LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 25/2019

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat
Isaiah 55/10-13: “Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat! Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which doesn’t satisfy? listen diligently to me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Turn your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you don’t know; and a nation that didn’t know you shall run to you, because of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he has glorified you.” Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call you on him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” says Yahweh. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing I sent it to do. For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to Yahweh for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” God is Sovereign: Life often feels confusing. If we’re experiencing a tragedy or great turmoil, we might begin to doubt that God is in control. But these words remind us that the Lord is sovereign … even in our pain, even in our troubles. Through it all, his love is transforming us, perfecting us, completing us. James MacDonald in Gripped by the Greatness of God, explains it this way: “God’s sovereignty is first painful, then slowly powerful, and over much time seen to be profitable. It is to be studied with great sensitivity for the experiences of others and deep reverence for the One who controls the outcomes of every matter in the universe.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on March 24-25/2019
Values That We Can We Learn From “The Lost Son” Parable
Almighty God Is Love And Love is Forgiveness
Pope Francis addresses 'letter of appreciation' to Patriarch Rahi
Rahi: I wish the President success in his visit to Russia to secure Syrian refugees' return
MP Hariri representing the Prime Minister: A message of joy from Sidon to all of Lebanon
Berri Says 'Hoff Suggestion' Shelved during Pompeo Visit
Pompeo Offered to Help Resolve Maritime Dispute Between Lebanon, Israel
Trump to Sign Decree Recognizing Golan Heights as Israeli Land
Pompeo Tours Lebanese Historical Sites in Ancient City
Pompeo Says Up to Lebanon to Talk to Assad on Refugees, Sanctions Won't Harm Economy
Maronite Patriarch Hopes Aoun Would Seek Solutions to Refugee Crisis in
Bassil: Those who Believe in Unilateralism Must Fall
Qaouq Slams 'Hostile U.S. Stances', Nasrallah to Speak Tuesday
Lebanese Kills Indian, Wounds Three in Zahle
Fire Rips Through Refugees’ Encampment in Bekaa
Rifi Lashes Out at Bassil: ‘Don’t Think You’re Smart’
Gemayel Voices Concern over Future of Lebanon
Lebanese Canadian Arrested For Spying For Israel
UK Bans Hezbollah/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/March 24/19
Refraining from Standing Againt Hezbollah is the Real Danger

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 24-25/2019
Pope Francis prays for Nicaragua, victims in African attacks
IS 'Caliphate' Now Gone, What's Next for War-Torn Syria?
Jihadists Emerge from Tunnels to Surrender after 'Caliphate' Falls
Israel Says Trump to Recognize Golan as Its Territory Monday
Syria's Return to Arab League Not on Summit Agenda
Ahwazi Activist Sends Cry for Help Over Jailing of Ill Father
Iranian Official Hints for Rule Under Shura-led Leadership
OIC Condemns Attacks in Niger, Chad
Turkey Court Upholds Life Sentences for 37 in ‘Erdogan Assassination Squad’
Under Threat May Holds Brexit Crisis Talks
Post-IS Iraq Treads Fine Line as It Seeks Regional Role
Algeria Opposition Proposes Six-Month Political Transition
Second Student Suicide from Florida Massacre School Reported
Polls Close in Thailand's First Election since 2014 Coup
Ministers Demand UK Prime Minister to Step Down

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 24-25/2019
Values That We Can We Learn From “The Lost Son” Parable/Elias Bejjani/March 24/19
Almighty God Is Love And Love is Forgiveness/Elias Bejjani/March 23/19
Lebanese Canadian Arrested For Spying For Israel/Jerusalem Post/March 24/19
UK Bans Hezbollah/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/March 24/19
Refraining from Standing Againt Hezbollah is the Real Danger/Salman Al-dossary/Asharq Al Awsat/March 24/19
As Trump Mulls Recognizing Golan Heights, Archives Reveal How Israel Avoided It/Noa Landau/Haaretz/Mar 24/19
New Zealand Has Banned Rifles. Why Can't America Do the Same/Francis Wilkinson/Bloomberg/March, 24/19
Pakistan: Mentally Disabled Christians Charged with Blasphemy/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/March 24/19
Mueller Report Finds Trump Campaign Did Not Conspire With Russia/Yahoo/March 24/19

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on March 24-25/2019
Values That We Can We Learn From “The Lost Son” Parable
Elias Bejjani/March 24/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73276/elias-bejjani-values-that-we-can-we-learn-from-the-lost-son-parable/
In our Maronite Catholic Church’s rite, on the Fourth Lent Sunday we recall and cite the biblical Lost Son’s parable that is known also as The Prodigal Son. (Lost Son) This impulsive, selfish and thoughtless son, as the parable tells us, fell prey to evil’s temptation and decided to take his share of his father’s inheritance and leave the parental dwelling.
He travelled to a far-away city where he indulged badly in all evil conducts of pleasure and corruption until he lost all his money and became penniless. He experienced severe poverty, starvation, humiliation and loneliness.
In the midst of his dire hardships he felt nostalgic, came back to his senses and decided with great self confidence to return back to his father’s house, kneel on his feet and ask him for forgiveness.
On his return his loving and kind father received him with rejoice, open arms, accepted his repentance, and happily forgave him all his misdeeds. Because of his sincere repentance his Father gave him back all his privileges as a son.
This parable is a road map for repentance and forgiveness. It shows us how much Almighty God our Father loves us, we His children and how He is always ready with open arms and willing to forgive our sins and trespasses when we come back to our senses, recognize right from wrong, admit our weaknesses and wrongdoings, eagerly and freely return to Him and with faith and repentance ask for His forgiveness.
Asking Almighty God for what ever we need is exactly what the Holy Bible instructs us to do when encountering all kinds of doubt, weaknesses, stumbling, hard times, sickness, loneliness, persecution, injustice etc.
Matthew 07/07&08: “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened”
All what we have to do is to pray and to ask Him with faith, self confidence and humility and He will respond.
Matthew 21/22: “All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
We are not left alone at any time, especially when in trouble, no matter how far we distance ourselves from God and disobey His Holy bible. He is a Father, a loving, caring and forgiving Father.
What is definite is that in spite of our foolishness, stupidity, ignorance, defiance and ingratitude He never ever abandons us or gives up on our salvation. He loves us because we His are children.
He happily sent His only begotten son to be tortured, humiliated and crucified in a bid to absolve our original sin.’
God carries our burdens and helps us to fight all kinds of Evil temptations.
Matthew11/28-30: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
God is waiting for our repentance, let us run to Him and ask for forgiveness before it is too late

Almighty God Is Love And Love is Forgiveness
 Elias Bejjani/March 23/19
 http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73241/elias-bejjani-almighty-god-is-love-and-love-is-forgiveness/
 Jesus Christ taught us in "The Lord's Prayer" that we are ought as believers to forgive all those who harm us, so that He forgives us for our sins.  (forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors).
 Jesus Christ told us that if any person has been offerings his sacrifices in front of the altar and remembered there that he is still in conflict with anyone, he is required to stop this holy ritual and go first to reconcile with whom he has the conflict and then return to complete the offering ritual.
 "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift". Matthew 05/23-24)
 The Holy Bible emphasizes in dozens of its verses that faith without deeds has no meaning or value.  ("As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead".-James 02/26)
 Hence, any person who can not, and does not seek to forgive others, Almighty God  shall not forgive him his sins.
 In this context all prayers without  practical and actual deeds are biblically futile.
 This means that no matter how strong and genuine prayers are, they remain not complete without deeds.
 In this realm, the hateful person who can not forgive, and who holds on to grudges and contemplates revenge is a person who does not comprehend or understand the act of forgiveness.
 Such a person does not know what is love, and accordingly he does not know Almighty God, Who is mere LOVE.
 Let us pray with reverence to Almighty God that every human being is blessed with the grace of forgiveness in a bid to realize in both his mind and heart that God is Love and is Forgiveness.

Pope Francis addresses 'letter of appreciation' to Patriarch Rahi
Sun 24 Mar 2019/NNA - In a message to Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros al-Rahi, Pope Francis said: "I am writing to express my gratitude for your presence during my last visit to Abu Dhabi and to thank you for your expression of this ecclesial partnership." "I am particularly thankful for the Christian presence in that land," the Pope added, pointing to the need for supporting the Church in the entire Middle East. "As we continue to thank the Lord Almighty for the many blessings we have received during this visit, I encourage you to continue to serve the people of God, especially the most needy and underprivileged among us," said Pope Francis. "I assure you and the people you serve that I will always pray for you, and grant you all my apostolic blessings as a token of joy and peace from our Lord," the Pope concluded.

Rahi: I wish the President success in his visit to Russia to secure Syrian refugees' return
Sun 24 Mar 2019/NNA - Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rahi, on Sunday hoped that the President would succeed in his upcoming official visit to Russia to find a solution for the repatriation of the displaced Syrians. "We accompany President of the Republic [Michel Aoun] with our prayers on his official visit to Russia, in order to succeed in the issue of Syrian refugees return to their homeland, for the sake of both countries," Rahi said during Sunday's Mass service in Bkirki. He added: "Lebanon is no longer able to shoulder the burden of Syrian refugees at the economic, social and daily living levels, nor to face emerging political, demographic and security threats."Finally, Rahi said that a community cannot live in peace and happiness without repentance and reconciliation, in quest of progress, prosperity, and stability in life.

MP Hariri representing the Prime Minister: A message of joy from Sidon to all of Lebanon
Sun 24 Mar 2019/NNA - Sidon, the capital of the South, registered a record number of participants in the second international marathon in the region, with 30,000 runners partaking from different regions, compared to 18,500 participants in the first marathon in 2017. Today's marathon was distinguished by the large and varied participation in terms of areas and ages, with professional athletes joining from a number of Arab and foreign countries. Under the slogan of, "We Run for a Peaceful Environment," the race was organized by Sidon's International Marathon Association, in coordination with the Municipality of Sidon, the Lebanese Federation of Athletics and "The Planner", under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, represented by Future Bloc Head, MP Bahia Hariri. In her delivered word on the occasion, MP Hariri described the event as a "day of peace for all of Lebanon," dedicating the success of this marathon to PM Hariri, who was unable to join due to special circumstances. "This is an important achievement for the city of Sidon as a whole...We have large areas that bring us together and this is a space of joy from Sidon to all of Lebanon. We have hope for the country and its youth...!" "We want to promote the country. This message is the first step initiated by PM Saad Hariri to say that Lebanon can overcome the crises it is experiencing through its citizens and their integration," Hariri added, stressing that "together we can create a success story every day."

