LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 23/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.may23.19.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Bible Quotations For today
Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or
one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and of God.
Letter to the Ephesians 05/03-13: “But fornication and impurity of any kind, or
greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. Entirely
out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be
thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who
is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ
and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things
the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be
associated with them. For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are
light. Live as children of light for the fruit of the light is found in all that
is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take
no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is
shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by
the light becomes visible.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese
& Lebanese Related News published on May 22-23/19
Israel slams UN for consorting with Hezbollah
Tension Inside Lebanese Cabinet on Eve of Final Budget Reading
Lebanon Paid $650 Million Maturing Eurobond on Monday with Central Bank Help
Lebanese Cabinet to Hold 'Final' Budget Session Friday after 'New Ideas' Raised
Hariri Holds 'Facilitative' Meeting Ahead of Last Round of Budget Discussions
Berri Hails 'Victory' in Border Demarcation Talks
Khalil: State Budget Finalized and I'm Satisfied
Beirut Airport to Get New Baggage Inspection System, Search Points
Civil Servants Suspend Nationwide Strike
Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel Questions Silence over Incomplete Financial Audit
Four Lebanese Students Die in California Car Crash
Interview with the leader of the Guardians of the Cedars Party, Mr. Etienne
Sacre, also known by his nom-de-guerre
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on May 22-23/19
US Researcher: Trump Doesn't Need Congress Permission to Counter Iran's Threats
Tension Inside Lebanese Cabinet on Eve of Final Budget Reading
PA, US Administration Clash over Economic Workshop
Algeria: Youth Refuse Constitutional Solution, Clash With Security Forces
400 US Congressmen Urge Trump to Stay in Syria
UN Envoy Salame Warns of Bloody Civil War in Libya
Damascus Harasses Ex-foes in Reconciliation Areas
Air Raids Kill 12 Civilians in Syria's Idlib: Monitor
Top Democrat Says Trump Conduct 'Could be Impeachable'
U.S. Suspects Syria in New Chemical Attack, Threatens Reprisal
Western Nations Urge Swift Sudan Accord to Install Civil Rule
May's Last Attempt to Salvage Brexit Deal at Risk
Libyan Strongman Haftar Tells Macron No Ceasefire for Now
U.S. Calls for Dismantling U.N. Palestinian Refugee Agency
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on May 22-23/19
Interview with the leader of the Guardians of the Cedars Party, Mr. Etienne
Sacre, also known by his nom-de-guerre/Elias Bejjani,/LCCC/September 02/2003
Our Problem with Iran is its Regime/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/May 22/2019
Turkey: Erdogan Describes Armenian Genocide as 'Reasonable Relocation'/Uzay
Bulut/Wednesday, 22 May, 2019/
Russian Plans for This Week's European Union Elections/Con Coughlin/Gatestone
Institute/May 22/2019
Time for action on Muslim Brotherhood’s European activities/Nathalie Goulet and
Ghanem Nuseibeh/Arab News/May 21/2019
Conflict is the business Iran has chosen/Sir John Jenkins/Arab News/May 21/2019
Time for action on Muslim Brotherhood’s European activities/Nathalie Goulet and
Ghanem Nuseibeh/Arab News/May 21/2019
Analysis/Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ Is Coming. Israel Is Already Being Handed
the Bill/Meirav Arlosoroff /Haaretz/May 22/2019
Iranian Regime Mouthpiece 'Kayhan' Announces A War To Bring Down Saudi Regime
And Reduce Saudi Oil Exports To Zero; States: America Has No Desire, Or No
Capability, To Support Saudi Arabia And The UAE/MEMRI/May 22/2019
Leaked John Kerry audio: White House wanted ISIS to rise in Syria/South Front
reports/May 22/2019
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News
published on May 22-23/19
Israel slams UN for consorting with Hezbollah
"We are shocked and disappointed by this meeting with a designated terror
organization’s leader."
After United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis met with Deputy
Secretary General Naim Qassem of Hezbollah, Israel officials condemned the
meeting. "We are shocked and disappointed by this meeting with a designated
terror organization’s leader, threatening Israel, Lebanon and the whole region,"
Israel’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon tweeted. "One doesn’t need
to read the Naim Qassem book, courtesy of #Hezbollah terrorists, in order to
understand this !!"
Israel's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Danny Danon also shared
his displeasure on twitter. "The role of #UN representatives is to promote a
stable and secure region and not to meet with the leaders of a terrorist
organization and to glorify incitement against the State of Israel," Danon
tweeted Wednesday morning.
The role of #UN representatives is to promote a stable and secure region and not
to meet with the leaders of a terrorist organization and to glorify incitement
against the State of Israel.
Kubis wrote on twitter about the meeting on Monday night, describing the meeting
as "open and substantive discussion."
Grateful for an open and substantive discussion on a broad range of topics with
Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem of Hizbullah. On top I received a copy of
his book - a necessary reading.
Kubis also mentioned the Hezbollah leader gave him a book, Hizbullah
(Hezbollah): The Story from Within, which Qassem wrote.
The IDF retorted to Kubis' interest in the book by saying, "Do you know what
else appears to be necessary reading? @UN Resolution 1701."UN Resolution 1701 was an attempt at solving the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.
Israel along with the US and the Arab league recognize Hezbollah as a terrorist
organization.
Tension Inside Lebanese Cabinet on Eve of Final Budget Reading
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 22 May, 2019/The Lebanese government will
make Wednesday a final reading of the 2019 draft budget before approving it and
referring it to parliament amid political tension among political parties
represented in the cabinet. “The government is called upon to resolve the
existing polarization inside and outside the cabinet,” the Mustaqbal Movement
warned in a statement following its weekly meeting on Tuesday. On Wednesday,
Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil will hold a
press conference to discuss the budget. “A final reading of the state budget
will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) at noon at the Grand Serail,” State Minister
for Parliamentary Affairs Mahmoud Qmati said on Tuesday. For his part, Finance
Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, said: “I am pleased with the results. Today we
complete the discussions, and I do not want to talk about the upcoming
phase.”However, a dispute has emerged between Free Patriotic Movement ministers
and others, mainly Hassan Khalil, in light of long discussions on the draft
budget, which took 17 cabinet sessions. "For me and for the Finance Ministry,
the draft budget is over. The final fees approved will not have any material
impact on this budget and there is no need for further talks and for further
delays,” Khalil said before attending Tuesday’s cabinet session, which was
chaired by Hariri. However, FPM leader Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil did not
share the Finance Minister’s views. “The draft budget will be over when it is
over. There is no deadline,” he said. Discussions on the budget have taken place
amid protests by public and private sector employees on austerity measures aimed
at limiting state expenditures for 2019. Mustaqbal Movement said the bloc is
satisfied with the results of the cabinet discussions, “especially in terms of
announcing the measures and policies aimed at reducing the budget deficit and
ending waste in various ministries, and the importance of assigning the army and
security forces to control the illegal crossings and prevent
smuggling."Observers expect tension among lawmakers during discussions of the
draft budget in Parliament.
Lebanon Paid $650 Million Maturing Eurobond on Monday with
Central Bank Help
Reuters/May 22/2019/A $650 million Lebanese eurobond was repaid successfully
with sources familiar with the matter saying the central bank provided funding
to the finance ministry to meet the payment. The redemption on Monday is
important as market concern had been growing about an impasse over Lebanon’s
budget acting as an obstacle to the country raising new debt. The
dollar-denominated debt, which expired on Monday, had been Lebanon’s latest debt
maturity, ahead of a $1.5 billion issue due in November. Lebanon had been
expected to service the May debt via a government financing manoeuvre involving
the central bank. An informed source said the government paid its eurobond in
the same way as the $500 million tranche in April, with the central bank
providing the needed dollar currency to the finance ministry, the original
issuer of the debt.
A second source said the funding was in the form of a bridge loan to help pay
local banks, the main holders of the debt. Lebanon’s net foreign assets, which
stood at $37.3 billion on May 15, have fallen from $42.9 billion a year earlier.
Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said on Tuesday there was no need for more
delays or talks over the 2019 draft budget, although the foreign minister
signalled the debate may continue. The cabinet says the budget will reduce the
deficit to 7.6% of GDP from last year’s 11.2%. Lebanon has one of the world’s
heaviest public debt burdens at 150% of GDP.Lebanon’s main expenses are a
bloated public sector, interest payments on public debt and transfers to the
loss-making power generator, for which a reform plan was approved in April. The
state is riddled with corruption and waste.
Lebanese Cabinet to Hold 'Final' Budget Session Friday
after 'New Ideas' Raised
Naharnet/May 22/2019/The Cabinet on Wednesday failed anew to finalize the 2019
state budget and will hold another session on Friday to continue the
discussions. “Everyone agreed that Friday's session will be the last,” Sport and
Youth Minister Mohammed Fneish told reporters after the session. TV networks
said the session witnessed "heated discussions over what some ministers
described as time waste in discussing and approving the state budget." LBCI TV
said Prime Minister Saad Hariri ended the session “after finding difficulty in
reaching an agreement on the budget.”“He is expected to hold consultations
before Friday's session in an attempt to secure consensus,” LBCI added.
Information Minister Jamal al-Jarrah said new proposals were raised during the
session, prompting Hariri to give the ministers a 48-hour timeframe to study
them. The TV network said Bassil maintained his insistence on his stance despite
attempts to persuade him to soften it, which “dismayed Hariri.”MTV meanwhile
said Bassil wants to cut the budgets of some ministries, including the social
affairs ministry. A ministerial meeting was held ahead of Wednesday's session in
a bid to overcome obstacles and pacify the rhetoric among some parties. The
Grand Serail meeting brought together Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Finance
Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil and ministers from
the Lebanese Forces, the Progressive Socialist Party and Hizbullah. Bassil had
said during Tuesday's session that the FPM was "not satisfied with the result."
“This is worse than what we were expecting and a 7.6% reduction in deficit is
not sufficient,” he added. The Cabinet has held around 17 sessions to finalize
the budget and several parties have accused Bassil of hindering the discussions
with side proposals. Lebanon has vowed to slash public spending to unlock $11
billion worth of aid pledged by international donors during an April 2018
conference in Paris.Last month, Hariri vowed to introduce "the most austere
budget in Lebanon's history" to combat the country's bulging fiscal deficit,
sparking fears among public sector employees that their salaries may be cut.
Lebanon is one of the world's most indebted countries, with public debt
estimated at 141 percent of GDP in 2018, according to credit ratings agency
Moody's.
Hariri Holds 'Facilitative' Meeting Ahead of Last Round of
Budget Discussions
Kataeb.org/May 22/2019/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday chaired a meeting
including several ministers to "alleviate tensions" ahead of what is supposed to
be the last Cabinet session aimed at discussing the 2019 draft budget.
“I am not sure why we have been called for a ministerial meeting after 17
government sessions to discuss the draft budget,” Public Works Minister Youssef
Fenianos told reporters before going into the session. "The budget has been
finalized, and I don't know why this meeting is being held,” Finance Minister
Ali Hasan Khalil also said ahead of the meeting. Industry Minister Wael Abu
Faour described the meeting as a "facilitative" one to ensure the endorsement of
the draft budget, assuring that the public servants' salaries will not be cut to
reduce the budget deficit to 7%.
The meeting, held at the Grand Serail, was attended by Foreign Minister Gebran
Bassil, Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, Industry Minister Wael Abu Faour,
Labor Minister Kamil Abu Sleiman, Public Works Minister Youssef Fenianos and
Youth and Sports Minister Mohammad Fneish.
Berri Hails 'Victory' in Border Demarcation Talks
Naharnet/May 22/2019/Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday described the
outcome of the U.S.-mediated talks over the demarcation of the southern
territorial and maritime borders as a “victory for the Lebanese stance.”“He is
optimistic and he considers what has happened so far as a victory for the
official and popular Lebanese stance in terms of preserving sovereignty
regarding the territorial and maritime resources,” MP Ali Bazzi said about
Berri's stance following the weekly Ain el-Tineh meeting. A top U.S. envoy has
said Israel agreed to discuss disputed land and sea borders with Lebanon, which
is eying hydrocarbon exploration off its coast, according to two Lebanese
officials. Last year, Lebanon signed its first contract to drill for oil and gas
in its waters, including for a block disputed by Israel, with which it has
fought several wars. The U.S. State Department's acting assistant secretary for
Near Eastern affairs, David Satterfield, held a meeting in Beirut on
Monday on his second visit in a week. Satterfield "told officials Israel had
agreed to hold negotiations to draw up the maritime border" with Lebanon, an
official source who attended the meeting told AFP. Israel also agreed to discuss
the territorial frontier between the two countries, including several disputed
areas, the source said. A delegation from each side would take part in talks at
the headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, UNIFIL, but
the latter would not be a party to the talks, he added. Another source familiar
with the plan said negotiations would begin soon. "There has been positive
progress overall, and the issue is down to the last details before the start of
the negotiations," they said. Israel and Lebanon are still technically at war,
although the last Israeli troops withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000 after
two decades of occupation. A consortium composed of energy giants Total, ENI and
Novatek was awarded two of Lebanon's 10 exploration blocks last year. It is set
to start drilling in block 4 in December, and later in the disputed block 9.
Last year, Total said it was aware of the border dispute in less than eight
percent of block 9 and said it would drill away from that area. On April 5,
Lebanon invited international consortia to bid for five more blocks, which
include two also adjacent to Israel's waters.
Khalil: State Budget Finalized and I'm Satisfied
Naharnet/May 22/2019/Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil has announced that the
draft 2019 state budget has been finalized and that he is “satisfied” with the
result. “The discussions of the budget have ended and no real amendment has been
introduced. Wednesday we'll be before a new scene and what's important is to
accompany it with governmental action and I'm satisfied,” he told al-Joumhouria
newspaper in remarks published Wednesday. Khalil had warned that any attempt to
add articles to the budget would push him to walk out of Cabinet and “hold
everyone responsible.”“I have finished and the Finance Ministry has finalized
the budget. What you are doing has nothing to do with the budget, whose numbers
have been finalized, reflecting a very encouraging outcome and a decrease in
deficit that meets the needed target,” the minister added. Foreign Minister
Jebran Bassil had said during Tuesday's session that the FPM was "not satisfied
with the result." “This is worse than what we were expecting and a 7.6%
reduction in deficit is not sufficient,” he added. The Cabinet has held around
17 sessions to finalize the budget and several parties have accused Bassil of
hindering the discussions with side proposals. Lebanon has vowed to slash public
spending to unlock $11 billion worth of aid pledged by international donors
during an April 2018 conference in Paris. Last month, Hariri vowed to introduce
"the most austere budget in Lebanon's history" to combat the country's bulging
fiscal deficit, sparking fears among public sector employees that their salaries
may be cut. Lebanon is one of the world's most indebted countries, with public
debt estimated at 141 percent of GDP in 2018, according to credit ratings agency
Moody's.
