cent in two months, it would cross an unacceptable red line for Europe, China, and Russia as well as the US.
The next level of putative sanctions could further rile the Iranian leadership and drive it either to more escalation or nudge it to adjust its behaviour and renegotiate the deal. This could take the form of a naval blockade and measures to prevent all countries from dealing with Iran and its proxies and further sanctions.
Arab Gulf countries do not want a war and are avoiding escalation. However, they want to be present at the negotiating table to decide issues affecting their security and future.
Iran will seek to use the looming US elections to test the American president, with a view to limiting negotiations only to the nuclear issue and ballistic missile programme.
If a grand bargain is reached, it is important for Arab countries to be part of it, or else it will be incomplete and precarious. If Mr Trump achieves the impossible and concludes such a deal, it might be a historic achievement that will please everyone.
Until then, Tehran and its allies are preparing themselves for a confrontation. Hezbollah in Lebanon is waiting for orders from Tehran, poised to respond to an Israeli strike on nuclear reactors in Iran. In the meantime, the group intends to respond to recent US sanctions on its senior members, not by directly attacking US interests but by forcing the Lebanese government to publicly denounce the sanctions and offer it support. The US has reportedly told the Lebanese government that such a stance might invite sanctions against the state, something Lebanese politicians will be keen to avoid.

The Taliban Promise to Protect Women. Here's Why Women Don't Believe Them
Kabul - Cora Engelbrecht/The New York Times/Sunday, 14 July, 2019
At just 29, Zainab Fayez made herself into one of Afghanistan’s foremost defenders of women.
As the first and only female prosecutor in Kandahar Province, deep in the conservative south of the country, she sent 21 men to jail for beating and abusing their wives or fiancées.
I thought I should speak with her. I had gone to Afghanistan to ask women one of the most urgent questions hanging over the peace talks now unfolding between Taliban leaders, the Afghanistan government and American diplomats: After 18 years of gains for Afghanistan’s women, what are these women thinking now that the Americans might leave, and the Taliban might return?
But as I prepared to travel to Kandahar to meet Ms. Fayez, I discovered that she had fled the city.
She had received a warning she could not ignore: a handwritten note, tacked to the windshield of her family car, folded over a bullet.
“From now on, you are our target,” the letter said, “and we will treat you like other Western slaves.” It was signed “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” the formal name the Taliban use for themselves.
Many Afghan women seized on the freedoms that emerged after the American invasion and collapse of the Taliban government in 2001. They do not want to go back to the terms of Taliban rule — to the floggings and banishment from public life.
But as some sort of agreement between the Taliban and American officials appears likely, many women do not believe the insurgents’ promises to respect the rights of women this time around.
Take Ms. Fayez, the prosecutor.
I found her in Kabul, the Afghan capital, holed up with her two children in her relative’s house. Her husband, Fakhruddin, had just driven from Kandahar with the bullet and threatening letter.
Ms. Fayez has seen enough of the Taliban to know that their promises to treat women fairly are as empty as the desert outside of town.
“I have never been so terrified,” she said.
Born in the remote province of Ghor in 1990, at the height of the Afghan civil war, she grew up seeing the bottom line of Taliban rule: No school for girls, no jobs for women. Transgressors were stoned and flogged.
After the Taliban’s ouster, she enrolled in Kabul University and became a lawyer. In 2016, she signed up to prosecute men who abused women in Kandahar Province, where the Taliban movement was born.
One after another, Ms. Fayez sent the abusers to jail. Two of the men she convicted were police officers. Last year, the government recognized her as one of the five bravest women in the country, and put her portrait on a billboard in downtown Kandahar: “Heroes for women’s rights.”
Most important, her dogged reputation empowered more women to come forward with stories of abuse.
“My caseload grew as more women began trusting the rule of law,” she said. “Then the threats began.”
On the floor of her living room she displayed printouts and recordings of previous death threats: emails and messages over WhatsApp, text and voice mail, commanding her to quit working. For months, she waved off the warnings as part of her job.
Then in February, her colleague Azam Ahmad, with whom she had worked on many of her domestic violence cases, was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen on his way to the office.
“He was a very brave man, and a friend,” she said. “These incidents and threats affect us mentally and emotionally. But we try our best to keep working.”A few weeks later, the Taliban letter — and the bullet — showed up on her windshield.
“A Talib is a Talib,” Ms. Fayez said. “They have proven what type of people they are, what their ideology is. And if they return with the same ideology, everything will be the same again.”
Afghanistan remains a deeply patriarchal society, but the overwhelming majority of women I met are unwilling to go back to the way things were. I had a hard time finding any who believed the Taliban had grown more tolerant in their years out of power.