Berri Says 'Hoff Suggestion' Shelved during Pompeo Visit
Naharnet/March 24/19/U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Lebanon was important in terms of “putting an end” to a suggestion by former U.S. official Frederick Hoff on the demarcation of the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel, sources close to Speaker Nabih Berri said. The suggestion “was based on Lebanon’s acceptance to renounce its right to the maritime Block 8, which covers over 800 square kilometers of its Exclusive Economic Zone,” the sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Sunday, noting that Lebanon had rejected that proposal. “Another important thing in Pompeo’s visit is that it revived a previous agreement that the U.N. would bring together representatives of the sides on its table, under its flag and chairmanship and in the presence of the U.S. mediator in order to confirm Lebanon’s right and demarcate the maritime border,” the sources said. The sources added that the new negotiations will kick off “when the U.S. mediator lays out a practical plan.”

Pompeo Offered to Help Resolve Maritime Dispute Between Lebanon, Israel
Beirut - Nazeer Rida/Asharq Al Awsat/March 24/19/The US escalation expressed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo against Iran and Hezbollah during his visit to Beirut did not prevent the opening of a positive door in the demarcation of the disputed maritime border between Lebanon and Israel.
Pompeo expressed US’ willingness to help along with the United Nations’ efforts to deal with the demarcation of the southern border during his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who stressed that any solution would begin with the maritime borders. It is noteworthy that Washington’s willingness to lead this mediation came in the wake of Pompeo’s visit to Tel Aviv, which reflected “American guarantees about Israel’s participation in these talks under the auspices of the United Nations,” the sources said. Representatives and experts of both sides are expected to participate in the demarcation of the border. Lebanon is now in the process of exploration and assessment of its maritime oil and gas reserves, within a crucial time span until 2020, which includes opening a new licensing cycle. As the file of border demarcation was discussed smoothly, accompanied by Lebanon’s declaration of commitment to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and its keenness to maintain stability on the southern border, as stated by President Michel Aoun, the level of concern rose in the light of Pompeo’s escalation towards Hezbollah and Iran, and he spoke of tightening financial sanctions that would restrict the party’s ability to carry out its work, as the US official said in Beirut. Lebanese political sources emphasized that Lebanon’s stance was united on dealing with Hezbollah. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the sources said that the positions of Aoun, Berri and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil were those adopted in the government policy statement. In a news conference with Bassil on Friday, the US Secretary of State said that his country would continue using “all peaceful means possible” to pressure Hezbollah.

Trump to Sign Decree Recognizing Golan Heights as Israeli Land
Kataeb.org/ Sunday 24th March 2019/U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday is expected to sign a decree recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Israeli Acting Foreign Minister announced on Sunday.
The signing will take place at the White House following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Tomorrow, President Trump, in the presence of PM Netanyahu, will sign a decree recognizing Israel’s sovereignty on the Golan. Israel-U.S. ties are closer than ever,” Israel Katz wrote on Twitter.

Pompeo Tours Lebanese Historical Sites in Ancient City
Associated PressNaharnet/March 24/19/U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan spent much of the second and last day of their visit to Lebanon touring historical churches and a centuries-old citadel in the coastal city of Byblos on Saturday. The tour in Byblos and a nearby village came a day after Pompeo blasted Hizbullah and called on the Lebanese people to stand up to its "criminality."His visit came amid tight security as roads were closed before his motorcade drove through Byblos and Beirut while Lebanese army sharpshooters took positions on rooftops. Some of the sites he visited, including churches, were closed to the public during his hourslong tour. Pompeo began his day by visiting the site where a new U.S. embassy compound is being built then drove to the village of Behdaidat northeast of Beirut where he visited the 13th century Mar Tadros, or St. Theodore church. The State Department awarded a $44,000 grant through the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation to support the conservation of the church. Later, he visited two other churches in this coastal city renowned for its ancient Phoenician, Roman, and Crusader ruins where he was greeted by priests who briefed about the history of each church. The last site to be visited in the ancient city was the Byblos Citadel built by the Crusaders. Pompeo toured the citadel as Tania Zazen, director general of antiquities in Byblos, accompanied him recounting the city's history. In 2011, the State Department awarded a grant $93,895 to support the conservation of the main tower of the 12th century citadel at the archaeological site of ancient Byblos, a World Heritage site. The delegation afterward went to a restaurant by the Mediterranean where they had a meal of cold and hot authentic Lebanese dishes, known as Mezza, and grilled lamb chops and chicken. Pompeo also met Lebanese Armed Forces commander Gen. Joseph Aoun and Beirut Metropolitan of Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elias Audeh. "Spoke about the importance of protecting and defending religious diversity and opportunity" with Bishop Audeh and how they enrich every country," Pompeo tweeted after the meeting. Around sunset, his plane took off back to the U.S. ending a Mideast tour that also included visits to Kuwait and Israel. Pompeo renewed his attack on Hizbullah and its main backer Iran, blasting the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Qassim Suleimani, the commander of Iran's elite Quds Force, saying their aim is to control Lebanon. "They want to control this state. They want access to the Mediterranean. They want power and influence here," Pompeo said in an interview with Sky News. He added that "the people of Lebanon deserve better than that, they want something different from that, and America is prepared to help."When told that the Lebanese president and prime minister are not on the same page, Pompeo responded: "Yeah, I don't think that's true. I think that's false."

Pompeo Says Up to Lebanon to Talk to Assad on Refugees, Sanctions Won't Harm Economy
Naharnet/March 24/19/U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that Washington does not want to harm the Lebanese economy with its new sanctions on Hizbullah, as he noted that it is up to the Lebanese to coordinate with Damascus on the thorny issue of returning refugees. Describing Iran-backed Hizbullah as “so dangerous,” Pompeo described the group as “a threat that is posed to all these people (in Lebanon), Christians and Muslims.”“We want our good partners in Lebanon to understand that we’re with them in this battle,” Pompeo said in an interview with Lebanon’s MTV. Asked whether the new U.S. sanctions might hurt the Lebanese economy, Pompeo said: “We don’t want that.”“A thriving Lebanon economy is good for… peace and stability,” he emphasized. As for his meetings with Lebanese leaders, Pompeo said: “I believe that they all understand the importance of keeping the political power out of the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”Pompeo also denied reports that he was not “happy” after his talks with Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil. “We had a fine meeting,” the U.S. official said, describing the talks as “frank” and “candid.”“Each of the meetings I had yesterday was constructive and productive,” he went on to say. Asked whether President Michel Aoun should talk to his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad about the issue of refugees, Pompeo said “it’s a decision for the Lebanese leaders to make.”

Maronite Patriarch Hopes Aoun Would Seek Solutions to Refugee Crisis in
Kataeb.org/Sunday 24th March 2019/Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi on Sunday called on politicians to opt for repentance and reconciliation, deeming these two values as the fundamental factors to build a state of justice. "Politics is not a means to reach leverage or to accumulate wealth at the expense of public welfare," the patriach said in his Sunday sermon. “Political ethics are the gateway to fighting corruption," he stressed. The Patriarch also said that reconciliation reinforces democracy which is the precondition for Lebanon’s existence and sustainability. “When politicians reconcile with God, they will find solutions to their people’s problems,” he stated. On the eve of President Michel Aoun's visit to Russia, the patriarch hoped that the latter would seek solutions to ensure the Syrian refugees' return to their homeland.

Bassil: Those who Believe in Unilateralism Must Fall
Naharnet/March 24/19/Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil on Sunday announced that those who “believe in unilateralism” must “fall.”“Our people are moderate and terrorism cannot live among them and this region is a good example,” said Bassil during a tour of the northern region of Minieh-Dinniyeh. “This country has no single ruler, single sect or single party; it is rather the country of diversity,” Bassil added. Referring to the FPM, he went on to say: “We are a good partner seeking to build Lebanon with all Lebanese and those who believe in unilateralism must fall.”“We extend our hand to everyone in Minieh, Dinniyeh and entire Lebanon and we do not claim that we alone have the capacity to rescue the country,” he added.

Qaouq Slams 'Hostile U.S. Stances', Nasrallah to Speak Tuesday
Naharnet/March 24/19/Hizbullah central council member Sheikh Nabil Qaouq on Sunday slammed what he called the “hostile U.S. stances,” in the wake of a visit to Lebanon and the region by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “U.S. President Donald Trump’s racist speech is the cause of the massacre against worshippers in New Zealand,” Qaouq said in a speech in the southern town of Ain Ebel. “Through his Israeli stances that have legitimized Israel’s occupation of Jerusalem, and yesterday of the Golan, he might soon legitimize the occupation of the Shebaa Farms and the Kfarshouba Hills,” Qaouq warned, referring to Lebanese territory still occupied by Israel. The Hizbullah official added: “The hostile U.S. stances threaten the security and stability of Lebanon and the region, and accordingly the Lebanese state is demanded to voice a decisive and clear stance against the ‘deal of the century’ and the legitimization of the Golan’s occupation, because these stances harm Lebanon the most.”Hizbullah’s al-Manar television meanwhile announced that the party’s secretary-general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will address the latest developments in Lebanon and the region in a televised speech on Tuesday. The speech will likely address Pompeo’s visit and the latest U.S. stances.

Lebanese Kills Indian, Wounds Three in Zahle
Naharnet/March 24/19/A Lebanese man on Sunday shot dead an Indian national and wounded three others of the same nationality in Zahle’s industrial zone, the National News Agency said. It said the man opened fire on them from a Kalashnikov assault rifle at dawn around 3:00 am after engaging in a fistfight with them and accusing them of “nuisance and annoyance.”The agency said the condition of one of the wounded was critical after receiving a bullet to the head.The assailant later turned himself in to a Lebanese army post in Riyaq as the Military Police launched a probe into the incident.

