LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 13/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
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Bible Quotations For today
Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy.
Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will
not become known
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12/01-05/:”Meanwhile, when
the crowd gathered in thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began
to speak first to his disciples, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is,
their hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing
secret that will not become known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark
will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will
be proclaimed from the housetops.‘I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who
kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to
fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I
tell you, fear him!”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News published on September 12-13/2019
US Official Urges Lebanese Government to Confront Hezbollah
Lebanese PM to Visit Moscow for Military Talks
Lebanese Interior Minister Proposes Roadmap to Improve Prison Conditions
Schenker Says U.S. Sanctions Will 'Absolutely' Hit Hizbullah Allies
New sanctions could extend to allies of Hezbollah in Lebanon: US envoy
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Four Members of Hizbullah
Lebanese Cabinet approves series of judicial appointments
Lebanese Cabinet OKs Judicial Appointments, Sets Date for Municipal By-elections
Hariri meets Gemayel, Mundis
Sami Gemayel, Rampling tackle latest developments
Khalil, Salameh tackle current financial situation
Khalil Comments on Army Food Supplies Crisis
Arslan Says 'Won't Bargain' as Jumblat Decries 'One-Sided' Arrests
Khalil Says Agreed with Hariri to Expedite Draft 2020 Budget
Hizbullah Blames Gulf for Netanyahu Annexation Threat
Renowned Producer, Director Simon Asmar Dies at 76
Conscience and Shame Are God Himself
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on September 12-13/2019
Israel Minister: US Treasury Official Said No Change on Iran Sanctions
Israeli PM Netanyahu: Rocket attacks make new war in Gaza inevitable
Israel PM Says he ‘Had Influence on Trump’ over Iran
Bolton’s dismissal does not affect Iran’s view of US: Iranian security official
Arab Quartet Condemns Iranian Intervention in Arab’s Internal Affairs
Trump Says Bolton’s ‘Libyan Model’ Proposal to NKorea Was ‘Not Smart’
In Unprecedented Incitement Against Arabs, Netanyahu Says They ‘Want to Destroy
Israel’
U.S. Rejects U.N. Suggestion Its Syria Airstrikes Could Constitute 'War Crimes'
MWL, Evangelical Community Affirm Common Values
Australia Urges Iran to Treat Detainees 'Humanely' as Details Emerge on Bloggers
Turkish military reinforcements enter Maarat al-Numan in Syria’s Idlib
Erdogan adviser criticizes Saudi Arabia for ‘favoring non-Muslims over Turkey’
Sudan’s Ruling Council, Rebels Sign Peace Talks Roadmap to End War
Saudi Princess Gets Suspended Jail in France over Beaten Workman
Families of Australian-British bloggers detained in Iran call for release
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on September 12-13/2019
US Official Urges Lebanese Government to Confront Hezbollah/Mohamed Choucair/Asharq
Al Awsat/September 12/2019
Conscience and Shame Are God Himself/Elias Bejjani/September 12/2019
John Bolton Is No Longer the U.S. National Security Advisor/Micheal
Young/Carnegie Middle East Centre/September 12/2019
So that the Iranian Crescent Doesn’t Become a Full Moon/Salman Al-dossary/Asharq
Al Awsat/September 12/2019
Analysis/Washington May Be Ready for Talks post-Bolton, but Iran Is Still
Hesitant/Zvi Bar'el/Haaretz/September 12/2019
Full extent of Iran’s nuclear defiance becoming clear/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
Nerws/September 13/2019
Bolton’s exit comes at critical time for Trump/Andrew Hammond/Arab Nerws/September
13/2019
Netanyahu’s threat a reminder of why Palestinians need a deal/Faisal J. Abbas/Arab
Nerws/September 13/2019
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News
published
on September 12-13/2019
US Official Urges Lebanese Government to Confront Hezbollah
Mohamed Choucair/Asharq Al Awsat/September 12/2019
US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker has
asked the Lebanese government to stop Hezbollah from overshadowing it, political
sources said. During his meeting with Lebanese officials, Schenker placed
Lebanon in the circle of danger, warning from Hezbollah’s decision to support
Iran in case of a flare up in the region. “Any similar scenario would be
problematic for Lebanon,” the US official was quoted as saying.
Schenker’s advice was part of several warnings issued by him during his meetings
with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Saad
Hariri, and other political figures in Beirut, the sources said.
Schenker was this week on his first visit to Lebanon after he was recently sworn
in by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to facilitate the maritime border
negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, a process led by his predecessor
Ambassador David Satterfield, who left the mission after being appointed
Ambassador to Turkey. However, the US official did not stick to his mission as
mediator, deciding to raise a series of concerns.
Asharq Al-Awsat learned from political sources that Schenker stressed the
importance of a swift decision on starting negotiations with Israel on the
border demarcation to pave way for the exploration of oil and gas in Lebanon’s
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The US official seems adamant to back the proposal of former US diplomat
Frederick Hoff, which calls for Lebanon to acquire 550 square kilometers of a
disputed triangular area, and consider the rest as part of Israeli territorial
waters. The proposal has been previously rejected by the Lebanese government.
The political source said that during his meetings in Beirut, Schenker also
stressed that Hezbollah was violating UN Security Council Resolution 1701. He
said the US would not withdraw sanctions against Hezbollah and Iran, which both
stand behind terrorist attacks in the region. Schenker said Hezbollah
constitutes the advanced military and security arm of Iran and that the party is
planning to shake regional stability. The US official reiterated Washington’s
support for the Lebanese army and for the state’s efforts to impose its control
over the entire Lebanese territories.
Lebanese PM to Visit Moscow for Military Talks
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 September, 2019
The Russian Embassy announced this week that Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri
plans to visit Moscow for discussions on political, economic and military
cooperation between the two countries. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the
Embassy said: "A few days ago, the fourth meeting of the Russian-Lebanese
Inter-Governmental Committee for Military-Technical Cooperation took place,
confirming both sides' determination to strengthen their constructive
engagement."The statement added that the two sides would pursue a sustained
development in this respect during the upcoming phase, within the context of
preparing for Hariri’s visit to Moscow and through contacts underway between the
defense and interior ministries of both countries. Informed sources told Asharq
Al-Awsat that the final date for Hariri’s visit has not been set yet. However,
they said the PM should visit Moscow by the end of 2019. The sources stressed
the important relations between Hariri and Russia, contrary to all previous
reports seeking to spread false information. “Hariri plans to discuss several
issues, including political, economic, and military partnership, particularly
that several Russian companies plan to participate in oil and gas exploration,”
the sources said. In 2018, Russia’s Novatek was one of three companies to win
bids for gas exploration rights in blocs 4 and 9, off the Lebanese coast. The
company has a 20-year contract with the Lebanese government, as of January, to
maintain and expand oil storage installations in the northern city of Tripoli.
Another Russian oil company, Lukoil, has also shown interest to join the second
bidding round, expected at the beginning of 2020. On Monday, Hariri denied
allegations published by local newspaper Al-Akhbar that the PM is avoiding
military cooperation with Russia. Hariri has visited Moscow several times to
discuss Russian aid to enhance the Lebanese military's ability and secure the
country's borders.
Lebanese Interior Minister Proposes Roadmap to Improve
Prison Conditions
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 September, 2019
Interior Minister Raya Hassan has proposed a roadmap for the improvement of
prison conditions in Lebanon. “Ever since I assumed my post at the Interior
Ministry, I have placed the issue of prisons among my top priorities,” Hassan
said Wednesday. She spoke while chairing a meeting attended by UN Resident and
Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon Philippe Lazzarini, Ambassadors of the US,
European Union, Britain, Italy, Canada, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands,
Sweden and Japan; alongside representatives of international agencies such as
the UNDP, WHO and UNICEF. Hassan said: “I wanted to set a roadmap to improve the
condition of prisons in order to fulfill the minimum of human rights standards
and to present a better image of jails in Lebanon to the international
community.” Also, the Interior Minister highlighted the importance of
coordination on the level of ministries and representatives of international
agencies and donor states. In Lebanon, detention conditions in prison facilities
are staggeringly problematic. Cells are overcrowded and poorly ventilated. At
Roumieh prison, Lebanon’s largest, the cells originally built for two, sometimes
hold ten prisoners. Hassan expressed hope on Wednesday that the government would
approve her roadmap.
Schenker Says U.S. Sanctions Will 'Absolutely' Hit
Hizbullah Allies
Naharnet/September 13/2019
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker has
confirmed that new U.S. sanctions will “absolutely” target allies of Hizbullah
regardless of their “sect,” in an apparent reference to the Iran-backed group’s
Shiite and Christian allies. In an interview with LBCI television, Schenker
added that the sanctions will not affect Washington’s relation with the Lebanese
government, while noting that Hizbullah is not being able to pay salaries to
fighters or funds to its social institutions through Lebanese banks. Schenker
also called for expanding UNIFIL’s mandate to allow the peacekeeping force to
enter private properties, noting that everything that Hizbullah possesses in
Lebanon is also being labeled private property. Adding that Lebanon is an
important country to the U.S., the State Department official said he can
officially reassure that the situation will not be similar to that in 1991, when
Washington turned a blind eye to Syria’s hegemony over Lebanon. As for the
demarcation of the maritime border with Israel, Schenker said he visited Lebanon
to facilitate the negotiations, adding that President Michel Aoun and Speaker
Nabih Berri were responsive to the suggestions.
New sanctions could extend to allies of Hezbollah in
Lebanon: US envoy
ReutersThursday, 12 September 2019
Future US sanctions could target allies of Hezbollah in Lebanon, extending
beyond direct affiliates of the Iran-backed Lebanese extremist organization, a
US envoy said on Thursday. “In the future we will designate, because we have to,
individuals in Lebanon who are aiding and assisting Hezbollah, regardless of
their sect or religion,” the new US assistant secretary of state for Near
Eastern affairs David Schenker said in an interview with Lebanon’s LBCI
television. When asked by the interviewer if this means sanctions will target
allies of Hezbollah, Schenker said “absolutely”, adding that the US is
constantly reviewing its sanctions lists. The proposed targeting of allies of
Hezbollah has been a sensitive subject for Lebanon in the past. In 2017, a draft
copy of proposed, tighter US sanctions on Hezbollah caused disquiet in Lebanon
because the wording, seen by Reuters, implied the legislation could target the
Shiite Amal movement of parliament speaker Nabih Berri for investigation.
