LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
April 20/17
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The
Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias/english.april20.17.htm
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Bible Quotations For Today
Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the
whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one
who does not believe will be condemned
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 16/15-18/:"‘Go into all the
world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and
is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.
And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will
cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in
their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they
will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is
not your own doing; it is the gift of God
Letter to the Ephesians 02/01-10/:"You were dead through the trespasses and sins
in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler
of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are
disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh,
following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of
wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love
with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us
alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved and raised us up with
him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in
the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness
towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and
this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God not the result of works, so
that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life."
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on April 19-20/17
The Top 10 Richest Lebanese Politicians/The961/April 19/17
The US War against ISIS/Eli Lake/Bloomberg/April 19/17
Turkish Opposition Seeks Annulment of Referendum/Said Abdul Razzak/Asharq Al
Awsat/April 19/17
What is the IDF trying to hide about the interception of the Syrian
missile/Jerusalem Post/April 19/17
Russia In Syria: All Pain And No Gain/MEMRI/April 19/17
Palestinian Writer To Marwan Al-Barghouti: Hunger Strikes Achieve Nothing; What
Palestinian People Are You Talking About/MEMRI/April 19/17
UK: War on Free Speech at the National Union of Students/Douglas Murray/Gatestone
Institute/April 19/17
Why Is the US Still Funding Palestinian Terrorism/Shoshana Bryen/Gatestone
Institute/April 19/17
Trump has to undo Obama’s Mideast legacy/Ahmad al-Farraj/Al Arabiya/April 19/17
Why saying ‘I know a Christian’ only furthers extremist rhetoric/Mamdouh
AlMuhaini/Al Arabiya/April 19/17
War on extremism initiated from Malaysia/Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/April 19/17
US banks’ Trump card – rolling back banking regulations/Dr. Mohamed A. Ramady/Al
Arabiya/April 19/17
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published
on
April 19-20/17
The Top 10 Richest Lebanese Politicians
Lebanon: Electoral Law Crisis Intensifies
March 14 Activists Slam Sectarian Incitement, Warn against 'Replacing Democracy
by Iran Hegemony'
Berri: Budget Draft Referred to Committee, Wage Scale on Parliament's Agenda
Lebanese Army Clamps Down on 'Biggest Arms Dealer'
Salameh Meets Aoun: Central Bank Has Ability to Preserve Monetary Stability
Berri Overlooks His Version of Electoral Law, Says Weighing New Ideas
Report: International Community Says Lebanon Must Stage Timely Elections
Syrian Mother Arrested for Throwing Newborn in Garbage Container
Hariri, Adwan tackle most recent developments
Lebanese Army: Reconnaissance enemy planes violate Lebanese Airspace
Hariri patronizes reconciliation between Abed El Wahed, Merheb families and
military institution
Archbishop Rahme receives Hezbollah delegation
Lebanon's Army Commander, Egypt's Ambassador tackle cooperation prospects
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
April 19-20/17
Syria moves all its fighter jets to Russian base
Russian envoy, Foreign Ministry to discuss recognition of J'lem as Capital
Civilian Council in Raqqa under Arab-Kurdish Leadership
Six Killed in Aleppo Bombing as Evacuation of 4 Syrian Towns Resumes
White House confirms Iran deal review
US says Iran complies with nuke deal, but orders review on lifting sanctions
‘He does not like white people:’ Man goes on killing spree in California
Chemical weapons watchdog says Sarin or similar used in Idlib attack
Evacuations resume after deadly bombing in Syria
Russia’s undeclared death toll in Syria creeps higher
King Salman, Mattis Discuss Saudi-US Strategic Friendship
Mattis in Riyadh: There is disorder wherever Iran is present
Tillerson: Iran supports Houthis and threatens naval navigation in the Gulf
France to provide proof on Syria govt chemical weapons use
US Special Forces reach Anbar province in Iraq to support ISIS fight
Salman-Mattis meeting affirms convergence on security issues
Arab coalition aerial defense intercepts two ballistic missiles in Yemen’s Marib
Coalition forces destroy ballistic missiles in Yemen
US Drone Strikes Kill 5 Qaeda Suspects in Yemen
Israeli Official: Barghouti Should Have Been Served a Death Penalty
Young Muslim Jordanians Launch Initiative To Guard Churches On Easter Sunday
Turkey’s main opposition party could withdraw from parliament
Members of Modi’s party in India to face trial over Babri mosque demolition
ISIS claims deadly attack near Egypt’s St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai
EU Warns against Jeopardizing Libya’s Political Process
Links
From Jihad Watch Site for April 19-20/17
Egypt: Muslims attack security forces near St. Catherine’s Monastery, killing at
least one police officer
Pakistan: Female Muslim medical student plotted Easter jihad suicide massacre at
church
Australia: Muslim who murdered six by hitting them with his car says “Muslim
faith is the correct faith”
Muslim receiving cancer treatment in Israel arrested smuggling explosives from
Gaza
“I only swear by Allah”: Ohio Muslim pleads guilty to terror charges
AP changes Fresno jihad mass murderer’s words from “Allahu akbar,” removes Islam
reference
Islamic State and al Qaeda in renewed talks to join forces
Robert Spencer in PJ Media: How Islamophobia Endangers Us All
Hugh Fitzgerald: A Field Day For Fatuity in Fresno
MSNBC “counterterror expert” Malcolm Nance calls for Islamic State jihad bombing
of Trump property
Robert Spencer in FrontPage: Muslim Screaming “Allahu Akbar” Murders Three In
Fresno
Links From
Christian Today Site on
April 19-20/17
Christian governor in Jakarta faces election defeat while on trial for alleged
blasphemy
Ancient Sinai monastery targeted by Islamic militants in Egypt a week after
Coptic church bombings
Less than half of German Christians believe in heaven
Student lynching spurs Pakistan parliament to call for reform of blasphemy laws
Analysis: Fresh start for all parties as PM produces an Easter shock at
Westminster
Growing majority of Americans do not trust Trump to keep his promises, new poll
finds
Hope that 'something good will come': How victims of rape and conflict in Uganda
are being aided by this Christian charity
Why the gay sex issue isn't going to go away for Tim Farron – and what he should
say next time he's asked
MPs overwhelmingly back #GeneralElection2017
Canadian church celebrates Easter by hiring helicopter to drop 45,000 chocolate
eggs
Latest Lebanese Related News published
on
April 19-20/17
The Top 10 Richest Lebanese Politicians
The961/April 19, 2017
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=54490
https://www.the961.com/richest-lebanese-politicians/
Just a few days ago, we featured the richest Lebanese people in the Middle East.