Fire Rips Through Refugees’ Encampment in Bekaa
Naharnet/March 24/19/Fire erupted on Saturday in an encampment for Syrian refugees in a town near the city of Baalbek in the eastern Bekaa valley, the National News Agency reported. The tent, in the town of Buday, caught up fire when a gas canister exploded leaving no casualties, NNA said.
Civil Defense firefighters managed to extinguish the fire that caused material da

Rifi Lashes Out at Bassil: ‘Don’t Think You’re Smart’
Naharnet/March 24/19/Firebrand Major General Ashraf Rifi, who served as justice minister and Internal Security Forces chief accused on Saturday the Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil of taking “Iranian” money as he “dared” him of lifting secrecy off his bank accounts.
In an interview with Liberal Lebanon radio, Rifi accused Bassil of “taking Iranian money for his own group from boxes labeled as Iranian Red Crescent,” he also challenged him “to lift the secrecy from his bank accounts.”Rifi continued to lash out at Bassil saying “he will never be satisfied,” and that “he is going to destroy the (presidential) term (of his father-in-law President Michel Aoun) because of his corruption, racism and non-patriotism.”On the presidential settlement that brought Aoun to the post of presidency, Rifi said “it was costly and would cost the country very much.”On mended ties with Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the former minister stated: “I did not change my political convictions, and I don't mind to meet with PM Hariri anywhere he chooses. The current phase requires restoration of hope to the public of March 14 camp because there is an appropriate regional atmosphere.”Addressing Bassil again, Rifi said: “The Lebanese are not stupid and do not think you are smart. President Aoun has taken part of the Christians into Syria and Iran and the situation today is favorable for all of us to unite.”

Gemayel Voices Concern over Future of Lebanon
Kataeb.org/Sunday 24th March 2019/Former President Amine Gemayel voiced concern over the future of Lebanon, deeming corruption and the lingering refugee crisis as the two main worrisome issues that the country is facing. “The Syrians are now competing with the Lebanese citizens in the labor market as if there is a policy to settle the refugees in Lebanon,” Gemayel warned. “We are facing a problem that seems to be very similar to the Palestinian settlement issue, with humanitarianism being used as a pretext," he added. "Unfortunately, the State is absent and everyone is getting preoccupied with trivial issues while a major conspiracy is looming ahead." Gemayel also described the fight against corruption, as it is currently being carried out, as "fictitious", saying that it is selective and used to settle accounts with political rivals. “I hope that the first of April would be a designated as a day to celebrate the anti-fighting corruption,” Gemayel said. Gemayel was speaking during a ceremony held in his honor by the Kataeb Party's Artists Department.

Lebanese Canadian Arrested For Spying For Israel
Jerusalem Post/March 24/19
Lebanon said the 40-year old suspect tried to recruit others to spy on Hezbollah and obtain information on missing Israeli pilot Ron Arad.
A Lebanese-Canadian dual national was arrested in Beirut on suspicion of spying for Israeli intelligence, Lebanese authorities said.
“Within the frame of its fight against espionage for the Israeli enemy entity and the dismantlement of its rings inside Lebanon, the General Directorate of the General Security has arrested Lebanese-Canadian F.G., born 1978, upon the notice of the military prosecution,” Lebanon’s General Security intelligence agency said in a statement.While there were no details on when or where the suspect was detained, according to Lebanese media reports, he confessed during interrogation that he was recruited in 2013 by a Lebanese fugitive who belong to an Israeli army intelligence network called “Unit 504.”
He confessed to spending six years spying on Hezbollah, trying to gather intelligence on Hezbollah operatives. He was also attempting to gather information on Israeli pilot Ron Arad, who has been missing since 1986 when his plane was shot down over southern Lebanon and was supposedly handed to the terror group."F.G." had also been told to recruit other Lebanese citizens to infiltrate into Hezbollah.
Israel and Lebanon are technically in a state of war, and according to AFP News Agency, the Lebanese government has detained more than 100 people on suspicion of spying for Israel between 2009 and 2014.
Israel and Hezbollah fought a deadly 33-day war in 2006, which came to an end under UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The resolution called for the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, deployment of the Lebanese army and an enlarged UN force in the south of the country.
Following the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah has since then morphed from a guerrilla group to an army with a set hierarchy and procedures.
With the help of Iran, the group has rebuilt its arsenal since 2006 and has hundreds of thousands of short-range rockets and several thousand more missiles that can reach deeper into Israel. Military and intelligence officials have said that in the next war, the terrorist group will aim to fire some 1,500-2,000 rockets per day. In addition to their massive arsenal, Hezbollah also has the ability to mobilize close to 30,000 battle-hardened fighters, some of whom were expected to try to infiltrate into Israeli communities on the border to kill or kidnap civilians and soldiers.
The border area with Lebanon has been flagged by the IDF as vulnerable to enemy infiltration, and in December, the IDF announced that it had begun Operation Northern Shield to destroy cross-border attack tunnels dug by Hezbollah.
While the military announced the end of the operation in January after finding and destroying six tunnels, it noted that it “is simultaneously monitoring several locations where Hezbollah is digging underground structures which have yet to cross into Israel.”
It will also continue a “broad defense effort” along the Lebanese border to ensure that Hezbollah does not try to dig future tunnels into Israel by integrating various means, such as the ongoing construction of the border wall with Lebanon.
Israel has invested significant amounts of money and effort into strengthening its defenses along the border with Lebanon over the past several years, by creating obstacles such as artificial cliffs and building high concrete barriers to help prevent any such ground attacks by Hezbollah.
Disagreement over Israel’s construction of its new border wall have elevated tensions between Israel and Lebanon with Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, who has warned Israel against its continued construction efforts.

UK Bans Hezbollah
جوديث برغمان/جيتستون/بريطانيا تمنع حزب الله
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/March 24/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73295/judith-bergman-gatestone-institute-uk-bans-hezbollah%d8%ac%d9%88%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%ab-%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%ba%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%b9%d9%87%d8%af-%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%aa%d8%b3%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%86-%d8%a8/
"Hezbollah themselves have laughed off the suggestion there is a difference. I've carefully considered the evidence and I'm satisfied they are one and the same with the entire organisation linked to terrorism." — UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid.
Hezbollah itself, in fact, does not acknowledge having separate political and military 'wings'.
A female lawyer who courageously defended Iranian women who removed their hijabs to protest the Iranian regime's misogynistic treatment, was sentenced recently to 33 years in prison and a flogging of 150 lashes.
On the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier sent a telegram to Iran's regime, carrying "congratulations". The Germany Director of Human Rights Watch, Wenzel Michalski, called Steinmeier's congratulations "shocking".
Britain recently proscribed the Iranian terrorist proxy organization, Hezbollah, under the UK Terrorism Act 2000. According to that law, membership of a proscribed terrorist organization is an offense, and so is supporting it, not just financially, but also voicing support and advocating for it, as well as publicly displaying the insignia or other articles of that organization, such as its flag. Pictured: The 2014 Al Quds Day march in London, England. A Hezbollah flag is held aloft at upper-right. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
British Home Secretary Sajid Javid recently proscribed the Iranian terrorist proxy organization, Hezbollah ('Party of God') in its entirety under the UK Terrorism Act 2000, a government decision that the UK Parliament also recently approved.[1]
"There have long been calls to ban the whole group with the distinction between the two factions derided as smoke and mirrors," Javid said during a debate on the prevention and suppression of terrorism in the House of Commons. "Hezbollah themselves have laughed off the suggestion there is a difference. I've carefully considered the evidence and I'm satisfied they are one and the same with the entire organisation linked to terrorism."
In banning the entire organization of Hezbollah, the UK joins Canada, the U.S., Israel, the Netherlands and the Arab League, which have all banned the terror organization.
According to the UK Terrorism Act 2000, membership or professed membership of a proscribed terrorist organization is an offense, and so is supporting it, not just financially, but also voicing support and advocating for it, as well as publicly displaying the insignia or other articles of that organization, such as its flag. Offenders are liable to imprisonment of up to 10 years. The yearly Al Quds Day march in London, in which support for Hezbollah was openly displayed through the public waving of the Hezbollah flag, for instance, has now, with the banning of the organization, been made illegal, as have the banners carried at the 2017 Al Quds march in London, which stated, "We are all Hezbollah".
Significantly, the ban on Hezbollah makes it impossible for the organization legally to raise funds in the UK at a time when the organization is beginning to face financial difficulties, as a result of the pressure exerted by the reinstated US sanctions against Iran, Hezbollah's main sponsor. "The sanctions and terror lists are a form of warfare against the resistance and we must deal with them as such," said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah recently in a televised speech. "I announce today that we are in need of the support of our popular base".
The UK's welcome decision to proscribe Hezbollah in its entirety stands in stark contrast to the rest of the EU, which designated only Hezbollah's military wing as a terrorist organization in 2013, after a July 2012 Hezbollah terrorist attack in Burgas, Bulgaria killed five Israeli tourists and their local bus driver, and injured another 32 people.
Hezbollah itself, in fact, does not acknowledge having separate 'wings'. In 2002, Muhammad Fneish, a senior Hezbollah operative and a Hezbollah MP in Lebanon's Parliament, said on Hezbollah's television station, Al-Manar:
"They are trying to tempt Hezbollah in order to curb it. The goal is not to harm the political role [of Hezbollah] but rather its military wing. However, I can say that the military wing and the political wing of Hezbollah cannot be separated".
Leading European countries have also not designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization. On March 8, Niels Annen, deputy minister at the Foreign Ministry of Germany, told Der Spiegel that Germany will not declare Lebanon's Hezbollah movement a terrorist organization, because Germany views it as "a relevant factor in Lebanese society and part of the complex political landscape in the country..." The British move," he added, "is a national decision that has no direct impact on the position of the German government or the EU".
Recently, on the 40th anniversary of the Iran's Islamic revolution, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier sent a telegram to the Iranian regime, carrying "congratulations" on the occasion of the national holiday, "also in the name of my compatriots". According to a report in Bild, the German president also promised that Germany will continue to do "everything in its power to guarantee the maintenance and continued implementation of the JCPOA," (the "Iran nuclear deal"). The telegram praised the bilateral relations and promised to "intensely maintain" the dialogue. Only together, is it possible to "overcome the crises and conflicts", wrote the President.
Incredibly, Steinmeier concluded his telegram by asking the regime "to also listen to the critical voices in your country". One of those critical voices, a female lawyer who courageously defended Iranian women who removed their hijabs to protest the Iranian regime's misogynistic treatment, was sentenced recently to 38 years in prison and a flogging of 150 lashes. The Germany Director of Human Rights Watch, Wenzel Michalski, called Steinmeier's congratulations "shocking".
Both Germany and the EU are under US pressure to stop circumventing US sanctions on the Iranian regime, but neither appears to be the least bit bothered either by that or by the human rights violations that the regime continues to level at its population. As such, the German president's telegram is no more shocking than the behavior of those EU member states that refuse to comply with the reimposed US sanctions. On January 31, Britain, France and Germany announced a trade mechanism known as the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) that will allow Iran and the EU to keep trading despite the US sanctions and to preserve the JCPOA.
"INSTEX will support legitimate European trade with Iran, focusing initially on the sectors most essential to the Iranian population -- such as pharmaceutical, medical devices and agri-food goods," the foreign ministers of Britain, Germany and France said in a joint statement. In the longer term, INSTEX aims to be open to other countries wanting to trade with Iran, the statement said. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, said INSTEX was "essential for the continued full implementation of the nuclear deal".
The UK has set a praiseworthy example when it comes to proscribing Hezbollah. The moral thing to do would be for the rest of the EU to follow in proscribing Hezbollah in its entirety and to comply with the renewed US sanctions against its main sponsor, Iran. Or is moral clarity from the EU too much to expect?
*Judith Bergman, a columnist, lawyer and political analyst, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
[1] The Labour Party refused to back the government's decision, but did not 'oppose' it. At a meeting in parliament in 2009, Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn famously called Hezbollah and Hamas 'friends'. Whereas he told a parliamentary committee that he regretted using those words, his shadow solicitor general still argued that the government had not presented "clear evidence" for proscribing the entire organization.
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https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13912/uk-bans-hezbollah

