LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 04/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.september04.19.htm

News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006

Bible Quotations For today
Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11/33-36/:”‘No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar, but on the lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is not healthy, your body is full of darkness.Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on September 03-04/2019
Israel says Hezbollah plans advanced missile plant in Lebanon
Israel Alleges Presence of Missile Factory near al-Nabi Sheet
Hariri: Resolution 1701 Has Not Fallen, Red Lines Still Exist
Hariri: Litani River will be cleaned and we should all work on this
Berri meets UNIFIL's Del Col, Ambassadors of Britain, Pakistan
Batish, Duquesne talk CEDRE conference
Duquesne was accompanied by several experts.
Army chief meets UNIFIL's Del Col, Rampling, Kristin
'Strong Lebanon' says bloc's stance on Israeli attacks is 'sovereign
Future bloc convenes at Center House to discuss latest developments
Foreign Ministry Summons Turkish Ambassador over Aoun Criticism
French Diplomat Says CEDRE 'Still Stands'
Hit by US Sanctions JTB Says Deposits are Insured
Reports: Israeli Army Faked Casualties in Hizbullah Attack
Nasrallah Vows to Strike 'Deep Inside' Israel if Attacked Again
Israeli Media: Hizbullah Proved Capability to Hit Targets Inside Israel
Lebanon-Based Palestinian Refugee Enters U.S. after Airport Ordeal
Security footage captures Hezbollah missile narrowly missing IDF vehicle
Lebanese Bank Hit by US Sanctions Says Deposits Are Insured
Lebanon Asks Turkey to Correct Error in Addressing President Aoun
New Prosecutor Defends Japan's Handling of Carlos Ghosn Case
Netanyahu Ordered to Remove Pictures With Soldiers From Social Media
Imagine Lebanon without Hezbollah

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 03-04/2019
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Iran Space Program
Rouhani says Iran’s answer to US talks will ‘always be negative’
Iranian army general: We will continue to conduct secret military missions
Iranian tanker Adrian Darya 1 goes dark off Syria
Syrian Kurds to remove fortification from border with Turkey
US Congress Eyes Sanctions Against Turkey
US to Turkey: Idlib Operation against Terrorists was 'Precise'
Turkey Calls for Full Implementation of 'Sochi'
Turkish Inflation Falls More than Expected, Paving Way for Rate Cut
Japan Considers Sending Naval Force to Hormuz, Mandab Straits
Sudan's PM chooses 14 members of first cabinet since al-Bashir's fall
German Foreign Minister Maas arrives in Sudan
Johnson Loses Majority ahead of Brexit Parliament Showdown

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 03-04/2019
Israel says Hezbollah plans advanced missile plant in Lebanon/Ynetnews/Reuters/|September 03/2019
Israel Alleges Presence of Missile Factory near al-Nabi Sheet/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 03/2019
Security footage captures Hezbollah missile narrowly missing IDF vehicle/Jerusalem Post/September 03/2019
Imagine Lebanon without Hezbollah/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Arab News/September 03/ 2019
How to Win in Politics/Elie Aoun/September 03/2019
Iran Humiliated as its Tanker Bounces Around Mediterranean/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 03/2019
Fractured Maps and Lingering Conflicts/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 03/2019
Analysis/Lebanon Crisis Provides Brief Respite From Netanyahu’s Increasingly Deranged Election Campaign./Chemi Shalev/Haaretz/September 03/2019
Analysis/Recent Attacks on Iranian Targets Are Good for the Israeli Soul – and Not Much Else/Zvi Bar'el/Haaretz/September 03/2019
Zarif’s Inexcusable Warm Welcome in Europe/Mina Bai/Gatestone Institute/September 3, 2019

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on September 03-04/2019
Israel says Hezbollah plans advanced missile plant in Lebanon
Ynetnews/Reuters/|September 03/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78180/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%b4-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d8%b3%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%8a%d9%84%d9%8a-%d9%85%d8%b5%d9%86%d8%b9-%d8%b5%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%ae-%d9%84%d8%ad%d8%b2%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84/
IDF claims the Iran-backed terror group had been bringing specialized equipment to a weapons factory in the Bekaa Valley in an effort to set up a production line for precision-guidance missiles, hinting at further Israeli attacks in the area
Israel accused Hezbollah on Tuesday of setting up a factory for precision-guided missiles in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, in a veiled warning of further possible Israeli counter-strikes after a drone attack near Beirut attributed to Israel set off brief cross-border fighting. Sunday's shelling exchange was the fiercest between Israel and Hezbollah since the end of the 2006 Second Lebanon War. While neither side is keen to see an escalation, Israel has said it could act against any upgrades of Hezbollah's missile arsenal, while Hezbollah has said it would retaliate for any attacks on Lebanese soil. In a statement to media accompanied by satellite images, the Israeli military said that Hezbollah, with Iranian assistance, had been bringing specialised equipment to a weapons factory near the Bekaa village of al-Nabi Sheet with a view to setting up a production line for precision-guidance missiles. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response that Israel’s enemies will not possess precision-guided missiles on his watch. “These precision missiles are aimed directly at (the northern city of) Kiryat Ata,” said the prime minister. Hezbollah recently moved some of the equipment to "civilian locations" in Beirut as a precaution against strikes, the Israel Defense Forces l statement said, alluding to tensions that surged after the August 25 drone incident in a Hezbollah stronghold in a Beirut suburb. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, which has denied having precision-guided missile production sites in Lebanon. But it says it possess such weapons, which could be used to home in on and knock out key Israeli infrastructure. In an August 31 speech, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah accused Israel of using the movement's capability with precision-guided missiles as a pretext for attacks. Israel has not formally claimed responsibility for the Beirut drone strike, which a regional security source said hit a component of the precision-guided missile project. Hoping to move Beirut to rein in Hezbollah, Israel has signalled that in any further flare-up it could carry out widespread attacks on Lebanon.

Israel Alleges Presence of Missile Factory near al-Nabi Sheet
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 03/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78180/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%b4-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d8%b3%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%8a%d9%84%d9%8a-%d9%85%d8%b5%d9%86%d8%b9-%d8%b5%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%ae-%d9%84%d8%ad%d8%b2%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84/
Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee on Tuesday claimed that Hizbullah has set up a factory for producing precision-guided missiles near the Bekaa town of al-Nabi Sheet, saying the purported plant is part of the party’s alleged precision missile program. “This site is of great importance to Hizbullah regarding the precision-guided missile program, that’s why Hizbullah operatives have been evacuating special and expensive equipment from it, fearing a strike on the location,” Adraee tweeted. “They have transferred the equipment to civilian properties in Lebanon, including in the capital Beirut,” he added. On Thursday, the Israeli army accused Iran of collaborating with Hizbullah to assemble precision-guided missiles that could cause "massive" human casualties in Israel. Tehran and Hizbullah plan to convert "stupid rockets into precision-guided missiles," Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus told journalists in a conference call. Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah responded on Saturday, saying: "In Lebanon, we have what we need in terms of precision missiles for any confrontation great or small... we don't have precision missile factories." The statements came amid soaring tensions between the two sides over Israeli strikes in Syria and in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Hizbullah retaliated on Sunday by firing Kornet missiles at an Israeli military vehicle in northern Israel.

Hariri: Resolution 1701 Has Not Fallen, Red Lines Still Exist
Naharnet/September 03/2019
Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed Tuesday that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 has not “fallen,” despite the latest exchange of hostilities between Israel and Hizbullah. “The Lebanese state has diplomatically contained what happened, from the issue of the drones all the way to Hizbullah’s response,” Hariri told al-Jadeed television. “We must preserve stability and Resolution 1701. The main problem is that the situation in the region as a whole is in a crisis and we do not need new crises,” Hariri added, when asked about Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s latest remarks. “This is my starting point and protecting Lebanon is the main concern,” Hariri added. Responding to another question, the premier said: “Resolution 1701 has not fallen and the red lines are still in place. What’s important is to continue to implement UNSCR 1701. What concerns me is what happens on the ground, which is the implementation of this resolution.” Asked about the calls for the government’s resignation, Hariri said: “These are viewpoints, but those who demanded that are still in the government.” Nasrallah threatened Monday to hit "deep inside" Israel, a day after an exchange of fire on the Lebanese-Israeli border sparked fears of a wider conflict between the arch-foes. Sunday's escalation was brief and followed a week of rising tensions, including what Hizbullah described as an Israeli drone strike on its stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Nasrallah on Monday said there were "no more red lines" in Hizbullah's confrontation with Israel.
He said Hizbullah would respond to further Israeli attacks with strikes "deep inside Israel" and not just along the border. "If there is any aggression against Lebanon, there will be no such thing as international borders," he warned.

Hariri: Litani River will be cleaned and we should all work on this
NNA - Tue 03 Sep 2019
The President of the Council of Ministers Saad Hariri said that “the Litani River Basin will become clean, and this requires that we all work together and at a rapid pace.”Hariri spoke this afternoon at the Grand Serail during a ceremony held for the presentation of the results of “the plan to remove industrial pollution from Litani River: steps and measures taken”, launched by the Minister of Industry Wael Abu Faour. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Speaker Elie Fereli, Ministers Jamal Jarrah, May Chidiac, and Fadi Jraissati and a number of MPs, Ambassadors, representatives of the diplomatic corps, general directors, governors and industrialists. Hariri said: “I would like to thank Minister of Industry for the work he is doing. The Litani River Basin will become clean, and I mean it.We have to implement the steps we have agreed on in the Council of Ministers and the committees that we held, both in Parliament and Council of Ministers. Frankly, the work is very slow. The ministry of Industry is doing a great job and the other ministries should accelerate the work, whether the ministries of Agriculture or Environment and the Litani River Authority that is working hard. But we must realize that it is a national mission, which is in the interest of all Lebanese. This project is not for the Bekaa but for all of Lebanon. Surely the Bekaa will benefit the most because the water is there, but today’s situation needs to be addressed as soon as possible.”Hariri thanked Minister of Industry for the tangible progress, pointing that there should be joint work between the ministries because what pollutes the Litani River comes from agriculture, industrial materials, solid wastes, slaughterhouses and others. He added: “This is why we have to bear in mind to clean this vital river as soon as possible. A meeting was held in my office with the World Bank to provide us with the funds to continue the project faster, especially that the state pays interest up to 11, 12 and 13%, while the World Bank gives us loans with interest of 1 and 2%.” He said that this meeting will be held every three or six months to see the progress in this project, adding that what is important is to clean up the Litani River, because what is happening is not acceptable. Hariri concluded: “The Litani River should not be polluted. We should work day and night, and I have full confidence in the ministers of industry, environment and agriculture. I also want to thank Deputy Speaker Elie Firzli and all the MPs from all the political parties. In the end, no one can do the work alone, and we have all work together to save the Litani. All the administrations should work with the Litani River Authority, the World Bank, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Parliament to reach what we are looking for and to bring the Litani back to what it was in the past.” For his part, Minister Abu Faour promised to reach zero industrial pollution by the end of Summer, and asked Premier Hariri to demand all concerned ministries and departments to work seriously to stop the pollution of the Litani.