I traveled to Kunduz, capital of the northern province of the same name, to speak with Sediqa Sherzai, a fearless and embattled advocate of women’s empowerment who directs an all-female radio station on the outskirts of town. The province is controlled mostly by the Taliban, and the city itself has fallen to the insurgents twice for short periods.
“Imagine a house surrounded by Taliban,” Ms. Sherzai said. “You would not be able to live, eat or do work with even momentary peace. People here live in constant fear that the Taliban will retake the city at any minute.” Since 2008, she has run Radio Roshani, a small shortwave station that educates women about their rights and encourages them to share their difficulties and stories. It has an audience across northern Afghanistan.
The day I visited, Ms. Sherzai’s producers were recording a segment with young graduates about their challenges finding work in the city. In a room next door, she sat with a number of women from around the city to discuss the peace negotiations for an upcoming segment.
“We reach people who cannot read and write,” Ms. Sherzai said. She emphasized how important it is for women to hear the voices of other women, especially in areas where literacy rates are so low.
“Listeners trust that the woman speaking is practicing the advice she preaches, in her own life and on her own children,” she said. “It disarms them.” In 2015, when the Taliban briefly captured Kunduz, they occupied Radio Roshani’s studio for five hours, set it on fire and stole the equipment. They seized the phone numbers and addresses of staff members. Ms. Sherzai’s husband, Obaidullah Qazizadha, who helped found the station, received ominous telephone calls at their home.
“Your wife is changing other women,” the voice on the phone said. “We do not agree with the ways she is changing their mind-set.”
She and her husband fled to Kabul, and the station went off the air. But in April, Ms. Sherzai decided to restart Radio Roshani. The station’s employees try to keep their involvement clandestine. Her husband keeps a shotgun in the control room. She is willing to risk her life to continue, she said, and she has no intention of making things easy for her enemies.
“The Taliban were right,” she said. “We were changing the mind-set of women.” But not all the Afghan women I spoke to had lost hope.
As a young mother under Taliban rule in the late 1990s, Hawa Nuristani helped run a secret school for girls, who were otherwise banned from attending class.
After the Taliban’s fall, Ms. Nuristani emerged as one of the most influential women in the new Afghan state, becoming a prominent television news anchor and then moving into politics. She now heads a commission that adjudicates electoral disputes. At various times, the Taliban imprisoned her husband, kidnapped her son and tried to kill her: One attack left a bullet in her leg and gave her a limp. Another attempt on her life, a bomb, demolished her car. In February, Ms. Nuristani was part of the Afghan delegation that traveled to Moscow to meet with a group of Taliban leaders — one of only two women in the group. The other was Fawzia Koofi, a member of Parliament. In her Kabul office, Ms. Nuristani recalled the meeting with a defiant look in her eyes. But her tone was hopeful. “I do not think anyone else has ever been as troubled in the Afghan government as much as I have,” she told me. “But I went to this meeting because I feel like you cannot wash blood with blood. How long will this war go on?”
For days, she listened to the Taliban leaders promise, among other things, to honor the rights of women. But when the talk turned to specifics, they froze up. She recalled them saying that women were too “sympathetic and delicate” for jobs like commissioner or mayor, where “a woman’s emotions might get in the way.”Still, Ms. Nuristani said she was choosing to give the insurgents a chance, if only because she sensed a war-weariness in the negotiators that appeared to match her own. “People on both sides of the war want peace, and are tired of the fighting — certainly the Taliban,” she said. “I have heard this from them directly.”

Acosta's Resignation May Result in More Losses for Prosecutors
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute./July 14/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14536/epstein-acosta-resignation
Experienced lawyers with whom I have discussed the case -- both prosecutors and defense attorneys -- worry that the thumb of media and political pressure will be placed on the scales of justice when it comes to the exercise of prosecutorial discretion and the decision to try or settle a case.
Consider the situation of a prosecutor today or tomorrow who has a weak federal case involving sexual allegations. He has two options: the first is he can try to make a deal based on the relative strength of his case and of the defense case. But if he makes that deal, he risks criticism for being too soft on sex offenders. His second option is to take the weak case to trial and risk losing. But even if he loses, the risks to him personally are less great because he can blame the loss on the judge or the jury. A deal, on the other hand, is totally attributed to the prosecutor, as evidenced by the Acosta resignation. So, a simple cost-benefit analysis will incline a prosecutor to litigate rather than settle.