Refraining from Standing Againt Hezbollah is the Real Danger
Salman Al-dossary/Asharq Al Awsat/March 24/19
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For many years, Hezbollah thought it enjoyed a level of immunity and impunity and believed it had the freedom to do act as it wants without repercussions or taking responsibility for the hostile behavior and terrorist acts.
The party exploits differences in the positions of major powers hesitating to hold it responsible for its actions as a party closer to a terrorist group rather than a political one, and that is due to its unprecedented position within the political system in Lebanon. However, facing Hezbollah does not bear evidence that refers to the party’s criminal activities within Lebanon and abroad. European countries are gradually classifying Hezbollah as a terrorist party after the United States had done that long ago. The “political situation” pretext and the nature of Hezbollah’s participation in the Lebanese government had collapsed and the party came into an open confrontation against the world. It is no longer possible to deceive the world that it is a political component which the Lebanese political system can’t proceed without.
Hezbollah has an undeniable presence in Lebanon's political arena. It is the only Shiite group in Lebanon that has not handed its arms over after the civil war.
This significance is not derived from internal popular support, rather from Iran. It allowed the party to have a huge military force that it uses either to intimidate its opponents from political parties in Lebanon or provide substantial field support to the regime in Syria. In both cases, this is not the task of a political group in any country in the world. So today, Lebanon faces an inevitable fate in the face of a real international confrontation to Hezbollah, hoping the country will become a natural state once again. This scenario could not have come from within, so it became inevitable for pressures to be exerted from outside the country.
Hezbollah’s duality of a party with military power and illegal actions and a partner within the government cannot co-exist. This resulted in a growing snowball effect coming from outside the country. On Friday, and right from within Beirut, Washington increased its escalation against Hezbollah, with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accusing the party of robbing Lebanese resources, which belong to the people. Pompeo called upon all Lebanese to stand up to Hezbollah, which he accused of “criminality, terror, and threats.”
Lebanon's national debt is 141 percent of its growth domestic product, one of the highest in the world. In January, Moody's downgraded Lebanon's rating, citing “fears of a significant rise in debt”, and probably the Lebanese economy.
If no one can stand up against the party from within, external confrontation is the only available option to preserve the stability of Lebanon as well as that of the region and the world. The real danger can be seen as a reluctance to confront Hezbollah. The party, as the Lebanese themselves claim, is no longer a state within the Lebanese state. The situation is even worse as Lebanon heads to become a small state within the state of Hezbollah. The evidence goes that this false equation, which lasted for decades, can no longer go on indefinitely, and standing against Hezbollah has become a necessity that can not be ignored.

Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports & News published on March 24-25/2019
Pope Francis prays for Nicaragua, victims in African attacks
Sun 24 Mar 2019/AP/NNA - Pope Francis prayed on Sunday for the victims of attacks in Nigeria and Mali, and for the success of talks underway in Nicaragua aimed at solving a yearlong political crisis in the country. "Let's pray for the numerous victims of the recent inhuman attacks in Nigeria and Mali. May the Lord welcome these victims, heal the wounded, console loved ones and convert cruel hearts," Francis said. At least 134 people were killed on Saturday in a massacre in Mali, according to the United Nations. In Nigeria, dozens have been killed in Boko Haram attacks this week. Francis also addressed the crisis in Nicaragua after leading a prayer Sunday to a crowd at St. Peter's Square. Francis, who is from Argentina, described the talks between Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's administration and opposition delegations as "important." "I accompany the initiative with prayer and encourage the parties to find a peaceful solution for the good of all as soon as possible," the pope said. The Nicaraguan crisis was triggered last April when cuts to social security benefits led to protests that evolved into calls for Ortega's resignation. Security forces responded with violent repression. Human rights groups say at least 325 people died and hundreds were imprisoned. The unrest also devastated Nicaragua's economy. --- AP

IS 'Caliphate' Now Gone, What's Next for War-Torn Syria?
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 24/19/The elimination of the Islamic State group's physical "caliphate" closes a long chapter in the Syrian conflict but the country's eight-year war is far from over. What fronts or tensions look likely to flare up next?
Are IS finally gone?
U.S.-backed forces pronounced the death of the IS proto-state Saturday, after a nearly five-year battle against the jihadists ended in victory in eastern Syria. But the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and their backers from a U.S.-led military coalition fighting them have warned the fight is far from over. IS maintains a presence in Syria's vast desert as well as sleeper cells in other areas of the country, and have continued to claim deadly attacks in SDF-controlled areas. "In the immediate future, we will see IS focus entirely on insurgency and hit-and-run attacks rather than efforts to reclaim territory" in Syria, jihadist expert Tore Hamming said. "In this period it is important for the group to showcase some level of continued strength," he said.
Kurdish areas under threat?
As Syria's Kurds celebrate the spring festival of Nowruz, many of the Kurdish fighters who have spearheaded the U.S.-backed fight against IS are looking forward to going home. But now the "caliphate" has fallen, the hard-won semi-autonomy of the Kurds will be left in peril if their key US ally goes ahead with an announced pullout. Syria's Kurdish minority have largely stayed out of the civil war, instead building a semi-autonomous region in the country's oil-rich northeast. That region is both in the sights of neighboring Turkey, who views Kurdish fighters as "terrorists", and the Damascus regime of President Bashar al-Assad making a territorial comeback. US troops in northeastern Syria have until now shielded the region from a long-threatened Turkish offensive and a government return whether by deal or by force. But President Donald Trump in December shocked his allies by announcing the withdrawal of all 2,000 American troops, but the White House later said 400 U.S. would stay "for a period of time." The possibility of a pullout has forced the Kurds to mend ties with Damascus to prevent any Turkish incursion at the expense of their partial autonomy. Analyst Nicholas Heras said the longer U.S. troops stayed around to help the SDF build a local security force to root out IS sleeper cells, the better for the Kurds. "The American presence in Syria is the SDF's best bargaining chip when it comes to making... Assad respect its desire for local self-rule," the analyst with the Center for a New American Security said.
Will Idlib be next?
Eight years into a devastating civil war sparked by the brutal repression of anti-government protests, Assad's forces control almost two-thirds of Syria. But two major areas remain out of their reach: the large northeastern swathe held by the SDF, and the northwestern bastion dominated by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate. The region of Idlib -- since January under control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham -- is protected by a fragile deal between Damascus ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. The deal, signed in September, has managed to stave off a massive regime offensive on the region of some three million people but violence has escalated in recent weeks. Air strikes and shelling by regime forces have killed dozens of civilians and displaced tens of thousands, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. But analyst Sam Heller of the International Crisis Group said the deal would likely hold for now. "Russian and Syrian government bombing of Idlib thus looks more like a pressure tactic than a prelude to a full-scale attack on the Idlib zone," he said. Syria expert Fabrice Balanche said Assad's regime likely had more pressing plans further to the northeast. The Syrian regime, like Turkey, is hoping for a U.S. departure from SDF-areas to resume government control there, he said. "It seems to me that the Syrian army will also wait for the departure of the U.S. to be able to rapidly seize a maximum of territory in the northeast," he said. "Idlib can wait. Nobody's going to defend HTS anyway."

Jihadists Emerge from Tunnels to Surrender after 'Caliphate' Falls
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 24/19/Islamic State group jihadists emerged from tunnels to surrender to U.S.-backed forces in eastern Syria on Sunday, a Kurdish spokesman said, a day after their "caliphate" was declared defeated. An AFP reporter saw dozens of people -- mostly men -- file out of the battered jihadist encampment in the remote village of Baghouz to board pickup trucks. "They are IS fighters who came out of tunnels and surrendered today," said Jiaker Amed, a spokesman for the Kurdish units spearheading the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. Plodding out of their defeated bastion on the banks of the Euphrates near the Iraqi border, some sported thick beards. Some wore long woollen kaftan tunics over their dark-colored robes, others a checkered scarf wrapped around their heads. "Some others could still be hiding inside," added Amed. A months-long offensive by the SDF was declared victorious Saturday, after multiple pauses to allow out civilians and surrendering fighters from the crumbling IS pocket. More than 66,000 people, mostly civilians, have quit the last IS redoubt since January 9, according to the SDF. They include 5,000 jihadist fighters and 24,000 of their relatives as well as 37,000 other civilians. Surrendering or suspected jihadists are detained, while their relatives are trucked up north to camps for the displaced. IS declared a cross-border "caliphate" in Syria and Iraq in 2014, imposing its brutal rule on millions.

