LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 31/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds.
Second Letter to the Corinthians 10/01-07:”I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold towards you when I am away! I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards. Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete. Look at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on May 30-31/19
Lebanon's Foreign Ministry Follows Up On Lebanese Detained In Syria
Lebanon: Environmental Associations Say 'Costa Brava Landfill' Threatens Aviation Safety
Aoun at ceremony to lay cornerstone of AUBMC's new medical center: We aspire to develop public health sector
Maronite Patriarch, Mar Bechara Boutros Rahi, welcomes Rampling
Lebanon's Army Commander welcomes British military delegation
Lebanon's Foreign Ministry:No flag of a foreign country should be burned in Lebanon
Hajj Acquitted, Ghabash Gets a Year's Jail in Ziad Itani's Case
Ministry of Economy Cracks Down on Illegal Shops in Furn Shebbak
Report: Army Chief Says Clash between Army, Hizbullah ‘Out of Question’
Kanaan Says Finance Committee to Meet Monday on State Budget
Israel Says it Destroyed Final ‘Hizbullah’ Cross-Border Tunnel
Hariri in KSA to Attend Arab and Islamic Summits
Mustaqbal, Ziad Itani React to Acquittal of al-Hajj
Former Baghdad Mayor Arrested on Lebanon-Syria Border
Saba: Regulatory, Legal Framework Needed to Manage Beirut Port

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 30-31/19
Trump Says 'Too Bad' Israel Headed for Election Rerun
Netanyahu Dissolves Parliament to Cover for Failure on Coalition Deal
Saudi Arabia Asks Nations to Respond to Iran with 'Firmness'
Arab, Muslim Leaders Gather in Mecca for Iran-Focused Summits
Jubeir to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Don’t Want War, But We Will Defend Interests
US stands firm against Iran, it will strike if attacked: Brian Hook
Turkish Warplanes Strike Targets in Iraq, 19 Fighters 'Neutralized'
EU Slams Turkey's Human Rights, Economic Policies
Syrian Doctors Accuse Regime, Russia of Targeting Hospitals
Russia Calls for Lifting Sanctions on Syrian Regime
Sudan Military Council Calls for Talks, Says Agreement Looming on Horizon
Afghan Official: Several Killed by Suicide Bombing Near Kabul Academy
Crop Fires Ruin Iraqi, Syrian Harvests
Saudi FM: Palestine Our 'First Cause
Joint Statement by Canada and the United Kingdom on Hong Kong’s Extradition Law
Austria Gets First Female Chancellor
China Accuses U.S. of 'Naked Economic Terrorism'
French Parcel Bomb Suspect Pledged Allegiance to IS
U.N. Chief Says European Unity Vital to Avoid New Cold War

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 30-31/19
Netanyahu is implicitly touted by Trump and Putin in his fight for re-election/Debka File/May 30/2019
Opinion/There Are Things Much Worse Than Netanyahu - for Example, Lieberman/Gideon Levy/Haaretz/May 30/2019/
Analysis/Netanyahu Just Suffered One of the Biggest Losses of His Political Career/Anshel Pfeffer//Haaretz/May 30, 2019
Analysis/Why a New Election? Only Two Men Know/Noa Landau/Haaretz/May 30, 2019
Liberman: Netanyahu Is The Leftist, Not Me/Jerusalem Post/May 30/2019
The Likud Blames Liberman: He Will Pay The Price In The End/Jerusalem Post/May 30/2019
Analysis/Why a New Election? Only Two Men Know/Noa Landau/Haaretz/May 30, 2019
Algeria: Russian Influence, American Opportunity?/Debalina Ghoshal/Gatestone Institute/May 30/2019
Talks with Iran’s discredited negotiators would prove fruitless/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh//Arab News/May 30, 2019
Middle East allies can help Modi deliver ‘good times’/Afshin Molavi/Arab News/May 30, 2019
Euroskeptics and nationalists to have a louder voice within EU/Dr. Theodore Karasik /Arab News/May 30, 2019

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on May 30-31/19
U.S. State Department: Hezbollah’s Desperation Is Evident
Kataeb.org/May 30/2019/The U.S. State Department on Wednesday said that the pressure campaign on Iran is working, assuring that sanctions are starving Iran’s proxies of the funds they rely on to operate on behalf of the regime. "Our maximum pressure campaign on Iran is designed to deny the Iranian regime, the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism, the means to conduct its destructive foreign policy," the State Department's spokesperson said in a press briefing. "For the first time ever, Hezbollah, Iran’s top beneficiary, has been forced to publicly appeal for financial support. The Washington Post reported this month that our sanctions have forced Hezbollah to make draconian spending cuts," the spokesperson stressed. "Hezbollah’s desperation is evident not only on the streets and in grocery stores, but also on the battlefield. Iran is withdrawing Hezbollah fighters from Syria and cutting or canceling their salaries. A fighter with Iranian-backed militia in Syria told the New York Times in March the golden days are gone and will never return." The State Department said that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has told Iraq Shia militia groups that their bankroll will dwindle and they must find new sources of revenue. "We will continue to apply maximum pressure on the Iranian regime to deny it the means to conduct its destructive foreign policy and compel the regime to negotiate a comprehensive new deal that addresses the full scope of its malign behavior," the spokesperson affirmed. "We have been very explicit here: We do not want a war with Iran. We want to de-escalate with Iran. We do not seek any of the things that have been alleged over the past few weeks. In fact, what we seek is to end economic sanctions, to end the maximum pressure campaign. That’s where we want to get.""Stop with the assassination plots in Europe. It’s intolerable. We will not stand for it. Stop supporting terrorism, stop malign regional behavior, stop trying to control Beirut, Damascus, Sanaa. There is a path forward and we will talk tomorrow if they would like to see the bright future that we believe is there for the Iranian people," the State Department concluded.

Lebanon Budget Dispute Transferred from Government to Parliament
Beirut - Youssef Diab/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 30 May, 2019/Lebanese MP Ibrahim Kanaan has called on members of the parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee that he heads to discuss next Monday a decree on the 2019 budget adopted by the government this week and signed by President Michel Aoun on Wednesday. Speaker Nabih Berri said he instructed the committee to hold more than a session per day to swiftly refer the draft to parliament for further study and final ratification. “Parliament will do its job and exercise its role fully in studying the budget, 128 copies of which are being printed to distribute to MPs,” Berri was quoted as saying, referring to the number of lawmakers. Aoun also signed a decree to open an extraordinary session of parliament from June 1 to October 21 to discuss the budget. However, despite the atmosphere produced by approving the draft budget and reducing the deficit-to-GDP ratio from 11.5 to 7.59 percent, recommended at the CEDRE international conference that was held in Paris last year, observers expected differences among lawmakers. International donors had pledged $11 billion in loans and grants at the conference. The government hopes to unlock them with the new budget that it approved on Monday after weeks of haggling. But reports said several independent deputies and others not represented in the cabinet, in addition to the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party would object it. “There will be a showdown in parliament over the budget’s failure to tackle corruption in the public sector,” former MP Salah Honein told Asharq Al-Awsat. He said the budget failed to find a solution to the electricity crisis, tax evasion, properties along the coast, fake associations and others.

Lebanon's Foreign Ministry Follows Up On Lebanese Detained In Syria
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 30 May, 2019/A week after the incident of Arsal, which resulted in the killing of resident Hussein al-Hujeiri, and the kidnapping of his two companions by Syrian army forces, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry entered the line of negotiations with a letter by Minister Gebran Bassil to the Syrian regime’s foreign minister, Walid Moallem. Hujeiri was reportedly tortured before being killed by Syrian forces, Al-Mustaqbal movement said on Sunday. Contacts are underway to release his two companions, Wissam Karnabi and Nayef Raed, who were with Hujeiri on Thursday evening in the region's villages, before news about their disappearance spread. A statement by the party said that Hujeiri and his friends were taken into Syrian territory after assaulting them as they were on a hunting trip in the Wadi al-Shahout area. Hujeiri’s body, which was retrieved by Lebanon’s General Security agency on Saturday, carried “torture” marks, according to the statement. A delegation from the municipality of Arsal met on Wednesday with Bassil, asking him to intervene for the release of Karnabi and Raed, Deputy Mayor Rima Karnabi told Asharq Al-Awsat. She added that the foreign minister contacted the head of the General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, who had entered the line of communication with the Syrian regime, at the request of the head of Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc Bahia Hariri. Bassil also sent a letter to his Syrian counterpart in this regard, Karnabi said, adding that the delegation was promised a positive outcome. In its statement, Al-Mustaqbal said the incident was a “dangerous attack on Arsal and its people,” adding that “the Lebanese border is being violated daily by the Syrian regime’s army.” “Arsal cannot accept the continuation of this dangerous situation on its border and calls on the Lebanese state to pay attention to its border area and to activate the Lebanese Army’s missions in controlling the border and preventing the violation of Lebanese sovereignty,” the statement read.

Lebanon: Environmental Associations Say 'Costa Brava Landfill' Threatens Aviation Safety
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 30 May, 2019/Lebanese environmentalists sounded the alarm over the harms of the Costa Brava waste landfill, due to the leakage of gas that could reach the airport and threaten the safety of aviation. The Alliance of Lawyers Against Corruption and Green Globe held a joint news conference on Wednesday, under the title of, “The Costa Brava waste crisis from the source to the landfill”, where they presented the findings of their study on the effects of the landfill on its surrounding environment. Samir Skaff, the head of Green Globe, said that while maritime landfills should be initially rejected, it was necessary to deal with the de facto situation by introducing effective and viable solutions to resolve the waste crisis instead of expanding the landfills. A video was screened, showing the severity of damage to the sea through the layers of microbial mats due to massive pollution. The head of the Professional Divers Association and Maritime Expert Mohammed al-Sarji said the leakage of methane and carbon dioxide as a result of the decomposition of waste from many areas under water was likely to reach the airport’s airspace and seriously threaten aviation safety.
Lawyer Cynthia Hamawi presented a summary of the Costa Brava’s legal file, followed by a speech by lawyer Rami Alayq from the Alliance of Lawyers Against Corruption, in which held Lebanese government and the Council for Development and Reconstruction responsible for the crisis, especially after a recent decision to expand the landfills.

Aoun at ceremony to lay cornerstone of AUBMC's new medical center: We aspire to develop public health sector
Thu 30 May 2019/NNA - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, on Thursday sounded adamant to develop the public health sector in Lebanon, in a way that delivers best medical and hospitalization services to citizens. President Aoun's fresh words came in his address at the ceremony to lay the cornerstone of the new health facility of the American University of Beirut's Medical Center (AUBMC)."We aspire to develop the health sector in Lebanon," Aoun said, stressing the paramount importance of raising the standards of gov-run hospitals, at the organization, care and treatment levels, to restore citizens' faith in public health care domain. Welcoming Aoun upon his arrival at the ceremony held at AUBMC had been the President of the American University of Beirut Dr Fadlo Khoury, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Mohammed Sayegh, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Philip Khoury. The AUBMC's new center foundation stone ceremony was attended by scores of political and concerned dignitaries, including Vice Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani, Ministers Selim Jreissati, Elias Bou Saab, Albert Serhan and Mohammed Daoud, in addition to U.S. Chargé d'Affaires, Edward White. Aoun stressed the substantial need to consecrate and highlight Lebanon's distinguished and eminent message as a hub for hospitalization, tourism, openness, modernity, culture and science.

Maronite Patriarch, Mar Bechara Boutros Rahi, welcomes Rampling
Thu 30 May/ 2019/NNA - Maronite Patriarch, Mar Bechara Boutros Rahi, on Thursday welcomed in Bkerke British Ambassador to Lebanon, Chris Rampling, with whom he discussed the current situation in Lebanon and the region. “We offered our condolences to the Maronite Prelate upon the death of Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir who was a great figure," the British diplomat said on emerging.

Lebanon's Army Commander welcomes British military delegation
Thu 30 May 2019/NNA - Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, on Thursday welcomed at his Yarzeh office the strategic advisor to the British security cooperation for border control program, retired general Lamb Graeme at the head of an accompanying delegation, in the presence of British military attache in Lebanon, Alex Hilton.