Lebanon’s Maronite Christian President Michel Aoun is also a political ally of
Hezbollah. Targeting both Amal and Hezbollah and their associates – the two
parties representing Lebanon’s Shiite population – risked marginalizing a large
section of society, banking and political sources said at the time. The
legislation that was eventually enacted did not mention the phrase “Hezbollah,
Amal, or other associated entities” as contained in the draft section on who
would be the focus of the regulations.
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Four Members of Hizbullah
Naharnet/September 13/2019
The United States Department of the Treasury issued new sanctions against four
members of Hizbullah, a statement issued by the State Department said Thursday.
It said that US President Donald Trump has signed on Tuesday an executive order
“modernizing sanctions to combat terrorism.”
It announced a wide range of new terrorist designations against leaders or
operatives of organizations with close ties to Tehran, among them Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force and Hizbullah. The US also designated
leaders of groups within the Islamic State and Al-Qaida, and the operational arm
of Hamas. Hizbullah senior members subject to sanctions were named as follows:
Ali Karaki, Mohammed Haider, Fouad Shokr and Ibrahim Aqil. According to the U.S.
statement, Karaki is a leader of Hizbullah’s Jihad Group and is responsible for
military operations within southern Lebanon. Aqil is a senior member of "Jihad
Group" and is responsible for Hizbullah’s military operations. Mohammed Haider,
it said, runs Hizbullah’s networks outside Lebanon, while Fouad Shokr is “the
supervisor of Hizbullah’s weapons and missile units in Syria, and is the
military adviser close to Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” according
to the US statement.
Lebanese Cabinet approves series of judicial appointments
NNA - Thu 12 Sep 2019
The Council of Ministers on Thursday convened in session at Baabda Presidential
Palace under the chairmanship of President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun,
and approved a series of judicial appointments within the scope of the justice,
administrative, and financial judiciary -- finally filling vacant state
positions with full-time judges instead of a number of acting judges, who had
filled these positions for more than 15 years.Accordingly, Judge Suheil Abboud
has been appointed first President of the Court of Cassation, and President of
the Supreme Judicial Council; Judge Ghassan Oweidat has been appointed Deputy
Public Prosecutor; Judge Fadi Elias has been appointed Speaker of the State
Shura Council, and Judge Mohammed Badran has been appointed head of the Court of
Audit.
Moreover, the Council of Ministers has also taken note of Hassan Ezzeddine's
victory, by acclamation, in Tyre's by-elections, and approved the National
Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, as well as other impending items on
the cabinet's agenda.
Responding to a question whether the 2020 state budget has been distributed to
ministers, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Salim Jreissati, affirmed
that the project bill would be distributed the soonest possible, as promised by
the Minister of Finance.
As for the Ministry of Defense's presentation of the final draft of the
Integrated Border Management Strategy in Lebanon, the Minister said that the
discussion of the aforementioned project had been postponed at the request of
the minister of defense himself.
Whether the reported political agreement that preceded the judiciary
appointments heralded future political interference in the judiciary, Jreissati
rebuffed such claim, explaining that appointments have strictly abided by legal
texts, including the provisions of the Constitution, the law of the judiciary,
and the law of the Court of Audit.Responding to a question why the aforesaid
mechanism had not been respected when former information minister, Melhem Riachy,
had proposed names to appoint a chairman for Tele Liban, Jreissati asserted that
the current Minister of Information would propose the names he wished to
nominate for the chairmanship of Tele Liban, ruling out the possibility of
appointing someone without name suggestions by the Minister of Information.
It is to note that the cabinet session was preceded by a meeting between
President Aoun and Prime Minister Hariri, during which the pair discussed topics
on session's agenda.
Lebanese Cabinet OKs Judicial Appointments, Sets Date for Municipal
By-elections
Naharnet/September 13/2019
The Cabinet on Thursday approved the long-awaited judicial appointments, amid
objections by the Lebanese Forces over the Audit Bureau candidates. Speaking
after a Cabinet session in Baabda, State Minister for Presidency Affairs Salim
Jreissati said the Cabinet also formed a ministerial panel to “assess the
situations of public institutions ahead of taking the appropriate measures...
and restructuring and developing administration.”Jreissati also said that the
Cabinet “took note of the uncontested win of Hassan Ezzeddine in Tyre’s
parliamentary by-election” and agreed a national action plan on women, peace and
security. Deputy Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani meanwhile said the LF objected
to the appointments of the Audit Bureau after “the necessary mechanism was not
applied in its entirety.”Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan for her part said she
will officially announce the victory of Hizbullah candidate Hassan Ezzeddine in
Tyre’s by-election, noting that the Cabinet reached an agreement on setting an
October 27 date for municipal by-elections aimed at replacing the dissolved
municipal councils.
Hariri meets Gemayel, Mundis
NNA -Thu 12 Sep 2019
The President of the Council of Ministers Saad Hariri received this afternoon at
the Grand Serail the head of the Kataeb Party, MP Sami Gemayel, and discussed
with him the latest political developments. Hariri also met with the Registrar
of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Daryl Mundis, at the head of a delegation.
Sami Gemayel, Rampling tackle latest developments
NNA - Thu 12 Sep 2019
Kataeb Party chief, MP Sami Gemayel, on Thursday welcomed at the Party's Central
House in Saifi, British Ambassador to Lebanon, Chris Rampling. Talks between the
pair reportedly touched on most recent developments. On emerging, Ambassador
Rampling said that discussions focused on most recent developments in Lebanon
and the region, as well as the Country's economic situation and the need to
start with the necessary reforms. Rampling added that talks touched on the need
for the Lebanese State to control the sovereignty and security of its entire
territory and implement international resolutions, notably 1701.
Khalil, Salameh tackle current financial situation
NNA - Thu 12 Sep 2019
Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil held a meeting on Thursday with Lebanon's
Central Bank Governor, Riad Salameh, in his office at the Ministry. Discussions
reportedly touched on the country's financial and monetary situation, as well as
cooperation between the Ministry and the Central Bank.
Both officials assured that the monetary situation was stable despite all the
pressures.
Khalil Comments on Army Food Supplies Crisis
Naharnet/September 13/2019
Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil on Thursday issued a clarification regarding
the suspension of foodstuffs delivery to the army by the suppliers. “Contrary to
what is being circulated regarding the funds of the army’s food supplies, those
concerned must check with the competent administrations to realize that the
issue is incorrect,” Khalil tweeted. “The fund are being transferred in a normal
manner and the demands of some suppliers are related to previous funds that had
required certain measures in line with the norms,” Khalil added. The suppliers
had issued a statement saying they had stopped supplying the army with “the
necessary foodstuffs, including Arabic bread, vegetables and fresh meat as of
September 9” due to the Finance Ministry’s failure to pay them fees overdue
since November 2018.
Army Commander General Joseph Aoun had contacted Khalil in recent days and the
minister promised him to resolve the issue.
Arslan Says 'Won't Bargain' as Jumblat Decries 'One-Sided'
Arrests
Naharnet/September 13/2019
Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan on Thursday stressed that he will
not “bargain” over the Baabda reconciliation agreement, after Progressive
Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat decried what he described as “one-sided”
arrests in the ongoing probe into the deadly Qabrshmoun incident.
“Today we heard of a tweet that gives the impression that there is backpedaling
on the Baabda resolutions, and this would not be in anyone’s interest or in the
interest of security and serenity of our people in Mount Lebanon,” Arslan
tweeted. “For our part, we insist on every point we agreed on at the Baabda
meeting under the sponsorship of the president, and we will not bargain over any
point,” Arslan added. “We emphasize to everyone that we have lifted the cover
off anyone involved in the Qabrshmoun crime and we demand that investigations
start with our minister, Saleh al-Gharib, in addition to all the bodyguards who
were in the convoy,” the LDP chief went on to say. “Will not accept to bargain
over the blood of the two innocent martyrs Samer Abi Farraj and Rami Salman,”
Arslan said. Jumblat had earlier tweeted: “Who is the side that is still making
one-sided arrests over the al-Basatin incident, contrary to the spirit of
frankness and reconciliation?”A fifth supporter of the Progressive Socialist
Party was detained Monday in the ongoing probe. Monday’s arrest raises the
number of those held over the incident to five, all of whom are PSP supporters.
Two of Gharib’s bodyguard were killed and a third was wounded in a clash with
PSP supporters in Qabrshmoun as the minister’s convoy was passing in the Aley
district town. A PSP supporter was also injured in the incident and is still in
hospital. Gharib and the LDP have accused the PSP supporters of setting up an
“ambush” while the PSP has accused the minister’s bodyguards of opening fire
first on protesters.
Khalil Says Agreed with Hariri to Expedite Draft 2020 Budget
Naharnet/September 13/2019
Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said he agreed with Prime Minister Saad
Hariri to complete discussions of draft 2020 state budget paving way for its
approval in the Cabinet as soon as the latter convenes in a session next week,
al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday. “The 2020 draft budget has a lower
deficit projection than in the budget of 2019 despite the increase in the
servicing of public debt and the decline in growth to zero,” said Khalil in
remarks to the newspaper. The Minister assured there will be no new taxes in the
budget of 2020 but that it includes a number of decisions agreed upon at the
recent Baabda Economic Meeting. Lebanon has promised donors to slash public
spending as part of reforms to unlock over $11 billion (10 billion euros) in aid
and low-interest loans pledged at a conference dubbed CEDRE held in Paris in
April 2018. In July, parliament passed the 2019 budget, which is expected to
trim Lebanon's deficit to 7.59 percent of GDP -- a nearly 4-point drop from the
previous year. On the illegal crossings on the border between Lebanon and Syria,
Khalil stressed the need for strict measures to stop the growing rate of
smuggling. He said: "Someone told me today, give me a crossing for three hours a
day and I'll give you $ 100,000, which means the smuggling business is very
active.”