Berri meets UNIFIL's Del Col, Ambassadors of Britain, Pakistan
NNA -Tue 03 Sep 2019
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, welcomed on Tuesday at his Ain El Tineh residence Pakistani Ambassador to Lebanon, Najib Dourani. Speaker Berri also welcomed British Ambassador to Lebanon, Chris Rampling, with whom he discussed the latest developments.
On emerging, Ambassador Rampling described his discussions with Speaker Berri as "constructive" especially after the recent developments in Lebanon and the broad region. Ambassador Rampling said they also discussed the economic situation and agreed on continuing consultations. This afternoon, Berri met with UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col, accompanied by several political and military aides. General Del Col briefed Berri on the developments on the ground within UNIFIL's operation zone, in particular, and in the South, in general.

Batish, Duquesne talk CEDRE conference
NNA -Tue 03 Sep 2019
Trade and Economy Minister Mansour Batish, received Tuesday French inter-ministerial delegate for the Mediterranean, Pierre Duquesne, tasked with following up on CEDRE conference.

Duquesne was accompanied by several experts.
NNA -Tue 03 Sep 2019
Discussions reportedly touched on the general economic situation in Lebanon. On emerging, Minister Batish said they discussed the Country's general economic situation and most recent developments, notably the Baabda meeting and the main points of the economic paper.
Minister Batish relayed the French diplomat's comfort regarding the sense of responsibility demonstrated by the Lebanese officials at this stage, in the face of the economic difficulties.
Following the meeting, the French diplomat expressed satisfaction regarding the approval of the 2019 state budget, reflecting a positive impression in terms of reforms demanded by the international community which should be further accelerated in a way that reassures the international community and falls in the interest of Lebanon.

Army chief meets UNIFIL's Del Col, Rampling, Kristin
NNA -Tue 03 Sep 2019
Army Commander General Joseph Aoun received on Tuesday at his Yarzeh office British Ambassador to Lebanon Chris Rampling, with talks reportedly touching on the general situation in Lebanon and the broad region. Maj. Gen. Aoun then met with UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col, with whom he discussed the situation along the southern borders. The army commander also met with the Chief of staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, Major General Kristin Lund, who came on a farewell visit upon the end of her mission in Lebanon.
"Beirut Marathon" Association Head, May Khalil, also visited the army commander, with an array of matters featuring high on their talks.

'Strong Lebanon' says bloc's stance on Israeli attacks is 'sovereign'
NNA -Tue 03 Sep 2019
The "Strong Lebanon" parliamentary bloc indicated Tuesday that its stance following the Israeli attacks on Lebanon was "sovereign," adding that retaliation to the enemy's violations should not be deemed as escalation. "The rules of engagement have changed due to the Israeli action against the southern suburb of Beirut," the bloc said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting and read out by State Minister Salim Jreissati. "We cannot accept this violation of sovereignty," Jreissati said. "Retaliation cannot be considered as escalation," he added.
"Our stance is sovereign and it complies with the national unified position," he maintained. On a different note, the bloc welcomed the economic dialogue that took place in Baabda palace.

Future bloc convenes at Center House to discuss latest developments
NNA -Tue 03 Sep 2019
Future bloc on Tuesday convened at the Center House under the chairmanship of MP Bahia Hariri, to tackle the overall situation in the country. The bloc discussed the outcome of the recent Baabda economic-political meeting at the Baabda palace.
In a statement issued in the wake of the periodic meeting and read out by MP Assem Araji, the bloc hailed the sense of national responsibility that prevailed during the Baabda meeting, hoping it would be a step towards establishing an advanced stage in terms of required reforms and solutions. The bloc said that the anticipated measures should be accompanied by unavoidable steps essential for activating economy, attracting flow of money and investments and offsetting risks of deflation. Future bloc emphasized the need to avoid delay or reluctance in this regard, saying "There are six months ahead of us to launch reforms and procedures and to put the CEDRE investment program on track." On the other hand, the bloc renewed condemnation of the Israeli attacks and violations of the Lebanese sovereignty, expressing satisfaction regarding the course adopted by the government in this regard. Future bloc also stressed that the Lebanese are charged with defending their land and sovereignty under the roof of the state and its legitimate institutions.

Foreign Ministry Summons Turkish Ambassador over Aoun Criticism
Naharnet/September 03/2019
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned the Turkish ambassador to protest a Turkish statement that criticized President Michel Aoun over his latest remarks about the Ottoman era. “At the instructions of Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, the ministry’s director of political and consular affairs Ghadi al-Khoury summoned Turkish Ambassador to Lebanon Hakan Cakil in connection with the statement issued by the Turkish foreign ministry on September 1,” the Lebanese ministry said in a statement. It said the Turkish statement contained “expressions and a rhetoric that do not conform to the diplomatic norms and the historic friendly relations between the Lebanese and Turkish peoples and states.”“In this regard, Ambassador al-Khoury requested a clarification about this statement and a correction of the mistake by the Turkish side, to avoid misunderstandings and preserve the special bilateral ties between the two countries,” the statement added. In its statement, the Turkish foreign ministry had strongly condemned Aoun’s remarks, describing them as “deeply regrettable and irresponsible.”“President Aoun’s disregard for what happened during the (Western) colonialism period, through distorting history with hallucination and his attempt to put the blame on the Ottoman administration, is a tragic manifestation of his passion for surrendering to colonialism,” the Turkish statement said.In a speech Saturday marking 100 years since the declaration of the State of Greater Lebanon, Aoun said “all attempts for liberation from the Ottoman yoke were met with violence, killings and the sowing of sectarian discord.” “The state terrorism that the Ottomans practiced against the Lebanese, especially during World War I, led to hundreds of thousands of victims, who were killed by famine, conscription and forced labor,” the president added.

French Diplomat Says CEDRE 'Still Stands'
Naharnet/September 03/2019
Pierre Duquesne, the French inter-ministerial delegate for the Mediterranean, stressed on Tuesday that the projects and reforms approved at CEDRE conference in Paris still stand, but that Lebanon needs to implement a series of reforms to convince the international community. “A series of reforms were suggested at CEDRE related to the public sector, the customs, and tax evasion. These issues must be discussed by the Lebanese Cabinet in the next few weeks,” Duquesne said in remarks to reporters after holding talks with Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil. “We discussed the 2020 state budget which must be approved within constitutional deadlines, not in 2020. This is mandatory not for the international community but for Lebanon’s interest. CEDRE still stands. There is no reason why it should not. We are committed to an investment program,” he added. However, the French diplomat stressed the need to expedite the approval of Lebanon’s 2020 state budget. “Speed is required in approving the 2020 budget and there are decisions that must be taken quickly to convince the international community and the Lebanese,” he concluded. Donors at the so-called CEDRE conference last year in Paris pledged $11 billion in aid and soft loans to Lebanon, which has promised to reduce its public spending including on electricity. Concerns emerged that Lebanon risks losing these loans if it fails to address its economic crisis mainly after Fitch Ratings downgraded Lebanon.

Hit by US Sanctions JTB Says Deposits are Insured
Associated Press/Naharnet/September 03/2019
A Lebanese bank targeted by the U.S. Department of the Treasury for "knowingly facilitating banking activities" for Hizbullah says it will remain open and guarantees all deposits are insured at the time they are due. Last week, the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Jammal Trust Bank, adding it to its list of global terrorist organizations. The bank's statement on Tuesday also confirms its commitment to abiding strictly by the rules and regulations of the Central Bank of Lebanon and denies all allegations against it. The bank says it's continuously coordinating with Lebanon's central bank "to overcome the current crisis and will do everything possible to clear its good name." The U.S. has been imposing sanctions on officials from Hizbullah, which Washington considers a terrorist organization.

Reports: Israeli Army Faked Casualties in Hizbullah Attack
Associated Press/Naharnet/September 03/2019
Minutes after a Hizbullah anti-tank missile exploded on an Israeli army base, an Israeli military helicopter touched down and medics loaded a soldier on a stretcher aboard. By the time it landed at a Haifa helipad minutes later, TV cameramen were at the scene to film paramedics transferring the soldier into a waiting ambulance. Only it turns out there were no wounded Israeli soldiers. By Monday morning, Israeli media reported on the "deception operation" the military had waged against the Lebanese militant group the day before in the thick of the fog of war. The Israeli military's aim: to convince Hizbullah that it had scored a direct hit on a military vehicle and inflicted Israeli casualties, and therefore cease fire. The militant group Hizbullah said its missile attack was retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in Syria a week earlier that killed two of its members. Israel said its bombardment on the outskirts of Damascus thwarted an imminent Hizbullah drone strike force organized by Iran. The Israeli military had confirmed "hits" in Hizbullah's attack, but was silent throughout the two-hour battle about whether there were any casualties.In the midst of the media confusion, Cabinet minister Yoav Gallant, a former general, told Army Radio that there were no Israeli casualties before he was apparently told to stop talking to the media. According to the media reports, in the days preceding Sunday's exchange of fire, the Israeli military had evacuated the Avivim military base near the Lebanese border and changed military vehicle traffic on the roads along the frontier in anticipation of a Hizbullah reprisal. Lebanese media aired footage of Israeli military vehicles sitting near the border with mannequins in the front seat. As part of the Israeli gambit, an army helicopter transported soldiers, bandaged and feigning bloody wounds, to Haifa, where paramedics loaded them into awaiting ambulances to the Rambam Medical Center. The hospital said it had released the soldiers, who were unharmed. It wasn't clear to what degree Israel's emergency services were involved with the deception. A spokesman for Israel's ambulance service, Magen David Adom, declined comment, deferring to the Israeli military. A hospital spokesman was not available for comment. Hours later, after the dust settled, Israeli media reported that the entire medevac operation had been an elaborate ruse. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted late Sunday that Israeli forces had not suffered even a "scratch." The military said it had not distributed any of the videos shown in Israeli media, but declined any further comment on the reported ruse. On Monday, Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV aired footage that it said showed its missile strike against an Israeli armored vehicle along a border highway. Israel retaliated for the missile attack with an artillery barrage and helicopter strikes over the border into Lebanon that inflicted no casualties. Within a few hours, after Lebanon's prime minister called the U.S. and France urging the international community to intervene, and a U.N. peacekeeping mission contacted all sides, calm was restored.
Israel considers the Iranian-backed militant group its most immediate threat. The two battled to a stalemate in a 2006 war, and since then Hizbullah is believed to have amassed a stockpile of some 130,000 missiles and rockets. Israel has carried out scores of strikes in neighboring Syria to prevent alleged Iranian arms transfers to its Lebanese proxy.

