LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 13/17

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For Today
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 05/01-12/:"When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed
Letter to the Hebrews 12/01-13/:"Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children ‘My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts.’ Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live?For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 12-13/17
The present political party referred to as the LF is equivalent to Elie Hobeika/Roger Bejjani/Face Book/February 12/17
Trump and Trudeau meet face to face for the first time/Press via AP, File) (Associated Press)/February 12 /17
The future of Saudi-Lebanese relations/Dr. Ibrahim Al-Othaimin/Al Arabiya/February 12/17
Talking of walls/Talking of walls/Eyad Abu Shakra/Al Arabiya/February 12/17
Moving towards Geneva: Giving peace a chance/Maria Dubovikova/Al Arabiya/February 12/17
Why weren’t Saudis banned from entering America/Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/February 12/17
On Defining Religion/Nonie Darwish/Gatestone Institute/February 12/17
One Person Are Missing/Hakim Haider/Gatestone Institute/February 12/17

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on February 12-13/17
The present political party referred to as the LF is equivalent to Elie Hobeika/Roger Bejjani/Face Book/February 12/17
President Aoun interviewed by Al Ahram: I am a reformer
President Aoun to CBC Egypt: Hezbollah weapons are complementary to army's action
Aoun Says 'More than Guaranteed' Hizbullah Won't Turn Its Arms Inwards
Hezbollah leader says Trump gives him optimism. (He doesn't mean it as a compliment)
Nasrallah Slams 'Time Wasting' in Electoral Law Debate, Says Proportional Representation Doesn't Eliminate Druze, Mustaqbal
Bassil from Byblos: Equity is Lebanon's special feature
Kanaan Defends Aoun's 'Vacuum' Threat, Says Lebanon in 'Worse than Vacuum' State
Lebanese IS Fighter First to be Stripped of Australian Citizenship
Bassil Says Aoun to Act if Electoral Law Not Reached by February 21
Mustaqbal Reportedly Calls for Heeding Concerns of Both Christians and Druze
Hizbullah Clings to Proportional Representation, Renews Support for 'Miqati Law'
Miriam Skaff from Ammiq: We believe in partnership but not at the expense of dissolving us
Guidanian calls for respect of the special nature of Armenian community
Lebanese Islamist group under fire for commemorating Iranian revolution

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 12-13/17
Syria Opposition Picks Delegation for New Peace Talks
Turkish soldier killed in Syria's Al Bab
Erdogan says Turkish operation in Syria will continue to Raqqa
CIA Director Gives Medal to Saudi Crown Prince
Irritant Gas Temporarily Shuts Down Hamburg Airport
Turkish Troops, Syria Rebels Enter IS-Held Aleppo Town
N. Korea Fires Ballistic Missile, Drawing Tough Response from Trump
Yemen Shelling Kills Pakistani in Southern Saudi
Netanyahu Hails U.S. Veto of Palestinian as Libya Envoy
Israel Says Will Not Admit Peru's Fugitive ex-President
Dubai Ruler at Governments' World Summit Opening: Planning for the future and human industry are priorities
ISIS leader severely wounded, reports claim
French authorities appoint attorney to defend Egyptian Louvre attacker
UN sec gen says Saudi ‘pillar of stability’ in region
King Salman receives UN Secretary General
Germany rules out attack in Hamburg airport closure
Heartbroken UN chief seeks Yemen talks ‘resurrection’
Hamburg airport stops flights after toxin injures dozens
Shiite tension mounts in Baghdad after clashes

Links From Jihad Watch Site for on February 12-13/17
Paris: Rioters scream “Allahu akbar” during violent protests, cars set on fire
Italy: Muslim migrants allegedly rape schoolgirl in broad daylight on commuter train
US blocks former Palestinian PM from senior UN role “out of support for Israel”
Robert Spencer: Trump Says Media Not Reporting Terror Attacks, Media Says Trump Team Making Them Up
Canada: Muslim leader calls for migrant sex assaults to be covered up
Egypt: Sisi calls for restrictions on verbal divorce, al-Azhar says no
Robert Spencer: Answering an Islamic apologist (Part II)
Two Muslims plead guilty to jihad plot to set off pressure-cooker bomb in New York City for the Islamic State
Jamie Glazov Moment: Thank You, President Trump, for the Travel Ban
Alabama: Hamas-linked CAIR rep says, “It’s just hard being a Muslim right now”

Links From Christian Today Site for on February 12-13/17
Trump Considers Issuing 'Brand New' Travel Ban In Surprise Move
Church's Gay Marriage Stance Challenged By Retired Bishops
Transgender Baptisms, Gay Marriage And George Bell: Your Guide To Next Week's General Synod
North Korea Missile Launch Tests Trump
Thousands Urged To Vote Muslim And Against Christian In Jakarta
Most Americans Support Gay Marriage – Most White Evangelicals Oppose It
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali Says Secularism Is Spectacular Failure When It Comes To People Of Faith

Latest Lebanese Related News published on February 12-13/17
The present political party referred to as the LF is equivalent to Elie Hobeika
Roger Bejjani/Face Book/February 12/17
*I think that there are enough grounds allowing seizing the constitutional tribunal with a Complaint against Aoun on the base of flagrant violation of the constitution and deliberate disrespect of UN resolutions.
*The true LF should regroup behind the principles laid down by the Lebanese Front and the Lebanese Forces. The present political party referred to as the LF is equivalent to Elie Hobeika who has "pragmatically" signed the tri-party agreement. We have to claim back the LF label from those who have turned their back on January 18, 2016 to all principles and history of the LF.
*Alternative facts have become the norm. Even Emile Lahoud 2 thinks that he can get away with blunt flagrant lies! HeZbollah went to Syria many months before any retaliation by Nosra against its constituency in Lebanon
*In retrospect, the LF are presently allies with Emile Lahoud. Mabrouk
*After the statement by Lahoud 2 that (1) undermines the legitimacy and efficiency of the Lebanese Army, (2) states a lie regarding occupied land at a time there are no internationally recognized occupied Lebanese territory but maybe disputed territory, (3) contradicts international law and UN resolutions (1559 and 1701), the LF should immediately rip-off the agreement engineered by MELHEM Pakradouni.
*If they persist in their stupidity, irrelevance and disrespect of their history, their principles and their sacrifices, all TRUE LF should turn their back to this political party that has decided to give up on its essence and raison d'être for 1 or 2 additional MPs or ministers.
If shame has a meaning this is what Me3rab should feel today.
**To Emile Lahoud 2: the Lebanese Army is 10 times stronger militarily than Hezbollah. You must be a lousy military and a total ignorant in military affairs to think otherwise. Moreover, ya 3abkare, resolution 1701 does not allow any military presence on our southern border except the Lebanese armed forces and the UNIFIL.
Trump moronic epidemic is spreading worldwide and fast.
*Lahoud 2! 18 January, 2016 the day the LF have given up on the their principles, their martyrs, their essence.
 
President Aoun interviewed by Al Ahram: I am a reformer
Sun 12 Feb 2017/NNA - President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, told on Sunday Al Ahram newspaper that Lebanese-Egyptian relations were good, stressing that bilateral cooperation in all sectors is welcomed by both countries. President Aoun's words came during an interview published today with the editor in Chief of Al Ahram, Mohammad Abdel Hadi Allam, tackling various topics of mutual interest.
Aoun said that Lebanon and Egypt, like other countries, were facing a common problem, notably terrorism which was targeting the world over, deeming it as an evil disease. He underscored the necessity to fight this phenomenon, noting that the war against it now despite its harshness would be much easier than in the coming phase. "This requires follow-up and coordination between all security agencies in Arab countries," he added. The President went on to express his fear of a future infiltration of terrorism into military units, which were combatting sleeping cells in Arab societies and elsewhere. "We, in Lebanon, face political divisions but we have never passed through crises regarding religious ideology because we are a country of dialogue and we were taught to respect freedoms of belief and opinion," he said, adding that Lebanon "can be a model of coexistence" after the current extremist phase in the world has passed. He pointed out that he and his Egyptian counterpart were able to reach consensus, due to the fact that they both came from a military background and were soldiers who could talk openly and amicably.
On the issue of Hezbollah, President Michel Aoun said that it constituted a large strata in Lebanon and a central part of the country's southern population, "its members were not mercenaries, like the ones who flocked in to Syria from all corners of the world, but Lebanese people defending their livelihoods and properties even if they received help from others.""We cannot be with Israel against a faction of our people. For me, the Lebanese house is not a Shiite one neither is the Lebanese territory, it is in fact a Lebanese space for everyone."On the current Arab division, the Lebanese President underscored that the situation was mysterious, "there are wrestling interests between major countries, and no longer with small players."He called for the necessity to consider the revival of the Arab League a priority during the upcoming Arab summit, because it has been paralyzed for a while.On the relation with Iran and Turkey, he said that they were neighboring countries; thus, excellent relations should be maintained because there were common interests between neighboring states. On the situation in Syria, Aoun said that the solution could only be a political one because domestic problems should end with compromise. "Our Lebanese experience in this regard is well before the Syrian one; it dates back to the seventies of the last century. It was very painful for us due to its results," he pointed out, saying that dialogue and reform transformed the country from one stage to another.
On the Palestinian repatriation, he said that "our position was clear, namely defending the return of Palestinian refugees and the recognition of a Palestinian nation.""Israel wants to abolish the Palestinian identity and territory, considering who remained in Palestine not owners of lands and identity but only inhabitants; this is a threat to Arabs and Islam itself." On his stance from US President Donald Trump, Aoun said that it was hard to understand Trump, "you cannot distinguish between the populist electoral rhetoric and the US reality."
"The best thing to do is to expect and to work on strengthening internal national unity as much as we can and not be linked to foreign policy." Touching on the Lebanese parliamentary elections, the President said that refraining from adopting a new law drove the country into the unknown and it was unacceptable to have an elected parliament extending its mandate twice, otherwise it would be a state of ownership and not democracy. "We want fair representation as stipulated in the Taif Accord, a representation that takes into account coexistence."
Aoun assured that there was no dispute with House Speaker Nabih Berri, but rather a difference of opinion at times, which was normal in democratic practices. The President, in conclusion, assessed the first 100 days of his presidency, saying that the Lebanese situation was marked by difficulties, different from those of other countries, and a legacy requiring rectifications. "I am a reformer, one of those who want to introduce reforms to the method of governance and the approach to public affairs, through the application of the Constitution and laws.""The habit of transgressing the Constitution and the law must cease," he concluded.

President Aoun to CBC Egypt: Hezbollah weapons are complementary to army's action
Sun 12 Feb 2017/NNA - President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, said in an interview with CBC Egypt that Hezbollah's weaponries were complementary to the army's action, and do not oppose it. "As long as a part of the territory is occupied by Israel, which also has covetousness in Lebanese natural resources, and as long as the army is not powerful enough to face Israel, we feel the need to maintain Hezbollah's weapons. These weapons complement the action of the army," President Aoun underscored. According to Aoun, were it not for the resistance's pressure Israel wouldn't have withdrawn from most of the territory. "Hezbollah's arms are not contradictory to the state project, which I support and for which I endeavor," he pointed out. The President, who spoke on the eve of his visit to Cairo tomorrow, Monday, said it was unacceptable that the Arab situation continue as such, since it is destructive for all. Aoun described his visit to Cairo as an opportunity to exchange views with his Egyptian counterpart on all issues of interest to both countries. According to him, the issue of terrorism will be at the heart of the talks, especially as he plans to discuss possibilities of helping to stop the wave of terrorism that is hitting the countries of the region. Regarding the Syrian crisis, President Aoun confirmed that this war cannot cease without political compromise. In response to a question about Hezbollah's intervention in the Syrian war, he highlighted that the party's action in Syria was directed against terrorist organizations such as Al-Nusra and ISIS, and was not part of the regional conflict. Questioned about his position vis-à-vis the electoral law, the President said he did not threaten of vacancy in the parliament, noting however that the one who hindered the approval of the electoral law was responsible for the vacuum in question. "I do not approve the vacuum, but I want to achieve a fair electoral law that ensures the representation of all," he said. "I am sure that we will reach a new electoral law for the next parliament elections, through the ongoing dialogue," President Michel Aoun concluded.

Aoun Says 'More than Guaranteed' Hizbullah Won't Turn Its Arms Inwards
Naharnet/February 12/17/President Michel Aoun has stressed that Hizbullah's weapons “do not contradict with the State,” noting that it is “more than guaranteed” that Hizbullah will not “turn its arms inwards.”“As long as there is Israeli-occupied land and as long as the army is not strong enough to fight Israel, we sense that there is a need for the presence of the resistance's arms so that they complete the army's weapons,” Aoun said in an interview on the Egyptian TV channel CBC. “Hizbullah are the residents of the South and are among the Lebanese citizens whose land was occupied and part of the land is still occupied,” the president noted, emphasizing that “certainly Hizbullah's arms do not contradict with the State and are an essential component of the means to defend Lebanon.” Aoun added: “We have a land occupied by Israel and when Israel usurps certain territory, it would be difficult to recapture it. This is how we must view Hizbullah's weapons.”“It is more than guaranteed that Hizbullah will not turn its arms inwards,” the president reassured.

Hezbollah leader says Trump gives him optimism. (He doesn't mean it as a compliment)
Nabih Bulos /Los Angeles Times/February 12/17/The leader of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah said Sunday that having an "idiot" in the White House is a cause for optimism and will bring "relief" to people around the world. Hassan Nasrallah, whose group is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, made his remarks in a televised speech in which he said that President Trump has revealed “the true face of the U.S. administration.” He described it as “ugly, unjust, criminal, and racist.”“So what if Trump comes? What’s new?” he asked. “We are not worried, but very optimistic because when an idiot resides in the White House, this is the beginning of the release for the oppressed in the world,” he said. The Arabic word he used can also be translated as "fool."Hezbollah, a political faction with a powerful armed wing that is supported by Iran, has been a key ally, along with Russia, of Syrian President Bashar Assad in his almost six-year fight against anti-government opposition rebels.

Nasrallah Slams 'Time Wasting' in Electoral Law Debate, Says Proportional Representation Doesn't Eliminate Druze, Mustaqbal
Naharnet/February 12/17/Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday accused some parties of “wasting time” in the ongoing debate over a new electoral law while reassuring that the proportional representation system does not “eliminate” the minority Druze community or al-Mustaqbal Movement. “I'm surprised by those who say that proportional representation would exclude them and eliminate them. I say that proportional representation does not eliminate the Druze community, the Progressive Socialist Party or al-Mustaqbal; it rather reflects the true political weight of each party,” said Nasrallah in a televised address commemorating late Hizbullah official Sheikh Hussein Obeid. “The winner-takes-all electoral system is an exclusionary law, even if it is based on governorates, the 1960 law or 15 districts, whereas proportional representation would give each party the share it deserves,” he added. Nasrallah lamented that “there are parties in Lebanon that do not have a single MP although they are present across the country.” “We are keen that no political dynasty or party should be eliminated and we are calling for fair representation, although proportional representation does not serve our interests,” Hizbullah's chief noted. He also decried that “there is an attempt to waste time through non-serious discussions regarding the electoral law.”“In our opinion, the law that was proposed by Najib Miqati's government is the best law for discussion and we're open to any debate,” Nasrallah added. Separately, Hizbullah's secretary-general called on the Lebanese government to “end its stubbornness” regrading the file of Syrian refugees. “It must talk to the Syrian government regarding this file. Why do you talk with the countries that created Daesh (Islamic State group) and al-Nusra (Front) and you don't talk with the Syrian government to address a humanitarian file of this importance?” Nasrallah wondered. “The military victories in Syria, the last of which in Aleppo, have opened the door for national reconciliations in Syria and turned vast areas of Syria into safe regions. The refugee file is not a sectarian file but rather a file that is putting pressure on Lebanon,” Nasrallah said. “It is the duty of the Lebanese to deal with this issue in a humanitarian manner, regardless of fears or political affiliations. Should we keep 'begging' for international aid or should we cooperate to return most refugees to their towns, villages, cities and homes?” he added. “We will be told that these people fear to return out of concern over the regime's vengeance and I tell them that they can go to Syria to live in security and safety,” Nasrallah reassured. He also called on the Lebanese government to “send a delegation that would evaluate the outcome of reconciliations in Syria.”

Bassil from Byblos: Equity is Lebanon's special feature
Sun 12 Feb 2017/NNA - Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Gibran Bassil, said on Sunday during a visit to Byblos (Jbeil) that what makes Lebanon special is not only its diversity but the equity of representation and rule it provides its people. The Minister lauded Jbeil's coexistence, dubbing the city a message in itself and a manifestation of the humanitarian dimension of each Lebanese citizen. "What consecrates this coexistence is an electoral law. There lays the true challenge," said Bassil. "We need to approach the electoral law with this attitude and ask ourselves, are we all equal or not?" According to Bassil Christians residing within an area of Muslim majority and vice-versa should be heard and have their votes count. This, however, was not the country's political reality. He pointed out that Christians were more wide spread all over Lebanese territories than Muslims."We must reward Christians for that and not punish them for wanting to live with everyone across Lebanon."Bassil noted that Christians enjoyed more political diversity than Muslims who stuck to much limited major sectarian blocs. "It is time for us to choose which regime we want to live by."

Kanaan Defends Aoun's 'Vacuum' Threat, Says Lebanon in 'Worse than Vacuum' State
Naharnet/February 12/17/Change and Reform bloc secretary MP Ibrahim Kanaan has defended President Michel Aoun's recent warning that he might take steps that would eventually lead to a parliamentary “vacuum” in the country. “The constitution has been violated for 27 years and today we are living a state that is worse than vacuum,” Kanaan told ad-Diyar newspaper in remarks published Sunday." “Without a new electoral law, parliamentary polls would resemble an extension” of the incumbent parliament's term,” Kanaan warned, noting that “the interior minister and other officials might be in charge of implementing the applicable laws, regardless of their quality, but the president is entrusted with protecting the constitution, which comes before everything else.”Asked about Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat's call for elections under an “amended” version of the controversial 1960 electoral law, Kanaan stressed that “there will be no return to the 1960 law or its approach because that would deepen the flaws and practically lead to a term extension, not to mention that it would violate the Taef Accord.”“Let no one bet on stopping us through internal or external factors,” the lawmaker went on to say. Information Minister Melhem Riachi had announced Thursday that a new electoral law would be reached “in the next ten days.”President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri had also told ministers during a Cabinet session on Wednesday that a new electoral law would be passed “before the end of February.” While Hariri's al-Mustaqbal Movement has rejected that the electoral law be fully based on proportional representation, arguing that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds, Jumblat has totally rejected proportional representation, even within a hybrid law, warning that it would “marginalize” the minority Druze community. Hizbullah, Mustaqbal, AMAL Movement, the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces are meanwhile discussing several formats of a so-called hybrid law. The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the legislature has instead twice extended its own mandate. The last polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the next vote is scheduled for May.

Lebanese IS Fighter First to be Stripped of Australian Citizenship
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 12/17/An Islamic State fighter carrying the Lebanese nationality has become the first Australian to be stripped of his citizenship under anti-terrorism laws, authorities and reports said. Khaled Sharrouf -- who made headlines in 2014 when he posted an image on Twitter of his young son holding a severed head -- had his citizenship revoked earlier this year, The Australian newspaper has reported. A spokeswoman for the Immigration Minister Peter Dutton confirmed to AFP Sunday a person was stripped of their citizenship but would not provide or confirm further details. Sharrouf is also a Lebanese citizen, The Australian reported. Sharrouf, reportedly aged 35, left Australia for Syria in 2013 with his family. His wife Tara Nettleton reportedly died last year and Sharrouf was believed to have been killed in a drone strike in Iraq in 2015. But later media reports cast doubt on whether he was dead. The fate of their five children is unknown, the newspaper added. The government has been increasingly worried about foreign fighters returning home. Numerous national security laws, including legislation to strip dual nationals linked to terrorism of their citizenship, have been passed since Canberra raised the national threat alert to high in September 2014. Authorities believe 110 Australians have traveled to Syria or Iraq to fight with terror groups, of which around 60 have been killed.

Bassil Says Aoun to Act if Electoral Law Not Reached by February 21
Naharnet/February 12/17/Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil noted Sunday that the country will enter a “decisive week” regarding the electoral law on Monday, revealing that President Michel Aoun would take a series of measures if a new law was not reached by February 21. “We have proposed three main ideas and they're all fair... and we still have a lot of ideas. But time has run out and we're before a decisive week during which all parties should put their political choices on the table, because after this week we would be facing tight deadlines,” Bassil said during a visit to the city of Jbeil. “The issue would become the responsibility of the head of state, and after February 21, either the president and the premier would agree that the government should hold consecutive sessions to reach a law or else the president would call for three-party, four-party or five-party dialogue and would say that he does not accept vacuum, extension, the 1960 law, or plunging the country into the unknown,” the FPM chief added. Noting that the 1960 law allows Christians to elect “only 31 out of 64 MPs through their own votes,” Bassil said other parties do not even tolerate “losing one or two seats,” adding that “no one has the desire or ability to eliminate others.”Information Minister Melhem Riachi had announced Thursday that a new electoral law would be reached “in the next ten days.” Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri had also told ministers during a Cabinet session on Wednesday that a new electoral law would be passed “before the end of February.”While Hariri's al-Mustaqbal Movement has rejected that the electoral law be fully based on proportional representation, arguing that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds, Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat has totally rejected proportional representation, even within a hybrid law, warning that it would “marginalize” the minority Druze community. Hizbullah, Mustaqbal, AMAL Movement, the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces are meanwhile discussing several formats of a so-called hybrid law. The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the legislature has instead twice extended its own mandate. The last polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the next vote is scheduled for May.

Mustaqbal Reportedly Calls for Heeding Concerns of Both Christians and Druze
Naharnet/February 12/17/Mustaqbal bloc sources have stressed that the concerns of both the Druze and Christian communities should be taken into consideration while devising a new electoral law. “We take (Druze leader Walid) Jumblat's concerns into consideration and we are keen on addressing them, because when we agreed to shelve the 1960 law we were heeding the concerns of the Christian parties, who reject the law under the excuse that it does not secure correct Christian representation,” the sources told al-Hayat newspaper in remarks published Sunday. “This means that we are taking the concerns of everyone into consideration, seeing as not only Jumblat has fears regarding the electoral law but also Christians. We and other parties also have concerns and we will not lose our allies,” the sources added. Jumblat has repeatedly rejected any electoral law containing proportional representation, warning that it would “marginalize” his minority Druze community, calling instead for elections under an “amended” version of the 1960 electoral law.

Hizbullah Clings to Proportional Representation, Renews Support for 'Miqati Law'
Naharnet/February 12/17/Hizbullah has reiterated its insistence on an electoral law fully based on the proportional representation system. “The party's stance is clear and has no place for ambiguity: we are with full proportional representation under a law that turns Lebanon into a single district or several large electorates,” ad-Diyar newspaper quoted a “prominent Hizbullah source” in remarks published Sunday. However, the party would accept “the draft law that was devised by Miqati's government which divides Lebanon into 13 districts under a proportional representation system,” the source added. He also noted that Hizbullah “has accepted to discuss” a two-round hybrid electoral law under which the polls would be held under the winner-takes-all system in the first round and under the proportional representation system in the second round which would be based on larger districts. “This is a proposal that is based on proportional representation and we won't accept anything less than this,” the source added. The remarks come before a scheduled speech for Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who is expected to tackle the issue of the electoral law in a televised address on Sunday afternoon.

Miriam Skaff from Ammiq: We believe in partnership but not at the expense of dissolving us
Sun 12 Feb 2017/NNA - "Popular Bloc" Head, Miriam Skaff, highlighted, on Sunday, the Bloc's "belief in partnership, but not at the expense of dissolving the Bloc's profound presence through mere honorary representation." Skaff's words came during a wide political-deliberating meeting with representatives of Future Parliamentary Bloc, Change and Reform Parliamentary Bloc and other prominent dignitaries in the town of Ammiq in the Bekaa region. "Together, we enjoy the unity of the land, unity of belonging and unity of sects. From this historical coexistence, we have the right to defend a homeland that resembles us, with our hands outstretched to each other and in service of our community," Skaff underscored. "When we demand social justice, we strive to make a difference and not remain a number. When we insist on the unity of our representation, we speak on behalf of all the people who await us, in expectation of having members parliament that represent them and feel their suffering and pain and tiredness," she added. "This is what made the Skaff home's deeply-rooted presence, and what has ensured the Popular Bloc's continuation throughout the past hundred years till today. And this is what we are working to preserve with care, so that Zahle and the Beqaa remain a source of production for the whole nation," asserted Skaff.

Guidanian calls for respect of the special nature of Armenian community
Sun 12 Feb 2017/NNA - Minister of Tourism, Avedis Guidanian, emphasized on Sunday the importance of respecting the specificity of the Armenian community when dealing with the issue of a new electoral law that preserves the equity of representation. "It is important to respect the specific nature of the Armenian community, which is no less important than that of the Druze community, which the Progressive Socialist Party is talking about," Minister of Tourism noted during an interview on Voice of Lebanon radio. Guidanian said that the new electoral law that would be issued would be approved by the majority of politicians. The Minister stressed on the importance of parliamentary elections, hoping that the Armenian deputies get elected by Armenian votes. He noted that Armenians have been marginalized over the past 25 years. He also called on all politicians to issue an electoral law that ensured equity in representation to all Lebanese components. "I warn against setting up new (electoral) divisions at the expense of Armenians," he went on. Guidanian said that the Tachnag Party would participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections whether the electoral law adopted was proportional or majoritarian. He assured that the Tachnag Party's stance towards the electoral law was independent of any of its political alliances. "At a certain stage, it is important to apply the mixed electoral law before arriving to the full proportional law," the minister concluded

Lebanese Islamist group under fire for commemorating Iranian revolution
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Sunday, 12 February 2017/Lebanese party Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya has come under fire after participating in Thursday’s ceremony commemorating the Iranian revolution at the Iranian embassy in Beirut.The group was criticized because it has attended the event although it had voiced its support for the Syrian revolution. In a statement issued Friday, the party said its participation was just based on “protocol” and does not have any political dimensions. “Our participation does not at all reflect any change in al-Jamaa’s stances towards Iranian policy and its intervention in Lebanon or any change to their position that completely rejects Hezbollah’s participation in the Syrian war,” it said. “The visit to the embassy comes within the context of social and diplomatic relations and courtesies and it comes in response to the Iranian envoy’s visit to al-Jamaa’s centers and after he congratulated us for electing the new command,” it added. However, the statement was met by further criticism particularly on social media. One social media user slammed the visit and said: “There must not be any social relations and courtesies between the oppressed and the oppressor.”Many others criticized the group’s participation considering the “rivers of blood” being shed in Syria due to the participation of Iranian militias in the Syrian war. According to al-Jamaa’s statement, the group attended this same event last year and the year before. Ihab Nafaa, the group’s political official in North Lebanon, apologized on Saturday “to all the people who have suffered from Iranian occupation and its oppression.”

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 12-13/17.
Syria Opposition Picks Delegation for New Peace Talks
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 12/17/Syria's opposition on Sunday announced its 21-member delegation, including 10 rebel representatives, for a new round of U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Geneva scheduled for February 20. The delegation will be headed by Nasr al-Hariri, a member of the National Coalition, replacing Assad al-Zoabi, who led the opposition at several previous rounds of talks in Geneva last year. The delegation's chief negotiator was named as Mohamed Sabra, a lawyer who was part of the opposition's technical team during negotiations in Geneva in 2014. He replaces Mohamad Alloush, a rebel from the powerful Army of Islam faction. Alloush served as negotiator during three rounds of peace talks in Geneva as well as negotiations in the Kazakh capital Astana in January organized by Turkey and Russia. Neither Alloush nor the Army of Islam were listed as members of the delegation to Geneva, though it was unclear if the group was boycotting the talks or would be represented by other delegates. No reason was given for the decision to replace either Zoabi or Alloush. The delegation includes representatives from several rebel groups, including Faylaq al-Sham, an Islamist faction active around Damascus, and Liwa Sultan Murad, a battalion close to Turkey. The umbrella High Negotiations Committee (HNC) opposition group said the delegation to the talks would for the first time include representatives from two additional opposition groupings, known informally as the Moscow group and the Cairo group. But representatives from both groups denied they were included in the delegation. In the past, the HNC has opposed including the two rival opposition groupings in its delegation, accusing members of the coalitions of being too flexible with regard to the Syrian government. The Moscow grouping includes former minister Qadri Jamil, and is close to the Russian leadership, while the Cairo grouping includes former foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi. Invitations to the talks in Geneva have yet to go out, having been delayed in part to allow the opposition to decide on the composition of their delegation. U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura warned last week that he would pick the opposition delegates to the talks if they could not decide on time. But he later appeared to backtrack and said he would delay dispatching invites. Ahead of the talks, Kazakhstan has invited Syrian rebels and government officials back to Astana on February 15-16, but neither party has said officially yet if they will attend. De Mistura will not attend the Astana meeting, but will send a "technical team," his spokeswoman said.

Turkish soldier killed in Syria's Al Bab
Sun 12 Feb 2017/NNA - One Turkish soldier was killed and three others wounded in clashes Sunday with ISIS in Syria's Al-Bab region, local media reported, citing military sources. Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies on Saturday entered Al-Bab to drive ISIS militants from the flash-point northern town, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Turkish army launched an ambitious campaign inside Syria on Aug. 24 codenamed Euphrates Shield to clean its border from ISIS fighters and stop the advance of Kurdish militia. But the clashes in Al-Bab have proved the toughest in the campaign, with Turkish military fatalities surging. The latest casualty raised the number of Turkish troops killed in the Syria offensive to 67, the private Dogan news agency reported. The three injured troops were evacuated from Al-Bab and taken to hospitals in Turkey's Kilis and Gaziantep provinces near the Syrian border. Al-Bab is the extremist group's last stronghold in the northern province of Aleppo and is also being targeted by regime forces. Turkey has suggested that it could turn its sights to Raqqa after the Al-Bab operation is complete, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussing both Al-Bab and Raqqa in a call with U.S. President Donald Trump this week. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Friday Turkey's Euphrates Shield would "reach its goal" if Al-Bab was captured from ISIS. "Raqqa is another issue. Raqqa is not something that threatens Turkey's borders," he was quoted as saying in Turkish media.--AFP

Erdogan says Turkish operation in Syria will continue to Raqqa
Sun 12 Feb 2017/NNA - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that the final goal of a Turkish military incursion into Syria was not just to retake the city of al-Bab from Islamic State, but to cleanse a border region including Raqqa of the jihadists."The ultimate goal is to cleanse a 5,000-square-km area," Erdogan told a news conference before his departure on an official visit to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Turkey has long advocated a "safe zone" for civilians in northern Syria cleared of Islamic State militants and the Kurdish YPG militia, but says such an area would need to be policed by a no-fly zone. Erdogan said he had discussed this again with the United States and Russia and that Turkey was prepared to do the infrastructure work in the zone, to help prevent migration from Syria and allow those who had fled to Turkey to go home.--Reuters

CIA Director Gives Medal to Saudi Crown Prince
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 12/17/The heir to Saudi Arabia's throne has been awarded a medal by the new director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, who honoured his counter-terrorism work. Mike Pompeo, making his first overseas tour since being confirmed as spy agency chief in late January, made the presentation to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef at a weekend ceremony, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. Prince Mohammed, 57, has been interior minister since 2012 and has years of experience in intelligence work. Widely respected in the West for his efforts to combat violent extremism, he oversaw a crackdown on al-Qaida which killed security officers and foreigners in the kingdom between 2003 and 2007. In 2009 Prince Mohammed survived with only light injuries an assassination attempt by al-Qaida. Pompeo awarded him the George Tenet Medal in recognition of his "excellent intelligence performance, in the domain of counter-terrorism and his unbound contribution to realise world security and peace."George Tenet was the CIA's longest-serving director, from 1996 to 2004. Pompeo and Prince Mohammed also held talks on security issues, SPA said. The prince told SPA that "no attempt will succeed in driving a wedge between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the U.S."It was the latest Saudi reaffirmation of ties between the absolute Islamic monarchy and Washington since President Donald Trump took office on January 20. The United States and Saudi Arabia have a decades-old relationship founded on the exchange of American security for Saudi oil. But ties between Riyadh and Washington became increasingly frayed during the eight-year administration of former president Barack Obama. Saudi Arabia's Sunni leaders felt Obama was reluctant to get involved in the civil war in Syria and was tilting towards its Shiite-dominated rival Iran. Pompeo is a strident critic of an international deal reached in 2015 to lift sanctions on Iran in exchange for guarantees that it will not pursue a nuclear weapons capability. In interviews and written pieces, Pompeo has pointed to Iran as the primary source of conflict in the Middle East since Tehran's 1979 revolution -- views which coincide with those of Riyadh. Pompeo had been in Turkey late last week for talks with officials there.

Irritant Gas Temporarily Shuts Down Hamburg Airport
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 12/17/German emergency services temporarily evacuated Hamburg airport Sunday and treated almost 70 people after an irritant gas was released in the building -- probably by a "prankster" using pepper spray, firefighters said.
The northern city's airport was closed and 13 flights delayed or diverted between 1130 and 1245 GMT after people reported an unusual smell, respiratory ailments, nausea and stinging eyes. Firefighters later said they had found an empty cartridge that was thought to have contained pepper spray, which is sold in Germany for personal self-defense. A spokesman of the Hamburg fire department told media that an unknown "prankster" was thought to have released the gas, which then spread via the hall's ventilation system.
After similar incidents recently at local schools, "it has obviously become fashionable to empty this type of cartridge" in public places, fire department official Norbert Kusch told national news agency DPA. Authorities said they ruled out an act of terrorism, DPA added.
Sixty-eight people were examined by paramedics and nine of them were taken to hospital. Hundreds more had to wait outside in freezing winter temperatures for more than an hour, while subway trains to the airport were also halted. Maik Lewerenz of the federal police office at the airport said "a bad smell has spread in the security area, where passengers and their carry-on luggage are checked. "A number of people complained about eye and respiratory irritation," he said. Hamburg airport is Germany's fifth largest, with just over one million passengers a month.

Turkish Troops, Syria Rebels Enter IS-Held Aleppo Town
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 12/17/Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies entered the Islamic State-held town of Al-Bab in northern Syria Saturday, as government forces moved closer to the jihadist bastion, a monitor said. Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency quoted military sources as saying one Turkish soldier was killed and another wounded in clashes with IS in Al-Bab. Turkish forces and allied insurgents have for weeks pressed an operation codenamed Euphrates Shield to drive the jihadists from the flashpoint town. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Turkish forces and allied militias entered Al-Bab from the west and then took full control of its western suburbs after fierce clashes with the jihadists. The fighting coincided with "Turkish shelling and intensive air strikes" on Al-Bab, the Britain-based monitor said. It said at least six civilians were killed by Turkish artillery fire and air strikes. Al-Bab is the jihadist group's last stronghold in the northern province of Aleppo and is also being targeted by regime forces. While Turkish-led forces have been advancing from the north, east and west, Syrian government troops are attacking from the south. On Monday, Syrian troops severed a road leading into the town from the south and by Friday they were just 1.5 kilometers (less then a mile) from the southern outskirts of Al-Bab. Turkey began an unprecedented campaign inside Syria in August, targeting both IS and Kurdish militia. After initial rapid progress, the campaign has been mired since December in the deadly fight for Al-Bab.
66 Turks killed in campaign
Turkey's Dogan news agency says 66 Turkish soldiers have been killed in the campaign since it started, mostly in IS attacks. And on Thursday, three Turkish soldiers were killed when a Russian air strike accidentally hit their position in an attack targeting IS in Al-Bab.
Moscow said it was an accident and is being investigated. Despite backing opposite sides in Syria's conflict -- Moscow is a government ally while Turkey supports the opposition -- the two countries have worked closely in recent months. They helped broker a nationwide ceasefire in place since December 30, and sponsored a round of peace talks last month in the Kazakh capital, Astana. Al-Bab has been under IS control since 2014, when the group seized large swathes of territory in Syria and neighboring Iraq, proclaiming its self-described caliphate. In recent months, the jihadists have been rolled back in large parts of northern Syria, both by the Turkish campaign but also by a Kurdish-Arab alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF fights with air support from the U.S.-led coalition battling IS in Syria and Iraq, but Turkey regards the Kurdish component of the SDF as "terrorists." The alliance is pushing towards IS' de facto Syrian capital Raqa in an operation dubbed "Wrath of the Euphrates". The advance has progressed slowly, in part, SDF officials say, because IS has heavily mined territory around Raqa.
New talks in Astana?
The Observatory said Saturday that SDF fighters had now advanced to around eight kilometers from the eastern outskirts of Raqa, though their forces are further from the north of the city. Turkey has suggested that it could turn its sights to Raqa after the Al-Bab operation is complete, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussing both Al-Bab and Raqa in a call with U.S. President Donald Trump this week. Syria's conflict has killed more than 310,000 people since it began with anti-government protests in March 2011.
Successive rounds of peace talks, including discussions organized by Russia and Turkey in Kazakhstan last month, have failed to advance a political solution to the conflict. A new round of U.N.-sponsored talks is scheduled to take place in Geneva on February 20, but invitations have yet to be sent out. The High Negotiations Committee, which is set to represent Syria's opposition at the Geneva talks, meanwhile appointed its delegation to the negotiations after two days of discussion in Riyadh. A statement said the 21-member delegation would be headed by Nasr al-Hariri and would also be supported by 20 advisers. On Saturday, Kazakhstan's foreign ministry said Syrian government officials and rebels were being invited to new talks next week in Astana. "It is planned to hold the latest high-level meeting within the Astana process on resolving the situation in Syria on February 15 and 16," the ministry said in a statement. It added that U.N. peace envoy Staffan de Mistura and U.S. observers would also be invited to the talks.

N. Korea Fires Ballistic Missile, Drawing Tough Response from Trump
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 12/17/North Korea Sunday staged its first ballistic missile test since Donald Trump took office, a move denounced by Japan's leader who won "100 percent" backing from the new U.S. President. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose country would be in range of a hostile North, called the launch "absolutely intolerable". South Korea said Pyongyang was testing Trump. The missile was launched around 7:55 am (2255 GMT Saturday) from Banghyon air base in the western province of North Pyongan, and flew east towards the Sea of Japan (East Sea), the South's defense ministry said. It flew about 500 kilometers (310 miles) before falling into the sea, a ministry spokesman said, adding the exact type of missile had yet to be identified.
"Today's missile launch... is aimed at drawing global attention to the North by boasting its nuclear and missile capabilities", the ministry said in a statement. "It is also believed that it was an armed provocation to test the response from the new U.S. administration under President Trump," it added. The US Strategic Command said it detected and tracked what it assessed to be a medium-range ballistic missile. It was the first such test since last October. Trump responded with an assurance to the visiting Abe that Washington was committed to the security of its key Asian ally. "I just want everybody to understand and fully know that the United States of America stands behind Japan, its great ally, 100 percent," he said, without elaborating. Abe denounced the launch as "absolutely intolerable" while top government spokesman Yoshihide Suge told reporters in Tokyo it was "clearly a provocation to Japan and the region."North Korea is barred under U.N. resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology. But six sets of U.N. sanctions since Pyongyang's first nuclear test in 2006 have failed to halt its drive for what it insists are defensive weapons.
'Clear provocation'
Last year the country conducted two nuclear tests and numerous missile launches in its quest to develop a nuclear weapons system capable of hitting the U.S. mainland.
A South Korean army official quoted by Yonhap news agency ruled out the possibility of a long-range missile test, describing the device as an upgraded version of the North's Rodong missile. Seoul-based academic Yang Moo-Jin said the latest test was "a celebratory launch" to mark the February 16 birthday of Kim Jong-Il, late ruler and father of current leader Kim Jong-Un. Pyongyang often celebrates key anniversaries involving current and former leaders with missile launches, Yang, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, told AFP. South Korea's acting president Hwang Gyo-Ahn vowed a "corresponding punishment" in response to the launch, which came on the heels of a visit to Seoul by U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis this month. Mattis had warned Pyongyang that any nuclear attack would be met with an "effective and overwhelming" response. Trump's national security adviser Michael Flynn, spoke to his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-Jin by phone and agreed to "seek all possible options" to curb future provocations by the North, Seoul's presidential office said.Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also condemned the launch as a "further threat to regional... peace and stability" and vowed to work with Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo to heap pressure on Pyongyang. In January leader Kim Jong-Un boasted that Pyongyang was in the "final stages" of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in an apparent attempt to pressure the incoming U.S. president. Trump shot back on Twitter, saying "It won't happen." James Char, senior analyst at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies in Singapore, said the launch was Pyongyang's "way of showing characteristic defiance against... Trump."
Test for Trump
The latest launch poses a test for Trump, who will need the help of the North's closest ally China to deal with the reclusive state. Relations have thawed in recent days after Trump reaffirmed Washington's "One China" policy in what he described as a "very warm" telephone conversation with President Xi Jinping. Analysts are divided over how close Pyongyang is to realizing its full nuclear ambitions, especially as it has never successfully test-fired an ICBM. But all agree it has made enormous strides in that direction since Kim took over after the death of his father in December 2011.

Yemen Shelling Kills Pakistani in Southern Saudi
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 12/17/A Pakistani national was killed Sunday in Saudi Arabia when Yemeni rebels shelled the kingdom's southern border region, the civil defense department said. A rocket hit Arda, which is part of the southwestern region of Jazan, Civil Defense spokesman Yahya al-Qahtani said in a report by the official Saudi Press Agency. "As result, a Pakistani national was killed," he said without naming the victim. At least 115 civilians and soldiers have been killed in southern Saudi Arabia since a Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes in Yemen against Huthi rebels in March 2015 to support Yemen's government. Most of the casualties were Saudi who were killed in cross-border shelling or skirmishes.

Netanyahu Hails U.S. Veto of Palestinian as Libya Envoy
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 12/17/Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday hailed the U.S. veto of a Palestinian to be named U.N. envoy to Libya, saying the world body failed to give equal consideration to Israelis. "I was informed of the possibility of the appointment of Salaam Fayyad to a U.N. position," he said at Israel's weekly cabinet meeting. "I said that the time has come for reciprocity in the U.N.'s relations with Israel and free gifts cannot be constantly given to the Palestinian side," Netanyahu said, welcoming the U.S. veto. "The time has come for positions and appointments to be made to the Israeli side as well," he said, quoted in a statement issued by the prime minister's office. According to Israeli media reports, the Jewish state could accept the appointment of Fayyad, a former Palestinian premier, if Tzipi Livni, a former foreign minister of Israel, were offered the post of a U.N. deputy secretary of state. U.N. chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday defended his choice of Fayyad to be the U.N. peace envoy to Libya, a day after the United States blocked the appointment. The choice "was solely based on Mr. Fayyad's recognized personal qualities and his competence for that position," said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric. "United Nations staff serve strictly in their personal capacity. They do not represent any government or country." Guterres had informed the Security Council on Wednesday of his intention to appoint Fayyad. But the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said Washington did not "support the signal this appointment would send within the United Nations," where the state of Palestine does not have full membership. "For too long, the U.N. has been unfairly biased in favor of the Palestinian Authority to the detriment of our allies in Israel," she said in a statement. The U.N. secretary general seeks the unanimous backing of all 15 Security Council members for appointments of his special representatives to conflict areas. Fayyad had been tapped to replace Germany's Martin Kobler, who has served since November 2015 as envoy to Libya, which has been in turmoil on the security and political fronts since a 2011 revolution that overthrew Moammar Gadhafi.

Israel Says Will Not Admit Peru's Fugitive ex-President
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 12/17/Israel said Sunday it will not allow entry to Peru's fugitive ex-president Alejandro Toledo, wanted in his homeland over accusations he took $20 million in bribes. "Toledo will be allowed in Israel only when his affairs in Peru are settled," foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said in a statement. The Peruvian government has said it has information that Toledo, whose wife, Eliane Karp, has Israeli citizenship, could try to flee to the Jewish state. Peruvian police launched a manhunt for Toledo, 70, once hailed as an anti-corruption champion, after a judge ordered his arrest. He was initially believed to be in Paris. But the Peruvian government said Friday it had information he was in San Francisco and could try to flee to Israel. Authorities in both countries have been alerted, it said. Toledo is a visiting professor at Stanford University, near San Francisco, where he graduated with a PhD in economics. He denies the accusations against him, branding them political persecution. But he has struggled to explain where the money came from. He originally said it was a loan from his mother-in-law that came from compensation she received as a Holocaust survivor. But his former vice president, David Waisman, himself a prominent member of Peru's Jewish community, said the account was untrue.

Dubai Ruler at Governments' World Summit Opening: Planning for the future and human industry are priorities
Sun 12 Feb 2017/NNA - Dubai - Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said on Sunday that "planning for the future, creating leadership and human industry rank as priorities."Sheikh Mohammed's words came in a dialogue with Arab journalists and media representatives at the sidelines of the 5th session of the World Summit for Governments, which opened its works in Dubai under his auspices. More than 4,000 regional and global figures from 139 countries are participating in the Summit, including Lebanon, which is represented by an official delegation, comprising: Deputy Prime Minister, Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani; Director-General of Investment and Maintenance at the Tele-Communications Ministry, Bassil Al-Ayoubi, and National News Agency Director, Laure Sleiman Saab. In his response to newsmen's questions, Dubai's Ruler stressed that "this region is the cradle of all key human civilization." He expressed optimism about man "being the one who creates civilizations," adding that "the Arabs possess the elements of civilization, but lack government administration, human resources and infrastructure management." "In the Emirates, there are great achievements we are proud of, but the most important is the human being and the human creation that is capable of everything," added Sheikh Mohammed. He stressed that "despite the terrorism that is hitting the region, we have evolved. If we had waited for security, we would never have gotten anywhere, and we do have men to preserve security."Dubai's Ruler placed the "experience and expertise" of the United Arab Emirates at the disposal of whoever wishes to make use of them, highlighting the need for "planning for the future and creating leaders as a priority."He believed that "there is a wrong understanding of Islam, for Islamic civilization has benefited the world, but today, they want to hit civilization and blow themselves up in the name of religion; yet, Islam is peace for all." "The United Arab Emirates has been criticized and subjected to media and economic war, but this only serves to strengthen our persistence," Sheikh Mohammed asserted.
Over the relation between the Emirates and the new US President, Donald Trump, Sheikh Mohammed said: "Our relation is with the states and governments and not with individuals. When we speak of a new president, our relation is where our interest and the interest of our people lies."Responding to a question, Sheikh Mohammed considered that "the media is responsible for the unrest in the region," noting that "there are 1300 Arab stations that cost $ 30 billion, some of which provoke sectarian conflict and discord."

ISIS leader severely wounded, reports claim
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Sunday, 12 February 2017/ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been severely wounded in air strikes targeting ISIS strongholds near the Syrian border, an Iraqi security expert said. In a Facebook post, security expert Fadel Abu Raqif says intelligence information confirms that Al-Baghdadi was injured after three air strikes targeted ISIS forces in the areas of Okashat, Zalla Al Sabaee and Al Obeidi. Al-Baghdadi was taken to the Syrian side of the border for treatment, Abu Raqif added. Iraqi media similarly reported that scores of ISIS leaders were either killed or injured alongside Al-Baghdadi in the air strikes.

French authorities appoint attorney to defend Egyptian Louvre attacker
Ashraf Abdul Hamid, Al Arabiya.net – Cairo Sunday, 12 February 2017/The French judiciary has appointed one of its attorneys to defend the 28-year-old Egyptian, Abdullah al-Hamahmy, who attacked guards at the Louvre Museum using a machete earlier this month. Al-Hamahmy’s father had authorized a Tunisian-French lawyer to defend his son, before French authorities objected the assignment stating that the defendant’s father was not entitled to hire lawyers on his son’s behalf. According to Rizk Shehata, a spokesman for the Egyptian community in France, Al-Hamahmy’s attorney attended initial interrogations with the defendant. Head of the community, Saleh Farhoud, told Al Arabiya that the attacker was facing preliminary charges of attempted murder and association with a terrorist organization.

UN sec gen says Saudi ‘pillar of stability’ in region
By Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Sunday, 12 February 2017/The United Nations’ Secretary General has told a press conference in Riyadh that Saudi Arabia is the ‘pillar of stability in the region’. Speaking at a joint conference with the kingdom’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Antonio Guterres told journalists: “Saudi’s stability is a model for the pursuit of change and growth”. He stressed that “the cooperation between the United Nations and Saudi Arabia, is key in the fight against terrorism,” explaining that the “United Nations is working to help member states in the fight terrorism”. On the disruption of humanitarian aid in Yemen, he said: “We urge Yemen parties not to take advantage of humanitarian aid, condemn if they do.” And he added that the UN envoy to Yemen had his ‘full support’, which came days after Houthi militia had demanded he did not renew the diplomat’s term due to what it alleged was bias against the Iranian-aligned movement. Jubeir said of the situation in Yemen: “We made 70 agreements with Yemen’s Houthis and ex-president Saleh. They did not implement a single one”. And he said the kingdom ‘hoped to continue sending aid to Yemen’ adding that a ‘large amount of GCC money’ had been allocated to rebuilding the war torn country. Meanwhile Jubeir said that relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States were ‘excellent’, adding that the two nations saw ‘eye-to-eye on Yemen, Syria and Libya’. On Syria Jubeir said the Saudi’s expected “international support for
moderate Syrian opposition to continue.”He added: “We expect Syrian talks in Geneva to lead to political solution” (With Agencies)

King Salman receives UN Secretary General
By Staff writer Al Arabiya News English Sunday, 12 February 2017/King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received at Al-Yamamah Palace the Secretary-General of United Nations Antonio Guterres. The King congratulated Guterres on assuming his new job, wishing him all success, while the Secretary General of the United Nations expressed his happiness to visit the Kingdom and meet with the King.During the meeting, they reviewed the efforts and missions entrusted to the United Nations to achieve international peace and security.

Germany rules out attack in Hamburg airport closure
By Reuters, Hamburg Monday, 13 February 2017/German authorities said on Sunday the leak of a corrosive substance through the air conditioning system at Hamburg airport was not an attack, adding that police were investigating the incident that forced the brief closure of the facility. Firefighters and ambulances were rushed to the scene after some 50 people at one terminal complained of eye irritation and breathing difficulties. “I want to explicitly deny ... that this was a terrorist attack. As far as we know it was at no period considered a terrorist attack,” Hamburg fire department spokesman Torsten Wessely told a news conference in the northern city. “A pepper spray-like canister has been found during our investigative searches which might be the source,” he added. He said the substance was spread through the facility’s central air conditioning system. Lightly dressed passengers were rushed outside the terminal in almost freezing temperatures, leaving their coats and jackets behind in the hurry. They were allowed back in shortly after. A spokeswoman for the airport said flights had resumed as of 1.45pm (1245 GMT). According to live flight tracking website flightradar24.com some flights were diverted to other airports after the incident.

Heartbroken UN chief seeks Yemen talks ‘resurrection’
By AFP, Riyadh Sunday, 12 February 2017/A heartbroken United Nations chief on Sunday called for the “resurrection” of peace talks between Yemen’s warring sides to end the suffering of civilians. Thousands of people have died in Yemen and millions are struggling to feed themselves almost two years after a Saudi-led coalition intervened to support Yemen’s government and halt an advance by militia. “You know, I am a Catholic. And Catholics believe in resurrection,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters during a visit to the Saudi capital. “So if negotiations are dead they can always resurrect. And I do believe that they need to for a very simple reason, the suffering of the Yemeni people.” The world body has called repeatedly for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of relief supplies. UN aid chief Stephen O’Brien warned last month that Yemen could face famine this year if no immediate action is taken.
Guterres, who visited Yemen in his former post as UN High Commissioner for Refugees, praised the generosity of Yemenis despite their poverty. He said that to see them ‘suffering so much is something that really breaks my heart’. He spoke at a joint press conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir after talks with King Salman, Crown Prince and Interior Minister Mohammed bin Nayef, and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the defense minister. On the disruption of humanitarian aid in Yemen, Guterres said at the press conference: “We urge Yemen parties not to take advantage of humanitarian aid, condemn them if they do.”And he added that the UN envoy to Yemen had his ‘full support’, which came days after Houthi militia had demanded he did not renew the diplomat’s term due to what it alleged was bias against the Iranian-aligned movement. Jubeir said of the situation in Yemen: “We made 70 agreements with Yemen’s Houthis and ex-president Saleh. They did not implement a single one”. And he said the kingdom ‘hoped to continue sending aid to Yemen’ adding that a ‘large amount of GCC money’ had been allocated to rebuilding the war torn country. UN peace envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed also attended the press briefing as he continues to push a peace plan that would restore a ceasefire and lead to a political transition in the country. Guterres arrived in Saudi Arabia from Turkey and will be in Dubai on Monday for the World Government Summit during his regional tour.
(With Al Arabiya English)

Hamburg airport stops flights after toxin injures dozens
By The Associated Press, Berlin Sunday, 12 February 2017/German firefighters on Sunday evacuated hundreds of passengers at Hamburg Airport after 50 people were injured by an unknown toxin that likely spread through the airport’s air conditioning system. All flights were halted for several hours due to the evacuation, airport spokeswoman Karen Stein said. “We have cancelled all flight at least until 2 p.m. (1300GMT) and most parts of the airport have been evacuated,” she said. More than 50 people complained about breathing problems and burning eyes and firefighters were examining them to find out whether they had to be taken to the hospital, the German news agency dpa reported. Those who were evacuated from the airport had to wait outside the terminals in freezing temperatures. Firefighters designated special areas outside the airport building where physicians were examining those injured by the unknown toxin.

Shiite tension mounts in Baghdad after clashes
Reuters, Baghdad Sunday, 12 February 2017/Tension between Iraq’s Shiite leaders mounted on Sunday as the toll from protests in central Baghdad on Saturday increased to six killed, five demonstrators loyal to the fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and one policeman. At least 174 other protesters were injured in clashes that pitted police and Sadr’s followers who had gathered to demand an overhaul of a commission that supervises elections, ahead of a provincial poll due in September. The clashes broke out as the protesters attempted to cross the bridge that links Tahrir Square where they had gathered and the heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings, embassies and international organizations. In a statement reacting to the killing of his followers on Saturday evening, Sadr said: “Their blood won’t have been shed in vain.” He promised strong retaliation. Several Katyusha rockets hit the Green Zone on Saturday evening but there were no casualties, a military spokesman said. The rockets seem to have been fired from Baladiyat, a district where Sadr has many followers. The growing tensions come at a bad time for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi who is trying to focus on a critical battle with ISIS in Mosul, the last major urban stronghold of the Sunni militant in northern Iraq. Four of the five protesters killed were hit by bullets and the fifth died of unknown causes, according to an updated casualties toll given by an Interior Ministry official. Most of the injured were treated for choking on tear gas, he said.
Sadr says the electoral commission is favorable to his Shiite rival, former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, a politician close to Iran whom he accuses of corruption. He also blames Maliki for the failure of the Iraqi army to contain the advance of ISIS in 2014, as he was then prime minister and commander of the armed forces. The cleric said his supporters wanted to get near the Green Zone to make their voices heard by decision-makers, and had no intention of storming it again. Abadi ordered an investigation into the violence amid claims by the Interior Ministry that some demonstrators carried firearms and knives. Sadr insists his followers were peaceful. In a statement, Maliki’s Dawa party accused Sadr without naming him of trying to “distract the Iraqi people in sedition in order to prevent the efforts to get rid of Daesh,” an acronym for ISIS. Sadr is openly hostile to American policies in the Middle East and, at the same time, he has a troubled relationship with Iraqi political groups allied with Iran.Sadr is the heir of a clerical family who suffered under Saddam Hussein, the former president toppled in the 2003 US-led invasion. His Shiite rivals had fled Saddam’s persecution, returning to Iraq after the invasion.
His followers held several demonstrations last year to press for anti-corruption reforms and stormed the Green Zone after violent clashes with security forces. Iraqi forces last month completed the first phase of the Mosul offensive that started in October, by removing the militants from the eastern side of the city. They are now preparing to attack the part that lies west of the Tigris river.

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February
Trump and Trudeau meet face to face for the first time
Press via AP, File) (Associated Press)/February 12 /17
By Rob Gillies | AP February 12 /17
OTTAWA, Ontario — The first face to face meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Trump could be the most important meeting for Canada in decades between leaders of the two neighbors.
Trudeau will be at the White House on Monday at a time many Canadians fear Trump will enact protectionist measures that could hurt their economy and worry the new president could be as combative as he was with the leaders of Mexico and Australia.
Trudeau, 45, and Trump, 70, have vastly different outlooks on the world. Trudeau is a liberal who champions global trade and has welcomed 40,000 Syrian refugees. Trump is a protectionist and his moves to restrict entry of refugees and immigrants are expected to come up Monday. But Trudeau is expected to emphasize common economic interests.
“We’re going to talk about all sorts of things we align on, like jobs and economic growth, opportunities for the middle class - the fact that millions of good jobs on both sides of our border depend on the smooth flow of goods and services across that border,” Trudeau said.
But Trudeau also said they are “going to talk about things that I’m sure we disagree on and we’ll do it in a respectful way. Canada will always stay true to the values that have made us this extraordinary country, a place of openness.”
After Trump signed the executive order pausing entries to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority nations, Trudeau tweeted that Canada welcomed people fleeing persecution, terrorism and war. Trudeau said “diversity is our strength.” His spokeswoman said Trudeau was looking forward discussing Canada’s immigration and refugee policy with Trump.
But Trudeau isn’t expected to poke the new president like his headstrong father, late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, did to previous presidents during the almost 16 years he was in office.Tall and trim, Justin Trudeau channels the star power of his storied father but is less confrontational. American relations are crucial for Canada as more than 75 percent of the country’s exports and 98 percent of its oil exports go to the U.S. About 18 percent of U.S. exports go to Canada. There are fears Canada could be sideswiped if Trump targets Mexico in a re-negotiation of the North American Free Trade agreement.
But Wall Street tycoon and Trump adviser Stephen Schwarzman has said “things should go well for Canada” if the president reopens NAFTA because the northern neighbor has a balanced trade relationship with the United States. Schwarzman, who leads Trump’s economic advisory group, said other countries have large trade unbalances and markets that aren’t as open to American trade as Canada’s.
There’s no indication Trump views Canada as a problem or an economic adversary but Trump is unpredictable, said Roland Paris, a former senior foreign policy to Trudeau. Paris called it a very important moment in U.S.-Canada relations and said he’s cautiously optimistic the two will can have a constructive relationship focused on increasing economic ties.“Canadians expect their prime minister to do two things: uphold Canadian values and to have an effective constructive relationship with the president of the United States. That’s a balancing act and it’s not necessarily going to be easy,” Paris said.
Canada has not been the subject of a Trump tweet but fears remain about Trump’s impulsiveness. “We’re dealing with someone who has abused the Mexican president and the Australian prime minister,” said Robert Bothwell, a professor at the University of Toronto.
Bothwell said Trudeau should avoid confrontation considering the stakes and how delicate the situation is. “Most American presidents have been pretty level headed. You have to go back to the monarchs of the Middle Ages or Roman Emperors. How does Nero feel today? Is his stomach acting up? What does the emperor decree?” Bothwell said. “We’re back in the Roman empire. We haven’t had anything like this.”

The future of Saudi-Lebanese relations
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Othaimin/Al Arabiya/February 12/17
The first visit of Lebanese President Michel Aoun to Saudi Arabia came in an attempt to restore normalcy between the two states after a period of deadlock. This visit had two main sets of objectives
Political objectives
In spite of President Aoun’s close ties with Hezbollah and Iran, he understands that success in the coming days of his presidency necessitates an improvement in relationships with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. The latter may stand as an important channel for Lebanon to open up to the outside world, including the United States and Europe, in light of the ongoing tensions in Iranian-American relations with the advent of the new administration.
Moreover, a Lebanese president, who is devoid of any Arab support, cannot run the state smoothly. So, political settlement with Saudi Arabia, a major Arab and Islamic player, would certainly have President Aoun’s back at both Arab and Islamic levels.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia plays a pivotal role in Lebanon in terms of the latter’s internal stability. It would undoubtedly contribute to consolidating internal stability and consensus in a state that is known for political polarization between its components on sectarian, ethnic or interest bases.
Economic objectives
The deterioration of Gulf-Lebanese relations over the past two years has had a significant impact on the Lebanese economy. Lebanese investments in the Gulf States are estimated to be over $100 billion, and Gulf investments in Lebanon represent 85 percent of the country’s total foreign investments. In addition, around 750,000 Lebanese nationals work in the Gulf States, half a million of whom are in Saudi Arabia with tens of thousands in other Gulf States. They remit around $4 billion per year to Lebanon. It is said that 50 percent of Lebanese families depend totally or partially on these remittances. According to bank estimates, the value of Gulf assets in Lebanese banks is estimated to be over $20 billion. Therefore, Lebanon’s economic stability is essentially linked to the Gulf States.
Saudi Arabia plays a pivotal role in Lebanon in terms of the latter’s internal stability
However, outcomes of the visit are subject to numerous challenges, particularly, in terms of Hezbollah’s foreign policy and the role it plays in the Syrian crisis, as well as in Yemen, with its operations targeting the Gulf States. It is worth noting that the visit was announced amid Hezbollah’s marking of the execution of the Saudi terrorist Nimr Al-Nimr, who was described by the Deputy Secretary General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, as “a prominent figure of jihad in the Arabian Peninsula”. Thus, the major challenge facing President Aoun will be his ability to convince Hezbollah to spare Lebanon and the Lebanese community further tensions in their relations with the Arab world and the Gulf States.
However, those who have a close eye on Lebanese affairs know that such a shift in the Lebanese stand does not indicate Lebanon’s political independence. It is rather a temporary shift imposed by the circumstances that have surrounded the country over the past two years. Such circumstances have forced Iran, Hezbollah, and pro-Iran groups in Lebanon to compromise on some issues.
The Lebanese crisis is deeply rooted in the structure of the regime itself, which suffers from political sectarianism enshrined by the 1926 constitution. It also suffers from an institutional sag caused by sub-State loyalties. Such loyalties take tribal or sectarian forms that serve as substitute institutions to the state, leaving state institutions weak.
Finally, the weakness of the state has allowed foreign intervention that poses restrictions on any deterrence by the state causing its institutions to be paralyzed.
**This article was first published in Saudi Gazette.

Talking of walls…
Eyad Abu Shakra/Al Arabiya/February 12/17
“Men build too many walls and not enough bridges.”
(Joseph Fort Newton)
As the world holds its breath awaiting more shocking ‘orders’ from the new US president Donald Trump, Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani came up, perhaps, with the most eloquent criticism on Trump’s insistence of building a separating wall along the US – Mexican border (paid for by Mexico!)
This is a terrible irony; indeed, ironies in reading history, understanding politics, and viewing the future and preparing ourselves to confront its challenges. Trump, the super-rich businessman, is imagining himself as he takes his first steps in the world of politics, a company boss whose wishes are orders because he or those he represents own a majority share in that company. Then, there is Trump the president, indebted to the Religious Right that believes the world is divided into two camps: virtuous and evil; and therefore has to pay back extreme evangelist groups. These groups – bolstered by his ultra conservative cabal of Breibart advisers – have used since his election campaign scare-mongering and aggressive propaganda against the ‘extremism’ of Muslims and the threat of a Hispanic ‘deluge’ changing the nature of America within few decades, through Mexico’s borders or the Caribbean Sea. Finally, there is Trump who hates America’s political ‘establishment’, and detests entente and compromise-based approaches in handling political matters; and is thus willing to make common cause – at least tactically, so far – with all populist and extremist ‘anti-establishment’ forces keen to kill off dialogue and consensus throughout Europe.
Iran’s criticisms
This surely is a phenomenon worth serious consideration, and is actually causing mayhem in the USA. as it is bound to be ever more divisive, inflaming the situation internally and causing tension abroad. However, if ever there was one leadership in the world that is not qualified to criticize Trump and his policies, it must be the Iranian leadership. Yes, this leadership in Tehran, given its ‘achievements’ through the years whether inside Iran or abroad with its Arab neighbors, is the least qualified or entitled to talk about building and bringing down ‘separating walls’! It is true that Trump’s insistence on building a wall along the USA.-Mexico borders, his ban on Muslims from seven Muslim countries to travel to the USA, his support of dismantling the European Union, and his restriction on American industrial corporations’ benefiting from globalization are all steps that engender doubts and hatred with Latinos, Muslims and even Europeans; but let us have a look at what Iran is doing.
Iran is the least qualified or entitled to talk about building and bringing down ‘separating walls’!
At the moment, Iran ranks second in the world – after China – in the number of executions, many of which target activists and human rights campaigners from the country’s Kurdish, Arab, Balouchi as well as other ethnic minorities.
Furthermore, Iran despite its enormous natural, human and cultural wealth, is suffering from acute economic and social problems including high unemployment and corruption, and is depriving its people of the country’s riches in order to finance regional wars through which the Mullah’s regime ‘exports’ its internal problems. These wars are justified either as a defensive war against foreign aggression pushing the regime to fight in Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut and Sana’a in order not fight in Tehran, Esfahan, Shiraz and Tabriz; or as a sign of Iran’s rising power that has led its IRGC to boast that Iran is now a world power capable of confronting and defeating any aggressor, and is in full control of the previously mentioned Arab capitals.
Thus, walls and borders are a problem in Iran’s case as they are with Trump, if not more. It is actually a serious problem. More so, since every time the Tehran rulers abolish a political-geographical border they build psychological borders that are difficult to bring down.
Add to the above, Iran has refused to learn the lessons of its first war with Iraq (1980-1988), and to understand how risky fiddling with history, geography and religious sectarianism is. Indeed, many Arabs did not support the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, but blamed him for fighting a war against a big neighbor whose new rulers had declared their commitment to liberating Palestine, after bringing down a regime that aspired to be the ‘Policeman of the Gulf’!
Those Arabs who refused to support or endorse Saddam Hussein, were then willing even to ignore Tehran’s loud slogans about ‘exporting the revolution’ as well as the sectarian activities of the Iraqi Shi’i Da’wa party. Their reasoning being that starting new animosities based on old gone sensitivities was a dangerous path; and a step that leads to unearthing old grudges and creating new hatred and endless strife.
Still, Tehran continued to escalate its vitriol, and went on to establish its own ‘Trojan horses’ inside its neighboring Arab countries. Soon enough with the genie of strident sectarianism was out of the bottle, Tehran co-operated with what hitherto was ‘The Great Satan’, aiding its occupation of Iraq in order to ensure later that it fell into its arms.
Today, if Qassem Soleimani’s IRGC, his Iraq ‘Popular Mobilization Forces’ and Hezbollah militias have indeed succeeded in abolishing the official boundaries of the post-‘Sykes-Picot’ entities in Iraq and Greater Syria, they have also built on the grounds of fears and grudges blood-stained walls separating the communities of these entities. Iraq is now Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish ‘Iraqs’, Syria is now ‘Syrias’ of all kinds, and Lebanon too has become ‘Lebanons’ of its sects and factions. Even Palestine, who is supposed to remain united in the face of occupation and its existential threat has become fractured and partitioned between the West Bank and Gaza, thanks to Iran’s eagerness to ‘liberate’ it!
Last, but not least, let’s not forget Yemen and the Gulf States, and how could we?! To begin with, merely reading Iran’s ‘official’ media – especially those controlled by the IRGC – would immediately recall Tehran’s claims that Bahrain was an Iranian territory. As for Yemen, where Tehran has gone even deeper in pre-Islamic history annals in order to justify its military intervention (backing the Houthi rebels), the decision was right to act forcefully to defend the legitimacy and the Arab identity of the country.
Cultural co-existence
Actually, animosities must not be the destiny of the Arab region. Building walls is not a solution; while bringing down state border in order to impose regional hegemony is a sure way to destroy all opportunities for peace.
The Middle East is qualified for cultural co-existence that enriches it and ensures its well-being and harmony. It is not true to assume that nationalisms by themselves are a hindrance, or that sectarian diversity justifies monopolizing the truth and allows for exclusion or accusations of blasphemy. The Donald Trump experiment is still in its early days, and is expected to be corrected one day, albeit with a high cost; but we must learn the lesson.
**This article was first published on Asharq Al-Awsat.

Moving towards Geneva: Giving peace a chance
Maria Dubovikova/Al Arabiya/February 12/17
Syria is moving to the fourth round of the Geneva talks. Two days of inclusive talks in Riyadh, bringing to the negotiation table the expanded Syrian opposition, including the Astana delegation and the Syrian Higher Negotiations Committee, finished yesterday.
The opposition was harmonizing its positions on the threshold of the new Astana round, setting the priorities for Geneva Talks and discussing the outcomes of the previous Astana meeting. The Astana meeting did not replace the format, but became a supplementary in-strument, a back-up tool for the Geneva negotiations. Astana permitted the realiza-tion of ceasefire, and the first round of talks resulted in the elaboration of trilateral monitoring mechanisms of the ceasefire regime in Syria, guaranteed by Turkey, Russia and Iran.
On February 15-16, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry will host another round of talks, welcoming delegations from the Syrian government and the rebel side, along with the UN Special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistoura, and the delegations of three guarantors.
Jordanian and the US delegations are also invited to take part in Astana II.
Resolving problems
The Astana format is set to solve the problems preventing the Geneva format from being a success, by instituting the communication process and resolving ground is-sues, mostly related to the military sphere, and paving the way for political resolu-tion and the long-awaited and inevitable transitional process. The Geneva talks are set to be held on February 20. A lot has changed since the previous round. The third round practically did not leave hope for a political solu-tion. The Opposition, both moderate and otherwise, was so much fragmented, that it could not come to any agreement even within its own ranks. The International community was supporting separate opposition groups, thus somehow fragmenting them even more and politicizing the whole negotiation process, putting it in the framework of global geopolitical rivalries.
The major changes in the global sphere, the focus of the US on presidential elections first and then on the cataclysms in face of Trump’s administration, with the West watching the goings on in Washington, together with changes on the ground in Syria have significantly changed the situation and prospects of the negotiations. The foreign states have cut their financial support to the rebel groups, and there are practically no more voices calling to topple the Syrian regime by force.
As was stated by prominent Syrian dissident Louay Hussein, “the armed conflict for the state is over”, and the majority in the opposition are going back towards a political struggle. Even though Hussein’s conclusions are premature, his words have a grain of truth.
The Syrian opposition has become more united and amenable. However, the Islamist fractions, that have formed a new alliance recently, are reportedly going to launch new attacks on the government’s positions. But most likely from the general perspective, such a decision is counterproductive primarily for themselves.
The Syrian opposition has become more united and amenable. However, the Islamist fractions, that have formed a new alliance recently, are reportedly going to launch new attacks on the government’s positions. But most likely from the general perspective, such a decision is counterproductive primarily for themselves. Such attempts to disrupt negotiation and political process do not correspond to the expectations of the majority of the rebels and opposition forces. They alienate themselves from the political process, lose credibility, drifting to the terrorist Islamist formations in the company of which they have all chances to end up their fight. But this will hardly inflict significant damage to the negotiation process.
Assad’s stubbornness
What can be done about the stubbornness of the regime in Damascus. Russia’s in-fluence on the regime is overestimated than real. Damascus will keeps listening to advice as long as that that corresponds to its own expectations and vision.
Iran has more influence on Damascus than anyone else, taking into account the strong Iranian support of the ruling regime. Iran is not interested in transition and in toppling Assad. Iran is interested in guaranteeing its influence on Syria in the post -war scenario. That is Tehran’s main priority. And during the negotiation process, Iran will do its best not to let anyone kick it out from the post-war political system rebuilding in Syria. Nothing is guaranteed for the outcome of the Fourth Geneva round. However, the sides attending it are far more organized than ever, and the opposition is looking forward to these talks with more enthusiasm and hope, than before, when the for-mat was considered mostly useless for them. There is a high risk that Damascus and Tehran can sabotage the talks with their stubbornness, as their positions are poles apart on many issues to the expectations of the opposition. Even in case of success there are many issues that will have to be faced during the political process and that will provoke at best tough debates. One such issue is the Kurdish matter. While all the sides are seriously getting ready for talks, Syrians are looking to the future with hope. Reportedly, people have started to return to Syria, mostly to the ruins of their past, but they are strongly motivated to restoring their country and homes with their own hands. Life is returning even to ruined East Aleppo. Peace got a chance it did not have before, during all the long years of the bloody war.

Why weren’t Saudis banned from entering America?
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/February 12/17
The US travel ban has led enemies and rivals to ask why the Saudis were not included on the list of the seven countries which Donald Trump banned their citizens from entering the US. This question was not answered by Saudi diplomats or security institutions but by US Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly who said: “The issue is places like Saudi Arabia do have very, very good police forces, intelligence forces, so we know when someone comes from Saudi Arabia who they are and what they've been up to.”
The countries which were banned are different from Saudi Arabia as they have fragmented regimes and are somehow linked to terrorist groups or embrace them. Iran for example has become a safe haven for terrorist groups and it seals deals with them by turning a blind eye to their activities and securing their passage in exchange for not attacking the country. This has been confirmed and well-documented in statements made by late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and current leader Ayman al-Zwahiri’s, in which they were directing their groups not to attack Iran.
The reason Saudi Arabia was excluded from Trump’s travel ban is that the kingdom actually fights terrorist groups and is not a failed state
Saudi Arabia is not engaging in a truce with terrorism; it’s fighting a fierce war against it. It cooperated with other countries to combat it, established centers for this purpose and spent money to protect against this plague. For example, Saudi Arabia has through its security and intelligence forces thwarted dangerous operations such as the attempt to blow up an American navy ship and planes heading to America and also thwarted an attack against Heathrow Airport, as well as other efforts.
The reason Saudi Arabia was excluded from Trump’s travel ban is that the kingdom actually fights terrorist groups and is not a failed state.
*This article was first published in Okaz on February 12, 2017.

On Defining Religion
Nonie Darwish/Gatestone Institute/February 12/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9890/defining-religion
What the West does not understand is that Islam admits that government control is central to Islam and that Muslims must, sooner or later, demand to live under an Islamic government.
The majority of the world does not understand that much of the American media is in a propaganda war against the Trump administration simply because he names Islamic jihad and would prefer to see a strong and prosperous America as a world leader rather than to see a dictatorship -- secular or theocratic -- as a world leader.
Islam claims to be an Abrahamic religion, but in fact Islam came to the world 600 years after Christ, not to affirm the Bible but to discredit it; not to co-exist with "the people of the book" -- Jews and Christians -- but to replace them, after accusing them of intentionally falsifying the Bible.
Islam was created as a rebellion against the Bible and its values, and it relies on government enforcement to do so.
Political and legal (sharia) Islam is much more than a religion. Is the First Amendment a suicide pact?
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) said that President Donald Trump's 90-day ban on immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries is "a religiously based ban," and "if they can ban Muslims, why can't they ban Mormons." This has become the position of the Democratic Party and the mainstream media, which has influenced not only the American public but has convinced the majority of the world that America is "bad." How can we blame the world, and even a good segment of American citizens, for hating America when such disingenuous and misleading claims are aired to the world from US officials and broadcast by American television channels?
The majority of the world does not understand that much of the American media is in a propaganda war against the Trump Administration simply because he names Islamic jihad and would prefer to see a strong and prosperous America as a world leader, rather than to see a dictatorship -- secular or theocratic -- as a world leader. He ran as a Republican; meanwhile, Democrats and the mainstream media refuse to engage in respectful and legitimate debate on the most vital threat to Western civilization in the twenty-first century: Islam. Truth has become irrelevant; people seem to prefer a political game of tug-of-war to sway public opinion against the Trump Administration, and, presumably, to elect Democrats forever. That is how the system is set up.
Political discussions on television have become extremely frustrating; they have turned into shouting matches and name-calling at the least informative levels. Television hosts often become instigators and participants in the shouting matches. The thinking is apparently that the louder they get, the more attractive the program will be. Meanwhile everyone is talking at once; the viewer cannot hear anyone, so the program could not be more boring.
Under the US Constitution, freedom of religion is protected. and Islam has been welcomed inside the West on that basis as one of the three Abrahamic religions. According to Western values and the Western understanding of the word, "religion" is supposed to be a personal relationship with God, where free will is of utmost importance; the believer has authority only over himself or herself when it comes to religious laws or punishing sins (such as leaving the religion or committing adultery) -- quite different from criminal laws intended to protect society. Western values also allow followers of a religion the freedom to proselytize, but never by resorting to government enforcement.
Bottom line, the Western definition of religion is in harmony with the Biblical values of the human rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and that all human beings are created equal under the law. It is considered a basic Western value to view God, family and country as a top priority.
Now let us compare these values to Islamic values:
Muslim citizens have the right to punish other citizens with humiliating, severe, cruel and unusual punishments such as death, flogging and amputation, for sinning against Allah, the Quran or Islam. Those "crimes" include leaving Islam, being a homosexual, or committing adultery. And if the Islamic government does not enforce such punishments, any Muslim on the street has the right to apply the punishment against another Muslim and not be prosecuted. That is why apostates, such as myself, cannot visit any Muslim county; the fear is not only from Islamic governments but from anyone on the street.
Being a Muslim is not a personal relationship with God, as it is under the Bible, but is enforced by the state at birth. When a child is born in Egypt to a Muslim father, the birth certificate is stamped "Muslim" and all government-issued documents as well. A child must learn Islamic studies in school and practice Islam throughout his life. In Egypt, the twin sons of a Christian divorced mother were forced to take Islamic studies and become Muslim just because their originally-Christian father converted to Islam. Today, in Egypt, I am still considered Muslim and such a status could never change if I ever lived there again.
Islamic law and leaders rely on government enforcement -- under penalty of death -- to keep Muslims within Islam and to convert the minority Christian population into Islam. Islamic sharia law, obliges Islamic states to enforce religious law, and if the Muslim head of state refuses to follow religious law, sharia permits the public to use force to remove the head of state from office.
Islam claims to be an Abrahamic religion, but in fact Islam came to the world 600 years after Christ, not to affirm the Bible but to discredit it; not to co-exist with "the people of the book," Jews and Christians, but to replace them -- after accusing them of intentionally falsifying the Bible. Islam was created as a rebellion against the Bible and its values, and relies on government enforcement to do so.
The tenets above are just a few of the differences in values between Islam, the Bible and the Western concept of religion. What the West does not understand is that Islam admits that government control is central to Islam, and Muslims must demand to live under an Islamic government sooner or later. That might explain the reason for the eternal violence in nearly all Muslim countries, between government being in the hands of a religious theocracy or of the military. Islam, as it is practiced today, has violated all Western definitions of religion and values.
Political and legal (sharia) Islam is much more than a religion. Is the First Amendment a suicide pact?
*Nonie Darwish, born and raised in Egypt, is the author of "Wholly Different; Why I chose Biblical Values over Islamic Values."
© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

One Person Are Missing
Hakim Haider/Gatestone Institute/February 12/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9933/one-person-are-missing
After that, am receives the Shrowd and go on my Home, On the way there, am say on my Self that that may be some One from relatives and Street, may be Nabour, are reach out, but when am enter the Room there are no one, Just my Mother sitting alone with a dead body, my father.
Editors' note: To those of you who have enquired, the author is a real man living in the Middle East who sent us these pieces because he is unable to share them with anyone where he lives. At first we tried to tidy up the English, but that seemed to knock much of the soul out of his work. So we made the editorial choice to present his work basically as he sent it; what you are seeing is the result of that choice. It is the way he sees the world from his point of view, unobstructed by editors. Perhaps think of it more as a different kind of article, more as folk art but in words. It is not meant to offend anyone or any religion. It always seemed, living among people from different nations, as if wrongnesses in English were often "righter" than rightnesses. The painter Paul Gauguin reportedly said: "If you see a tree as blue, then make it blue." We apologize to anyone who may not like these postings. "Those who understand, understand."
Few days back one evening am sitting outside from My House. Suddenly am listen the crying voices of my Mother. So am run inside and see My Father on the floor. His eyes are shut, he not listen or Talk. Am touch the Body of my Father but it are cold. On the insist of my Mother, am go on the House where a Man have Job as a Hospital Worker and talk to him Please call some doctor to check for my Father. So he call the Doctor and say that a person are here in Serious Condition near on my House and if you can come for check, our hearts will be thanks full for you.
Where are the address, Doctor ask.
Near on my House, the Man are tell him, where the House Line becomes end and Temporary Houses built with few persons living in them.
He pay me for checkup? Doctor ask.
How much he need? am ask him.
The Man ask to Doctor, Then he say to me, Doctors ask How much you pay?
Small amount, am tell him, not a lot.
He repete to Doctor, Little not a lot, not your full amount.
Then Doctor say something, then Man say something, then Doctor say something, then he off the call.
Are Doctor are coming or not? am ask him.
Doctor say you lives in That Place with Temporary Houses, and if Father are no more, he are not come, he telling.
What are happen now, am ask him.
I go with you for check, he say. Am not able for do more, have nothing in the hand for helping.
We reach the House and he check my Father. He hold the hand of my Father and then open his shut eyes.
The body are cold, he say. He are die before.
After this, he a way, and we are sit around the floor with the body of my father.
Am inform my Relative One by One. All lives here in the same city and all are say they have busy. When am call the last my Relative, my Uncle, and inform him on the death of my Father he say, Ohh Thanks God he is die. He is in difficult condition for so long. Now all his difficulty are gone. You may buried the body, but we are not come due to you not have place with us for sit. So what we are with do there? But after the died body are bury, all of you come on my House so that we use a few words on the death of your father and then you may Go because in life your Father make the nothing.
After this am off the Phone and My Mother say on me, You inform all our relative? They Are come?
Yes, am tell her, am inform every One, but am not sure who are come and not come.
All right, she say, but before are come, we must arrange the shrowd for dead body.
Am go on near by market and buying white Colour cloth For Shrowd, then go next door on Tailor and ask him stiching the Shrowd.
Who are die? He asking, looking up from stiching machine.
My father, am tell him.
Thanks God, he start on laughing. So, he say, Old man finally check out. We wait many years for listen this News ever since his Trouble begin. So the End Time now are come. How nice you are release from the tenshion on caring for your father.
Am just listen this.
Near a person sitting, he say to Tailor, Please hurry up, he need to Last Wash and this shrowd to wear the dead body before the Guests in home.
The Tailor laugh again and telling him, Hayy Man, what world you are Living? Who are ever come to him? They are living hands to mouth, can not even offer glass of Water some one, then how is any relatives come? They needs for brings own food from house.
That man look at me, I too look on his face, then he quickly start reading at the news paper.
Tailor say, When your father have Last prayer (Salat-e-Janaza) and where?
Time not set, am tell him. Grave are still not ready yet.
Better starts with dugging the Grave your Self, Tailor say. Who are come for help to This?
Stiching of Shrowd are ready now so am ask to Tailor the stiching Price.
On the happiness of this occasion, he say, am gives on you a Discount. Your Old Man Father Dies, that are why.
Am still just listen and say nothing.
After this, am receives the Shrowd and go on my Home, On the way there, am say on my Self that that may be some One from relatives and Street, may be Nabour, are reach out, but when am enter the Room there are no one, Just my Mother sitting alone with a dead body, my father.
When my Mother see me she say, No one are come, No Relative, No Nabour.
Do not worry, am tell her, We are do this alone, not need any one.
But how, my Mother ask, the Grave are dugg?
It all done this morning, am tell her.
But before dead body bury, it need the Last Wash, she say.
First, am say, am goes for checks on the Grave site, and then we gives a Last Wash.
Am goes on the grave site and picks out the dugging place, then meets with the men there doing the dugging.
Where you are lives, they to asking.
Where the House Line becomes end In Temporary Houses, am tell them.
Ohh yes, they say, the same man who suffering the last few years?
My father, am tells them.
He never give us anything, they say.
Then one of them ask, You know if two persons starts dugging the Grave then it take Time three, four Hours. Dugging not easy. What you give us instead of this?
Am not have answer for them.
You have equipment for dugging? They asking.
Have not, am tell them.
Look, they say, we nice, we help you on this. We provide you our dugging equipment but we not able on help you more than this.
Thanks you, am tell them.
The depth and width of grave depend on Soil Condition and Area Trend. In our Area, the Soil Condition have Depth of Bush and Width of Person. The Area are a Mountain so the Soil have many Stones and hard. So am prepares the grave to darking, and after this am goes back on the House and say on my mother that we now can fill the water to the Tub. Am giving the Last Wash on my father, and after that, am change the Cloth of Body and wear on it the Shrowd.
Now the Mulla must for offer to the last prayer (Salat-e-janaza). During this time, some Person come who check the body and confirm my father are no more.
Person say, What Time decide for offering last prayer?
Not fix till now, am tell him. You know some Mulla who are do this?
Yes, he say. There a lot of Mulla for that but No one come when persons not enough. You need More person for Salat-e-Janaza, and when Mulla know this, he then are come. Until the person are not gattered, it not even allow according to Islamic Condition to offer the Last Prayer (Salat-e-Janaza).
There are not the more person, am tell him.
Where is your relatives etc? he ask.
They are not have come, am tell him.
Oh, he say. Can calls few person.
So he call some friends and cousins and they take the body on the Grave site, and a few more person there also come for offering Last Prayer.
Any one here who know last prayer? one person ask.
Every one look on other one and say No.
Maybe can remember some, Person say. If you allow, am ready this. .
So he doing this duty and after that we pray for my father and takes the body to the Grave site place. By now, we are three: Person leading Last Prayer, Hospital Worker and me. We set my father softly on the Grave then cover on him with stones so the mudd not go over his Body and the Slope can bear the heavy mudd. Then we fills the grave with mudd until it make a Shape like a Grave site. After this, those persons gone. When my Mother reach to Grave site, we sit together beside my father for continuing hours, then when it dark, we goes back.
On next day Noon one of my Uncle call and say, You bury your Father body yet or not?
Yes, am say, we are bury.
So when you are come on my House, he say.
We are not come, am tell him, and now you not comes on our house. We not for needs you any more.
Thanks God, he say, you safe me from such Ugly Persons.
After this we living alone but the difference is One Person are missing. In all these sircumstance a lot of persons face covers remove, from Grave duggers, Hospital worker, Street peoples, every one. Some people likes to gives the pain. But when Tailor make fun on me for the death of my father, what he say are true.
**Hakim Haider is based in the Middle East.
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