Israel Says Trump to Recognize Golan as Its Territory Monday
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 24/19/U.S. President Donald Trump will sign an order recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights when he meets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Monday, Israel's foreign minister said. "President Trump will sign tomorrow in the presence of PM Netanyahu an order recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights," Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

Syria's Return to Arab League Not on Summit Agenda
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 24/19/The Arab League said Sunday it was not planning to discuss reinstating Syria's membership at a summit later this month, more than eight years after suspending it as the country descended into war. The pan-Arab bloc, which is set to hold its annual summit in Tunisia on March 31, froze Syria's membership in November 2011 over a bloody government crackdown on protestors. But several of the bloc's other 21 members have recently renewed ties with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, and some have called for Syria to be re-admitted to the league. "The issue of Syria's return to the Arab League has yet to be listed on the agenda and has not been formally proposed," said the League's spokesman Mahmoud Afifi. He noted that the "Syrian crisis" however still tops the agenda, along with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the situation in Yemen and Libya. Syria's conflict flared in 2011 with anti-government demonstrations that sparked a brutal regime crackdown. It has since drawn in regional powers, killing 370,000 people and displacing millions. But the regime, backed by allies Russia and Iran, has since re-conquered much of the territory it had lost to rebels and jihadists, and now controls some two-thirds of the country. Syria's Kurds, which declared victory over the Islamic State group on Saturday, control much of the oil-rich northeast, which the regime has hinted it may seize back in a military operation. Earlier this month, Syrian officials attended a meeting of Arab states in neighboring Jordan for the first time since the country's Arab League membership was suspended. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in December made the first visit of any Arab leader to the Syrian capital since 2011. The same month, Egypt hosted Syria's national security chief and top Assad aide Ali Mamluk. The UAE also reopened its Damascus embassy in a major sign of a diplomatic thaw. Arab states have also slammed U.S. President Donald Trump's call for recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a strategic territory the Jewish state seized from Syria in 1967.

Ahwazi Activist Sends Cry for Help Over Jailing of Ill Father
London – Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 24 March, 2019 /Ahwazi political activist Mohammad Hattab called on international human rights organizations to intervene urgently to help out his jailed father, who suffers from life-threatening health conditions, after Iranian authorities chose to transfer him from an intelligence detention center to a Shiban prison, without pressing any charges. According to Hattab, who has been living in Vienna since 2015, his father, Hattab Sari, 58, has been in detention since November and faces the threat of death without proper emergency care for gastrointestinal infections he suffers from. Sari also risks losing eyesight. Hattab said Iranian authorities have arrested his father and four other members of his family purely because of his political and media activity abroad. “In recent years, Iranian security services have adopted several methods to pressure political activists abroad, such as journalists, dissidents and others who oppose the policies of the Iranian regime,” human rights activist Karim Dahimi saidو noting that many anti-regime Iranians living overseas have their family members and close friends inhumanly jailed. Other members of Hattab’s family have also been arrested to intimidate the social activist-- both his brothers, his sister, and nephew were also jailed, with the fate of one of the brothers remaining unknown. No charges were pressed against the Hattab family arrestees, denying their right to defense. Strikingly, the five were transferred from intelligence detention centers to Shiban prison facilities without undergoing any legal proceedings. “As for his legal status, my father still does not know what the charges against him are,”Hattab confirms, highlighting that both his father and brother, Amin Hattab, were arrested after heading to a Revolutionary Guards intelligence center to demand information concerning the fate of his other brother Ali Hattab, who was back in March 2017 and is said to have been the victim of ruthless torture such as beatings and the plying of fingernails.

Iranian Official Hints for Rule Under Shura-led Leadership
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 24 March, 2019/Iran's deputy speaker Ali Motahari refused to change the current constitution to determine the future of the Iranian leadership after current leader Ali Khamenei, stressing that the leadership could become Shura instead of an individual one. Iran is in a state of uncertainty over a successor to Khamenei, 80, in light of reports of his deteriorating health. If consensus can be reached on a prominent figure from the scientific and moral sides, individual leadership will be better, Icana News Agency quoted Motahari as saying, adding that if such figure can’t be found then Shura leadership must be chosen. Shura leadership means that the authority of the Iranian Religious Leader will be transferred to a number of jurists who hold the standards. It has been proposed as a solution for years by the Assembly of Experts, which is guaranteed by the Iranian constitution. Former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was a leading advocate of Shura leadership before his death in January 2017. Khamenei played a crucial role in changing the Iranian constitution in 1989, a few months after assuming the post of Religious Leader succeeding Khomeini. He granted himself sweeping powers by changing Wilayat al-Faqih to Wilayat al-Faqih al-Mutlaqa (absolute), removing the post of his deputy, and ordering regime change from the parliamentary to presidential. Following reports that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's popularity has fallen to less than 10 percent, the parliament witnessed several voices calling for a change in the Iranian constitution over the past few weeks. owever, Motahari explained that reconsidering the constitution is required, but the country is going through special conditions of sanctions and economic pressures, asserting that the time is not right now for amending the constitution.
Motahari expressed his opposition to changing the presidential system to parliamentarian, while stressing the importance of the ongoing debate. He also renewed his protest against the intervention of the Expediency Council, saying if the Council wants to interfere in the decisions of the parliament, making it a Senate, then this requires a change in the constitution. Khamenei first hinted to the change into parliamentary system in his first speech following the “Green Revolution” in July 2009, saying in the near or distant future if a parliamentary system is needed instead of presidential, the system can change. Since 2009, presidential elections has exacerbated political differences in the country, which could make the restoration of parliamentary system one of the options to reduce risks during elections. Motahari also renewed his criticism for the house arrest against reform leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. The Deputy Speaker explained that back then, the house arrest was necessary for a few months, but now that the situation stabled, continuing with it with no judicial ruling is illegal.

OIC Condemns Attacks in Niger, Chad
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 24 March, 2019/The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, strongly condemned horrific attacks by Boko Haram group in Niger and Chad on Thursday, 21 March 2019, which resulted in the deaths of at least eight civilians in Niger, and twenty-three soldiers in south-west Chad. Dr. Al-Othaimeen expressed his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and the governments and peoples of Niger and Chad, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Secretary-General affirmed the OIC's full solidarity with the authorities of Niger and Chad in their continuing struggle against terrorism and armed groups along their common border. He also called on international partners to intensify their support for joint multinational forces around Chad Lake region.

Turkey Court Upholds Life Sentences for 37 in ‘Erdogan Assassination Squad’
Ankara - Said Abderrazak/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 24 March, 2019/Turkey's Court of Cassation in Ankara upheld 37 life sentences issued for a squad of soldiers accused of the attempted assassination of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the eve of the failed July 15 coup attempt in 2016. The 37 defendants, all military personnel, were found guilty in October 2017 of attempting to assassinate Erdogan on the night of an attempted coup on July 15, 2016, as well as the murder of two policemen. They were accused of conducting a helicopter raid on a hotel in Marmaris, a resort town on the Aegean Sea, where Erdogan was on holiday. However, Erdogan had escaped the premise unharmed. Turkey's authorities linked the squad and the attempted coup to the Gulen Movement, headed by Fethullah Gülen. The group, however, vehemently denied having any connection to the assassination attempt or the coup. On par with Erdogan’s policy for vilifying the Gulen movement, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Friday ordered the detention of 108 lawyers along with 18 others as part of a post-coup crackdown targeting Gulenists. The addresses of 12 of the suspects could not be determined or records showed they had left the country, the statement issued by the prosecutor’s office said, adding that operations spread over 37 provinces to detain the remaining 114 people were continuing. In a separate operation on Friday, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said it had ordered the detention of 18 suspects accused of links to the Gulen movement who were working as engineers for the defense industry company Havelsan. Turkish lawyer Selçuk Kozagacli, former president of the now-closed Progressive Lawyers’ Association (ÇHD) who has been behind bars since November 2017 on terrorism charges was also handed down a sentence of 11 years, three months. Istanbul’s High Criminal Court rendered the sentence for conviction of membership in a terrorist organization. Six other defendants received sentences of varying length. Kozagacli angered the government by representing two academics who were fired from their jobs by government decrees as well as victims of a mining disaster in Soma and other persecuted people.

