LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 11/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
God gave them a sluggish spirit, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.
Letter to the Romans 11/01-08/:”I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.’ But what is the divine reply to him? ‘I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, ‘God gave them a sluggish spirit, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on September 10-11/2019
Aoun Tells Schenker Lebanon Committed to 1701, Hopes for Mediation Resumption
Berri Tells Schenker Lebanon Can’t Withstand Economic Pressure
Shelling from Israeli Drill Heard in South as Barricading Works Continue
Nasrallah: Hezbollah Learned Lessons From IDF Hollywood Army
Nasrallah: 1701 Still Stands, Hizbullah Won't be Neutral if Iran Attacked
Lebanon Shiites Mark Ashoura in Show of Anti-Israel Defiance
In Lebanon, Criticism Against Hizbullah For Dragging Country Into War For Sake Of Iran, And Against Lebanese Leaders For Supporting Hizbullah
Lebanese Politician Wehbe Katicha: Israel Would Not Attack Us If We Had A Real Government; We Will Have No Economy So Long As We Have Extralegal Militias

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 10-11/2019
John Bolton leaves White House as 'services no longer needed'
Trump fires national security adviser John Bolton
U.S. Accuses Iran of 'Possible Undeclared Nuclear Activities'
Russian Planes in First Syria Strikes since Truce
31 Dead in Stampede at Iraqi Shiite Shrine
Netanyahu sparks anger with vow to annex Jordan Valley
Turkey Accuses US of Stalling in Syria 'Safe Zone' Deal
Syria Says No Casualties in 'Israeli' Strike in Country's East
Egypt Pushes for End to U.S. 'Terror' Blacklisting of Sudan
Egyptian Delegation Offers Border Facilities to Hamas
Former Erdogan Ally to Form Rival Party before Year-End
British PM Vows to Pursue Brexit Deal after New Blow

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 10-11/2019
In Lebanon, Criticism Against Hizbullah For Dragging Country Into War For Sake Of Iran, And Against Lebanese Leaders For Supporting Hizbullah/MEMRI/September 10/2019
Lebanese Politician Wehbe Katicha: Israel Would Not Attack Us If We Had A Real Government; We Will Have No Economy So Long As We Have Extralegal Militias/MEMRI/September 10/2019
Will Denmark Become Like Sweden?/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/September 10/2019
Turkey Faces "Almost a Revolution in the Middle East"/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/September 10/2019
US running out of options as sanctions fail to subdue Iran/Osama Al-Sharif/Arabic News/September 10/2019
US must keep punishing Iran for its indiscretions/Michael Pregent/Arabic News/September 10/2019
Middle East peace cannot be imposed by outsiders/Ellen R. Wald/Arabic News/September 10/2019

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on September 10-11/2019
Aoun Tells Schenker Lebanon Committed to 1701, Hopes for Mediation Resumption
Naharnet/September 10/2019
President Michel Aoun on Tuesday told a visiting senior U.S. official that Lebanon is committed to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 despite the latest hostilities between Israel and Hizbullah. “Lebanon is committed to Resolution 1701 while Israel is violating it, and any escalation by it will undermine the stable situation in the border region,” Aoun warned, in a meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker. Aoun also hoped the U.S. will resume its mediation for the demarcation of the border between Lebanon and Israel in the South and called on Washington to help Lebanon in facilitating the return of Syrian refugees to their country. "Lebanon hopes that the United States will continue its mediation efforts... (picking up) where things stopped with envoy David Satterfield," Aoun said. "We have agreed on many points, only a few sticking points remain," he added. Schenker said Washington was ready to "renew its efforts," according to a statement released by Aoun's office. Schenker recently replaced David Satterfield, who had shuffled between Lebanon and Israel in recent months, in an effort to reach a settlement on land and maritime border disputes. Schenker also stressed to Aoun his country’s keenness on Lebanon’s stability, reassuring that its support for the army and security forces will continue, the Presidency said. The U.S. official had held a meeting overnight with Prime Minister Saad Hariri upon his arrival in Beirut. The issue of the shared maritime border is sensitive, mainly because of a dispute over coastal drilling rights. In February 2018, Lebanon signed its first contract for offshore drilling for oil and gas with a consortium comprising energy giants Total, ENI and Novatek. Two blocks in the eastern Mediterranean are part of the deal, but Israel claims that part of Block 9 belongs to it. In recent months, Washington approached both sides to propose that it act as a mediator. In late May, the Israeli government said it had agreed to enter U.S.-mediated talks with Lebanon to resolve the maritime border dispute.

Berri Tells Schenker Lebanon Can’t Withstand Economic Pressure
Naharnet/September 10/2019
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday told a visiting U.S. official that Lebanon cannot withstand Washington’s growing economic pressure. “Lebanon has ratified financial laws that make it compliant with the highest international standards in the field of combating the smuggling and laundering of funds,” Berri told U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker. “The Lebanese economy and the banking sector cannot withstand this magnitude of pressures,” Berri added, referring to the latest U.S. measures against suspected Hizbullah financial transactions.
Berri also emphasized Lebanon’s “keenness on stability, avoidance of war and commitment to U.N. resolutions, especially 1701,” noting that Israel is “responsible for the violations of the U.N. resolution and the undermining of the stability that had been running since 2006.”The two men also discussed the issue the maritime border dispute between Lebanon and Israel.

Shelling from Israeli Drill Heard in South as Barricading Works Continue
Naharnet/September 10/2019
Blast sounds from dozens of heavy-caliber artillery shells were heard Tuesday in the villages of the southern Orqoub region, amid an Israeli military drill in the occupied Shebaa Farms and Golan Heights, Lebanon's National News Agency said. Several Israeli military bulldozers were meanwhile carrying out fortification and barricading works on the occupied side of the Abbasiyeh area, as a drone hovered in the region.

Nasrallah: Hezbollah Learned Lessons From IDF Hollywood Army
Jerusalem Post//September 10/2019
Leader of Shi'ite terrorist group warns Israel will cease to exist in any war with Iran.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called the IDF a “Hollywood Army” in a speech on Tuesday and challenged Israel’s military to perform more Hollywood shows. “You are a Hollywood Army and we learned a lesson from the show you performed,” Nasrallah said in a speech to mark the Muslim holiday of Ashura. “In future responses, instead of hitting one vehicle, we will hit more, and instead of hitting one target, we will hit more... let's see how many Hollywood shows you can perform.”Nasrallah made the comments as tensions remain high between Israel and the Lebanese terrorist group and referred to the IDF’s diversion after the group fired Kornet anti-tank missiles towards an IDF vehicle in northern Israel, where Israel’s military pretended that there were casualties in the attack. “Lebanon respects [UN Security Council Resolution] 1701 and Hezbollah is part of the government that respects this resolution, but if Israel attacks, there will be no redlines at all,” he warned. Nasrallah also warned that Israel would cease to exist if there were to be any war on Iran. “Any war on Iran will ignite the region and destroy countries and people," he said. "It will be a war against the entire axis of resistance. We will not be neutral in the battle between right and wrong. This war will be the end of Israel and the American hegemony and presence in the region."On Monday night, Nasrallah said that the group and its allies, including Iran, were in the middle of a "major campaign.""We are in the midst of a major campaign, [and] the United States and Israel are trying to outflank us," he said. "The leader of this camp is [Iranian Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei and its center is Iran. Tonight and tomorrow, we will tell [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and [US President Donald] Trump that we are a people not affected by blockades, sanctions, poverty and hunger." Palestine, he said on Tuesday, was “the central cause” of the group and he stressed that while their “eternal commitment to Palestine’s cause has costs us a lot, it is our commitment.

Nasrallah: 1701 Still Stands, Hizbullah Won't be Neutral if Iran Attacked
Naharnet/September 10/2019
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said his threat to “break the red lines” in the confrontation with Israel does not stand for renouncing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between his group and Israel. “The Lebanese have foiled the Israeli attempt to change the rules of engagement that had been in place since 2006 and the Israeli army has turned into a Hollywoodic army because it has become crippled on the ground,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech marking the last day of the Shiite Ashoura commemorations. “Lebanon respects 1701 and Hizbullah is part of the government that respects this resolution,” Nasrallah added. Noting that Israel does not respect Resolution 1701, Nasrallah stressed that “should the Israelis attack Lebanon, the Lebanese have the right to defend their country.”“We will respond in an appropriate and proportionate manner and there will no red lines at all,” Hizbullah’s leader warned. Referring to the latest exchange of hostilities with Israel, Nasrallah said Lebanon has “imposed itself on world powers.”“Everyone contacted it after the latest Israeli attack, prior to the resistance’s response and during the resistance’s response. Lebanon must know that it is strong through the army-people-resistance equation and all countries in the world contacted our government to thwart us from retaliating to the Israeli aggression,” he said. Turning to the region, Nasrallah said: “We reject any war plans against the Iranian republic, because such a war will ignite the region and destroy countries and peoples. It will be a war against the entire axis of resistance.”
“We reiterate our stance as part of the axis of resistance: we will not be neutral in the battle between right and wrong, in the battle between Hussein and Yazid. This supposed war will be the end of Israel and the American hegemony and presence in the region,” Nasrallah said.
“Our imam, leader, master and Hussein in this era is Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei. He is the leader of the axis of resistance and Iran is the heart and main center of the axis,” he went on to say. Nasrallah also said that a U.S. official visiting Beirut to mediate between Lebanon and Israel over a maritime border dispute, David Schenker, is a "friend of Israel." Nasrallah urged Lebanese officials to negotiate from a point of strength with him. Hizbullah said Monday it shot down an Israeli drone over southern Lebanon shortly after it crossed from Israel, amid rising tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border in recent weeks.
Last month, Nasrallah said his group would confront and shoot down any Israeli drones that enter Lebanese airspace. Nasrallah spoke after authorities said one Israeli drone crashed in a Hizbullah stronghold in southern Beirut, landing on the roof of a building that houses Hizbullah's media office, and another exploded and crashed in a plot behind the building, causing material damage. Last week, Israel and Hizbullah traded fire for the first time in years. Hizbullah launched anti-tank missiles at an Israeli armored vehicle near the border and said in a statement that those inside it were killed and wounded. Israel denied any casualties and retaliated with artillery fire into southern Lebanon. Hizbullah said the missile attack was retaliation for an Israeli airstrike near Damascus last month that killed two of its members. Israel said the attack thwarted an Iranian-orchestrated drone attack squad. Shortly after the airstrike, Hizbullah said two Israeli attack drones crash-landed in Beirut. Israel and Hizbyllah fought a monthlong war in 2006. Israel considers the group its most immediate threat.