Beirut Airport to Get New Baggage Inspection System, Search
Points
Naharnet/May 22/2019/Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan announced Wednesday that
the Internal Security Forces will introduce a new system for “inspecting
travelers' baggage in a faster and more secure way” at the Rafik Hariri
International Airport.The system will be installed after the end of the
expansion works. “New search points will be added to accommodate a larger number
of travelers and facilitate their flow,” al-Hassan added. “As for General
Security, the expansion works will allow increasing the checkpoints from 22 to
34 for departures and from 32 to 46 for arrivals, which will decrease congestion
in a significant way. The use of advanced passport checking systems will boost
the effectiveness and speed of inspection, which will save travelers' time,” the
minister went on to say.
Civil Servants Suspend Nationwide Strike
Kataeb.org/May 22/2019/Public sector employees on Wednesday suspended their
strike pending the final version of the 2019 state budget set to be approved by
the government, warning that all options remain on the cards should the endorsed
blueprint turns out to be detrimental. Civil servants had been staging a
nationwide strike since last week to warn the government against cutting their
salaries or reducing their end-of-service benefits as part of its 2019 austerity
budget.The Cabinet is set to hold a final reading of the draft budget today. The
League of Public Administration Employees warned that it would “return to
striking if necessary”, according to a statement carried by the National News
Agency.
Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel Questions Silence over Incomplete Financial Audit
Kataeb.org/May 22/2019/Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel on Tuesday questioned the
disregard for the constitutional provision according to which the 2019 state
budget should not be approved without finalizing the audit of previous years'
spending.
The Article 87 of the Constitution stipulates that a budget cannot be
promulgated unless the the state's financial accounts are audited. "We are
awaiting the government to endorse and refer the final version of the budget to
the Parliament so that we could evaluate and analyze it," Gemayel wrote on
Twitter."What is the reason behind the total absence of any mention regarding
the audit of previous years which must be approved before passing the budget and
that represents the key tool to monitor, enforce accountability and uncover the
sources of squandering and corruption?"
Four Lebanese Students Die in California Car Crash
Naharnet/May 22/2019/Four Lebanese students from the southern town of Yaroun
have been killed in a car crash in the U.S. state of California, Lebanon's
National News Agency said. It identified the four as Hussein Saleh, Hussein
Saab, Hussein Ghasham and Hussein Ayyoub. The agency said their car crashed into
a giant pole as they were returning home after having a Suhoor pre-dawn Ramadan
meal.
Interview with the leader of the Guardians of the Cedars
Party, Mr. Etienne Sacre, also known by his nom-de-guerre
of Abu-Arz. The interview was conducted By: Elias Bejjani, LCCC Chairman
(Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council), on September 02, 2003
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/75086/%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a3%d8%b1%d8%b4%d9%8a%d9%81%d9%86%d8%a7-%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%84%d8%a9-%d9%85%d8%b9-%d8%b1%d8%a6%d9%8a%d8%b3-%d8%ad%d8%b2%d8%a8-%d8%ad%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%b3-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d8%b1/
LCCC: It is our pleasure here at the LCCC to have the opportunity
to have this in-depth and comprehensive conversation with you, through which we
hope to convey your ideas and views as leader of the Guardians of the Cedars
Party to the Lebanese people in occupied Lebanon and in all the countries of the
Diaspora. And let me begin by asking you to describe Abu-Arz the man to our
readers: Where were you born, your education, family status, and the reasons
behind your involvement in political action, hobbies, etc.
ABU-ARZ: I do not like to talk about myself, so I will only say that I was born
in Ayn Ebel in 1937. I completed my school education in 1957, and briefly joined
the General Security Agency, moving between several posts along the border, the
last of which was in the Bekaa Valley where I was commissioned to track members
of the Syrian National Party in the aftermath of their failed coup d’Etat in
early 1961. I was then transferred to the Presidential Palace where I was tasked
with a special mission toward the end of the term of President Fouad Chehab and
early into the term of President Sulayman Frangieh. It was at that time that I
saw firsthand the worsening of the political climate in Lebanon, even at the
highest levels. I then resigned and began working in the private sector,
starting an insurance company in 1972. But the mounting clashes between the
Lebanese Army and the Palestinian organizations led me to make a compromise
between my professional and patriotic activities, and I worked with Mr. Saïd
Akel to launch a political party called the “Lebanese Renewal Party” that
included several leading figures from among all confessions and regions of
Lebanon.
At the same time, and when the conspiracy to neutralize the Army and eventually
dismantle it began, I started buying weapons and ammunitions on the black market
and mobilizing and training young people in private camps, until the
conflagration of April 13, 1975 that began the war. We then went into the battle
under the name of Guardians of the Cedars, alongside the Phalangists, the
Liberals, the Tanzim, and others, taking fighting positions in Ashrafieh, Sin el
Fil, and downtown Beirut. We then expanded and grew until we were present in
fixed positions in all villages and towns of the Eastern sector, as well as a
number of villages and towns that had fallen under the Palestinian-Syrian
occupation in the Western sector, the South, the Bekaa, and the North. After the
crushing victory we achieved in Tel Al-Zaatar, Nabaa, and Jisr El-Basha, young
people came to us from all over the place and we began graduating new volunteers
and distributing weapons and equipment, as well as literature and books
describing our ideas in accordance with our famous slogan: The word has espoused
the gun, and the Guardians of the Cedars were born.
LCCC: Who are the Guardians of the Cedars? And what are their objectives?
ABU-ARZ: The Guardians of the Cedars (GOC) were born as an idea in the early
1970s with the founding of the Lebanese Renewal Party as I mentioned earlier. It
was later formally created as a party with the start of the events of April 13,
1975. Its beliefs are inspired from the ideas of Mr. Saïd Akel whom we consider
our spiritual father. I was the one to establish the party, organize its cadres,
define its principles, write down its ideology, and lead it in all the political
and combat battlefields with a group of young people of the first hour. In 1976,
I participated in the establishment of the Lebanese Forces with Sheikh Bachir
Gemayel, Danny Chamoun, and Dr. Fouad Chemali, and we offered the GOC
headquarters building as headquarters for the Lebanese Forces for several months
until the latter was transferred to the office of Sheikh Bachir in Ahsrafieh,
and later to the Qarantina building.
As to the objectives of the GOC, I summarize them as a belief in God, people,
and Lebanon, and this ideological trinity is based on three fundamental
universal tenets: Love, knowledge, and freedom. Politically we are a secular
movement that believes in Lebanese nationhood over at least 10,452 Km2,
comprising a single 7,000-years old Lebanese nation that has existed
uninterrupted in its human and cultural dimensions, and whose great cultural
heritage has contributed to the rise and dissemination of world civilization,
beginning with Greek civilization, through Roman civilization and on to Western
civilization. For the sake of accuracy, we hold that the culture of the West
traces its roots to the Lebanese-Phoenician civilization, and not to Greek
civilization as is commonly believed today. This is a major historical fallacy
that ought to be corrected once Lebanon recovers its political health and
returns into the hands of its own educated people and is no longer held by the
scum who run it today.
One of the objectives of the Party is to evict all foreigners and parasites that
are present on its soil, beginning with the Palestinian refugees and the Syrian
invaders and others. We have to limit to 5% of the population the proportion of
foreigners that Lebanon may contain at any one time, and then only if the
interests of the country dictate it. We have to establish a secular state that
has nothing to do with sectarian religious quotas and apportioning. We have to
implement mandatory free education (from kindergarten) through specialization,
and establish scientific research centers to attract and keep the Lebanese brain
power that is scattered in the Diaspora across the globe. We want to build a
professional army that believes in God and in Lebanon, and that is strong and
capable to deter anyone with ambitions no matter how powerful they may be. We
need to organize the Lebanese Diaspora so it becomes effective in international
venues and forums and can protect the interests and cause of Lebanon in the
decision-making capitals of the world. We must provide for free medical care for
all the Lebanese in addition to providing a safe and secure retirement for the
elderly. We must adopt the Lebanese language as the official language of
Lebanon, withdraw Lebanon’s membership from the Arab League, and return to
Lebanon its true unadulterated identity. Finally, we seek to ratify a peace
treaty with Lebanon’s neighbors, including Israel and contiguous Arab countries,
on the basis of mutual interests and the principle of equality.
We strive for a political system that is a free liberal presidential democracy
in compliance with the Articles of the 1926 Constitution, and we must throw away
the Taef system since it is a bastard child of two non-Lebanese parents.
LCCC: How does Abu-Arz see the present situation in Lebanon, and what is his
relationship with the regime in place since 1990?
ABU-ARZ: The present situation in Lebanon is the worst in its modern history.
The destruction is ongoing at the political, financial, economic, social, and
security levels. Add to that the pervasive corruption that has metastasized like
a cancer throughout the body and institutions of the State, and the empty
treasury and the deficit that has reached close to US$34 Billion. As to the
infrastructure, it is rotten exactly like the State, and the provision of social
services, such as electricity, water delivery, telephone, roads, and others is
nil. The living standard is atrocious, unemployment is at its highest and taxes
keep on climbing. The emigration of young people has become akin to the bleeding
of a dying country, and Lebanese lands are being sold wholesale to Arab
nationals, while Syrian workers fill up the country and compete the Lebanese out
of their livelihood. Terrorist and fundamentalist organizations have become
little states of their own within the Lebanese State under the sponsorship of
the Syrian occupation and its supervision. And so on and so forth, and we do not
exaggerate by saying that the Taef regime is a political gang that has perfected
treason, vileness, banditry, and the selling out of one’s country to the level
of a profession.
As to my relationship with this regime, it is similar to that of the great
avenger waiting for D-day to pounce on this gang and hold it accountable for its
great crimes against the nation. We hope that the hour has drawn close, because
the Lebanese people can no longer put up with oppression, humiliation, poverty
and hunger.
LCCC: Do you consider Lebanon today a sovereign, free, and independent country?
And if not, what are the reasons?
ABU-ARZ: There is no need for this question as everyone, even the Syrian agents,
know that Lebanon has become a free-for-all forsaken country with no freedoms or
democracy whatsoever. The law of the jungle is the rule and the principal reason
is the Syrian occupation that has succeeded over the years in Syrianizing
Lebanon and converting it into a police “desert-like” state that is as bleak and
depressing as the Syrian regime and the other “desert-like” Arab regimes. It
succeeded, as part of this program, in installing the scum of Lebanese
politicians in the decision-making positions.
LCCC: Your organization says that the Syrian threat against Lebanon is greater
than the Israeli threat. What are, in your opinion, the ambitions of Syria in
Lebanon, and how do you explain the slogan of one people in two states?
ABU-ARZ: The Syrian threat to Lebanon, and the ambitions of Syria over it, are
as long and old as history itself, and for this reason Syria has refused to
recognize the existence of Lebanon and continues to consider it one of its
provinces. Indeed, the weakness of Lebanon originates in the strength of Syria,
and the strength of Lebanon finds its roots in the weaknesses of Syria, although
the reverse is not true, and that is a historical constant. Whereas Israel,
contrary to all that is said and propagated by Syria’s agents, has no ambitions
in Lebanon, the proof being that Israel withdrew in 2000 to the demarcation
“blue” line that was certified by the United Nations. If Israel had any
ambitions in Lebanon, it would have stayed in it like it has stayed in the
Golan.
As to the slogan of one people in two states, it is an absolute and complete
fallacy, because the Lebanese people in their distinct heritage, traditions, and
geography are the complete opposite of the Syrian people.
LCCC: Much has been said about the Shebaa Farms after the Israeli withdrawal in
2000, whereas Hezbollah uses the occupation (of the Farms) by Israel as an
excuse to continue what it calls its “resistance”. What is the truth on this
subject, now and in the past?
ABU-ARZ: The Shebaa Farms issue is a Syrian lie concocted and marketed by the
regime in Damascus to link its conflict with Israel, via a group of Lebanese
agents, and to link the Syrian and the Lebanese tracks (in the peace process),
and to resolve the dispute over the Golan at Lebanon’s expense.
LCCC: Many still wonder about the reasons for Israel’s withdrawal in 2000 and
the manner it was carried out without any coordination with the South Lebanese
Army and according to an agreement with Hezbollah, Iran, and Syria under
international supervision and the involvement of the European envoy Terje
Larsen. How does Abu-Arz understand this event, he who has called for
establishing relations with Israel and an alliance with it?
ABU-ARZ: Israel withdrew from South Lebanon in 2000 for two primary reasons.
First, Israel has no political ambitions in Lebanese territory and waters, which
was mentioned earlier. Second, the enormous popular pressure inside Israel in
which the Israeli people demanded its government to withdraw its army from
Lebanon. In addition, the false promises made by Hafez Assad to Israel through
the US administration that he intends to establish a peace treaty with it if it
withdraws from Lebanon, and there is a background to his lying, namely first
that he wanted revenge for the resounding defeat he was dealt in 1982, and
second that he now wanted to monopolize of Lebanon all for himself, and that is
exactly what happened.
I think Israel committed a monumental mistake in the shameful way in which it
withdrew, for it should have acted to maintain and strengthen the South Lebanon
Army instead of forcing it to withdraw with it and dismantling it in this
dishonorable manner. I also think that it is now paying a heavy price for this
fatal mistake through the Palestinian Intifada that erupted precisely on the
heels of this withdrawal. It has dragged Israel into a dangerous war of
attrition and strengthened the so-called Hezbollah by making a hero out of it to
the point that Hezbollah is now a daily threat to its stability.
LCCC: Everyone knows that your organization sees in Hezbollah not a resistance
movement but rather an Iranian-Syrian terrorist group. Could you give our
readers a clear perspective on this fundamentalist party?