Nasrallah Vows to Strike 'Deep Inside' Israel if Attacked Again
Agence France PresseNaharnet/September 03/2019
Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah threatened Monday to hit "deep inside" Israel, a day after an exchange of fire on the Lebanese-Israeli border sparked fears of a wider conflict between the arch-foes. Sunday's escalation was brief and followed a week of rising tensions, including what the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite movement described as an Israeli drone strike on its Beirut stronghold. Israel has not acknowledged that attack, but accused Hizbullah and Tehran of colluding to produce precision-guided missiles on Lebanese soil. Nasrallah on Monday said there were "no more red lines" in Hizbullah's confrontation with Israel. He said Hizbullah would respond to further Israeli attacks with strikes "deep inside Israel" and not just along the border. "If you attack us, your borders, soldiers and settlements -- including those on the border and those deep inside (Israel) -- will be threatened and targeted," he said. "If there is any aggression against Lebanon, there will be no such thing as international borders." He spoke after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country was "prepared for any scenario". "We shall continue to do everything necessary to preserve Israel's security, at sea, on land and in the air, and we will continue to act against the threat of precision missiles," Netanyahu said on Monday. On both sides of the Lebanon-Israel border, life returned to normal on Monday a day after Hizbullah fired anti-tank missiles into the Jewish state, drawing return fire from Israel which caused brush fires.
'War can start in a minute'
Schools were open in the Israeli village of Avivim, from which the Lebanese town of Maroun al-Ras is clearly visible on a nearby hill. "The war can start in a minute. I am worried it could happen," said Dudu Peretz, 35, as he dropped his son off at kindergarten. In southern Lebanon, farmers returned to their fields and the United Nations force tasked with monitoring the border area resumed its patrols, an AFP journalist said. "We're used to this kind of thing," said Ali al-Safari, a resident of Bint Jbeil on the Lebanese side of the border. "We remain determined and calm." Sunday's exchange of fire began when Hizbullah fired anti-tank missiles at an Israeli army base near the border community of Avivim and at a vehicle Israel said was a military ambulance, destroying it. Israel retaliated with around 100 artillery shells targeting the squad that fired the missiles. Hizbullah said it had destroyed an Israeli military vehicle and killed and wounded those inside -- a claim refuted by Israel. Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV on Monday aired footage purporting to show a missile being launched towards a moving armoured vehicle, before an explosion sends large clouds of white smoke into the sky.
Al-Manar's presenter said two Kornet anti-tank missiles had been fired at the target, 1.5 kilometres (one mile) from the border.
Drone attack
After the flare-up, Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri contacted senior US and French officials to urge their countries and the international community to intervene. The UN called for restraint and France said it had made "multiple contacts" to avert further fire. The United States slammed the "destabilising role" of Iranian allies in the Middle East and said it "fully supports Israel's right to self defence". The pre-dawn August 25 attack involved two drones -- one exploded and caused damage to a Hizbullah-run media centre and another crashed without detonating due to technical failure, Hizbullah said.
President Michel Aoun, a former army chief, denounced it as a "declaration of war". It came hours after Israel launched strikes in Syria to prevent what it said was an impending Iranian drone attack on the Jewish state, in which Hizbullah said two of its fighters were killed.
A source connected to Hizbullah called Sunday's fire a response to those deaths, and said a reaction to the alleged drone attack would take place in the air. On Monday the Syrian government threw its support behind Hizbullah, whose fighters have since 2013 been fighting on President Bashar al-Assad's side in Syria's civil war. A source at the ministry of foreign affairs told state news agency SANA that Damascus felt "pride at the... operation" against Israel. Israel has staged hundreds of strikes against what it says are Iranian and Hizbullah targets in Syria since the civil war began there in 2011, vowing to prevent its arch-foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in the neighbouring country. But a drone attack by Israel inside Lebanon would mark a departure -- what Nasrallah labelled the first such "hostile action" since a 2006 war between them. The 33-day war killed 1,200 Lebanese -- mostly civilians -- and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. Sunday's escalation came just over two weeks ahead of Israel's September 17 election. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seen as wanting to avoid a major conflict before the vote.

Israeli Media: Hizbullah Proved Capability to Hit Targets Inside Israel
Naharnet/September 03/2019
Israeli media reportedly said on Tuesday that Hizbullah has proven capability of targeting positions inside Israel sought to be safe by its army, Israeli Channel 12 said. “Hizbullah proved capable of firing at roads that were considered safe in northern Israel,” Channel 12 said in the aftermath of Sunday’s Lebanese-Israeli border fire flare. “The (Israeli) soldiers did not properly plan the route and estimated that they are not exposed to the enemy behind the border,” said the Channel. On Sunday, Hizbullah said its fighters had "destroyed" a military vehicle on the road to the Avivim barracks in northern Israel, killing or wounding those inside. Israel's army said it had responded with around 100 artillery shells after Hizbullah fired two or three anti-tank missiles at a battalion headquarters and military ambulance, hitting both. Israeli officials refuted claims of casualties.The Israeli Channel concluded its report saying “the Kornet guided missile fired by Hizbullah has hit the military vehicles and soldiers were luckily saved.”

Lebanon-Based Palestinian Refugee Enters U.S. after Airport Ordeal
Associated Press/Naharnet/September 03/2019
A Palestinian student who was denied entry to the United States just days before he was scheduled to start classes at Harvard University has been admitted to the country. Ismail Ajjawi was on campus as classes began Tuesday, the university confirmed. "The last ten days have been difficult and anxiety filled, but we are most grateful for the thousands of messages of support and particularly the work of AMIDEAST," his family said, referring to the academic organization that provided their son a scholarship to attend Harvard. "We hope now that everyone can respect our and Ismail's privacy and he can now simply focus on settling into College and his important class work." Ajjawi didn't respond to messages seeking comment and his father, Bassel, declined to elaborate beyond the written statement. Ajjawi's lawyer, Albert Mokhiber, called his client's case a "classic sad tale with an exceptionally unique happy ending." "Against all odds a Palestinian refugee who attended UNRWA schools in the camps of Lebanon, earns a full scholarship to Harvard, hits a road block, but is eventually granted entry to the U.S. to pursue his college dream," he said in a statement, referring to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency that provides aid to Palestinian refugees. Ajjawi was denied entry Aug. 23 after spending eight hours in Boston Logan International Airport. He had been living in Lebanon. The 17-year-old freshman said the denial had to do with politically oriented social media posts by friends. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has said only that the decision to cancel Ajjawi's visa was based on information discovered during an inspection. The agency on Tuesday said Ajjawi "overcame all grounds of inadmissibility" and was admitted into the country on a student visa. It declined to answer questions about why he was initially denied entry and how the case was resolved. AMIDEAST, which offers scholarship for financially challenged Palestinian youths from Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, said the U.S. Embassy in Beirut reviewed Ajjawi's case and reissued his visa."We are pleased that Ismail's Harvard dream will come true after all," said Theodore Kattouf, the organization's president and CEO, in a statement. "Ismail is a bright young man whose hard work, intelligence and drive enabled him to overcome the challenges that Palestinian refugee youth continue to face in order to earn a scholarship."

Security footage captures Hezbollah missile narrowly missing IDF vehicle
Jerusalem Post/September 03/2019
The video, captured by security cameras at Kibbutz Yir'on, shows the anti-tank missile striking the road as an IDF "Ze'ev" vehicle comes into view from the site of the explosion seconds later. A new video from a northern kibbutz's security cameras shows an anti-tank missile fired by Hezbollah narrowly missing an IDF vehicle on a road near the Galilee town of Avivim on Sunday, refuting claims by Hezbollah that the attack succeeded in hitting its target, according to Mako news. The video, captured by security cameras at Kibbutz Yir'on, shows the anti-tank missile striking the road as an IDF "Ze'ev" vehicle comes into view from the site of the explosion seconds later. On Monday, Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar news published footage of the attack carried out on Sunday from the Lebanese side of the border, claiming that it refuted "all the claims that the attack failed to hit Zionist soldiers." The footage showed that two missiles were fired from two positions. Israeli officials stated that no IDF troops were injured.Minutes after the Hezbollah anti-tank missiles hit, soldiers with bandages and fake blood were flown by helicopter to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa. They were taken off the helicopters in stretchers and were discharged after the round of fighting ended. “We can’t hide injured troops in Israel for half an hour,” a top security official said, disputing claims in Lebanon that troops had been injured in the attack. Hezbollah broke "the biggest red line for dozens of years" for Israel by targeting it across border, not in the contested Shebaa farms area where the group had previously targeted IDF troops, said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The attack against Avivim was a message to Israel, Nasrallah warned. "We no longer have red lines. This is the start of a new phase. Remember this date."
*Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report.

Lebanese Bank Hit by US Sanctions Says Deposits Are Insured
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 3 September, 2019
A Lebanese bank targeted by the US Department of the Treasury for "knowingly facilitating banking activities" for the Hezbollah party stressed Tuesday it will remain open and guarantees all deposits are insured at the time they are due. In a statement, Jammal Trust Bank confirmed its commitment to abiding strictly by the rules and regulations of the Central Bank of Lebanon and denies all allegations against it. The bank said it is continuously coordinating with Lebanon's central bank "to overcome the current crisis and will do everything possible to clear its good name." Central bank Governor Riad Salameh told Reuters on Friday that it would guarantee money put in the bank by depositors not subject to sanctions. Last week, the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Jammal Trust Bank, adding it to its list of global terrorist organizations. The US has been imposing sanctions on officials from Hezbollah, which Washington considers a terrorist organization. Jammal Trust Bank has 25 branches in Lebanon and representative offices in Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and Britain, its website says. The bank is a relatively small lender. It had net assets of 1,600 billion Lebanese pounds ($1 billion) at the end of 2017, according to the annual report on the latest year for which data is available. Washington has sought to choke off Hezbollah’s funding worldwide, with sanctions among a slew of steps against Tehran since US President Donald Trump withdrew last year from a 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran.

Lebanon Asks Turkey to Correct Error in Addressing President Aoun
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 3 September, 2019
ongly denounced the Turkish response to a recent speech by President Michel Aoun, in which he spoke of violence and killing during the Ottoman occupation of what is now modern-day Lebanon. “It is important for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants to emphasize that addressing His Excellency, the President of the Republic in this manner is unacceptable and denounced, whereby the Turkish Foreign Ministry ought to correct the error, especially since Turkish-Lebanese relations are deeper and greater than an exaggerated, out-of-place reaction,” the ministry said in a statement on Monday.
In a speech celebrating the centennial of the formation of Greater Lebanon Saturday, Aoun had recalled the “state terror practiced by the Ottomans against the Lebanese, especially during World War I.”He noted that this had led to “hundreds of thousands of victims of famine, conscription and forced labor.”
In response, the Turkish Foreign Ministry described Aoun’s statements as “baseless and biased.” It also denied the alleged use of state terror by the Ottoman Empire in Lebanon. “This extremely unfortunate and irresponsible statement by President Aoun made only a week after the visit of Mevlut Cavusoglu, foreign affairs minister, to Lebanon, does not comply with the friendly relations between the two countries,” the Turkish statement added. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry affirmed that “the President’s speech included a factual narrative of some of the historical events that Lebanon faced under the Ottoman rule, and which were overcome by the Turkish and Lebanese peoples, who are looking forward to the best political and economic bilateral relations in the future.” “What brings the two countries together is far more than what divides them, and the common challenges require mutual work, not division,” the ministry emphasized. It said it “will follow up on the required measures to correct the error in diplomatic terms and prevent any damage to relations between the two countries.”