Lebanon's Foreign Ministry:No flag of a foreign country should be burned in Lebanon
Thu 30 May 2019/NNA - Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Ministry on Thursday stressed in a statement its constant stance that no flag of a foreign country should be burned in Lebanon, especially those of friendly countries, which enjoy diplomatic relations and economic interests with Lebanon.
"This, out of respect for the good relations between the countries and for the interests of Lebanon and the Lebanese," statement read. The Foreign Ministry has condemned such acts, which "harm Lebanon and its people", referring to the recent Turkish flag burning incident and the attack on a diplomat.

Hajj Acquitted, Ghabash Gets a Year's Jail in Ziad Itani's Case
Naharnet/May 30/2019/The Military Court on Thursday acquitted Internal Security Forces Lt. Col. Suzanne al-Hajj and sentenced the hacker Elie Ghabash to a year in prison in the case of “fabricating a spying for Israel case for theater actor Ziad Itani.”The court, however, sentenced Hajj to two months in jail -- which can be substituted by a LBP 200,000 fine -- on charges of "withholding information." In an unusual move, State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Peter Germanos attended the session in person and made an intervention. Germanos first spoke about the circumstances in which Itani was arrested by the State Security agency, noting that “the arrest was in line with the law” and detailing how the actor “confessed to an offense he did not commit.”“The State Security agency had been monitoring Itani after he posted two tweets: one after the arrest of the (filmmaker) Ziad Doueiri and another in which he expressed his non-opposition to normalization with Israel,” Germanos added. Germanos meanwhile revealed that Ghabash had fabricated five spying for Israel cases for other individuals and that he had “financial gain objectives” and used to do work for security agencies to that end. As for Lt. Col. Hajj, Germanos called for her acquittal, noting that Ghabash had come up with the Itani case idea, raising it first with the State Security agency and later with Hajj. “There are no elements proving Hajj's interference in the offense, because she did not give Ghabash money and was not aware of the preparations to fabricate a spying case for the actor Itani,” Germanos explained, adding that “in the worst case, we can say that she stood idly by.” He accordingly asked the court to hand Ghabash the “severest penalties” and to clear Hajj of any charges. Ghabash's lawyer Jihad Lutfi said his client did not commit an offense seeing as “there is no crime without a legal text.” He also noted that Itani “confessed to collaborating with the Israelis through a woman named Colette” and that “the confession was made without coercion.” Hajj's lawyer Rashid Derbas meanwhile said that “all technical evidence prove that our client was later informed that a case was being prepared against Ziad Itani and had no prior knowledge of the issue.” “She did not do any activity and she did not help in the file,” he added. Itani was released in March 2018 after spending 109 days in detention. He shot to prominence in recent years because of a series of comedy plays on Beirut, its customs and the transformations it has undergone in recent decades. The works -- particularly "Beirut Tariq al-Jedideh", which refers to a majority-Sunni neighborhood of the city -- have been very well-received. Before becoming an actor, Itani worked as a journalist with Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen television and with various regional newspapers.

Ministry of Economy Cracks Down on Illegal Shops in Furn Shebbak
Naharnet/May 30/2019/The Ministry of Economy has launched a control campaign in the area of Furn el-Shebbak closing down illegal stores. A number of shops were closed down, some for hiring non-Lebanese workers without a work permit, and for being illegally rented and owned by Syrian nationals. Lebanon hosts nearly one million Syrian refugees -- a significant burden for a country of four million people -- and there has been mounting pressure for them to go back to Syria even though the UN says many areas remain unsafe.

Report: Army Chief Says Clash between Army, Hizbullah ‘Out of Question’
Naharnet/May 30/2019/Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun affirms that any clash between the Lebanese army and Hizbullah “is out of question,” noting that Hizbullah is a basic “Lebanese component,” al-Akhbar daily reported on Thursday. The daily said that the army leadership is aware that “some in the U.S. administration today are relying on a future clash between the Lebanese army and Hizbullah.” But high-ranking military sources told al-Akhbar that “no American military has raised any such notion since Aoun took command of the army.”The sources confirmed that Aoun, during his four visits to the United States since taking office, told US officials that "Hizbullah is a basic Lebanese component and the political agreement in the country is to regard the weapons as a means to defend Lebanon in the face of Israeli aggression.”The sources told al-Akhbar that Aoun “clearly explained to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during their meeting in the Ministry of Defense that a clash between the army and Hizbullah is unthinkable.”"The atmosphere at the US Department of Defense is quite different from the statements made by current administration officials. Meetings between the Lebanese and US military are limited to counterterrorism missions,” added the sources.

Kanaan Says Finance Committee to Meet Monday on State Budget
Naharnet/May 30/2019/Parliament has received the draft 2019 state budget and the head of the finance parliamentary committee MP Ibrahim Kanaan has called for a session at 10:30 am Monday, the National News Agency said on Thursday. Committee members will discuss the budget's arguments and a law to extend extra-budgetary spending, NNA said. President Michel Aoun has hoped Parliament will approve the budget “as quickly as possible” whereas Speaker Nabih Berri has said that MPs have the right to take their time in debating and approving the draft. The Cabinet held 19 sessions to finalize the budget. 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, Prime Minister Saad Hariri vowed to introduce "the most austere budget in Lebanon's history" to combat the country's bulging fiscal deficit. 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.

Israel Says it Destroyed Final ‘Hizbullah’ Cross-Border Tunnel
Naharnet/May 30/2019/The Israeli army on Thursday said it destroyed the final cross-border tunnel allegedly dug by Hizbullah into the Israeli territory. “The Israeli army was able to detect and thwart all offensive tunnels crossing the border and thus removed a vital and important element of surprise in Hizbullah’s offensive plan,” Israeli army spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said in a tweet. "Access to the tunnel, which Hizbullah dug, has been allowed from the (Lebanese) village of Ramyeh. It penetrated 77 meters into Israeli border and is considered the most important in Hizbullah’s tunnel network which was uncovered and destroyed during Operation Northern Shield before it was demolished forever,” he added. Israel in January accused Hizbullah of having dug what it described as the deepest, "longest and most detailed" tunnel it had discovered. Lebanon and Israel are still technically at war. Israel is currently building a wall along the 130 kilometre (80 mile) frontier to block Hizbullah attempts to infiltrate. Since early December, Israel has said it discovered six tunnels, destroying them either with explosives or by filling them with a cement-like material. Five have been confirmed to exist by UNIFIL.

Hariri in KSA to Attend Arab and Islamic Summits
Naharnet/May 30/2019/Prime Minister Saad Hariri traveled to Jeddah on Wednesday leading a Lebanese delegation to the Arab and Islamic extraordinary summit to be held on Thursday and Friday in Mekkah upon the invitation of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Hariri’s press office said. At King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Premier Hariri was greeted by Deputy Emir of Mekkah Prince Badr bin Sultan, the Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ambassador Abdullah bin Abdulrahman Alem, the Kingdom's ambassador to Lebanon Walid al-Bukhari and a number of officials. The official delegation to the summit includes Ministers Wael Abu Faour and Jamal Jarrah, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Hani Shmaitli, Lebanon's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Fawzi Kabbara and Lebanon's permanent representative to the Arab League Ali Halabi. Saudi Arabia hosts Islamic, Arab and Gulf summits this week as tensions between Iran and the US raise fears of military escalation. The three summits in Mecca, Islam's holiest city, allow US ally Riyadh the chance to present unified Islamic, Arab and Gulf fronts against its arch-rival Tehran.

Mustaqbal, Ziad Itani React to Acquittal of al-Hajj
Naharnet/May 30/2019/Al-Mustaqbal Movement on Thursday blasted the Military Court's acquittal of Internal Security Forces Lt. Col. Suzanne al-Hajj in the case of “fabricating a spying for Israel case for theater actor Ziad Itani.”Mustaqbal secretary-general Ahmed Hariri slammed the ruling as “politicized, vengeful and spiteful.”“A judge is settling personal scores at the expense of justice,” Hariri added in a tweet, apparently referring to State Commissioner to the Military Court Peter Germanos. Mustaqbal's press office meanwhile issued a statement quoting sources close to Prime Minister Saad Hariri as saying that “it would have been better for the Military Court judges to maintain their strike instead of issuing this ruling.”Itani himself stressed that he refuses to turn his cause into a “sectarian” one. “I will not accept to turn a crime committed against me into a crime against the country,” Itani tweeted, stressing that he will press on with his lawsuit and that he will “expose the big heads.” Earlier in the day, the Military Court acquitted al-Hajj and sentenced the hacker Elie Ghabash to a year in prison. The court, however, sentenced Hajj to two months in jail -- which can be substituted by a LBP 200,000 fine -- on charges of "withholding information." Itani was released in March 2018 after spending 109 days in detention. He shot to prominence in recent years because of a series of comedy plays on Beirut, its customs and the transformations it has undergone in recent decades. The works -- particularly "Beirut Tariq al-Jedideh", which refers to a majority-Sunni neighborhood of the city -- have been very well-received. Before becoming an actor, Itani worked as a journalist with Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen television and with various regional newspapers.

Former Baghdad Mayor Arrested on Lebanon-Syria Border
Baghdad - Fadhel al-Nashmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 30 May, 2019/The Interpol arrested on Tuesday former Baghdad mayor Naeem Abaob on the Syrian-Lebanese border on charges of corruption and embezzlement while in office between 2013 and 2015. Interpol acted after an arrest warrant was issued by the Iraqi authorities to apprehend Abaob similar to the arrest of Kirkuk's former governor, Najm Eddine Karim, on similar charges. Abdel Falah al-Sudani, a former trade minister, has also been arrested and sentenced to 21 years in prison after being found guilty of corruption weeks after Interpol handed him over to Iraqi authorities. Reports said Abaob was arrested on the border while traveling from Lebanon to Syria to visit religious sites. In 2015, then Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi sacked Abaob and named Dr. Zekra Alwach as Baghdad mayor. Abaob was regularly accused on social media and by Baghdad residents of being incompetent. He made headlines in March 2014 when he described his city, beset by brutal sectarian violence and rife with corruption, as "more beautiful than New York and Dubai.”On Wednesday, the repatriation department at the Iraqi Commission of Integrity said it was working on repatriating the accused fugitive from Syria. “We are working on completing Abaob’s file and to hand it to the Iraqi embassy in Damascus,” it said in a statement. Iraqi activists hinted on social media that Lebanon has turned into a “trap” for Iraqis accused of corruption and of squandering public funds. In January 2019, an Iraqi court sentenced Abaob in absentia to seven years in prison for squandering $12 million when inking a contract with two companies, one local and another Egyptian, to develop a park in the capital.

Saba: Regulatory, Legal Framework Needed to Manage Beirut Port
Kataeb.org/May 30/2019/Coordinator of the Anti-Corruption Monitor and member of the Kataeb party's politburo, Charles Saba, described the Beirut Port as a corruption hub, stressing the need for a regulatory legal framework that would manage the facility's work. In an interview on Voice of Lebanon radio station, Saba explained that the problem had started in 1992 when the government assigned a provisional committee to run the port instead of privatizing it through a global tender or establishing a public institution to take charge. Saba said that the work of the provisional committee is not subject to any regulatory law and does not fall under the authority of the Central Inspection Bureau like other public administrations, adding that only 75 percent of the port's revenues are transferred to the state treasury and that the head of the committee receives a yearly 15-month salary of $33,000.
"The solution lies in setting out a regulatory and legal framework for Beirut Port," he said, calling for lifting bank secrecy off the facility's officials."A regulatory body that would supervise the ports of Tripoli, Jounieh, Sidon and Tyre must be formed in order to assess the points of strength of each facility and, accordingly, set out a development strategy."

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 30-31/19
Trump Says 'Too Bad' Israel Headed for Election Rerun
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 30/2019/U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he was sorry to see Israel forced into an election rerun, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition. "It's too bad what happened in Israel," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House. "It looked like a total win for Netanyahu," he said, praising the Israeli leader as a "great guy." "They're back in the election stage. That is too bad." Israel will head to the polls again on September 17, just over five months after an April election in which Netanyahu and his right-wing and religious allies won a majority. Netanyahu was unable to convince ex-defense minister Avigdor Lieberman to abandon a key demand and join the government before a midnight Wednesday deadline. Trump said another election is the last thing Israel needs. "I mean they have got enough turmoil over there. It's a tough place. I feel very badly about that," he said.