In the post-Acosta world, prosecutors will bring cases to trial even if the likelihood of a conviction is questionable, as it was in the Epstein case. The result of this change will be more trials, more crowded courtroom dockets and fewer convictions. That is not good for defendants, victims or for the rule of law.
The forced resignation of Alex Acosta based on the plea deal that he made with Jeffrey Epstein's lawyers may have serious unintended effects on our system of criminal justice. Pictured: President Donald Trump shakes hands with Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, following the announcement of Acosta's resignation, on July 12, 2019 in Washington, DC.
The forced resignation of Alex Acosta based on the plea deal that he made with Jeffrey Epstein's lawyers (of which I was one) may have serious unintended effects on our system of criminal justice. The criticism of Acosta -- whether warranted or not -- for making the deal will cause other prosecutors to go to trial in relatively weak cases in which the chances of losing are considerable.
The deal accepted by Acosta was based on the weakness of the government's federal case. In order for sex with underage persons to be prosecuted federally, as distinguished from prosecution by a state, there has to be compelling evidence of an interstate nexus. Merely having sex with underage females in a local context does not constitute a federal crime. In the Epstein case, this would have required credible testimony or documentary evidence proving transportation of underage females in interstate commerce, or the use of interstate communications such as telephone calls, emails, or the wiring of funds. There was scant evidence of such an interstate nexus in the Epstein case at the time the deal was made. Perhaps there is more now, but that remains to be seen.
At the time the deal was made, there was a relatively strong state case in Palm Beach County, but the federal case was chancy, as Acosta said in his statement. A judge might have dismissed the case or a jury may have found against the government.
Instead of taking the chance of losing the case, Acosta did what many prosecutors do: they compromise based on the relative strength of the prosecution and the defense. The compromise in this case was worked out by Acosta's assistants and then approved by Acosta and higher-ups in the justice department. There were few red flags at the time, but with the benefit of hindsight, Monday morning quarterbacks have piled on Acosta.
This article, however, is not about Acosta. I hold no brief for him. This is about the impact of Acosta's forced resignation on current and future prosecutors. Consider the situation of a prosecutor today or tomorrow who has a weak federal case involving sexual allegations. He has two options: the first is he can try to make a deal based on the relative strength of his case and of the defense case. But if he makes that deal, he risks criticism for being too soft on sex offenders. His second option is to take the weak case to trial and risk losing. But even if he loses, the risks to him personally are less great because he can blame the loss on the judge or the jury. A deal, on the other hand, is totally attributed to the prosecutor, as evidenced by the Acosta resignation.
So, a simple cost-benefit analysis will incline a prosecutor to litigate rather than settle.
Today, more than 90 percent of federal criminal cases are settled by a plea bargain. This includes sexual assault cases. In the post-Acosta world, those numbers may well go down, especially in sexual assault cases. The inevitable result will be more trials and more acquittals.
It might be argued that the Epstein case is unique and that other prosecutors will still continue to make deals in weak cases. It will be impossible to quantify the impact of the Acosta resignation on current and future cases, but experienced lawyers with whom I have discussed the case -- both prosecutors and defense attorneys -- worry that the thumb of media and political pressure will be placed on the scales of justice when it comes to the exercise of prosecutorial discretion and the decision to try or settle a case.
There are traditions and guidelines in the Justice Department that mandate that criminal cases should not be brought to trial unless there is a substantial likelihood of a conviction. That is why federal prosecutors have such a high rate of success in litigating cases -- over 90%. In the post-Acosta world, prosecutors will bring cases to trial even if the likelihood of a conviction is questionable, as it was in the Epstein case. The result of this change will be more trials, more crowded courtroom dockets and fewer convictions. That is not good for defendants, victims or for the rule of law.
Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law Emeritus at Harvard Law School and author of The Case Against the Democrats Impeaching Trump, Skyhorse Publishing, 2019. He is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
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Iran only a threat if the world allows it to be
بارعة علم الدين: إيران هي تهديد إذا فقط سمح له العالم بذلك
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/July 14/2019
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The Iranian Army’s Brig. Gen. Alireza Fard said this month: “Our deterrence and secret weapons have stopped the filthy enemy 200 miles away in the Strait of Hormuz.”
President Hassan Rouhani has said: “The White House’s actions mean it is mentally retarded.”
IRGC aerospace commander Amirali Hajizadeh claimed: “An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past, but now it is a target and the threats have switched to opportunities. If they make a move we will hit them in the head.”
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) deputy commander Ali Fadavi added on Thursday: “No one dares to fire even a single bullet at our country.”
And IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani has said: “We are near you, where you can’t even imagine... Come. We are ready. If you begin the war, we will end the war.”