This list included several politicians so we thought we’d showcase the richest
Lebanese politicians.Among the previous list, several politicians were
highlighted so we got curious about the other politicians. Turns out we have
billionaire politicians and quite a few who are super millionaires.
Najib Mikati
Najib Mikati was just ranked the number 1 richest Lebanese person in the Middle
East. Forbes estimates his net worth at $2.6 billion. Source of wealth is from
telecom as well as self-made
Najib Mikati resigned in March 2013 after two years as Lebanon’s prime minister.
Before entering politics, he and his brother Taha were telecom operators in
Africa and Syria through their company Investcom. They sold it to MTN Group of
South Africa in 2006 for $3.6 billion (USD) in cash and stock, and formed M1
Group, an entity with investments in telecom, real estate and retail.
ISSAM FARES
Issam Fares is one of the most prominent Lebanese businessman and politician in
Lebanon. He served as a member of the Lebanese Parliament and the former Deputy
Prime Minister of Lebanon. His estimated net worth is $2.3 Billion (USD).
In 1954, at the age of seventeen, Fares left Lebanon and found a job as a clerk
at a catering and food services firm in Qatar. Two years later, he was heading
Abela Group’s finances and subsequently managing its operations in Pakistan,
Kuwait, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
At age 38, Fares went into business for himself and established a civil
engineering and construction firm, which completed many notable projects
including the world’s longest international bridge, which connects Bahrain to
Saudi Arabia.
He then sold the company to British Aerospace and used the proceeds to buy up
Houston-based investment firm, Wedge Group, a company that he heads today.
Fun Fact: He owns one of the 200 largest superyachts in the world.
SAAD HARIRI
Saad Hariri is the son of Rafik Hariri, former Prime Minister of Lebanon prior
to his assassination. Saad has followed the footsteps of this father and is now
the prime minister of Lebanon. The principal source of his wealth is Saudi Oger,
one of Saudi Arabia’s biggest construction companies.
Forbes estimates his net worth at $1 billion (USD) with the source of wealth
from construction and inheritance. He’s the 41st richest person in the Middle
East.
MICHEL AOUN
Michel Aoun is an ex-Army General of Lebanon and the current President. He also
served as Prime Minister of Lebanon towards the end of the civil war from 1988
to 1990. He’s the founder of the Free Patriotic Movement political party. His
estimated net worth is $90 million (USD)
WALID JUMBLATT
Walid Bey Jumblatt is a Lebanese politician, the leader of Lebanon’s Druze and
the current leader of the Progressive Socialist Party – a party founded by his
late father Kamal Jumblatt. He started his professional career as a reporter in
Beirut for An Nahar newspaper.
NABIH BERRI
Nabih Berri, who was born in Sierra Leone, is a Lebanese politician who has been
the Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon since 1992. He was elected leader of
the Amal Movement in 1980 and continues to head it today. His estimated net
worth is $78 million (USD)
TAMMAM SALAM
Tammam Salam has held several government positions. He was Prime Minister of
Lebanon from February 2014 until December 2016. During the presidential vacuum,
he was the acting President from May 2014 to October 2016. He also was the
minister of culture from July 2008 to November 2009. His father was also prime
minister at some point and his grandfather was a Lebanese official during the
Ottoman occupation.His estimated net worth is $71 million (USD)
SULEIMAN FRANGIEH JR.
Suleiman Frangieh Jr. is the current leader of the Marada Movement. He held
various positions in government at various times, including minister of the
interior and municipalities, minister of public health, minister of agriculture
and housing, minister of municipalities and rural affairs, minister of housing
and cooperatives as well as state minister. His grandfather was the 5th
President of Lebanon. His estimated net worth is $65 million (USD)
AMINE GEMAYEL
Amine Gemayel is the Lebanese politician and served as the President of the
Lebanon for six years from 1982 to 1988. He served as the 7th president of
Lebanon. His family started the Kataeb party. He comes from a family that is
heavily involved in Lebanese politics and a family that has fallen victim to
assassinations several times. His grandfather was forced to leave Lebanon in the
early 20th. His grandfather was forced to leave Lebanon in the early 20th
century due to his opposition to the Ottoman Empire. His brother, Bachir Gemayel,
was assassinated just a couple weeks after becoming president. His son, Pierre
Gemayel, was also assassinated.
His estimated net worth is $58 million (USD)
MICHEL SULEIMAN
Michel Suleiman served as the president of Lebanon from 2008 to 2014. Before
that, he served as the General of Lebanese Army. His estimated net worth is $49
million (USD)
Lebanon: Electoral Law Crisis Intensifies
Asharq Al-Awsat English/April 19/17/Beirut – Lebanon’s electoral law crisis
intensifies as various proposals submitted by Lebanese politicians have failed
to please the different factions and groups. In light of the current deadlock,
the country has two difficult options. The first is to extend the parliament’s
term during a session scheduled on May 15, and the second is parliamentary
vacuum, which threatens the work of the country’s constitutional institutions.