Netanyahu Dissolves Parliament to Cover for Failure on Coalition Deal
Tel Aviv - Amman - Mohammed Kheir Al-Rawashdeh and Nazir Magally/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 30 May, 2019/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has succeeded in stopping the opposition from forming the new coalition government after his Likud party was able to clinch a parliamentary vote to dissolve itself and set elections for September 17. The vote came as the deadline for Netanyahu to form a coalition expired, sending the country to an unprecedented second snap election. His failure to form the governing coalition was the result of growing differences with an ally-turned-rival, Avigdor Lieberman, who refused the prime minister's offers to join the government. Had the deadline passed without the vote, Israel's president would have given another lawmaker, most likely opposition leader Benny Gantz, an opportunity to put together a coalition. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is expected to arrive in Jerusalem on Thursday after visiting Jordan and Morocco in his attempts to shore up support for his Israel-Palestinian peace plan. Kushner on Wednesday met Jordan's King Abdullah II who insisted on the "need to intensify efforts to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace based on the two-state solution that would guarantee the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital,” the royal palace said. A day earlier, the US official met with Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.

Saudi Arabia Asks Nations to Respond to Iran with 'Firmness'
Associated Press/Naharnet/May 30/2019/Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Thursday urged Muslim nations to confront with "all means of force and firmness" recent attacks in the Persian Gulf that U.S. and some Arab officials have blamed on Iran. Ibrahim al-Assaf made the comments at a preparatory meeting of foreign ministers of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, or OIC, ahead of a trio of summits in the kingdom's holy city of Mecca. Saudi Arabia hastily called for the meetings in response to the spike in tensions with its key rival, Iran. That King Salman could quickly bring regional leaders and heads of state to Mecca so rapidly reflects the kingdom's weight in the region and its desire to project a unified position on Iran. The summits coincide with the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a time of intense worship when Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad some 1,400 years ago. Saudi Arabia will seek to use to the optics of the Mecca gatherings to send a clear and powerful message to Iran, which itself is also a member of the OIC. In his opening remarks, al-Assaf said the alleged sabotage of oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and a drone attack on a Saudi oil pipeline by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in recent weeks threaten the global economy and endanger regional and international security. "We should confront it with all means of force and firmness," he said. An Iranian official was at the OIC meeting where al-Assaf spoke Thursday, but Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif did not attend. Iran denies being involved in the attacks, which come amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the U.S. The crisis has root in the Trump administration's decision to withdraw last year from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers. The first of the three summits will start with a meeting of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday evening.
Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani is expected to attend, making it the highest-level visit to Saudi Arabia by a Qatari official since 2017, when the kingdom and three other Arab states cut off ties with the tiny energy-rich Gulf state over its foreign policies.
The GCC meeting will be immediately followed with an emergency summit of the 22-nation Arab League, minus Syria whose membership remains suspended.
The third and final summit, on Friday, is expected to focus largely on Palestinian statehood and independence. It will bring together leaders from the 57-nation OIC, which is headquartered in Saudi Arabia. In his remarks, al-Assaf reiterated Saudi Arabia's longstanding position on the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. His comments come as the White House tries to sell its Mideast plan to Arab leaders ahead of a conference in Bahrain next month that the Palestinian leadership is boycotting. Among those attending are Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Sabah, and Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the head of Sudan's ruling military council. It marks the first international conference for Burhan since the ouster of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir from power in April.
Also participating is Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, whose country has uneasy ties with Saudi Arabia, particularly after the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last year.
Al-Assaf's comments on Iran appeared to mirror remarks made by President Donald Trump's national security adviser, John Botlon, who warned Iran on Wednesday that any attacks in the Persian Gulf will draw a "very strong response" from the U.S. Speaking to journalists in the UAE, Bolton said there had been a previously unknown attempt to attack the Saudi oil port of Yanbu as well, which he also blamed on Iran. Referring to U.S. deployments of an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf, Bolton said: "The point is to make it very clear to Iran and its surrogates that these kinds of action risk a very strong response from the United States." For years before becoming national security adviser, Bolton called for overthrowing Iran's government in interviews and in paid speaking engagements before an Iranian exile group.
Meanwhile, Trump said this week the U.S. wasn't "looking to hurt Iran at all." During a visit to Tokyo this week, Trump appeared to welcome negotiations with Iran. "We're not looking for regime change — I just want to make that clear," Trump said. "We're looking for no nuclear weapons."
Also Wednesday, acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said some 900 troops would be deployed to Qatar and Saudi Arabia to reinforce the tens of thousands already in the Middle East. Another 600 have had their deployment in the region extended. "The Iranian threat to our forces in the region remains," Shanahan said. It's unclear how many of those troops would be sent to Saudi Arabia. Sending a large number of troops to Saudi Arabia could potentially spark a backlash from Muslims around the world because the country is also home to Islam's two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina. Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida launched the Sept. 11 attacks, in part over America's military presence in the kingdom. The late King Abdullah refused to allow U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia for the Iraq invasion in 2003, though he permitted them during the first Gulf War in 1991.

Arab, Muslim Leaders Gather in Mecca for Iran-Focused Summits
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 30/2019/Arab and Muslim leaders began gathering in the holy city of Mecca on Thursday for three summits, as Saudi Arabia seeks to rally support against arch-rival Iran over attacks on oil installations. On the eve of the talks, Riyadh blasted what it called Iranian "interference" in the region and demanded "firmness" over attacks on Gulf oil tankers and pipelines. The call came just hours after U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton said Iran was almost certainly behind the sabotage of four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, off the UAE coast. Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels meanwhile have stepped up drone attacks on the kingdom -- one of which resulted in the temporary shutdown of a major oil pipeline. Saudi Arabia, a staunch US ally, geared up to host leaders from across the Arab and Muslim world for emergency Gulf and Arab summits and a meeting of the heads of state of Islamic nations. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Kuwait's emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, and Sudan's new military council chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan were among the leaders who arrived in the kingdom Thursday, Saudi state media reported. Riyadh has called the talks to discuss the standoff with Iran and ways to isolate Tehran amid fears of a military confrontation. "Tehran's support for Huthi rebels in Yemen is proof of Iranian interference in other nations' affairs and this is something that... Islamic countries should reject," Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf told a gathering of foreign ministers of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation in western Jeddah city overnight.
'Firmness and determination'
Contrary to expectations, an Iranian delegation headed by Reza Najafi, director general for international peace and security affairs at Iran's foreign ministry, represented the Islamic republic at the meeting. Assaf said attacks on oil installations must be addressed with "firmness and determination". Tensions in the region spiked after the four ships were damaged in a sabotage attack off the coast of the emirate of Fujairah on May 12. The vessels were attacked using "naval mines almost certainly from Iran", Bolton told a news conference in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. "There's no doubt in anybody's mind in Washington who's responsible for this," he said in a clear reference to Iran. Iran strongly rejected the accusation. "Making such laughable claims... is not strange" coming from the US, foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said. U.S. experts are part of a five-nation team that is investigating the ship attacks. The new war of words between Tehran and Washington follows a U.S. military buildup that includes the deployment of an aircraft carrier, B-52 bombers and 1,500 more troops to the region. Bolton however said the additional U.S. forces were sent to the Middle East as a "deterrent" and that Washington's response would be prudent.Regional tensions have grown since U.S. President Donald Trump's administration reimposed sanctions against Iran after Washington unilaterally pulled out of a multilateral 2015 nuclear accord signed with the Islamic republic. But Trump appeared to soften his hawkish tone towards Tehran, saying during a visit to Japan on Monday that his government does not seek "regime change".
Qatar invited
Saudi Arabia is hosting the three summits in an apparent bid to present a unified front against Tehran. Qatar will be represented by its Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani, the highest ranking official to visit the kingdom since the start of a two-year-old Saudi-led boycott. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have enforced the economic and diplomatic boycott of Qatar since June 2017, including bans on shipping, trade, direct flights, overflight and land crossings. The alliance accuses Doha of supporting Islamist movements and backing Iran -- claims Qatar rejects. Large banners and flags decorated the streets of Mecca, Islam's holiest city, to welcome the leaders. The summits coincide with the last few days of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan when Mecca throngs with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. The summits are held at midnight as Muslims break their day-long fasting at sunset and then go into several hours of special prayers known as Taraweeh. Draped in seamless all-white uniforms, worshippers walked under lampposts decorated with flags of participating nations while heading to the Grand Mosque to perform umrah or minor pilgrimage. The large crowds could pose a logistic headache for the organisers who sealed off six major roads for leaders and advised pilgrims to use alternative streets.

Jubeir to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Don’t Want War, But We Will Defend Interests
Jeddah - Mohammed al-Ayed, Saeed al-Abyad/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 30 May, 2019/The urgent GCC and Arab League summits will denounce the recent developments in the region because of Iran’s policies, stated Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Jubeir said that his country has been very clear since the beginning about not wanting war in the region, but will surely “protect its land, people, and interests in suitable means.”The Minister indicated that Iran must put an end to its policies in the region if it wants to be part of the international community. Jubeir discussed the issues that will be addressed during the GCC and Arab League summits hosted by Saudi Arabia on Thursday and Friday, noting that the aim is to denounce all recent incidents in the region caused by Tehran’s policies. Saudi Arabia will host the Arab League, GCC and Islamic summits scheduled for Makkah on Thursday and Friday. He indicated that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will hold its regular summit during which the current presidency will be transferred from Turkey to Saudi Arabia. He hopes this summit will enhance the organization’s role in the Islamic world and contribute to finding solutions for the challenges facing Islamic states. Asked whether any of the member states of the OIC called for freezing Iran’s membership in the organization, Jubeir said he expects that all the countries are against Iran’s aggression and its involvement in other state’s affairs. He added that they also denounce Tehran’s support for terrorism and providing Hezbollah and Houthis with ballistic missiles.Regarding a war in the region following Iran’s acts of sabotage and targeting of oil tankers, as well as instructing the Houthi militias to target oil pipelines in two vital areas, Jubeir asserted that Saudi Arabia is trying to avoid war in any way, but it doesn’t want Iran to maintain its aggression in the region.

US stands firm against Iran, it will strike if attacked: Brian Hook
Arab News/May 30, 2019/DUBAI: Iran needs to show more interest in talks than threats, a senior advisor to the US Secretary of State has said, adding that the US will respond with “military might” if its interests were attacked. Brian Hook, the US Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State, said a number of “military assets” had already been repositioned in response to intelligence that Iran was planning imminent attacks against American interests. “We have made it clear that we will respond with military force if American interests are attacked by Iran,” Hook said at a press briefing on Thursday. He said the US was awaiting the results of the investigations into the recent attacks on UAE, Saudi and Norwegian tankers in the region and said a “proper response” would then be discussed. “We have been consistent in our messaging – Iran should show more of an interest in talks than threats and we have seen on an almost daily basis from the Iranian regime that they will not talk with the United States.”“Iran faces a choice – they have to decide whether they want to be a normal country or a revolutionary cause,” he warned. Hook said President Trump was open to negotiations, but he added that the US “maximum pressure campaign” was working “by nearly every measure.”“The Iranian regime and its proxies are weaker today than when the (US) president took office over two years ago,” he explained. Already, he said, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah had made a public call for support – “piggy banks have been placed in grocery stores in Lebanon to help raise funds,” while Hamas has enacted austerity plans to deal with a lack of funds from Iran. He said Iran’s Shiite militia groups would have to “find new sources of revenue.” And he said that the Assad regime today faced a fuel shortage crisis because the US had cut off the 1–3 million barrels per month that Iran had previously supplied. Even Iran’s military spending has been cut, he said, adding that it peaked during the nuclear deal. “Since we exited the deal, Iran’s military spending for the budget that they released in March was cut by 28 percent.” He said Iran was in recession and once the US oil sanctions take full effect, with a policy of zero imports for Iranian crude oil – the sanctions will deny the Iranian regime $50 billion in revenue - that’s 40 percent of Iran’s annual budget. Trump also said on Thursday that Iran’s economy is suffering from US sanctions and that the country is becoming a “weakened nation.”