Hizbullah Blames Gulf for Netanyahu Annexation Threat
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 13/2019
Hizbullah on Wednesday blamed Gulf countries for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's shock election pledge to annex the West Bank's Jordan Valley. The
Iran-backed group, which earlier this month exchanged cross-border fire with the
Israel army, argued that steps towards closer Gulf-Israeli ties were emboldening
Netanyahu against the Palestinians. "Measures toward normalization and Gulf
attempts to foster alliances with the enemy have created an opportunity to chip
away at more Arab lands," Hizbullah said in a statement. Netanyahu, who is
campaigning for September 17 elections, said on Tuesday that if re-elected, he
would annex the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea. Both are in the
occupied Palestinian West Bank. Gulf countries condemned Netanyahu's pledge, but
Hizbullah argued that recent contacts between Israel and some of the US-allied,
oil-rich monarchies had encouraged Netanyahu to take a more aggressive stance.
Hizbullah accused Gulf countries -- most of them rivals of its own sponsor Iran
-- of "giving (Israel) a right of aggression against the Arab people of Lebanon
and Palestine". Egged on by Washington, several Gulf countries have recently
taken steps toward a thaw in relations with Israel, which shares their hostility
to Iran.
Renowned Producer, Director Simon Asmar Dies at 76
Naharnet/September 13/2019
The famous Lebanese producer and director Simon Asmar has died on Thursday at
age 76 after struggling with illness.
Media reports said Asmar has long suffered from kidney disease which he
challenged after every setback. Simon Asmar is considered one of the most
prominent figures who discovered a number of celebrities through his famous
program Studio al-Fan (art studio) which drew the beginning for various renowned
singers in Lebanon.
Conscience and Shame Are God Himself
الياس بجاني: الضمير والخجل هما الله في داخل الإنسان
Elias Bejjani/September 12/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78389/elias-bejjani-conscience-and-shame-are-god-himself-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b3-%d8%a8%d8%ac%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b6%d9%85%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ae%d8%ac%d9%84-%d9%87%d9%85/
Freedom without moral, ethical and fear of God restrictions is a tool of satanic
moral and social chaos.
He who abandons the graces of shame and conscience in his both mind and conduct
he practically defies and rejects Our Father Almighty God because these two
graces are God Himself
The Sodom and Gomorrah fate must be envisioned for any society where freedom
becomes a means for immoral practises and a vehicle of heresies.
“The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely
defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead,
you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not
be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
men who have sex with men, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor
slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some
of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (01 Corinthians
06/07-11)
He who kills the Godly graces of “SHAME” and conscience in his both mind and
conduct he practically defies and rejects Our Father Almighty God because these
two graces are God Himself.
Our Father Almighty God who created us on his image and because we are His
children and due to the fact that He wants to have us back in His heavenly
mentions, He remained with us through these both graces of shame and conscience.
Through these two Godly graces Almighty God warns us when ever we do, say,
contemplate or see, any thing that is morally or ethically not acceptable and
that breaches the teaching of the holy Bible. God granted these two Holy graces
only to us, His children and not to any other creature.
Accordingly, and because our bodies are Gods’ temples, freedom is a blessing and
a gift provided that its use remains contained in the context of all that is,
moral, ethical, respect of self and others, and most importantly that it does
not go against any of the 10 commandments in particular and the biblical
teaching in general.Every moral teaching in Christianity aims to lead us to the
true freedom of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
Both the Gospel and the Church call us to be faithful and not to ever forget or
ignore the fact, “The creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s
children in glorious freedom from death and decay” (Romans 8:21).
Freedom is fulfilled when we live the commandments of the Lord, hear His Word,
and are enlighten by the teachings of His apostles and saints.
Accordingly, any call or conduct for or of freedom outside the truth, and apart
the full sovereignty of Jesus Christ over our lives, is a surrender to
wrongdoing temptations, evil illusions and flaws. Freedom is that “nothing
dominates” us so we can remain free from sin.
Definitely, there are limits for human freedom on the moral level. A believer in
God and in His Holy Bible MUST not allow any thought, practice or earthly
temptation to restrict or deprive him of his freedom which is Godly gift.
All those who wrongly believe that freedom is an open ticket to do or say any
thing with no shame or conscience, and without the fear of God or His Day Of
Judgment, and at the same time falsely think that their bodies are their, all
those wrongdoers are advised and before it is too late to wake up and read
thoroughly the below verses from saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (
06/From 12-20) that addresses sexual immoralities:
(“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I
have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. You say,
“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”
The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the
Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will
raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?
Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!
Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in
body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But whoever is united
with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other
sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins
against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy
Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies.)
Man was created in the image and likeness of God, and in the form of his
freedom. He is a free intellectual creature and God gave him the capabilities
and privileges to master on all that is on earth.
Accordingly he has an obligation to safeguard and hold on to this Godly gift
that makes him different and distinguishes from all other creatures.
Man is required to continuously appreciate God’s gifts of freedom, sovereignty
and wisdom, and to utilize them with fear of God in a bid to reach perfection in
his spiritual life, and in his endeavors to improve and tame his creative
talents.
Man is called on to be a genuine loving and giving creature, and to free himself
from all that is hatred, grudges, selfishness, moral-ethical deviations,
thievery, jealousy and most importantly to keep away from sexual immoralities
that defile his body which is Gods’ temple.
Freedom in Christianity is achieved and enjoyed through the Holy Spirit grace.
It lies in the man’s will and ability to break the shackles of sin, and to fight
with faith and prayers all evil Satanic temptations that might make him to
stumble.
Freedom is to live the fullness of life, in repentance, humility, transparency,
God’s full obedience, purification and love. Man attains and obtains his actual
freedom through biblical education and by obeying His Father Almighty God and
drawing strength from him.
May people sadly give different definitions for freedom according to their
earthly goals, wishes, pleasures and aspirations. They wrongly see that freedom
it a human moral value that is devoid of every faith dimension and accordingly
they tailor and shape it to facilitate, justify and legitimize their wrongdoings
in every life aspect.
In summary, It is a holy and moral duty and obligation to witness for the truth
loudly and courageously, and to protect ourselves, our families, our church and
our societies from the evil heretic threats, and from all that is social bizarre
and religiously goes against the Gospel and the commandments of our Lord Jesus.
These numerous heretic and sinful acts are spread and advocated under the tag of
freedom through music, singing, paints, movies, plays etc.
May Al Mighty God protect and safeguard Lebanon and its people from all that is
sinful, evil, heretic.
N.B: Click Here to read the above faith piece in its Arabic version
*Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com &
media.lccc@gmail.com
Web Sites
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com &
http://www.10452lccc.com &
http://www.clhrf.com
Twitter
https://twitter.com/phoeniciaelias
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/128479277182033
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https://www.facebook.com/elias.y.bejjani
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https://www.instagram.com/eliasyoussefbejjani/
Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elias-bejjani-7b737713b/
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on September 12-13/2019
Israel Minister: US Treasury Official Said No Change on
Iran Sanctions
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 September, 2019
Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon said Thursday a visiting senior US
treasury official assured him that sanctions against Iran would remain in full
force. "I just finished an excellent working meeting with Sigal Mandelker, the
under secretary of the treasury," he wrote on his Twitter account. "I was happy
to hear from her that contrary to media reports there is no change in US
sanctions policy toward Iran and they will continue at full strength," said
Kahlon, according to Agence France Presse. President Donald Trump on Wednesday
warned Iran against further uranium enrichment but also left open the
possibility the US could ease sanctions to pave the way to a meeting with
President Hassan Rouhani. Asked if he would take such a step to enable a meeting
with Rouhani, Trump replied: "We will see what happens."Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused Iran of having a previously undisclosed
site aimed at developing nuclear weapons that it had destroyed. The prime
minister did not give details on any testing. Iran had destroyed the site
located near Abadeh, south of Isfahan, sometime between late June and late July
after realizing that Israel had detected it, Netanyahu alleged.
Israeli PM Netanyahu: Rocket attacks make new war in Gaza
inevitable
The Associated Press, Jerusalem/Thursday, 12 September 2019
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that continued rocket
fire from Gaza is making another war against militants in the coastal strip
inevitable, his latest headline-grabbing announcement just days before Israel
heads to parliamentary elections. Netanyahu divulged that advanced plans were in
place to strike Gaza and said he would decide the optimal timing of the
offensive, given the Gaza Hamas rulers’ unwillingness or inability to stop the
daily barrages. The Israeli leader has been criticized for failing to respond
harshly to the rockets, which have been frequently sending residents of southern
Israel scurrying for cover. Netanyahu himself was whisked away by bodyguards
from a campaign event on Tuesday when Palestinian militants fired rockets toward
the area where he was. Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and Hamas
militants overtook the territory by force two years later. Israel and Hamas have
fought three wars and engaged in several other rounds of violence over the past
decade. “I do not wage war unless it is a last resort and I don’t risk the lives
of our soldiers and citizens just to get applause,” Netanyahu said in an
interview with Kan Reshet Bet Radio. “We will probably have no choice but to set
out on a big campaign, a war against the terror forces in Gaza.”“I won’t start
it one minute before we are ready, and we are preparing for a ‘different war’,”
he added, shortly before flying to Russia for a lightning meeting with President
Vladimir Putin. It was Netanyahu’s first major interview to a mainstream media
outlet in a frenetic campaign in which he has been dictating the agenda with a
dizzying array of maneuvers. Just this week, he has alleged fraud in Arab voting
areas and has pushed for legislation to place cameras in polling stations on
election day. He also claimed to have located a previously unknown Iranian
nuclear weapons facility and vowed to annex the heart of the West Bank if he
wins re-election. His pledge to extend Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan
Valley sparked international condemnation. A spokesman for the UN
secretary-general said that if it were carried through it would be a “serious
violation of international law.”The UN statement comes after Saudi Arabia, a
regional power that has grown closer to Israel in recent years, condemned the
move, along with several others who warned it could inflame the Middle East and
eliminate any remaining Palestinian hope of establishing a separate state.