Under Threat May Holds Brexit Crisis Talks
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 24/19/British Prime Minister Theresa May held crisis talks Sunday with Conservative colleagues as she tries to plot a path through a pivotal week in the Brexit process amid reports her leadership is under imminent threat. Ensconced at her country residence Checkers, the embattled premier must decide when, or even if, to ask British MPs to vote again on her unpopular EU divorce deal which they have already overwhelmingly rejected twice. She is also confronted with the prospect of lawmakers seizing control of House of Commons procedures in order to hold a series of so-called "indicative votes" to reveal what support exists for other options. It follows May securing at a European Union summit this week a delay to Britain's scheduled March 29 departure for at least three weeks to get her agreement approved or find a viable alternative. "The prime minister is speaking to her colleagues this weekend," a Downing Street spokeswoman said Sunday, declining to confirm reports she would hold an afternoon summit with leading Brexiteer MPs outside government. After a particularly chaotic week even for May's crisis-plagued tenure -- during which she made an ill-judged attack on MPs' intransigence on her plan -- speculation is rife that Conservatives are preparing to force her to resign. The Sunday Times reported she was "at the mercy of a full-blown cabinet coup", with plans afoot for her de facto deputy David Lidington to take over in a caretaker capacity. The newspaper said it had spoken to 11 senior ministers who "confirmed that they wanted the prime minister to make way for someone else" and planned to confront her at a cabinet meeting on Monday. The Mail on Sunday said May could be ousted "within days" and Environment Secretary Michael Gove, a prominent Brexiteer, could take over as interim leader. Finance Minister Philip Hammond on Sunday criticized the plotters, arguing it would be "self-indulgent" to try to switch leader. "Changing the players doesn't solve the problem," he told Sky News. "We've got to resolve this issue."
Uncertainty reigns
Britain's parliament, and cabinet, has been deadlocked for months over Brexit, with lawmakers unable to decide how to implement the 2016 referendum vote to leave, reflecting bitter divisions nationwide. On Saturday, organizers estimated one million pro-Europeans marched through central London demanding another public vote on leaving the bloc. Following the agreement with the EU to postpone Brexit -- which MPs must still vote into British law next week -- the path forward still remains highly uncertain. If May's deal finally wins MPs' backing Britain will leave the EU on May 22 under the terms she struck with the bloc last year. If it is not passed in the coming weeks London must outline a new plan or face a no-deal Brexit as early as April 12. A request then for another, likely lengthy, extension would require holding European Parliament elections in May. The prime minister and Brexiteers have decried the prospect, saying it would be unfair to the narrow majority of Britons who voted to leave the bloc in 2016.
'Alternative way'
May has told MPs she will only bring back her deal for another vote if there are signs of "sufficient support."But with her parliamentary allies the Democratic Unionist Party indicating Friday that they remain opposed to her plan, that appears unlikely. "It's looking very difficult to bring together a majority for it," Hammond conceded to the BBC. However, "one way or another parliament is going to have the opportunity this week to decide what it is in favor of," he added. MPs will resume debate on Brexit on Monday and have the chance to vote on an amendment tabled by a cross-party group of senior lawmakers scheduling "indicative votes" two days later. A similar move earlier this month failed by just two votes. If passed, lawmakers will be able to vote on a range of options, from stopping Brexit altogether or holding a second referendum to remaining in a customs union with the EU or its single market. MPs could then try to turn their non-binding votes into enforceable law. Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay warned Sunday such a move could spark a constitutional crisis and that "the risk of a general election increases" under such a scenario. "There is a constitutional collision if parliament is instructing a government to do something that is fundamentally against what it has been elected to do," he told the BBC.

Post-IS Iraq Treads Fine Line as It Seeks Regional Role
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 24/19/Five years after the Islamic State group swept across Iraq, Baghdad is bidding to reclaim its role as a regional player while walking a tightrope between rival backers the U.S. and Iran. The country is seeking to position itself as a "bridge" between rival powers in a region beset by deep divisions, says Iraqi political scientist Ihssan al-Shemmari. Following more than a decade of international sanctions and 15 years of conflict -- including the push to roll back IS, which ended over a year ago -- violence in Iraq has dropped sharply. As calm steadily returns, international leaders are increasingly looking to Baghdad as an important actor. Top officials from both the United States and Iran, along with King Abdullah II of Jordan and senior figures from various western powers, have all visited the oil-rich country since January. An invitation has been extended to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to a government source. French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will visit Iraq in the coming months after France announced in January that it would pump in one billion euros ($1.1 billion) to help the war-ravaged country rebuild.
'Political, diplomatic battleground' -
An Iraqi official, requesting anonymity, said Baghdad has taken on the role of "messenger" in a fractured region. The country has tried to mediate between Qatar, a key backer of Syrian rebels, and President Bashar al-Assad's regime as Damascus presses to return to the Arab League. Baghdad's national security adviser Faleh Fayyadh has also visited the Saudi capital Riyadh "to deliver a message from Turkey, Syria and Iran about new arrangements in the region", the official told AFP. Baghdad has managed to juggle ties with Washington, head of an international anti-IS coalition, and Tehran, which backed Iraqi paramilitary groups that played a key role in expelling the jihadists. As a result, Iraq has been "heavily courted", says Karim Bitar of the Paris-based French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs. But he adds that the country has become "a political, economic and diplomatic battleground" at the expense of post-war reconstruction and the authority of the state.
'Zero-problems foreign policy'
Despite the hopes of some officials, Iraqi analyst Shemmari cautions that Baghdad may find that major obstacles at home hinder any international ambitions. Domestic rifts and U.S.-Iran tensions have grown "far too deep for Iraq to take the initiative" on regional affairs, he says. The government is deeply divided and an anti-U.S. bloc controls most seats in parliament. Iraq lawmakers have tabled a bill calling on U.S. troops to withdraw from the country, prompting an urgent visit by acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan.
Shanahan "asked the Iraqi prime minister about his stance on a possible coalition against Iran," the government official in Baghdad said. Such a stand would shatter Baghdad's hopes of pursuing a "zero-problems foreign policy", warned Fanar Haddad, an Iraq expert at the National University of Singapore. Tehran's "proxies, assets and allies within Iraq" will defend their foothold in Baghdad at all costs, he said.
'Diplomatic gains' at risk
Any missteps in this delicate balancing act could prove costly, potentially putting Iraq's "recent diplomatic gains" at risk, said Haddad. A shift in either direction could "provoke resentment from Iran or the U.S.," said Paris-based Bitar, meaning that Baghdad "is forced to maintain friendly relations with both."But these concerns have not stopped Iraq from pressing for better ties with its neighbors. After declaring victory against IS jihadists in December 2017, Iraq has resumed overland trade with Jordan and is set to re-open its border with Saudi Arabia, 30 years after the crossing closed. In Syria, Baghdad is in contact with all major players -- from Assad's regime and Russia to the opposition, the Kurds, and the U.S.-led coalition. And its dynamic channels of dialogue have not gone unnoticed, according to a Western military source.
"If the coalition has invested $2.5 billion to train nearly 200,000 members of the Iraqi security forces, it's because it imagines this country can be a major regional influence," the source said.

Algeria Opposition Proposes Six-Month Political Transition
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 24/19/A group of Algerian opposition parties and unions have proposed a "roadmap" to end a political crisis and weeks of protests sparked by the veteran president's bid to stay in power. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said on February 22 he would run for a fifth term in April 18 elections, despite concerns about his ability to rule, triggering an outcry in the country which has since been gripped by demonstrations. The 82-year-old, who uses a wheelchair and has rarely appeared in public since suffering a stroke in 2013, earlier this month said he would pull out of the race. But he also postponed the elections, meaning he will stay in power until polls are held. Bouteflika's current mandate expires on April 28 and proposals agreed at a meeting between opposition parties and unions call for a six-month transition period from that date. The roadmap stipulates the creation of a "presidential body" that would run the country during the transition period and which would be comprised of "national figures known for their credibility, integrity and competence." But members of the body should not run in future presidential elections nor back any candidates in the poll, the statement seen by AFP said. The proposals were made during a meeting attended namely by the party of Bouteflika's key rival Ali Benflis, a former prime minister who has joined the opposition, and the main Islamist party, the Movement for the Society of Peace. Algeria's opposition however has been marginalized by the protest movement, which has been largely led by students angry with the country's political system. The proposals come a day after hundreds of thousands of Algerians demonstrated nationwide for a fifth consecutive Friday, demanding that Bouteflika stand down and calling for regime change. On Saturday, around 1,000 lawyers rallied in the capital Algiers chanting "we're fed up" with this government and calling on the political system to "go away."

Second Student Suicide from Florida Massacre School Reported
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 24/19/A second student from the Florida high school where 17 were shot dead in 2018 has committed suicide within a week, U.S. media reported Sunday. The Miami Herald said police in Coral Springs told the paper that a current student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in nearby Parkland had died of "apparent suicide" late Saturday. The student was not identified by the police but the Miami Herald said it was a male sophomore or second-year student. Coral Springs police could not be immediately contacted to confirm the report. Last weekend Sydney Aiello, 19, who survived the Parkland massacre and graduated last year, killed herself reportedly out of grief and "survivor's guilt." Two of Aiello's best friends, Meadow Pollack and Joaquin Oliver, were among the dead when former student Nikolas Cruz raked the school on February 14, 2018 with a semi-automatic weapon, killing 14 students and three staff members. Aiello's parents told local news channel CBS4 that she had been treated for PTSD and suffered from survivor's guilt, when a victim fixates on why he or she managed to live, not someone else. After the shooting, Stoneman Douglas students became crusaders against gun violence under the banner "March for Our Lives," lobbying for tougher gun control laws and organizing protests and rallies.