Turkish Warplanes Strike Targets in Iraq, 19 Fighters 'Neutralized'
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 30 May, 2019/Turkish attack helicopters and warplanes struck targets in the mountains of northern Iraq, Turkey's defense ministry said on Thursday. The military had also "neutralized" 19 Kurdish fighters as its operation there entered the fourth day, the ministry added.
Two Turkish soldiers died on Wednesday from wounds sustained in a bomb blast during what was dubbed "Operation Claw", targeting Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the Hakurk region, near Turkey's southeastern tip, Reuters reported, citing the ministry. Warplanes also carried out strikes in border regions of northern Iraq west of Hakurk, destroying PKK gun positions, shelters and ammunition stores, the ministry noted. The cross-border push began with artillery and air strikes on Monday before helicopters landed commandos in the region. The PKK is based in Iraq's Qandil area, south of Hakurk. Meanwhile, the PKK confirmed on Wednesday that three of its fighters had been killed in Turkish air strikes in the Qandil region. PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, jailed on an island near Istanbul since 1999, was allowed to meet his lawyers this month for the first time in nearly eight years after a hunger strike by lawmakers and thousands of inmates, according to Reuters. They ended their protest on Sunday in response to a call from Ocalan.

EU Slams Turkey's Human Rights, Economic Policies
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 29 May, 2019/The European Union (EU) criticized Turkey for its actions that keep on distancing it from the bloc and its values. The EU said it sees no reason to unblock the country's EU membership talks. In a progress report on Turkey's membership prospects released Wednesday, the executive commission criticized "serious backsliding in the areas of the rule of law and fundamental rights," the Associated Press (AP) reported. “Serious backsliding continued in the Turkish economy, leading to deeper concerns over the functioning of the country’s market economy,” the Commission said in its report. The EU agreed last year that no new chapters in Turkey's accession talks should be opened or closed and the report notes that "the underlying facts leading to this assessment still hold." According to AP, Turkey has been involved in membership talks since October 2005 but progress has been extremely slow.

Syrian Doctors Accuse Regime, Russia of Targeting Hospitals
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 30 May, 2019/The Syrian regime and Russian warplanes have bombed at least six hospitals in the past month that were on a list shared by the UN with the warring parties in the hope of minimizing civilian casualties, according to Syrian doctors. Two Syrian medical officials in opposition-held Idlib province in northwestern Syria told the Financial Times that the coordinates of the bombed hospitals were on a “deconfliction list” compiled by the UN’s humanitarian affairs office (OCHA), shared with the regime and its Russian backers. The list includes civilian infrastructure such as schools, markets and medical facilities. Munzer Khalil, director of Idlib’s health directorate, said that coordinates of at least six of the bombed hospitals had been shared, and he believed that the targeting of medical facilities was “systematic”. Although difficult to prove, any intentional targeting of health facilities is a war crime, the Financial Times said. “It is inexcusable that hospitals, schools and other infrastructure have been attacked despite OCHA’s deconfliction mechanism,” UK’s Ambassador to the UN Karen Pierce said. The World Health Organization said some 22 medical facilities had been attacked in and around Idlib during May. Pro-regime forces have bombarded the area as a temporary truce brokered by Russia and Turkey has eroded, reigniting the fight for Syria’s final opposition-held bastion.

Russia Calls for Lifting Sanctions on Syrian Regime
Moscow - Raed Jabr/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 30 May, 2019/Russia has urged the international community to support the withdrawal of US troops from Syria and launch a massive campaign to end US and European sanctions against Damascus. The Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday described the US presence in Syria as a “direct support for illegal gangs," saying it “impedes the restoration of peaceful life in Syria.”“We [Russia and Syria] urge the United States and the European Union to lift anti-Syrian economic sanctions. Such restrictive measures do not contribute to solving urgent humanitarian and socio-economic problems in Syria,” said the statement, which was signed by the Russian-Syrian joint coordination headquarters. In a separate statement, which was signed by heads of the Russian and Syrian coordination headquarters Mikhail Mizintsev and Hussein Makhlouf, the Russian Defense Ministry mentioned the problems hindering the return of refugees from the Rukban and al-Hol camps.The Ministry said the situation in the two camps that are located in US-controlled territories in Syria remains “critical.”“The illegal US military presence in the so-called security zone around al-Tanf continues to be the main factor of instability in the southern part of Syria and the cause of the plight of Rukban residents,” warned the statement. To support its claims, the Ministry published testimonies of the doctors of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, saying that half of the Syrian citizens who managed to leave the camp are diagnosed with advanced chronic diseases. “Adults have tuberculosis and skin diseases. Many suffer from muscle dystrophy, developed from hunger. Children mainly have vitamin deficiency and intestinal and viral infections.”Although Russia and Syria have repeatedly declared the opening of corridors for civilians to safely leave Rukban camp, these initiatives have not received a broad response, compelling Moscow to admit lack of cooperation by the camp’s residents. Moscow has blamed Washington for the situation, saying the US had turned a blind eye to militia practices preventing people from leaving the camp and confiscating food and humanitarian aid transferred to the camp. Russian figures estimate about 30,000 Syrians continue to live in inhumane and degrading conditions over their inability to buy their freedoms from militants controlling the camp. Moscow earlier said that Washington refused to attend tripartite consultations involving Jordan to settle the issue of the camp, while the United States accused Russia of blocking the entry of humanitarian aid. The Ministry noted that the situation is even worse in al-Hol camp in the territory controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces in al-Hasakah province. “More than 73,000 people are living in terrifying conditions in al-Hol.”In other news, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko announced that the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces will get 20 Su-35S fighter jets of the 4++ generation by the end of 2020. "The plant is following the plan with Su-35 manufacturing, and we expect to get several aircraft even ahead of time this year. In accordance with the current contract, we expect another 20 Su-35S fighter jets this year and next year," Krivoruchko was quoted as saying by TASS. Krivoruchko noted that the aircraft plant works on modernizing this type of fighter jets, including on the basis of the Syrian combat experience. “In particular, next modernized versions of Su-35S will be able to use all types of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles.”

Sudan Military Council Calls for Talks, Says Agreement Looming on Horizon
Khartoum – Mohammed Amin Yassin//Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 30 May, 2019/A general strike continued for the second day in a row in various cities of Sudan which, according to organizers, was a great success in reviving the political process after days of tension.
Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) had called for the two-day strike from Tuesday to pressure the military junta to transfer power to civilians. The participation rate in the strike rose on the second day, after thousands of employees and public servants, including workers at the Ministry of Petroleum and Gas, joined in. The surprise came from Darfur, where DFCF announced that the strike was completely successful, as hundreds gathered in al-Fashir, capital of North Darfur, chanting for a civilian authority. Employees at the Central Bank of Sudan also staged a rally outside the bank's headquarters in Khartoum, protesting harassment by government forces against some of their colleagues. The strike continued in the banks and commercial banks of Khartoum and their branches in other states. The protest of Central Bank employees led to a complete cessation of financial transactions. The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) said it launched an investigation into the harassment incident and announced the closure of all branches of the bank. It warned the authorities and security forces against attacking any of the protesters. The Association stressed its determination to achievr the goals declared in the Declaration of Freedom and Change, namely establishing the transitional civil authority. Employees from other sectors, including the workers at the airport, medical staff and workers at the administration of electricity and water authority, also joined the strike. The Transitional Military Council (TMC) agreed, 24 hours after the strike, to resume the negotiations with the Declaration Forces and other political forces without giving a specific time.
TMC spokesman General Shams el-Din Kabbashi asserted the Council is close to agreeing with Freedom and Change forces on the document of the transitional period. Member of DFCF’s negotiating delegation Madani Abbas Madani stated that the Forces didn’t receive any invitation for negotiations from the Military Council. Madani told Asharq al-Awsat that the statements made by the TMC spokesman are positive and can create the most suitable atmosphere for dialogue. He pointed out that the strike exceeded the expectations of the Forces, and sent a clear message to the Military Council. TMC Vice-President Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo stated that the Council will not close the door to negotiations and dialogue with the DFCF, stressing that the Council and the Forces are partners in the change and overthrowing the former regime. Dagolo indicated that had the Armed Forces not joined the revolution, the former regime would have remained in power. He asserted that the Council will not allow the country to reach a state of chaos similar to Syria and Libya. Meanwhile, deputy chairman of a faction of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) Yasir Arman announced receiving six letters from the Council ordering him to leave the country, but he refused. He arrived in the country abruptly last Sunday without arrangements to return. Arman and fellow SPLM-N leader Malik Agar were sentenced to death in absentia in March 2014 by a Sudanese court in Sanjia. In other developments, the Khartoum prosecutor summoned former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi to testify on Thursday in the open report filed against ousted president Omar al-Bashir and others on charges of undermining the constitutional system and seizing civilian power through a military coup.

Afghan Official: Several Killed by Suicide Bombing Near Kabul Academy
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 30 May, 2019/A suicide bomber targeting a military academy in the capital of Kabul has left up to six people dead, said Afghan authorities. Six others were also wounded in the bombing on Thursday, according to a statement by the Interior Ministry, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The soldier noticed a suspicious person and approached him, causing the attacker to detonate his explosives near the Mashal Fahim academy, the statement said. Ferdus Faramarz, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said police are trying to get more details about the bombing in western Kabul. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, noting that the academy was a target for militants in the past. According to AP, both the Taliban and ISIS are active in Kabul and have staged large-scale attacks in the Afghan capital.

Crop Fires Ruin Iraqi, Syrian Harvests
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 30 May, 2019/It was looking to be a good year for farmers across parts of Syria and Iraq. The wettest in generations, it brought rich, golden fields of wheat and barley, giving farmers in this war-torn region reason to rejoice. But good news is short-lived in this part of the world, where residents of the two countries struggle to cope with seemingly never-ending violence and turmoil amid Syria's civil war and attacks by ISIS remnants, the Associated Press reported. Now, even in areas where conflict has subsided, fires have been raging in farmers' fields, depriving them of valuable crops. The blazes have been blamed alternately on defeated ISIS militants seeking to avenge their losses, or on Syrian regime forces battling to rout other armed groups. Thousands of acres of wheat and barley fields in both Syria and Iraq have been scorched by the fires during the harvest season, which runs until mid-June. "The life that we live here is already bitter," Hussain Attiya, a farmer from Topzawa Kakayi in northern Iraq, told AP. "If the situation continues like this, I would say that no one will stay here. I plant 500 to 600 acres every year. Next year, I won't be able to do that because I can't stay here and guard the land day and night." ISIS militants have a history of implementing a "scorched earth policy" in areas from which they retreat or where they are defeated. It's "a means of inflicting a collective punishment on those left behind," said Emma Beals, an independent Syria researcher. ISIS militants claimed responsibility for burning crops in their weekly newsletter, al-Nabaa, saying they targeted farms belonging to senior officials in six Iraqi provinces and in Kurdish-administered eastern Syria, highlighting the persistent threat from the group even after its territorial defeat.
Hundreds of acres of wheat fields around Kirkuk in northern Iraq were set on fire. Several wheat fields in the Daquq district in southern Kirkuk burned for three days straight last week. Farmers in the village of Ali Saray, within Daquq's borders, struggled to put out the blazes. The militants had laid land mines in the field, so when help arrived in the village of Topzawa Kakayi, the explosives went off and seriously wounded two people, according to the local agriculture department and farmers. In eastern Syria's Raqqa province, farmers battled raging fires with pieces of cloth, sacks and water trucks. Piles of hay burned and black smoke billowed above the fields.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 74,000 acres (30,000 hectares) of farmland in Hassakeh, Raqqa and all the way to Aleppo province to the west, were burned. Activist Omar Abou Layla said local Kurdish-led forces failed to respond to the fires in the province of Deir Ezzor, where ISIS was uprooted from its last territory in March, deepening the crisis. Other residents accuse the Syrian regime, which used to earn millions from the wheat trade in eastern Syria, of sparking the fires to undermine the Kurdish-led administration, which now operates independently of the central government.
Kurdish authorities acknowledge they have few capabilities to deal with the arsons. In Raqqa, where most of the residents rely on agriculture, farmers were preparing for a good harvest. Ahmed al-Hashloum heads Inmaa, Arabic for Development, a local civil group that supports agriculture. He said rainfall levels were more than 200 percent higher than last year, causing many to return to farming. But what promised to be a good year turned into a "black one," said al-Hashloum, who said western Raqqa was worst hit by the fires. All it takes is a cigarette butt to set haystacks on fire, he pointed out. "It doesn't need a bomb or fuel," he said. Estimates based on local farmers suggest that nearly 25,000 acres (10,000 hectares) in Raqqa province were set on fire, valued at $9 million, he said. In western Syria, a government military offensive against the country's last opposition stronghold has also left thousands of acres of farms in ashes, in what activists and experts say is a calculated move to deny the locals livelihood and force them to leave the enclave, home to 3 million people. Beals, the Syria expert, said the government used similar tactics when it besieged Daraya and eastern Ghouta, other rebel areas outside of the Syrian capital, Damascus, eventually forcing the fighters to surrender as early as 2015 and 2016. Throughout the conflict, various warring parties have used food crops as a way of controlling the population. Beals said crop burning in Idlib province in northern Syria is likely the latest chapter in this playbook and "will impact food security and the ability to eke out a small living for some." She added that the scale of crop burning is much larger in Idlib than other areas. One Idlib activist, Huthaifa al-Khateeb, estimated that as much as 60 percent of 185,000 acres (75,000 hectares) of wheat and barley have been burned. Olive and pistachio groves have largely been spared, he said. Satellite images provided by the Colorado-based Maxar Technologies show significant damage to crop fields in Idlib and Hama, calling it a "scorched earth campaign." The UN said the fires are threatening to disrupt normal food production cycles and potentially reduce food security for months to come. Whether intentional or collateral damage, crop burning on this scale will damage soil and have adverse effects on the health of civilians in the province, where respiratory diseases are already high in the overcrowded western Syrian enclave. Syria had suffered a dire pre-war drought that left the country and the region that traded with it in a worsening food insecurity. The crop burning remains localized and can't be compared to pre-war devastation, Beals said. "However, it is only the beginning of the summer and if the fires continue it could lead to a crisis," Beals said.