Lebanon Shiites Mark Ashoura in Show of Anti-Israel Defiance
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 10/2019
Anti-Israeli chants rang through the streets of a Hizbullah bastion in the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs on Tuesday as thousands of black-clad Shiites commemorated the seventh-century killing of Prophet Mohammed's grandson. "We have taught Israel that our people are not weak," the men cried, beating their chests in unison, during an Ashoura commemoration marking the killing of Imam Hussein in battle by Caliph Yazid's forces. This year's ceremony comes shortly after a series of confrontations between Hizbullah and Israel, including an exchange of cross-border fire at the start of the month. Standing behind the crowd, a black banner tied around his head, Mohammad Ali praised the September 1 Hizbullah missile attack on Israel that triggered the border flare-up. "For years, our families and our children have slept in bunkers because of the Israelis," said the 49-year-old.
"Now it is their turn to sleep in bunkers," he told AFP. "The era of defeat is over."
Message to Israel
From sunrise, thousands of men gathered in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hizbullah bastion and target of an August 25 drone attack that the movement blamed on Israel. Some were crouched on the floor crying, tears streaming down their faces, as they listened to a recital of Hussein's death. Others sat in prayer as the recital blasted from speakers, interrupted only by the sporadic weeping of the narrator. Some carried black flags at the ceremony which came one day after Hizbullah said it had downed and seized an Israeli drone as it flew across the Lebanese border. In the procession, thousands marched towards a main square, watched by Hizbullah forces deployed on rooftops and on sides of the road. In a televised speech broadcast live, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said his movement would respond to any Israeli attack on Lebanon."In the event of an attack on Lebanon, in any form whatsoever, there will be an adequate response to the aggression," Nasrallah warned. The cross-border fire on September 1 came a week after an Israeli strike killed two Hizbullah operatives in Syria as well as the drone attack in Beirut's southern suburbs. Standing behind a metal barricade on a sidewalk, Fawzi Fawaz said Tuesday's huge turnout sent a message to Israel. "These masses show Israel... the great power of the resistance," the 66-year old from south Lebanon said, Hizbullah's yellow banner wrapped around his neck.
- Sacrifice -
Nearby, dozens of black-clad young men were hunched on the floor, pictures of Hizbullah "martyrs" tied to their foreheads in yellow fabric. Another participant, Lokman Hakim, said the Shiite movement's battle against Israel drew inspiration from the original battle of Hussein. "Imam Hussein some 1500 years ago... rose up against injustice and persecution," the 22-year-old student said, with a picture of a Hizbullah fighter killed in Syria in 2013 on his forehead. According to Shiite belief, Hussein went knowingly to his death at the hands of Yazid's forces in what is now Iraq. The ideal of self-sacrifice is a key tenet of Shiite Islam to this day. Carrying yellow Hizbullah flags, fathers of the movement's fallen stood in line, some carrying portraits of their children who died fighting with Hizbullah in either Syria or south Lebanon. Yassin Hamad, a frail and elderly man, said he has lost two his sons -- one in a 2005 Hizbullah operation against Israel in southern Lebanon and the second in Syria in 2014. "I still have five sons and they are all on the same path" of resistance, he told AFP.