Foreign Minister and Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) Leader Gebran Bassil’s
proposed electoral law was strongly rejected by the FPM’s ally, Hezbollah, and
lacked constitutional legitimacy, according to an expert in the Lebanese
Constitution.
Bassil announced his electoral law proposal Monday at the FPM headquarters.
Under his proposal, some districts would use a majoritarian voting system, while
others would use a proportional system. Meanwhile, sources in the Presidential
Palace told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that it was important not to anticipate
conclusions in this matter, noting that while politicians publicly attacked any
proposed electoral law, backstage talks were ongoing and would hopefully lead to
a positive outcome. The sources added that President Michel Aoun has stressed
the inevitability to reach an agreement over a new electoral law within the
remaining deadline.
Constitutional Expert and Former MP Saleh Honein said that Bassil’s proposed law
is unconstitutional, as the Constitution stresses the unity of the Lebanese
territories, people, and institutions. Honein told Asharq al-Awsat:
“Confessional elections violate the content and the spirit of the Constitution.”
He noted that the remaining time until the next parliamentary session on May 15
was enough to reach an agreement between the different parties over a
constitutional electoral law. For his part, Progressive Socialist Party (PSP)
Secretary General Zafer Nasser said that his party rejected the law proposed by
Bassil. In remarks to Asharq al-Awsat, Nasser stressed that the proposed formula
was against the Constitution and a blow to partnership and national
reconciliation. “If real reforms are needed, then such laws do not build a
country,” he stated.
Middle East's only Christian President, Aoun, says his message is peace
Jay Gotera/Christian Today/April
19/17
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/middle.easts.only.christian.president.says.his.message.is.only.peace/107544.htm
In a region torn by conflict and hate, a Christian political leader—the only one
in the region—lit the light of hope and peace just before Easter, the
celebration of Jesus' resurrection. Michel Aoun, the newly elected President of
Lebanon and the only Christian president in the Middle East and North Africa
(MENA), spoke to SAT-7 on Thursday to relate the message of Jesus' resurrection
to the search for peace in the region. "Resurrection is what we wish for after
death. This is the Christian hope based on our faith. Without it, there is no
Christianity and no resurrection," he told the news outlet in an interview.
Aoun emphasized the significance of Jesus' resurrection by quoting the apostle
Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:14, "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching
is worthless, and so is your faith."Aoun—who was elected president by the
Lebanese parliament on Oct. 31, 2016, which ended a 29-month power vacuum in the
country—emphasized the need for peace, coexistence, and tolerance in the Middle
East. "I carry a message of peace," he declared. Aoun is an ally of the powerful
Iran-backed Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah, Reuters noted. He was prime minister
of one of two rival Lebanese governments at the end of the 1975-90 civil war. He
fought two wars during that period, one against Syrian forces in Lebanon, and
another against a powerful Christian militia, the Lebanese Forces. The Syrian
army ousted him from power in 1990 and he went into exile in France. He returned
to Lebanon in 2005 after Syrian troops withdrew following the assassination of
former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. The following year, Aoun declared an
alliance with Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, which has remained in
effect.
In the SAT-7 interview, the former army general lamented that the political
turmoil in the region is greatly affecting Christians. He focused on the plight
of Christians in Israel who, he claimed, are being evicted from their land.
"Christians in Jerusalem once constituted 22 percent of Israel's population.
Now, we are left with only about one percent," he said. Aoun has vowed to turn
Lebanon into a regional and global model of peaceful coexistence among people of
differing faiths. He said he is seeking "blessing" from the United Nations in
his plan to promote Lebanon as the international hub for religious dialogue.
"Lebanon encompasses the ultimate mix of cultural, religious, and ethnic groups
in the world," he said. Aoun urged the people of the region, regardless of their
faiths, to hold on to their hope of eventually overcoming the many challenges in
their lives. He urged the people not to give in to fear, doubt, and temptation,
saying these are the "main reasons of failure in life" as conveyed by Jesus to
His disciples. Meanwhile, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem
offered an Easter message to the world that celebrates the resurrection as well
as unity in Christ. "The message of Easter, which was first announced in
Jerusalem, and has echoed down the centuries, now resounds again in Jerusalem,
the city of the Resurrection," reads the message. "It is our prayer that the
hope established through our risen Lord will enlighten the leaders and nations
of the whole world to see this light, and to perceive new opportunities to work
and strive for the common good and recognize all as created equal before God,"
reads the message. "This light of Christ draws the whole human family towards
justice, reconciliation and peace, and to pursue it diligently."*This article
was originally published in The Christian Post.
March 14 Activists Slam Sectarian Incitement, Warn against
'Replacing Democracy by Iran Hegemony'
Naharnet/April 19/17/The March 14 Moustamerroun group of activists on Wednesday
accused some of the ruling parties of “stoking sectarian sentiments” in order to
“deviate the attention of the Lebanese from the corruption scandals that have
exposed the true nature of the ruling class.”These scandals “will push the
Lebanese to hold it accountable in the upcoming parliamentary elections, as
evidenced by the results of the latest municipal and syndical polls,” March 14
Moustamerroun said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting at the Bristol
Hotel. Turning to the electoral law, the group noted that “the draft laws that
the ruling class parties are seeking to pass do not only encroach on the right
of a certain sect to correct representation, but also usurp the right of all
segments of the Lebanese people to choose their real representatives.” It
pointed out that some parties want to “create Christian, Sunni and Druze duos
that emulate the Shiite duo.”“What the Lebanese want is a true democracy and
that can only be achieved through comprehensive pluralism across Lebanon and
inside all sects,” the March 14 activists added. As for the proposed extension
of parliament's term, the group said “real rejection of extension is not only
about preventing the incumbent MPs from staying in their posts after June 21,
2017, but also about preventing the extension of all the policies that have been
in place for several years now.”These policies “are based on replacing the
constitution by settlements, the law by deals, legitimate institutions by
illegitimate arms, and democracy by the balance of power that Iran is imposing
on Lebanon through Hizbullah's weapons,” March 14 Moustamerroun said. “The
problem that the Lebanese are suffering from is not only the extension of MPs'
terms but also the extension of the mentalities of repression... that were born
under Syrian occupation and are still being replicated at the hands of Hizbullah
and those who are silent over its arms or are colluding with it,” the group went
on to say.