Saudi FM: Palestine Our 'First Cause'
Jeddah - Mohammed al-Ayed, Saeed al-Abyad/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 30 May, 2019/Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz al-Assaf said that the Israeli conflict remains a major challenge facing the Islamic nation, affirming that the Palestinian cause is a top priority to the kingdom until Palestinians get their full rights and establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as the capital. “The conflict with Israel is the most important challenge facing the Islamic Ummah," he noted. His statement was made at the meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held Wednesday in Jeddah ahead of a series of summits in the kingdom. Assaf also stressed that attacks on Gulf oil facilities must be addressed with "strength and firmness" and that more efforts were needed to combat the activities of the groups that carried them out.
"We emphasize the need to exert more efforts to combat the subversive activities of extremist and terrorist groups. They must be addressed with all strength and firmness," he stated. Assaf was referring to an attack on oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates coast this month and drone strikes on oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia.  The Saudi FM said that the Islamic world is going through serious and grave challenges, the most dangerous of which is the interference in its internal affairs. "Tehran´s support for Houthis in Yemen is a proof of Iranian interference in other nations´ affairs and this is something that Islamic countries should reject," he said, adding that, "the foreign interventions have exacerbated the crisis of the Yemeni people," while vowing support for the UN efforts to end the conflict in the country. The minister also stressed that the Kingdom stands with the Republic of Sudan and supports the Transitional Military Council and measures taken by it in serving interests of the Sudanese people. He pointed out that the Islamic nation is facing dangerous crises in Syria, Libya, Somalia, and Afghanistan and that the minority of Muslims are withstanding challenges. Assaf stressed the need for political a solution in Syria according to the Geneva 1 resolution and the necessity to end the presence of sectarian militias. He highlighted the importance of the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar and that justice should be served to them. Assaf renewed Saudi Arabia's support for Libya to resolve its current crisis. Meanwhile, Secretary General of the OIC Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed al-Othaimeen stressed that Palestine is the ‘central’ cause and that it hasn’t been resolved yet because of the Israeli occupation continuous recklessness to the international legitimacy resolutions. OIC is keeping a close eye on Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, Sudan, Algeria, Nigeria, Guinea, and other countries, he noted.

Joint Statement by Canada and the United Kingdom on Hong Kong’s Extradition Law
May 30, 2019 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Right Honourable Jeremy Hunt, the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, today issued the following joint statement about Hong Kong’s proposed extradition law changes:
“We have been following the proposals of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance. It is clear that the proposals have generated significant debate in Hong Kong, in particular in relation to removing the territorial restrictions on extradition to mainland China. “We are concerned about the potential effect of these proposals on the large number of Canadian and UK citizens in Hong Kong, on business confidence and on Hong Kong’s international reputation. Furthermore, we believe that there is a risk that the proposals could impact negatively on the rights and freedoms set down in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. It is vital that extradition arrangements in Hong Kong are in line with ‘one country, two systems’ and fully respect Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy. We have made these views clear in our respective conversations with the Hong Kong government. “It is important that these proposals are subject to the highest levels of scrutiny, including in the Legislative Council. We urge the Hong Kong government to engage meaningfully with Hong Kong's broad range of local and international stakeholders in order to ensure their concerns are fully considered. We believe that the Hong Kong government should allow time to give proper consideration to all alternative options and safeguards.”

Austria Gets First Female Chancellor
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 30/2019/ Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen appointed the head of the country's constitutional court as Austria's first female chancellor Thursday to lead an interim government until elections later in the year. Brigitte Bierlein will now be tasked with forming a cabinet after the previous government collapsed spectacularly over the so-called "Ibiza-gate" corruption scandal. "I will seek to win Austrians' trust," Bierlein said alongside Van der Bellen in a televised statement Thursday, saying she would hold talks with political parties and civil society organisations in the coming days. She said that Clemens Jablons, a previous president of the Supreme Administrative Court, was "ready to take up the posts of vice-chancellor and justice minister."She added that she would put forward diplomat Alexander Schallenberg for the post of foreign minister. "If this is surprising for you, it is for me as well," Bierlein told journalists gathered for the statement. Van der Bellen called Bierlein a "prudent, far-sighted and highly competent personality". Bierlein, 69, has been president of the constitutional court since last year and previously held several other prominent positions as a judge and prosecutor. The appointment comes after Sebastian Kurz became the first chancellor in Austrian history to be thrown out of office by a no-confidence vote of MPs on Monday. Opposition MPs brought the motion as they said Kurz had to take responsibility for the scandal which brought down his government. The crisis began with the publication of hidden-camera footage in which former Freedom Party (FPOe) leader and Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christan Strache appeared to offer public contracts to a woman posing as a Russian investor in exchange for help in the 2017 parliamentary election campaign. The video led Strache to resign and prompted Kurz to end his coalition with the FPOe and call snap elections. Kurz's centre-right People's Party (OeVP) won an impressive 34.6 percent of the vote in Sunday's European parliament elections and at the moment looks on course to easily re-emerge as Austria's largest party at the upcoming elections.

China Accuses U.S. of 'Naked Economic Terrorism'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 30/2019/China accused the United States of "naked economic terrorism" on Thursday as Beijing ramps up the rhetoric in their trade war. The world's top two economies are at loggerheads as trade talks have apparently stalled, with US President Donald Trump hiking tariffs on Chinese goods earlier this month and blacklisting telecom giant Huawei. "We are against the trade war, but we are not afraid of it," vice foreign minister Zhang Hanhui said at a press briefing to preview President Xi Jinping's trip to Russia next week. "This premeditated instigation of a trade conflict is naked economic terrorism, economic chauvinism, and economic bullying," Zhang said, stressing that China opposes the systematic use of sanctions, tariffs and protectionism. "There is no winner in a trade war," he warned. China has hit back with its own tariff increase that will take effect June 1, while state media has suggested that Beijing could stop exports of rare earths to the United States, depriving Washington of a key resource used to make hi-tech products.
TV debate
Meanwhile, state media and officials have stepped up the rhetoric, tapping patriotic fervour as the Communist Party digs in for what could be a long fight with the United States. An anchor for the English-language state broadcaster China Global Television Network (CGTN) even held a rare debate on Thursday with a presenter from Fox Business Network to discuss the trade war after jousting on social media. The debate between CGTN's Liu Xin and Fox Business's Trish Regan was civil, with the American journalist saying "I appreciate you being here" and the Chinese anchor inviting her to come to China, adding "I will take you around". But China's propaganda apparatus has stepped up the rhetoric. "We advise the US to not underestimate China's ability to safeguard its own development rights and interests, and not to say we didn't warn you," the party's mouthpiece, The People's Daily, said in an editorial on Wednesday warning that rare earths could be used as a counter-measure. China produces more than 95 percent of the world's rare earths, and the United States relies on the Asian superpower for upwards of 80 percent of its imports. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, asked about the rare earths threat during an interview, said that Americans have already "lost and suffered for decades under the current rules" and that Trump's "singular focus is to push back" on China. He renewed his attack on Huawei, saying there was a "deep connectivity" between the company and the Chinese state that had no parallel in the US system. "If it's the case that the Chinese Communist Party wanted to get information from technology that was in the possession of Huawei, it is almost certainly the case that Huawei would provide that to them," he told the Fox Business Network. Huawei has rejected the criticism and on Tuesday filed a motion for summary judgment, hoping it would swiftly win a lawsuit against US legislation that bars federal agencies from using the company's equipment.
Russia, China get closer
"This trade conflict will also have a serious negative impact on the development and revival of the global economy," Zhang said Thursday. While Washington and Beijing spar, Xi is preparing to meet with President Vladimir Putin from June 5 to June 7 as the neighbouring giants forge closer ties.China and Russia have broad consensus and common interests on the trade war issue, Zhang said. "China and Russia will certainly strengthen economic and trade cooperation, including cooperation in various fields such as economic and trade investment," he added. "We will certainly respond to various external challenges, do what we have to do, develop our economies, and constantly improve the living standards of our two peoples."

French Parcel Bomb Suspect Pledged Allegiance to IS
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 30/2019/An Algerian suspected of setting off a package bomb in southeast France last week has told investigators that he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State jihadist group, a judicial source said Thursday. The 24-year-old man, identified as Mohamed Hichem M., was arrested Monday after an extensive manhunt since Friday, when 13 people were wounded by the explosion on a busy pedestrian street in Lyon. Sources close to the case said that after initially refusing to talk, the suspect admitted Wednesday to planting the bomb, packed with screws and ball bearings and a relatively small amount of acetone peroxide, or APEX. It was the same volatile compound used in the deadly Paris terror attacks of November 13, 2015, which prompted a wave of jihadist attacks in France that have killed more than 250 people. The Islamic State group has been behind several of the attacks, though police had said no one had claimed the Lyon blast. The suspect's brother was also arrested and is still being held for questioning by anti-terror investigators in Paris, although their parents were released from custody on Thursday. A search of the man's home had already turned up "elements likely to be used for making APEX," one source told AFP, and searches of his computers pointed to internet searches related to jihadism and bomb-building. Thirteen people were wounded in the blast -- eight women, four men and a 10-year-old girl. The package was placed in front of a bakery near the corner of two crowded pedestrian streets in the historic heart of Lyon at around 17:30 pm (1530 GMT) last Friday. Video surveillance cameras led police to identify the man after he fled the scene on a bicycle. He was arrested while getting off a bus in a suburb just south of the city. Lyon Mayor Gerard Collomb said this week that the suspect had not been known to the police.

U.N. Chief Says European Unity Vital to Avoid New Cold War
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 30/2019/U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday warned Europe must remain united if it wants to avoid a new "cold war" in tumultuous political times. "If you want to avoid a new cold war... if you want to build a true multilateral order, we absolutely need a united and strong Europe," Guterres said as he accepted the Charlemagne Prize for services to European unity in Aachen, Germany. The prize has been awarded annually since 1950 for efforts to cement European unification. But the former Portuguese prime minister warned that as trust in international institutions threatens to erode on a rising tide of populism, the continent must be alert to the dangers accompanying that trend. "At this time of great anxiety and geopolitical disorder we need multilateralism more than ever," said Guterres, describing himself as a "committed European."He had never felt more strongly the need for European unity, he added. Addressing an audience which included outgoing European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, Guterres saluted the "exemplary partnership" of the European Union with the United Nations. Yet he warned that were the 28-nation bloc, already resigned to losing Britain, to break apart it would "inevitably be the failure of multilateralism and the failure of a world in which the rule of law can prevail."Guterres said democratic principles today "are under siege, and the rule of law is being undermined. Inequalities are on the rise. Hate speech, racism and xenophobia are fuelling terrorism through social media."Multilateralism was under fire "precisely when we need it most" as Europe finds itself needing to tackle issues as challenging as climate change, demographic change and the digital revolution.
Last year's award went to French President Emmanuel Macron, who has loudly touted the need for institutional reform in the EU to bring it up to date to face the new challenges.