In Lebanon, Criticism Against Hizbullah For Dragging Country Into War For Sake Of Iran, And Against Lebanese Leaders For Supporting Hizbullah
MEMRI/September 10/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78357/%d9%85%d9%86-%d9%85%d9%88%d9%82%d8%b9-%d9%85%d9%85%d8%b1%d9%8a-%d8%aa%d8%b1%d8%ac%d9%85%d8%a9-%d9%84%d9%84%d8%a5%d9%86%d9%83%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%b2%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%af%d8%af-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7/
https://www.memri.org/reports/lebanon-criticism-against-hizbullah-dragging-country-war-sake-iran-and-against-lebanese
In light of the recent tension between Israel and Hizbullah, there has been criticism in Lebanon against the organization itself, and also against the leaders of the state, for backing Hizbullah and enabling its actions.
Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's August 16, 2019 speech, in which he said that war against Iran would mean war against the entire resistance axis and would set the entire region aflame, evoked condemnations against him on the grounds that he prefers Iran's benefit over that of his own country. This criticism mounted following Israel's August 25, 2019 drone attack on the Dahia, Hizbullah's stronghold in southern Beirut, and Hizbullah's September 1 retaliatory firing of anti-tank missiles into Israel. The critics called not to embroil Lebanon in wars that serve regional powers, chiefly Iran, stressing that Nasrallah does not represent all Lebanese, as he purports to do. Hizbullah, they said, is not authorized to act independently of the state and intervene in other countries, as it did in Syria, or to operate against Israel and then expect the Lebanese government to bear the responsibility for its actions. They warned that a war on Lebanon would entail death and destruction, and that only the Lebanese government is authorized to take decisions on issues of war.
Other critics, among them former Lebanese PM Fouad Al-Siniora, also called to renew the public debate on Lebanon's defense strategy and to subordinate Hizbullah's arms to the Lebanese army, lest the U.S. expand its sanctions on Lebanon, leading the country to complete economic collapse. Some also mocked Nasrallah for making empty boasts about the victories of the resistance when he cannot even prevent the Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Nasrallah's behavior, they stated, confirms the statements of U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo that Hizbullah is a danger to Lebanon.
As stated, harsh condemnations were also directed at the leaders of the Lebanese state, including President Michel 'Aoun and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil. The latter was criticized mainly for his remark that all Lebanese are partners of Hizbullah. 'Aoun was condemned for rushing to declare, on his own initiative, following the Israeli drone attack, that Lebanon has the right to respond to Israel's aggression, a statement that was understood as lending legitimacy to retaliatory action by Hizbullah. The critics stated that these two leaders were effectively supporting Hizbullah and its weapons, eliminating the distinction between Hizbullah and the Lebanese state, and dragging the country into an unwanted confrontation with Israel. Lebanese Prime Minister Sa'd Al-Hariri was also censured, for his feeble response to the events and lack of control over them, which enable the Hizbullah-'Aoun-Bassil alliance to steer Lebanon as they wish.
The following are translated excerpts from the statements and articles criticizing Hizbullah and the Lebanese leadership.
Lebanese Politicians, Journalists: Hizbullah May Embroil Us In A War For The Sake Of Iran
As stated, senior Lebanese politicians warned that Hizbullah would embroil Lebanon in a war that will benefit Iran but cause great losses and devastation in Lebanon, stressing that only the Lebanese government is authorized to make decisions on issues of war and peace.
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Al-Siniora: Lebanon's Fate Must Not Be In The Hands Of Hizbullah, Iran
Former Lebanese prime minister Fouad Al-Siniora said on September 2: "The events on the Israeli border took place in the complete absence of the Lebanese state... Hizbullah takes decisions on its own and attempts to embroil [Lebanon in conflicts with Israel]... It is unacceptable for the organization to initiate an operation of this sort... Lebanon is facing great dangers and has no need for further dangers [created by] Hizbullah, like those of the recent days... The incident on the border ended as though it had been planned in advance by the two sides even without any need for direct contact [between them]... It is inconceivable that Lebanon's fate should depend on a non-Lebanese [i.e., Iranian] decision that Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah undertakes [to implement] and which he imposes upon Lebanon, with all its implications."[1]
Several days earlier, Al-Siniora said: "The events that occurred emphasize once again, very clearly, that the issue of Lebanon's defense strategy must be put up for debate... It is inconceivable that the Lebanese government should continue to be passive yet [at the same time] bear all of the responsibility, while decision-making on war and peace is in the hands of Hizbullah, not in the hands of the Lebanese state... We should remind [everyone] that Hizbullah did not consult Lebanon or its government when it [decided to] intervene in the Syria [war], and now it is imposing upon Lebanon and the Lebanese people the consequences of that intervention."[2]
Christian Party Heads Samir Geagea, Samy Gemayel: Lebanon Will Pay A Heavy Price, Must Wake Up
Following the Israeli drone attack on the Dahia in Beirut, Samy Gemayel, head of the Christian Phalange Party, warned of Hizbullah actions that could exacerbate the tension with Israel, and added: "The [Lebanese] government is the only one authorized to take all the diplomatic and defensive measures necessary for Lebanon's protection. Perhaps Lebanon will awake from its coma before devastation comes."[3]
On September 1, after Hizbullah responded to the Israeli attack by firing anti-tank missiles into Israel, Samir Geagea, head of the Christian Lebanese Forces party, tweeted: "It is unacceptable that Lebanon should be placed in the possible [danger] of a devastating war that has nothing to do with it. The state and [its] authorities will lose all prestige if all the [responsibility for] strategic decisions rests with elements other than the state institutions, so that the state merely serves as a rubber stamp." In another tweet he noted that Lebanon could pay heavily for Hizbullah's actions: "If Lebanon is dragged into an intense confrontation it will not be able to do anything [about it]. It will only receive blows from every direction and its people will pay a heavy price in lives, in [damage to] property and in the future of their children." [4]
Lebanese MP: Hizbullah has Taken The State Hostage, Is Impeding Its Development
Figures in Geagea's Strong Republic bloc made similar statements even earlier, in response to Nasrallah's August 16 speech, in which he said that a war against Iran would be a war against the entire resistance axis and would set the region aflame. Bloc member MP Wahhabi Qutisha attacked Nasrallah for "deluding the people [of Lebanon] that the homeland cannot survive without the resistance," saying: "If Hizbullah is as strong as [Nasrallah] claims, why is the enemy still attacking us in the air and sea? Why doesn't Hizbullah use its might to finish off this enemy? It has taken the state hostage and has been using it for years to wage resistance in the service of regional countries, not for the benefit of Lebanon. Nasrallah speaks as though he represents all sectors in Lebanon. Who gave him the right to do so? His statements are unacceptable. The Lebanese people are the ones who choose their leaders, not Mr. Hassan [Nasrallah]."[5]
Sources close to the bloc said, "[We] firmly demand that the Lebanese President and Prime Minister warn against any attempt to embroil Lebanon in wars it has nothing to do with. Only the Lebanese government is authorized to decide on [issues of] war. No political element has the right to lead Lebanon into wars and conflicts without the consent of all the Lebanese people... What is needed now is to distance [ourselves] from the policy of axes."[6]
Lebanese Journalist: In Light Of Hizbullah's Crimes, I Am In Favor Of An All-Out War Against It
Writers in the Lebanese press also joined the criticism against Hizbullah and Nasrallah. Journalist Jerry Maher, known for his opposition to Hizbullah, wrote in response to the Israeli drone attack on the Dahia and other attacks attributed to Israel on Hizbullah bases in Syria: "After Nasrallah's crimes in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, and after he has fired missiles into Saudi Arabia and threatened the security of the Gulf, I, Jerry Maher, am unconcerned about strikes against Hizbullah and its cities, villages and bases in Lebanon and Syria. I am in favor of open war against it, no matter who wages it."[7]
Lebanese Columnist: Hizbullah Is A Danger To Lebanon
Columnist 'Abd Al-Wahhab Baderkhan came out against Hizbullah and the danger it poses to Lebanon, writing: "After the 2006 war, Nasrallah led the country into a political and economic crisis, and it has evaded accountability and left [the country] on the brink of the abyss to this very day. When it deployed its soldiers in Syria, it surely knew it had [suffered] a moral breakdown, yet it was willing to use [its fighting in Syria] to frighten the Lebanese, while again evading responsibility. Its real war is not against Israel, it is against the Lebanese... Every missile that arrives in Hizbullah's depots causes Lebanon to lose another bit of its stability and increases the number of poor and unemployed [Lebanese] who wish to emigrate. The more Hizbullah tightens its control [over Lebanon], the more we lose hope for the future. Nasrallah seems to have proven that U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo was not wrong in calling Hizbullah a danger to Lebanon."[8]
Criticism Of President 'Aoun, Foreign Minister Bassil, PM Al-Hariri For Defending Hizbullah's Weapons
Alongside the criticism of Hizbullah itself, Lebanese figures and journalists also castigated Lebanese President Michel 'Aoun, calling on him to stop defending Hizbullah's weapons and enable a public debate on this issue. They also demanded that he launch an investigation into the Dahia drone attack and that the government subject Hizbullah to its decisions, lest the sanctions on Lebanon be expanded and the economy collapse. They stressed that they are willing to die for Lebanon but not for Iran, and warned that the president personally, and Lebanon as a whole, may pay a price for the alliance with Iran.
Former Minister: It Is Not The Leader's Place To Defend Weapons That Are Outside The Control Of The State
Former minister Ashraf Rifi addressed 'Aoun, saying: "It is not the responsibility of the leader to defend weapons that are outside [the control of] the state... [Lebanon's] legitimate state and military institutions are the only ones charged with defending the state. Honorable Mr. President, you are not the official spokesman of [regional] projects that disregard sovereignty, borders and international resolutions. It would have been best to ask [Lebanon's] security and military apparatuses to investigate the Dahia incident." Rifi also criticized 'Aoun for rushing to threaten a Lebanese response to the Israeli operation even before the government had expressed its position on this issue.[9]
Former MP: Mr. President, You Endangered The Lives Of Our Children; You Will Be Responsible For The Devastation
In a series of tweets, former MP Fares Sou'aid harshly criticized 'Aoun for saying that Lebanon has the right to respond to the attack on the Dahia, referring to a response by Hizbullah. He wrote: "Honorable Mr. President, you are the president of a country, not [just] the chairman of a [political] faction [i.e., the Free Patriotic movement, of which 'Aoun is the founder]. You speak for all Lebanon, and therefore [by saying what you did] you exposed our children to deadly [danger] and our property to destruction. In your statement you erased the distinction between the state and Hizbullah, and you will bear the responsibility for the complete devastation [of Lebanon]. We implore you, retract your statement. Honorable Mr. President, there are those who prayed for you to arrive at [the presidential palace] in Ba'abda. I was not one of them, but I respect [their position]. Do not turn your presidency into a hellish period. Do not leave the Lebanese with memories of war and destruction that will become associated with your name. Mr. President, the people will rise up against you. We do not want to die for the sake of Iran. We will be martyred only for the sake of Lebanon. Mr. President, Lebanon's credit rating has been downgraded... Sanctions will be imposed on parliament members and [other Lebanese] figures. Hizbullah's fighting in Syria contributed to the flow of refugees [into Lebanon]. We are in dire straits. Do not pour oil on the fire. Your position, your age and our respect for you forbid this. Retract your statement. You personally, as well as Lebanon, will pay the price of Lebanon's association with Iran. Honorable Mr. President, with all due respect, what you did will bring devastation upon Lebanon. Instead of letting the state conduct [indirect] negotiations with a foreign [country, i.e., Israel] in case events escalate [towards a conflict], you placed all the official institutions – and more importantly, Lebanon as a whole – into the same framework [with Hizbullah]. You are the president of the Lebanese republic, not a president acting on behalf of others."[10]
Fares Sou'aid tweet: "Mr. President,... what you did will bring devastation upon Lebanon"
Christian Association: The President And Prime Minister Did Not Do Their Duty; If Things Do Not Improve, The Government Should Be Replaced
In response to the spike in Hizbullah-Israel tension, the Christian Saydet Al-Jabal Association, founded in 2006 by the Maronite Church, which promotes Christian-Muslim coexistence in Lebanon and is known for opposing the Iranian influence in the country, issued a statement in which it called for reforms as a condition for the survival of the current government. The statement said: "The Lebanese [sate] lost [its grip on] power when it disappeared from the arena of action and placed its fate and the fate of the Lebanese people in the hands of Hizbullah on the one hand and Israel on the other... Instead of immediately convening the Supreme Defense Council, the President vanished from the scene, and the Prime Minister, instead of convening an urgent government meeting, sufficed with routine phone conversations with several world leaders. The incident at Maroun Al-Ras [in Lebanon] and Avivim [in Israel, i.e., Hizbullah's firing of anti-tank missiles into Israel,] toppled [UN] Resolution 1701[11] and toppled the state, which is supposed to implement it. It undermined the parliament, the government and the position of the President. Hizbullah has completed its coup. What aid do the Lebanese expect to receive in the shadow of the Hizbullah state?... We must form a national Lebanese front that will demand to defend the interests of Lebanon alone, rather than those of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, which have to do with the [upcoming] elections [in Israel], or those of [Iranian Leader Ali] Khamenei, which have to do with the negotiations [with the U.S.]. Lebanon [must come] first. This means that the interest of Lebanon supersede everything else, and this [in turn] means respecting the legitimate Lebanese, Arab and international [institutions]. One of the goals of this front will be to correct [Lebanon's] path or else to demand the immediate formation of an alternative government. It is inconceivable that the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the Arab League, the French President and the U.S. Secretary of State should act [for Lebanon's benefit], while Lebanon does nothing."[12]
Lebanese Columnist: The President Has Proved That He Is part Of The Iranian Axis; The Foreign Minister's Support For Hizbullah Places Lebanon In The Crosshairs
In two of his columns in the Lebanese Al-Nahhar daily, Journalist 'Ali Hamada criticized President 'Aoun, as well as his son-in-law, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, for supporting Hizbullah and its weapons. In the first column he focused on 'Aoun, who refuses to conduct a debate on Lebanon's defense strategy and Hizbullah's weapons, writing: "President 'Aoun has erased his promise from before the elections to conduct a national dialogue on [Lebanon's] national defense strategy, namely to raise the issue of Hizbullah's illegal arms before the partners in the national [arena] and discuss its future... This [new] position comes at a very dangerous juncture for Lebanon and proves that the president of our country belongs to the regional axis led by Iran... The grave [aspect] of 'Aoun's position is that he placed Hizbullah's weapons above any consideration or controversy..."[13]
In another column Hamada attacked Bassil, writing: "...What is even more serious than Nasrallah's statement [that war on Iran would mean war against the entire resistance axis] is the position of Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, the President's son-in-law, who said in a press interview: 'All of us in Lebanon are partners of Hizbullah, as evident from the existence of the national unity government.' This description contains a measure of truth, but when it is uttered by the Foreign Minister, it is a worrying sign of the pressures that Lebanon might suffer in light of the view, which is becoming dominant in Washington, that Hizbullah and the Lebanese state are one and the same. This is due to Hizbullah's growing influence on all of the state's centers [of power], and especially since the election of Hizbullah's ally, General Michel 'Aoun, as president... [Foreign Minister] Bassil is providing further evidence for the claim that the Israelis are selling to the Americans and Europeans, that any future war on Hizbullah must encompass all of Lebanon, and that Lebanon as a whole must be placed under the weight of sanctions, since its political echelons, and the state and a whole, are partners of Hizbullah."[14]
Lebanese Journalist: The Decisions Rest With President 'Aoun, Foreign Minister Bassil And Hizbullah, While PM Al-Hariri Can Do Nothing
Al-Nahhar columnist Ibrahim Haidar wrote: "The political developments following the Israeli attack on the Dahia placed [the issue of] war on the agenda... The position of President Michel 'Aoun indicates that he is once again involving himself in this issue, in coordination with Hizbullah, whereas Prime Minister Sa'd Al-Hariri is trying to join in and to act in the international arena by condemning the aggression and urging international community to press Israel to stop its attacks. Al-Hariri tried to balance the official position by adding his voice to that of the [other] authorities, but it seems that – as a political source claimed – the decision is in the hands of the [tripartite] alliance of Hizbullah, 'Aoun and the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil. But the point against Al-Hariri is that he is unable to impose his position, as is supposed to happen in the state when it is faced with an escalation in the region."[15]
[1] Elnashra.com, September 2, 2019.
[2] Al-Nahhar (Lebanon), August 29, 2019.
[3] Elnashra.com, August 21, 2019.
[4] Mobile.twitter.com/DRSAMIRGEAGEA/status, September 1, 2019.
[5] Elnashra.com, August 17, 2019.
[6] Al-Jumhouriyya (Lebanon), August 17, 2019.
[7] Mobile.twitter.com/jerrymahers/status, September 1, 2019.
[8] Al-Nahhar (Lebanon), August 21, 2019.
[9] Elnashra.com, August 27, 2019.
[10] Twitter.com/FaresSouaid, August 26, 2019.
[11] UN Resolution 1701, of August 11, 2006, calls for the immediate cessation by Hizbullah of all attacks and the immediate cessation by Israel of all offensive military operations, as part of a permanent ceasefire along the Israel-Lebanon border and a long-term solution that includes the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, the extension of the Lebanese government's authority over all Lebanese territory; security arrangements in the area between the Israel-Lebanese border and the Litani river, which will be free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL; and expansion of the UNIFIL forces, and an embargo on the sale or supply of arms and related material to Lebanon except as authorized by its government (unscr.com, August 11, 2006).
[12] Al-Hayat (Dubai), September 2, 2019.
[13] Al-Nahhar (Lebanon), August 20, 2019.
[14] Al-Nahhar (Lebanon), August 17, 2019.
[15] Al-Nahhar (Lebanon), August 28, 2019.