Netanyahu said it was important to act now as President Donald Trump prepares to
unveil his Mideast peace plan after the elections next Tuesday in Israel. The
move was widely viewed in Israel as Netanyahu’s latest stunt to draw in
right-wing voters in a hard-fought campaign.
Israel PM Says he ‘Had Influence on Trump’ over Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 September, 2019
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that continued rocket
fire from the Gaza Strip is making another war against militants in the
impoverished enclave inevitable and stressed that he had influence on the White
House in its pressure campaign on Iran. last resort and I don't risk the lives
of our soldiers and citizens just to get applause," Netanyahu said in an
interview with Kan Reshet Bet Radio. "We will probably have no choice but to set
out on a big campaign, a war against the terror forces in Gaza.""I won't start
it one minute before we are ready, and we are preparing for a 'different war',"
he added, shortly before flying to Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir
Putin. Netanyahu spoke just days before he seeks re-election in a nationwide
vote. The Israeli military has responded to the attacks with limited strikes
against Hamas installations that have caused no casualties and little damage,
and has refrained from risking a larger conflagration on the eve of Israelis
heading to the polls. The Israeli leader has been criticized for failing to
respond harshly to the rockets, which have been frequently sending residents of
southern Israel scurrying for cover. Netanyahu, who counts on the working-class,
Gaza border towns as part of his electoral base, was himself whisked away by
bodyguards from a campaign event on Tuesday when rockets were fired toward the
area where he was.Prior to his departure to Sochi, Netanyahu said the focus of
his talks with Putin would be to promote the "joint goal" of removing Iranian
forces from neighboring Syria. Netanyahu and Putin have met regularly in recent
years to coordinate military activities in Syria. The Israeli PM has for years
argued for aggressively countering Iran's nuclear program and its regional
belligerency and often takes pride in having a strong working relationship with
both Putin and US President Trump. However, Netanyahu's clout in Washington
appeared to take a hit this week with the firing of one of his like-minded
allies in the administration, National Security Adviser John Bolton, and amid
reports that Trump was considering meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
and easing sanctions against Iran. In his radio interview, Netanyahu defended
his record. "Where did this strong sanctions policy against Iran come from if
not from the struggle that I led? Indeed, I have had influence on Trump," he
said. "You can't tell the president of the United States with whom he should
meet, but there is not one person who has influenced more, and continues to
influence, the aggressive stance against Iran than me, and everyone knows that."
Bolton’s dismissal does not affect Iran’s view of US:
Iranian security official
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Thursday, 12 September 2019
John Bolton’s dismissal as US national security adviser does not affect Iran’s
view of the US, according to a senior Iranian official on Wednesday. Changes in
the US government do not change Iran’s perception of the nature of US actions
and policies, said the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali
Shamkhani, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported. US President Donald
Trump said on Tuesday that he fired Bolton from the position of national
security adviser because he “disagreed strongly” with many of Bolton’s
suggestions. Bolton tweeted a contradictory message just minutes later, saying
that he had “offered to resign” on Monday night, but Trump delayed their
discussion until the morning. Shamkhani said that Iran assesses the US based on
its “adherence to international obligations and lifting of sanctions against the
Iranian people” rather than changes in personnel, adding that both Trump and
former US President Barack Obama had imposed sanctions against Iran.“The
unprecedented expansion of Iran's regional power” and the downing of the US
drone on June 20 occurred while Bolton was issuing constant threats against
Iran, he added. As a result of Iran’s “active resistance” strategy, “America’s
will can no longer overshadow the interests of the Iranian nation,” claimed
Shamkhani. On Wednesday, Iran said the firing of John Bolton as US national
security adviser will not push Tehran to reconsider talks with the US.
President Trump says he is currently looking at five candidates to replace
Bolton.
Arab Quartet Condemns Iranian Intervention in Arab’s
Internal Affairs
Cairo - Sawsan Abu Hussein/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12
September, 2019
The Arab quartet committee on Iranian interventions has condemned Tehran's
continued support for terrorist and subversive acts against Arab states. These
include its continued firing of ballistic missiles from Yemen's territory into
populated cities in Saudi Arabia, including the holy sites, in violation of
2015’s Security Council resolution 2216, which states that militias should not
be armed. In a statement issued at its 12th meeting in Cairo on Wednesday, the
quartet committee, comprising of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates,
Bahrain, and Egypt as well as the Secretary-General of the Arab League, stressed
its support for the measures taken by Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to address these
aggressive acts to protect their security and stability. It also condemned the
Iranian-backed Houthi militias’ drone attacks at two oil pumping stations in
Saudi Arabia and acts of sabotage against commercial vessels in UAE’s
territorial waters and the Sea of Oman. The committee denounced
Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah's provocative
speech, which included abuses rejected by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and
Yemen. It said his speech marked a blatant interference in these countries’
internal affairs, intended to provoke sedition and incite hatred. It is an
extension of the critical role played by this terrorist party, which is one of
Iran’s arms that target destabilizing regional security and stability, the
statement added. It also called on the Lebanese government to “denounce
Nasrallah’s statements and blatant interventions by one of its main components
in line with the commitment to the brotherly relations, which bind Arab
countries to the Lebanese Republic.”The ministerial committee further expressed
its “condemnation of the direct Iranian threats to international navigation in
the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as its threat to
international navigation in the Red Sea through its regional proxies.”Among
these threats are Houthis’ targeting of a Saudi oil tanker in Bab al-Mandeb
strait, in violation of principles of the international law. It also slammed the
“Iranian and Turkish interference in the Syrian crisis, and its serious
implications on the country’s future, sovereignty, security, stability, national
unity, and territorial integrity,” noting that such intervention doesn’t serve
the efforts made to settle the Syrian crisis peacefully.
Trump Says Bolton’s ‘Libyan Model’ Proposal to NKorea Was
‘Not Smart’
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 September, 2019
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that John Bolton had been a
"disaster" on North Korea policy, adding that he fired the national security
adviser for not being "smart.”Trump said Bolton had made mistakes, including
offending North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un by demanding that he follow a "Libyan
model" and hand over all his nuclear weapons. Bolton had referred to Libyan
leader Moammar Gaddafi's full cooperation with the international community
during the 2000s. But his comment was also widely seen as threatening Kim, given
that in 2011 the Libyan leader was overthrown in a bloody NATO-backed
revolution. "That was not a good statement to make," Trump told reporters at the
White House. "Just take a look at what happened with Gaddafi." "We were set back
very badly when John Bolton talked about the Libyan model," he said. "He’s using
that to make a deal with North Korea?"Trump said that Kim "wanted nothing to do
with John Bolton" after that and "I don’t blame Kim." "That’s not a question of
being tough, that’s a question of being not smart." Trump said he also differed
with Bolton on the former UN ambassador's encouragement of the US invasion of
Iraq.
But the relationship in the White House became unworkable because of personality
clashes, the president said."He’s somebody that I actually had a very good
relationship with, but he wasn’t getting along with people in the administration
who I consider very important," he said.
In Unprecedented Incitement Against Arabs, Netanyahu Says
They ‘Want to Destroy Israel’
Tel Aviv - Nazir Magally/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 September, 2019
Israeli right-wing activists have started an unprecedented incitement campaign
on social media against Arabs. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also
participated in the campaign and called on voters, through his Facebook page, to
avoid a left-wing government of “Arabs who want to destroy us all – women,
children, and men – and allow a nuclear Iran that will kill us.” The Premier was
later forced to remove the post, following uproar against him even among some
right-wing forces. Observers agreed that Netanyahu's recent actions were a
result of his extreme nervousness since his chances to win the upcoming
elections are the lowest ever. They said he is using all means possible in this
electoral battle to avoid being jailed. Meanwhile, Netanyahu also tried to avoid
being filmed by Joint List party leader Ayman Odeh who used his mobile phone
camera to confront Netanyahu closely. Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein was
outraged by Odeh's move and got him removed from the hall. He also assigned a
bodyguard to protect Netanyahu inside the Knesset so that no other deputy could
approach him. This has taken place on Wednesday during the second failed
discussion, initiated by the Likud Party. The session was held to discuss a bill
that requires placing cameras in the ballot box during the parliamentary
elections, scheduled to be held next Tuesday. For the second time in two days,
the Knesset’s General Assembly dropped the draft law, which received only 58
votes from the required 61 votes.
A total of 62 MKs deliberately abstained from voting. The bill was drafted by
Justice Minister Amir Ohana and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri to monitor ballot
boxes in Arab towns, claiming that they are known for electoral fraud. They both
ignored the fact that the fraud revealed by police in 29 boxes was mostly for
Likud’s interest. The bill was opposed by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit
and Legal Adviser to the Knesset Eyal Yinon, asserting that it was
unconstitutional. All opposition parties opposed the bill, including Defense
Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s right-wing party, which said it stimulates chaos in
the elections. However, Netanyahu attended the discussion session during which
he delivered a speech inciting against Arabs and attacking Lieberman at the same
time.
U.S. Rejects U.N. Suggestion Its Syria Airstrikes Could
Constitute 'War Crimes'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 13/2019
Washington's top envoy for Syria rejected Thursday an allegation put forward in
a U.N. report that some U.S.-led air strikes in the conflict-torn country could
possibly be categorized as indiscriminate attacks, amounting to "war
crimes."James Jeffrey, the U.S. special representative on Syria, dismissed
findings published in a U.N. report on Wednesday suggesting that the US-led
coalition had with a number of air strikes in the country "failed to employ the
necessary precautions to discriminate adequately between military objectives and
civilians." The U.N. Commission of Inquiry, which has been investigating human
rights violations in Syria's drawn-out war for the past eight years, pointed to
a series of air strikes carried out by the coalition in January in the eastern
province of Deir Ezzor, including one that killed 16 civilians. "The Commission
finds that there are reasonable grounds to believe that international coalition
forces may not have directed their attacks at a specific military objective, or
failed to do so with the necessary precaution," the report said. "Launching
indiscriminate attacks that result in death or injury to civilians amounts to a
war crime in cases in which such attacks are conducted recklessly," stressed the
Commission, which has also suggested in previous reports that U.S.-led strikes
in Syria could amount to war crimes. The Commission has also repeatedly accused
the Syrian government and its main backer Russia, as well as other actors in the
conflict of a wide range of war crimes. "We take extreme care in every military
operation," Jeffrey told journalists in Geneva when asked about the report. "We
do not accept the findings of that particular body," he said. Jeffrey was in
Geneva Wednesday for consultations with the UN envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen.