ABU-ARZ: The so-called Hezbollah group is a dangerous movement for the future of
Lebanon, especially its social wing which has allowed it to infiltrate and
spread inside Lebanese society, and disseminate its ideology of establishing an
Islamic Republic on the long run…The war that Hezbollah fought in the South is
in my opinion a futile war, because the real occupation was not there. The real
occupation was, and is, in Beirut, the Mountain, the Bekaa, and the North. I
regret to say that the thousands of young men who perished in the South are
victims and not martyrs.
LCCC: Does Abu-Arz believe that the “Syria Accountability and Lebanese
Sovereignty Restoration Act”, which at this time enjoys a vast majority in the
US House of Representatives and Senate is Lebanon’s anchor of salvation from the
Syrian occupation?
ABU-ARZ: The Syria Accountability Act is one of many means we employ in our
political and diplomatic war against the Syrian occupation, through the enormous
potential of the Lebanese Diaspora all over the world, and in this case, the
United States of America in particular. It is regretful, however, that the
American administration from the 1960s and till today remains under the
influence of Saudi Arabia, in spite of the events of September 11, and this
constitutes a significant obstacle to a change in the hostile US foreign policy
toward Lebanon, which in turn prolongs the Syrian occupation. Keep in mind that
the conspiracy to eliminate Lebanon as a national entity is a Saudi-designed
conspiracy, executed by the Syrians under the sponsorship of the United States.
Saudi Arabia is the mastermind of the conspiracy, and Syria is its executioner.
LCCC: The Lebanese judiciary, the judiciary of the Taef regime, has issued an
unjust sentence against you. Could you shed some light on the background to this
sentence and the objectives behind it?
ABU-ARZ: It is only normal that court sentences be issued against me because I
rejected the Syrian occupation since its beginning in 1976, when all the
Lebanese parties agreed to it and especially the Lebanese Front. I declared then
a disobedience movement against that occupation and I moved my senior staff and
my militiamen to the mountains of Aqura. I continued resisting and opposing the
Syrian occupation until 1990 when I moved to the Jezzine district after the fall
of the Eastern Sector to continue the struggle against the Syrian occupation and
its fundamentalist and terrorist offspring…As to the court sentences, they are
issued against me from Damascus by way of the Lebanese judiciary that has become
a political tool in the hands of Syria that manipulates it at will against its
enemies. I consider these sentences badges of honor on my chest.
LCCC: What are the activities that the Guardians of the Cedars carry out these
days in the effort to liberate Lebanon from the Syrian occupation?
ABU-ARZ: After our withdrawal from the South in May of 2000, our activities
became limited to the political and diplomatic arenas, always aimed at the
liberation of Lebanon from the Syrian hegemony and its local agents, this bunch
of political dwarfs who not only provide cover for the occupation and defend it,
but who have sold Lebanon with its people and institutions to Syria. They then
transformed Lebanon into a free-for-all orgy of looting, embezzlement, fraud,
cronyism, and illegitimate wealth acquisition, and into a farm that is inherited
from fathers to sons, and to a pitiful mockery of a State whom freedom has
abandoned and that is ruled by a camouflaged dictatorship, after it eviscerated
and emptied democracy of any substance.
LCCC: An English language book was recently published about you under the title
"The Conscience of Lebanon: A Political Biography of Etienne Sakr (Abu-Arz)”.
Would you please summarize its contents, tell us about the author, and how one
can obtain a copy?
ABU-ARZ: The author of “The Conscience of Lebanon” is Dr. Nisan, a professor of
political science at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an expert in Middle East
politics and Lebanon. The publisher is Frank Cass, which is one of the most
important publishing houses in England. One can obtain a copy at this time
through the Internet on the web site of the publisher at HYPERLINK http://www.frankcass.com
www.frankcass.com and later on in libraries throughout the world. The book is a
narrative of the life of Abu-Arz and a history of his struggle from the 1960s
and until 2000, with all the major stations and prominent positions he took
along the way. There are also a few chapters on the history of Lebanon and its
internal conflicts and political structure.
LCCC: In your organization, you speak at length about the Lebanese nation and
the distinctiveness of Lebanon. Could you please explain your concept of this
national identity with a focus on your rejection of an Arab national identity?
ABU-ARZ: We base ourselves on history and geopolitical science to assert that
Lebanon has been Lebanese from ancient times and no external qualifiers should
be appended to its name. All those attributes that were attached to it since the
Ottoman occupation, through the French occupation, and ending with the
Syrian-Arab occupation are fallacious attributes that have no basis in fact. We
state that the Lebanese people in all its communities and classes constitute a
single self-standing distinct nation that has no connection to the so-called
Arab nation, and that the latter is itself a fiction that has no basis in
history or geography. This fictional so-called Arab nation or Arab world is a
plethora of incompatible and discordant nations and ethnicities that never did,
and cannot today, make up one single nation. It is for these reasons that all
attempts by any two Arab countries at unification ended up in disastrous
failures ever since the days of Abdel Nasser in 1958 and to this day.
And if the Syrian and Lebanese were one people, as the liars tell us, their
peoples would have united by themselves spontaneously without the need for all
these armies, tanks, rockets, and bloody battles that have raged between them
and us, and without all the blood that was shed across the regions of Lebanon.
And so we unambiguously assert that Arabism is one huge lie, and Lebanon has
nothing to do with it, especially after the so-called Arabs took turns to
destroy it, directly and indirectly, and each in their own way.
As to the distinction between Syria and Lebanon, it is simply flagrant. It is
sufficient to take a look at the two mountain chains, the Eastern chain and the
Western chain, that stretch from the far north to the deep south without
interruption to realize the extent of the natural geographic separation between
the two countries. Add to that the fact that Lebanon is a mountainous cluster
whereas Syria is a vast flat desert, and there lies the huge difference between
the mountain and the desert. There is no exaggeration in saying that the war of
Syria on Lebanon is a historic war that stems from the hatred that the desert
has for the mountain.
LCCC: How do you describe your relations with each of His Beatitude Patriarch
Sfeir, General Aoun, President Amin Gemayel, Chairman Carlos Edde, the Lebanese
Forces, and the Qornet-Shehwan Gathering?
ABU-ARZ: The only measure of my relations with people is the Lebanese cause with
all that it is sacred in it, and to the extent that people are closer to it they
will be closer to me, and to the extent that they are removed from it, they will
be distant from me. In fact, I do not care much for my personal relations with
people. I care much more for my relations with them at the patriotic level. I
also do not want to fall into the trap of a personal contest with anyone or
engage anyone in endless arguments that will distance me from the cause and
distract me from it. All that I will say is that most of those who say they are
the opposition are far from authentic opposition. Some of them have gray and
ambiguous positions, and I hate wavering and ambiguity, while others have soft
and compromising positions and I hate those too especially when they call
themselves “moderate”. Moderation when it comes to the truth is utter and
blatant heresy. You are either with it or against it, and there is no room for
middle ground. I hate those who stand in the middle ground, and I prefer to be
on the side of St. Paul when he urged us to be "either hot or cold. Because if
you are lukewarm … I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-17)
And here I ask : How can you be in the opposition and support the Syrian
occupation at the same time, or worse, be neutral? How can you be in the
opposition and support the Taef Agreement and its Syrian offsprings ? And how
can you be in the opposition and participate in elections sponsored and
organized by the Taef regime and, behind it, the Syrian occupation ?
In all modesty, I say that the political path taken to this day by the Guardians
of the Cedars has not changed since 1975, and will not change in the future. We
represent the true opposition that accepts no compromise. In other words, we
said in 1976 that we are against the Syrian occupation in all its facets and
forms. We reject the phrase "Syrian presence" that is used by most opposition
figures, and we reject the widely used phrase "redeployment with establishing
excellent relations with Syria", since this linkage indicates evasiveness and
hand-kissing, and I despise evasiveness especially when it relates to the
highest interests of Lebanon. There is also much double-speak and sitting on the
fence, and I think this type of politics has contributed enormously to bringing
the country to its present predicament. I always prefer to rely on what Christ
said, "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No' be 'No' ; for anything
beyond this comes from the evil one" (Matthew, 5:37). I also believe that the
forces of evil have seized control of political life in Lebanon because everyone
now says half truths, adopts half-way positions, and agrees to half measures,
and this is something I truly despise.
For this reason, we decided since 1990 not to recognize the Taef regime and not
to work with it – period – because it is an extension of the Syrian occupation.
We refused to participate in the dummy elections of 1992, 1996, and 2000,
neither by voting nor by fielding candidates. We refused to recognize the
outcomes of these elections, namely the Taef ministers and members of parliament
and all the other institutions that were spwaned by it. We continue to recognize
the legitimacy of General Aoun as the interim prime minister of the Lebanese
government according to the Lebanese constitution. And when some "moderates"
accuse us of extremism, we tell them: "If taking an absolute position on the
side of the truth and proclaiming it is an act of extremism, then we are very
proud to be extremists…And if sitting on the fence next to the truth and
mumbling it only by hint and insinuation means moderation, then we are proud to
be non-moderates." And to close this subject, this condition of "political
castration" that is the norm in Lebanon these days is a symptom of a disease. It
must be terminated so that things straighten out.
LCCC: How do you see the future of Lebanon? What Lebanon would you envision?
ABU-ARZ: Lebanon is a holy land from ancient times, with no less than the Bible
testifying to that by praising it dozens of times. Lebanon is the land of saints
since they started appearing on its soil alongside the existing political scum –
which by itself is a unique phenomenon in these dark days – and the Church has
been beatifying them one after the other. Moreover, the forces of good remain
abundant in Lebanon in spite of all the surrounding political prostitution.
There is an enormous reservoir of effective vital forces that remain mobile
inside Lebanon and in the Disapora and they believe in the cause and its
sanctity. The blood of those who gave their lives and whose voices cry out from
the graves, and the sacrifices of the handicapped and the honorable fighters
that were offered on the altar of Lebanon, all of them will not be in vain.
Lebanon has resisted death for the past three decades, it did not die, and it
won't die as its enemies wished. Truth and rights never die so long as there is
someone defending them. From all these standpoints we say that Lebanon will come
out alive from its ashes exactly like the Phoenix, and will fly high again
bearing the standard of its historic mission as a disseminator of peace, love,
and knowledge to the far-flung corners of the world. It is only a matter of
time, and not only will we bide our time and refuse to acquiesce to evil, but we
will continue to carry the cross until the very end. For the road to Gogotha has
to come to an end and the hour of resurrection has to be near.
LCCC: In conclusion, would you like to make some final comments? And do you have
a message to the Lebanese Diaspora?
ABU-ARZ: I do not like the words "Diaspora" and "emigrants"" and I do not use
these terms. I prefer the term "World-wide Lebanese Presence" or the "Lebanese
World" as we refer to it in our terminology, because it is a distinct entity
given its sheer number of 15 million people, the preeminence of the Lebanese
communities in those countries where they settled and the positions of power
they have achieved, and the diverse civilizational contributions that those
Lebanese helped disseminate in all fields, especially in scientific research…
To those Lebanese I say: Unite because division has taken us down to the abyss
of death with which Lebanon is struggling today. Learn from the mistakes of the
past and do not repeat the same mistake. Carefully choose your leadership and
hold them accountable if they fail. Expose evil and do not compromise with it.
Continue the struggle without despair, fatigue, or complaint. Believe in the
cause because it is sacred. And believe in Lebanon because it is the home of God
on earth.
I'll see you all in Beirut.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on May 22-23/19
US Researcher: Trump Doesn't Need Congress Permission to Counter Iran's Threats
Washington- Atef Abdullatif/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 22 May,
2019/Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said
that the US President Donald Trump has full executive authority that allows him
to respond to any Iranian threat to the US or its interests in the Middle East,
without the need for Congress permission. Dubowitz told Asharq Al-Awsat
newspaper Tuesday that launching attacks or strikes against Tehran or its
proxies will be within Trump's reach and won’t require prior permission of the
Congress, stressing that he is not speaking about open military conflict. He
noted that the US won’t stand handcuffed when it comes to the country’s national
security, adding that if the Iranian regime attacks the US forces or interests
in the Middle East, it will be met with great force. Dubowitz, however, rules
out the possibility that Iran might be as fatuous to commit such acts, saying it
is less likely that the region is heading towards a war, despite expectations.
Dubowitz, who is in charge of the Iranian issue and nuclear nonproliferation
weapons in the Middle East, said that Iran is concerned by Washington’s policy
exerting pressure on it, adding that the Tehran is aware that Trump, US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton share
one goal; to deter its activities. Commenting on Iran's refusal to return to the
negotiating table, the US researcher said that throughout the past two years
former Secretary of State John Kerry and others at Obama's administration told
the regime to downplay Trump’s significance as he will serve as president for
one term only. They also told them that the sanctions imposed by the US
administration would not work, because they would be unilateral, not by multiple
states. Dubowitz, however, affirmed that the sanctions were working and
affecting the Iranian economyThe researcher continued that the regime is currently under huge pressure and
Iranians will eventually realize that they do not have time to wait, because
they may end up with the re-election of Trump for a second term.
Tension Inside Lebanese Cabinet on Eve of Final Budget Reading
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 22 May, 2019/The Lebanese government will
make Wednesday a final reading of the 2019 draft budget before approving it and
referring it to parliament amid political tension among political parties
represented in the cabinet. “The government is called upon to resolve the
existing polarization inside and outside the cabinet,” the Mustaqbal Movement
warned in a statement following its weekly meeting on Tuesday. On Wednesday,
Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil will hold a
press conference to discuss the budget. “A final reading of the state budget
will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) at noon at the Grand Serail,” State Minister
for Parliamentary Affairs Mahmoud Qmati said on Tuesday. For his part, Finance
Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, said: “I am pleased with the results. Today we
complete the discussions, and I do not want to talk about the upcoming phase.”
However, a dispute has emerged between Free Patriotic Movement ministers and
others, mainly Hassan Khalil, in light of long discussions on the draft budget,
which took 17 cabinet sessions.
"For me and for the Finance Ministry, the draft budget is over. The final fees
approved will not have any material impact on this budget and there is no need
for further talks and for further delays,” Khalil said before attending
Tuesday’s cabinet session, which was chaired by Hariri. However, FPM leader
Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil did not share the Finance Minister’s views. “The
draft budget will be over when it is over. There is no deadline,” he said.