Lebanese Politician Wehbe Katicha: Israel Would Not Attack Us If We Had A Real Government; We Will Have No Economy So Long As We Have Extralegal Militias
MEMRI/September 10/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78357/%d9%85%d9%86-%d9%85%d9%88%d9%82%d8%b9-%d9%85%d9%85%d8%b1%d9%8a-%d8%aa%d8%b1%d8%ac%d9%85%d8%a9-%d9%84%d9%84%d8%a5%d9%86%d9%83%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%b2%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%af%d8%af-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7/
Wehbe Katicha, a Lebanese MP belonging to the Lebanese Forces party, said in a September 3, 2019 interview on OTV that there will be no economy in Lebanon as long as it has militants acting outside of the law. He explained that Israel never attacks Jordan or Egypt because they have governments that honor their agreements with Israel, and he said that Israel would not attack Lebanon, either, if it was ruled by a real government. He pointed out that Israel occupied southern Lebanon for 22 years without building a single settlement, and he asked: "[We are being told that] the Jews might attack us 100 years from now, [so] we should form a militia and prevent the existence of a [Lebanese] state?"
Following are excerpts:
Wehbe Katicha: "When the incident [with the Israeli drone] happened in south Lebanon, some Arab countries immediately instructed their citizens to leave Lebanon. Why? What is the meaning of this when it is officially declared by a state? If this incident was carried out by the Lebanese army, would any [country] have acted this way? Of course not. You can be certain that there will be no prosperity, no investments, no economy… Trust me, we will have no economy as long as there are militants acting outside of the legal framework.
"How come Israel never attacks Jordan or Egypt? When there was a dispute over Taba – how come the Egyptians did not establish a militia to regain Taba? They went to the Hague and got Taba back. Why? Because there is a state there that honors the agreement it signed with Israel – before there was peace and after there was peace. If we had a real state here rather than militants, you can be sure that Israel would not have attacked us and that it would not have entered into Lebanese skies.
"Why would [Israel] attack Lebanon? It was [in south Lebanon] for 22 years, but it did not build a single settlement or a single house, and it did not take any land. Why are you telling me that they might attack us 50 years from now? Just because the Jews might attack us 100 years from now, we should form a militia and prevent the existence of a [Lebanese] state? Is that even conceivable?"

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 10-11/2019
John Bolton leaves White House as 'services no longer needed'
Agencies/September 10/2019
Donald Trump has announced he asked his national security advisor John Bolton to resign.In a tweet on Tuesday Mr Trump said he "disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the administration", but thanked him for his service.
Mr Bolton tweeted in return, disputing Mr Trump's version of events. "I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow"," he wrote.
Mr Bolton’s ousting came as a surprise to many in the White House. Just an hour before Mr Trump’s tweet, the press office announced that he would join Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a briefing.
Mr Bolton took the position in April 2018 and clashed with Mr Trump on variety of policy issues, most recently peace talks with the Taliban and direct talks with Iran.
Experts saw his exit as a signal the US President wishes to seek engagement with Iran.
“It’s a big sign that Mr Trump will chase the diplomatic track going forward with Iran,” Ryan Bohl of the intelligence firm Stratfor told The National.
Mr Trump reaffirmed on Monday that he has “no problem” meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. If such a meeting were to take place, the United Nations General Assembly this month would be a likely forum.
The resignation “will alarm [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and the Israelis,” Mr Bohl said. “That’s the end of the hawkish influence in this administration for now, since Mr Pompeo is more of a sanctions guy, not a military-option advocate.”
Mr Trump said he would name Mr Bolton's successor next week.

Trump fires national security adviser John Bolton
Agencies/Arab News/September 10/2019
Trump said he strongly disagreed with John Bolton on several issues.
Trump tweeted that he told Bolton Monday night his services were no longer needed at the White House and said Bolton submitted his resignation on Tuesday morning
Bolton espoused hawkish foreign policy views dating back to the Reagan administration and became a household name over his vociferous support for the Iraq War
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Tuesday he fired national security adviser John Bolton, citing strong disagreements on a number of policy issues.
Trump tweeted that he told Bolton Monday night his services were no longer needed at the White House and said Bolton submitted his resignation on Tuesday morning. Trump said that he “disagreed strongly” with many of Bolton’s suggestions, “as did others in the administration.”
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
· 6h
I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore....
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
....I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning. I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week.
Sep 10, 2019
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Bolton responded in a tweet of his own that he offered to resign Monday “and President Trump said, ‘Let’s talk about it tomorrow.’“
Bolton’s ouster came as a surprise to many in the White House. Just an hour before Trump’s tweet, the press office announced that Bolton would join Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a briefing.
John Bolton
✔
@AmbJohnBolton
I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow."
Sep 10, 2019
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31K people are talking about this
Bolton was always an unlikely pick to be Trump’s third national security adviser, with a world view seemingly ill-fit to the president’s isolationist “America First” pronouncements.
He’s espoused hawkish foreign policy views dating back to the Reagan administration and became a household name over his vociferous support for the Iraq War as the US ambassador to the UN under George W. Bush. Bolton even briefly considered running for president in 2016, in part to make the case against the isolationism that Trump would come to embody.
Inside the administration he advocated caution on the president’s whirlwind rapprochement with North Korea and against Trump’s decision last year to pull US troops out of Syria. He masterminded a quiet campaign inside the administration and with allies abroad to convince Trump to keep US forces in Syria to counter the remnants of the Islamic State and Iranian influence in the region. Bolton was named Trump’s third national security adviser in April 2018 after the departure of Army Gen. H.R. McMaster.

U.S. Accuses Iran of 'Possible Undeclared Nuclear Activities'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 10/2019
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday accused Iran of "possible undeclared nuclear activities," as the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog presses Tehran for answers on its atomic safeguards. "The Iranian regime's lack of full cooperation with @iaeaorg raises questions about possible undeclared nuclear material or activities," Pompeo tweeted. "The world won't fall for it. We will deny the regime all paths to a nuclear weapon." Pompeo's warning came a day after the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urged Iran to respond quickly to its concerns, as the troubled 2015 deal with world powers over Tehran's nuclear program threatens to fall apart.

Russian Planes in First Syria Strikes since Truce
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 10/2019
Russia carried out air strikes on jihadist targets in northwestern Syria on Tuesday for the first time since it declared a truce on August 31, a war monitor said. The truce, which brought a halt to four months of devastating air and artillery bombardment by the Syrian government and its Russian ally, had held despite persistent skirmishes on the ground. "Russian aircraft carried out two strikes on positions held by jihadist groups in the Kabani district of Latakia province which borders Idlib," the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP. He said it was unclear whether the strikes were a one-off or heralded the breakdown of the latest truce. It is the second such agreement between the Syrian government and jihadists since August 1. The previous one collapsed after just a few days. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance led by al-Qaida's former Syria affiliate, controls most of Idlib as well as parts of neighboring Aleppo and Latakia provinces. The region of some three million people is one of the last holdouts of opposition to forces of President Bashar al-Assad.

31 Dead in Stampede at Iraqi Shiite Shrine
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 10/2019
At least 31 pilgrims died Tuesday in a stampede at a major shrine in the Iraqi city of Karbala as they marked the holy day of Ashoura, the health ministry said. Another 75 people were injured at the shrine around 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Baghdad, said spokesman Saif al-Badr. It is the deadliest stampede in recent history during Ashoura, when Shiite pilgrims from around the world swarm Karbala to commemorate the death of Hussein, Prophet Mohammed's grandson. He was killed in the year 680 by the forces of the Caliph Yazid, a major event which helped solidify the divide between what would become Islam's Sunni and Shiite branches. On Tuesday, packed processions of black-clad worshipers made their way to his gold-domed shrine in Karbala, carrying black flags with "Hussein" written in red and wailing loudly. Some whipped their backs and chests to demonstrate their sorrow. Others -- even young boys -- cut incisions into their foreheads with scalpels or large sabers, leaving streams of blood cascading down their faces. Similar ceremonies took place in the capital Baghdad and in the southern cities of Najaf and Basra. Under ex-dictator Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime, the vast majority of Ashoura commemorations were banned.  Now, the day is a national holiday, with streets across the country shuttered to allow for elaborate re-enactments of the Battle of Karbala. In 2005, at least 965 pilgrims heading to the Imam Kadhim shrine in Baghdad during a different holiday died after rumors of a suicide bomber in the crowd sparked a mass stampede.