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 30-31/19
Netanyahu is implicitly touted by Trump and Putin in his fight for re-election
Debka File/May 30/2019
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Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu received an unforeseen boost on Wednesday, May 29, while he was announcing a new election on Sept 17 after failing to set up a government.
Harsh recriminations and insults flew through the Knesset chamber on the heels of a dissolution vote of 74:45. Netanyahu accused Israel Beitenu leader Avigdor Lieberman of deliberately undermining a right-wing government and joining the “left bloc.” Lieberman, who will go down in Israel’s political history as having forced the country into two general elections in less than three months, denied supporting opposition Blue-White leader Benny Gantz; he only sought a “sane right-wing, non-religious-dominated government,” he protested. Blue-White leaders, for their part, readjusted their signature tune. Instead of targeting Netanyahu as the archenemy of democracy, they turned against Lieberman, fearing he may steal their right-leaning anti-religious voters. New actors meanwhile stepped from the wings into the still-unfolding election campaign – still unnoticed. Fully aware of the political turmoil besetting Israel in recent weeks, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin decided nonetheless not to postpone the conference set for June in Jerusalem of the US, Russian and Israeli national security advisers to discuss regional security issues. A White House communique setting the place and the time was issued on Wednesday while voting on dissolution was taking place in the Knesset. The two presidents appear to share the wish to see Netanyahu re-elected and taking up the role they have assigned him in helping to shape Middle East security policy. Their support may prove to be an obstacle that Lieberman and the leaders of Blue-White will find hard to beat. The high-powered trilateral security conference is unprecedented in that it assigns Israel a role equal to that of the two superpowers in determining future Middle East security issues. Putin was even prepared to honor the Jewish state and its prime minister by letting the opening session of the new track take place in Jerusalem.

Opinion/There Are Things Much Worse Than Netanyahu - for Example, Lieberman
Gideon Levy/Haaretz/May 30/2019/
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The primeval hatred for Benjamin Netanyahu blinds even the eyes of the wise. Suddenly, Avigdor Lieberman has become the hope of the liberal secular public. Half of Israel hates Netanyahu as Israel has never hated any prime minister before, and Lieberman is the savior.
This pathological hatred for Netanyahu stems mainly from his lifestyle and his imbecilic efforts to escape justice, not from his policies or his positions. The lust to see him ousted, stoned in the city square and jailed for all eternity has long since ceased to be rational. It’s irrational to the point of obscuring the fact that there could be things much worse than Netanyahu – for example, Lieberman.
The center-left’s sacred cannon is firing at Netanyahu, and its gunners have forgotten who Lieberman is. We’ll forgive and forget everything for Lieberman if he’ll only take down Netanyahu for us. Character witnesses on his behalf have even emerged from among the enlightened public – he’s pragmatic, strong, wise, serious; his word is his word; wait and see. These assessments are ridiculous and dangerous. Lieberman never deserved them and never will. He’s one of the ugliest, most repulsive thugs in politics, and he may well make us miss Netanyahu.
Lieberman is now riding the liberal public’s two most burning hatreds – for Netanyahu and for the ultra-Orthodox. He has tortured Netanyahu for his own amusement, and the liberal public cheered. The crisis of the last few days was created by Lieberman, not Netanyahu. Lieberman chose to make a flagship issue out of the conscription law, one of the most marginal issues on the agenda, which is based entirely on the secular public’s loathing for the ultra-Orthodox. It doesn’t matter in the least whether the ultra-Orthodox are drafted or not. The army doesn’t need them. Conscription into an army that does what ours does is no “moral value.” And in any case, there’s no equality in the burden of service. About half of all Israelis aren’t drafted into the army, and that’s a minuscule disaster.
But for those who hate the ultra-Orthodox, Lieberman is the hero of the hour. He’ll take vengeance on those leeches in black. That is the most important issue the country has to deal with right now.
The criminal cases against Netanyahu are white as snow compared to the earlier cases against Lieberman, yet those came to nothing, under fairly shocking circumstances. Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party is surely riddled with far more rot than Netanyahu’s Likud, and it’s also less democratic. Lieberman’s statements show that he’s far more of a benighted racist and nationalist than Netanyahu. But for those who want Netanyahu’s head, this is no time for a rational assessment of political positions.
Unlike Netanyahu, Lieberman is a criminal who was convicted of assault. Next to Lieberman’s cynicism, Netanyahu is a romantic. Next to Lieberman’s arrogance, Netanyahu is modest. Next to Lieberman’s thuggery, Netanyahu is Mother Teresa.
Next to Lieberman’s views, Netanyahu is a Breaking the Silence activist. Next to Lieberman’s despicable incitement against Arab Knesset members, Netanyahu is an Ahmad Tibi fan. And don’t forget, Lieberman is a settler from Nokdim, whereas Netanyahu never dreamed of being a settler.
But Lieberman is forgiven everything, if he’ll only topple Netanyahu for us and bring salvation to his people. Just imagine Lieberman in place of Netanyahu. Even this nightmare scenario has been raised over the past few days. Granted, as defense minister, he was fortunately a zero, as he has been in all his ministerial posts. But it would be enough for him to carry out even a fraction of his threats for the portion of the public that’s now seeking the downfall of that devil Netanyahu to cry out for his return.
Remember, Lieberman initially supported “transferring” the Palestinians, then eventually replaced it with forcible land swaps, in order to ensure a majority in Israel for the chosen people. He dreamed up loyalty oaths as a condition for citizenship. He opposed the disengagement from the Gaza Strip. He’s threatened to bomb Egypt’s Aswan Dam and assassinate Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. He’s a fan of the death penalty for terrorists. He’s compared the Yesh Gvul anti-occupation organization to kapos in Nazi concentration camps. He’s blamed the left for all of Israel’s fallen and all of its troubles.
His life is always “paradise.” But ours will be much less so if, heaven forbid, he emerges stronger from the crisis he created – all over an issue of principle, of course.

Analysis/Netanyahu Just Suffered One of the Biggest Losses of His Political Career
Anshel Pfeffer//Haaretz/May 30, 2019
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Even if Netanyahu wins the next Israeli election and forms a government, it could be too late to stop the slow legal juggernaut putting him on trial
Wednesday wasn’t the worst night in Benjamin Netanyahu’s political career. He’s lost elections and primaries before. He spent an entire decade outside the Prime Minister’s Office after his first term ended disgracefully in 1999. Netanyahu was forced to dissolve the Knesset and call a new election, effectively admitting (though he didn’t say so) he failed to win the April 9 election. He is still prime minister for the next four months. But this was his worst night in 13 years. March 28, 2006, was an even worse night for Netanyahu. Likud crashed in the election to only 12 seats — its worst result ever. As the numbers were coming in, half the Likud lawmakers were already planning how to challenge the leadership. What followed was one of Netanyahu’s most incredible comebacks: With a handful of young MKs and stalwart Reuven Rivlin by his side, he walked into the convention hall and rallied the 50 party members still hanging around in a rousing speech. It was a compelling sight and, for a while, the plotters sheathed their daggers. It gave Netanyahu much-need time to reestablish a hold on his shattered party.
But Netanyahu's appearance in the Knesset on Wednesday had nothing of the fire of that 2006 night. We saw an ashen-faced Bibi, ranting about the injustice done to him and the nation by Avigdor Lieberman. It was the Netanyahu we never see in public and only hear about in whispers. Unprepared and unscripted. Raging at the destruction of his career. Netanyahu's powers of persuasion are legendary. He has persuaded Israeli voters time and again that centrist hawks and retired generals are “weak leftists.” Now he was even trying to persuade them that “Lieberman is part of the left.” Lieberman, the man who demands the death penalty for terrorists and wants Israeli-Arabs to pledge allegiance to the state in order to keep their citizenship. It's a hard sell, even for Netanyahu.
With three and a half months to the next election, Netanyahu hasn’t yet worked on his messages with his strategists. It will be surprising, though, if they continue wasting their efforts on Lieberman. Lieberman hasn’t got that many voters anyway, and they are mostly elderly Russian-speaking immigrants who have been told since they arrived in the Promised Land that Yisrael Beiteinu is the only party looking after them. Netanyahu’s spin doctor, Jonathan Urich, has threatened to spend 10 million shekels ($2.75 million) on campaigning in the Russian media. But he would do better to shore up Likud's base, like in its merger with Moshe Kahlon’s Kulanu party. The only other address for "soft right" is Benny Gantz's Kahol Lavan. Netanyahu could still find himself needing Lieberman come September 18, the day after the election. Lieberman is realistic and doesn't believe he can win the next election, though he does believe that by standing up to the Likud-ultra-Orthodox alliance he will win plenty of secular right-wingers and even some centrist voters. What Lieberman wants is to be kingmaker. Despite insisting throughout this crisis that he wants Netanyahu to remain prime minister, when he was asked by reporters moments before the dissolution vote if in the next election he would support Netanyahu, he didn’t answer. Instead he said: “Netanyahu had a chance to form a right-wing government.”
This time around, Lieberman won’t say whether he plans to support Netanyahu or Gantz. And if Netanyahu continues attacking him on the campaign trail, the choice will become much easier for him.
Lieberman will make this election about freedom of religion, linking Netanyahu to the Haredim. It will be easier for him to claim the secularist mantle because Yair Lapid, who once owned it, has merged his Yesh Atid party with Gantz’s Kahol Lavan. As the great opposition to religious coercion, it will be easier for Lieberman to link up with the center-left. In recent days, even Meretz lawmakers have said they are willing to sit with Lieberman in a coalition if it means seeing off Netanyahu. But even so, beating Netanyahu — with all that just happened — is still a tall order. The right-wing/religious bloc has a majority, even without Lieberman. Netanyahu still has a better chance of winning than Gantz. In his angry speech after the vote, Netanyahu said Israel will now be "burning billions [on the election] because of the personal ambitions of one man." He meant Lieberman, but could have been describing himself.
This will be the third consecutive election brought forward because of Netanyahu’s personal issues. In December, he cut the Knesset’s term by six months in an attempt to preempt the indictments against him. In 2014, he brought the election forward by three years in order to prevent it from passing a law that would have forced his mouthpiece, Israel Hayom, to charge money for its daily rag. And now he’s strangled a new Knesset in its cradle, just 30 days after lawmakers were sworn in, because he won’t allow anyone else to try to form a government. So far, his record in self-centered, selfish elections is mixed. He won one election and the second ended without a result. If Netanyahu wins his third election on September 17, it may prove to be a very short victory, because just two weeks after that his pre-trial hearings begin. Netanyahu is still prime minister, but the Knesset can no longer pass major legislation and his plans for an immunity law and overriding clauses limiting the power of the Supreme Court will have to wait for another day. Even if he forms the next government, it could be too late to stop the slow legal juggernaut putting him on trial. This was Netanyahu’s worst night in 13 years, but he may have even worse nights ahead of him before 2019 is over.