Discussions on the budget have taken place amid protests by public and private
sector employees on austerity measures aimed at limiting state expenditures for
2019. Mustaqbal Movement said the bloc is satisfied with the results of the
cabinet discussions, “especially in terms of announcing the measures and
policies aimed at reducing the budget deficit and ending waste in various
ministries, and the importance of assigning the army and security forces to
control the illegal crossings and prevent smuggling."Observers expect tension among lawmakers during discussions of the draft budget
in Parliament.
PA, US Administration Clash over Economic Workshop
Ramallah - Kifah Zboun/Wednesday, 22 May, 2019/US Peace Envoy to the Middle East
Jason Greenblatt slammed Tuesday the Palestinian Authority (PA) after
Palestinian officials announced they would not participate in the economic
workshop in Bahrain. Dubbed the “Peace to Prosperity” workshop, the gathering
will take place on June 25-26 in Manama, during which the administration of US
President Donald Trump will unveil the first part of the Deal of the Century, a
proposal to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “It’s difficult to
understand why the Palestinian Authority would reject a workshop designed to
discuss a vision with the potential to radically transform lives and put people
on a path toward a brighter future,” said Greenblatt. “History will judge the
Palestinian Authority harshly for passing up any opportunity that could give the
Palestinians something so very different, and something so very positive,
compared to what they have today.”His comments came in response to PA Prime
Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh’s announcement on Monday that Palestinians and their
leaders were not seeking an improvement of living conditions “under the
occupation.”Shtayyeh along with other Palestinian officials said the PA would
not participate in the Manama conference for not being consulted.
PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat responded to Greenblatt's comments by
wondering why he has expressed surprise at the Palestinian position. “The
political aspect of the US deal was implemented by recognizing Jerusalem as the
capital of Israel, moving the US embassy, dropping the refugee case and the
Palestinian people's right to self-determination, closing the PLO's headquarters
in Washington and the US consulate in Jerusalem, not to mention cutting aid and
considering settlement a legitimate act and approving the annexation of large
parts of the West Bank,” he said. “After all these moves, they come now to
strike the deal in order to determine the price to be paid to Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa
Mosque and the Church of the Resurrection,” Erekat stressed, noting that
Palestinians will certainly refuse to attend the workshop. Bahrain's Foreign
Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa reiterated his country's support for “an
independent [Palestinian] state with East Jerusalem as its capital.”He said the
conference comes as part of Bahrain’s efforts to help Palestinians boost their
resources in order to “fulfill their legitimate aspirations.”
Algeria: Youth Refuse Constitutional Solution, Clash With Security Forces
Algiers- Boualam Ghimrasah/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 22 May, 2019/Thousands of university students have taken to the street against the
corruption-plagued politics in Algeria, refusing to yield to the army chief’s
demand for popular backing of presidential polls slated for July 4 to elect a
successor to ousted president Abdelaziz Bouteflika. In parallel, Algeria’s
judiciary decided to try former prime ministers facing corruption charges to the
Supreme Court. Public streets in Algiers witnessed continued authority on
civilian violence as dissent grew against ex-regime stalwarts remaining in
power. Despite Bouteflika’s step down from power, demonstrators have continued
to rally in Algiers and across the country, demanding that transitional bodies
be set up ahead of any election. They also want the departure of figures close
to Bouteflika including interim president Abdelkader Bensalah and Prime Minister
Noureddine Bedoui. The army, a key powerbroker, has insisted the July 4 poll
must go ahead and any change to the constitution would be up to a future
president. Hundreds of students from colleges, institutes and high schools
gathered in the streets to protest against what they perceived as an attempt for
the revival of the Bouteflika regime. Contrary to the weekly protests, Tuesday’s
march came after a speech given by the country's de facto ruler, Army Chief Gaid
Salah, in which he attacked “conspirators and those seeking to block all
possible solutions and drown the country in a political impasse." Emphasizing
"the need to accelerate the establishment of an independent body to organize and
oversee the elections," Salah said holding the poll would "stop those who are
trying to prolong this crisis."Security forces broke up a student sit-in outside the government’s headquarters
in Algiers, leading to limited clashes. No injuries have been reported. The
capital also saw thousands of students and faculty members stage demonstrations
near the University of Algiers, where they chanted slogans against Prime
Minister Noureddine Bedoui and his caretaker government.
400 US Congressmen Urge Trump to Stay in Syria
Tel Aviv - London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 22 May, 2019/A group of nearly
400 US congressmen called on President Donald Trump to demonstrate leadership in
resolving the prolonged conflict in Syria, asserting that the only choice is to
advance policies that can stop the growing threats to US interests, Israel, and
regional security and stability. The congressmen signed Monday a letter sent to
Trump saying that at a time of grave insecurity in the Middle East, “we are
deeply concerned about the role that terrorist and extremist groups and US
adversaries continue to play, particularly in Syria.”The letter read: “As some
of our closest allies in the region are being threatened, American leadership
and support are as crucial as ever.”They recommended several specific steps to
advance regional security priorities, including assisting “our ally, Israel, in
defending itself in the face of growing threats, including on its northern
border.”The congressmen also called on Trump to increase pressure on Iran and
Russia with respect to activities in Syria.
“Working with our allies and partners, we urge you to maintain and increase
pressure on Iran and Russia to constrain their destabilizing activities.”In
February, Trump agreed to leave 400 US troops in Syria, after initially deciding
to pull all 2,000 immediately. Meanwhile, the Golan Regional Council revealed
that a delegation of US officials will attend a ceremony next month with Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lay the cornerstone for a new town in the Golan
Heights named after Trump. A Council official announced that June 12 was set the
date for the new community’s cornerstone-laying to commemorate the 53rd
anniversary of the ceasefire that ended the Six Day War, during which the Golan
Heights, Sinai, the West Bank, and Gaza were occupied. Backed by the
government's funding and full coordination, settlers plan for a huge ceremony
that will involve a large group of wealthy Jews who have been invited to come
and invest in the new settlement. Last month, Netanyahu said his new government
would name the town after Trump in honor of the US president’s decision to
recognize Israeli sovereignty over the northern territory. Netanyahu announced
the location of the new settlement near Kela Alon, established since 1991. It
will be allocated a large area under the control of the Israeli army in the
Golan, on land owned by Syrian farmers who were displaced in the war and
destroyed after the occupation.
UN Envoy Salame Warns of Bloody Civil War in Libya
New York- Ali Barada/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 22 May, 2019/UN Special Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame warned that Libya is on the verge of a
long-lasting and bloody civil war that could divide the country and imperil the
security of its neighbors and the wider Mediterranean region.
"Libya is on the verge of descending into a civil war which could lead to the
permanent division of the country," he said.“The consequences and the risks of
the conflict are already painfully clear, especially for the Libyan people: over
460 dead, 29 of them civilians. Over 2400 injured, the majority of them
civilians. Over 75,000 people forced from their homes, all of them civilians.
Over half of the displaced are women and children,” he added. “While the
conditions for migrants and refugees in Libya were already dire prior to the
conflict, these conditions have now gone from bad to worse. Nearly 3,400
refugees and migrants are trapped in detention centers exposed to, or in close
proximity to, the fighting,” Salame continued.
Salame added: “The attack on Tripoli also imperiled the potential of the talks
which had been held on 27 February in Abu Dhabi between Prime Minister Serraj
and General Haftar, the sixth of its kind between them. At those talks, there
had been the real opportunity to replace the Government of National Accord in
Tripoli, dissolve the parallel government in Beida and create an inclusive,
unified the national government, which would have shepherded the country through
the election process to the end of the Transitional Period. “The understandings
reached in Abu Dhabi had placed the military under civilian control, a key
demand of the vast majority of Libyans and many in the international community.
“The violence on the outskirts of Tripoli is just the start of a long and bloody
war on the southern shores of the Mediterranean, imperiling the security of
Libya’s immediate neighbors and the wider Mediterranean region. The security
vacuum created by the withdrawal of many of General Haftar’s troops from the
south, coupled with the focus of the western forces on the defense of the
capital, is already being exploited by ISIS and Al-Qaeda,” he noted.
Furthermore, Salame urged all parties to hand over those sought by the ICC,
saying: “There are numerous reports of extremists, persons under international
sanctions, and individuals wanted by the International Criminal Court appearing
on the battlefield on all sides. All parties must publicly disassociate
themselves from such elements without delay and refer to the ICC those for whom
arrest warrants have been issued. I recommend that the Council support the
formation of a Commission of Inquiry to determine who have taken up arms and
support the establishment of mechanisms to ensure the exclusion of unwanted
elements.” To conclude, Salame said: “Without a robust enforcement mechanism,
the arms embargo into Libya will become a cynical joke. Some nations are fueling
this bloody conflict; the United Nations should put an end to it."
Damascus Harasses Ex-foes in Reconciliation Areas
Beirut - Geneva - London- Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 22 May, 2019/Syrian
intelligence branches are arbitrarily detaining, disappearing, and harassing
people in areas retaken from anti-government groups, Human Rights Watch said
Tuesday.
The abuse is taking place even when the government has signed reconciliation
agreements with the people involved, it added. Human Rights Watch has documented
11 cases of arbitrary detention and disappearance in Daraa, Eastern Ghouta, and
southern Damascus. The government retook these areas from anti-government groups
between February and August 2018. It reported that local organizations have
documented at least 500 arrests in these areas since August.
“Active combat has ended in much of Syria, but nothing has changed in the way
intelligence branches trample rights of perceived opponents of Assad’s rule,”
said Lama Fakih, acting Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Lack of due
process, arbitrary arrests, and harassment, even in so-called reconciled areas,
speak louder than empty government promises of return, reform, and
reconciliation,” she stressed. In all cases, the people targeted – former armed
and political opposition leaders, media activists, aid workers, defectors, and
family members of activists and former anti-government fighters – had signed
reconciliation agreements with the government. The organization called on the
Syrian government to immediately release all arbitrarily held detainees, or if
there are valid grounds for holding them, make those clear. It also urged Russia
to use its influence with its ally Syria to stop arbitrary detention and
harassment. Moscow has played a prominent role in concluding reconciliation
agreements between the government and opposition factions in several areas,
restoring regime control on such areas starting from the city of Aleppo at the
end of 2016. Russian military police are deployed in several areas in Daraa and
Eastern Ghouta. People have been arrested in their homes and offices, at
checkpoints and in the streets, HRW quoted relatives and witnesses as saying.
Relatives and friends of detained people said they were released only after
their families paid a bribe and, in some of the cases, asked high level members
of the reconciliation committees or Russian military police to intervene.“Those
who tell you there is stability or security in the south are lying,” a
humanitarian worker from Daraa told the organization. “There are still
assassinations and arbitrary detentions, and the residents continue to suffer
persecution.”Eight international and Syrian human rights organizations, including Amnesty
International and HRW, called on the international community a week ago to
pressure all parties of the conflict in Syria to reveal the fate of tens of
thousands of enforced and arbitrarily detained people. The cases of detainees
and missing persons are among the most complicated in the Syrian conflict, which
since its outbreak in 2011, has left more than 370,000 people dead. The Human
Right Watch’s report was given a boost by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which issued a third report on the
violations of security services. The report provides an overview of the impact
of armed conflict and violence on civilians, with attention to gender-related
concerns, as well as a number of current and possible future International
Humanitarian Law (IHL) and human rights concerns that may arise in relation to
it.
Air Raids Kill 12 Civilians in Syria's Idlib: Monitor
Damascus- Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 22 May, 2019/Airstrikes by Damascus or its
ally Moscow killed 12 civilians in a market in Syria's Idlib province, a monitor
said Wednesday, as fierce fighting raged for the oppsition-held northwestern
region. Another 18 people were wounded when the warplanes hit the town of Maarat
al-Numan around midnight (2100 GMT) on Tuesday, the Britain-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said. The market was crowded with people out and
about after breaking the daytime fast observed by Muslims during the holy month
of Ramadan. The strikes came as heavy clashes raged in the north of neighboring
Hama province after the opposition launched a counterattack on Tuesday against
pro-government forces in the town of Kafr Nabuda. Fresh fighting on Wednesday
took the death toll to 52 -- 29 troops and militia and 23 extremists, the
Observatory said.
Naji al-Mustafa, a spokesman for armed factions, says the fighters regained
control of Kfar Nabuda on Wednesday in an overnight counteroffensive, driving
regime forces from areas they captured earlier this month. Regime forces had
seized Kfar Nabuda on May 8, cutting into rebel-held territory. The clashes
erupted on April 30, wrecking a cease-fire brokered by Russia and Turkey last
September and raising fears of a wider regime offensive. The last major
rebel-held area in Syria, in the northwestern Idlib province and parts of
neighboring Hama, is home to some 3 million people. An extremist alliance led by
Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, controls a large part
of Idlib province as well as adjacent slivers of Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia
provinces. Russia and rebel ally Turkey inked the buffer zone deal in September
to avert a regime offensive on the region which threatened humanitarian disaster
for its three million residents. Bashar al-Assad's regime has renewed its
bombardment of the region since HTS took control in January. Russia too has
stepped up its airstrikes in recent weeks as Turkey proved unable to secure
implementation of the truce deal. The Observatory says more than 180 civilians
have been killed in the flare-up since April 30, and the United Nations has said
tens of thousands have fled their homes.
Top Democrat Says Trump Conduct 'Could be Impeachable'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 22/2019/The top Democrat in the U.S. Congress
charged Wednesday that President Donald Trump could have committed an
"impeachable" offense by ignoring congressional subpoenas, likening it to the
"cover-up" that brought down former president Richard Nixon. House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi had earlier provoked an angry denial from Trump after accusing him of
engaging in a cover-up of the probe into his alleged collusion with Russia, and
alleged attempts to obstruct the investigation. "This is why I think the
president was so steamed off this morning," she said at a Democratic event in
Washington. "Because the fact is in plain sight in the public domain: this
president is obstructing justice and he's engaged in a cover-up. "And that could
be an impeachable offense," she said to applause.