Netanyahu sparks anger with vow to annex Jordan Valley
Agencies/Arabic News/September 10/2019
JERUSALEM: The United Nations on Tuesday warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his plan to annex the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank if re-elected would have no “international legal effect.” Netanyahu issued the deeply controversial pledge as he gears up for September 17 elections. He also said Israel would move to annex Israeli settlements throughout the West Bank. Such moves could effectively kill any remaining hopes for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, long the focus of international diplomacy. “The secretary-general’s position has always been clear: unilateral actions are not helpful in the peace process,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. “Any Israeli decision to impose its laws, jurisdictions and administration in the occupied West Bank is without any international legal effect,” the spokesman added. “Such a prospect would be devastating to the potential of reviving negotiations, regional peace, and the very essence of a two-state solution.” “There is one place where we can apply Israeli sovereignty immediately after the elections,” Netanyahu said in a televised speech. “If I receive from you, citizens of Israel, a clear mandate to do so ... today I announce my intention to apply with the formation of the next government Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and northern Dead Sea.” Following the announcement, a US official said Washington’s policy toward Israel and the Palestinian territories remains unchanged. “There is no change in United States policy at this time,” a Trump administration official said when asked whether the White House supported Netanyahu’s move. “We will release our Vision for Peace after the Israeli election and work to determine the best path forward to bring long sought security, opportunity and stability to the region.”
The Jordan Valley accounts for around one-third of the West Bank, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War — a move never recognized by the international community. The prime minister also reiterated his intention to annex Israeli settlements throughout the West Bank if re-elected, though in coordination with US President Donald Trump, whose long-awaited peace plan is expected to be unveiled sometime after the vote.
Those moves could effectively kill any remaining hopes for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, long the focus of international diplomacy. Senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said Netanyahu was “not only destroying the two-state solution, he is destroying all chances of peace.”
“This is a total game changer,” she told AFP.The Jordan Valley accounts for around one-third of the West Bank and Israeli right-wing politicians have long viewed the strategic area as a part of the territory they would never retreat from. Israeli settlements are located in what is known as Area C of the West Bank, which accounts for some 60 percent of the territory, including the vast majority of the Jordan Valley. Netanyahu said his annexation plans would not include Palestinian cities, such as the Jordan Valley’s Jericho. Netanyahu, who used a map of the Jordan Valley to illustrate his plans, said Trump’s peace parameters “will place before us a great challenge and also a great opportunity.”“This is a historic, one-time opportunity to apply Israeli sovereignty on our settlements... and other places of importance to our security, our heritage and our future.”Trump has thrown US support overwhelmingly in favor of Israel since taking office, including by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinians. Ahead of April elections, Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. It is unclear if Trump, who made clear before April’s vote that he would like to see Netanyahu win, will follow up with any further expressions of support before next week’s election. Netanyahu along with his right-wing and religious allies won a majority of seats in April polls, but he failed to form a coalition and opted for an unprecedented second election in five months. He is again facing a difficult challenge from ex-military chief Benny Gantz and his centrist Blue and White alliance. Right-wing nationalist votes will be key to Netanyahu’s efforts to continue his reign as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. He is also facing a potential indictment for corruption pending a hearing scheduled for early October. Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Six-Day War in a move never recognized by the international community. Its settlements there are considered illegal under international law and major stumbling blocks to peace as they are built on land the Palestinian see as part of their future state. Israel says the Jordan Valley is vital to its security.With AFP and Reuters)

Turkey Accuses US of Stalling in Syria 'Safe Zone' Deal
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 10 September, 2019
Turkey accused on Tuesday the United States of stalling in implementing the agreement to create a "safe zone" in northeast Syria. "Yes, there are some joint patrols but other than that, the steps that have been taken or the steps that are said to be taken are cosmetic steps," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara. "We are seeing that the United States is entering a stalling process... and that it is trying get Turkey accustomed to this stalling process."The NATO allies carried out their first joint military land patrol in the region on Sunday. Turkey wants the operations to expand rapidly and push back Kurdish forces 20 miles (32 km) from the border, creating a zone which Ankara says should be controlled by Turkish troops. Cavusoglu said Washington's approach so far had served the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) more than Turkey. Turkey wanted to work with the United States, but was prepared to clear the area of the YPG fighters itself if necessary, he added. The YPG, which has been a main US ally in the fight against ISIS in Syria, is considered a terrorist organization by Ankara, which says it is an extension of Kurdish militants in Turkey. Cavusoglu’s remarks coincided with the arrival of two top US military officials in Turkey for talks over the safe zone, said the Defense Ministry in a statement. A delegation headed by Lt. Gen. Stephen Twitty, deputy commander of the US European Command, and Lt. Gen. Thomas Bergeson, deputy commander of the US Central Command, would meet with Turkish military officials. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week Turkey also aims to send 1 million of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees it hosts to the planned safe zone in northern Syria.

Syria Says No Casualties in 'Israeli' Strike in Country's East
Associated Press/Naharnet/September 10/2019
Unknown warplanes targeted an arms depot and posts of Iranian-backed militias in eastern Syria, near the Iraqi border, killing at least 18 fighters in a nighttime attack, Syrian opposition activists said Monday. A Syrian security official said Israeli jets staged the airstrikes, but denied there were any casualties. The attack comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East and the crisis between Iran and the U.S. in the wake of the collapsing nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. An official with an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq also blamed Israel for the airstrikes that hit in the eastern Syrian town of Boukamal early Monday. There was no immediate comment from Israel, which views Iran as its greatest threat and has allegedly struck Iran-linked targets as far away as Iraq in recent weeks. Israel frequently attacks Iranian targets in Syria and is believed to have recently crash-landed drones in southern Beirut in a stronghold of the Iranian-backed Hizbullah group. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month that Iran has no immunity anywhere and that the Israeli military forces "will act — and currently are acting — against them." According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the airstrikes began late Sunday and continued after midnight, killing 18 Iranian and pro-Iranian fighters and also causing extensive damage. The Sound and Pictures, a local activist collective in eastern Syria, gave a higher death toll, saying 21 fighters were killed and 36 wounded. The collective said the strikes targeted positions belonging to Iranian militias and those of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, a mostly Iran-backed Shiite militia, but did not say who the dead and wounded were. A Syria-based official for the Iraqi militia claimed that Israel was behind the attack, adding that four missiles fired by warplanes hit a post manned by Iranian gunmen and members of Lebanon's Hizbullah group. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said there were no Iraqi casualties in the strike, which he said hit about 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the Iraqi border.
A Syrian security official cited by the government-controlled Syrian Central Military Media said the Israeli planes targeted a military camp that was being set up by the Syrian army and its allies. It said the structure was deserted at the time and the strike did not cause any casualties, contrary to the reports.
The official claimed the planes used Jordanian airspace and were "aided" by American forces stationed at the Tanf garrison, near Syria's eastern border with Jordan. "We hold the Americans and Israelis responsible for these acts of aggression which cross the red lines," said the official, who was not named.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military had no comment on the airstrike but said rockets launched from Syria on Monday fell short and did not land in Israel. The military said the rockets were launched from the outskirts of Damascus by Shiite militants operating under the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The military said it holds the Syrian government responsible for the attempted attack.

Egypt Pushes for End to U.S. 'Terror' Blacklisting of Sudan
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 10/2019
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that Cairo is supporting efforts to remove Sudan from Washington's blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism, a key factor hindering the African country's economic revival. Shoukry was in Khartoum for a one-day visit to hold talks with top officials in what Cairo hailed as a "new start" in relations between the neighbors as Sudan transitions towards civilian rule. Egypt had been a steadfast ally of Sudanese military generals who seized power after the army ousted long-time leader Omar al-Bashir in April following months of nationwide protests against his autocratic rule.
But previously ties between the neighbors had often been strained over the years due to trade and border disputes, although efforts have been taken by both to address the concerns. On Monday, Shoukry held talks with new Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and Sudan's first female foreign affairs minister, Asma Mohamed Abdalla. He also met General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of a joint civilian-military sovereign council that is overseeing Sudan's transition. Shoukry said that during his talks, which aimed to "boost relations between the two countries", he offered Cairo's backing for dropping Sudan from Washington's list of state sponsors of terrorism. "Egypt is supporting Sudan to be removed from the terrorism list," he told reporters. "We have also raised this issue with the United States of America ... we will continue pushing for it in coordination with the Sudanese authorities."
Economic isolation
Decades of U.S. blacklisting along with a trade embargo imposed on Sudan in 1997 has kept overseas investors away from the country, in turn isolating it from the global economy. Sudan's worsening economic situation was the key trigger for nationwide protests that finally led to the ouster of Bashir.
Washington lifted the sanctions in October 2017, but still kept Sudan in the terrorism list along with North Korea, Iran and Syria. Washington's harsh measures were imposed for Khartoum's alleged support for Islamist militant groups. Al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden used to reside in Sudan between 1992 to 1996. Washington and Khartoum have, however, engaged in negotiations to remove Sudan from the terrorism blacklist since the sanctions were lifted. The Egyptian foreign ministry earlier said that Shoukry's visit "shows Egypt's support for Sudan and to its people in achieving their demands."
Relations between Cairo and Khartoum had deteriorated in early 2017, when Bashir accused Egypt of supporting rebels in conflict zones, including Darfur in western Sudan. Sudan in May 2017 banned the import of animal and other agricultural products from its northern neighbor. But for years the main bone of contention between the two countries has been Egypt's control of the Halayeb triangle, which lies in a mineral-rich border region. During Bashir's rule, Sudan regularly protested at Egypt's administration of Halayeb and the Shalatin border region near the Red Sea, saying they are part of its sovereign territory since shortly after independence in 1956. Ties between the neighbors improved after Sudan lifted the ban on Egyptian products in 2018 following talks in Khartoum between Bashir and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Sisi and other Egyptian officials had regularly called for stability in Sudan after protests erupted against Bashir in December.