Analysis/Why a New Election? Only Two Men Know
Noa Landau/Haaretz/May 30, 2019
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There is an enormous amount of self-interest and conspiracy flowing between Netanyahu and Lieberman, and neither of them has a clean record when it comes to transparency.
Israeli politics too often involves things that are hidden from the public, and that’s certainly true with regard to the bewilderingly complex relationship between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former aide, Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman.
Israelis are used to the political subtext — the winks, the hypocrisy and the doublespeak. Therefore, despite the barrage of official explanations, it was clear to everyone Wednesday night that the real reason for this exceptional political drama couldn’t be the conscription law. The issue of drafting the ultra-Orthodox has dogged Israel for decades. If that issue were personified, even it wouldn’t believe it had suddenly been chosen as the excuse for this plot twist.
Similarly, it was clear to everyone that the 2015 election wasn’t really caused by “subversive” behavior of former ministers Tzipi Livni and Yair Lapid that made the government ungovernable, as the ruling Likud party claimed. Nevertheless, that was the reason given to the public, in the absence of any clear evidence to the contrary. “Frequent elections aren’t a good thing, but a government that lacks governability, one that has ministers working against it from the inside, is much worse,” Netanyahu claimed at a press conference at the time. “We need to hold snap elections and set up a broad, united, strong government.” People who said the real reason for that election was the fact that a bill against Sheldon Adelson’s freebie daily Israel Hayom was progressing in the Knesset were accused of exaggerating, indulging in fantasies and even spreading conspiracies.
But, wonder of wonders, Netanyahu himself ultimately admitted that this was the real reason for the move, in response to the police investigation into his attempt to make a deal with a rival daily, Yedioth Ahronoth, by which Yedioth would give Netanyahu favorable coverage in exchange for legislation to harm Israel Hayom. Thus, “Netanyahu is the one who blocked the law to shut down Israel Hayom when he dissolved the Knesset and went to elections” suddenly became the suspect’s official testimony as to why early elections were called.
A few hours before the midnight deadline for forming a government Wednesday, Likud spokesman Jonathan Urich tweeted, “It’s not conscription and it’s not ‘principles.’ Lieberman wants to destroy Netanyahu. The rest is spin.”
There are many people in the political system who agree. In their view, this is an act of personal vengeance — or, in the more utilitarian version of the theory, it is Lieberman’s attempt to strengthen his position in the race for prime minister after the Netanyahu era ends.
But Lieberman has also insisted that he won’t join any government not headed by Netanyahu. And in light of that refusal, this explanation also seems unsatisfactory. The Channel 12 commentator Amit Segal likes to claim that politicians’ conduct in Jerusalem is more similar to the Israeli comedy “Polishuk” than it is to the American drama “House of Cards.” That’s sometimes a correct assessment, but not always. For example, it’s not at all true when it comes to Lieberman. You can say a lot of negative things about him (the list is long), but he’s definitely not stupid. Nor is he emotional. All the commentators who are sure they know the answers to this political drama, both from within the Knesset and outside it, should be sure of one thing only: that they don’t. There is an enormous amount of self-interest, conspiracy and dark intrigues flowing between Netanyahu and Lieberman. Only those two know why Israel is being dragged into another election whirlpool. And neither of them has a clean record when it comes to transparency.

Liberman: Netanyahu Is The Leftist, Not Me
Jerusalem Post/May 30/2019
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Speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv, Liberman said he was the victim of discrediting by Likud. Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman responded to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling him a Leftist and blaming him for the repeat election in September by turning the tables on Netanyahu. Speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv, Liberman said he was the victim of discrediting by Likud. “When a man from Caeserea calls a man from Nokdim a leftist, I want to remind the prime minister that it was him who voted for the disengagement from Gaza, apologized to the dictator Erdogan and refused the death penalty and the evacuation of Khan El-Ahmar and responded to 700 rockets, transferred $30 million to Hamas.”Liberman said the head of the Likud’s negotiating team, Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, and Netanyahu’s son, Yair, need psychicatrists, due to their false accusations against him. He was referring to Levin saying Yisrael Beytenu asked for five portfolios and Yair Netanyahu saying he asked for the appointment of an attorney-general who would clear him of charges in past coalition talks. He said the prime minister did not want Yisrael Beytenu in the government from day one of coalition talks and tried the entire time to “purchase” MKs in Yisrael Beytenu and opposition parties. “Our candidates all got offers to leave,” Liberman said. “Likud expected us to blink and get dictates.”Looking to the future, Liberman said Yisrael Beytenu would not recommend Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to form the next government and hinted that the party would not recommend Netanyahu, because “we want a right-wing nationalist government.”“We will dictate who next prime minister will be,” he promised.

The Likud Blames Liberman: He Will Pay The Price In The End
Jerusalem Post/May 30/2019
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"Avigdor Liberman is now part of the Left," he concluded. "You give him votes, to the Right, and he does not give his voice to the Right."
Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman was targeted following the dispersal of the Knesset after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition. Moments after the vote, Netanyahu claimed that Liberman has joined the left. "Avigdor Liberman is now part of the Left," he said. "You give him votes, to the Right, and he does not give his voice to the Right." Tourism Minister Yariv Levin (the Likud) told Kan Bet on Thursday that Liberman demanded three ministers and five portfolios during coalition negotiations. During the interview, Levin blamed Liberman for the coalition failure, saying that "it was clear to me that Liberman was not interested in entering the government," after he received a small number of seats during the April elections. "He decided that he was not interested in entering the government, so he set conditions that were clearly impossible [to achieve]."Levin added that Liberman's demands were "crazy," Levin added. However, Yisrael Beytenu hit back at Levin's claim, calling him the "ultimate liar," and saying that he "should be recorded in the Guinness Book of Records for being the ultimate liar during the coalition talks," Mako reported. Other Likud members also accused Liberman of trying to topple Netanyahu. "Liberman got everything he asked for," MK Yoav Kisch told Army Radio on Thursday, "He wanted elections, there was no connection to the draft [bill], all he wanted to do was bring down Netanyahu."MK Miki Zohar attacked Liberman saying that "this [situation] is one of the biggest farces in politics," adding that "this is a public fraud" and that Liberman "will pay the price in the end."

Analysis/Why a New Election? Only Two Men Know
Noa Landau/Haaretz/May 30, 2019
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There is an enormous amount of self-interest and conspiracy flowing between Netanyahu and Lieberman, and neither of them has a clean record when it comes to transparency.
Israeli politics too often involves things that are hidden from the public, and that’s certainly true with regard to the bewilderingly complex relationship between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former aide, Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman.
Israelis are used to the political subtext — the winks, the hypocrisy and the doublespeak. Therefore, despite the barrage of official explanations, it was clear to everyone Wednesday night that the real reason for this exceptional political drama couldn’t be the conscription law. The issue of drafting the ultra-Orthodox has dogged Israel for decades. If that issue were personified, even it wouldn’t believe it had suddenly been chosen as the excuse for this plot twist.
Similarly, it was clear to everyone that the 2015 election wasn’t really caused by “subversive” behavior of former ministers Tzipi Livni and Yair Lapid that made the government ungovernable, as the ruling Likud party claimed. Nevertheless, that was the reason given to the public, in the absence of any clear evidence to the contrary.
“Frequent elections aren’t a good thing, but a government that lacks governability, one that has ministers working against it from the inside, is much worse,” Netanyahu claimed at a press conference at the time. “We need to hold snap elections and set up a broad, united, strong government.”
People who said the real reason for that election was the fact that a bill against Sheldon Adelson’s freebie daily Israel Hayom was progressing in the Knesset were accused of exaggerating, indulging in fantasies and even spreading conspiracies.
But, wonder of wonders, Netanyahu himself ultimately admitted that this was the real reason for the move, in response to the police investigation into his attempt to make a deal with a rival daily, Yedioth Ahronoth, by which Yedioth would give Netanyahu favorable coverage in exchange for legislation to harm Israel Hayom. Thus, “Netanyahu is the one who blocked the law to shut down Israel Hayom when he dissolved the Knesset and went to elections” suddenly became the suspect’s official testimony as to why early elections were called.
A few hours before the midnight deadline for forming a government Wednesday, Likud spokesman Jonathan Urich tweeted, “It’s not conscription and it’s not ‘principles.’ Lieberman wants to destroy Netanyahu. The rest is spin.”
There are many people in the political system who agree. In their view, this is an act of personal vengeance — or, in the more utilitarian version of the theory, it is Lieberman’s attempt to strengthen his position in the race for prime minister after the Netanyahu era ends.
But Lieberman has also insisted that he won’t join any government not headed by Netanyahu. And in light of that refusal, this explanation also seems unsatisfactory.
The Channel 12 commentator Amit Segal likes to claim that politicians’ conduct in Jerusalem is more similar to the Israeli comedy “Polishuk” than it is to the American drama “House of Cards.” That’s sometimes a correct assessment, but not always. For example, it’s not at all true when it comes to Lieberman. You can say a lot of negative things about him (the list is long), but he’s definitely not stupid. Nor is he emotional.
All the commentators who are sure they know the answers to this political drama, both from within the Knesset and outside it, should be sure of one thing only: that they don’t. There is an enormous amount of self-interest, conspiracy and dark intrigues flowing between Netanyahu and Lieberman. Only those two know why Israel is being dragged into another election whirlpool. And neither of them has a clean record when it comes to transparency.

Algeria: Russian Influence, American Opportunity?
Debalina Ghoshal/Gatestone Institute/May 30/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14237/algeria-russian-influence
Vladimir Putin agreed to write off Algerian debt in 2006, on condition that Algiers purchase industrial goods, including military equipment, from Moscow. Since then, Algeria has become Russia's largest arms importer in Africa.
Until now, due to the 1999 Leahy Law, the "State Department and Defense Department are barred from providing military assistance to countries with a history of human rights violations." Algeria has an extremely poor record in this realm.
Today, however -- only if such an unacceptable situation changes significantly -- the United States might follow it closely and act accordingly.
Moscow, which had enjoyed close relations with Algeria's recently overthrown President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, is observing the unfolding events in Algeria with caution.
The recent uprising in Algeria, which culminated early April in the end of Abdelaziz Bouteflika's 20-year reign, is being touted as the North African nation's belated "Arab Spring."
The outcome of the bloodless military coup, backed by the country's growing population of disenfranchised youth, remains to be seen. But the United States should be paying close attention to how Russia, with its increasing moves on Africa in general and Algeria in particular, now proceeds.
Moscow, which had enjoyed close relations with Bouteflika, is observing the unfolding events in Algeria with caution, hoping that the changing political landscape in Algiers will not affect the defense cooperation that has been going on for decades, and which sharply increased in 2006. That was the year when Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to write off Algerian debt, on condition that Algiers purchase industrial goods, including military equipment, from Moscow.
Since then, Algeria has reportedly become Russia's largest arms importer in Africa. This extensive trade arrangement, which has included the sale of tactical ballistic missiles, technologically advanced fighter jets, rocket launchers, tanks, air-defense systems and submarines, was threatened last year, however, when U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). CAATSA, which imposes sanctions on countries that purchase military equipment from Russia, was created to counter anti-American activities on the part of Iran, North Korea and Russia – the latter for annexing Crimea, supporting President Bashar Assad against the rebels in the Syrian civil war and for attempting to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
To avoid CAATSA sanctions, Algeria – which relies on Russian arms purchases relies on Russian arms purchases for its national defense -- appealed last year to the U.S. for an exemption. Meanwhile, however, there are signs that Algiers is interested in improving its military relationship with the United States.
Algeria's reliance on Russian weapons, according to a recent analysis in the National Interest,
"... stems from a dark period in the country's history, back when Islamic extremists murdered roughly two hundred thousand citizens while on a mission to create an Islamic state; the bloodbath lasted throughout the bulk of the 1990s. A military-to-military relationship with Russia was critical for Algeria at that juncture."Algeria's ambassador to the U.S., Madjid Bouguerra, explained:
"In the '90s when we were facing the terrorist aggression none of the Western Countries accept to deliver to Algeria military equipment to help us combat the terrorists. They all thought that, 'It's a civil war, and we don't have to interfere in that.' So, the only countries were China and Russia. So, we had to buy from them for our own sake, for the sake of our own national security." The current regime change in Algeria may be providing the U.S. with the perfect opportunity to shift the balance of power in the region away from Russia. (Or it may not.)
Until now, due to the 1999 Leahy Law, the "State Department and Defense Department are barred from providing military assistance to countries with a history of human rights violations." Algeria has an extremely poor record in this realm.
Today, however -- only if this unacceptable situation changes significantly -- the United States might follow it closely and act accordingly.
**Debalina Ghoshal is an India-based non-resident fellow at the Council on International Policy in Canada. She is also an Asia Pacific Fellow with the East West Institute.
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Talks with Iran’s discredited negotiators would prove fruitless
د.ماجد رافيزادا/المحادثات مع مفاوضين إيرانيين فاقدين للمصداقية يبرهن عن عقمه وعدم فائدئته
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh//Arab News/May 30, 2019
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Some policy analysts and governments are calling on the US to pursue the negotiations path with the Iranian regime, while President Donald Trump has offered to open talks with the regime’s leaders on several occasions. In remarks to reporters at the White House, Trump this month sent a message to the Iranian leaders, saying: “What I’d like to see with Iran, I’d like to see them call me… What they should be doing is calling me up, sitting down; we can make a deal, a fair deal… We’re not looking to hurt Iran. I want them to be strong and great and have a great economy. But they should call and, if they do, we’re open to talk to them.” The White House has also passed to Swiss officials in Tehran a phone number to give to the Iranian government in case it wanted to call the president directly. Iran has resisted holding diplomatic talks with the US so far but, if the economic pressure continues, Tehran will most likely change its mind. If that should occur, the critical question is: Who should the US or international community negotiate with?
Washington should refrain from negotiating with the same Iranian team as the previous US administration. This primarily includes President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif. This is due to the fact that negotiations with the Iranian president would most likely be fruitless, unproductive and useless for several reasons. First of all, Rouhani is seen as a lame duck and unpopular president in Iran. When he first ran for president in 2013, he made several promises in an effort to rally people behind him. One of the promises was to improve people’s living standards by having four rounds of UN sanctions against Iran lifted. Diplomatic initiatives were subsequently conducted between the Islamic Republic and the UN Security Council’s five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US), plus Germany. Rouhani and his technocrat team succeeded in removing sanctions against Tehran through the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, in July 2015.
Tehran rejoined the global financial system, gained legitimacy, increased oil exports, and billions of dollars of extra revenues flowed into the regime’s treasury. Nevertheless, this extra income did not trickle down to the ordinary Iranians. The main beneficiaries were the Office of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its affiliates, including the Quds Force and the paramilitary Basij group. The regime also funneled the money into arming and empowering militia groups in the region in order to expand its influence and achieve its hegemonic ambitions.
The Iranian people have lost faith in Rouhani, particularly in the last year, as the economy has substantially deteriorated. In fact, the poor living standards of an overwhelming majority of the Iranian population and the widespread protests that have occurred among many sectors of society (including teachers, truck drivers and the unemployed) forced the so-called moderate Rouhani to admit that the country is facing its worst economic challenge in four decades. Negotiations with the Iranian president would most likely be fruitless, unproductive and useless for several reasons.
According to Iran’s presidential website, Rouhani in January spoke at a ceremony at the shrine of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, stating that: “Today the country is facing the biggest pressure and economic sanctions in the past 40 years.”
Zahra, an Iranian human rights activist, said: “The government tells us that it is the fault of the US, Israel and Iran’s enemies that the economy has gotten worse, but people are pointing a finger at Rouhani for his policies, mismanagement and silence in the face of the hard-liners.”
In addition, after scoring a victory through the nuclear deal, Rouhani and his team enabled and empowered the IRGC and the hard-liners to ratchet up their military adventurism in the region. Conflicts in the region escalated and Tehran increased its meddling in the internal affairs of several countries, including Yemen, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.
Furthermore, it is not only the ordinary people who view Rouhani and his team as discredited, but also those who have the final say in Iran’s domestic and foreign policies. Last week, Khamenei chastised Rouhani and Zarif. According to the Supreme Leader’s official website, he pointed out: “To some extent, I did not believe in the way that the nuclear deal was implemented. Many times I reminded both the president and the foreign minister.” Khamenei has also previously criticized Rouhani’s administration over the country’s economic crisis and for failing to address the people’s demands. “If all necessary measures regarding the resistance economy had been implemented, we would have witnessed a tangible difference in the country’s economic conditions and in people’s lives,” he said in 2017. In a nutshell, any potential negotiations with Iran’s President Rouhani and Foreign Minister Zarif would prove to be fruitless because Rouhani’s administration is discredited in Iran, in the region, and on the global stage.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman, and president of the International American Council. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh

Middle East allies can help Modi deliver ‘good times’
Afshin Molavi/Arab News/May 30, 2019
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces a range of problems in his second term, but he clearly does not have a popularity problem. By the sheer force of his personality, he managed another electoral landslide for his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in India’s recent elections. Modi has proven highly adept at getting elected and re-elected. The next step is to prove that he is highly adept at achieving inclusive, job-creating growth for India — something that eluded him in his first term. Back when Modi won his first election in 2014, he promised “ache din” — good times — ahead. Markets reacted positively to the business-friendly former chief minister of Gujarat and the macro growth numbers looked good: Consistent annual growth above 7 percent. However, job growth has been far slower than economic growth, and the challenge remains daunting as India must create 10 million new jobs every year. The bumper sticker summary of Modi’s first five years would be “growth good, jobs scarce.” Interestingly, Modi made the Middle East region, particularly outreach to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, a key priority of his foreign policy in his first term. Despite all of the commentary about the BJP’s uneasy relations with India’s 200 million-strong Muslim community, this has not stopped the prime minister from engaging in an energetic foreign policy aimed at key Muslim states. Some of this goes back to the good times he promised.
After all, if India is to achieve the economic heights that Modi has declared, the country will need massive amounts of investment. In fact, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley estimated that India will need $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investment over the next decade to reach the 8 percent growth needed to create adequate jobs for India’s youthful population.
Generally speaking, when you are an emerging market country and you need large-scale infrastructure investment, there is one address to call: Beijing. However, India’s suspicion of Belt and Road projects and China’s wide-ranging $62 billion investment program in Pakistan mean that will be mostly off-limits. Japan has already filled the gap with major infrastructure projects in India, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states might be next. Indeed, the UAE has already been an active investor in India. DP World, the Dubai-based ports operator, already runs five ports in India and has pledged up to $3 billion in investments. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of the UAE, was the first major anchor investor in India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, with Saudi Arabia likely to follow suit.
During the February 2019 visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to India, he announced a potential $100 billion in investments, signing accords on tourism, housing, broadcasting and infrastructure, among others. Time will tell what the numbers truly amount to, but even such ambitious goals reflect the growing commercial dynamism between India and Saudi Arabia.
The bumper sticker summary of Modi’s first five years would be 'growth good, jobs scarce'
Meanwhile, Saudi Aramco has joined hands with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and several Indian oil companies to invest up to $44 billion to build a refinery in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. However, the deal has hit some political hurdles as the chief minister of Maharashtra has called to relocate the refinery. With Modi re-elected, he will likely want to push this investment through quickly. Despite Modi’s promises of a high-tech future for India, it is worth remembering that agriculture still provides about half of the country’s employment. The next robust phase of India-GCC cooperation could be in the food security area, as the Gulf nations seek to ensure their food security and India hopes to boost its agribusinesses. On a recent visit to the UAE, I heard a significant amount of talk about this growing nexus between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi.
Lastly, another area of growth and cooperation can be India’s aviation sector. According to the International Air Transport Association, aviation supports 7.5 million jobs in India and accounts for about 1.5 percent of the economy. India’s domestic aviation sector has seen double-digit monthly growth for the past five years and is on track to become the third-largest aviation market in the world by 2024.
Carriers and airports from the GCC region play a vital role in India’s international air connectivity. Nearly one-third of all international flights that leave India land in the UAE, and nearly a third that land in India hail from the UAE. Clearly, the UAE has emerged as India’s major air hub to the world. While Emirates airline gets much of the attention, Indian carriers transport more passengers to Dubai than UAE carriers. As India moves from roughly 60 million international passengers flying today to 85 million by 2020, GCC air hubs will play a key role.Modi’s promise of labor-intensive manufacturing jobs as part of the “Make in India” campaign have not materialized. To find that elusive “ache din,” Modi may need to find other sources of job growth, from infrastructure to agriculture to aviation — and key Middle East allies will play a more prominent role than expected.
• Afshin Molavi is a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and is the editor and founder of the New Silk Road Monitor. Twitter: @afshinmolavi

Euroskeptics and nationalists to have a louder voice within EU
Dr. Theodore Karasik /Arab News/May 30, 2019
The EU’s parliamentary election results illustrate the strength of far-right populist parties and where liberal, pro-EU parties now lie within Europe’s sociopolitical space. The European Parliament represents more than 500 million people in 28 countries and the EU voting results suggest a complicated future for the continent, especially thanks to the Euroskeptics who seek alternative pathways for their respective countries.
Although pro-European parties will still hold a majority in the new European Parliament, there is no doubt a big shift is occurring. To be sure, high voter turnout — for the first time in 20 years — for this particular EU election signals a reflection of European sentiments regarding a number of hot button issues, such as an increasingly divided Europe that is being pulled in a number of different directions. How Europe looks at North Africa is going to continue to be a hot issue. The results suggest that Europeans who seek a liberal outcome are going to have to form new coalitions against the upsurge in populism. EU authority on issues such as immigration and Islamophobia are shifting.
Populist, Euroskeptic parties across Europe saw gains, which is what pro-EU forces had feared. But the various nationalist parties’ differences over issues like migration and attitudes toward Russia could cloud prospects for a united right. In France, Marine Le Pen beat French President Emmanuel Macron’s coalition. Le Pen said the result “confirms the new nationalist-globalist division.” In Italy, the League, led by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, defeated other challengers and, in the UK, amid its Brexit mess, Nigel Farage and his new Brexit Party won big.
Importantly, UK voters weren’t initially even supposed to participate in this election, as the country was due to leave the EU by the end of March. But, thanks to the Brexit crisis, Farage moved forward, decimating Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party. Farage noted that: “Never before in British politics has a new party, launched just six weeks ago, topped the polls in a national election. There’s a huge message here, a massive message here.”
In Hungary, the nationalist Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban took over 50 percent of the vote and, in Austria, conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s Austrian People’s Party won too. Poland’s Euroskeptic Law and Justice Party won 45 percent of the national vote.
Thus, France, Italy, the UK and others showed that Europeans are shifting to positions that a few years ago may have seemed highly unlikely. The trend line is illustrative of the impact of how far-right parties are sharing the goals of an EU without authority as in the past and the ability for individual European states to reject core, liberal European values by adopting an anti-immigration stance, closing borders, and rejecting the relocation of asylum seekers across the continent. The idea is to close Europe to outside influences that, from their perspective, are destroying European culture.
Bannon is seeking to form a 'supergroup' in the European Parliament that will ultimately affect EU activities
Nevertheless, Germany’s results, where the Greens triumphed, and those of other Northern European countries, such as Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland and the Netherlands, showed that environmental issues appear to trump more pressing issues regarding immigration. These results appear to mask more serious issues that the European right will be pushing in the aftermath of the European elections.
Significantly, the “Bannon effect” is in play. Former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon hailed the European Parliament election results and said the idea of further EU integration was “dead” because of the gains by far-right nationalist parties. Bannon’s efforts to build European populist parties is an ongoing project that seeks to develop a Europe that sends would-be immigrants home and allows the building of walls of separation between peoples. Bannon is set on killing the EU in terms of integration.
Bannon is seeking to form a “supergroup” in the European Parliament that will ultimately affect EU activities and shift priorities toward his global “vision” regarding concepts such as “sovereignty” and the boundaries of such ideas in practice. Bannon’s importance in Europe’s immediate future cannot be underestimated with regard to his drive and ability to create with Europeans a philosophical shift in how immigration should work and who America’s real enemies are. Bannon’s hatred of China is another driver he brings to the European table. Despite criticism of his meddling from Europe’s left-of-center officials, Bannon is providing the ideological foundations for where Europe will go next. That an American is so influential in specific European circles is testimony to the rise of new ideas surrounding nationalism and immigration policy.
Russia, of course, is looking upon Europe through a new lens. European disunity is the best news for the Kremlin’s policy toward its western flank. Moscow’s ability to influence the outcome of key debates in Europe that meet Euroskeptic goals is an important development that will now take on a new level of assertion. Russia’s business strategies in Europe will also take on a new meaning in terms of energy politics and how the EU will act in Russia’s neighborhood. Kazakhstan comes to mind, as do the Caucasus and the Baltics.
Overall, the European Parliament election results illustrate that Euroskeptics and right-leaning patriotic parties and groups will have a much louder voice as time passes.
• Dr. Theodore Karasik is a non-resident senior fellow at the Lexington Institute and a national security expert, specializing in Europe, Eurasia and the Middle East. He worked for the RAND Corporation and publishes widely in the US and international media. Twitter: @tkarasik