U.S. Suspects Syria in New Chemical Attack, Threatens Reprisal
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 22/2019/The United States has said it suspects
that Syrian government forces have carried out a fresh chemical attack,
threatening reprisals. The State Department said it was assessing indications
that the regime used chemical weapons on Sunday during its offensive in Idlib,
the most significant remaining holdout in Syria of jihadist rebels. "We are
still gathering information on this incident, but we repeat our warning that if
the Assad regime uses chemical weapons, the United States and our allies will
respond quickly and appropriately," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus
said in a statement. She also denounced Russia, the key ally of Damascus, for
what she called a "disinformation campaign" as it tries to blame other parties
for chemical attacks.
"The Assad regime's culpability in horrific chemical weapons attacks is
undeniable," Ortagus said. Russia and Turkey, the key ally of the rebels, in
September reached an agreement that nominally protects Idlib amid fears for the
safety of some three million people who live in or have fled into the
northwestern area. But Syria's former al-Qaida affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham,
has seized a large part of the province and adjoining areas, triggering a regime
offensive that includes strikes by Syrian and Russian airplanes. Ortagus said
that the offensive has "destroyed known health facilities, schools, residences
and internally displaced person camps.""The regime's attacks against the
communities of northwest Syria must end," she said. "The United States
reiterates its warning, first issued by President (Donald) Trump in September
2018, that an attack against the Idlib de-escalation zone would be a reckless
escalation that threatens to destabilize the region," she said. The warning came
despite a trip to Russia last week by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who
said that the rival powers had found ways to work together on Syria.
Western Nations Urge Swift Sudan Accord to Install Civil Rule
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 22/2019/The United States, Britain and Norway
called for a swift agreement between Sudanese protesters and generals on
installing civilian rule, saying it would be harder for them to work with any
other new authority. Talks between protest leaders and army generals who seized
power after ousting longtime leader Omar al-Bashir last month have stopped since
late Monday following disagreement about who should lead a new ruling body -- a
civilian or a soldier. The Western troika, which has previously been involved in
mediation in Sudanese conflicts, said the country "urgently needs an agreement"
to end the period of uncertainty, according to a joint statement released late
Tuesday.
"Any outcome that does not result in the formation of a government that is
civilian-led, placing primary authority for governing with civilians, will not
respond to the clearly expressed will of the Sudanese people for a transition to
civilian rule," it said.
"This will complicate international engagement, and make it harder for our
countries to work with the new authorities and support Sudan's economic
development," added the statement, which was posted on the Facebook page of the
U.S. embassy in Khartoum. Washington has consistently called for civilian rule
in Sudan since Bashir was ousted by the army on April 11 after months of
nationwide protests against his iron-fisted regime of 30 years. It has also
suspended talks with Khartoum for removing Sudan from the US list of state
sponsors of terrorism, a key factor which for decades has made foreign
businesses wary of investing in the northeast African country. Sudanese protest
leaders are now preparing plans to call for a general strike to build pressure
on the generals to cede power. The ruling military council has been pushing for
its chairman General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to head the new sovereign body but
protest leaders want a civilian.
The new ruling body when finalised is expected to install a transitional
civilian government for three years after which the first post-Bashir election
would be held.
May's Last Attempt to Salvage Brexit Deal at Risk
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 22/2019/British Prime Minister Theresa May's
final bid to salvage her EU divorce deal appeared doomed on Wednesday as pro-Brexit
Conservatives and opposition MPs rejected her attempts at a compromise to end
months of deadlock. The beleaguered leader is set to face a torrid session at
Prime Minister's Questions in parliament on the eve of European elections that
Britain had not even expected to take part in three years after the Brexit
referendum. The poll could see the vote of the two main parties decimated.
May vowed Tuesday to give lawmakers a vote on holding a public referendum on
Brexit if they approve her unpopular withdrawal agreement in a series of votes
starting in early June. She also dangled a package of other sweeteners to the
deal aimed at opposition Labour MPs, in a bid to break trenchant opposition
which has seen parliament reject her plan three times this year. May has said
she will leave office shortly after the measures she outlined are voted on -- no
matter the outcome.
"I recognize the genuine and sincere strength of feeling across the house on
this important issue," May said. However, MPs from across the political spectrum
reacted furiously to the prime minister's latest offer, with Conservative
Brexiteers crying betrayal and Labor lawmakers saying she had not compromised
enough.
In a sign of the scale of the backlash, Environment Secretary Michael Gove
hinted that the vote in the week of June 3 may not go ahead after all. "We will
reflect over the course of the next few days on how people look at the
proposition," he told BBC radio.
'A question of democracy'
May's offer comes as Britain votes in EU elections Thursday with the two main
parties trailing behind the Brexit Party and the pro-EU Liberal Democrats,
according to polls. The latest YouGov survey showed eurosceptic populist Nigel
Farage's new Brexit Party claiming 37 percent of votes, with Labour in third on
19 percent and the Tories lagging in fifth place with just seven percent. "If we
win big on Thursday, we will kill off any prospect of parliament forcing a
second referendum upon us because they know they would lose!" Farage told
supporters at a final rally Tuesday.
Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable, whose party is set to come second in the
polls, told a party gathering on Tuesday that a vote for his party was "a vote
to stop Brexit". The pro-EU party's outright rejection of Brexit appears to be
resonating with Remain voters who would normally back Labor or the
Conservatives.
'Last chance'
May pitched her "new Brexit deal" as MPs' "last chance" to end political
gridlock that has already delayed Britain's departure from the bloc past its
original March deadline and prompted public anger. The government is aiming for
the law to be approved by the time parliament's summer recess begins on July 20,
which would let the country leave at the end of that month -- as long as
lawmakers reject a second referendum. Otherwise the process could be delayed
until October 31 -- the deadline set by the EU -- or even later if its leaders
grant Britain another postponement. May on Tuesday set out a series of
incentives for MPs to vote for her deal. Some were in line with demands from
Labour, but fell short of their full demands put forward during weeks of
cross-party talks which ended in deadlock last week. "The prime minister needs
to today accept that what she announced yesterday is not going to work and pull
the vote," the party's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said Wednesday.
'Must do better'
May's proposals threaten to further repel euroskeptics in her own Conservative
Party. Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, the favourite to replace her as
leader, said on Twitter he would not support the new package, having backed it
last time it was put to parliament. "We can and must do better -- and deliver
what the people voted for," he said, rejecting the idea of any customs union or
second referendum. Analysts and British newspapers gave May little-to-no chance
of winning on this occasion, with the eurosceptic Daily Telegraph calling her
move: "Desperate, deluded, doomed."
Libyan Strongman Haftar Tells Macron No Ceasefire for Now
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 22/2019/Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar, who
is leading a military offensive against the U.N.-recognized government in
Tripoli, rejected a ceasefire requested by French President Emmanuel Macron
during talks in Paris, an Elysee official said Wednesday. Haftar said the
conditions for halting hostilities "were not met," while acknowledging that a
"political dialogue" is needed to end the standoff with his rival, Prime
Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, the official said on condition of anonymity.
U.S. Calls for Dismantling U.N. Palestinian Refugee Agency
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 22/2019/The United States called Wednesday for
dismantling the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, weeks before
unveiling the economic aspects of its long-awaited Middle East peace
plan.Addressing the U.N. Security Council, U.S. adviser Jason Greenblatt said
UNRWA was a "bandaid" and that it was time to hand over services assured by the
U.N. agency to countries hosting the Palestinian refugees and NGOs.
"The UNRWA model has failed the Palestinian people," Greenblatt told the
council.
Last year, President Donald Trump's administration cut all funding to UNRWA,
arguing that it was flawed as Washington pressed ahead with work on proposals
for an Israeli-Palestinian solution. Greenblatt, who along with Trump's
son-in-law Jared Kushner is drafting the peace proposals, said it was time to
"start a conversation about planning the transition of UNRWA services to host
governments, or to other international or local non-governmental organizations,
as appropriate."Founded in 1949, UNRWA provides education and health services to some five
million Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West
Bank, including East Jerusalem. The United States will hold a conference in
Bahrain next month focused on the economic aspects of the peace plan that
Greenblatt said has the "potential to unlock a prosperous future for the
Palestinians.""It would be a mistake for the Palestinians not to join us. They
have nothing to lose and much to gain if they do join us. But it is, of course,
their choice," he added.
Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on May 22-23/19
Our Problem with Iran is its Regime
إياد أبو شقرا: مشكلتنا مع إيران نظامُها ومشكلة غيرنا قدراتُها النووية
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/May 22/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/75041/%D8%A5%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%88-%D8%B4%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D9%85%D8%B4%D9%83%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%A7-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D8%A5%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8F%D9%87%D8%A7/
I have to admit that I am not a fan of US President Donald Trump; nor am I
someone who likes the views of the ‘Neo-Cons’ from whom Trump has inherited many
policies, as well as many personalities, such as John Bolton, the President’s
National Security Advisor.
On the other hand, I am fully convinced by the famous quote “even a broken clock
is right twice a day". Indeed, in politics, no politician can always be right
while his opponent is always wrong. Thus, I believe that there can be no half
measures with regard to Iran and the dangers its current leadership pose to the
Arab world; and more specifically, the Gulf States, not to mention the suffering
of the great patient Iranian people.
The current leadership in Tehran understands nothing but the language of force,
and totally disregards peaceful civilized coexistence.
In my humble opinion, it is here, where former US president Barack Obama
committed a fatal mistake; and Trump would commit a similar mistake if he fails
to understand that for Arabs and Iranians that the nuclear agreement (JCPOA) has
never been one of physics, but rather of politics.
The issue has nothing to do with percentages of uranium enrichment, quantity of
stored nuclear fuel, number of working reactors and ready-to-use nuclear
warheads, or means of delivery. It is precisely with a theocratic mafia-based
militaristic regime that is aggressive inside Iran, and expansionist against its
neighbors.
Of course, the international community has every right to stand against the
proliferation of nuclear weapons, although there are no less than nine countries
that possess these weapons, including the UN Security Council’s five permanent
members, plus India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel. In addition to these
states, there are also countries that process and rely on nuclear power, but
have not turned their expertise to military use, led by Germany, Japan, South
Korea, Canada, Spain and Sweden.
Therefore, theoretically – at least – there is no problem if certain countries
acquire nuclear capability, provided they respect international peace, care
about the welfare of their people, and refrain from threatening their neighbors
and boasting about ‘controlling’ their capitals!
The fact that tension is rising today in the Middle East, following Washington’s
escalation against the Tehran regime, is both logical and understandable; more
so, given the strategic oil-related importance to the Gulf region.
Also logical and understandable is the way the Iranian leadership has raised the
tempo by resorting to the two techniques it has mastered for years: the first is
military escalation on the ground; and the second is the diplomatic and
propaganda distortion it spreads throughout the world’s capitals and media
outlets in America and Europe.
Militarily, the Tehran regime – which has increasing fallen under the sway of
the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) militia since the ‘Iran Iraq War’ (1980 and
1988) – has realized that it was futile to ‘export the revolution’ through
direct confrontations. So, the alternative for this project of hegemony was to
‘plant’ IRGC-branch militias in every non-Iranian area that may be a useful
fertile ground; and, so these militias would fight for the Iranian hegemony
project spilling the locals’ blood.
Furthermore, after adopting the logic of ‘attack is the best form of defense’,
many regime spokesmen said, on several occasions, that it was better for Iran to
fight its wars in the city streets of neighboring Arab states than being forced
to fight then in the streets of Tehran, Esfahan, Tabriz and other Iranian
cities!
This is exactly what has happened. The former leading conservative politician
Ali Reza Zakani, went even further, a few years ago, boasting that “three Arab
capitals have today ended up in the hands of Iran and belong to the Iranian
revolution”. He then noted that Sanaa has now become the fourth Arab capital
that is on its way to joining the Iranian revolution.
In the same vein, General Hussein Salami boasted that “Iran was about to reach
new levels of power… our confrontation with the West to the Mediterranean; which
means changing regional equation, whereby our power is increasing while our
enemies’ are decreasing”. He then added that Western governments were ‘pleading’
with Iran to join them in fighting ISIS.
Such talk leaves no doubt on Iran’s intentions. Then, looking at how the
situation has unfolded in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and even Lebanon, it becomes clear
that Washington’s gamble on a ‘change of behavior’ from the Iranian leadership
and the IRGC command – which run Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, Lebanon’s
Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, Gaza’s Islamic Jihad and their ilk – has
spectacularly failed.
Still, what is noteworthy, is that Washington’s Middle Eastern affairs planners,
refuse to link the support accorded to Benjamin Netanyahu and full adoption of
his extremist and expansionist plans have been the greatest help to Tehran as it
attempts to justify its own plans. I say ‘noteworthy’, not ‘strange’ or
‘surprising’ because what we are facing is obvious.
Tehran’s extremism benefits Tel Aviv, and vice versa. Thus, both sides are now
carving out what remains of the Arab Middle East, and encouraging the ‘third
regional power’ Turkey to enter the arena and claim what it regards its own
under the excuse of defending the Sunnis.
No one desires war in our region, which is already in deep trouble. Moreover,
any wise individual knows that the only people who are going to pay the cost of
war are the people of the region.
However, what can be done to stop Tehran’s ongoing wars against our Arab states,
in fact, inside these states?
What is the solution with a regime that is hell-bent on conquering the region,
and spreading its ideology and extremism in the name of what it claims to be the
real Islam?
What will become of us if extremism and counter-extremism were allowed to
dominate our region, undermine its culture and resources, and destroy the future
of our youth?
This is our fatal nuclear problem!
Turkey: Erdogan Describes Armenian Genocide as 'Reasonable Relocation'
أوزاي بولوت/كايتستون: أردوغان يصف الإبادة الجماعية للأرمن بأنها عملية اعادة
تموضع سكاني معقولة
Uzay Bulut/Wednesday, 22 May, 2019/
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/75108/%D8%A3%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%84%D9%88%D8%AA-%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%BA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B5%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%A8/
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14211/turkey-erdogan-armenian-genocide
"What Erdogan refers to as 'relocation' was actually the genocidal deportation
of civilian populations --mainly women, children and the elderly -- to the very
interior of Asia Minor. These populations were not simply relocated to another
place, contrary to what the Turkish state claims. They were sent to
concentration and extermination camps or remote places in the interior to be
slaughtered or to die from exposure, exhaustion, hunger or epidemics -- either
on the way to, or at the place of, their destinations." — Vasileios
Meichanetsidis, an Athens-based genocide scholar and editor of the 2012 book,
The Genocide of the Ottoman Greeks, in an interview with Gatestone Institute.