Egyptian Delegation Offers Border Facilities to Hamas
Ramallah- Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 10 September, 2019
An Egyptian security delegation, which visited Gaza, offered Hamas and Islamic Jihad a new package of facilities, which includes the entry of goods through the Rafah crossing. The delegation conveyed a message from Israel on Tel Aviv’s readiness to implement the facilities, in exchange for calm on the border. Those would include restoring the fishing area from 6 to 15 miles, improving electricity and fuel, allowing the entry of materials that were banned under the classification of “dual use”, and increasing the quantities of exported goods. The Egyptians also offered Hamas the possibility to introduce more goods into the besieged Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. In return, Israel is demanding an end to any attacks across Gaza, including marches, rockets, and incendiary balloons. Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hamas has demanded guarantees for Israel’s commitment to the agreement, the implementation of which was delayed several times. They added that the Israeli proposals were the same promised years ago. The Egyptian security delegation, headed by Major General Ahmed Abdel Khaleq, head of the Palestinian file in the Egyptian intelligence, met late Sunday with the leadership of Hamas, represented by the head of the Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the movement in Gaza, Yehya Sinwar, and a number of leaders of the movement in Gaza. A Hamas statement said the two sides discussed “the importance of developing bilateral relations to achieve the common interests of both Egypt and the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip, and to build on what has been realized in the past stage.”The movement affirmed its unwavering stance on building strategic relations with Egypt and Cairo’s pivotal role in the region.

Former Erdogan Ally to Form Rival Party before Year-End
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 10 September, 2019
Former Turkish deputy prime minister Ali Babacan will form a new political party by the end of the year to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, announcing his intentions in an interview published Tuesday after months of speculation. Babacan resigned from the AK Party (AKP) in July, citing “deep differences”. He was a founding member of the AKP, serving as economy and foreign minister during its first years in power before becoming deputy prime minister, a role he held from 2009 to 2015. Babacan, along with former AKP president Abdullah Gul, has long been rumored to be planning a rival party. But a stinging defeat for the party in June Istanbul mayoral elections accelerated the efforts. In his first comments since resigning from the AKP, Babacan told the Karar newspaper that the ruling party had strayed from its founding principles and that he was still working to find like-minded individuals to forge a team to lead the new party. He added that Gul is supportive but not formally included. “This will take some time,” he told the newspaper, according to Reuters. “We want the party to be formed before 2020. The quality is very important here.”
Growing worries over judicial impartiality, a recession that sent unemployment and inflation soaring, and impatience among Turks over hosting 3.6 Syrian refugees has trimmed Erdogan’s voter base. Any further erosion could deeply hurt the AKP, which relies on an alliance with a nationalist party to hang on to its parliamentary majority. Babacan said Turkey’s economy needed to emerge from a spiral and, given the plentiful liquidity in world markets, to “urgently” lower its risk premium. The erosion of the judiciary and some foreign policies are in part to blame for the economic problems, he said. “Values like human rights, freedoms, populist democracy and the rule of law are ones that we always defend and believe in. These principles are not a periodic political preference for us,” he said, adding that the AKP was committed to these in the past. “After all these achievements, the condition in which Turkey is currently in truly saddens us. When we look at why it is in this condition, the main reason is that it has strayed from the practice of these values and principles.”Reuters reported in June that Babacan, along with Gul, would launch his political party this year. That was on the heels of the AKP’s Istanbul loss, which marked the worst defeat in Erdogan’s political career.While Erdogan has so far dismissed reports of the new party, warning members of his AKP that those who “get off this train will not be allowed back on”, criticism toward the AKP and its policies have gained momentum since the mayoral election. Former prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who fell out with Erdogan in 2016, slammed the party’s economic management and Erdogan’s rhetoric after the election. The AKP last week started the process of removing Davutoglu from the party. Turkey’s next elections are scheduled for 2023.
“The government needs to be at the same distance to every citizen. The government needs to provide justice and equal opportunity. Justice is the reason why governments exist,” Babacan told the newspaper.

British PM Vows to Pursue Brexit Deal after New Blow
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 10/2019
Beleaguered British Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed to continue his attempts to strike a new Brexit deal with Brussels, after losing yet another vote on Tuesday during a chaotic parliamentary session. Johnson slammed the opposition for voting against his call for a snap election in the final minutes of a stormy late-night debate ahead of a controversial suspension of parliament called by the prime minister. He said he would "strive to get an agreement" at a summit in Brussels next month -- the alternative being a "no-deal" departure that critics warn would spark economic chaos.
Johnson accused his opponents of shirking their duty by blocking an early election. He held a cabinet meeting later on Tuesday to plot his next move after a series of defections and expulsions left him far short of a parliamentary majority and unable to garner enough votes from MPs to hold an early election. He was also due to meet with Arlene Foster, leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), amid rumors that he may be softening his negotiating demands over the key issue of the Irish border and associated trade conditions after Brexit. Foster, whose party wants Northern Ireland to remain part of Britain, warned Johnson that the province must not be sacrificed in talks. "What people are talking about is the break-up of the United Kingdom," she told Sky News. "That is not something that any prime minister in the United Kingdom is going to in any conscience go along with."
'Will not delay Brexit'
There were dramatic scenes in parliament as the current session drew to a close early Tuesday. Opposition Labor MPs waved signs reading "silenced" and shouted "Shame on you!" at government lawmakers during a ceremony for the suspension of parliament. The move is normally a simple formality but Johnson was accused of acting high-handedly by calling an extended suspension as the Brexit date looms. House of Commons speaker John Bercow earlier in the debate announced he would be stepping down in a strongly-worded speech in which he warned the government against trying to "degrade" parliament.
Johnson also lost a separate vote, calling on the government to publish confidential papers about the potential impact of a no-deal Brexit. The opposition has said it will not allow an early election, which under British law requires a two-thirds majority in parliament in favor, until Johnson has either struck a deal or delayed Brexit beyond October 31.But the prime minister insisted he would not delay, despite a bill being rushed through parliament in the past few days that could force him to do so if he fails to reach an agreement with the EU.
"This government will not delay Brexit any further," he insisted.
'Significant gaps' remain
Britons voted in 2016 to leave the EU, but after three years of political wrangling, parliament still cannot decide how to implement that decision. Johnson took office in July promising to deliver on the 2016 referendum vote for Brexit, even if that means leaving without exit terms agreed with Brussels.
But many MPs have rejected a no deal divorce and supported new legislation forcing Johnson to request a three-month delay if he fails to strike a deal. His last chance to reach an agreement is at the two-day EU summit starting on October 17. Some commentators have said Johnson may be forced to resign if he does not want to make the delay request. Ministers have also hinted at a potential legal challenge against the law. MPs have already rejected a draft deal agreed by Johnson's predecessor Theresa May three times, in large part because of its provisions to keep open the border between British Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. Johnson wants to scrap the so-called "backstop" plan, which would keep Britain aligned to EU trade rules long after Brexit, to avoid any checks at the frontier. But the EU accuses him of offering no alternative.At a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Monday, the two sides agreed that "significant gaps" remain.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 10-11/2019
Will Denmark Become Like Sweden?
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/September 10/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14839/denmark-crime-sweden
Sweden is exporting not only its bombings to Denmark. Gang crime, with its shootings and murders, has also traveled across the border.
Denmark is still relatively far from having reached the kind of crime epidemic that is currently plaguing Sweden. However, given the proximity of the two countries, the open borders and the apparent free flow of criminals across the borders -- not to mention Denmark's own crime level -- there seems little to stop the situation in Denmark from getting out of control and becoming increasingly more like Sweden. Pictured: The Øresund Bridge, part of the road and rail connection between Denmark and Sweden.
Denmark has experienced 10 bombings since February. The latest took place on August 27 in a residential complex, Gersager, in the Greve area, very close to Copenhagen. No one was injured, but the building was seriously damaged. This year, the Swedish city of Malmö has experienced 19 bombings. An August 16 editorial in the Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende said:
"No one wants Swedish conditions where shootings and bombings have reached an extreme degree. In addition to conflicts in the gang environment, there have been bombing attacks against police stations as well as courthouses, a town hall and the Swedish Tax Agency in Malmö in recent years."
The piece was published after the Danish Tax Authority in Copenhagen was bombed on August 6, destroying its façade; one person was injured. Two Swedish citizens were charged with the attack. "The Swedish suspects have names that indicate that they have a different ethnic background than Swedish, but there is as yet no knowledge of the motives that may have driven them," Berlingske wrote.
A few days later, on August 10, Copenhagen experienced another bombing that caused material damage, this time against a police station in Nørrebro.
Shortly after the bombings of the Danish Tax Authority and the Copenhagen police station, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen held a press conference. The government, she said, views the bombings "as an attack on our authorities and thus also our society". She added that the government plans to strengthen the border with Sweden. "We have a challenge. It should not be the case that you can travel from Sweden to Denmark and place dynamite in the middle of Copenhagen". She stressed that the border "has our full attention. And it needs to be strengthened".
While the motives behind the Danish bombings are apparently unclear, Swedish journalist, Joakim Palmkvist, who has been following crime developments in Sweden, told TV2 Nyheder that there are certain similarities between the bombings in Denmark and Sweden: Whereas the bombing targets in Sweden have often been residential complexes, businesses or restaurants, the police have also been targeted several times. Most recently a town hall was targeted in Landskrona and hit by a large explosion. According to Palmkvist, Swedish police believe that these bombings are due to mainly two motives: Blackmail, when criminals want money or services from their victims; or as revenge against the police for moving against the criminals.
Sweden is exporting not only its bombings to Denmark. Gang crime, with its shootings and murders, has also traveled across the border. In July, three Swedes were arrested in Stockholm on suspicion of a double homicide of two Swedish men in the Danish city of Herlev on June 25: a Swedish gang leader and another man had been shot dead. The two men were reportedly killed in Denmark as part of a conflict between the Swedish gangs "Dödspatrullen" ("the death patrol") and 'Shottaz'.
Although the dramatic escalation has been imported from Sweden, Denmark is experiencing its own problems with crime, especially that committed by male migrants. As reported by Berlingske Tidende in April:
"The figures [from the report for 2018 from Statistics Denmark, the national statistics agency, 'Immigrants in Denmark in 2018'] show that crime in 2017 was 60% higher among male immigrants and 234% higher in male non-Western descendants than the entire male population. If one takes into account, for example, that many of the descendants are young, and Statistics Denmark does so in the report, the figures are 44% for immigrants and 145%for descendants, respectively. If further corrected, for both age and income, of immigrants and descendants from non-western countries, the figures are 21% and 108%".
As for the nationality of the criminal migrants, Berlingske Tidende reported:
"At the top of the list are male Lebanese who, as far as [their] descendants are concerned, are almost four times as criminal as average men, when [the figures are] adjusted for age. [That is] sharply followed by male descendants from Somalia, Morocco and Syria. The violence index is 351 for descendants from non-western countries. They are 3.5 times more violent than the population as a whole. Descendants from Lebanon have an index of violent crimes of 668 when corrected for age."
On August 25, a 31-year-old woman, Karolina Hakim, was shot to death in broad daylight in Ribersborg, a peaceful, relatively affluent area of Malmö. The murder sent shock waves through Sweden, not least because the woman was holding her newborn baby in her arms. The man who was accompanying the woman, reportedly the father of her child, is mentioned in Swedish media as having been part of a spectacular robbery in Denmark in 2008, for which he was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Only two days later, an 18-year-old woman was shot to death in an apartment in Stockholm.
Denmark is still relatively far from having reached the kind of crime epidemic that is currently plaguing Sweden. However, given the proximity of the two countries, the open borders and the apparent free flow of criminals across the borders -- not to mention Denmark's own crime level -- there seems little to stop the situation in Denmark from getting out of control and becoming increasingly more like Sweden.
*Judith Bergman, a columnist, lawyer and political analyst, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Turkey Faces "Almost a Revolution in the Middle East"
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/September 10/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14848/turkey-israel-revolution
"Hatice Karahan, Erdogan's top economic advisor, told DW that economic relations between the countries represented a 'win-win situation' for both: 'Turkey exports automobiles, iron, steel, electrical devices and plastic to Israel. And in return, it imports Israeli fuel and oil.'" — Deutsche Welle, December 12, 2017.
Erdoğan was unjust, wrong and unrealistic in his quest internationally to isolate Israel. The world has not quite moved in the direction he wished for.
"[T]he rapprochement that significant sections of the Israeli military and security establishment have long wanted with the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] has taken root since 2011, as the post-Arab Spring landscape has provided the opportunity to deepen unofficial ties in areas of shared concern." — Baker Institute, Rice University.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan may have dreamed of an Israel that is internationally isolated, but the world has not quite moved in the direction he wished for. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Turkey's Islamist leaders, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have been pledging to their voters that they would "internationally isolate Israel" ever since they launched a diplomatic war on the Jewish state in 2010.
In a 2011 speech, Turkey's foreign minister at the time, Ahmet Davutoğlu (later prime minister), said that his country's Turkey's policies in the Middle East "have brought Israel to its knees" and isolated the Jewish state both regionally and internationally.
The facts, however, could not have been more distant.
According to official reports, Israel's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose by a healthy 3.3% in 2018, compared to 1.3% in 2009, while Turkey reported a drop from 8.5% in 2010 to 2.8% in 2018. The unemployment rate in Israel stood at 3.7% in July 2019. Turkey, meanwhile, boasted an unemployment rate of 14.7% in the December-February 2018-2019 period, its highest level in nearly a decade.
While the annualized inflation rate in Israel was a mere 0.5% in July 2019, Turkey's annualized inflation rate for the same month was 16.65%.
As a result, Israel enjoys a per capita GDP of $41,000 while Turkey's GDP per capita is merely $9,300.
Apparently neither Turks nor Israelis took Turkey's Islamists leaders seriously when they later vowed to isolate Israel. In the period of January-July 2019, Turkey was the main destination for flights from Israel's Ben Gurion Airport (mostly for connecting flights), leaving international hubs such as America, Britain and France in the dust. In that period, passenger numbers for flights to Turkey soared by 7% to 1.22 million.
Bilateral trade between Turkey and Israel exhibited a similar path, with two-way trade volumes rising sharply from $2.6 billion in 2009 to $5.6 billion in 2018, an increase of 115%. According to Deutsche Welle:
Hatice Karahan, Erdogan's top economic advisor, told DW that economic relations between the countries represented a "win-win situation" for both: "Turkey exports automobiles, iron, steel, electrical devices and plastic to Israel. And in return, it imports Israeli fuel and oil."
Erdoğan may have dreamed of an Israel that is internationally isolated. Instead, he has had grudgingly to watch the United States officially move its embassy to Jerusalem. "History," Erdoğan said, "will judge" the Trump administration's decision to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
When Turkey pledged to isolate Israel internationally, it was still formally a member of a prestigious international consortium that builds the stealth fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter jet. In July, however, the U.S. removed Turkey from the F-35 joint strike fighter program. After having insisted on deploying the S-400, a Russian-made long-range anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense system, on its soil, Turkey will lose its production work for the F-35 by March 2020. Turkey is the first NATO member state deploying the S-400 architecture, which is not interoperable with NATO weapon systems. The S-400 was designed to shoot down NATO's aerial assets -- including F-35 fighter jets
Isolation? Israel's Channel 12 reported that Israeli officials in recent months lobbied the U.S. to drop Turkey from the F-35 program. Meanwhile, Israel remains a recipient of the strategic weapon system.
"Israel has agreed to purchase at least 50 F-35 fighter jets from the US defense contractor Lockheed Martin. So far, 16 aircraft have been delivered, and the remaining planes are slated to arrive batches of twos and threes until 2024.
"Israel is the second country after the US to receive the F-35 from Lockheed Martin and one of the few allowed to modify the state-of-the-art aircraft, known in Israel as the Adir."
Erdoğan was unjust, wrong and unrealistic in his quest internationally to isolate Israel. The world has not quite moved in the direction he wished for. An analysis by Rice University's Baker Institute concluded:
"[T]he rapprochement that significant sections of the Israeli military and security establishment have long wanted with the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] has taken root since 2011, as the post-Arab Spring landscape has provided the opportunity to deepen unofficial ties in areas of shared concern."
"It's almost a revolution in the Middle East," according to Yuval Steinitz, Israel's Minister of National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources.
*Burak Bekdil, one of Turkey's leading journalists, was recently fired from the country's most noted newspaper after 29 years, for writing in Gatestone what is taking place in Turkey. He is a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

US running out of options as sanctions fail to subdue Iran
Osama Al-Sharif/Arabic News/September 10/2019
More than a year after President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the multilateral nuclear deal with Iran, his policy of putting “maximum pressure” on Tehran, mainly through tough economic sanctions, appears to be leading nowhere. In fact, between May 2018, when the US withdrew from the agreement, and today, Iran has been able to pedal back on its commitments — resuming its uranium enrichment program — while keeping its European partners engaged in delicate negotiations. Moreover, it insists that it is only reacting to Washington’s withdrawal from the agreement and is not abandoning the deal for now.
But, between Trump, his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the now-sacked National Security Adviser John Bolton, there appears to be a divergence on how the White House should manage this critical and destabilizing issue. Trump has toned down his rhetoric lately and appeared to welcome a French initiative to arrange a potential meeting between himself and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani — probably on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this month. Pompeo, who had originally put forward 12 conditions that Tehran must meet before sanctions would be eased, now appears to be walking back on his tough stand. On Sunday, he told media that Iran’s behavior must change but that the US wants “a successful Iran. We want them to be part of the community of nations… (but) you can’t do that when you’re building missiles that threaten Europe, threaten Israel, and building out systems that could ultimately create a nuclear weapon.” Ironically, Pompeo continued to urge Europe to put pressure on Iran to stop its “nuclear extortion” by abiding by its commitments under a deal that Washington wants revised.
And, while Trump and Pompeo insist that the US is not seeking regime change and wants to talk to Iranian leaders, Bolton was not shy of talking openly about the need to overthrow the regime in Tehran.
Trump’s latest position now centers on three elements; while stating that he is willing to meet Rouhani without prior conditions. Trump is “looking for no nuclear weapons, no ballistic missiles, and a longer period of time. Very simple. We can have it done in a very short period of time,” he was quoted as saying last month. The unilateral US approach to the Iranian issue has left it with little leverage over its European allies, who seemingly remain united in their defense of the nuclear deal. But France has said that negotiations should focus on Iran’s ballistic missile activities; an issue that Tehran says is a red line. The Europeans are yet to come up with a solution that would ease the effect of US sanctions and bring the Iranians back to the table. After a year of fruitless negotiations, Iran is giving the Europeans notice that it will abandon the deal altogether if relief is not provided. The idea that the US and Iran should talk is not a bad one. Trump wants validation that his move to withdraw from the 2015 deal was the right thing to do. But the decision to engage with Washington is not Rouhani’s to make. America’s withdrawal and the ensuing economic sanctions have emboldened hard-liners in Tehran. The so-called moderates, including Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, have little maneuvering space. The final word remains with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who is openly anti-American. The US and the Europeans know that, without a diplomatic breakthrough, the nuclear pact faces inevitable doom. Trump’s policy on Iran cannot be separated from the position of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was against the deal from the onset. But, as Iran resumes its uranium enrichment activities and removes restrictions on nuclear-related research and development, all while maintaining its controversial ballistic missiles program, it is Israel that is feeling the heat.
While Netanyahu had objected to any contact between the US and Iran, last week in London he appeared to be easing his position, saying that he does not tell the US president who to meet. It is now clear that Tehran will not cave in to what Zarif has called America’s “economic terrorism.” He demanded that the US drops the sanctions before talks can take place. Pompeo hinted that there are those in Iran who believe the two sides should talk to each other. The UN General Assembly would provide neutral ground for such a meeting. But, even though this remains unlikely, the US and the Europeans know that, without a diplomatic breakthrough, the nuclear pact faces inevitable doom. That leaves fewer options for Washington, including a military strike that would be catastrophic for the region as a whole. With tensions building up in the Arabian Gulf over oil maritime safety and the flare-ups in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, time is running out for a last-ditch plan to save the deal and prevent the parties spiraling toward an unpredictable military adventure.
*Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. Twitter: @plato010