New Prosecutor Defends Japan's Handling of Carlos Ghosn Case
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 3 September, 2019
Tokyo's newly appointed chief prosecutor defended his office's handling of the case against former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn Tuesday, saying everything is being carried out properly under Japanese law, including a court-ordered ban on Ghosn's contact with his wife.
Asked about criticisms of Japan's criminal system as "hostage justice," referring to prolonged detentions of suspects possibly leading to false confessions, Tetsuya Sogi said he didn't really understand what that meant. The criticism has been raised for decades from abroad and within Japan, by human rights advocates as well as by legal experts. Ghosn's case has helped draw international scrutiny. "The criminal legal system is designed so that we must look at the evidence," Sogi told reporters at the Tokyo Prosecutors Office, according to The Associated Press. "Overall balance is important." Ghosn, charged with under-reporting his income and breach of trust, says he is innocent of all allegations of financial misconduct. Ghosn's wife is not a suspect, but prosecutors say prohibiting contact, including emails and meetings with a third party present, is needed to prevent evidence tampering.
A trial date has not been set. Both sides say the trial might not begin for months. Sogi, 59, whose appointment was formally announced Monday, stressed that prosecutors must adapt to changing times, and cited digital transfers of wealth across borders as an example. He said he modeled his work style on an octopus going amok in a jar, remaining flexible while moving freely to try various solutions. Ghosn, who led Nissan Motor Co. for two decades, was first arrested in November, freed on bail but then re-arrested, and again released on bail in April. His wife Carole Ghosn has appealed to human rights organizations and French President Emmanuel Macron for help concerning her husband's treatment.Nissan, which makes the Leaf electric car, March subcompact and Infiniti luxury models, has seen its vehicle sales and profits tumble and its brand image tarnished over the Ghosn scandal. His absence has also raised worries about Nissan's alliance with Renault of France, which owns 43% of Nissan and sent in Ghosn to turn around Nissan from near bankruptcy.

Netanyahu Ordered to Remove Pictures With Soldiers From Social Media
Tel Aviv- Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 3 September, 2019
The Central Elections Committee has ordered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop using images of the military in his advertising campaign. In August, Committee Chairman Justice Hanan Melcer ruled that Netanyahu broke the law by posting a video on his Facebook page that showed him at an air force base together with the Israeli army chief of staff and the air force commander. He also ruled that Netanyahu must remove that post and any similar posts. Netanyahu has been accused of trying to take advantage of military tension on various fronts for his partisan electoral purposes. The Premier and his Likud party members have posted numerous videos and photographs of him alongside soldiers and senior officers at bases and at the scenes of attacks. It is noteworthy that campaign advertising law forbids making use of the military “in a way likely to create the impression that it is identified with a particular party or ticket.”Netanyahu is doing all he can to win this election, knowing that not winning means going to jail on corruption charges. Meanwhile, opinion polls have shown that half of the Israeli public is dissatisfied with Netanyahu’s handling of the situation on the northern border with Hezbollah, and the majority is dissatisfied with his policy in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) has published a poll on the elections, in which it asked the public about a number of issues related to the premier’s duties. Forty-five percent of them expressed their satisfaction with Netanyahu's policy in facing security risks north of the country. While 45 percent opposed them and said they were dissatisfied. Moreover, 61 percent of people said they were dissatisfied with Netanyahu's policy in dealing with Gaza Strip. The poll focused on the results of the votes in case the elections were held now. It turned out that the Likud party could still win, with 32 seats, the same number obtained in previous polls. While his rival, Benny Gantz’s Kahol Lavan (Blue and White), received 31 seats,

Imagine Lebanon without Hezbollah
عبد الرحمن الراشد: تصور كيف سيكون لبنان من دون حزب الله
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Arab News/September 03/ 2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78174/%d8%b9%d8%a8%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%b4%d8%af-%d8%aa%d8%b5%d9%88%d8%b1-%d9%83%d9%8a%d9%81-%d8%b3%d9%8a%d9%83%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%86/
I think there is a group of people who still believe the lies Hezbollah and its leader spout to justify using Lebanon in this week’s attack against Israel. At the same time, I doubt there are any people, even from within this group, who agree with Hezbollah’s actions and the damage the group causes Lebanon while using excuses that no longer convince anyone.
Hezbollah has given years of ethnic, patriotic and religious excuses, from the liberation of the south to the protection of religious places and the Syrian Shebaa Farms. Because of Hezbollah, Lebanon is beleaguered internationally in its financial transactions and trade and tourism, while nationally it is held captive and controlled, from the airport to the house of government.
The price of the damage every Lebanese has paid and is still paying is easily calculated. The salary of a qualified engineer in Lebanon is way less than $24,000 per year, which is about a quarter of an engineer’s salary elsewhere, and the same goes for doctors, farmers and cab drivers.
Beirut’s small airport accommodates fewer than 9 million travelers per year, while in Dubai, where the population does not exceed even half of Lebanon’s, the airport accommodates more than 70 million travelers per year. While the UK’s Port of Dover deals with up to 13 million passengers per year, Beirut’s port is visited by only 9,000 passengers each year.
Moreover, Lebanese citizens lack basic services, including health care, electricity and municipal services, such as roads and sanitation, among many others. The main cause is the presence of the armed party of Hezbollah, though the blame usually falls on politicians, who do not dare blame Hezbollah.
Hezbollah is the only cause of the state’s low income and political bullying, presenting the armed militias under the pretext of resistance.
When late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri rebuilt Beirut International Airport, Hezbollah and the Syrian regime waged a relentless campaign against him, accusing him of corruption because he built an airport that exceeded the country’s needs; the final construction plan was set to accommodate up to 35 million travelers per year. The bullying ended with Hariri’s assassination, only four months after the opening of the airport.
The operation of impoverishing the country is ongoing, and the aim is to prevent any other party from taking independent decisions regarding the state under its control and becoming stronger than Hezbollah and its men.
Millions of tourists from all around the world do not visit Lebanon, which is supposed to be the top destination in the region, as most governments have added Lebanon to their warning lists.
It is not hard to understand the damage caused to Lebanon’s 6 million people by Hezbollah’s presence as an armed militia. However, it is harder to understand those who are still supporting Hezbollah today, echoing its resistance claims against Israel and justifying its arms and daily defiance of the state and its authorities. All other front-line states have signed peace agreements with Israel: Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and even Syria, with the Agreement on Disengagement, which is why it used Hezbollah to carry out its heroic acts on behalf of Lebanon.
Millions of tourists from all around the world do not visit Lebanon, which is supposed to be the top destination in the region, as most governments have added Lebanon to their warning lists. And the only reason is Hezbollah.
The poverty of Lebanese citizens, the immigration of millions of others, and the influx of Syrian refugees are all caused by Hezbollah. The weakness of the state and its poor services are also caused by Hezbollah.
Hezbollah is the cause of the Lebanese lira’s depreciation, the low wages and the high unemployment rate. There was a time when each qualified person could have found a job with double the wages received by their counterparts in the region.
Israel is not the problem, Hezbollah is. If Lebanon’s politicians do not address this problem, the country will not come out from the hole dug for it by Iran and its proxy.
Hezbollah’s followers and fans can still preserve it, while preserving Lebanon at the same time, by forcing it to disarm and become a civil political party. Otherwise, more painful decisions are on the way.
Finally, I would only like to say: Imagine Beirut, and all of Lebanon, without Hezbollah.
*Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is a veteran columnist. He is the former general manager of Al Arabiya news channel, and former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat. Twitter: @aalrashed

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 03-04/2019
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Iran Space Program
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 03/2019
The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Iran's space program, saying that a recent explosion on a launch pad was a sign of missile work. "The United States will not allow Iran to use its space launch program as cover to advance its ballistic missile programs," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.

Rouhani says Iran’s answer to US talks will ‘always be negative’
Reuters, Dubai/Tuesday, 3 September 2019
Iran’s answer to bilateral talks with the US will “always be negative,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday, adding that Iran may further cut nuclear commitments in days. “No decision has ever been taken to hold talks with the US and there has been a lot of offers for talks but our answer will always be negative,” Rouhani told an open session of parliament carried live by state radio. Rouhani also said Iran was ready to further reduce its commitments to a landmark 2015 nuclear deal "in the coming days" if current negotiations yield no results by Thursday. US President Donald Trump, although applying “maximum pressure” on Iran, has offered to meet its leaders and hold bilateral talks with no pre-conditions to end the confrontation between their countries. Rouhani added that European nations are failing to implement their commitments following the US pullout from the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. He said that the Europeans “did not carry out their task.”Last month, Rouhani said Iran would not talk to its longtime foe until the United States lifted all of the sanctions it reimposed after it exited a 2015 nuclear deal last year. European parties to the deal have struggled to calm the deepening confrontation between Iran and the United States and save the deal by shielding Iran’s economy from the sanctions.

Iranian army general: We will continue to conduct secret military missions
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday, 3 September 2019
The Iranian army has recently conducted secret missions and will continue to do so, the commander of the Iranian army Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi said on Tuesday, reported the semi-official Mehr news agency. “Some of the measures recently taken by the army were not reflected [in the media] for special security and intelligence reasons,” said Mousavi, adding: “This trend will continue for some of the important and secret operations in order to protect the regime’s interests.”Conducting major operations “in anonymity and without propaganda” has more value, he said. “The mere fact that we put our lives on the line against enemies and they feel our slap in their face is enough for us,” Mehr quoted Mousavi as saying. Iran has been accused of destabilizing the region in numerous ways, including its support for terrorist and proxy groups and its continued missile program. Iranian proxies in Yemen and Iraq have targeted US allies with drone and missile attacks, while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) seized the British-flagged oil tanker the Stena Impero in July, 2019. Iran also claims to carry out regular missile tests. In August, deputy defense minister Ghasem Taghizadeh boasted that Iran has “highly accurate” missiles which it has kept secret to “surprise the enemies.”

Iranian tanker Adrian Darya 1 goes dark off Syria
Reuters, Beirut/Tuesday, 3 September 2019
The Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 at the center of a dispute between Tehran and Western powers appears to have turned off its transponder in the Mediterranean west of Syria, Refinitiv ship-tracking data showed on Tuesday. The tanker which is loaded with Iranian crude oil, sent its last signal giving its position between Cyprus and Syria sailing north at 15:53 GMT on Monday, the data showed. The vessel, formerly named Grace 1, was detained by British Royal Marine commandos off Gibraltar on July 4 as it was suspected to be en route to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. Two weeks later, Iran in retaliation seized a British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz leading into the Gulf. Gibraltar released the Iranian vessel on August 15 after receiving formal written assurances from Tehran that the ship would not discharge its 2.1 million barrels of oil in Syria. However, shipping sources say the tanker is likely to try to conduct a ship-to-ship transfer with another vessel for part of its cargo after Iran said a sale had been concluded. Washington has warned any state against assisting the ship, saying it would consider that support for a terrorist organisation, namely, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The US Treasury Department blacklisted the tanker on Friday.