Polls Close in Thailand's First Election since 2014 Coup
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 24/19/Thais began the nail-biting wait late Sunday to see whether the ruling junta will return to power as a civilian government, or if pro-democracy parties can triumph against the odds, as polls closed in the country's first general election since a 2014 coup. The Election Commission estimated turnout at 80 percent as voters flocked to schoolyards, temples and government offices across the nation, their enthusiasm fired by years of denied democracy. Sunday's crunch vote was foreshadowed by a cryptic last-minute warning from King Maha Vajiralongkorn to support "good" leaders to prevent "chaos." Thailand is a constitutional monarchy and the palace is nominally above politics. But the institution retains unassailable powers and is insulated from criticism by a harsh royal defamation law. The election pits a royalist junta and its allies against the election-winning machine of billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a 2006 coup, and an unpredictable wave of millions of first-time voters. The kingdom remains bitterly divided despite the junta's pledge to rescue it from a decade-long treadmill of protests and coups. "I am anxious," said Wipa Ployngam, 53, outside the Bangkok headquarters of the upstart, anti-junta Future Forward party, hoping a pro-democracy coalition will nudge its way to victory. "I'll stay here all night until everything becomes clear." Politicians across the spectrum fear a stalemate under election rules, written by the junta, which limit the chances of any single party emerging with a comfortable parliamentary majority. Experts say unstable coalitions could swiftly collapse, dunking the kingdom back into political crisis. There are 51 million eligible voters and more than seven million first-timers aged 18-25.
Preliminary results were expected within a few hours of the polls closing at 5:00 pm (1000 GMT) with exit polls giving an unreliable steer on the outcome. The Election Commission said the full count could take days or weeks. Fears of the potential for foul play amped up as polls closed, in a reflection of the lingering mistrust between rival political camps. "Thai people come to vote because they want change," said Somkid, 64, a Pheu Thai voter who gave only one name.
"If there is any vote rigging there will be protests."
Royal message
The day was framed by the palace statement, which added further intrigue to an election that repeatedly threatened to tip into chaos before a single ballot was cast. It reiterated comments by late king Bhumibol Adulyadej from 1969 calling for voters to "support good people to govern the society and control the bad people" to prevent them "creating chaos." While King Maha Vajiralongkorn gave no further clues as to who those "good people" might be, the phrase -- "khon dee" in Thai -- is habitually attached to royalist, establishment politicians. Another royal command in February torpedoed the candidacy of the king's elder sister Princess Ubolratana for prime minister of a party linked to Thaksin. Thaksin has lived in self-exile since 2008, but he looms large over Sunday's election. His affiliated parties have won every Thai election since 2001, drawing on loyalty from rural and urban poor.
Junta number up?
The junta party, which is proposing army-chief-turned premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha for civilian prime minister after the polls, is under intense pressure to avoid humiliation in what is effectively a referendum on its popularity. Prayut toppled the civilian government of Thaksin's younger sister Yingluck in 2014. The army and its allies in the Bangkok elite loathe the Shinawatras, accusing the clan of toxifying Thai politics and society with money, nepotism and graft. The Shinawatras say they have simply recognized the economic and democratic aspirations of Thailand's majority. This time the junta has written new election rules aimed at curbing the number of seats big parties -- specifically Pheu Thai -- can win. Pheu Thai was well ahead in the early count in its north and northeastern heartlands. In Bangkok Sudarat Keyuraphan, a Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate, said the party was eyeing a coalition but vowed "we will not join" any supporters of Prayut. She also urged the 250-member junta-appointed senate to "act in line with the will of the people", a reference to system which allows the upper house to appoint a premier from a minority government. But with senate votes in hand, the junta-party Phalang Pracharat needs just 126 lower house seats to secure a parliamentary majority, even if it does not carry the popular mandate. It can cross that line comfortably in alliance with smaller parties. Pheu Thai needs 376 lower house seats to command an overall majority. "A deadlock is very likely," political scientist Napisa Waitoolkiat of Naresuan University told AFP. Many younger voters are expected to surge behind the telegenic 40-year-old billionaire Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and his Future Forward party. In early counting, Thanathorn's social media pull appeared to have carried into the polling as his party galloped ahead in several Bangkok seats.

Ministers Demand UK Prime Minister to Step Down
Kataeb.org/Sunday 24th March 2019/British ministers on Saturday evening were attempting a coup to oust Prime Minister Theresa May as they discussed replacing her with an interim leader. The Sunday Times reported that 11 ministers called on May to step down so that another PM would handle the Brexit deal issue. If she does, her deputy David Lidington will likely replace her, while several ministers voiced support for Environment Secretary Michael Gove as an alternative. “I’m afraid it’s all over for the PM. She’s done her best. But across the country you can see the anger. Everyone feels betrayed. Government’s gridlocked. Trust in democracy collapsing. This can’t go on. We need a new PM who can reach out & build some sort of coalition for a Plan B,” May's former policy adviser, George Freeman, wrote on Twitter. “We won't begin to get out of this mess until someone else takes over,” a Eurosceptic MEP, Daniel Hannan, said. May cannot be officially challenged again until December, especially after that she has won Conservative party confidence vote last year.

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 24-25/2019
As Trump Mulls Recognizing Golan Heights, Archives Reveal How Israel Avoided It
Noa Landau/Haaretz/Mar 24/19
Since passing Golan Heights Law in 1981, Israel didn't admit it annexed the area. Secret opinion penned by top legal adviser sounds warning against legislation.
In 1981, Israel passed the Golan Heights Law, a legislation that applies Israeli law over the northern territory. The law was passed after Israel annexed the area in the 1967 war, but seeing as Israel's move to conquer it stirred controversy worldwide, the law didn't do much to settle the issue.
In fact, it complicated matters further, causing an immense challenge for Israeli legal advisers in their attempts to reconcile the Israeli law with international law. It also posed a hurdle for the Foreign Ministry, which had to explain the situation to the world.
The solution that was reached at the time was to use strategic language: Instead of admitting explicitly that Israel was annexing the territory and applying sovereignty over the Golan Heights, the law stated that Israel was "applying law, jurisdiction and administration."
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that it was time for his country to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. If Trump indeed makes good on this statement, he will be backing a move Israel went to great lengths to avoid acknowledging.
A document recently found in the State Archives by Akevot, an institute researching the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, proves Israel made conscious attempts to avoid referring to "annexation" in the Golan Heights Law.
An opinion written by Elyakim Rubinstein, who was the Foreign Ministry's legal adviser at the time, attempts to explain how Israel should describe the change on the ground in legal terms without admitting that it was breaching international law.
In the document, entitled "Golan Heights Law: Is the Golan Now Part of Israel?," Rubinstein writes to then-Director General of the Foreign Ministry David Kimche: "This is a seemingly simple question, which requires a yes or no answer. But, from a legal and political standpoint alike, the answer is more complicated and is treading the line between 'applying law, jurisdiction and administration' and the explicit act of annexation."
In the opinion, which was classified confidential and is dated December 17, 1981, Rubinstein compared the complexity of the situation concerning the Golan Heights to the question of Jerusalem's status.
"In terms of domestic law, we can answer without hesitation that there is no difference between the Golan Heights and the rest of Israeli territory," he wrote. However, Rubinstein noted that in terms of international law there are issues with the definition and sought to resolve them.
According to his assessment, "not every act of applying the law [to a territory] necessarily means annexation unless there is intention to apply sovereignty."
Rubinstein determined that for this reason, "the international legal situation is not point-blank. The question of the legislation status has to be examined in light of the political circumstances revolving the law and whether [Israel] had an intention to exercise sovereignty or not."
The answers to this question could be found, in Rubinstein's opinion, "in the statements of the leaders of Israel and the intention of the government, including the one it wishes to convey as a message to the world."
Rubinstein concluded that the instruction entities doing advocacy for the country and Israeli representatives around the world should receive is to speak of the issue in the same terminology used in the law, without mentioning annexation or sovereignty. Those speaking about the law were also expected not to confirm that "it isn't annexation," in order to avoid "unnecessary criticism."Therefore, he ruled, the law must stand "without adding or omitting" anything from the text.

New Zealand Has Banned Rifles. Why Can't America Do the Same?
Francis Wilkinson/Bloomberg/March, 24/19
New Zealand banned semi-automatic rifles this week, and made the ban effective immediately to prevent “stockpiling of weapons while the legislation is being drafted.” The Kiwis are apparently not big on the “hopes and prayers” mantra that the US Congress adopts after each gun massacre.
It’s easy to be dispirited by the cravenness of conservative politicians, and by the frequency of American gun deaths. Yet those failures obscure a key development in U.S. gun politics: These are glory days for the gun-safety movement.
The March for Our Lives, which emerged from the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, galvanized youth across the country and inspired millions of Americans to march for stronger gun laws. In just six years, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America has grown into a formidable political force, with millions of supporters, 350,000 donors and networked activists in every state. They are winning the argument: By about a 2-to-1 margin, Americans support stricter gun laws over leaving current laws in place. (Fewer than one in 10 Americans supports less strict laws.)
Emerging power has produced tangible results. According to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, “the gun safety movement experienced a tectonic shift in 2018.” The center tallied at least 67 new gun-safety bills signed into law last year.
That momentum continues. In Washington, the House of Representatives, flush with new Democratic members who campaigned on gun regulation, passed a universal background check bill in February. Multiple inquiries into the National Rifle Association’s political activities and Russia connections are under way in Congress, with the NRA clearly on the defensive.
Meanwhile, state governments led by Democrats continue to adopt aggressive legislation to regulate firearms. For example, New York State in January moved to prohibit teachers from carrying guns in schools, extended the waiting period for gun buyers who don’t pass an instant background check, and established a red-flag law to enable authorities to deny gun purchases by people who pose a danger to themselves or others. It’s been an extraordinary run. It may soon come crashing to a halt. All it takes to turn back a robust gun-safety movement of millions is five willing justices. Or maybe just one.
In the fall, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over an obscure and idiosyncratic New York City law that regulates the transportation of guns. It’s possible the court will use that opportunity to declare a sweeping constitutional right to carry a firearm outside the home – one of many issues still unsettled after the court’s 2008 Heller ruling, which by a 5-4 vote established a limited, but vaguely so, individual right to bear arms.
“The energy of the gun violence prevention movement can be sapped pretty quickly,” said UCLA law professor Adam Winkler, author of “Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America.”
Indeed it can. The court made seismic pronouncements on guns in 2008 and 2010, establishing first the individual right to firearms, and then requiring states to recognize that right via the 14th Amendment. Then the court beat a retreat, declining to further define the scope of the Second Amendment.
Can semi-automatic rifles be banned? Does the Second Amendment guarantee the right to carry a firearm in a public place? The court opted not to clarify such questions. It may now, removing gun regulation from the heated political arena and declaring victory — or perhaps a series of victories — for gun-rights forces. Brett Kavanaugh, who replaced Anthony Kennedy on the court, appears to be a maximalist on gun rights. As a circuit court judge he issued a dissent in a gun-rights case that was so sweeping and uncompromising that it could’ve been written at NRA headquarters. The other conservative justices appear likely to join him on the crusade. The main question concerns Chief Justice John Roberts. In a concurring opinion in a 2017 ruling that upheld Maryland’s ban on assault weapons, Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit laid out the conservative case for restraint in gun cases. The courts shouldn’t walk all over the political process, Wilkinson wrote:
Disenfranchising the American people on this life and death subject would be the gravest and most serious of steps. It is their community, not ours. It is their safety, not ours. It is their lives, not ours. To say in the wake of so many mass shootings in so many localities across this country that the people themselves are now to be rendered newly powerless, that all they can do is stand by and watch as federal courts design their destiny — this would deliver a body blow to democracy as we have known it since the very founding of this nation.
With much of the nation endorsing gun-safety laws as a response both to mass shootings and to a gun culture that has grown unsteady and militant, Roberts appears to be the pivot point for a court that conservatives increasingly view as a bulwark against democratic politics. The country has been moving decisively toward gun regulation. Will Roberts use a 5-4 decision of a bitterly divided court to stop it?