At a symposium in Ankara on April 24 -- the 104th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated his distortion and
denial of the 1915 mass murder of Christians at the hands of Ottoman Turks. "The
relocation of the Armenian gangs and their supporters who massacred the Muslim
people, including women and children, in eastern Anatolia, was the most
reasonable action that could be taken in such a period," Erdogan said. This
quote was then posted on the official "Turkish Presidency" Twitter page.
"Erdogan's statement was factually flawed, deceptive and insulting," Vicken
Babkenian, an independent researcher for the Australian Institute for Holocaust
and Genocide Studies, told Gatestone in a recent interview.
Babkenian, a descendant of genocide survivors on both sides of his family,
explained: "The Ottoman Turkish government's wide-scale and systematic
destruction of its indigenous Armenian population in 1915-23 is well documented,
and was one of the foremost examples of that crime which led the Polish-Jewish
jurist Raphael Lemkin to coin the word 'genocide' in 1944. Erdogan's tweet -- on
the most solemn day of remembrance of the Armenian Genocide -- was clearly meant
to appease the ultra-nationalist element in Turkey at the expense of historic
truth.
"I don't believe that there is another head of government in the world today who
has expressed such unremorseful rhetoric about his nation's well-documented
extermination of its indigenous populations. It is genocide denial at its worst.
Erdogan's message can be interpreted as follows: Turkey is unremorseful about
what happened to the Armenians in 1915. They deserved what they got, and we have
no intention of reckoning with our past or pursuing a policy of transitional
justice."
Vasileios Meichanetsidis, an Athens-based genocide scholar and editor of the
2012 book, The Genocide of the Ottoman Greeks, also criticized Erdogan's false
portrayal of the Turks' mass murder of Christians. He told Gatestone:
"What Erdogan refers to as 'relocation' was actually the genocidal deportation
of civilian populations -- mainly women, children and the elderly -- to the very
interior of Asia Minor. These populations were not simply relocated to another
place, contrary to what the Turkish state claims. They were sent to
concentration and extermination camps or remote places in the interior to be
slaughtered or to die from exposure, exhaustion, hunger or epidemics -- either
on the way to, or at the place of, their destinations.
"These 'relocations' resulted in the partial or total destruction of numerous
Greek Orthodox communities that had lived in Anatolia for nearly 3.000 years.
"The continuous Turkish state policy of genocide denial shows how susceptible
Turkey still is to committing yet another genocide, but also how important and
necessary it is for the international community to recognize the genocide as a
means of preventing its recurrence by a denialist and aggressive state
perpetrator."
Anahit Khosroeva, an Assyrian genocide scholar and lecturer at the Institute of
History of the National Academy of Sciences based in Armenia, told Gatestone:
"What Erdogan falsely calls the 'relocation' was for us -- the descendants of
the survivors of the Armenian and Assyrian genocides – depatriation. Indigenous
Armenians and Assyrians got annihilated in their own ancient homeland.
"The assertion [by Erdogan and other genocide deniers] that Turkish archives are
open is also far from reality – particularly from the point of view of access to
materials on the Armenian and Assyrian Genocides by impartial scholars. The
archives are open, but only for the researchers working for Turkish state
interests.
"No matter what Turkey says, the Armenian Genocide as a crime against humanity
has been recognized and condemned by 27 countries across the world."
This has not prevented Erdogan and his supporters from simultaneously denying
the genocide and being proud of it. This is the propaganda mechanism that has
turned the victims into perpetrators, and has shaped Turkey's official
historiography since the establishment of the Republic in 1923. Turkish school
books still teach that the "treacherous" Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians forced
the Ottoman Turks to act in self-defense.
Meanwhile, on the day that Erdogan made the speech in which he held the genocide
victims responsible for their own plight, Turkish police prevented the Human
Rights Association (IHD) from holding a scheduled commemoration ceremony in
Istanbul.
The IHD therefore held the ceremony at its office. At the ceremony, IHD co-chair
Eren Keskin said:
"We are again living under the power of unlawfulness. We are again getting
through a period of grave human rights violations. The cursed legacy is
continuing in new forms.
"Today is April 24th - the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. But the
reaction to commemorating the genocide is strong. Even declaring a day of
commemoration is not tolerated."
Genocide scholar Vasileios Meichanetsidis concluded that for Turkey to be a
truly democratic country, it must acknowledge its past crimes. He told Gatestone:
"Turkey will not be able to free itself from its murderous past and the stain on
its genesis as a state, unless it recognizes the genocide of the native
Christian peoples of the Ottoman Empire, thus allowing the descendants of the
victims the resilience needed to overcome their generational sufferings,
resulting from the indescribable physical and emotional sufferings of their
ancestors.
"The recognition could also free the Turkish people from guilt and shame, thus
marking the beginning of a new process of reconciliation between Turkey and the
descendants of the genocide victims, as well as between Turkey and its neighbors,
especially Greece, Armenia and Cyprus."
*Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone
Institute.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Russian Plans for This Week's European Union Elections
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/May 22/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14253/russia-eu-elections
Russian President Valdimir Putin is actively cultivating a network of contacts
in EU member states with the aim of building a pro-Russian bloc in the next EU
parliament, one that will be active in calling for the sanctions to be lifted.
Concerns about Russian influence have also been raised in France, Italy, Greece,
the Netherlands and Germany, while questions remain as to whether Moscow tried
to interfere in Britain's 2016 referendum on leaving the EU.
Elsewhere Moscow has worked hard to forge closer relations with Hungary and
Bulgaria, two former Soviet satellites that appear to prefer maintaining good
links with Russia over their support for the EU.
As part of his effort to broaden his ties with pro-Russian states, Mr Putin is
now focusing on the Czech Republic, where the Kremlin is actively engaged with
the country's pro-Russian president, Miloš Zeman, as well as Andrej Babiš, the
controversial prime minister.... Certainly, from Moscow's perspective, adding
the Czech Republic to the burgeoning list of EU states and political parties
with pro-Russian sympathies can only strengthen its efforts to undermine the
EU's efforts to maintain a united front against Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is now focusing on the Czech Republic, where
the Kremlin is actively engaged with the country's pro-Russian president, Miloš
Zeman, as well as Andrej Babiš, the controversial prime minister. Pictured:
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with President of the Czech Republic
Milos Zeman, in Moscow on November 21, 2017.
No one is working harder to achieve a successful outcome from this week's
European Union elections than Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Even though there is little prospect of Russia ever wanting to join the family
of EU nations, that has not stopped Mr Putin from intensifying his efforts to
expand his influence over those countries that are members of the European trade
bloc.
Consequently, at a time when Moscow is desperate to have the sanctions lifted
that have been imposed in response to various Russian acts of provocation, such
as last year's Salisbury poisoning, Mr Putin is investing much time and energy
to ensure that a strong pro-Russian lobby is elected to the new EU parliament
following Thursday's Europe-wide ballot.
The EU, together with the US, has been at the forefront of the international
campaign to hold Moscow to account for its role in the Salisbury attack in March
2018, when a team of Russian GRU intelligence officers have been accused of
attempting to murder former Russian Sergei Skripal with Novichok nerve agent.
The attack resulted in the strengthening of the sanctions originally imposed
against Moscow in the wake of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, as
well as its interference in eastern Ukraine.
Despite Moscow's protestations to the contrary, the sanctions have had an
adverse impact on the Russian economy, which has contracted by around 3 per
cent, prompting Mr Putin to search for ways to ease the impact the sanctions are
having on Russia's economic fortunes.
To this end he is actively cultivating a network of contacts in EU member states
with the aim of building a pro-Russian bloc in the next EU parliament, one that
will be active in calling for the sanctions to be lifted.
The recent political upheavals in Austria, where a minister from the far-right
FPO party has been forced to resign this week over his alleged involvement in a
Russian-linked corruption scandal, is perhaps the best example of the growing
links between prominent European politicians and Moscow.
Concerns about Russian influence have also been raised in France, Italy, Greece,
the Netherlands and Germany, while questions remain as to whether Moscow tried
to interfere in Britain's 2016 referendum on leaving the EU.
Elsewhere Moscow has worked hard to forge closer relations with Hungary and
Bulgaria, two former Soviet satellites that appear to prefer maintaining good
links with Russia over their support for the EU.
The extent of Hungary's preference for Moscow over the EU was demonstrated in
the wake of the Salisbury attack when Budapest only agreed to expel a single
Russian diplomat, while Bulgaria, another ally of the Kremlin, expelled none.
Slovakia, one of the EU's more recent recruits, also declined to support
Brussels' request for member states to demonstrate diplomatic solidarity against
Moscow.
As part of his effort to broaden his ties with pro-Russian states, Mr Putin is
now focusing on the Czech Republic, where the Kremlin is actively engaged with
the country's pro-Russian president, Miloš Zeman, as well as Andrej Babiš, the
controversial prime minister.
Mr Zeman, who won re-election to serve a second term last January, is known for
his pro-Russian sentiments and his profound Euroscepticism, especially over the
EU's handling of the recent migrant crisis.
Mr Babis, whose premiership has been dogged by allegations of fraud, is regarded
as a close ally of Mr Zeman, who has been described as "the most influential
Kremlin ally in central Europe" because of his avowed support for Russia's
military intervention in Syria, as well as endorsing Russian interference in
eastern Ukraine.
Mr Babis is increasingly seen as a controversial figure in his home country,
especially in the wake of a strange incident at the end of last year when his
son claimed he was abducted by a Russian business associate of the Czech prime
minister while on holiday in Crimea.
Mr Babis has rigorously refuted the claims, and insisted his son was "mentally
ill". The affair nevertheless prompted six Czech opposition parties to demand
the prime minister's resignation. Mr Babis has also had to rebut allegations
that he worked as an informer for communist Czechoslovakia's secret police, the
StB, a Cold War ally of the KGB -- claims that have led to suggestions that he
retains close relations with Moscow.
Certainly, from Moscow's perspective, adding the Czech Republic to the
burgeoning list of EU states and political parties with pro-Russian sympathies
can only strengthen its efforts to undermine the EU's efforts to maintain a
united front against Russia.
*Con Coughlin is the Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor of London's Daily
Telegraph.
© 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.
Time for action on Muslim Brotherhood’s European activities
Nathalie Goulet and Ghanem Nuseibeh/Arab News/May 21/2019
Fighting the Muslim Brotherhood should be at the top of the agenda of the next
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Makkah on May 30. When the Brotherhood
cannot come in through the door, they go through the window — currently via the
window of your computers and smartphones.
The European Council for Fatwa and Research recently launched what it called a
“Euro Fatwa App” out of Dublin. Its main audience was Britain and it was heavily
promoted by mosques in the UK that are affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The head of the organization behind the app was a certain Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, a
Qatar-based Egyptian cleric considered to be the spiritual head of the Muslim
Brotherhood. Al-Qaradawi was banned from entering the UK in 2008 and is also
banned from entering France, the US, the UAE and Ireland, amongst other
countries, because of his extremist views. What the app aimed to do was exploit
technology and infiltrate the homes of ordinary Muslims in Britain. He may have
been banned from physically entering the UK, but Al-Qaradawi’s app was to become
a vehicle for his extremist preaching. It was based in Dublin, possibly as a
test by his organization on British-European cooperation amidst the Brexit
negotiations.
The app included many extremist and anti-Semitic views. It aimed to not only
incite anti-Semitism, but also to isolate Muslim communities from mainstream
European life.
Lawmakers in both the UK and Europe, including French senator Nathalie Goulet —
co-author of this column — were made aware of the app. And, after Google was
alerted to its existence by the Sunday Times, the company acted promptly and
banned the app from its store. It was a victory for common sense and an example
of how Britain needs to work closely with Europe in combating extremism.
The app was one example of the dangers that all of Europe faces, whether the UK
is inside or outside the EU. The most potent and dangerous organization that
operates across Europe with apparent immunity is the Muslim Brotherhood. The app
was an example of one of the tools it uses, but it has many others at its
disposal, including charities, madrasas and businesses.
The British government’s 2015 review of the Muslim Brotherhood concluded that
“aspects of Muslim Brotherhood ideology and tactics, in this country and
overseas, are contrary to our values and have been contrary to our national
interests and our national security.” In 2017, the Manchester Arena terrorist
attack took place, with the bomber, Salman Abedi, reportedly being at least
partly radicalized at a Muslim Brotherhood-run mosque.
Governments need to support the anti-extremism fight that ordinary, moderate
Muslims are involved with daily.
Extremists adapt rapidly to changing circumstances and they are quick adopters
of technology. The time has come for a serious review of the activities of the
Muslim Brotherhood inside Europe. European countries, including Britain, need to
look internally at the threat. This should not be connected to the activities of
the extremist group outside of Europe. Informal inter-European cooperation on
the app was an example of how effective collaboration can be.
It is time European governments took the issue of the Muslim Brotherhood
seriously. Europeans deserve to know what this group is doing on the continent.
Governments need to support the anti-extremism fight that ordinary, moderate
Muslims are involved with daily. I hope they act before it is too late.
Even though he is banned from the country, is sought by Interpol and is financed
and hosted by Qatar, Al-Qaradawi is still trying to spread his ideology in
France. On Saturday, a tax-deductible charitable dinner in aid of Mauritania’s
Markaz Takwin Al-Ulama (Center for the Training of Islamic Scholars) is due to
take place in Saint-Denis, near Paris. It has been preceded by a tour of 12
conferences and fundraisers. This institute, which is close to the Muslim
Brotherhood, was closed by the Mauritanian authorities last year because it
taught radical Islam.
At the Saint-Denis event, a video conference will be provided by the group’s
leader, Sheikh Mohammed Ould Dedew, who is known for preaching radical,
anti-Semitic thinking and for teaching men how to beat their wives and children.
Meanwhile, the floor will be taken by Dr. Mahfoud Ould Ibrahim, who is also
known for extremism. How can we explain that this type of event, which is
potentially dangerous for Europe’s security, is being allowed? It will provide
clear support for a prohibited, Muslim Brotherhood-aligned group in Mauritania.
We are acting against our interests by allowing such an event. Mauritania is a
member of the G5 Sahel that France supports with its troops.