Berri: Budget Draft Referred to Committee, Wage Scale on
Parliament's Agenda
Naharnet/April 19/17/Speaker Nabih Berri said on Wednesday that the long-awaited
wage scale file is not included in the draft state budget that was submitted to
the parliament today, but assured that it is on the agenda of the upcoming
legislative session on May 15, media reports said.
“The salary scale is listed on the agenda of the parliament meeting scheduled on
May 15,” Berri was quoted as saying. He notified the deputies that a copy of the
state budget was submitted to the parliament on Wednesday and that he referred
it to the Budget and Finance committee for studying.
In March, the cabinet endorsed Lebanon's 2017 state budget, the country's first
budget in 12 years, which was sent to parliament for ratification. Due to
political disputes, Lebanon has not approved a state budget since 2005. The
cabinet discussed the country's budget amid mounting pressures from the public
sector demanding a government approval of the long-awaited wage scale bill.
Demands for the salary hike bill has triggered street protests and sit-ins in
order to push the government into approving the demand.
Lebanese Army Clamps Down on 'Biggest Arms Dealer'
Naharnet/April 19/17/The Lebanese army arrested the 'largest arms dealer' in
Lebanon in the border town of Britel in the Bekaa region, media reports said on
Wednesday. The army staged security raids in the said area and was able arrest
the dealer, who was identified as Aahed Mohsen Mazloum, they added. Mazloum is
one of the largest arms dealers in the country, it said. The army is in a
constant battle against outlaws who seek refuge in remote border areas in
Lebanon.In March, it staged raids on residences of the most wanted drug kingpin,
Nouh Zoaiter in the Bekaa region in east Lebanon. Zoaiter is wanted on several
arrest warrants including the Interpol.
Salameh Meets Aoun: Central Bank Has Ability to Preserve
Monetary Stability
Naharnet/April 19/17/Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh reassured Wednesday that
the Central Bank “has the ability to preserve the monetary stability in the
country.”Salameh voiced his remarks during talks with President Michel Aoun at
the Baabda Palace. State-run National News Agency said discussions tackled the
financial situations in the country and “the available information about
preparations in the U.S. Congress to revise the U.S. financial sanctions act
targeting some Lebanese parties, institutions and individuals.”Aoun instructed
the central bank governor to “follow up on this issue,” the agency added.
Berri Overlooks His Version of Electoral Law, Says Weighing
New Ideas
Naharnet/April 19/17/Speaker Nabih Berri said a new electoral law must be agreed
within the one-month time period given since President Michel Aoun used his
powers to suspend the parliament, and assured that he longer adheres to the
64-64 version of a law format he proposed earlier, al-Joumhouria daily reported
on Wednesday. “In the remaining time we have to reach a new electoral law, we
must not give up or be forced to extend (the parliament's term). There is still
time, it is shameful for us to fail at finding a format that satisfies all
segments of Lebanese society, regardless of their magnitude,” Berri told his
visitors on Tuesday
“We will not accept a law that is not acceptable to all parties, without any
exceptions,” he added. Berri added that in order to avoid a parliament extension
term, the political parties have first to agree on a new law. “A parliament
extension becomes one of two indispensable evils in the absence of a new law,”
he stressed. On the law format proposals that have been put forward so far,
Berri said: “Personally I am currently trying to find an ideal format. I have
already submitted the 64-64 version which I no longer adhere to, knowing that it
secures more than 50 Christian deputies with the votes of Christians. “Moreover,
many sharp objections were made about the qualification format, mainly by MP
Walid Jumblat, the Lebanese Forces and others.” Berri's hybrid electoral law
suggested a distribution of 64-64 between the majority and the proportionality.
He concluded saying that many political parties are putting in efforts to find a
new format including Hizbullah and himself. Our Hizbullah brothers are studying
some ideas,” he said noting that the party has also made a suggestion earlier
“and I am trying to take some of these suggestions and combine them with my own
perhaps we reach consensus on a certain formula," concluded Berri.
Report: International Community Says Lebanon Must Stage Timely Elections
Naharnet/April 19/17/The international community has notified the Lebanese
government of the necessity to agree on a new law for the upcoming parliamentary
polls in order for the country to be able to restore its “democratic rhythm,”
al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.
“Prominent international community sources have communicated with the Lebanese
government stressing the necessity to devise a new law or stage the
parliamentary elections because the international community is annoyed with a
country that endured a presidential vacuum for two years, and is unable now to
draft a new election law and restore its normal democratic cycle,” said al-Joumhouria.
“In this context, a statement issued by the international support group should
be considered. It encouraged the Lebanese leaders to "benefit from the time
frame to intensify their efforts to agree on an electoral framework for holding
free and fair elections in accordance with the constitution,”” added the daily.
The sources reiterated “the importance of staging the elections in a timely
manner to preserve the democratic process in Lebanon,” and called on Lebanese
leaders “to reach an agreement as soon as possible through political
consultations.”Furthermore, “it is worth noting that Lebanon is not included in
the tour initiated by US Defense Minister James Mattis to the region, knowing
that Lebanon is one of the countries that receives US military aid,” said the
newspaper.Political parties are bickering over amending the current 1960
majoritarian election law which divides seats among the different religious
sects. The latest electoral law proposal suggested by Foreign Minister Jebran
Bassil, has reportedly been shelved due to the objections of several political
forces including allies of the Free Patriotic Mnemosyne such as the Lebanese
Forces and al-Mustaqbal Movement. A number of law formats were suggested before
Bassil's as well, but none has garnered consensus of political parties. Bassil's
hybrid, two-round electoral system had been initially rejected by Druze leader
MP Walid Jumblat and the LF, and on Tuesday MP Ammar Houri of al-Mustaqbal bloc
said “Bassil's suggestion with its sectarian voting round cannot pass and it is
distant from the spirit of the Taef Accord and the constitution.” Bassil's
format prevents voters from voting for candidates from other sects in the first
round and divides Lebanon into 26 districts. The second round involves a
non-sectarian proportional representation system and 10 larger districts.
Syrian Mother Arrested for Throwing Newborn in Garbage
Container
Naharnet/April 19/17/The Internal Security Forces arrested 35-year-old Syrian
mother on Wednesday after dumping her newborn baby a year earlier into a waste
container on al-Dora highway, the National News Agency reported Wednesday. “On
the basis of information available to the Tripoli Judicial Unit, the police were
able to arrest Syrian national S.H. for throwing out on 22/6/2016 her newborn
baby girl into a dumpster in al-Dora area. The baby was thrown out the same day
she was born,” an ISF statement said. “The woman has admitted after
interrogations that she got rid of her child because it was the result of an
illicit relationship. Her mother and sister have helped her throughout the
process,” it added. “The two women were also arrested for taking part in the
crime of throwing the baby which has not been found as yet,” added the
statement. The related judicial authorities continue investigations into the
crime.
Hariri, Adwan tackle most recent developments
Wed 19 Apr 2017/NNA - Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, received on Wednesday at Beit
El Wasat Vice-President of the executive committee of the Lebanese Forces, MP
George Adwan, with talks touching on most recent developments as well as ongoing
contacts regarding the vote law.
Lebanese Army: Reconnaissance enemy planes violate Lebanese
Airspace
Wed 19 Apr 2017/NNA - An Israeli reconnaissance plane breached the Lebanese
airspace on Wednesday at 10:07 above the Southern Lebanese village of Kfarkila
and effectuated U-shaped maneuvers over Riyaq, Baalbek and Hermel, a Lebanese
Army communiqué said on Wednesday, adding that the enemy aircraft left at 15:14
from abovementioned village. The communiqué added that another Israeli drone
violated the Lebanese skies on the same day at 8:00 from above Nakoura village,
carried out a circular flight over the south regions and West Bekaa then left
from above Kfarkila. Two Israeli enemy reconnaissance planes violated also at
14:25 the Lebanese skies off Rmaish village, made a U turn over the South
regions, and then left at 15:30 p.m. from above Nakoura village.
Hariri patronizes reconciliation between Abed El Wahed,
Merheb families and military institution
Wed 19 Apr 2017 /NNA - Prime Minister Saad Hariri patronized on Wednesday a
reconciliation between the families of Abed Al Wahed and Merheb as well as the
military institution, in the presence of Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic,
Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, Minister of National Defense Yaacoub Sarraf, Minister
of State for the Displaced, Moeen Merhebi, and several MPs. Sheikh Derian
expressed his happiness to meet with Premier Hariri and families from Akkar. "Akkar
is dear to our hearts, and we want it to be an incubator for security and
reassurance, an incubator for tolerance and coexistence."Derian also said that
today's encounter aims to cement ties and cordial relations among families. "We
may face problems, crises and accidents throughout our coexistence but we should
heal our wounds," he said. PM Hariri, for his part, welcomed the families at the
Grand Serail and said that he understood their great loss...; "but our stand
together and love can mitigate such a loss." Hariri thanked the families for
taking this difficult step that leads to righteousness and unity for the benefit
of the country and the region. Hariri, separately, received delegations
participating at the conference organized by the Lebanese Dar Fatwa including
Sheikh Derian, Egypt's Grand Mufti, Sheikh Shawki Allam, Jordan's Grand Mufti,
Sheikh Mohammad Al Khalayleh, and scores of scholars. Attendees tackled the
conference goals and the paramount importance of inter-faith dialogue in
combating extremism as well as the essential role of official religious
institutions in this regard.
Archbishop Rahme receives Hezbollah delegation
Wed 19 Apr 2017/NNA - Baalbak Hermel Maronite Archbishop, Hanna Rahme, received
on Wednesday a delegation from Hezbollah Bekaa district command to well wish him
on Easter.
Lebanon's Army Commander, Egypt's Ambassador tackle
cooperation prospects
Wed 19 Apr 2017/NNA - Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, received on Tuesday
at his Yarzeh office Egypt's Ambassador to Lebanon, Nazih al-Najjari,
accompanied by Embassy Military Attache Wael Mahmoud Zakaria. Talks reportedly
dwelt on cooperation relations between the armies of Lebanon and Egypt. General
Aoun also met MPs Samir Jisr and Ziad Kadri, with talks reportedly touching on
the general situation. The General also met with the Assistant Secretary General
of the Arab League Ambassador Abdul Rahman Solh, whereby they discussed the
overall situation.
Aoun then met with Goodwill, Humanitarian and Development Ambassador in the
Middle East Hassan
Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
April 19-20/17
Syria moves
all its fighter jets to Russian base
DEBKAfile Special Report April 19,
2017
Syria has moved all its fighter aircraft to the Russian Hmeimim air base in
Latakia three weeks after 59 US Tomahawk cruise missiles knocked out one-fifth
of its air force at the Shayrat base, in retaliation for a chemical attack on
civilians in Idlib. This was reported Wednesday night, April 19, by the
Pentagon. The Russian high command in Syria has its seat at that base.
DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the Syrian air force will operate
henceforth under Russian protection and behind the advanced Russian S-300 and
S-400 air defense shield without fear of US reprisals. President Vladimir
Putin’s response to the Trump administration’s call to distance Moscow from the
Assad regime is therefore a flat rejection. He is instead fortifying Russian
support for that regime. The upsurge of Russian-US military tension places at
risk the operational coordination accords prevailing between the air forces of
Russia, the US and Israel in Syrian skies. Syrian operational staff officers
working in Hmeimim will now have access to the advanced Russian surveillance
instruments tracking the movements of all foreign aircraft moving through Syrian
air space. Syrian intelligence officers will also be close to Russian SIGINT
facilities which the Russian spy agency GRU has installed there. In other words,
by a single move, the Russians have substantially upgraded the Syrian air
force’s operational and intelligence capabilities. How does this affect the
Syrian and Iranian air freight traffic ferrying military supplies from Iran?
Where will they deliver their cargoes? Will they too be allowed to land at the
Russian base in Latakia? If they are, the Israeli air force will be prevented
from cutting down the flow of Iranian weapons for Hizballah. The new move more
or less buries the Russian-Israeli agreements covering Syrian skies. The
Pentagon disclosure came ironically just hours after a senior Israeli military
officer confidently informed military correspondents in Tel Aviv that the
mechanism introduced for Russian-Israeli air force coordination in Syria had
been successfully adopted by other nations operating in Syria, such as Turkey
and the United States. He reported that the arrangement included reciprocal
visits once every two months by heads of the operations divisions of the two
armies. These visits will probably go the same way now as the entire
arrangement.
Russian envoy, Foreign Ministry to discuss
recognition of J'lem as Capital
Jerusalem Post/April 19/17/Even though Russia recognized west Jerusalem as the
capital, it does not mean that the embassy will move from Tel Aviv. Russia's
Ambassador to Israel Alexander Shein is expected to meet in the coming days with
senior Foreign Ministry officials to discuss the significance of its surprise
announcement earlier this month to recognize west Jerusalem as the capital of
the Jewish state. Shein is expected to tell his interlocutors that Moscow now
recognizes west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and that it expects that east
Jerusalem will be the capital of a Palestinian state in any future agreemen.
Though Russia is the first country in the world to recognize west Jerusalem as
the capital, its decision does not mean that it will move its embassy from Tel
Aviv. Moscow’s position is that even with this recognition, it remains committed
to UN Security Council Resolution 478 from 1980 that slammed Israel for adopting
the Jerusalem Law declaring united Jerusalem as its capital, and that called on
all countries to move their embassies out of the city. So far, Moscow’s move has
been met with only a muted reaction from the Arab world, even though many have
warned US President Donald Trump that if he carries out his campaign promise to
move America’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem – which would be tantamount to
recognition of at least west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital – there would be the
risk of a violent flare up, not only in Jerusalem, but throughout the Muslim
world.
No such reaction accompanied the Russian move, with one explanation being that
the Russians did something that Trump in his campaign rhetoric about moving the
embassy did not do: coupled recognition of west Jerusalem with an announcement
that it expects east Jerusalem to be the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Israel, meanwhile, has not yet publicly responded to Moscow’s announcement, a
statement that was to a large extent drowned out because it came two days after
the chemical attack in Idlib and a few hours before the US launched 59 Tomahawk
missiles at a Syrian air base in response.
While some speculation about Israel’s silence was that it could not publicly
applaud a move that only recognized half the city as its capital, Shein is
expected to hear Israeli satisfaction at the move. The reason is because it is
seen as a step forward against the idea of Jerusalem as a corpus separatum –
separate entity under an international regime – as laid out in the 1947 UN
partition plan. The corpus separatum remains a position that many countries,
such as those in the European Union, have never formally moved away from, even
as the EU often states that it would like to see Jerusalem as a capital of two
states.
The Russian move has been explained simply as Moscow’s recognition of the
reality that most Israeli government offices are situated in west Jerusalem. But
The Jerusalem Post has learned that the fact that the Middle East diplomatic
process has been stuck for three years also played a part in Moscow’s
calculations and timing, with Russia wanting its unilateral step to send a clear
message to Israel, the Palestinians and the Americans that it is dissatisfied
with the status quo. While Moscow will not move its embassy to Jerusalem, west
Jerusalem is expected to appear from now onward in official Russian maps, and
will be taught as Israel’s capital in the country’s schools. So far, no other
country has followed Moscow’s lead, nor – according to diplomatic officials –
are any expected to immediately do so.