Pakistan: Mentally Disabled Christians Charged with Blasphemy
ريموند إبراهيم: المسيحيين المعاقين عقلياً في باكستان يدانون بتهمة التجديف
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/March 24/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73298/raymond-ibrahim-gatestone-institute-pakistan-mentally-disabled-christians-charged-with-blasphemy/
If convicted, Stephen Masih could face the death penalty.
"[I]nstead of protecting the teenager from his attackers, [police] arrested and booked him into prison on blasphemy charges." Hours later, the imam and "a mob of more than 300 Muslim fundamentalists surrounded the prison, and called for the public lynching of [Asif] Stephen. As the mob overwhelmed local police, Stephen was removed from his cell and handed over to the mob...." — TruNews, August 24, 2017.
Rimsha Masih, an 11-year-old Christian girl suffering from Down Syndrome, was falsely accused of burning the Koran. Muslims responded by rioting, destroying Christian homes, churches, and crosses, tearing Bibles to pieces, and calling for her death. While under arrest, it was discovered that Muhammad Khalid, a learned Muslim cleric, had planted the charred Koran in her backpack "in order to get rid of Christians in the area." — Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News, August 22, 2012; The Guardian, September 2, 2012, and others.
"A mentally ill Pakistani Christian man has been charged with blasphemy," the Pakistan Christian Post reported a few days ago. Stephen Masih was arrested after Muhammad Rafiq and Muhammad Imran told Muhammad Mudassar -- a renowned hafiz (one who has memorized the entire Koran) —that the Christian "had made derogatory remarks against the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)."
Masih, 38, is unmarried and lives with his mother and sister. After contracting typhoid fever as a child, and receiving little medical attention due to his family's impoverishment, the family noticed changes in his behavior; he was eventually taken to a "doctor [who] declared him mentally disabled."
On March 10, Masih got into a loud quarrel with his mother and sister. A female Muslim neighbor got involved, at which point "Stephen started arguing with her as he was out of his senses." Verbal quarrels with other Muslim neighbors escalated, and before long "a few Muslim men... pulled Stephen out of his house and started beating him brutally, gradually joined by others." Police eventually arrived, only to arrest the mentally unstable Christian, on the testimony of a local cleric, Muhammad Mudassar.
Afterward, Masih's sister Alia "went to the police station. She says her brother only shouted and used abusive language against the local ladies but did not utter any derogatory remarks against the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), but the police didn't believe her."
If convicted, Stephen Masih could face the death penalty. According to Section 295-C of Pakistan's penal code:
"Whoever by words, either spoken or written or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine."
Masih's unfortunate situation is hardly unprecedented. A number of mentally disabled Christians have been beaten, arrested, sentenced and imprisoned in Pakistan, often in accordance with Section 295-B of Pakistan's penal code:
"Whoever wilfully [sic] defiles, damages or desecrates a copy of the Holy Qur'an or of an extract therefrom or uses it in any derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose shall be punishable with imprisonment for life."
A few examples in reverse chronological order include:
September 2018: A court sentenced Yaqoob Bashir, 26, a mentally disabled Christian, to life in prison for allegedly burning a booklet containing Koran verses in June 2015. He was being treated at a mental health facility prior to the blasphemy accusation and subsequent incarceration. "It's unbearable and unjust," said his mother. "My son is innocent. He did not insult or do blasphemy. He does not care much of these issues as his mind works differently than that of a normal person's." Before his sentencing, "Bashir was attacked by [Muslim] fellow inmates on several occasions," including "for praying in their shared jail cell and [he] sustained multiple injuries."
August 2017: A Muslim named Muhammed Nawaz accused Asif Stephen, 16, described as a "mentally challenged" Christian, of stealing. After beating the boy, he told the local imam -- who reportedly "has a history of preaching hatred towards minority Christians" -- that the youth had also burned a Koran. Muhammad and the imam tracked down the boy and beat him again. When a passerby saw the violence and contacted police, "instead of protecting the teenager from his attackers, [police] arrested and booked him into prison on blasphemy charges." Hours later, the imam and "a mob of more than 300 Muslim fundamentalists surrounded the prison, and called for the public lynching of Stephen. As the mob overwhelmed local police, Stephen was removed from his cell and handed over to the mob, which consequently beat him until reinforcement officers stepped in to calm the situation."
May 2015: After some Muslims claimed to have seen a Christian man burning newspapers that contained Arabic verses from the Koran, a mob quickly formed, severely beat him, and even attempted to set him on fire. The Christian youth -- Humayun Masih, also said to be "mentally unstable" -- was subsequently arrested, imprisoned, and charged under section 295-B. Apparently not content, the mob continued to grow, until reportedly thousands of rioting Muslims, some armed and firing guns, rampaged and set fire to Christian homes and a church. Responding to Humayun's arrest, a Pakistan-based human rights group said, "It is sad to see that a mob attacks the weak and demands the burning of a man who is mentally unstable."
August 2012: Rimsha Masih, an 11-year-old Christian girl suffering from Down Syndrome, was falsely accused of burning the Koran. Muslims responded by rioting, destroying Christian homes, churches, and crosses, tearing Bibles to pieces, and calling for her death. While under arrest, it was discovered that Muhammad Khalid, a learned Muslim cleric, had planted the charred Koran in her backpack "in order to get rid of Christians in the area."
So many Christians being accused of blasphemy and suffering from mental disorders may appear as a pretext to evade blasphemy charges. However, this assumption overlooks the fact that "Social stigma and discrimination [habitually experienced by the Christians of Pakistan, the fifth-worst persecutor of Christians] can make mental health problems worse and stop a person from getting the help they need," to quote from one medical website. Another medical article "draw[s] attention to the link between experiences of racism [which manifest as discrimination, contemptuous treatment, etc., things experienced by Pakistani Christians] and mental health."
The irony is that Muslims who commit violence against Christians are often acquitted on the claim that they are mentally disturbed. In 2016, for example, Akba Azhar, a 26-year-old Muslim man, broke into the Victory Church in Kasur and burned copies of the Bible and other sacred books. Although some Christians captured, detained, and delivered him to police -- and although Section 295 of Pakistan's penal code makes it a serious crime to "damage or defile any place of worship" or to "insult the religion of any class of persons" -- police concluded that he was mentally unstable and released him.
*Raymond Ibrahim, author of the new book, Sword and Scimitar, Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
© 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.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13943/pakistan-christians-blasphemy

Mueller Report Finds Trump Campaign Did Not Conspire With Russia
Yahoo/March 24/19/WASHINGTON
Special Counsel Robert Mueller did not find that members of the Trump campaign “conspired or coordinated” with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 election, Attorney General William Barr wrote in a letter to Congress that was made public on Sunday.
In the letter, Barr released the summary of the “principle conclusions” of Mueller’s investigation, after the special counsel delivered his report on Friday.
Paul Manafort Sentenced to Almost Four Years in Prison
Mueller made no conclusion on whether Trump’s conduct during the investigation rose to the level of obstruction of justice. “The Special Counsel states that ‘while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.'”
Instead, it left the obstruction of justice question to Barr, who concluded that the Department of Justice found no actions that, “in our judgment, constitute obstructive conduct” on the part of the president.
Shortly after Barr’s letter was made public, Trump tweeted, “No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!”
“It is a shame that our country had to go through this. To be honest it is a shame our president had to go through this,” Trump told reporters. He called it an “illegal takedown that failed,” and called for a new investigation of why the Russia investigation was launched.
The White House reacted with a sense of vindication.
“The Special Counsel did not find any collusion and did not find any obstruction,” Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote on Twitter. “AG Barr and DAG Rosenstein further determined there was no obstruction. The findings of the Department of Justice are a total and complete exoneration of the President of the United States.”
Rudy Giuliani, one of the president’s lawyers, said on CNN that they viewed it as a “complete exoneration.”
Barr wrote that the investigation determined that there were two main Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election — a misinformation campaign and a hacking operation to obtain emails from those associated with the Clinton campaign and the Democratic party. Barr wrote that “the Special Counsel did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these efforts, despite multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.”
But House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) expressed concerns over Barr’s determination that Trump did not obstruct justice. He tweeted that “Special Counsel Mueller worked for 22 months to determine the extent to which President Trump obstructed justice. Attorney General Barr took 2 days to tell the American people that while the President is not exonerated, there will be no action by DOJ.”
Mueller’s investigation, stretching nearly two years, has been the source of ongoing anticipation of whether it would in any way implicate President Trump, particularly when it comes to questions of whether he attempted to stymie the probe or even obstruct justice. Trump had repeatedly insisted that there was “no collusion,” and has characterized Mueller’s investigation as a “witch hunt.”
On Sunday, broadcast networks and cable news channels covered the release of the summary to Congress and the public with great anticipation, as it gives the first glimpse of Mueller’s report since he delivered a completed copy on Friday. CNN kept a camera at a Justice Department entrance, along with reports from Capitol Hill.
Democrats continue to urge Barr to release the full Mueller report, and Nadler said that he planned to call the attorney general to testify before the House Judiciary Committee “in light of the very concerning discrepancies and final decision making at the Justice Department following the Special Counsel report, where Mueller did not exonerate the president.”
Trump did not sit for an interview with Mueller’s team, but issued written responses to questions.
Barr wrote that he concluded that the evidence that Mueller gathered was not sufficient to establish an obstruction of justice offense. He noted that Mueller found that the underlying evidence “does not establish that the president was involved in an underlying crime related to Russian election interference.”
“In cataloguing the president’s action, many of which took place in public view, the report identifies no actions that, in our judgment, constitute obstructive conduct had a nexus to a pending or contemplative proceeding, and were done with corrupt intent, each of which, under the Department’s principles of federal prosecution guiding charging decisions, would need to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt to establish an obstruction-of-justice offense,” Barr wrote.