Pedersen, a seasoned Norwegian diplomat who took over the job in January, is
trying to help create a committee to draft a post-war constitution for Syria.
His predecessor, Staffan de Mistura, stepped down after his four years in the
post ended with a year-long abortive push to form the constitutional committee.
But Pedersen, who has been consulting extensively with the various Syrian
actors, as well as with countries with influence in the conflict, voiced
optimism that the constitutional committee could soon see the light of day.
Following his meeting with representatives from Britain, Egypt, France, Germany,
Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United States Thursday, he told journalists he was
"confident that we are moving forward. "Hopefully I can have positive news on
this in the very near future."Numerous rounds of UN-led peace talks have failed
to end a war that has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions
since it started in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests.
MWL, Evangelical Community Affirm Common Values
Jeddah - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 September, 2019
The Muslim World League’s (MWL) General Secretariat and the US Evangelical
Community have affirmed their common values. They pledged to bolster bilateral
cooperation and stressed the importance of renouncing all forms of extremism and
hatred and working together to build bridges of cooperation among peoples of all
religions and cultures. This came during a meeting held by MWL Secretary-General
Sheikh Dr. Mohammed al-Issa with the Evangelical Community’s delegation on
Wednesday in Jeddah. The two sides discussed means of promoting coexistence and
harmony around the world.
They pointed to the historic Makkah document that was issued following a
conference organized by the MWL this summer and which brought together more than
1,200 prominent Muslim scholars. Both sides referred to the document, which
stresses the need to build bridges of cooperation, coexistence and love for all
peoples and highlight the importance of dialogue as the most effective tool for
rapprochement with others and identifying common ties. They also agreed to
promote respect for religions and mutual trust and pledged to overcome obstacles
to coexistence and end violence among people through the power of education,
promotion of religious harmony, and cultural, ethnic and national integration.
Family is the core for building the society, they said, adding that it is
entrusted with caring for the future generations to be raised on values of
moderation, love and respect for others, regardless of their background.
Universal citizenship guarantees justice for all in a diverse society, where the
constitution and rule of law are respected on each state’s territory. In their
joint statement, both sides also emphasized the great importance of places of
worship around the world and on prosecuting attackers on these sites. They
agreed to establish and encourage initiatives and programs to combat famine,
poverty and disease, recognizing the right to personal freedoms, unless they
lead to harming others based on their religion, culture or ethnicity.
Australia Urges Iran to Treat Detainees 'Humanely' as
Details Emerge on Bloggers
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 September, 2019
Australia on Thursday called on Tehran to treat "humanely" three citizens
detained in Iran, as it emerged two of those arrested were a travel-blogging
couple on an overland trip to Britain. Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne
said she had raised the cases "many times" with her Iranian counterpart Javad
Zarif, including as recently as last week."The government has been making
efforts to ensure they are treated fairly, humanely and in accordance with
international norms," she said, adding that there was "no reason" to believe the
arrests were politically motivated. Perth-based Jolie King and Mark Firkin had
been documenting their journey from home to Britain on social media for the past
two years but went silent after posting updates from Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan
about 10 weeks ago. "Our families hope to see Mark and Jolie safely home as soon
as possible," a statement released on behalf of their relatives said. Before
setting off, the couple had written on their blog that they "can't wait to share
all of our experiences and the beauty of all the different destinations and
countries we will be visiting". News of the arrests came after Australia's
government announced it would contribute a frigate and surveillance aircraft to
a US-led mission to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with tensions
high in the Gulf region. But Payne said the detention of the couple and a third
person -- reported to be a British-Australian woman and academic -- was not
related to broader global issues. "We have no reason to think that these arrests
are connected to international concern over Iran's nuclear program, United
Nations sanction enforcement or maritime security of the safety of civilian
shipping," she said. The Times newspaper in London reported that King, who was
being held in Tehran's Evin prison with the other arrested woman, had been told
she was being held as part of a plan to facilitate a prisoner swap. The women
are thought to be the first British passport holders who do not also have
Iranian nationality to have been imprisoned by Tehran in recent years, the
newspaper said. The academic who studied at Cambridge University and was
lecturing at an Australian university was sentenced to 10 years in prison, it
reported. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian project manager with
Thomson Reuters Foundation, has been held in Tehran since 2016 on sedition
charges, a case that has caused major tensions with the United Kingdom. Earlier
this week, the Australian government updated its travel advice for Iran to
"reconsider your need to travel" and "do not travel" to areas near the border
with Iraq and Afghanistan. It included a warning that foreigners risk arbitrary
detention in Iran.
Turkish military reinforcements enter Maarat al-Numan in
Syria’s Idlib
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Thursday, 12 September 2019
Turkish military reinforcements entered on Thursday the southeastern district of
Syria’s Idlib province and the city of Maarat al-Numan, the Syrian bservatory
for Human Rights reported. A Turkish military convoy of about 30 vehicles
entered the military compound in the southeastern countryside of Idlib.
Erdogan adviser criticizes Saudi Arabia for ‘favoring
non-Muslims over Turkey’
Ismaeel Naar, Al Arabiya English/Thursday, 12 September 2019
A senior adviser of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized Saudi
Arabia for “favoring the Europeans and non-Muslims” over Turkey and other Muslim
countries after the recent visit of the Saudi Arabian foreign minister to
Cyprus. “What does the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia benefit from this visit and
establishing this relationship with Southern Cyprus, the Roum (Rûm), which
Turkey does not recognize?” Yasin Aktay, a senior adviser to Erdogan and the
Turkish AK Party, asked during an interview on state-broadcaster TRT Arabi
channel. “Roum” is a term used by Turks to refer to the people and countries of
Greek Orthodox Christian origins. “Saudi Arabia should not have recognized this
country but as a Muslim country and one as part of the Organization of Islamic
Countries, we were waiting and wishing for them to recognize the state of
Turkish Cyprus (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) which is a Muslim country.
They take the Europeans, the Roum and the non-Muslims as friends of theirs but
are moving away from Muslims. This is surprising,” he added. Saudi Arabia’s
Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf began an official visit to Cyprus on Wednesday
where he met with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades. They reviewed bilateral
relations, as well as the latest developments at the international level. Al-Assaf
said there’s “high interest” in developing relations “on all fronts” with Cyrpus,
given the European Union member country’s geographic location and longstanding
ties with the Arab world.
Aktay also said that Turkey could not understand “the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s
policy of getting closer with Israel and moving away from Muslims.”“Truthfully,
this country is responsible and takes responsibility of being the custodian of
the Two Holy Mosques, so they should be more keen to protect the interests of
the Ummah (Islamic community) and Muslims. Being friends with Muslims and
merciful toward the Kufar (infidels) as the Kingdom’s foreign policy, we see
this as something we do not understand,” Aktay said. According to AFP, Cyprus
has been divided on ethnic lines since Turkish troops occupied its northern
third in 1974 following a Greek Cypriot coup sponsored by the military junta
then in power in Athens seeking union with Greece. Turkey continues to maintain
a sizeable military presence in the north of the island. Turkey, which has no
diplomatic relations with Cyprus, is the only country which recognizes the
breakaway state in the north of the island. Aktay further said that Saudi Arabia
should approach solving the problems of the Islamic world with “more
rationality” and that Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister al-Assaf’s visit to Cyprus
was in contravention to its role. “This visit to the Roum and this challenge to
Turkey from this policy is not worthy of the Kingdom to do so. They should take
a more rational stance and should realize that Turkey is not an enemy to the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Turkey wants to advise her as a true brother and friend
to establish justice,” he added. In recent months, Turkey has been criticized
for sending several drill ships off the island to explore for oil and gas.
Sudan’s Ruling Council, Rebels Sign Peace Talks Roadmap to
End War
London – Khartoum, Mustapha Sri, Mohammed Amin Yassin/Thursday, 12 September,
2019
Each of Sudan’s ruling council, rebels fighting under the Sudan Revolutionary
Front and Sudan People's Liberation Movement signed on Wednesday a roadmap for
peace talks that are expected to begin in October and last about two months. The
roadmap also covered releasing prisoners.
Peace talks will seek to end the ongoing conflict in the country’s Darfur, South
Kordofan, and the Blue Nile states. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, a member of the
sovereign council and head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF),
signed the deal on behalf of the government. South Sudan President Salva Kiir,
who signed as a mediator, voiced his hope for all signatories to abide by the
roadmap so that it successfully ushers in peace and ends the war in Sudan. “I do
not want you to resume fighting again and I invite you to focus on issues of
peace and development in Sudan,” Kiir said in a speech stressing his commitment
to work for peace in the African state. Kiir also urged the Sudanese ruling
council to open humanitarian corridors so that aid reaches civilians affected by
war in Darfur, South Kordofan and the Blue Nile, and called on the international
community to assist Sudan.
Dagalo, for his part, said that the sovereign council will pay the cost of
stopping the war, achieving peace, and putting an end to grievances in the
different regions of the country. He also voiced his appreciation to rebels
working towards achieving peace. The council, a transitional government, has
made peace-making with rebels fighting Khartoum one of its main priorities as it
is a key condition for the country's removal from the United States' sponsors of
terrorism list. The council took over the reins of government in August after
military and civilian parties and protest groups signed a three-year
power-sharing deal after months of strife following the removal of long-ruling
authoritarian president Omar al-Bashir in April. South Sudan brought together
members of the council and rebel leaders from several areas. Thousands of people
have been killed in Sudan's civil wars, including the conflict in the western
Darfur region, where rebels have been fighting against then-President Bashir's
government since 2003.