These are just a few of the pugnacious recent threats by Iranian officials, alongside the Foreign Ministry insisting that “foreign powers should leave the region.” The mullahs have become so isolated from the real world that they are deluding themselves with their own fantastical propaganda of being all-conquering, globe-straddling warlords.
Who do Iran’s leaders think they are — threatening and provoking NATO members who enjoy a combined force capacity exponentially greater than Tehran’s puny armed forces? This is not pluckiness. Just like Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah during the 2006 conflict, the ayatollahs would flee into their underground bolt-holes, leaving long-suffering Iranians in the line of fire. Nasrallah in recent days has been bellowing similarly bellicose hyperbole: “Any war will be bigger than the 2006 war for Israel and it will put it on the brink of extinction.” But what about the civilian populations caught up in the middle of Nasrallah’s frenzied apocalyptical fantasies?
Tensions were ratcheted up further last week when, in compliance with international sanctions, British authorities in Gibraltar impounded an Iranian tanker illegally conveying oil to the Assad regime. Iran improbably threatened to retaliate by seizing a British ship. Within hours, they tried their luck against a British tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but the IRGC’s wannabe hijackers were sent packing by a naval frigate. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif blusteringly denied the incident ever happened. Although Britain is currently further beefing up its Gulf presence, it has indicated its readiness to release Iran’s tanker — if Tehran pledges no repeat trips to Syria. This is somewhat equivalent to giving a serial killer his knife back on condition of promises of future good behavior.
Tehran’s predatory leaders have 40 years’ experience of exploiting the weaknesses of crisis-wracked states. They sniffed blood in the water, with Britain enmeshed in a deteriorating political crisis over its relationship with the EU. However, while British politics has descended into such shambolic farce that Boris Johnson is the favorite to be prime minister, the UK by far is not yet Syria or Yemen.
Tehran’s predatory leaders have 40 years’ experience of exploiting the weaknesses of crisis-wracked states
Despite the US administration’s clumsy attempts to project strength on the international arena, Western nations have never looked more divided and ineffectual — with the Europeans seeking to undermine the US by preserving the 2015 nuclear deal at all costs. US President Donald Trump’s confused vacillations about his own policies haven’t helped: Tweets signaling that the nuclear issue is the only bone of contention contradict the administration’s exertions against Iranian regional aggression through paramilitary proxies. Ceaseless new rounds of sanctions are subject to the law of diminishing returns, while a leading Iranian export market — Iraq — has again been granted sanctions waivers. The lack of international consensus gives China, India and others a green light to ignore oil sanctions.
The final touches are being put to a multinational naval strategy for protecting Arabian Gulf shipping. A US military expert told me that there would also be a rapid upgrading of surveillance of IRGC activities: “We’ll deal with them before they even get close.” Although the operation may benefit from US command and control, given that much of the shipping is destined for Asian markets, this must be a broad coalition.
The recent spat between Britain and the US over leaked deprecating comments about Trump by the British ambassador demonstrates how brittle relations with the Trump administration can be. If Britain wants to protect its shipping and overseas assets from terrorism and Iranian threats, it is compelled to fall back on its traditional international alliances. European states have habitually stood together when threatened, despite self-defeating British attempts to render itself the black sheep of the family.
This crisis furthermore draws attention to Iran’s reliance on disputed islands and waterways, from which it has staged attacks and where it hoards offensive weapons. What if the international community was to retaliate by confiscating these maritime launch pads and restore them to their rightful Khaleeji owners? The risk of losing prime waterside real estate would certainly make Iran’s leaders think twice.
The ayatollahs are exhilarated by their high-risk game of divide and conquer against the international community; leaving the US looking highly isolated in its maximum pressure policy, while turning the heat on individual states like the UK when they do try and get tough. However, by triggering sharp rises in oil prices, increased risks to shipping and threats to global energy security, Iran is biting the hands that feed it. Does Tehran truly believe that energy-hungry states like China will be sympathetic to its obstructions of shipping?
None of us want war, especially not the Iranian people and certainly not Trump, who roars like a lion in his tweets but bleats like a lamb when it comes to holding Tehran accountable. Yet the current pattern of provocations takes us down a path where some form of confrontation (whether limited strikes or extended conflagration) becomes inevitable. For China, Japan, Russia, Germany and France, sitting on the fence and waiting to see how things play out isn’t a sensible option. Through naked economic necessity, these powers must, sooner or later, sign up to multilateral efforts to neutralize Iranian saber-rattling.