A year on from the #NoMoneyForTerror conference in Paris, we can now see that
money still flies from the suburbs of the French capital to Mauritania under the
cover of Zakat. One can imagine the colossal amount of money that can be raised
in Europe during the holy month of Ramadan, and that is why we need to follow
the example of the UAE and Saudi Arabia in terms of good practices when
collecting Zakat. We need to trace the money and prohibit cash from being used
to support the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliated organizations.
We in France cannot send soldiers to secure West Africa from religious extremism
and terrorism and, at the same time, allow people connected to the Brotherhood
to fundraise within our borders. This attitude is totally schizophrenic.
It is also why we need to launch a crusade against the Euro Fatwa App and its
like, both in Europe and in the many Muslims countries that are fighting against
terrorism.
The question of the app must be discussed at the upcoming GCC summit.
No more words, we need action.
**Nathalie Goulet is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Orne
department (Normandy). Twitter: @senateur61. Ghanem Nuseibeh is chairman of
Muslims Against Anti-Semitism. Twitter: @gnuseibeh
Conflict is the business Iran has chosen
السير جون جنكينز/ أراب نيوز: خلق ودخول الصراعات هما العمل الذي اختارته إيران
Sir John Jenkins/Arab News/May 21/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/75111/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%B2-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%B2-%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A7/
My very first diplomatic posting to the Middle East was to the UAE in 1983. It
was at the height of the Iran-Iraq War, which — after the retaking of
Khorramshahr by Iranian forces the previous year — was about to become a bloody
stalemate, characterized by human wave attacks, missile and artillery strikes on
urban areas, poison gas and trench warfare in the Al-Faw Peninsula and the
wetlands of the Shatt Al-Arab, the mining of international waterways in the
Gulf, and direct attacks on oil platforms and shipping.
The Iranians had laid mines with various purposes in mind. They had earlier
sought to hit Iraqi oil exports by targeting Iraqi tankers. When these were
reflagged and put under US protection, the costs of direct action increased
dramatically. Mines were a cheap way to achieve the same end. They also had the
effect of increasing insurance premiums, thereby, they hoped, increasing the
pressure on Western states to bring an end to the conflict on Iranian terms. In
those days you could see lines of tankers moored a few miles off Fujairah,
waiting to enter the Strait of Hormuz, load and get out as quickly as possible
This policy backfired spectacularly. On April 14, 1988, a US naval vessel struck
a mine in the Gulf. The mine was quickly and conclusively identified as Iranian.
That led to a US operation that destroyed Iranian military positions on two
refitted oil platforms in the lower Gulf and effectively sank or disabled the
entire Iranian navy. In the early morning of July 3, the USS Vincennes, on
hyper-alert for Iranian retaliation, mistakenly shot down a civilian airliner
that had just taken off from Bandar Abbas, with the awful loss of 290 lives. I
was on duty in the Foreign Office that night and remember vividly the agonizing
process as the truth of what had happened emerged over a few hours. A few months
later, Ruhollah Khomeini “drank the cup of poison” and agreed to end the war.
I write all this by way of preliminaries, because some people seem to forget
their history. Many people still want to suggest that the latest attacks on four
oil tankers off Fujairah are unlikely to have been Iranian-sponsored, that
there’s no proof of anything and, in any case, it would be better not to know or
to say because that way lies war between a trigger-happy US and an embattled
Iran. They sometimes add that the multiple drone strikes subsequently launched
by the Houthis on Saudi oil facilities had nothing to do with the maritime
attacks and, in any case, the Houthis don’t take orders from Iran.
It’s hard to know where to start with all this. First of all, it is true that no
one has come forward with clear evidence of what exactly happened off Fujairah.
But reports suggest that the attacks were sophisticated, involving drones
carrying some sort of explosive package designed to detonate at or just below
the waterline of the ships that were targeted. But the details are a little less
important than the motive. And the motive — just like 35 years ago — must have
been to send a message to Gulf oil exporters and oil shippers. As in the 1980s,
only the Iranians have such a motive. If they or someone acting on their behalf
aren’t responsible, then who is? Daesh or Al-Qaeda? Assuming they had the
presence and the capacity, what on earth would they gain? They are preoccupied
elsewhere and always claim responsibility for their acts. So who else? The tooth
fairy maybe?
Military strikes alone won’t solve this, as we are seeing in southern Syria,
where Iran’s forward creep continues
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, the Houthis gleefully announced that
they had carried out the drone attacks in Saudi Arabia. Suggesting quite
reasonably that there is a connection between these and the attacks off Fujairah
is not the same as claiming that the Houthis are Iranian puppets. No one serious
believes that, any more than they believe that Hezbollah, Badr, Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq
or Kata’ib Hezbollah are simply puppets. They all have their own interests and
have occasionally pursued these against Iranian wishes, but they also share
fundamental beliefs, loyalties, interests and goals. And we know perfectly well
(not least because they have all acknowledged this publicly and the UN and
others have documented it extensively) that the Iranians support each of them in
different ways, politically, morally, socially, religiously and with supplies of
money, weapons and training.
Some people will then say: That’s all very well, but we must not look as if we
are jumping to conclusions, even if they are well founded, because that simply
plays into the hands of US President Donald Trump and his warmongering
officials. This is bizarre. Some of it comes out of a deep-seated belief —
including in Europe — that Trump is simply the manifestation of a broader
problem, that the US is an overweening imperial power that needs to be curbed.
Yet, if you look at what Trump has actually done in the Middle East and North
Africa as president, it looks very similar in its essence to what Obama did:
Seek to reduce exposure, don’t start any new wars, reduce troop numbers, avoid
new commitments and encourage the regional powers to take responsibility for
their own security. Regardless of the temporary reinforcement of US naval forces
in the Gulf and speculation about troop movements, Trump has made it quite clear
in his public statements that he is not seeking conflict and is willing to talk
to Iran.
The details that have emerged about the intelligence on which the US has based
its changed security posture in the last few weeks suggest that its concern
about hostile Iranian intentions toward those US forces and other assets still
based and active in the region are entirely justified. And again the Iranians
and their allies have form — as anyone who remembers the following will know:
Their sponsoring of violent insurgencies in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in the
1980s; the murderous attacks on the US Marine barracks and the US Embassy in
Beirut in 1983 and 1984 respectively; the Kuwait bombings of 1983 and the
attempted assassination of the emir of Kuwait in 1985; the attack on Khobar
Towers in 1996; the vicious attacks by Iranian-backed militias on US and UK
troops in Iraq from 2003 onwards; the murder of Rafik Hariri in 2005; the
thwarted 2011 plot to bomb a crowded restaurant in Washington in order to kill
Adel Al-Jubeir; the recent assassination attempts in Europe and so on and so on.
Whatever you think about the competence and cohesion of this US administration,
this is not about the US. It’s about Iran. Some people claim that its leaders
lash out because they feel threatened, as if they’re just an innocent child on
the school playground being bullied by the bigger boys. That gets it precisely
the wrong way round. To paraphrase the gangster Hyman Roth in “The Godfather,”
this is the business they have chosen.
I don’t actually think war is imminent. Nor — if oil prices and insurance rates
are anything to go by — do the markets. The US posture, for all the
reinforcements sent in the last couple of weeks, remains essentially defensive.
Even the think-tankers seem to have calmed down a bit. But the problem of what
to do about Iran, which continues to weave its webs of influence across the
whole northern tier of the Arab world and down into Yemen, remains. The more it
expands its influence and engages in grey-zone conflict — claiming to be
protecting the Shiites of the region, persuading others to do its dirty work,
and embarking on deniable attacks, whether physical or cyber — the more anger
will mount and the more others will seek equivalent ways of defending
themselves.
Whatever you think about the competence and cohesion of this US administration,
this is not about the US. It’s about Iran
Nobody wants war, probably not even Iran. It is under enough economic pressure
as it is. Ordinary Iranians are complaining, and Europe, China, India or Russia
will not be able to compensate for the losses it will suffer under renewed
sanctions. But it has used the last 30 years to build capacity and resilience
and wants to preserve the political gains it made from the unwillingness of the
Obama administration to challenge its growing hegemony. It is therefore probably
more prepared than anyone else to take the region as close to war without war as
possible. It is teetering on the edge with Israel. And the rocket attack on the
old Green Zone in Baghdad over the weekend — whoever was responsible — was
highly provocative. It will eventually misjudge. That will be a disaster.
The strategic problem is Iran’s gradual incorporation of Iraq and Syria, along
with an increasingly Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon, into a Greater Levantine
Co-Prosperity and Armed Resistance Zone through the colonization of the
political and security systems of these states and now, increasingly, their
banking, energy, import and construction sectors. Military strikes alone won’t
solve this, as we are seeing in southern Syria, where Iran’s forward creep
continues in spite of repeated Israeli strikes. That means hitting Iran where it
hurts — economically and financially. This, after all, was a major factor in
Iran’s decision to take the nuclear negotiations more seriously after 2012. The
Trump administration is clearly trying to repair some of the damage the previous
administration did by relaxing this pressure prematurely and pretending it had a
robust policy in Iran and Syria when it didn’t. Europe, if it wants to be
relevant, should help, rather than complaining about how unfair it all is.
In the end, the real remedy would require Iran to agree to be bound by a new and
credible security regime. The usual suggestions of an Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe-type arrangement for the Gulf won’t work: Iran would
simply use anything at a regional level to drive out the US and bully its
neighbors. But there is another way. That would be for the UN secretary-general
to invoke operative paragraph 8 of UN Security Council resolution 598 — the
resolution that marked the end of the Iran-Iraq War — which called upon him to
examine measures to enhance the security and stability of the region in
consultation with Iran, Iraq and other states and, by implication, with the
involvement of the Security Council. That wasn’t done at the time. But, if Iran
now starts to feel enough sustained pain to want a proper deal, then it could
offer a way out of this maze. This all depends, of course, on Iran being willing
to act as a normal member of the community of nations, rather than as a
perpetually dissatisfied disruptor. Ultimately, it’s an Iranian choice. And if
it opts for continued proxy conflicts, something will eventually give.
**Sir John Jenkins is an Associate at Policy Exchange. Until December 2017, he
was Corresponding Director (Middle East) at the International Institute for
Strategic Studies (IISS), based in Manama, Bahrain, and was a Senior Fellow at
Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. He was the British
ambassador to Saudi Arabia until January 2015
Time for action on Muslim Brotherhood’s European activities
نتالي غولت وغانم نسيبة: لقد حان الوقت للعمل الجاد لوضع حد لممارسات جماعة الإخوان
المسلمين في أوروبا
Nathalie Goulet and Ghanem Nuseibeh/Arab News/May 21/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/75116/%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A-%D8%BA%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AA-%D9%88%D8%BA%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%85-%D9%86%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%82%D8%AF-%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D9%82%D8%AA-%D9%84%D9%84/
Fighting the Muslim Brotherhood should be at the top of the agenda of the next
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Makkah on May 30. When the Brotherhood
cannot come in through the door, they go through the window — currently via the
window of your computers and smartphones.
The European Council for Fatwa and Research recently launched what it called a
“Euro Fatwa App” out of Dublin. Its main audience was Britain and it was heavily
promoted by mosques in the UK that are affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The head of the organization behind the app was a certain Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, a
Qatar-based Egyptian cleric considered to be the spiritual head of the Muslim
Brotherhood. Al-Qaradawi was banned from entering the UK in 2008 and is also
banned from entering France, the US, the UAE and Ireland, amongst other
countries, because of his extremist views. What the app aimed to do was exploit
technology and infiltrate the homes of ordinary Muslims in Britain. He may have
been banned from physically entering the UK, but Al-Qaradawi’s app was to become
a vehicle for his extremist preaching. It was based in Dublin, possibly as a
test by his organization on British-European cooperation amidst the Brexit
negotiations.
The app included many extremist and anti-Semitic views. It aimed to not only
incite anti-Semitism, but also to isolate Muslim communities from mainstream
European life.
Lawmakers in both the UK and Europe, including French senator Nathalie Goulet —
co-author of this column — were made aware of the app. And, after Google was
alerted to its existence by the Sunday Times, the company acted promptly and
banned the app from its store. It was a victory for common sense and an example
of how Britain needs to work closely with Europe in combating extremism.
The app was one example of the dangers that all of Europe faces, whether the UK
is inside or outside the EU. The most potent and dangerous organization that
operates across Europe with apparent immunity is the Muslim Brotherhood. The app
was an example of one of the tools it uses, but it has many others at its
disposal, including charities, madrasas and businesses.
The British government’s 2015 review of the Muslim Brotherhood concluded that
“aspects of Muslim Brotherhood ideology and tactics, in this country and
overseas, are contrary to our values and have been contrary to our national
interests and our national security.” In 2017, the Manchester Arena terrorist
attack took place, with the bomber, Salman Abedi, reportedly being at least
partly radicalized at a Muslim Brotherhood-run mosque.
Governments need to support the anti-extremism fight that ordinary, moderate
Muslims are involved with daily.
Extremists adapt rapidly to changing circumstances and they are quick adopters
of technology. The time has come for a serious review of the activities of the
Muslim Brotherhood inside Europe. European countries, including Britain, need to
look internally at the threat. This should not be connected to the activities of
the extremist group outside of Europe. Informal inter-European cooperation on
the app was an example of how effective collaboration can be.
It is time European governments took the issue of the Muslim Brotherhood
seriously. Europeans deserve to know what this group is doing on the continent.
Governments need to support the anti-extremism fight that ordinary, moderate
Muslims are involved with daily. I hope they act before it is too late.
Even though he is banned from the country, is sought by Interpol and is financed
and hosted by Qatar, Al-Qaradawi is still trying to spread his ideology in
France. On Saturday, a tax-deductible charitable dinner in aid of Mauritania’s
Markaz Takwin Al-Ulama (Center for the Training of Islamic Scholars) is due to
take place in Saint-Denis, near Paris. It has been preceded by a tour of 12
conferences and fundraisers. This institute, which is close to the Muslim
Brotherhood, was closed by the Mauritanian authorities last year because it
taught radical Islam.
At the Saint-Denis event, a video conference will be provided by the group’s
leader, Sheikh Mohammed Ould Dedew, who is known for preaching radical,
anti-Semitic thinking and for teaching men how to beat their wives and children.