Saudi Princess Gets Suspended Jail in France over Beaten
Workman
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 13/2019
A French court on Thursday handed a 10-month suspended sentence to a sister of
the Saudi crown prince over the beating of a workman at a luxury residence in
Paris in 2016. Hassa bint Salman, a daughter of King Salman and sister of the
powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had been charged with instructing her
bodyguard to beat up a plumber. Tried in absentia and the target of an arrest
warrant since December 2017, she was also ordered by the Paris court to pay a
10,000-euro ($11,000) fine. The princess, 42, had never shown up at the trial,
which got underway in July.The punishment was heavier than demanded by
prosecutors, who had sought a six-month suspended sentence and a fine of 5,000
euros ($5,480). The princess, whose brother is known by his initials MBS and is
seen as the kingdom's de facto ruler, was accused of instructing her bodyguard
Rani Saidi to beat up Ashraf Eid after he was seen taking pictures inside her
home in September 2016. She had been charged with complicity in an act of
intentional violence, complicity in illegal confinement and complicity in theft.
Saidi, who was the only protagonist in the case present in court, was handed an
eight-month suspended sentence and a 5,000-euro fine, in line with the
recommendations of prosecutors. Eid was working on the seventh floor of the
luxury apartment block owned by the Saudi royals on Avenue Foch, a favorite
destination of foreign millionaires in Paris, when he was called to the fifth
floor to repair a damaged wash basin. He took pictures of the bathroom which he
told investigators he needed to carry out his work. Eid claims that the princess
flew into a rage after he caught her reflection in a mirror on camera. She
called in her bodyguard, who allegedly beat him. Eid claimed he was also tied up
and ordered to kiss the feet of the princess, who is lionized in the Saudi
state-run media for her charity work and women's rights campaigning. The plumber
claimed that he was allowed to leave the apartment only after several hours,
during which his phone was destroyed, and that at one point the princess
shouted: "Kill him, the dog, he doesn't deserve to live."The case is the latest
blow to the image of the kingdom, where Prince Mohammed sparked hopes of major
social and economic reform when he was elevated to crown prince in 2017. But his
reputation was badly damaged by the murder of dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi
at Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul last year, and he is also seen as the
driving force in the Saudi military intervention in Yemen, where tens of
thousands have died.
Families of Australian-British bloggers detained in Iran call for release
Tamara Abueish, Al Arabiya EnglishThursday, 12 September 2019
The couple detained in Iran’s latest arrests of foreigners visiting the county
have been named as their families called for their release on Thursday. Travel
blogger Jolie King, an Australian-British national, and her Australian boyfriend
Mark Firkin were arrested 10 weeks ago for allegedly flying a drone without a
license.King’s and Firkin’s relatives have appealed for their release, after
their detainment became public on Wenesday. “Our families hope to see Mark and
Jolie safely home as soon as possible,” they said in a statement obtained by Sky
news. The family added that they would like to have privacy at this time, and
would not be making any further comments.
Government reactions
Australia on Thursday called on Tehran to treat “humanely” three citizens
detained in Iran, after the names of the detained couple were released. Foreign
Affairs Minister Marise Payne said she had raised the cases “many times” with
her Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif, including as recently as last week.“The
government has been making efforts to ensure they are treated fairly, humanely
and in accordance with international norms,” she said, adding that there was “no
reason” to believe the arrests were politically motivated. Perth-based King and
Firkin had been documenting their journey from home to Britain on social media
for the past two years but went silent after posting updates from Kyrgyzstan and
Pakistan about 10 weeks ago. The UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace called on Iran
on Wednesday “to release those who have been detained and follow the rule of
law,” after two British-Australian women were jailed in Iran. British Foreign
Minister Dominic Raab also raised concerns about the number of dual-nationality
Britons detained in Iran and the conditions in which they were being held, a
foreign office statement said on Wednesday.Australia urged Australians to avoid
travelling to Iran as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was
providing consular assistance to the detained trio.
A history of detaining foreigners
Another unnamed British-Australian academic has also been detained for almost a
year. The woman was given a 10-year prison sentence and is being held in
solitary confinement, British newspaper The Times reported. The charges against
her are still unknown. The three are being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin
prison, where British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 41, has been
detained since 2016 on spying charges. The UK rejects the charges.According to
The Times, Iranian authorities told King that she was being held as part of a
plan to facilitate a prisoner swap with Australia. In August, an Iranian appeals
court upheld a 10-year jail sentence against Aras Amiri, a British Council
employee, for “cultural infiltration.”Amiri was detained in 2018 on a visit to
see relatives in Iran. (With AFP)
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on September 12-13/2019
John Bolton Is No Longer the U.S. National Security Advisor
Micheal Young/Carnegie Middle East Centre/September 12/2019
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On Tuesday, President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, John Bolton,
either jumped or was pushed out of the White House. Trump tweeted that he
“disagreed strongly with many of [Bolton’s] suggestions, as did others in the
Administration…” One of those who confirmed this publicly was Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo, who most recently was said to have been on the opposing side to
Bolton with regard to negotiations over Afghanistan.
Why Does it Matter?
In terms of the Middle East, Bolton’s departure may have consequences mainly for
U.S. relations with Iran, since there is no visible disagreement within the
administration over Israel and Palestine, the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, or
much else in the region.
On Iran, both Pompeo and Bolton have adopted a hard line with respect to Tehran.
However, where Bolton erred was in failing to offer Trump options after the
United States withdrew from the nuclear treaty with Iran last year. The move
isolated Washington internationally and Iran has displayed an ability to play on
differences between the Europeans and Americans to widen its margin of maneuver.
The United States’ withdrawal came without any fallback strategy, making a U.S.
conflict with Iran more likely as the Islamic Republic has resumed parts of its
nuclear program—most recently deciding to operate advanced centrifuges in
violation of the treaty. Trump has made it clear he does not want a war with
Iran.
Administration officials have even suggested the president might meet with
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations later this month. Now that
Bolton is gone, resistance to such a meeting may wane, though one shouldn’t rule
out the impact of Israeli discontent with this possibility. That said, Trump may
yet be disappointed. It is unlikely that Rouhani will want to meet with the U.S.
president without gaining some prior concession for doing so, given the
resistance within Iran’s political hierarchy to such a meeting and Trump’s
talent for turning summits into purposeless gabfests.
This situation could put the spotlight on Pompeo to design a more multifaceted
approach to Iran. That would mean watering down the twelve conditions he imposed
on the country in May last year, which were widely regarded as unrealistic. Much
will also depend on who replaces Bolton and that person’s relationship with
Pompeo. But with or without Bolton, the obstacles in the U.S.-Iran relationship
are numerous enough that it would be naïve to assume that his departure alone
would imply major progress if talks were to occur.
What Are the Implications for the Future?
Most importantly, it would underline that whoever replaces Bolton will need to
act as a true coordinator of the national security apparatus, thereby providing
Trump with the range of options he requires to make decisions. The president may
not be interested in foreign policy, but he has complained on several occasions
that he dislikes being boxed in by bad choices. Indeed, his disinterest
represents an ideal opening for anyone who can formulate such options and
fashion a bureaucratic consensus around them.
Trump has been incoherent on foreign policy, but certain strong tenets have
drifted through the haze, such as his desire to avert war, especially in the
Middle East. That is why the next national security advisor will have to take
them seriously rather than assume that he or she can impose his or her
preferences on an ignorant president. One benefit from Bolton’s exit, therefore,
is that the national security advisor’s role may return to being what it was
intended to be.
So that the Iranian Crescent Doesn’t Become a Full Moon
Salman Al-dossary/Asharq Al Awsat/September 12/2019
Whenever Saudi Arabia warns of the danger of another Hezbollah clone in Yemen, a
negative and hesitant reaction resounds from the West and considers the warning
an exaggeration.
Many Western especially European governments, think that such an idea is not
only difficult, but impossible to happen.
However, the US special envoy to Iran, Brian Hook, in an opinion published by
the Wall Street Journal, sounded the alarm over Tehran’s attempt to replicate
the Lebanese experience in Yemen, warning that the world must face Iran’s
ambitions; otherwise “the Iranian Crescent will soon enough become a full moon.”
Undoubtedly, Hook rang the alarm bells to all those who are incapable of dealing
with Hezbollah, in the wake of its transformation into a frightening reality
that threatens the stability of the region and the world.
The menace of the new version of the Yemeni Hezbollah will be more hostile and
more threatening to European countries - given Yemen’s strategic position at Bab
al-Mandab, the passageway of around 15 percent of world trade – if Saudi Arabia
does not hinder the Iranian plan of the Houthis’ taking over Yemen to rule it
under the pretext of legitimacy, and later under the force of arms. This is
exactly the strategy of Hezbollah, which some European governments designate as
terrorist, but are forced to deal with as part of the Lebanese government.
If Hezbollah has been the spearhead of the Iranian project in the region for
more than 30 years, then Tehran is preparing the Houthis to be its new
alternative, not only as the most powerful tool against the Kingdom, but also as
a force against the United States and its allies.
The biggest evidence is that when Tehran wanted to respond to the United States
sending a group of aircraft carriers and air force bombers to the Middle East,
justifying its move with an “imminent threat from Iran,” we did not see the
reaction coming from Iran itself, or its militias in Iraq. It didn’t come from
Hezbollah either, which is well equipped and on alert, but from the Houthis that
stepped up their attacks on the Kingdom as Washington’s biggest ally. The attack
on a Saudi oil pipeline was undoubtedly a clear Iranian message to the West
regarding its oil supplies from the Kingdom.
The Iranian strategy in shifting its attention from Hezbollah to its counterpart
in Yemen depends mainly on several tactics, most notably Tehran’s development of
a new form of hybrid warfare that will help it continue to confront its
adversaries away from its borders.
Moreover, Iran is seeking to invest in the Houthis, after transforming them into
another Hezbollah, in order to use them in such a confrontation.
In its early days, Hezbollah did not act as an official agent of Iran, as it is
doing today. Iran is planning to have the same gradual relationship with the
Houthis.
Just as the world downplayed the danger of Hezbollah in Lebanon until it became
a reality burdening the Lebanese, the Iranians are also planning to do so and to
repeat the same experience.