US must keep punishing Iran for its indiscretions
Michael Pregent/Arabic News/September 10/2019
This is what war with Iran looks like: A series of mostly unsuccessful Iranian provocations and attacks with the goal of receiving concessions from Europe, combined with European pressure on the US to lift sanctions. It’s not working.
Harassing operations in the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and Bab Al-Mandab Strait are now harder because of the increased capability the US and allies Bahrain, Britain and Australia have put in place. The US has an intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance (ISR) capability that can show to the international community and the UN Security Council the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy and Quds Force committing illegal acts in near real-time. And, yes, Russia and China will abstain or veto.
Along with a technologically advanced ISR capability, this coalition has a military offensive capability in place as a deterrent, and it is making it hard for the IRGC Navy to seize ships. So hard, in fact, that the IRGC may now be seizingoil tankers that are part of its own smuggling network because it is too difficult to seize flagged vessels that are being protected by coalition naval assets.
Then there is the reflagged Adrian Darya 1, looking for a home and being sanctioned by the US Treasury, along with “some 16 entities and 10 individuals. (The Treasury) is also identifying 11 vessels as property in which blocked persons have an interest.”
Nothing is working, so now Iran thinks it is time to further violate the nuclear deal by using advanced new centrifuges, all without consequence from the signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran is cheating on the remaining parties in the JCPOA and the Europeans should do something about it. Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s recent warnings about attacking Israel resulted in a face-saving gesture set up by Tel Aviv to allow him to claim an attack while ignoring the response. Hezbollah hit dummies left in vehicles and Israel fired 100 shells into an empty area — a short-lived exchange for now.Both Hezbollah and the Islamic Republic are hoping to wait out the Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu administrations, and are also hoping for election outcomes that favor them. Trump and Netanyahu are too tough to deal with right now. Iran is hoping for a Democratic win in November 2020 and a simple re-entry into the JCPOA without new demands and with sanctions relief. Nasrallah believes Netanyahu will not risk Israeli casualties ahead of this month’s election so he will let these exchanges die down.
Hezbollah is not ready for a repeat of the 2006 war and Iran’s land bridge to the Mediterranean is being targeted in both Syria and now Iraq. So what can the Islamic Republic and Qassem Soleimani do? Well, they have to rely on Arab militias to do the dirty work for them, but these groups are quickly learning that Soleimani cannot protect them. Much like Daesh, the Iranians are learning the hard way that, unless they can shoot down aircraft, they are going to lose ground. In Soleimani’s case, his rockets, missiles and drones, which are stored in depots in Iraq and Syria, are being hit by Israeli airstrikes.
Soleimani thought Russia’s S-300 and S-400 air defense systems were going to protect his offensive capabilities in Syria and that the US would keep Israel (or whichever air force) from conducting airstrikes in Iraq — he was wrong in both cases.
Iraq is no longer a safe haven for Soleimani and his militias, which are being hit across the country. While most believe it is Israel behind these attacks — with the approval of the Americans — Iraqis are not rallying to the flag. They are not protesting these strikes, and that says a lot about the general population’s distaste for Iranian influence and Tehran’s militias in Iraq.
The status quo of the last 40 years was to reward Iran for its provocations, with the Islamic Republic redeploying the same tactics over and over again because it was rewarded over and over again. This time it is different.
The new status quo is Iran being punished for each provocation. Each provocation leads to new sanctions and more pressure from the US. Europe needs to do the same — and we may soon have the UK join the US in designating the IRGC as a terrorist group. The British recently designated Hezbollah in its entirety and Netanyahu asked London to do the same for the IRGC when he visited last week. The US should do all it can to help its allies absorb Iran’s attacks and make them unsuccessful. And, with each failed attack, it should impose punishing new sanctions, targeting all entities and individuals that move funds to the IRGC and Quds Force.
America’s maximum pressure campaign is working and has Iran lashing out, while hoping Europe bails it out.America’s maximum pressure campaign is working and has Iran lashing out, while hoping Europe bails it out. Tehran is particularly hopeful the French will offer concessions.
The US should now increase the pressure on the Islamic Republic, persuade France not to pay its $15 billion bribe, and hold Baghdad accountable for not acting to curb malign Iranian activity. It must also punish Iran for providinglethal aid to the Taliban while the latter kills Americans and negotiates with Washington in bad faith. The US must continue to pressure an Iranian regime that is now learning its successful tactics of the past are not working anymore — they are backfiring and they need to continue to do so.
*Michael Pregent, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, is a former intelligence officer with more than 28 years’ experience in security, terrorism, counter-insurgency, and policy issues in the Middle East, North Africa, and Southwest Asia. Twitter: @mppregent
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point-of-view

Middle East peace cannot be imposed by outsiders
Ellen R. Wald/Arabic News/September 10/2019
Whether they realize it or not, the White House team tasked with promoting an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan has called it quits. That’s not a bad thing. Here’s some explanation.
Jason Greenblatt, an assistant to the president and special representative for international negotiations in President Donald Trump’s administration, has announced he is returning to private industry. Greenblatt’s titles were lengthy, but his main responsibility has been overseeing the White House’s plan for a peace deal between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority (PA). In this effort, he worked closely with Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner.
For almost half a year, Greenblatt and Kushner have claimed this mysterious peace plan has been complete, but it has been delayed by one event after another. At one point, they wanted to wait until after the Israeli election this past spring. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not able to form a coalition, so there is a new election scheduled for the middle of September. The peace plan was also delayed by Jewish and Israeli holidays in the spring and then Ramadan in May. A few weeks after Ramadan, before the slow summer season, Kushner hosted an odd “Peace to Prosperity” conference in Bahrain that brought together many important business and political figures in the Middle East to discuss broad ideas, but he still refused to share his plan.
Now, the team at the White House has indicated it will release the plan shortly after the Sept. 17 election in Israel. Even if they do release it then, Greenblatt will no longer be around to promote it. Moreover, almost a month of major Jewish holidays start on Sept. 29, so little, if any, progress will happen until the very end of October. Less than two months later is the start of the Christmas season, which hampers any progress in the US as well as in part of Israel and in Palestinian towns like Ramallah, where the PA is headquartered.
By January, the American election season will have officially started for 2020. The Trump administration is very unlikely to actively pursue something as complicated and fraught with political danger as a Middle East peace plan during the presidential election campaign. The two relevant parties — the Israelis and Palestinians — are unlikely to listen to the administration while Trump’s political future is uncertain ahead of the election. Moreover, there is no reason for Trump to take political risks during the election season on an issue that is not of paramount concern to the American people.
It is not clear if Kushner or the others on his team realize it yet, but this deal is dead for now. It was dead before it ever got started. From the start, the hidden plan was a concoction written by people sitting comfortably in the White House, almost 10,000 kilometers away from the conflict. It was intended to be implemented by foreigners who were not party to the dispute. The men and women who crafted this document in Washington did not fight through the decades of war. They did not suffer and cry. Therefore, it should not be for them to make the peace.
Peace cannot be imposed by outsiders. The best example from modern history is that of the Middle East after the First World War. Many of the boundaries and, ultimately, much of the political leadership were determined by European powers. This exacerbated political instability in places like Iraq, where we still see the reverberations of foreign influence 100 years ago.
To be sure, peace is the desired outcome. Israel is an existing country and its sovereignty must be recognized and accepted. As Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told The Atlantic magazine in 2018: “I believe the Israelis have a right to have their own land.” Palestinians must have a political future and self-determination. A people cannot go stateless for too long. Hopefully, the Palestinians will eventually be able to have a democracy to form their own future. Mahmoud Abbas was elected for a four-year term in 2005, but continues to run the PA today. Hamas, which runs Gaza, terrorizes its own people like it terrorizes Israel. From the start, the hidden plan was a concoction written by people sitting comfortably in the White House, almost 10,000 kilometers away from the conflict.
We do not know why Greenblatt is leaving the government before the White House peace plan has even been revealed, but this news increases the doubts surrounding the plan. Now, Kushner’s 30-year-old protege is set to take Greenblatt’s position. It makes one wonder if no one else wanted the job.
The best thing for peace would be to scrap the secret plan and return to a goal of negotiations. Peace may not come today or tomorrow. But when it does come, someday, it will be made by Israelis and Palestinians — not foreigners an ocean away.
*Ellen R. Wald, Ph.D. is a historian and author of “Saudi, Inc.” She is the president of Transversal Consulting and also teaches Middle East history and policy at Jacksonville University. Twitter: @EnergzdEconomy
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point-of-view