Meanwhile, the floor will be taken by Dr. Mahfoud Ould Ibrahim, who is also
known for extremism. How can we explain that this type of event, which is
potentially dangerous for Europe’s security, is being allowed? It will provide
clear support for a prohibited, Muslim Brotherhood-aligned group in Mauritania.
We are acting against our interests by allowing such an event. Mauritania is a
member of the G5 Sahel that France supports with its troops.
A year on from the #NoMoneyForTerror conference in Paris, we can now see that
money still flies from the suburbs of the French capital to Mauritania under the
cover of Zakat. One can imagine the colossal amount of money that can be raised
in Europe during the holy month of Ramadan, and that is why we need to follow
the example of the UAE and Saudi Arabia in terms of good practices when
collecting Zakat. We need to trace the money and prohibit cash from being used
to support the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliated organizations.
We in France cannot send soldiers to secure West Africa from religious extremism
and terrorism and, at the same time, allow people connected to the Brotherhood
to fundraise within our borders. This attitude is totally schizophrenic.
It is also why we need to launch a crusade against the Euro Fatwa App and its
like, both in Europe and in the many Muslims countries that are fighting against
terrorism.
The question of the app must be discussed at the upcoming GCC summit.
No more words, we need action.
**Nathalie Goulet is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Orne
department (Normandy). Twitter: @senateur61. Ghanem Nuseibeh is chairman of
Muslims Against Anti-Semitism. Twitter: @gnuseibeh
Analysis/Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ Is Coming. Israel Is
Already Being Handed the Bill
ميراف أرلوسوروف/هآرتس: صفقة القرن التي يسوّق لها ترامب قادمة وإسرائيل تسلمت
تفاصيلها
Meirav Arlosoroff /Haaretz/May 22/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/75118/%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%81-%D9%87%D8%A2%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%B3-%D8%B5%D9%81%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%8A/
Netanyahu is likely to sacrifice Israel’s interests in industries like potato
chips or milk and not risk its security interests, including the high-tech
sector
U.S. President Donald Trump will soon present the economic portion of his “deal
of the century,” his attempt to bring peace to the Middle East. The details
haven’t yet been published, but Israel is already being handed the bill.
According to all the forecasts, the agricultural trade agreement between the
United States and Israel will undergo changes that will exact a heavy price from
Israeli farmers growing things including apples, pears and almonds, the dairy
industry, as well as food manufacturers including wineries and major companies
such as Osem and Elite.
In Israel, a fight is raging over the price that farmers and food manufacturers
will pay. The effects could be far-reaching, including the collapse of Israel’s
dairy sector, as the country finds itself flooded with cheap American cheeses,
wine and potato chips. No one in the Israeli government rules out the possible
economic effects.
In many ways, this was predictable. Israel has essentially been violating its
agricultural trade agreement with the United States since it was signed in 1985.
Some might say that this isn’t intentional but rather a remnant of old
agricultural policy. The United States used to protect its agricultural products
with tariffs, as many countries did, but over time it switched over to direct
subsidies to farmers. Israel, however, is stuck with the more antiquated policy
of tariffs and industrial planning – a government-imposed cartel in the egg
sector, for instance.
Thus Israel’s agricultural exports to the United States – slim though they may
be – are exempt from import duties, while U.S. exports to Israel are blocked by
thousands of different duties – and thus very little takes place.
Since 1985, and mainly since 2008, when the agreement expired, the Americans
have been gently pushing to make the deal slightly more balanced. Israel has
rejected these gestures, and not so gently. Thanks to the warm relations between
the two countries, the Americans have kept quiet. But now one of Trump’s main
platforms is that the United States must stop being on the losing end of trade
deals, and he’s demanding that America’s trading partners offer equal conditions
for American exporters. The most famous target is China of course, but Israel is
also in the crosshairs.
The result is that the Trump administration has handed Israel a tough list, and
people familiar with the Economy and Industry Ministry’s talks with U.S.
officials say the Israeli market simply can’t handle some of the items. The
Americans are demanding that Israel cancel all import duties and quotas for
agricultural goods. If this happens, entire industries in Israel’s agricultural
sector could be wiped out. Israeli companies that process food are also likely
to take a serious blow.
No one is afraid of American vegetable exports. Despite the incredible size
difference between the United States and Israel, the latter is very competitive
when it comes to vegetables. The problem involves several kinds of fruits with
relatively long shelf lives, fruits where America has a significant competitive
advantage. The three products most likely to be at risk are apples, pears and
almonds.
America’s best-selling apple, the Pink Lady, is grown around the world, while
competition over Pink Ladies in Israel is limited. For most of the year, these
blushing beauties sell for 10 to 15 shekels ($4.17) a kilo. American growers
could send this price plummeting in a moment with their massive production
volume. American farmers could also swamp Israel’s market with corn – American
corn is much better than the Israeli variant – but given that Israel’s corn
industry is pretty small, it’s less of a worry.
Another major reason for worry relates to products that can be easily imported,
namely processed food, particularly cheese, wine and items such as frozen
vegetables and potato chips. Currently, all that Israel imports is Pringles
because this chip is made from potato flour and not actual potatoes, so it’s not
subject to import duties. Israel’s potato chip manufacturers have been protected
by the duty on importing potatoes, but the Americans are demanding a change.
The American demands touch on 40 industries that particularly interest the U.S.
government. U.S. negotiators have apparently hinted that they’re willing to be
flexible – to forgo some of these 40 items and accept that the changes will
occur over years. But the list of American demands is longer, more demanding and
We all know that one phone call from U.S. Vice President Mike Pence to Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and we’ll have no choice but to give in,” said
a source familiar with the talks. “We’re preparing a compromise so that it
doesn’t come to that.”
Theoretically, Israel could say no. In practice, given the Americans’
insistence, that’s not an option. If a trade war begins, the United States could
hit Israel with sanctions on high-tech exports. Israel couldn’t handle that.
It’s unlikely that Washington would level sanctions on Israel; Pence’s phone
call to Netanyahu would obviate the need.
In the meantime, Israel’s Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry is
investigating which Israeli industries would be hurt most by free trade with the
United States, and is begging for their lives. One of Israel’s most delicate
sectors is the dairy industry, currently protected by a government-enabled
cartel that makes Israeli dairy products among the world’s most expensive. While
the United States is unlikely to start exporting raw milk to Israel, massive
quantities of cheap American cheese are definitely an option. In this case,
while Trump may be the trigger, Israel’s dairy industry is years overdue for a
change.
Netanyahu, for his part, is likely to sacrifice Israel’s interests in potato
chips or milk and not risk Israel’s security interests. Ultimately, that’s
understandable.
Iranian Regime Mouthpiece 'Kayhan' Announces A War To Bring
Down Saudi Regime And Reduce Saudi Oil Exports To Zero; States: America Has No
Desire, Or No Capability, To Support Saudi Arabia And The UAE
MEMRI/May 22/2019
In its May 22, 2019 editorial, by Sa'dollah Zarei, the Iranian regime mouthpiece
Kayhan called for destroying the Saudi regime, terming it a "cancerous growth."
Kayhan praised the Iran-backed Shi'ite Houthi Ansar Allah militia's May 14, 2019
drone attack on the Saudi oil pipeline at Yanbu port. Without explicitly
claiming that Iran was responsible for the May 12 attack on the oil tankers at
the UAE port of Fujairah, the newspaper clarified that the message conveyed by
this attack was harm to the U.S., which it said was responsible for security at
the port and for the export of oil from it. The newspaper underlined that Iran
had learned, from the U.S.'s failure to respond to the attacks on Saudi Arabia
and on the UAE, that the U.S. has no desire, or no capability, to support these
two countries, and that Iran can therefore continue to instruct the Houthis to
escalate and expand its attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia.
Kayhan warned that the Houthis intend to extend their attacks in Saudi Arabia to
300 sensitive sites and military installations in the country, using suicide
bomb-drones, with the aim of reducing Saudi oil exports to zero – as Iranian
officials recently promised would happen (see MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No.
1452, How Will Iran Prevent The Export Of Oil From The Persian Gulf To World
Markets? May 6, 2019, and MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 8062, Editors Of Iranian
IRGC-Affiliated Newspapers: Iran Is Behind Fujairah And Yanbu Attacks;
Possibility Of Additional Attacks In Red Sea, Golan Heights, May 14, 2019).
The regime mouthpiece also warned of future operations by the Iran-backed Houthi
militia, saying that it was capable of launching an attack on the Saudi capital
Riyadh with the aim of bringing down the Saudi regime that, Kayhan claimed,
funds the U.S. military policy that aims to take control of the region.
The following are the main points of the editorial:
"...The Yemenis [i.e. the Houthis] have announced an attack on sensitive Saudi
points deep in Saudi Arabia, [and this] is a new, serious agenda. They say
publicly that they intend to expand the [attacks they carried out] from [the two
so far] on the two Saudi ports that are 800 and 850 kilometers [respectively]
from Yemen's northern border, to [attacks on] no fewer than 300 military and
other vital targets in Saudi Arabia.
"In this situation, two points should be noted. First, the Yemeni drones – that
fly at low altitude and at the same time trace a long path without being
identified and without running out of fuel on this long route – remind Saudi
Arabia that the Yemenis have attained a new opportunity and that they are indeed
capable of reducing Saudi oil exports to zero.
"In effect, the drones, that can carry missiles and also conserve fuel [so they
can complete their mission], and are capable of firing accurately at two Saudi
oil [pumping] stations in two ports on the northern Red Sea, have become a
nightmare for the leaders of America, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. This was noted
by the UAE foreign minister, who said that [these capabilities] are a dangerous
development in the Yemen war and more generally in the conflicts in the
region...
"The second [point] is that Ansar Allah's [i.e. the Houthis'] attack drones that
struck [the oil pumping stations in] Dawadmi and Qatif [sic, in Saudi Arabia, on
May 14] can launch a war against Riyadh, because the distance between the two
cities is no greater than 230 and 390 kilometers, and the drone campaigns of the
Ninth of Ramadan [i.e. May 14, 2019] can operate [also] against Riyadh in the
near future...
"The destructive lightning strike on Fujairah port reminded this state's [i.e.
the UAE's] top officials, and America, which is responsible for defending this
port, and its partner the UAE that exports oil from the port, of the great
dangers of continuing the Yemen war ...
"The [Ansar Allah] operations in south Yemen and against the southern districts
of Saudi Arabia are considered a strategic development. These operations have
shown that Ansar Allah entered into a round of attacks following defensive
operations aimed at destroying the Saudi aerial and ground attacks in northern
Yemen. Besides that, these operations attest to the failure of the Saudi
coalition's military operations in Yemen, and also show that Ansar Allah has the
upper hand in this war...
"The passivity of America and of its military apparatus [in response] to the
[May] operations at Fujairah and in northwest Saudi Arabia attest to the fact
that America cannot defend these two countries [Saudi Arabia and the UAE] and
their policy, or that it does not want to continue supporting [them] futilely.
In any event, the conditions for continuing this activity will become more
complicated for the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
"Now is the chance to nullify the fantastical statement by [U.S. President]
Donald Trump that 'it is because of our support that Saudi Arabia and the UAE
are standing on their feet.' Everyone must know that America's support cannot
guarantee the life of illegitimate and aggressive regimes.
"Now is the time for the relentless attacks [by Ansar Allah], aimed at uprooting
the evil Saudi regime from the arena, to continue. Most important is that the
financial resource of America's military and controlling policy in the region
[i.e. Saudi Arabia] be destroyed.
"Today, this is not only Iran's request; it is a request that has the support of
all the nations of the region and most of their governments, whether openly or
in secret.
"The Saudi operations over the recent years show that [this country] is the
source of producing takfiri terrorists, and a source of securing funds for the
Western terrorists. This is why Saudi Arabia is today the most hated [entity] in
the region, both religiously and politically, after the Zionist regime.
"Saudi Arabia cannot be fixed because of its tafkiri ideology and its strong
dependence on America. Therefore, there must be surgery in our Islamic region to
remove this cancerous growth [Saudi Arabia] from it."[1]
1] Kayhan (Iran), May 22, 2019.more inflexible than ever. Trump’s uncompromising
stance is being felt.
Leaked John Kerry audio: White House wanted ISIS to rise in Syria
South Front reports/May 22/2019
On Wednesday, Wikileaks released new evidence of US President-elect Donald
Trump’s assertion that Barack Obama was the founder of ISIS – a leaked audio of
US Secretary of State John Kerry’s meeting with members of the Syrian opposition
at the Dutch Mission of the UN on September 22. The audio also is an evidence of
the fact that mainstream media colluded with the Obama’s administration in order
to push the narrative for regime change in Syria, hiding the truth about arming
and funding ISIS by the US, as it exposed a 35 minute conversation that was
omitted by CNN.
Kerry admits that the primary goal of the Obama’s administration in Syria was
regime change and the removal of Syrian President Bahar al-Assad, as well as
that Washington didn’t calculate that Assad would turn to Russia for help.
In order to achieve this goal, the White House allowed the Islamic State (IS)
terrorist group to rise. The Obama’s administration hoped that growing power of
the IS in Syria would force Assad to search for a diplomatic solution on US
terms, forcing him to cede power. In its turn, in order to achieve these two
goals, Washington intentionally armed members of the terrorist group and even
attacked a Syrian government military convoy, trying to stop a strategic attack
on the IS, killing 80 Syrian soldiers.
“And we know that this was growing, we were watching, we saw that DAESH [the IS]
was growing in strength, and we thought Assad was threatened,” Kerry said during
the meeting.
“(We) thought, however,” he continued to say, “We could probably manage that
Assad might then negotiate, but instead of negotiating he got Putin to support
him.”
“I lost the argument for use of force in Syria,” Kerry concluded.
According to Wikileaks, “the audio gives a glimpse into what goes on outside
official meetings. Note that it represents the US narrative and not necessarily
the entire true narrative.”
Earlier the audio was published by the New York Timesand CNN, however, the both
outlets chose only some its part, reporting on certain aspects, and omitted the
most damning comments made by Kerry. In fact, they tried to hide the statements
that would allow public to understand what has actually taken place in Syria.
The full audio has never been published by the New York Times; the outlet
released only selected snippets.