When Saudi Arabia is attacked because of its war against the Houthis, a fact
gets overlooked: Riyadh is hindering a greater threat to the world than that of
Hezbollah in Lebanon, not to mention that the Kingdom is carrying out its
responsibilities with regards to preserving its national security.
What if the Houthis were on the borders of France, Germany or Britain? Will the
Europeans be watching them while Iran is cloning a new version of Hezbollah near
them?! Certainly not.
Saudi Arabia will also not allow the Iranian crescent to become a full moon on
its border one day.
Analysis/Washington May Be Ready for Talks post-Bolton, but
Iran Is Still Hesitant
زفي برئيل من الهآرتس: قد تكون واشنطن مستعدة للحوار بعد خروج بولتون مع طهران إلا
أن هذه الأخيرة لا تزال مترددة
Zvi Bar'el/Haaretz/September 12/2019
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Changing alliances make negotiations with Iran pressing for the Trump
administration, and Israel is becoming less and less of a consideration.
The much-tweeted dismissal of John Bolton has inspired a wave of
optimism worldwide among Iran watchers: It even brought oil prices down by 21
cents a barrel. Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran haven’t begun yet, but
some are already laying bets that the removal of the main obstacle blocking
contact between Washington and Tehran is a promising start.
America will make concessions and ease the sanctions, which would mean Iranian
oil coming back to the market, these gamblers assess. Remarks by Iranian
President Hassan Rohani’s adviser Abbas Araghchi, who said that the U.S. had
been demonstrating some flexibility over the oil issue after the G-7 summit,
probably comfort their view.
But Iran is not in a rush, and sticks to its guns: It will renegotiate only
after sanctions are lifted. But now this fundamental condition has become a
negotiating position. “If meeting with an official American [representative]
leads to Iran’s development, we won’t reject it,” Rohani himself said after the
G-7. A week later, he told the Iranian parliament that “there had been calls for
talks but we never answered them.”
Some in Iran are asking for more clarity from their leadership, like Alaa a-Din
Borojardi, a senior parliamentarian and member of Iran’s National Security
Council. Rohani’s opaque statements “do not serve Iran,” Borojardi told the Mehr
news agency, adding: “We will never negotiate with the United States.”
Iran has as yet to reveal any sign of optimism at the ouster of Bolton. For now,
his dismissal is treated as an internal American matter, on which Iran doesn’t
comment, the foreign ministry said.
But let’s not be fooled by Iranian nonchalance. Indirect contacts through
France, Oman and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, crown prince of the emirate of Abu
Dhabi, are all taking place.
Last week, Rohani said that Iran will adhere to its policy of reducing its
commitment to the nuclear agreement “as needed,” but has yet to confirm what the
next stage might entail, and at what date. The “need” is apparently determined
by gestures, or concessions, offered by the Americans. Firing Bolton and Mike
Pompeo’s renewed statement that the United States is willing to negotiate
without preconditions aren’t enough to bring Iran to the table. But it could
advance discussions on what conditions are necessary.
Unwilling escalation
Iran’s strategy is “escalation in hindsight” – retreating from the nuclear
agreement in stages. Rather than an actual plan to develop nuclear arms, it is
designed to persuade the European Union and United States to stick to the
nuclear agreement. It could still lead Iran to the point of no return, where it
will be considered again an immediate threat that requires tough action,
economic or military. Iran can no longer assume that the United States will
continue to avoid military confrontation. On the other hand, if it stops the
process of reducing its commitments without scoring any gains, it will lose the
only leverage it has left.
Trump has the same dilemma. He’s trapped in a policy of maximal pressure that he
himself imposed on Iran. Any retreat from it without gains would be interpreted
as weakness, casting a shadow on America’s status worldwide. With upcoming
elections in both Iran and the U.S., domestic repercussions could also be huge.
The timetable is particularly critical for the Iranians because Rohani’s second
term is up and he is constitutionally barred from running for a third. If Trump
wants to negotiate with Iran, he’d better do so while Rohani is in power because
despite the barbs of his rivals, he’s still backed by Khamenei, and has proven
his ability to negotiate the numerous landmines in his path.
Iran can assume that if Trump loses the election, the next American president
would be easier to deal with (or at least more rational than Trump), even though
there is uncertainty as to its ability to cover its costs until political change
occurs.
So far, the sanctions have not created the dynamic for civilian revolt that the
U.S. administration had expected. Bolton had advocated for removing the Iranian
regime, but its coffers are still sufficiently full to continue to also finance
its operations beyond the country’s borders.
The U.S. cannot expect that the next American president and perhaps the next
supreme leader, if Khamenei disappears in the next two years, will be more
moderate and easier to talk with.
Washington-Tehran, and everywhere in between
Negotiations between the two powers could have dramatic implications for the
entire Middle East.
Israel sees itself as the primary victim of any U.S.-Iran reconciliation, which
could lead to the collapse of Israel’s hawkish Iran policy and limit its
military activity against Iran in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.
But the impact on the Arab coalition – led by Saudi Arabia – would also be huge.
The cracks in the alliance are already becoming apparent as Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates spar over continued fighting in Yemen.
The UAE’s partial withdrawal from the hostilities, its support for the southern
Yemeni separatist militia, and the development of commercial ties with Iran made
it clear to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as to Trump, that
the concept of a coalition and the effort to halt Iranian influence in the
Middle East are evaporating.
The UAE’s concern that its territory could be hit by Yemeni Houthi rebels is
overshadowed by the prospect of being caught in the line of fire between the
U.S. and Iran. Trade between Iran and the UAE is also a major consideration, as,
despite sanctions, it is still worth $12 billion. And then there’s the UAE’s
need to attract new investors to revive its collapsing real estate sector.
Another element tipping the balance is the UAE’s hope to distance itself from
the alliance with Saudi Arabia, which, since Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, is
particularly tainted in the eyes of the U.S. Congress.
In the difficult choice between continued cooperation with Saudi Arabia in the
war in Yemen on the one hand, and its international and economic standing on the
other, along with domestic pressure to bring the troops home, the latter option
has started to win out.
Saudi Arabia now needs to decide whether to accede to the American demand to
enter direct negotiations with the Houthis and end the war, or to act alone. The
pressure that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been exerting on Crown
Prince Mohammed to find a diplomatic solution is being interpreted in Saudi
Arabia as another American step designed to the pave the way for talks with
Iran.
A game of influence
Saudi Arabia is particularly entitled to draw this conclusion after Trump
blurred, if not outright eliminated, nine of the 12 demands that he originally
made of the Iranians. This includes non-intervention in foreign countries as a
condition to rejoining the nuclear agreement. The combined set of tools that the
U.S. and the Saudis developed against Iran was based on the calculation that
anyone who supports Iran is against Washington – pushing Arab countries to
enlist in the coalition.
But if this prospect collapses, relations could cool between Washington and
Riyadh. A split would naturally serve Iran’s interests and the prospect itself
could push the Persian powerhouse toward negotiations.
Relations between the U.S. and the Middle Eastern powers are not binary. Riyadh
has a large measure of influence in other Arab and Muslim countries, including
Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as India. The Trump administration, which has
so far demonstrated little diplomatic skill, will need to tread carefully to
head off a crisis in its relations with Saudi Arabia over Iran.
Washington also needs to convince Iran to enter talks on a focused, limited
agreement that will not threaten Tehran’s sphere of influence in Iraq, Syria,
Yemen and Lebanon.
As for Israel, it will likely not feature significantly in the delicate fabric
that Washington now needs to weave. Trump looks determined to engage the enemy
in talks and devise a direct agreement, like the one he pursued with North Korea
and the Taliban.
Israel will be forced to take the bait and adopt a strategy of restraint to
safeguard relations with Trump. It must not appear to be a military arm of the
U.S., but most importantly, it cannot scuttle what Trump views as the pinnacle
of his art of the deal.
Full extent of Iran’s nuclear defiance becoming clear
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab Nerws/September 13/2019
The latest developments regarding Iran’s nuclear program point to the fact that
Tehran’s nuclear file is filled with secrecy, violations, defiance and
clandestine activities. It was reportedthis week that an undeclared nuclear site
in the city of Abadeh was used to conduct “experiments to develop nuclear
weapons.” The site was disclosed in a trove of information that was obtained by
Israeli agents from an Iranian warehouse last year. The Iranian leaders have
been silent with respect to what the site was and why it was recently
demolished, as satellite images apparently show.
The Iranian government also tooka third step toward achieving its nuclear
ambitions on Saturday. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) declared
that it has activated 40 advanced centrifuges — 20 IR-4s and 20 IR-6s — for
research and development purposes. The previous two steps Tehran took in moving
away from the nuclear deal were increasing its enriched uranium stockpile beyond
the 300-kilogram cap set under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
and enriching uranium beyond the limit of 3.67 percent.
As part of its nuclear defiance, Iran is also expanding its research and
development work beyond the limitations set by the JCPOA. AEOI spokesman Behrouz
Kamalvandi tolda televised news conference: “We have started lifting limitations
on our research and development imposed by the deal... It will include
development of more rapid and advanced centrifuges.”
The theocratic establishment is spreading the narrative that Europe and the US
are to blame for Tehran’s violation of the nuclear deal. Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei previously set out a list of demandsfor the European powers to fulfill
if they still wanted Iran to comply with the nuclear deal. Tehran’s demands were
mainly economic and geopolitical, including ensuring the continuation of Iranian
oil exports, protecting oil sales from US sanctions, safeguarding Iran’s trade
with Europe, and not seeking any negotiations over Tehran’s ballistic missile
program or its regional and foreign policies.
Iran has clearly been blackmailing the Europeans. And, from the perspective of
the Iranian leaders, the Europeans have failed to meet the 60-day deadlineit set
in July. The European powers’ efforts to satisfy the Iranian regime’s demands
have indeed been unsuccessful. They came up with a special purpose vehicle to
facilitate trade and payments to Tehran, but it has failed. Even though the
European governments agreed to participate in the plan, corporations, firms and
private financial institutions have been reluctant to do so because of the
repercussions. It quickly became clear that the European business giants were
not willing to run the risk of losing access to the $18 trillion US market for
the sake of Iran’s $400 billion market.