On the international stage, Iran is an insignificant irritant. Yet, just as the black rat spread the bubonic plague and the humble mosquito carries malaria, when global decision-makers fail to introduce appropriate preventive measures, tiny parasitic menaces are capable of bringing the world to its knees.
• Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state.

Iran has a history of violating nuclear deal’s terms
د.مجيد رافيزادا: لدى إيران تاريخ في مخالفة بنود الإتفاق النووي
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh//Arab News/July 14/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/76688/%d8%af-%d9%85%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%a7-%d9%84%d8%af%d9%89-%d8%a5%d9%8a%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%ae-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d9%85%d8%ae%d8%a7%d9%84/
Iran’s state-controlled Persian newspapers last week propagated the idea that the Islamic Republic has not violated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. The Iranian leaders have also been promoting this misinformation. One particular official who is spearheading this narrative is Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif.
In an attempt to obtain concessions from the EU, Zarif told reporters that: “Actions by the Europeans have not been enough, so we will move ahead with our plan.” He also tweeted: “We have not violated the JCPOA,” and said: “We had previously announced this and were transparent in saying what we are going to do… We consider it our right, reserved in the nuclear deal.”
But such claims are totally absurd. The Iranian leaders need to examine the terms of the JCPOA instead of issuing statements with no proof. It clearly states that there are limitations on all enrichment-related activities. Paragraph A section 7 states: “During the 15-year period, and as Iran gradually moves to meet international qualification standards for nuclear fuel produced in Iran, it will keep its uranium stockpile under 300 kilograms.” This demonstrates that Iran’s announcement that it had surpassed the 300-kilogram cap is in direct violation of the JCPOA.
While Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the senior cadre of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) enjoy the final say in Iran’s domestic and foreign policies, Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani set the tone on the international stage to ensure the survival of the Islamic Republic and the supreme leader. In other words, Iran’s presidential office and foreign ministry do not pursue policies without first receiving the blessings of Khamenei and the IRGC. Although Rouhani and Zarif are labeled as moderates, they are loyal confidants of the supreme leader.
For example, Zarif is a member of Iran’s powerful Supreme National Security Council — an organization with 12 permanent members who make policy recommendations to Khamenei in order to advance the revolutionary and geopolitical interests of the theocratic establishment. This is why, after the US leveled sanctions on Iran’s supreme leader and eight senior IRGC commanders for the first time since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, Washington last month announced that sanctions would soon be imposed on Iran’s foreign minister too.
The Iranian leaders need to examine the terms of the JCPOA instead of issuing statements with no proof
But this is not the first time Iran has violated the nuclear deal and spread misinformation regarding its nuclear activities. Since the JCPOA was adopted on Oct. 18, 2015, the Iranian regime has repeatedly test-fired long-range ballistic missiles and laser-guided surface-to-surface missiles. The nuclear agreement clearly stipulates that Iran should not undertake any ballistic missile activity “until the date eight years after the JCPOA adoption day or until the date on which the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) submits a report confirming the broader conclusion, whichever is earlier.”
In addition, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, revealed in its annual report released in July 2016 that the Iranian government had pursued a “clandestine” path toward obtaining illicit nuclear technology and equipment from German companies “at what is, even by international standards, a quantitatively high level.” The report also stated that “it is safe to expect that Iran will continue its intensive procurement activities in Germany using clandestine methods to achieve its objectives.”
Finally, the Iranian opposition group, the National Council for Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which was the first to reveal Iran’s clandestine nuclear activities in two major sites, Natanz and Arak, released in 2017 critical information showing that Iran’s research and development activities, as well as nuclear activities, were continuing at the military site at Parchin, which is out of reach of the IAEA’s inspectors.
Due to the NCRI’s influence inside Iran, its information is believed to be highly credible. Frank Pabian, an adviser on nuclear non-proliferation matters at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, previously told the New York Times that the NCRI is “right 90 percent of the time.”
This shows that Iran has been most likely breaching another term of the JCPOA, which states: “Iran’s long-term plan includes certain agreed limitations on all uranium enrichment and uranium enrichment-related activities, including certain limitations on specific research and development activities for the first eight years, to be followed by gradual evolution, at a reasonable pace, to the next stage of its enrichment activities for exclusively peaceful purposes.”
This also points to the fact that the IAEA has failed on several occasions to detect Iran’s nuclear activities, which includes increasing its level of uranium enrichment above the 3.67 percent limit set by the JCPOA.
In a nutshell, the Iranian regime has long been violating the agreement in order to achieve its nuclear and hegemonic ambitions. It is incumbent on the UN Security Council to immediately take appropriate measures.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and president of the International American Council. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh