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LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
June 20/15

http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletins05/english.june20.15.htm

Bible Quotation For Today/Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart
Matthew 11/25-30: "‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’"

Bible Quotation For Today/Almighty God calls on Saul to preach the Bible
Acts of the Apostles 09/01-06.10//11/15-19: "Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus"

Latest analysis, editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June 19-20/15
Forgotten in Libya: Christians Abducted by Islamic Extremists Still Missing/ICC/June 19/15
What if Iran’s nuclear deadline is missed/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya/June 19/15
US presidential election still open to surprises/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/June 19/15
Is Assad’s downfall imminent/Raed Omari/Al Arabiya/June 19/15

Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 19-20/15
No Agreement at Yemen Peace Talks in Geneva
Airstrikes hit Yemen, Geneva talks struggle
Saudi Deputy Crown Prince, Russian president meet in St. Petersburg
U.N. denies extension of Geneva talks on Yemen
Melee erupts at Yemen peace talks
Yemen: Government, Houthis rush to reach ceasefire ahead of peace talks deadline
Britain says will take in hundreds more women and children from Syria
Seventy powers demand Syria barrel bombings end
Kurds playing a powerful role in Syria
Putin reaffirms support for Syria's Assad, hopes for Iran deal soon
Syria pro-regime tribes reject Jordanian king's support
U.S., allies conduct 24 air strikes against ISIS
Western officials optimistic about Iran nuclear
Netanyahu: Don't let calm fool you, attacks are always a threat
Palestinian shoots Israeli dead near West Bank settlement
Netanyahu Denounces Ban over Gaza Children Remarks
Dutch to extend Iraq military mission against ISIS
WikiLeaks publishes more than 60,000 leaked Saudi cables
Iran, Qatar Seek Improved Relations despite Differences
US church shooting suspect charged with 9 murders
UK PM tells Muslim communities to do more to tackle extremism
White suspect charged with murder in attack on black U.S. church
Turkey’s main opposition floats idea of ‘rotating’ premiership
Air strikes mask U.S. strategic failure against ISIS
Turkish-Russian ties: Cooperation despite discord
US State Department: Terror attacks, deaths, up sharply in 2014

Jehad Watch Latest Reports And News
French intel report says 1,730 potential jihadis ready to strike in France
UK’s Cameron: Muslims must stop “quietly condoning” the Islamic State
Northern Ireland: Pastor who said “Islam is satanic” faces six months in jail
Turkey’s President Erdoğan joins Qur’an defamation case as plaintiff
Chad bans Islamic face veil after jihad-martyrdom suicide bombings
Robert Spencer in FrontPage: Reign of Terror: Inside the Islamic State
Robert Spencer in PJM: ISIS following al-Qaeda’s game plan for a caliphate
Tajik special forces chief who joined Islamic State threatens to behead his brother
Sweden mulling new laws criminalizing joining or aiding jihad groups
Zionist shoe theft victim Asghar Bukhari explains it all for you

Three Hezbollah fighters killed in Syria
The Daily Star/Lebanon News/June. 19, 2015
BEIRUT: Three Hezbollah fighters were killed in battles in Syria Thursday, a security source told The Daily Star. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said two of the fighters fell while battling militants in the border region of Qalamoun.The death of the two Hezbollah fighters in Qalamoun raised the number of the party’s dead since the operation began on May 4 to at least 41, while at least 244 militants have fallen on the other side. Hezbollah and the Syrian army have been fighting Nusra Front and ISIS militants in Syria’s Qalamoun mountain range along Lebanon’s eastern border for over a month. Hezbollah expanded its operation earlier this month, entering the outskirts of the northeastern Lebanese town of Arsal. ISIS has been in control of most of Arsal’s northern outskirts since last year, while Nusra Front fighters maintained positions on the eastern and southern outskirts of the town. Both groups are holding there at least 25 Lebanese servicemen, who were captured last August when militants briefly invaded Arsal.

Hizbullah Says Several Jihadists Killed in Attack on IS Gathering Near Arsal
Naharnet/ June 19, 2015/An Islamic State official known as Abu Aisha al-Libi and six other IS jihadists were killed on Friday in a Hizbullah attack on the Kherbet Hamam region on the outskirts of the northeastern town of Arsal, al-Manar TV said.
The jihadists were reportedly plotting to launch an assault on the outskirts of Ras Baalbek. Hizbullah also destroyed two IS military vehicles, killing several and injuring six jihadists in the attack, including an IS commander known as Abu Akramah al-Zouhouri and another militant known as Ahmed Abdel Mohsen, al-Manar added. Hizbullah has been on the offensive in Syria's Qalamoun mountains for weeks and has captured territory from al-Qaida's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front. With the Nusra Front almost defeated in the area, a major battle erupted last week between Hizbullah and the IS. The party is deeply involved in Syria's civil war, fighting alongside President Bashar Assad's forces. The Lebanese group cites fears the Sunni militants will sweep through Shiite and Christian villages in diverse Lebanon as the reason for its involvement in Syria. The total area of the Qalamoun mountains that is being contested is about 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) — of which 340 square kilometers (131 square miles) lie in Lebanon.

Cyprus trial set for Lebanese suspect in large ammonium nitrate haul
Associated Press/June 19, 2015/NICOSIA, Cyprus: Cyprus police say a trial date has been set for a Lebanese-Canadian man who was arrested in connection with the seizure of more than five tons of a chemical compound that can be converted into an explosive. Police spokesman Charalambos Zachariou told the AP Friday that the 26-year-old suspect will enter a plea June 29 to 16 changes including participation in and providing support to a terrorist organization and possession of explosives. The suspect, whose name hasn't been officially disclosed, was arrested last month after police discovered the ammonium nitrate while raiding the Larnaca-area house where he was staying. Authorities are investigating the suspect's possible links to the anti-Israeli group Hezbollah. Zachariou said 70 witnesses will testify for the prosecution.

ISIS commanders, militants killed in Hezbollah attack
The Daily Star/June 19, 2015/BEIRUT: Two ISIS commanders and at least 7 other militants were allegedly killed during two separate Hezbollah attacks on the outskirts of a northeastern Lebanese border town Friday, Al-Manar reported. The Hezbollah-run TV station said that ISIS commander Abu Aisha al-Libi and six other terrorists were killed when the party targeted a militant “meeting” on the outskirts of Arsal. The aim of the gathering, which took place in an area identified as Khirbet Hamam, was to plan a terrorist offensive on the outskirts of the east Lebanon city of Baalbek, according to Al-Manar. The party also destroyed two militants convoys in the same area, the report added. The attack led to the killing of another ISIS commander, identified as Abu Akrama al-Zouhouri, and another militant identified as Ahmad Abed al-Mohsen. Other unindentified militants were also killed or wounded during the assault, according to Al-Manar. The party has intensified its attacks on ISIS after it repelled a militant attack last week, sparking a battle that killed eight Hezbollah fighters and around 50 ISIS militants. It was the most serious border confrontation between the two sides since Hezbollah entered the fighting in Syria three years ago. On Tuesday, Al-Manar said that ISIS' "emir" for the Qalamoun region Abu Balqis al-Baghdadi was killed in shelling on the eastern outskirts of Arsal, about 7 kilometers south of Ras Baalbek, in the area of Wadi Hmayed. Hezbollah and the Syrian army have been battling ISIS and Nusra Front fighters in the Qalamoun region along Lebanon's eastern border with Syria since early last month. The allied forces have captured about two-thirds of the rugged border region from the militants since launching the offensive on May 4. Militants are now mostly holed up in northern Qalamoun, on the eastern outskirts of Arsal and Ras Baalbek. Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah vowed last week to oust ISIS from northeastern Lebanon.

Aoun Rejects 'Puppet' President, Says 'Confrontation' Has not Ended
Naharnet//June 19, 2015/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun has considered himself a consensual candidate stressing that he would not accept a "puppet" to rule the country. Aoun told al-Joumhouria daily in an interview published on Friday that he told his supporters to mobilize for street protests. “I will not accept for the period of Syrian (hegemony) to be repeated in Lebanon and for a puppet president to be elected,” he said. “We need a consensual head of state who … can fix the track and can control corruption and security,” the head of the Change and Reform bloc leader stressed. Asked whether he thought he was a consensual candidate, Aoun replied: “Of course.”Lawmakers from Aoun's bloc in addition to Hizbullah MPs have been boycotting parliamentary sessions aimed at electing a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May last year. Their boycott has caused a lack of quorum, leaving Baabda Palace vacant. Aoun accused al-Mustaqbal Movement and the March 14 alliance of “seeking to impose a president who does not represent Christians.”It was not clear if he was referring to Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea. Asked if the vacuum in the country's top Christian post would remain pending his election, Aoun replied: “Until now yes. There is a confrontation.” He also reiterated that he would not make any concessions. Aoun denied what he called “rumors” that he is preparing for a “surprise” on August 7. He said, however, that “something could take place although I haven't promised anything.” The weekly meetings that the FPM chief is holding with his supporters are aimed at “awakening the people,” he said. “If we don't tell them the truth of what's happening, then they will say that Aoun has paralyzed the cabinet and the parliament,” the MP told his interviewer. Aoun is holding meetings with crowds visiting him at his residence in Rabieh every Saturday. He is addressing them with fiery speeches rejecting plans for the extension of the terms of high-ranking military and security officials. Prime Minister Tammam Salam has suspended cabinet sessions after warnings made by FPM ministers that they would not attend meetings if the government agenda is not topped by an article on the appointment of top officials. Aoun wants to receive political consensus on the appointment of Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz as army chief as part of a package for the appointment of other top security officers. Asked why he was not in favor of delaying discussions on controversial issues in the cabinet, Aoun said: “These topics are linked to the rights of Christians.”“Under the law, the army leadership belongs to Maronites,” he stressed. “When they illegally and unconstitutionally extend the term of the military leader, then he loses his immunity,” said Aoun.

Bogdanov Reportedly Calls on Aoun to Give up Candidacy
Naharnet/June 19, 2015/Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has repeatedly said that Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun should give up his candidacy for the presidency to resolve Lebanon's political crisis. Lebanon's Ambassador to Moscow, Shawqi Bou Nassar, has said in a report that Bogdanov was in favor for Aoun to “pave way for other candidates and allow other Christian personalities to announce their candidacies.”The details of the report were published in al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday. Aoun should also make an initiative with his allies to guarantee a quorum in the parliament to elect a president, Bogdanov reportedly said. He stressed that Moscow stands at an equal distance from all political parties in Lebanon and has good ties with all the candidates.
But Russia wants the election of a consensual president as soon as possible, said the report. The country's top Christian post has been vacant since President Michel Suleiman's six-year tenure ended in May last year. The MPs of Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and Hizbullah have been boycotting parliamentary sessions aimed at electing a president. According to Bou Nassar's report, Bogdanov informed deputy Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdul Lahyan during a meeting they held in May that Russian President Vladimir Putin calls for the facilitation of the election of a president. “Holding onto the candidacy of Aoun is ineffective. It would prolong the vacuum in the presidency,” the Russian official told Abdul Lahyan. “Such a move would reflect negatively on the stability of Lebanon and the interests of Christians,” he warned.

Derbas Says Refugee Crisis Requires 'Political State of Emergency'
Naharnet/June 19, 2015/Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas has said that the crisis of Syrian refugees is a national cause that requires a political state of emergency to overcome its repercussions. “The issue of the displaced Syrians should not cause political tension,” Derbas told An Nahar daily on Friday, a day after he referred a detailed report on the refugees to Prime Minister Tammam Salam and several cabinet ministers. “It is a national cause that requires the announcement of a political state of emergency, involving the alertness of all political parties,” he said. Derbas said that the number of refugees registered with the U.N. refugee agency, the UNHCR, has reached approximately 1.2 million. More Syrians have entered the country illegally and are not registered. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said Thursday that the international community including Western states had a huge responsibility to help the hosting countries. "It is not only (a responsibility) of Turkey, Lebanon or of Jordan," said Guterres, referring to the countries which have taken in large numbers of Syrian refugees. "It is a global responsibility," he said. In his remarks to An Nahar, Derbas reiterated that there was a need for joint Lebanese-Jordanian work to ask for safe areas for refugees in Syria. Lebanese authorities have repeatedly called for the establishment of safe areas in Syria mainly on the border with Lebanon. But their demand has not been met with a positive reaction. An estimated 4 million people have fled Syria, with more than half of the country's population displaced.

Berri Pleas to Rival Parties to 'Come to their Senses'
Naharnet/June 19, 2015/Speaker Nabih Berri has reportedly urged the rival political parties “to come to their senses” and to work on the activation of the parliament and the government. Berri's visitors quoted him as saying that he “hoped everyone would come to their senses and feel the dangers of the current situation.”The government should get back to its meetings and the parliament should legislate, said the speaker, whose remarks were published in al-Joumhouria daily on Friday. The vacuum at Baabda Palace has spilled over into the government and the parliament. Parliament has failed in the past year to elect a president over lack of quorum while Prime Minister Tammam Salam suspended cabinet sessions last week over a dispute on the appointment of high-ranking military and security officials. On Friday, ministerial sources told An Nahar daily that Salam has not yet taken a decision to call for a cabinet session next week. “Neither Salam's stance has changed nor the position of the parties threatening to boycott the sessions,” they said. Salam has been procrastinating on calling for a session to avoid a bigger dispute. Free Patriotic Movement ministers haven't also backed down on their demands. They have warned that they would boycott any session whose agenda is not topped by the appointment of the high-ranking officers.

Ain al-Hilweh residents protest over damage
The Daily Star/June 19, 2015/SIDON, Lebanon: Residents of the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp expressed their anger Friday, following the wreckage reaped on their homes and properties during clashes between militants one day prior.
Families living in the Taytaba neighborhood staged a demonstration to demand compensation for the damages, after at least seven cars were totally destroyed and a number of houses torched. The five-hour long clashes that broke out Thursday between militants from the secularist Fatah and the Al-Qaeda linked Jund al-Sham were only halted around 7 p.m. Residents returned to their homes to find many of their possessions turned to ashes. “I wished we stayed in Syria,” said Um Ahmad, a Syrian refugee whose house was consumed by the blazes. “We didn’t know that they kill each other here too.” Other women who participated in the protests said the militants did worse to their properties than the Israeli invaders in 1982.
“We heard them calling for jihad yesterday, whose jihad? There is Palestine, under Israeli occupation, let them go practice jihad there,” the devastated Um Nabil said. “I say it out loud; even the Zionists did not do what the militants did yesterday.”Loubna Hamadeh, resident of Taytaba, told The Daily Star that the militants also ruined the electricity network, as an elderly woman climbed to fix the cables. The fighting turned the first day of the holy month of Ramadan into a disaster for the families, adding to the miseries brought by poverty and underdevelopment. Fatah and Jund al-Sham have a long history of rivalry in the camp. Jund al-Sham in Lebanon, which belongs to a regional network allegedly supported by slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has been accused of assassinating many Fatah leaders. Fighting started Wednesday over personal dispute between Palestinians Abed Sultan and Bilal Arqoub, members of the Fatah party and the Maqdisi group, respectively. Maqdisi, which is close to Islamist factions in the camp including Jund al-Sham, is headed by Fadi al-Saleh. Members of the men’s families later got involved in the fighting, which quickly escalated into an armed clash between their militias and allies.

Sisi to Lebanese: Prepare for fall of Assad
The Daily Star/June 19, 2015/BEIRUT: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reportedly advised a visiting Lebanese delegation to brace themselves for the imminent fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Al-Mustaqbal newspaper reported Friday. “Be ready for the fall of Assad,” an anonymous member of the delegation quoted Sisi as saying. The Egyptian president warned “of dramatic developments that could suddenly hit Syria,” saying that the regime is in “bad shape” as evidenced by the latest military developments on the ground, the Lebanese daily reported. Sisi acknowledged that any dramatic shift in Syria resulting from Assad’s removal from power could lead to further pressure on Lebanon, especially with regards to a potential increase in the number of Syrian refugees fleeing the neighboring conflict. “Therefore, Lebanon should endeavor to fortify itself and start anticipating how it would deal with such a possibility,” the source quoted Sisi as saying. Prime Minister Tammam Salam launched a series of meetings with top officials in Cairo Wednesday, including his Egyptian counterpart Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab and Sisi, as part of his one day visit to the country. Salam’s talks with Sisi covered developments in the region, including the war in Syria and helping Lebanon cope with its repercussions, particularly the presence of more than a million Syrian refugees, the state-run National News Agency reported. During the meeting with Salam, which was also attended by Mahlab, Sisi stressed Egypt’s position, which advocates a political solution to the Syrian crisis with the priority of preserving the Syrian state, the NNA said. The report added that the talks also touched on the Lebanese presidential election crisis, with Sisi again calling for the election of a president as soon as possible in order to achieve stability in Lebanon.

Maronite Patriarch takes on 'international silence' over Iraqi Christians' suffering
The Daily Star/June 19, 2015 /BEIRUT: The international community should take real action to help Iraq's Christians stay in their country, Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai said Friday during a one-day visit in Irbil. “Christians should remain in Iraq because their history is rooted in Iraq, where they have lived alongside Muslims and built common civilizations,” Rai said, after landing in the Kurdish capital heading a joint Lebanese-Italian church delegation to visit Christian refugees who escaped persecution by ISIS. “Their future is here too and they cannot let go of this land.”The delegation, which included Archbishop of Milan Angelo Scola, was received at the airport by Patriarch of Babylon Louis Raphael I Sako, Kurdish Interior Minister Karim Sinjari as well as other political and religious officials. “Our main demand they return to their homes and lands in dignity. We have trusted the international coalition in that,” Rai added. “But unfortunately the terrorist groups are still growing and advancing. “Here we should ask: Where are they receiving this strength from? Why is [ISIS] being treated as a state and not a terrorist group?” Rai said. “We don’t speak the language of killing, but that of rights. The international community should not remain silent toward the violation of the rights of a whole people.”The delegation then toured the refugee population, as well as a number of clinics and social centers.Rai also met with representatives of the Lebanese community in Iraq, who updated him on the latest developments and the security situation in the country. Sako, who thanked Rai and the delegation for the visit, said Lebanon should elect a president as soon as possible because the current “vacuum directly affects the Christians in Iraq and the Middle East.”Scola, in turn, expressed solidarity with the Iraqi people and thanked Rai for his invitation, speaking of the need for accurate and objective coverage of the events going on in the region. The Kurdish minister welcomed the delegation and underlined the importance of Muslim-Christian coexistence in Iraq. “Our Christian brethren are part of Iraq’s culture and one of its special features,” he said, calling on the church to “encourage them to stay in Iraq because their emigration would be a great setback and a heavy loss for the country and its people.”

Moqbel, French Official Deny Freeze in Delivery of Arms
Naharnet/May 19/15/Defense Minister Samir Moqbel and a French official have denied a report that Saudi Arabia has asked French authorities to freeze the delivery of weapons to the Lebanese army under a Saudi grant. Al-Liwaa daily on Friday quoted Moqbel as saying that information about the freeze of the delivery of arms is not true. “The plan to provide arms to the military is ongoing without obstacles or changes,” Moqbel said. He condemned what he called fabrications aimed at achieving political ends. A French official, who was not identified, also denied to al-Liwaa the report published in As Safir daily on Thursday on the delivery of arms. The newspaper had quoted informed French sources as saying that Paris received an official message from Riyadh in May asking it to freeze the delivery of the rest of the arms. The letter also requested France not to inform Lebanese authorities about the decision to freeze the delivery, they said. The Lebanese army received the first batch of weapons, including Milan anti-tank missiles, under the $3 billion Saudi grant in April.

Asiri Meets Daryan: We Trust Politicians' Wisdom to Ease Lebanon Tensions
Naharnet/May 19/15/Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri stressed on Friday that his country is counting on the wisdom of Lebanese officials to reach solutions that will ease tensions in Lebanon, the state-run National News Agency said. “The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is keen to preserve Lebanon and its people, and it is counting on the wisdom of its officials to reach solutions that would ease the tension and fortify the internal arena,” said Asiri. “I hope that the holy month of Ramadan heralds a solution to all controversial issues among the Lebanese,” added Asiri after a meeting with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan at Dar al-Fatwa. Conveying Saudi Arabia’s well-wishes to the Lebanese on the occasion of Ramadan, he said: “We hope that this month brings in peace, stability and uniformity of the state institutions starting with the election of a new president.”The ambassador concluded reiterating his country's persistence to back Lebanon “until it restores its well being and prosperity.” Lebanon has been living without a president since the term of president Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014. Because of the parliament's failure to convene to take major decisions, including election of a head of state, the country has been witnessing major paralysis in its institutions. Rival parties and lawmakers have been at loggerheads over a consensual president. Moreover, the government has joined in the circle of paralysis when PM Tammam Salam decided early in June to halt cabinet sessions to allow rival parties to agree on the controversial issue of the appointment of high-ranking officials.
The Free Patriotic Movement officials had warned that their party's ministers would not attend a cabinet session if the discussion and approval of high-ranking military and security officials are not on the agenda.

Khayat: STL case a ‘waste of time’
Elise Knutsen| The Daily Star/ June 19, 2015/BEIRUT: In a ten minute address to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon court at the conclusion of her contempt trial, Al-Jadeed journalist Karma Khayat lambasted charges brought against her, calling the case a waste of time, resources and an attack on free speech. The prosecution, she said “most certainly failed to prove the charges against us (Al-Jadeed). Their case is empty in content and in form. [The prosecution] abused the truth.” “You have wasted money, resources, time and you have morally undermined the reputation of this tribunal,” Khayat told the court. “Justice has much more important issues to look at,” she said. In the year and a half that the tribunal announced charges against Al-Jadeed, “more than 100 Lebanese were martyred and more than 2,200 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli enemy,” she pontificated, adding that ISIS was ravaging the region and attempting to send countries “back to the dark ages.” “All this is happening in our country and the prosecutor is wasting our time with an empty file,” she said.
Several seconds of Khayat’s 10 minutes speech were redacted from public transmission for unknown reasons. The verdict against Khayat and Al-Jadeed will be announced in roughly 2 months, according to STL judge Nicola Lettieri.

Future mulls March 8 visit to end impasse
Hasan Lakkis/The Daily Star/June. 19, 2015/BEIRUT: The Future Movement is considering visiting March 8 officials to discuss a means to end the Cabinet impasse and protect the northeastern town of Arsal from militants, a Future lawmaker said Thursday.
“It is one of the options we are studying but a final decision has yet to be made,” MP Jamal Jarrah told The Daily Star. He explained that the Future delegation might hold talks with officials from Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement, the Marada Movement and the Tashnag Party. In the past weeks, a delegation from the group visited Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Tammam Salam, MP Walid Jumblatt, former President Amine Gemayel, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Army chief Gen. Jean Kahwagi.
During the visits, the Future Movement officials highlighted the dangers of ongoing Cabinet paralysis and the fact that the Lebanese Army should be the sole authority protecting Arsal from militant groups.
Hezbollah has been battling Nusra Front and ISIS militants on Arsal’s outskirts over the past two weeks.
Backed by their allies Hezbollah, the Marada Movement and the Tashnag Party, FPM ministers have said they would not allow the Cabinet to discuss any topic before it addresses appointments of new security chiefs, including the appointment of Aoun’s son-in-law, Brig. Gen. Shamel Roukoz, the head of the Army Commando Unit, as Army commander.
Aoun hinted that his group would resort to popular protests to pressure the government to fulfill his party’s demands. Jarrah said that the Future Movement was highlighting the responsibility of Lebanese leaders toward Arsal and pressing Cabinet decisions.“The agricultural produce will be totally damaged if the government does not allocate funds for exporting it by sea,” Jarrah said. Meanwhile, sources close to Salam said the Cabinet would not hold its weekly session next Thursday for the third consecutive week. The sources said reports that the Cabinet would not convene at all during the holy month of Ramadan were “not accurate.”
They added that Salam was still making contacts with all political factions to find a way out of the crisis. Similarly, Berri and a number of ministers were communicating with all Cabinet parties to reach an agreement to allow Cabinet to resume its sessions.
But the sources said there were no signs so far that the FPM would soften its stance. They added that a proposal to put the issue of security appointments aside until September was being considered. The terms of Kahwagi and a number of senior Army officers will expire in September. But FPM ministers still insist on discussing the topic of appointments before moving to any other agenda issues. The sources added that although the Constitution clearly states that the premier sets the date for the Cabinet session and decides its agenda, Salam did not want to exacerbate internal disputes amid the exceptional circumstances the country was facing and in the absence of a president.
Salam also feared that such a step could be exploited by Lebanon’s enemies to shake the stable security situation, the sources said, but added that the premier could not wait forever. Ministerial sources said that contacts were now focusing on finding a solution that would be face-saving for FPM minsters and allow Salam to call for a Cabinet session. Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk said that street pressure the FPM was threatening to resort to would lead nowhere. “It will not reach the Cabinet or affect its decisions. I don’t think that there is a political decision that is made under street pressure,” Machnouk said after visiting Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian. Machnouk said Salam would call for a Cabinet session after meeting with political factions. “The prime minister determines the date, this issue has to do with his powers,” he said. “He is able to balance between his national duties to try to convince all political parties to participate [in the Cabinet session] and his constitutional powers which require that he calls for a Cabinet session.” The minister said there was still a chance for negotiations “but it will not remain forever.”

Jumblatt calls changed atmosphere in Idlib
Ghinwa Obeid/The Daily Star/June 19, 2015
BEIRUT: Pragmatic and quick mobilization by the Progressive Socialist Party has helped reduce tensions between Druze and opposition militants in northwest Syria, according to officials with knowledge of the issue. The efforts by the party were also aimed at strengthening the relationship between the Druze community of Swaida and citizens in the Deraa province. Jordan was the latest stop in MP Walid Jumblatt’s crusade to protect the Druze community in Syria. Last week, 25 Druze villagers were killed in an altercation with members of Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate the Nusra Front in Qalb Lozeh, Idlib province. Fears are also high in the Druze-majority province of Swaida after rebel victories in Deraa province brought insurgents to the outskirts of a military air base in the village of Thaaleh. However, the rebels have repeatedly said that they don’t intend to target civilian areas. Jumblatt is working on two parallel lines to contain fallout from Qalb Lozeh and strengthen the relationship between Swaida’s Druze and residents of Deraa, PSP spokesperson Rami Rayes told The Daily Star. Before the war in Syria, Druze comprised 3 percent of the country’s population of 23 million. “The visit to Jordan was part of a round of calls made by Walid Jumblatt directly or through delegates to other regional powers such as Turkey and other parties allied to the opposition regarding the Idlib incident,” he said. “We can say that the results have been very good.” Rayes explained that there are attempts underway to prevent what happened in Qalb Lozeh from reoccurring, but since Syria is still a war zone nothing is certain. Positive responses from involved parties were reassuring, he said, and have fostered a new atmosphere on the ground. “It’s reflected in Idlib, and through holding those responsible for the incident accountable, prosecuting them and changing the official in charge of the area to someone else,” he said. He also said the development highlighted the PSP’s belief that the conflict in Syria could only be resolved through a political solution. Regarding Swaida, Jumblatt has stressed the need to build unity between the people of Swaida and Deraa and encourage them to fight common dangers together. Jordan’s location, bordering Syria’s Swaida and Deraa, could play an effective role in bridging the communities, confirmed another source close to PSP. Jumblatt discussed the issue of maintaining the well-being of the Druze community in Swaida with Jordan’s King Abdullah. “The Druze in Swaida and Jordan have always maintained close ties, so Jordan can exert efforts given its historical ties to the province,” the source said. The source said that during the meeting Jordan’s king was understanding and aware of the importance of maintaining a good and stable relationship with the Syrian provinces of Swaida and Deraa, and expressed his willingness to help. “The meeting was meant to protect the Druze in Syria politically through collaboration with Jordan,” the source added. “What Jumblatt is doing, of course, aims to protect the Druze in Syria, but it also aims to protect the social fabric of the Syrian people,” Health Minister Wael Abu Faour told reporters at the Grand Serail. Abu Faour, who also visited Turkey and Saudi Arabia this week, said that it was necessary to protect minority communities in Syria to preserve its social diversity.

WikiLeaks publishes more than 60,000 leaked diplomatic cables from Saudi Arabia
Sam Wilkin| Reuters/June. 19, 2015/DUBAI: WikiLeaks published Friday more than 60,000 diplomatic cables from Saudi Arabia and said on its website it would release half a million more in the coming weeks. The organisation, which began releasing U.S. diplomatic cables in 2010, said it had obtained email communications between Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry and other countries as well as confidential reports from other Saudi ministries. Friday marks the third anniversary of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange seeking refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden over alleged sex crimes.

US church shooting suspect charged with nine murders
Edward McAllister| Reuters/June 19, 2015
CHARLESTON, S.C.: A 21-year-old white man has been charged with nine counts of murder for an attack on a historic black South Carolina church, local police said Friday, with media reporting that he had hoped his actions would incite a race war in the United States.
Dylann Roof is due to face a bail hearing later Friday, where he will appear by video link and also face a charge of possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, the Charleston Police Department said. The charges come a day after his arrest in North Carolina, 220 miles (354 km) north of the nearly 200-year-old Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church where he shot dead nine black worshippers.U.S. officials are investigating Roof's attack, in which four ministers were killed including a Democratic state senator, as a hate crime. It came in a year of turmoil in the United States, where police killings of several unarmed black men has provoked angry national debates about race relations, policing and the criminal justice system. Roof confessed to the attack and said he intended to set off new racial confrontations with his attack, CNN reported, citing a law enforcement source. Charleston Police spokesman Charles Francis declined to comment on the reports of a confession.
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley told NBC's "Today" show Friday that she would prefer to see Roof tried on state charges and believed state prosecutors should pursue a death sentence. "This is an absolute hate crime," said Haley, a Republican. "We've been talking with the investigators because we've been going through the interviews, they said they looked pure evil in the eye." South Carolina is one of just five U.S. states that does not have a hate crime law, which typically imposes additional penalties on crimes committed because of a victim's race, gender or sexual orientation. President Barack Obama said Thursday the attack stirred up "a dark part" of U.S. history and illustrated the continuing dangers of the nation's liberal gun laws, which gun-rights supporters say are protected by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. "After a tragedy we all get to sing and hold hands, but the elephant in the room is guns. South Carolina and the country have gone gun-crazy," said state Representative Wendell Gilliard, a Democrat who represents Charleston.
"How many times do we need to come together? How many times do we need to unite?" The church, known as "Mother Emanuel," was founded in the early 19th century by black worshippers who were limited in how they could practice their faith at white-dominated churches. Burned to the ground in the late 1820s when one of its founders drafted plans for a slave revolt, the church was later rebuilt. Compounding anger over the incident, the South Carolina capital continues to fly the Confederate battle flag, that was the symbol of the pro-slavery South during the U.S. Civil War. In addition to the church's leader and Democratic state Senator Clementa Pinckney, other victims included three pastors - DePayne Middleton Doctor, 49; Sharonda Coleman Singleton, 45; and Reverend Daniel Simmons, 74.
Also killed were Cynthia Hurd, 54, a public library employee; Susie Jackson, 87; Ethel Lance, 70; Tywanza Sanders, 26; and Myra Thompson 59, an associate pastor at the church, according to the county coroner. Area residents, including a group of nuns, filed past the historic church early Friday that was the site of Wednesday's shooting. Many tearfully offered prayers and left flowers near the line of yellow police tape, behind which law enforcement agents continued to gather evidence. Social worker Jermaine Jenkins, 25, stopped to pay his respects and said he believed the outpouring of public grief and support showed that Roof had failed in his goal of sparking fresh racial unrest. "I don't think he will succeed in creating a race war," said Jenkins, who is black.

Palestinian shoots Israeli dead near West Bank settlement
Agence France Presse/ June 19, 2015/OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: A Palestinian opened fire on two Israeli men near a West Bank settlement Friday, killing one and wounding the other, authorities said. Israeli army spokesman Peter Lerner said a "Palestinian approached a vehicle that was in the area and asked them to stop... and shot the two from close range." A hospital spokeswoman confirmed that one of the men had died and the other was lightly wounded.

Hillary Clinton: U.S. must face 'hard truths' after South Carolina shooting
Reuters/ June 18, 2015 /Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton said on Thursday after a deadly shooting in a South Carolina church that the United States must face "hard truths" about race and violence."We have to face hard truths about race, violence, guns and division," she told a Las Vegas conference of Hispanic elected officials. "How many innocent people in our country from little children, church members to movie theater attendees, how many people do we need to see cut down before we act?"

No Agreement at Yemen Peace Talks in Geneva
Naharnet/May 19/15/Yemen's warring parties have failed to reach a deal at U.N.-hosted peace negotiations in Geneva that are set to wrap up Friday, Yemen's foreign minister in exile said. "We really came here with a big hope ... but unfortunately the Huthi delegation did not allow us really to reach a real progress as we expected," Riad Yassin told reporters. He stressed though that "not getting a success as we hoped didn't mean that we have failed," adding efforts would continue to find a peaceful solution to Yemen's brutal conflict. He said the government delegation remained optimistic of a peaceful solution for Yemen "under the umbrella of the U.N.," but said no date had yet been set for the next round of talks. Yemen has been wracked by conflict between Iran-backed Shiite rebels and troops loyal to exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who fled to Saudi Arabia in February. The rebels have overrun much of the Sunni-majority country and, along with their allies among forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, have been the target of Saudi-led air strikes since March. More than 2,600 people have been killed since then. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon launched the high-stakes Geneva negotiations on Monday with an appeal for a two-week humanitarian truce during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. But the belligerents' positions have been so far apart that they have not even sat down in the same room, forcing U.N. special envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed to shuttle between them for separate consultations. The negotiations have been bogged down by the government's insistence that the rebels must withdraw from the vast territory they control, and its protest over the size of the rebel delegation, which is more than double the pre-agreed maximum of 10. The rebels meanwhile have demanded an unconditional halt to the air strikes before they consider a pause in fighting. Ould Cheikh Ahmed was scheduled to host a news conference at the U.N. in Geneva on Friday afternoon to announce the end of the talks. Agence France Presse

Forgotten in Libya: Christians Abducted by Islamic Extremists Still Missing
Todd Daniels, Regional Manager for the Middle East
February 18, 2015. The world was shocked as a video entitled "A Message Signed with Blood to the Nation of the Cross" showed the brutal execution of 21 Christians on a beach in Libya. The images of the 21 men dressed in orange jumpsuits spread quickly across the world. This video was a vivid picture of the brutal tactics that the Islamic jihadists of ISIS, or the so-called Islamic State, will use in their campaign to exterminate Christianity in the areas that they control.
What many have forgotten is that the 21 are not the only Egyptian Christians who have been abducted by Islamic militants. Over nine months have passed since the abduction of four other Egyptian Christians in Libya by Islamic State affiliates, Ansar Al-Sharia. Three brothers and a cousin are missing, and the anxious families have received no word about them. This is the situation for many of the relatives of missing Christians. International Christian Concern (ICC) is working with at least eight families in similar situations. While they can imagine the possible fates of their beloved sons, husbands and fathers, no one can be sure of their location or if they are alive.
No help Gamal Matta Hakim, Raafat Matta Hakim, Romany Matta Hakim, and their cousin Adel Sedky Hakim disappeared on August 25th when ordered off a microbus near Sirte, Libya. The bus was stopped by Islamic militants who took the four Christian men from the bus and forced the driver to continue with the remaining three Muslim passengers. Wagih Matta Hakim, brother of three that were taken and cousin to the fourth, has repeatedly reached out to government officials who have by and large ignored his requests. "None of them has helped us since the kidnapping of my brothers," Wagih said in regards to the Foreign Ministry of Egypt. "There isn't any positive step from them to solve our crisis or to reassure us." In a recent interview, Wagih explained to MCN how the Egyptian government paid the family pensions in January and February and then stopped. They only received two months pension out of the nine months that the men have been missing. The situation now seems grave for the Hakim family as they sit and wait in silence for any information regarding their loved ones."I don't know what to say..."
Shenouda Samy Adly Attia, 31, is a father of two and has been missing since September 15, 2014. His wife, Jacqueline Samir, 26, along with her brother in law, have sought out help in vain from the foreign ministry. Sadly, as more and more time passes, any possible investigation becomes more complicated.
"My son Samuel, 5, asks me always, 'When [will] my father come back to us? I miss him so much.' I don't know what [to] say to him," Jacqueline told the ICC. Attia was kidnapped in Misrata, Libya by extremists from Ansar al-Sharia. The group has been a consistent threat in Libya in the recent past and was deemed a terrorist organization by the United Nations Security Council in November 2014 (Al Arabiya). The group is at large in the region and has repeatedly expressed its dedication to the destruction of the Christian world. Foreign workers like Attia and the Hakim brothers are some of the many Christians that have been targeted by Ansar al-Sharia.
Waiting still
Mina Shehata Awad Hanna, 26, is another who was kidnapped by the extremists in Libya en route to Egypt, his home. There has been no information to follow his disappearance. His family expresses their desperation to know of his circumstances.
There seems to be minimal hope for those waiting for answers. The trek of foreign workers in Libya back to their home countries has been almost impossible for Christians to make thus far. Many have already been executed by the extremists while others are never heard from again. Eight men, including those mentioned in this article, are known to be missing at this time from Egypt. The families' yearning to know their fates has warranted no responses from any governing figure either in Egypt or Libya.
Civil society groups like the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms have campaigned for greater assistance from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry for those Forgotten in Libya but so far little action has been taken and families remain without answers.
"We ask God to show us the fate of Mina," Sayeda Hanna Massad, Mina's mother told ICC, "If Mina is alive and existent we ask God to bring him back to us and if we make sure that he was martyred, we will be happy because he kept the faith and he died on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and his fate will be in The Heaven."
ICC's Suffering Wives and Children fund helps to support families who have lost their income as a result of situations like these. We are currently working with the families to help care for their needs in both the short term and for the future.
To learn more about this fund and how you can support families like these, visit: Suffering Wives and Children
For interviews, contact Todd Daniels, Regional Manager for the Middle East:
RM-ME@persecution.org
http://www.persecution.org/2015/06/18/forgotten-in-libya-christians-abducted-by-islamic-extremists-still-missing/

US presidential election still open to surprises
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat
Friday, 19 Jun, 2015
Although the next US presidential election is more than a year away, the campaign for the White House is already under way with even greater intensity than four years ago. Because there is no incumbent standing for re-election, the field is wide open for a range of political sensibilities to compete against one another within the broad two-party system.
Unlike European political parties which have historic ideological roots and are thus less prone to radical changes of position, the US Democrat and Republican parties are, in fact, electoral coalitions bringing together a wide range of ideological and socio-political interest groups together, often with a charismatic individual as leader.
An American party could change profile to take into account the political realities of the day, always with an eye on the key question of how to win an election. In American politics pragmatism has always been more important than ideological considerations. However, over the past decades, more precisely since the Great Depression, the two parties have assumed distinct personae that cannot be easily discarded.
Right now the Democrat and Republican parties differ in at least three important ways. The first concerns the distinct roles of the state and the individual.
The Democrats favor a greater role for the state not only in setting the national agenda but also in re-distributing the national income and fixing social and cultural norms. Hillary Clinton, the leading Democrat candidate in the coming election, called her first book It Takes a Village to Educate a Child, indicating the party’s belief in collective cooperative efforts rather than individual free enterprise.
In his first presidential campaign, Bill Clinton, Hillary’s husband and current key advisor, lambasted President George H.W. Bush for failing to mobilize the resources of the state to combat unemployment and re-start the economy. “If you can’t use the government, let me do it,” he famously boasted. The subtext was that it was President Franklin Roosevelt’s use of “the resources of the state” that helped end the Great Depression. (The Republicans context that and claim that the depression was already ending when Roosevelt entered the White House.)
The latest expression of the Democrat party’s European-style collectivist sentiment came in the shape of President Barack Obama’s healthcare project, often known as “Obamacare”. The measure is so complicated and confused that it is hard to fully gauge. (At least this writer cannot fully understand it!) However, its aim is clear: to bring some 16 per cent of the American GDP into the public sector, potentially the largest nationalization scheme the US has ever seen.
In contrast, the Republicans, playing on the theme of “The American Dream”, emphasize the role of the individual and the family. Their ideal American is one who relies on his own resources but who is always ready to offer a helping hand to those less fortunate than him. The average Republican regards the government as a necessary evil but is certain that politicians and bureaucrats are not to be trusted to spend “the people’s money” wisely and prudently. Thus, the slogan “get Washington of our backs” is always popular with Republican audiences.
Historically, the Democrats’ belief in the leading role of the state has also been used to justify an interventionist policy abroad. Leaving aside the adventures of President Theodor Roosevelt, a Republican, Democrats have been responsible for all the wars waged by the US abroad until President George W Bush’s decision to topple the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq. (Another exception was President Ronald Reagan’s mini-operation in Grenada.)
Differences between the two parties are not limited to narrative and history. There are also sociological differences. The Democrats are strong in the two extreme ends of the income spectrum, the poorest and the richest, while Republicans heavily rely on middle classes and the wealthy. Democrats attract more college graduates than Republicans and enjoy greater support among cultural elites and the media. Apart from Catholics who remain evenly divided between the two parties, Democrats’ greatest appeal is to secular segments of society while Republicans do better among Christian communities.
The differences even have a geographical dimension. Democrats do better in most states that board on the oceans, the Great lakes, the major rivers and any other important body of water. (One exception is Texas which, nevertheless, was a Democrat bastion until the 1980s). Republicans do better in hinterland states. While Democrats dominate in big cities, Republicans are the party of the suburbs, medium and small cities, and rural areas.
Over the past decades Democrats have created a solid support base of ethnic and religious minorities. African-Americans (12 per cent of the electorate), Hispanics (12 per cent), Jews (2 per cent), Muslims (2 per cent) and Native Americans (1 per cent) vote overwhelmingly Democrat.
In contrast, Republicans enjoy overwhelming support only among Asian-Americans (2 per cent), Central and East European recent immigrants (1.2 per cent), and Irano-Americans (0.5 per cent).
Thus, thanks to a united front of minorities, a Democrat presidential nominee starts with almost 40 per cent of the votes he or she needs to win. It is no surprise that Mrs. Clinton is trying to re-energize that electoral base by branding the Republicans as crypto-racists who dream of avenging Obama’s election. (The fact that Obama is only half African by descent is conveniently forgotten; what matters is how he looks!)
Having spent ten days touring five states recently, I could discern two important facts in this election.
The first is that national security is making a comeback as a major concern. In that context, Democrats get poor marks without Republicans being able, at least so far, to benefit. Many people I talked to readily admitted that Obama’s foreign policy has been a disaster, at least, rudderless. And, yet, most seem to share his claim that the choice is between doing nothing and full scale invasion of other countries, something that few Americans would want at this juncture. No Republican nominee could win the foreign policy debate without showing convincingly that a third choice is both possible and desirable.
The second fact is that a Hillary Clinton-Jeb Bush duel remains far from certain. This election remains open to surprises.

What if Iran’s nuclear deadline is missed?
Friday, 19 June 2015
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya
With less than two weeks remaining before the June 30 nuclear deadline, the progress between the six world powers (known as the p5+1; the United States, United Kingdom, China, France, Russia, plus Germany) and the Islamic Republic appears to be on the rise and auspicious for the involved parties. On the one hand, for President Obama, the nuclear deal is a matter of his lifetime's legacy. For Iranian leaders, on the other hand, the nuclear agreement is a crucial business deal and an economic gain that will boost Iran’s military, and geopolitical influence in the region as well as ensure the hold-on-power of the Iranian government. Considering all of the political capital that has being spent in the last 18 months of the nuclear talks, the two sides (particularly the United States and the Islamic Republic) appear to hold significant political willingness to brush aside unanswered questions and concerns in order to reach this so-called “historic” final nuclear deal.
Hurdles will not stop the deal
Even recent reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations organization which oversees compliance with established nuclear treaties, raised more concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and despite the interventionist and aggressive policies of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps increasing in the region, the two sides have continued to make progress and signed several deals, extending deadlines in the last 18 months. This points to the high level of political willingness both sides bear in order to reach a nuclear deal.
For Iranian leaders…the nuclear agreement is a crucial business deal and an economic gain that will boost Iran’s military, and geopolitical influence. The IAEA's latest report revealed that the Islamic Republic has increased its nuclear stockpile by 20 percent during the nuclear negotiations in the last 18 months. This contradicts President Obama’s claims that Iran’s nuclear program has been “frozen” since the interim nuclear deal was reached in 2013. Nevertheless, this crucial issue did not push the United States and other powers to question Iran’s intentions. The IAEA previously revealed that Iran’s nuclear program has a military dimension and its military was still working on its nuclear program. The IAEA also could not provide assurance that there did not exist undeclared underground nuclear activities or facilities in Iran. However the IAEA reports did not prevent the United States and the Islamic Republic from making progress in the nuclear talks. More recently, Iranian President Hassan Rowhani pointed out on Iran state media that the nuclear deal is “within reach” ahead of a June 30 agreement. He added “If the other side sticks to the framework that has been established and does not bring new issues into play, I believe it can be solved and we can reach an agreement… But if they want to take the path of brinkmanship, the negotiations could take longer.” In addition, President Obama has long believed that this the best deal as he pointed out to his skeptics “When you see the deal, you will see it’s a good deal.”
The leaked information from Iranian parliament (Majlis) as well as President Rowhani's and Foreign minister Javad Zarif’s statements also indicate that Iran’s Supreme Leader, who has the final say on domestic and foreign policy matters, is indeed in favor of a final nuclear deal. As a result, the prospects of the reaching a final nuclear is very likely. Nevertheless, there still exists the lingering question about what will happen if the nuclear talks fail?
What if the nuclear talks fail?
In case the nuclear talks miss the deadline or fail by June 30, there are two possible scenarios. Some scholars, politicians and policy makers believe that if the talks miss the deadline, there would be mutual escalation of tensions, in which the West will ratchet up its economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic, and Iranian leaders will work on their nuclear program at full speed. Nevertheless, this scenario is unlikely. It is very likely though, that the nuclear talks will go beyond the pre-assigned deadline of June 30. Previously, both parties have missed the deadlines three times, but were finally capable of reaching an interim deal or frameworks a few days after the deadlines. Secondly, if the nuclear talks completely fall apart and if both parts do not reach an agreement even after extensions, they are more likely to go into, what I refer to, as the phase of “contended standoff.” This follows that both sides will come to an informal recognition that it is in their best interest to continue the pre-signed interim deal and the status quo. Iranian leaders will not publicly boast about speeding up their nuclear activities in order to prevent the enforcement of a new round of economic and financial sanctions. In return, American and other Western leaders would not rally other powers to impose new sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Is Assad’s downfall imminent?
Friday, 19 June 2015
Raed Omari/Al Arabiya
Given the lack of international media in Syria, it is worth listening to Syrians who are still there, through their relatives in the diaspora. They say forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are losing the upper hand on the battlefield. I am told by many Syrians that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) is gaining ground not only in the south, as is already widely known, but across the country, including in Latakia, Assad’s stronghold.
Syrians have also spoken of an emerging harmony between the FSA and Jabhat al-Nusra and other Islamist rebel groups, and of government forces selling their posts to the opposition in Nasib on the border with Jordan and Qalamoun near Lebanon.
A union of opposition forces under a joint military command would be a game-changer. They say the regime is rapidly losing troops and resources, with barrel bombs being its only effective weapon. Even describing Assad as president garners mockery from many Syrians, who say Iranian strongman Qassem Suleimani is the real leader of Syria now.
Game-changer
However, developments on the ground also speak for themselves, with the Syrian regime - strongly backed by Iran and Hezbollah - unable to win a war that has been raging for almost five years. Assad is not firmly in control of a single complete region in Syria. The regime has repeatedly failed to take opposition-held areas, especially those on the borders with Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. The FSA’s stronghold is in the south, but it also has a strong presence in Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Damascus. Jabhat al-Nusra is in many areas on the border with Lebanon. Raqqah, and the eastern region of Deir al-Zour and Tadmur, are reportedly the strongholds of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Northern Syria is the Kurds’ domain. The regime’s territorial control is thus not larger than the other warring parties.
Opposition forces have acquired battlefield expertise and improved their military tactics. Like Assad, they have secured sustainable supplies of resources and weapons. A union of opposition forces under a joint military command would be a game-changer. There is talk of such an attempt, with the spread of ISIS being the major driving force.
Politically, the opposition seems to be in a comfortable position. Unlike before, the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition (SNC) seems to have little appetite to attend peace conferences.

US State Department: Terror attacks, deaths, up sharply in 2014
By REUTERS/J.Post/06/19/2015
WASHINGTON - Terrorist attacks worldwide surged by more than a third and fatalities soared by 81 percent in 2014, a year that also saw Islamic State eclipse al-Qaida as the leading jihadist militant group, the US State Department said on Friday. In its annual report on terrorism, the department also charts an unprecedented flow of foreign fighters to Syria, often lured by Islamic State's use of social media and drawn from diverse social backgrounds.
Taken together, the trends point to a sobering challenge from militant groups worldwide to the United States and its allies despite severe blows inflicted on al-Qaida, author of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in Washington and New York. Al-Qaida's leaders "appeared to lose momentum as the self-styled leader of a global movement in the face of IS's rapid expansion and proclamation of a Caliphate," the report said, using an alternate acronym for Islamic State. Last June, Islamic State attacked from its base in Syria and seized vast swaths of Iraq, much of which it still controls. "The ongoing civil war in Syria has been a spur to the worldwide terrorism events," the State Department's coordinator for counter-terrorism, Tina Kaidanow, told a news conference. She said that while the United States still worried about al-Qaida, the growing concern was the number of groups aligning themselves with Islamic State across the globe. "There is an appeal of ISIS globally," Kaidanow added, using another acronym for the group.
US President Barack Obama responded with air strikes in Iraq and Syria, and a program to train Iraqi security forces. He has also continued air strikes against militant suspects worldwide, included one this week that killed al-Qaida's deputy chief. The State Department report, which covers calendar year 2014, said there were 13,463 terrorist attacks, a 35 percent jump from 2013, resulting in more than 32,700 deaths, an 81 percent rise. More than 9,400 people were kidnapped or taken hostage by militants, triple the rate of the previous year, it said. There was some good news: Militant activity decreased in some countries, including Pakistan, the Philippines, Nepal and Russia. The report said the global increase in terrorist attacks was mostly due to events in Iraq, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Kaidanow said weak or failed governments allowed terrorist groups to thrive in places such as Yemen, Syria, Libya, Nigeria and Iraq. Islamic State was particularly lethal. A June 2014 attack on a prison in Mosul, Iraq, in which the group killed 670 Shi'ite Muslim prisoners "was the deadliest attack worldwide since September 11, 2001," it said. As of late December, more than 16,000 foreign terrorist fighters had traveled to Syria, exceeding the rate of those who traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen or Somalia "at any point in the last 20 years," the report said. Last month, a senior State Department official said the army of foreign fighters who traveled to Syria had grown further, to 22,000.

Putin reaffirms support for Syria's Assad, hopes for Iran deal soon
REUTERS/J.Post/06/19/2015 /ST PETERSBURG - Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia's support for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad on Friday and said he opposed any use of external force to try to end the Syrian civil war. Putin showed no sign of wavering in his policy of trying to shield Assad from pressure from the West in a 4 1/2-year-old conflict that has killed more than 200,000 people and displaced millions. "Our fear is that Syria could plunge into the same situation as Libya and Iraq," Putin said in response to questions at Russia's annual economic forum in St Petersburg. "We don't want that ... in Syria," he said. Putin said the US policy to counter Islamic State, which controls large areas of Iraq and Syria, had so far had "lamentable" and "tragic" consequences. "The United States supports Iraq [and its army]. With two or three strikes IS has captured so many arms ... [that] now IS is armed better than the Iraqi army. And all this is happening with the support of the United States," he said. Washington has backed rebels seeking to oust Assad and is now trying to build a moderate Syrian opposition to fight IS. Putin reiterated that it is up to the Syrian people to decide the fate of Assad, adding that Russia would not call on him to step down. But, he said Russia would urge Assad to work with a "healthy" opposition on political reforms. "We are ready to work with the president to ensure a path towards political transition so as to move away from an armed confrontation. But that should not be done with the use of force from the outside," he added. On Iran, Putin said he believed world powers and the Islamic republic would soon sign an agreement curbing Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for easing sanctions. "I think the signing should take place in the nearest future," he said, adding that the implementation of an agreement would take about six months.