Syrian Kurds to remove fortification from border with Turkey
The Associated Press, Beirut /Tuesday, 3 September 2019
A spokesman for the Kurdish-led US-backed force in Syria says they have carried out a patrol near a border town with Turkey to select fortifications to be removed soon. Mustafa Bali of the Syrian Democratic Forces tweeted that the patrol occurred Tuesday near Tal Abyad.
The SDF announced last week that it has begun withdrawing its fighters from the border towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ayn as part of a deal for a so-called safe zone in northeastern Syria involving the US and Turkey. Bali tweeted that the SDF are working together with the US-led coalition “to make the agreement successful and to ease tensions on the border.”Turkey has been pressing for a safe zone to ensure security on its border running east of the Euphrates River toward the Iraqi border. Last Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will put its own operation plan into effect if Turkish troops do not control a “safe zone” in northeast Syria, which it has been planning with the United States, within a few weeks.

US Congress Eyes Sanctions Against Turkey
Washington- Elie Youssef/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 3 September, 2019
US officials, especially at Congress, reaffirmed that upcoming weeks will be decisive for the future of ties between Washington and Ankara as the latter grows closer to Russia. As Congress returns from recess, all eyes are on the list of decisions it will take against Turkey obtaining the Russia-made S-400 missile systems. The arms purchase has placed Ankara right under the threat of being sanctioned under the US’ Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). CAATSA calls for sanctioning any enemy state which purchases arms from Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Many members of Congress have called on President Donald Trump's administration to take firmer steps toward rising tensions with Turkey against the backdrop of Ankara's continued threats to invade the eastern Euphrates region in Syria. The US House Foreign Affairs Committee has asked Trump, in a tweet, to put sanctions against Ankara over the deal to buy the Russian air-defense system, the S-400. The Trump administration remains silent or at least practicing patience on the issuing of sanctions against Turkey, although it has suspended the delivery of F-35 fighter jets and halted its pilot training and production program in response to Ankara going for the Russian missile system. Sources close to the matter reported that the United States is seriously thinking about canceling the handover of three F-35 jets legally owned by Turkey and which are kept at an American base. This could lead to legal repercussions between the NATO allies, because it would mean that Washington is willing to seize foreign military assets that are cleared from decisions or laws prohibiting dealing with or handing them over. With that being said, it is the US’ duty to deliver these planes—this is reminiscent of the bold statements made by Turkish officials, who said removing Turkey from the F-35 program was impossible.

US to Turkey: Idlib Operation against Terrorists was 'Precise'
London/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 3 September, 2019
The US operation in Syria’s Idlib governorate was a “precise and targeted response” to leaders of terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qaeda, according to a US State Department official. Russia accused the US of “endangering” the ceasefire in Syria's Idlib province, where Washington on Saturday evening carried out an air strike against leaders of an extremist organization. The Russian military said that Washington carried out the strike without advance notice to Russia and Turkey, describing the US attack as “indiscriminate.” The Russian Defense Ministry said the raid caused “great losses and destruction”, accusing Washington of having compromised the ceasefire in the de-escalation zone of Idlib. At least 40 fighters were killed in the US missile attack, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Earl Brown confirmed a strike had been conducted against the Qaeda terrorist group. He indicated the strike targeted a facility located north of Idlib. The strike came the day the ceasefire declared by Russia and agreed by Damascus came into effect in Idlib, which has been under four months of bombardment that killed 950 civilians. Another ceasefire declared in early August collapsed days after it was announced, noting that the province and its environs are covered with an agreement signed by Russia and Turkey in Sochi in September 2018. The US official told Russian media that: “This operation targeted Syria Qaeda's leaders responsible for attacks threatening US citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians.”“With our allies and partners, we will continue to target violent extremists to prevent them from using Syria as a safe haven,” asserted the spokesman.

Turkey Calls for Full Implementation of 'Sochi'
Ankara - Saeed Abdulrazzak/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 3 September, 2019
Turkey called on Russia and Iran to ensure the full implementation of Astana deal and urged the Syrian regime to immediately stop its attacks against Idlib to avoid a humanitarian crisis. "The Assad regime must immediately stop its attacks in Idlib carried out on the pretext of terrorist elements," said Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin. The Idlib deal should be implemented immediately without delay, he added, warning of another humanitarian crisis if no political solution was reached. Kalin reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan informed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during their meeting last week that Ankara is looking forward to literally implementing Sochi Agreement signed on September 17, 2018. He said that Idlib was designated as a de-escalation zone and it was under the guarantee of Turkey and Russia. The spokesman added that the tripartite summit on Syria will be held between the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran, in Ankara on September 16, pointing out that Erdogan and Putin discussed at length the events in Idlib during their meeting last week. The summit is expected to discuss the Syrian issue in general and the developments in Idlib in particular. “The solution [in Syria] is that the political process is actualized immediately without delay,” Kalin noted, stressing the need to establish the constitutional committee, transition government, and prepare for elections as part of the Astana and Geneva processes. Meanwhile, Erdogan said that the operations carried out by his country's forces in northern Syria contributed to the failure of what he called the “terrorist belt” that was meant to be established in those areas. Speaking at a meeting of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Konya, Erdogan said the developments in Syria and the Middle East was a crucial issue for his country, and that Ankara could not simply stand by and watch these developments. Erdogan asserted he was “determined to clear the terrorist lairs east of Euphrates River.”Earlier, he also threatened that Turkey will have to carry out its own plan if the US starts delaying the safe zone agreement related to northern Syria. “If our soldiers do not start to control the area actively, we will have no choice but to activate our own operational plans,” stated Erdogan. Turkey and the US agreed last month on a Joint Operations Center at the Turkish army frontier in the Akcakale district of Sanliurfa.

Turkish Inflation Falls More than Expected, Paving Way for Rate Cut
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 3 September, 2019
Turkey's annual inflation rate fell slightly more than expected to 15.01% in August, data showed on Tuesday, resuming its downward trend and likely paving the way for another interest rate cut as soon as next week. The data boosted the lira and marked another positive surprise after figures on Monday showed Turkey's economy shrank less than expected in the last quarter. Apart from a brief rise in July, annual inflation has been generally falling after hitting a 15-year high above 25% last October in the wake of Turkey's currency crisis, which tipped the economy into recession. Consumer price inflation eased in August from 16.65% in July to hit its lowest year-over-year reading since May last year. It was below a Reuters poll forecast of 15.51. Month-on-month, consumer inflation stood at 0.86% in August, also less than a poll forecast of 1.3%, data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) also showed. The Turkish lira traded at 5.7745 against the US dollar at 1024 GMT, its strongest in a week, up from 5.8170 before the data. The recent easing of inflation allowed the central bank to cut interest rates in July for the first time in more than four years, and by a hefty 425 basis points. Analysts said the positive surprises in August would lead to more monetary easing. "The expected continuation of the decline in inflation in the coming months gives the central bank room for future rate cuts," said Muammer Komurcuoglu, economist at Is Invest. "Unless there is an upward surprise on the exchange rate before the (policy) meeting, we expect a 250 basis points cut in the policy rate at the September meeting," he said. The central bank will hold its next policy meeting on September 12. The bank slashed its key rate to 19.75% in July, leaving Turkey with a still relatively high real interest rate, and has tied further cuts to further easing in inflation. Central bank Governor Murat Uysal has said there is "considerable" room for maneuver on policy as the bank forecasts 13.9% inflation by the end of the year, and 8.2% at the end of 2020.
Data questioned
Turkey's dollar bonds rose after the inflation data, with longer-dated maturities logging the most gains, including the 2045 issue rising 1.3 cents. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long called for rate cuts to spur economic growth. But a string of better-than-expected data in recent months, including lower inflation than forecast in four of the last five months, has led to criticism by the main opposition party, the Republican People's Party. It filed a motion in parliament in June claiming a TUIK methodology adjustment damaged credibility. On Tuesday, Republican People's Party spokesman Faik Oztrak said on Twitter that "despite all the price hikes" monthly CPI was only 0.86%. TUIK "should do the nation a favor and announce the addresses of where it takes the prices from. Our nation should not be deprived of these cheap and reasonable prices," he wrote. TUIK has said suggestions that the data is incorrect or politically influenced are untrue. "Enflasyon" - the Turkish word for inflation - was among the country's top trending topics on Twitter on Tuesday. The steady recent decline in annual inflation is primarily due to the so-called base effect of measuring it against the jump that began around mid-2018. CPI inflation spiked in September and October of last year, suggesting the next two monthly readings will fall sharply from 15% in August. Aside from base effects, in August the biggest fall was in transport prices, which dropped 1.94%, while food and beverage prices fell 0.77%, the data showed.
The producer price index fell 0.59% month-on-month in August for an annual rise of 13.45%, the official data showed.

Japan Considers Sending Naval Force to Hormuz, Mandab Straits
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 3 September, 2019
Japan will not join a US-led security mission to protect merchant vessels passing through key Middle Eastern waterways, but will consider deploying its naval force independently, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Tuesday. Citing unidentified government sources, the Yomiuri said Japan was considering a plan to send its Maritime Self-Defense Force (SDF) on information-gathering missions in the areas around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab shipping lane between Yemen, Djibouti and Eritrea. It would also consider including the Strait of Hormuz in the SDF’s sphere of activity if Iran agrees, the paper said, according to Reuters. Asked about the newspaper report, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga declined to mention specific measures that the government was considering to ensure the safety of Japanese vessels. “As for what kind of steps would be effective to secure the safety of navigation of Japanese ships in the Middle East, we would like to look into the matter from various angles including stable crude oil supply, and Japan’s ties with the United States and Iran,” Suga told a regular news conference. “As we investigate the issue, we want to keep our principle of maintaining our diplomatic effort for easing tensions and stabilizing the situation in the Middle East.”Iran has denounced US efforts to set up the coalition and says countries in the region can protect waterways and work toward signing a non-aggression pact. The Japanese government is set to make a final decision, including whether the plan is feasible, after the United Nations General Assembly later this month, the Yomiuri said. Suga said arrangements are being made for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly later this month. Global commodity trading has been rocked in recent months by the seizure of a British tanker and a series of attacks on international merchant vessels that the US and Britain have blamed on Iran. Tehran denies involvement. Britain last month became the first US ally to announce its participation.

Sudan's PM chooses 14 members of first cabinet since al-Bashir's fall
Reuters, Khartoum/Tuesday, 3 September 2019
Sudan’s prime minister has approved 14 members of his cabinet, the first to be appointed since the fall of long-term leader Omar al-Bashir in April, a source said on Tuesday. The nominations include Sudan’s first female foreign minister, and a former World Bank economist as its new finance minister who will a face an economic crisis that has deepened in recent months. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok approved them along with 12 other new ministers, a member of the main civilian group in the ruling Sovereign Council said. Asmaa Abdallah had been chosen as foreign minister, according to the member of the Forces for Freedom and Change grouping, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Ibrahim Elbadawi would serve as finance minister, the source added. Adel Ibrahim was tapped to lead the Energy and Mining Ministry, the source said. General Jamal Aldin Omar will lead the defense portfolio, he added. The government will lead a three-year transition to elections under a power-sharing deal between the military and civilian opposition.
Hamdok was expected to announce the full cabinet in the next two days, state news agency SUNA said.

German Foreign Minister Maas arrives in Sudan
AFP, Khartoum /Tuesday, 3 September 2019
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived Tuesday in Sudan which is ushering in a long-awaited transition from decades of autocratic rule under ousted leader Omar al-Bashir. The visit by Maas comes after Sudan swore in a new prime minister and a civilian-majority ruling body to steer the country through a three-year transitional period. The steps toward transition are part a power-sharing deal signed on August 17 by an umbrella group that led months of protests against veteran leader Bashir, and the generals who seized power after ousting him. “Sudan stands at a turning point of its history,” Maas said in a statement ahead of his visit. The top German diplomat is expected to meet with the newly-appointed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and the head of Sudan’s ruling body, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Maas said he was looking forward to holding talks with representatives from the protest movement “to express my highest appreciation to them.”“We want Sudan to be able to seize this historic chance and, after years of isolation, to receive the necessary support from the international community,” he added. Sudan has long suffered a pariah status especially due to its listing by the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1993. The designation has damaged its economy and hampered foreign investment. After his visit to Sudan, Maas is due to head to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Johnson Loses Majority ahead of Brexit Parliament Showdown
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 03/2019
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday lost his working majority in parliament with the dramatic defection of a party member ahead of a showdown with MPs over Brexit that could lead to an early general election. In a heated parliamentary session, Johnson condemned a plan by lawmakers to block his Brexit strategy as "surrender" and said it would undermine his intention to negotiate a new divorce deal with the EU. Opposition MPs and rebel members of his Conservative party are planning to vote for delaying beyond October 31 if he cannot agree exit terms with Brussels. While Johnson was making his statement, Conservative MP Phillip Lee was seen crossing the floor of the Commons to sit with the pro-European Liberal Democrats. Lee said in his resignation letter that the Conservative Party "has become infected with the twin diseases of populism and English nationalism" as a result of Brexit. MPs will first try to make room in the parliamentary agenda for a debate of the bill by putting forward a motion set to be voted on by MPs on Tuesday evening.
If they succeed, they will introduce their bill on Wednesday and seek to get it through before parliament is suspended next week.
Johnson's aides have warned that defeat in a first vote in the House of Commons expected at 2000 GMT on Tuesday would force him to call a snap election on October 14. Johnson would need the support of the main opposition Labor party to call a snap poll, as the law requires the backing of two-thirds of MPs. Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn said Johnson was not really intending to do a deal with Brussels and instead planned to crash Britain out of the EU. "His is a government with no mandate, no morals and, as of today, no majority," he said.
Pound tumbles
The rebels believe they have the numbers to force through the plan, which is backed by the main opposition Labor party and could delay Brexit to January 31. Lee's defection means the prime minister no longer has a majority in the 650-seat chamber. The government's numbers could shrink even further if it dismisses MPs that vote against it later on Tuesday. But losing the majority does not automatically bring down the government as this can only happen if the government loses a formal confidence vote. On a day of high drama, an Edinburgh court also heard a legal challenge against Johnson's decision to suspend parliament next week for more than a month, which critics said was a bid to silence MPs. The judge is expected to announce his ruling on Wednesday.
The heightened political tension sent the British pound tumbling on Tuesday to its lowest level against the dollar in almost three years.
$16bn lost
Johnson took office less than six weeks ago, after his predecessor Theresa May was forced out over her failure to get her Brexit divorce deal through parliament. From the start, he faced opposition from his own MPs who fear his threat of leaving the EU without an agreement with Brussels risks severe economic disruption. Leaked government assessments have warned that no-deal could lead to food, fuel and medicine shortages. U.N. economists also on Tuesday warned that Britain could lose at least $16 billion (14.6 billion euros) a year on exports to the European Union if it left without a deal.
'No concrete proposals'
Johnson has rejected the divorce deal on the table but insists he wants to reach an agreement with Brussels to ease the end of Britain's 46-year-old EU membership. EU leaders have refused to reopen the current Brexit text but Johnson insists progress is being made, saying that only with a credible threat to walk away will he secure a new deal.
But critics note that there are no formal negotiations with Brussels, and both sides have stepped up preparations for a disorderly divorce next month. A spokeswoman for the European Commission said Tuesday that it had yet to see any "concrete proposals" from London on how it wants to change the existing deal. Corbyn has repeatedly called for an election and warned that if the legislative route fails, he may try to force one by calling a confidence vote in the government. But many Labour MPs also fear a trap. Johnson's aides insist any election would be held before Brexit, but some of his opponents fear he could change the date at the last minute to after October 31. This would leave parliament powerless to stop a "no deal" Brexit.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 03-04/2019
How to Win in Politics
ايلي عون: كيف تربح في السياسة
Elie Aoun/September 03/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78157/elie-aoun-how-to-win-in-politics-%d8%a7%d9%8a%d9%84%d9%8a-%d8%b9%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%83%d9%8a%d9%81-%d8%aa%d8%b1%d8%a8%d8%ad-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%a9/
Most of the political news has no value by the time we finish reading it.
What is today the value of the political news that we read or heard yesterday? Nothing.
By tomorrow, what would be the value of the time we spend on reading today’s news? Nothing.
We must stop wasting our most precious commodity (our time) on the least meaningful subject matter (news about politicians).
We serve ourselves and our country better by investing this precious time on the betterment of ourselves, our own affairs, and the people who are meaningful to us.
All the effort we dedicated in the past in the pursuit of this or that cause would have been better served if we dedicated it to ourselves – not out of selfishness, but out of love of ourselves and our country – knowing that by being stronger, the country is stronger.
Instead, we were made weaker by making us believe to pursue this or that “cause,” this or that person, only to realize that all our effort and energy were wasted and depleted for no useful purpose – and sometimes, against our purpose. Living this type of life was a sin against the Creator and ourselves. If we had focused all that time and energy on ourselves, we would have been in a better position now to serve our country and our people.
This is not a statement of regret, but a statement of lessons learned so that others could benefit from.
We are given talents to use wisely. Let us do so and stop wasting even one minute of our life to read an article or even a quote about the politicians. Instead, focus on yourself and what you can accomplish.
The “activists” on social media should stop wasting their time and effort commenting on what this politician says or does. We all made that mistake. Rather, they must assume responsibility for something constructive (regardless of how minimal it may be) and pursue it.
Making positive contributions, even on a small scale, is more beneficial in the long term than criticizing politicians – who have no dignity, honor, or sensibility to feel an iota of responsibility to rectify their errors or heed any advice to correct their path.
The strength of a nation lies in virtue, in spiritual and intellectual progress. We have these far more than they do. Let us rise above the politicians and make our own path. Ignore them and focus on yourself.
In order to succeed in saving a country, we have to focus all our energy and effort in accomplishing that which we can do – rather than wasting our energy and effort on that which we cannot control.
Let us focus on constructive objectives which we can achieve ourselves, without them.

Iran Humiliated as its Tanker Bounces Around Mediterranean
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 03/2019
Iran has been downright humiliated before the world as it cannot sell two million barrels of oil to any country — not even its allies. Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 has been going from port to port, unable to unload its shipment.
Out of fear of Washington, the Panamanian shipping company under which the Iranian oil tanker was sailing has disowned it and removed it from its records, prompting it to take down Panama’s flag, change its name from Grace 1 to Adrian Darya 1, and raise the Iranian flag.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, was happy. He thought he defeated the US when the UK gave in to Tehran’s blackmail and released the tanker, which was seized at the Port of Gibraltar, after an act of piracy by Iran against a British vessel in the Gulf. Since that day, the Iranian vessel has been wandering without a specific destination. Greece, Turkey and Lebanon refused to aid it.
Remember, the tanker is carrying oil, not forbidden weapons; but despite this, no government dared to receive the Iranian vessel. We see before us an example of how US power is displayed without bullets or Marines, and without the need to board the ship or arrest its captain. The world can see how the Iranian regime is unable to sell the two million barrels or even offer them as a free gift. How will it manage its international dealings during the US sanctions period?
Chasing the ship at sea and depriving it of its destination is an American message, not only to the supreme leader of Iran, but also to the region and the world, allies and enemies alike. Washington has tied Iran’s hands and driven it back into a corner, leaving it with only one open door — negotiations. It will not find a trick to overcome the boycott, and evidence of this is that Lebanese banking institutions were blacklisted last week; another blow and a message to the Lebanese and Iraqis who think there is a valuable opportunity to trade in the boycott era.
President Donald Trump’s administration is repairing America’s prestige, which reached rock bottom in past crises, when previous US administrations — and European governments, too — were forced to pay bribes to release their citizens arbitrarily detained by the Tehran regime, and remain silent in response to its assassinations on their territories and the violations of its companies.
Whatever our opinion of the Trump administration and its stances, the US is a real major power that does not hesitate to discipline anyone who messes with its interests and security. While Trump and his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo address the supreme leader using nice language — come, let us negotiate — they also carry a thick stick.
Because of Trump, the supreme leader receives plenty of bad news, which spoils his almond tea hours. This news includes the bombing of his militias in Iraq, the attack against Hezbollah with a booby-trapped drone in Lebanon, the bombing of his forces in Syria, the sabotaging of his ballistic missile launch tests (which Trump flaunted with a photo on Twitter), the bans on his remittances, the global blacklisting of his bankers, and the chasing of his oil tankers at sea. This is in addition to the unannounced intelligence operations against Iran in various areas in the region.
Can Iran bear this intense and persistent targeting? It may bet on a change after the US elections next year, but until then its losses are significant. President Hassan Rouhani was forced to address his citizens, calling on them to be patient with the hardships of living, low wages and unemployment. This sounds more like a cry for help than a call for solidarity, and reflects Rouhani’s frustration with his boss, the supreme leader, at a time when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps squanders their people’s money to flare up the region with wars.

Fractured Maps and Lingering Conflicts
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 03/2019
A map is like a building. Its safety lies in its proper maintenance, because time can weaken it. Age attacks it. It wrinkles its features, damages its immunity and causes its fracture.
From within these fissures the wind creeps. It finds allies and enemies. New causes are added to the already existing civil wars.
Maintenance means the existence of a normal state, which looks after its citizens. It listens to them, engages them and works to improve their conditions. All-embracing institutions… a judicial system of high integrity… Security institutions operating under the Constitution…
When a country is broken, it loses its immunity. Its law is violated from within. Its international borders are breached from the outside. Transnational conflicts seep into its ideology and militias, and the map is forced into conflicts beyond its capacity.
The danger is compounded when the country neighbors fractured states. One state fuels the unrest of another, leading to a muddy and bloody landscape and convoys of dead and displaced.
The politician painted a grim picture for the coming years in this crazy part of the world. He said the countries of the Middle East needed a school, a factory and investments, but it is promised more wars and conflicts. He noted the absence of any reliable reference that could stop the fall into the abyss.
The prestige and decisions of the international organization have waned. It has become a media platform rather than a body for the protection of international peace and security. The problem is not only the inability to find solutions, it is also the inability to provide truces and time for recalculations.
He noted that the decline in the role of international legitimacy is accompanied by a very difficult international situation. In the world of the two camps, it was enough for Washington and Moscow to agree to contain any conflict and prevent its continuation.
This world took an irrevocable path. The world of the only superpower born from the womb of the Soviet rubble did not survive either.
Managing the world is a difficult task that cannot be assumed by a single force, regardless of its economic weight. New and alternative balances are taking shape. The European role has declined and the Chinese has progressed, but an international dispute-control mechanism, based on a fair distribution, has not yet been developed. The distribution should take into account the return of Russia, the rise of China and the changes that have befallen the world due to the successive scientific and technological revolutions.
The politician said the problem is that we are talking about some of the countries of the region without taking into account the profound changes that have hit their internal balances and the infiltration of regional or international players into their composition.
A routine task, such as forming a government, has turned into an arduous mission, like for example the case in Iraq and Lebanon. The world is demanding the government of Adel Abdul Mahdi, for example, what it cannot provide. It is unable to keep Iraq out of the harsh exchange of messages between Washington and Tehran. At the same time, it is unable to keep Iraq out of the exchange of strikes between Iran and Israel. Any serious attempt to keep the Iraqi arena out of these tensions will entail the country’s fall.
The lack of the Iraqi government’s immunity is an explicit reflection of the Iraqi state. Can Abdul Mahdi, for example, force the Popular Mobilization to refrain from engaging in any confrontation with Iran in the region? The realistic answer is known. The same can be said of Saad Hariri's government in Lebanon, despite differences in location and local conditions.
The truth is that we are confronted with fractured countries that have not succeeded in restoring their national unity to plug the leaks through which foreign intervention seeps through. Iraq, for example, needed US military assistance to eliminate ISIS. Were it not for the American raids, this organization would have lasted for a long time.
Powerful countries are not charities. They have interests and demands. One cannot take advantage of US power and then choose to go in an opposite direction. There are costs for such wavering choices. There is something even more serious. The eradication of ISIS has succeeded, but reports are currently circulating about the organization’s resumption of operations near Mosul and elsewhere in Anbar. The problem is that the policies that paved the ground for the birth of ISIS did not fade away with the collapse of the terrorist state.
Take the Syrian situation as an example. Russian military intervention succeeded in transforming the course of the war. The idea of overthrowing the regime is no longer viable, but this intervention has not succeeded in launching a process to end the war.
It is not simple to see that Turkey and America are establishing a “safe area” within the Syrian map to push the Kurds away from their borders. Based on a realistic approach, it is difficult to imagine Syria returning to a normal sovereign state and its armed forces deployed on its entire map without a partner, be it a state or a militia.
The delay in securing the return of refugees to their homeland provides the ground for the spread of extremism once again.
The Kurds’ feeling that their sacrifices in the fight against ISIS have never been taken into account paves the way for reactions that will soon emerge.
It was previously thought that states bordering Israel lived on the faultline triggered by the Arab-Israeli conflict. Today, this conflict is no longer the first item in the region's fears or concerns.
The Iranian influx in the region after the uprooting of Saddam Hussein's regime put a number of countries on a new faultline. The fracture of multi-national states has in turn triggered tremors that have not completely receded. The recent Israeli attacks in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, in turn, shaped a new faultline.
The Yemeni rift is clear and we have witnessed in recent days chapters indicating what could happen unless the Yemenis make a decisive choice to resort to the dialogue that Saudi Arabia has called for as the only way to address their problems and shape their future. The Houthis have become an active Iranian agent, which revealed that the crack in the Yemeni map runs deep.
Russia can live with this growing rift in maps. So can the US. And maybe some other regional states. But what about peoples who are torn apart in the shadow of fractured maps that import new conflicts and add them to lingering old ones?

Analysis/Lebanon Crisis Provides Brief Respite From Netanyahu’s Increasingly Deranged Election Campaign.
كيمي شاليف/هآرتس: أزمة لبنان توفر فترة استراحة قصيرة من حملة نتنياهو الانتخابية المتزايدة بالإضطراب
Chemi Shalev/Haaretz/September 03/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78169/%d9%83%d9%8a%d9%85%d9%8a-%d8%b4%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%81-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%d8%a2%d8%b1%d8%aa%d8%b3-%d8%a3%d8%b2%d9%85%d8%a9-%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%81%d8%b1-%d9%81/
The prime minister’s delusional tirade against concocted enemies is scary if contrived – and terrifying if genuine.
The meticulously stage-managed Hezbollah retaliation against Israel on Sunday brought both good news and bad news. The good news is that a potentially destructive military escalation on Israel’s northern border was averted. The bad news is that the all-clear signal in the north – which may only be temporary – frees Netanyahu to return to his increasingly and dangerously demented election campaign.
Not that electioneering was totally absent from the Lebanon flare-up, at least in its closing lines. An elaborate and somewhat bizarre Israeli ruse meant to feign casualties so that Nasrallah could declare “mission accomplished!” was undermined by overeager cabinet minister Yoav Galant who blurted out the truth.
Benjamin Netanyahu then upped the ante by gloating over Hezbollah’s failure to leave “even a scratch” on any Israeli soldier, seemingly goading Nasrallah not to make do with Sunday’s attack. Netanyahu was roundly criticized for once again straying from Israel’s previous policy of “ambiguity” concerning its military operations, including the attacks on Iranian militias in Iraq and on a Hezbollah plant in Beirut, for purely political reasons.
Nonetheless, Netanyahu and the army chiefs deserve credit for containing a fierce and potentially devastating confrontation with Hezbollah, sustaining manageable damage in return for Israel’s recent drone attack on the Beirut plant developing precision-guidance for Hezbollah’s formidable missile arsenal. Netanyahu’s deft handling of the situation, however, stood in sharp contrast to his increasingly unhinged election campaign.
To crib from Robert Louis Stevenson, it seems that while Dr. Benjamin Jekyll continues to manage Israel’s affairs of state, Mr. Bibi Hyde has taken over the Likud’s election campaign.
Dr. Jekyll is the responsible statesman who has generally garnered positive reviews for his careful management of Israel’s ongoing war against Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, Syria and even Iraq. Mr. Hyde, on the other hand, is the divisive demagogue whose incitement against the media and legal system is escalating while his grip on reality seems to loosen.
Dr. Jekyll is the responsible statesman who has generally garnered positive reviews for his careful management of Israel’s ongoing war against Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, Syria and even Iraq. Mr. Hyde, on the other hand, is the divisive demagogue whose incitement against the media and legal system is escalating while his grip on reality seems to loosen.
In a transparent effort to harm Channel 12, Netanyahu picked on the new HBO series “Our Boys”, which recounts the brutal murder of Palestinian teen Mohammed Abu-Khdeir by Jewish zealots seeking revenge for the kidnapping of three Israeli soldiers in July 2014. The Israeli-American miniseries – hitherto lauded for its sensitive depiction of the apprehension of the perpetrators by the Shin Bet and widely seen as another feather in the cap of Israel’s internationally successful television industry – was described by Netanyahu as “anti-Semitic,” no less. The prime minister called on his minions to boycott Channel 12 in return. But Netanyahu went full blast bonkers when he seemed to be contemplating a nightly Facebook appearance, which he dubbed “The Truth Newscast” without so much as a wink to George Orwell. His “truth”, Netanyahu said, would compete with what he described as Channel 12’s “Gantz-TV”, despite the fact that the station’s interviews with the Kahol Lavan leader and obsessive reporting about discord in its ranks have inflicted more damage on his challenger than all other news outlets combined.
But you have to see and hear the entire post to grasp the full measure of Netanyahu’s dangerous dementia. His appearance is riveting and appalling at the same time, rendering a Trumpian harangue, albeit one delivered by a far more cunning and accomplished performer. Netanyahu fully lives up to his reputation as a charismatic TV personality second to none but exceeds his own high standards as a truth-bending, fear-mongering, hate-spreading rabble-rouser who can brainwash his followers to his heart’s content.
Notwithstanding the mountains of damning evidence publicized by Attorney General Avihai Mendelblit in his March declaration of intent to indict him on charges of corruption, Netanyahu has consistently and vociferously denied any wrongdoing. Consistent with his denial, he has depicted press leaks of hitherto unpublicized testimonies of witnesses against him as “fake news,” “a witch hunt” and now “a terror attack against democracy.” But his onslaughts have never been as focused, ominous, potentially lethal or detached from reality as his latest volley.
The more comforting assessment of the prime minister’s blitzkrieg against the media and its supposed lackeys in the legal system – along with the little that remains of Israel’s checks and balances – is that this is vintage Netanyahu, albeit on steroids. After all, Netanyahu’s election campaigns are renowned for their fabrications and incitement – from Yitzhak Rabin selling Israeli security to Yasser Arafat to the cynically concocted 2015 cry of “Arabs flocking to polls.” His 2019 bogeyman is the media, which Netanyahu’s fans, primed by their leader, have come to denigrate and despise.
By this account, Netanyahu’s most recent dive into the cesspool in which he thrives is a calculated campaign ploy aimed at diverting attention from his alleged corruption while firing up his base against a purported wide-ranging “plot” to depose him. If his propaganda seems more desperate than ever it is only because Netanyahu is literally fighting for his own personal freedom and is increasingly apprehensive about losing the battle. Netanyahu is convinced that his one-time protégé and former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman is gunning for his head and is thus getting increasingly frenzied due to Lieberman’s growing strength in the polls.
The far scarier scenario has Netanyahu succumbing to his well-documented paranoia and persecution complex, amplified ten times over by his wife Sara and son Yair, pushing him to embrace the delusional figments of his own imagination. He described Channel 12, for example, as a stifling monopoly, despite the existence of two mainstream competitors – both of which Netanyahu tried to dismantle – as well as a burgeoning stable of television, radio and print outlets that are unabashedly pro-Netanyahu.
Netanyahu’s performance on Saturday night may have been so completely compelling, therefore, not because it featured Israel’s consummate political actor but because his appearance was no act at all. Netanyahu may actually see himself now as a latter-day Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish martyr about to be felled by a sinister cabal comprised of leftist defeatists and cosmopolitan anti-Semites. His distraught reactions to press reports about his alleged corruption are getting loonier because Netanyahu himself is going berserk at the hands of the demons he invented all by himself.
The short-term danger is that Netanyahu’s dementia, feigned or genuine, will inflame the election campaign, inspire fear and loathing and possibly provoke violence against those “plotting” against him. The long-term and far more sinister danger is that if and when he wins the September 17 election, Netanyahu won’t discard his persecuted victim mentality, as many expect, but take it with him, fully-loaded, to his fifth straight term in office.
Netanyahu will then unleash all his pent-up fury and lust for revenge on freedom of speech, civil liberties and rule of law until he has felled what increasingly seems like his greatest adversary – Israeli democracy itself.