In addition to blaming the Europeans, Iran is also pointing a finger at its
rival, the US. After all, it was the White House that withdrew from the nuclear
deal. But the mullahs’ blame game ought not to distract the international
community from the larger picture. The JCPOA was never a permanent solution to
Iran’s nuclear threat and, more importantly, new evidence points to the fact
that Iran was most likely not in compliance with the nuclear deal from the
outset.
Do you remember when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the chief
of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to immediately “inspect this
atomic warehouse” last year? Netanyahu stated in his speech to the UN General
Assembly that Iran had a “secret atomic warehouse for storing massive amounts of
equipment and material from Iran’s secret nuclear weapons program.” Tehran
claimedthat the warehouse, which is located in the village of Turquz Abad in the
suburbs of Tehran, was a factory where carpets were cleaned.
At the same time, two nonpartisan Washington institutes — the Institute for
Science and International Security (ISIS) and the Foundation for the Defense of
Democracies (FDD) — releaseddetailed reports about Iran’s undeclared clandestine
facilities. The IAEA ignored the reports at first but, after its chief
passedaway and after Iran was reported to be capable of movingsuspect materials
out of the facility, the site was inspected almost a year on. And what was the
outcome? Even though Iran had cleaned up the facility, the inspectors were able
to detect radioactive particles. In other words, Israel’s warning and other
reports proved to be accurate.
Now Tehran is declining to answer the IAEA’s questions about Turquz Abad. More
fundamentally, under the terms of the JCPOA, Iran is obliged to reveal its
nuclear activities. In other words, the detection of radioactive particles at
Turquz Abad, Iran’s reluctance to answer simple questions about the hidden
facility, and nonpartisan evidence about Iran’s activities at the location all
point to the notion that Tehran was most likely violating the nuclear deal from
day one.The mullahs’ blame game ought not to distract the international
community from the larger picture.
This should emphasize the IAEA’s failure to detect or follow up on credible
reports about Iran’s illicit nuclear activities on several occasions in the
past, including revelations about clandestine nuclear sites in Natanz and Arak,
which were first revealedby the oppositional group the National Council of
Resistance of Iran.
The proponents of the nuclear deal appear to be silent in the face of the new
evidence that suggests the Iranian regime has been most likely violating the
agreement ever since it was reached in 2015. This also buttresses the argument
that the JCPOA was never a long-term solution to Iran’s nuclear threat.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist.
He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and
president of the International American Council. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Bolton’s exit comes at critical time for Trump
Andrew Hammond/Arab Nerws/September 13/2019
Donald Trump’s dismissal on Tuesday of his hawkish National Security Adviser
John Bolton — the third man to leave the role during this administration — comes
as the president enters a critical few weeks for his foreign policy that will
determine whether he enters his re-election year in 2020 on the crest of a wave
or potentially facing further setbacks.
Trump has proven to be at least a partial exception to the rule that most
presidents in the modern era have tended to put predominant emphasis on domestic
policy in their first few years in office. To be sure, Trump’s sole major
legislative success, his corporate tax cuts of 2017, came during his first three
years. Yet he has also placed very significant emphasis on foreign policy, from
China to North Korea, Iran to Russia. Not to mention a series of big plays
around multilateral trade, from the proposed new US-Mexico-Canada agreement
through to pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal with about a dozen
other countries in Asia-Pacific and the Americas.
This pattern looks set to continue and may only intensify. The next big moment
for Trump could be in New York this month, with world leaders gathering for the
high-level UN General Assembly. And, looking into next year, the US is, for
instance, hosting the next G7 summit, which will occupy a significant amount of
White House attention, especially with Trump looking to make the event —
potentially at a property his family company owns in Miami — as big a success as
possible.
In placing so much emphasis on foreign policy in his first term, Trump has
pre-empted the pattern of recent second-term presidents, who increasingly looked
overseas after re-election, rather than before. His team believes there are
multiple big foreign policy prizes still in play in the coming months. Yet, in
all cases, the process remains fragile and prone to reversal, as the US-Taliban
peace talks show.
Take the example of Iran, with Trump indicating on Monday that there is a
possibility of a meeting with President Hassan Rouhani at the UN. The apparent
prize here for the White House is the possibility of Tehran agreeing, in the
face of growing pressure, to a new, tougher deal that goes beyond the 2015
nuclear agreement. However, while that possibility cannot be ruled out entirely,
a breakthrough appears unlikely. Indeed, it is at least equally likely that the
tensions with Tehran will grow further in the coming weeks.
There are two other key areas where Trump sees potentially legacy-defining
agreements. Firstly, North Korea, where it remains an open question whether
sustained moves toward the “denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula will
ultimately prove anything more than a mirage. Despite all the challenges, Trump
is likely to continue his Korea gambit with his re-election campaign on the
horizon. This, along with his desire to cement a place in history, means the
potential prize of permanently de-escalating tensions on the world’s last Cold
War frontier is likely to remain appealing to him.
At the heart of the apparent logjam between Washington and Pyongyang is not just
the vagueness of the commitments agreed at the Singapore summit by Trump and Kim
Jong Un. There may also still be a fundamental difference over what next steps
are needed to build confidence. It was always very likely that Kim would be wary
about making big concrete commitments, at least initially, and would want to win
economic and political concessions from Trump before any reduction in nuclear
capabilities, let alone committing to “full denuclearization.” With the two
sides not having met at senior level for some time, Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo said on Sunday that this process will resume again as soon as this month.
Trump’s team believes there are multiple big foreign policy prizes still in play
in the coming months.
The other key battleground for Trump comes on China, where several months ago he
appeared on the verge of a breakthrough trade deal. Yet, despite the fact that
the expectations were so high, an agreement remains elusive. With high-level
negotiations expected to resume next month, after several weeks of impasse,
there remains a significant possibility of a breakthrough. Trump, for his part,
still asserts a “very big deal” is on the horizon, and the possibility cannot be
excluded that he and President Xi Jinping will ultimately conclude it is in
their personal political interests to take this issue off the table in the
context of a slowing global economy.
However, if the trade talks do break down again in the coming weeks, it may be
harder to reach a deal in 2020 with the extra political pressures of a US
election year. Ultimately, as Trump moves into campaign mode, he needs to show
his US political base a wide range of concessions from China as he seeks to
fulfill his “America First” agenda.
Taken together, all these issues underline why this autumn will be such an
important time for Trump. He could either enter election year with a foreign
policy wind in his campaign sails or continue to be flummoxed by policy
challenges that have long bedeviled him.
*Andrew Hammond is an Associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics
Netanyahu’s threat a reminder of why Palestinians need a deal
Faisal J. Abbas/Arab Nerws/September 13/2019
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a deeply controversial
Pre-election politics in Israel is nothing if not predictable. It is almost
expected that the incumbent seeking re-election will try to boost his popularity
by launching a military strike or by building more illegal settlements.
Alternatively, or on top of such actions, the incumbent prime minister might
resort to making preposterous post-election promises, such as Benjamin
Netanyahu’s recent pledge to annex the Jordan Valley.
This is not to say that Netanyahu’s threat should not be taken seriously. As any
political analyst will attest, we are living in unprecedentedly unpredictable
times where anything can happen.
This is particularly true given that the countdown has begun also for the
election season in the US. As we all know, being pro-Palestinian does not win
any politician votes in Washington, but being pro-Israeli does. In any case, the
current US administration has made it crystal clear that unless the Palestinians
are willing to sign a deal, there is not much it can do to help.
The Palestinian leadership has so far rejected invitations from White House
senior advisor Jared Kushner’s team even to be at the negotiating table. This
naturally gives the Israeli leadership — which is likely to be less interested
in such negotiations — an excuse that it is the other side which does not want
peace.
This brings me to the point I have repeatedly made in this column: Palestinians
should play ball. Yes, they are unlikely to get all that they bargain for, but
they will not come back empty-handed either. And even if they do, they do not
necessarily have to accept the terms.
The longer it takes to reach a peace deal, the more harmful the results will be
US and Saudi sources familiar with the Kushner initiative told Arab News earlier
this year that the plan would entail sacrifices by the Israelis as well. Also,
at no point did any of these sources confirm that there was any plan to annex
parts or all of the Jordan Valley. Rather, as reported, they said there would be
a proposal involving recognition of the State of Palestine, and a negotiated
land swap between the two states.
For decades now, observers have been warning that the window for peace is
closing. As painful as the reality may be, Palestinians must be pragmatic and
accept the truth that the longer it takes to strike a deal, the less they will
be able to get out of it. This has now been historically proven.
Furthermore, the longer it takes to reach a peace agreement, the more harmful
the results will be, indeed have already been, for neighboring countries,
especially Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
Israelis must act quickly and decisively too, because regardless of the outcome
of the upcoming election, the prospects for a two-state solution are rapidly
receding. Unless Netanyahu, or whoever becomes the next leader of Israel, has a
plan to throw nearly 5 million Palestinians into the sea, the demographics on
the ground will make coexistence impossible.
What complicates the situation further is that the Netanyahu team continues to
build illegal settlements on Palestinian land to secure votes. While this has
helped him become the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history, it has
made peace with the Palestinians all the more difficult to achieve.
To put the problem in perspective, one need only consider the relatively small
number of settlers who had to be relocated when then-Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon dismantled 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip in 2005. Or the
few thousands who had to be evacuated from the Sinai Peninsula when then-Prime
Minister Menachem Begin dismantled 18 Jewish settlements there in 1982.
Under Netanyahu, the number of illegal settlers in the West Bank is said to have
grown to 800,000. Such a large population makes relocating the settlers a
daunting challenge, and makes negotiations to establish a viable, contiguous
state more difficult for Palestinians.
Under the circumstances, a plan to annex the Jordan Valley, the Golan Heights or
any other piece of Arab land may serve candidate Netanyahu very well from a
political standpoint. But there is no gain for Israel going forward, for such a
move would only make normalization of ties with Arab countries more difficult,
while Iran remains a major threat to Arabs and Israelis alike.
• Faisal J. Abbas is the Editor in Chief of Arab News