Analysis/Recent Attacks on Iranian Targets Are Good for the Israeli Soul – and Not Much Else
زيفي بارئيل/هآرتس: الهجمات الأخيرة على الأهداف الإيرانية هي جيدة نفسياً الإسرائيلية وليس أكثر
Zvi Bar'el/Haaretz/September 03/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78169/%d9%83%d9%8a%d9%85%d9%8a-%d8%b4%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%81-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%d8%a2%d8%b1%d8%aa%d8%b3-%d8%a3%d8%b2%d9%85%d8%a9-%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%81%d8%b1-%d9%81/
Though Israel's Military Intelligence has outstanding ability to gather information ahead of an operation, it can't say what diplomatic and strategic outcomes would follow.
The satellite that Iran planned to launch into space on Thursday ended its life with a big explosion. This isn’t the first time Iran has failed to send a satellite beyond Earth’s atmosphere. On the two previous occasions, in January and February, the tests ended similarly. One was reported by Iran, the second was concealed from the media.
But the interesting point in this whole affair is related to the president of the United States, who hastened to deny that his country was involved in the explosion. Did anyone ask him? Blame him? Until Donald Trump’s tweet, Iran apparently did not intend to report the failure, and its leadership did not point an accusing finger in any direction. Trump didn’t make do with a denial – he posted the picture of the exploded space center, apparently from an intelligence briefing he’d received that morning.
In doing so did the president want to hint that the United States not only knows about the failed test, but also plans to prevent the continuation of the tests because it suspects they are designed to improve Iran’s ability to launch ballistic missiles? Did Trump violate the intelligence confidentiality imposed on the briefings he receives? And is this perhaps a new tactic, shared by the United States and Israel, in which publications about foiling Iranian plans and striking at Iranian targets are part of the system of deterrence against Iran?
Israel preceded Washington by publicizing not only the details of the operation in which it attacked an Iranian squad that intended to launch explosives-laden drones into its territory – it also added many details about the location of the launching site, the direct involvement of Qassam Soleimani, who plans Iran’s operations outside the country, and about the nature and capabilities of the drones.
The amazement at the precise intelligence possessed by Israel and the United States regarding Iran’s plans is justified. It’s clear that they are capable of penetrating deep into Iranian military units and acquiring information. Ostensibly, this turns Military Intelligence into the most significant agency in making the decisions likely to influence diplomatic and strategic developments in the region. But that’s an erroneous conclusion.
Foiling the launch of an Iranian satellite, destroying a special explosives-mixing machine in Lebanon, the mysterious bombing of a missile base in Iraq, or the destruction of a building designed for launching drones against Israel are similar on the tactical level – despite the major logistical differences – to striking at targets in the Gaza Strip. You can assassinate a Hamas commander, destroy civilian infrastructure or hit missile launchers, but those acts won’t solve the root problems that create these military operations.
That’s because while MI has outstanding ability to gather information in advance of an operation, it cannot present the map of diplomatic and strategic outcomes that could follow.
The result is that Israel doesn’t know how Hezbollah will react to the destruction of the mixing machine in Lebanon and cannot anticipate how Hamas will react to attacks in the Strip – and above all, neither Israel nor the United States has the ability to assess the extent to which striking at select Iranian targets will change Iran’s policy in Syria or Iraq or on negotiations with the United States.
The world knows about Iran’s decisions only after they are made. Despite the tactical successes, the West lacks tools to assess the decision-making processes and the influence mechanisms in the country.
For example, Qassem Soleimani is considered the planning and operational head of Iranian activity outside the country, and therefore the person who also heads the Iranian influence networks in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Syria. But this convenient definition, which presents Soleimani as a supreme target, ignores the large group of influential people, headed by the Iranian President Hassan Rohani, the speaker of Parliament, the clerics close to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, close advisers, his son, the new commander of the army et al. Each of them has a certain status regarding the decisions about Iran’s response to strikes attributed to Israel.
Khamenei himself has so far refrained from declaring publicly how Israel should be treated. He is the final decision maker, but his decisions are not arbitrary. There is no question that Iran understands messages, but it doesn’t see them as a diktat, and it translates them based on its internal needs, including political needs, and not necessarily based on the intention of their dispatchers. That means the assumption that precise attacks against Iranian sites or key people are likely to act as a message that will influence its policy does not have much to support it.
The tactical military dialogue that Israel is conducting with Iran, in the hope it will delay dramatic steps – such as Trump’s intention to conduct direct negotiations with Iran, or the French mediation toward a meeting between the two leaders – cannot guarantee such an outcome. On the other hand, it looks as though the harsh sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran did not lead to its surrender, but rather to a guarded willingness to conduct negotiations with the great power that is wooing it.
If conditions ripen for such negotiations, the Israeli attacks will not carry any weight in shaping their content, but they are apparently good for the Israeli soul, especially in an election period.

Zarif’s Inexcusable Warm Welcome in Europe
مينا باي/معهد جيتستون/حميمية الاستقبال الأوربي لظريف هي غير مبررة
Mina Bai/Gatestone Institute/September 3, 2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78176/%d9%85%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%a7-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%8a-%d9%85%d8%b9%d9%87%d8%af-%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%aa%d8%b3%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%86-%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%8a%d9%85%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d9%82%d8%a8%d8%a7/
The behavior of European leaders towards Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during his visit illustrates how frightened they are of the Iranian regime and how these non-stop moralists will seemingly do anything for money. Iran’s strong anti-Israel rhetoric apparently does not bother them, either.
Trade with Iran is crucial to many European countries. That is one possible explanation for the seeming doublespeak in which European leaders have been engaging since the establishment of the Islamic Republic 40 years ago — boasting among themselves and with the United States about setting a shining example of human rights, yet giving their Iranian counterparts a pass on this issue.
Those of us who sought refuge away from the brutality of the Iranian regime observe with sadness and horror these desperate attempts by many European leaders to please Tehran. Europeans should be viewing the situation with equal sadness and horror.
The behavior of European leaders towards Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during his visit illustrates how frightened they are of the Iranian regime and how these non-stop moralists will seemingly do anything for money. Pictured: The EU’s chief diplomat, Federica Mogherini (left), poses with Zarif during her August 2017 visit to Iran. (Image source: European External Action Service/Flickr)
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made a surprise appearance at the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Biarritz, France, which ended on August 26. Prior to his attendance at the gathering in France, he stopped in Sweden and Norway. Denmark was not part of his itinerary, of course, due to Copenhagen’s rocky relations with Tehran, over last year’s assassination attempt against an Iranian Sunni separatist on Danish soil.
The purpose of Zarif’s trip to Europe, apparently, was to discuss ways to ease tensions in the Persian Gulf and rescue the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — the nuclear deal with Iran from which US President Donald Trump withdrew in May 2018.
Zarif’s European tour spurred many human rights activists and Iranian opposition groups abroad to protest. Zarif, after all, represents a regime that is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading violators of human rights. Those in Iran who raise a voice against Tehran’s policies in any realm are often incarcerated: Among them are labor activists, lawyers and women’s rights activists, children’s rights activists, journalists, members of ethnic and religious minorities, environmental activists and even wildlife activists.
Days before Zarif’s trip, in fact, UN human rights experts called on the regime in Tehran to release three women recently sentenced to decades in prison for violating the law that women must wear the hijab.
The demonstrations in Europe were aimed both at Zarif and at European authorities for hosting him. In Stockholm on August 21, peaceful protesters outside the Swedish Parliament were so harassed and beaten by police that Reza Pahlavi — the Maryland-based heir to the throne of the former Iranian monarchy (his father’s ouster coincided with the 1979 Islamic revolution that ushered in the reign of the ayatollahs) — released the following statement:
“I strongly condemn the Swedish Police’s severe and ugly treatment of our countrymen who objected to the presence of the Islamic Republic’s agents in Sweden. It is regretful that the Swedish government, which claims to be feminist and progressive, not only hosts the agents of a misogynistic and oppressive regime, but it even violently assaults Iranians who were displaced and exiled by that oppressive regime…
“Iranian people will take back their country, and after their freedom, they will not forget these shameful actions…
“My fellow countrymen, I heard your cry for freedom, and I am proud of your courage. Iranians across the world should learn from your example and through unity and solidarity, not allow the representatives of the regime to travel freely and in peace and lie shamelessly and cover up the Islamic Republic’s crimes.”
After meeting with Swedish authorities, Zarif attended a seminar at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), whose governing board is chaired by a former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ambassador Jan Eliasson.
The seminar opened with a speech, followed by questions from the audience. Not only did Eliasson, who introduced Zarif at the podium, warmly embrace the Iranian foreign minister, he also behaved rudely to a Kurdish journalist who confronted Zarif by recounting the story of his imprisonment and torture in Iran — for the “crime” of being a reporter. To make matters worse, Zarif laughed at the journalist’s comments, before answering them with ostentatious lies: that the regime could not be so bad if 73% of the Iranian people voted for it; as if elections in Iran were democratic. They are not.
Zarif then headed for Norway, where demonstrators — the present author included — were waiting in Oslo in front of the Prime Minister’s Office to protest the arrival of the Iranian foreign minister. The event, however, did not go as planned: police forced our group to stand behind barricades a block away, so that Zarif would not see us.
More significantly, the media reported that Anniken Huifedlt — a Labor Party member and chair of the parliament’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense — gave Zarif a heartfelt greeting, hands clasped to her chest. Ironically, Huifedlt is one of Norway’s most prominent feminists, who later would not comment to the press on Zarif’s refusal to shake her hand. Perhaps she was unaware that the Iranian regime forbids handshakes between men and women.
In France, the last destination of Zarif’s trip, the 1st arrondissement of Paris installed a large banner on City Hall stating that Iran’s mullahs — and Zarif himself — violate French principles. This unambiguous message did not prevent French President Emmanuel Macron from having a “productive” meeting with Zarif. It also did not inspire France 24, which conducted an exclusive interview with Zarif, to grill the Iranian foreign minister on the unspeakable human rights situation in the Islamic Republic.
The behavior of European leaders towards Zarif during his visit illustrates how frightened they are of the Iranian regime and how these non-stop moralists will seemingly do anything for money. Iran’s strong anti-Israel rhetoric apparently does not bother them, either.
The fear part is probably security-related as well as economic. One sees the impasse over the Strait of Hormuz, vital to 21% of the world’s petroleum consumption. Trade with Iran is crucial to many European countries. That is one possible explanation for the seeming doublespeak in which European leaders have been engaging since the establishment of the Islamic Republic 40 years ago — boasting among themselves and with the United States about setting a shining example of human rights, yet giving their Iranian counterparts a pass on this issue.
Another, more worrisome, explanation for the EU’s appeasement of Tehran is that occasionally the ideology of some European public figures overlaps with that of the Iranian regime. The hostility to Israel by British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, for instance, is so great that he is widely called an anti-Semite. Corbyn has apparently received money from Iran’s state-run Press TV for interviews. This is the same media outlet that belongs to a regime which says that Israel must be wiped off the map and which holds international Holocaust cartoon contests in Tehran. Another example is Bernd Erbel, the former German diplomat and head of Instex, a “special-purpose vehicle” formed by Germany, France and the UK in January 2019, to facilitate the evasion of US sanctions on Iran. Erbel recently had to resign due an interview he gave to Ken Jebsen, a radio host who has been described as a “conspiracy theorist” and an “anti-Semite.”
Those of us who sought refuge away from the brutality of the Iranian regime observe with sadness and horror these desperate attempts by many European leaders to please Tehran. Europeans should be viewing the situation with equal sadness and horror.
*Mina Bai, an author born and raised in Iran, is now based in Norway. She also writes for the Norwegian newspaper Nettavisen.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14804/iran-zarif-welcome-europe