Civilian Council in Raqqa under Arab-Kurdish Leadership
Asharq Al-Awsat//April 19/17/Beirut, Washington- The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
announced on Tuesday the creation of the Raqqa Civilian Council under a joint
Arab-Kurdish leadership to administer the northern Syrian city after its
complete liberation from ISIS militants. “The civilian council of Raqqa will be
charged with administering Raqqa and the surrounding province after liberation,”
the SDF Command said in a statement. The announcement was made following a
meeting held between SDF leaders and representatives from the Raqqa tribes in
the town of Ain Issa, located some 65 kilometers north of Raqqa city. During the
meeting, participants announced the formation of the council and said 14
committees are expected to run the province. The Syrian opposition was not
enthusiastic about this announcement. Several sources feared the new council
would provide the Arab cover for the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) to
control Raqqa. Head of the Kurdish National Council Ibrahim Berro told Asharq
Al-Awsat on Tuesday that the Kurdish Democratic Party is using a policy that
increases the rivalry of the Syrian people’s components against Kurds. SDF
sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Leila Mustafa, a Kurdish woman from Raqqa, was
elected as the joint head of the council, which is also led by Sheikh Mahmoud
Shawakh al-Barsan, a prominent leader of the Raqqa tribes. The SDF source said
efforts were expended to form a Kurdish internal security force known as the
“Asayesh force” to perform the duties of local police in the liberated areas of
Raqqa. Meanwhile, AP reported on Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s plans for
Syria have come into clearer view since he ordered cruise missiles fired on a
Syrian air base to punish Bashar Assad for a chemical weapons attack. “The
strategy breaks down into three basic phases: defeating ISIS, restoring
stability in Syria region-by-region and securing a political transition in which
Assad ultimately steps down,” a US official told AP. Trump’s airstrikes marked
the first US attack against Assad’s forces, but the official said there’s no
appetite for using America’s military to depose Assad. At the battlefield, SDF
forces continued their incursion in the city of Tabqa, where they are leading
fierce battles against ISIS jihadists.
Six Killed in Aleppo Bombing as Evacuation of 4 Syrian
Towns Resumes
Asharq Al-Awsat//April 19/17/Six people were killed and dozens others wounded in
a blast that rocked the northern Syrian city of Aleppo at a time when a complex
evacuation deal was being carried out a few kilometers away in Rashidin, a
southwestern suburb of the city. Syrian state TV said an explosive device went
off in the northern city of Aleppo, killing six people and wounding 30 others.It
did not provide further details on Wednesday’s blast in the regime-held
Salaheddin neighborhood. Opposition media groups, including Aleppo Today, said
the explosion occurred near a mosque during the funeral of a regime fighter.
Aleppo was divided between regime and rebel-held districts for years, but regime
forces managed to drive rebels from the city in December with a Russian-backed
offensive. Some contested areas remain. Meanwhile, the widely criticized
evacuation of thousands of Syrians from four besieged areas resumed Wednesday,
state media and activists said, days after a bombing killed more than 120
evacuees and delayed the population transfer. The Central Military Media said
3,000 residents of two pro-regime villages, Foua and Kafarya, left Wednesday in
45 buses bound for regime-controlled Aleppo. Another 11 buses carrying some 500
people, including opposition fighters, left Madaya and Zabadani, near Damascus,
heading toward the northern rebel-held Idlib province. The opposition-run Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights also reported the transfer, which it said includes
800 armed men from both the rebels and regime. Some 160, mostly gunmen, had
remained in Zabadani. “The process has resumed with 3,000 people leaving Foua
and Kafraya at dawn and nearly 300 leaving Zabadani and two other rebel-held
areas,” the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, Rami Abdel Rahman, told
AFP. Security was tightened up for Wednesday’s departures. Several dozen armed
rebel fighters stood guard over the marshalling area where the buses were
parked. The AFP correspondent said all other vehicles were carefully searched.
After repeated delays, the first phase of the deal began on Friday. Some 30
hours after the first two batches reached exchange points, a massive explosion
struck near buses carrying evacuees from the pro-regime areas, killing more than
120, mostly women and children. Many of the rebel fighters who guarded the buses
were also killed. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, which the regime
blamed on the rebels. The transfer deal is not overseen by the United Nations.
Critics say the string of evacuations, which could see some 30,000 people moved
across battle lines over the next 60 days, rewards siege tactics and amounts to
forced displacement along political and sectarian lines. All four areas have
been under siege for years, their fate linked through a series of reciprocal
agreements that the UN says have hindered aid deliveries.
White House confirms Iran deal review
Reuters, Washington Wednesday, 19 April 2017/The White House has ordered a
review of the Iran nuclear deal, his spokesman said on Wednesday. Asked at a
news briefing if Trump had decided to pull out of the 2015 deal, White House
spokesman Sean Spicer said the 90-day inter-agency review, announced on Tuesday,
would make recommendations on the path forward. The agreement between Iran and
six world powers, negotiated during Barack Obama’s presidency, placed
limitations on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting international oil
and financial sanctions against Iran. During his presidential campaign, Trump
called the agreement “the worst deal ever negotiated.” Iranian Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Khamenei warned in November that Tehran would retaliate if the United
States breached the nuclear agreement.
Compliance
When Spicer was questioned whether Trump was concerned Iran was cheating on the
deal, he said “That’s why he’'s asking for this review. If he didn’t, if he
thought everything was fine he would’ve allowed this to move forward.”“Part of
the review ... is to determine where Iran is in compliance with the deal and to
make recommendations to the president on the path forward,” Spicer said.
US says Iran complies with nuke deal, but orders review on
lifting sanctions
Lesley Wroughton, Reuters Wednesday, 19 April 2017/The Trump administration said
on Tuesday it was launching an inter-agency review of whether the lifting of
sanctions against Iran was in the United States' national security interests,
while acknowledging that Tehran was complying with a deal to rein in its nuclear
program. In a letter to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, the top
Republican in Congress, on Tuesday U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said
Iran remained compliant with the 2015 deal, but said there were concerns about
its role as a state sponsor of terrorism. Under the deal, the State Department
must notify Congress every 90 days on Iran's compliance under the so-called
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). It is the first such notification
under U.S. President Donald Trump.
"The U.S. Department of State certified to U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan today
that Iran is compliant through April 18 with its commitments under the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action," Tillerson said in a statement. "President Donald
J. Trump has directed a National Security Council-led interagency review of the
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that will evaluate whether suspension of
sanctions related to Iran pursuant to the JCPOA is vital to the national
security interests of the United States," Tillerson added. He did not say how
long the review would take but said in the letter to Ryan that the
administration looked forward to working with Congress on the issue. During his
presidential campaign, Trump called the agreement "the worst deal ever
negotiated," raising questions over whether he would rip up the agreement once
he took office. The historic deal between Iran and six major powers restricts
Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international oil and
financial sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Iran denies ever having
considered developing atomic weapons although nuclear experts have warned that
any U.S. violation of the nuclear deal would allow Iran also to pull back from
its commitments to curb nuclear development. Those commitments include reducing
the number of its centrifuges by two-thirds, capping its level of uranium
enrichment well below the level needed for bomb-grade material, reducing its
enriched uranium stockpile from around 10,000 kg to 300 kg for 15 years, and
submitting to international inspections to verify its compliance.Last month
Trump's Defense Secretary James Mattis said Iran continued to behave as an
exporter of terrorism and still sponsors militant activity. The United States
has long accused Iran of being the world's biggest state sponsor of terrorism,
saying Tehran supported conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, and backed groups
such as Hezbollah, its Lebanon-based ally.
‘He does not like white people:’ Man goes on killing spree
in California
Reuters, California Wednesday, 19 April 2017/A gunman who went by the nickname
Black Jesus killed three white men in downtown Fresno, California, on Tuesday,
and fired at another before he was taken into custody while shouting "Allahu
Akhbar," police said. The suspect, 39-year-old Kori Ali Muhammad, was also
wanted in connection with the fatal shooting last week of an unarmed security
guard at a Motel 6 in Fresno, Police Chief Jerry Dyer told reporters at a press
conference. Dyer said Muhammad fired at least 16 rounds from a large-caliber
handgun in less than a minute at four downtown Fresno locations at about 10:45
a.m. local time before he was spotted running through the streets by a police
officer. "Immediately upon the individual seeing the officer he literally dove
onto the ground and was taken into custody and as he was taken into custody he
yelled out 'Allahu Akhbar,'" Dyer said. The term means "God is great" in Arabic.
"He does not like white people," Dyer said, citing the suspect's statements
after being arrested and his Facebook postings. The chief said Muhammad, who is
African American, used the nickname Black Jesus. All four of the men killed on
Tuesday were white, as was the security guard and the other man Mohammad shot at
but missed. Dyer said it was too early to rule out terrorism and that his
department had contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate, but
portrayed the incident as "a random act of violence." "These individuals who
were chosen today did not do anything to deserve what they got," he said. "These
were unprovoked attacks by an individual who was intent on carrying out
homicides today, and he did that." Dyer said Muhammad had been identified
quickly as the prime suspect in the Motel 6 shooting on April 13 and that police
had been urgently seeking him across the Fresno area since then. Fresno is an
agricultural hub in California's central valley, about 170 miles southeast of
San Francisco. Muhammad has a criminal history that includes weapons and drug
charges and had spent time in state prison, Dyer said. County government
buildings were placed on lockdown during the shooting spree and residents were
urged to shelter in place. Local television images showed what appeared to be a
body covered in a yellow tarp in a street near where police tape marked off
several crime scenes.
Chemical weapons watchdog says Sarin or similar used in
Idlib attack
Reuters, Amsterdam Wednesday, 19 April 2017/Sarin or a similar banned toxin was
used in an attack in Syria’s Idlib province on April 4 that killed nearly 90
people, the head of the global chemical weapons watchdog was quoted as saying by
its British delegation. The finding supported earlier testing by Turkish and
British laboratories. The British delegation said on Wednesday that the
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ Director General Ahmet
Uzumcu said results of the analysis “indicate that sarin or a sarin like
substance was used.”
Evacuations resume after deadly bombing in Syria
AFP, Rashidin, Syria Wednesday, 19 April 2017/The evacuation of civilians and
fighters from besieged Syrian towns resumed on Wednesday after a weekend bombing
at a transit point killed 126 people, 68 of them children, an AFP correspondent
reported. Dozens of buses from the government-held towns of Fuaa and Kafraya,
which have been under crippling siege for more than two years, reached the edge
of the rebel-held transit point of Rashidin outside government-held second city
Aleppo, the correspondent said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
confirmed the hard-won evacuation deal was back under way. “The process has
resumed with 3,000 people leaving Fuaa and Kafraya at dawn and nearly 300
leaving Zabadani and two other rebel-held areas,” the head of the Britain-based
monitoring group, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP. Rashidin was the scene of
Saturday's deadly bombing. At least 109 of the dead were evacuees. The rest were
aid workers and rebels guarding the convoy. Dozens of wounded were taken to
hospitals in nearby rebel-held territory, while others were taken to Aleppo. The
evacuations were taking place under a deal between the government and the rebels
that is also seeing residents and rebels transported out of Madaya and Zabadani,
towns near Damascus that are surrounded by pro-government forces. The agreement
is the latest in a string of such deals, which the government of President
Bashar al-Assad says are the best way to end the violence after more than six
years of civil war. Rebels say they amount to forced relocation after years of
bombardment and siege. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for
Saturday's bombing. Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham, which has many fighters
in the area, denied any involvement. The government blamed “terrorists,” a
catch-all term for its opponents. The evacuation deal was brokered late last
month by Qatar, a longtime supporter of the rebels, and Iran, a key regime ally.
Its implementation had been repeatedly delayed.
Russia’s undeclared death toll in Syria creeps higher
By Reuters, Khutor Pochtovy, Russia Wednesday, 19 April 2017/The death toll
among Russian forces in Syria during a period of intense fighting to retake the
city of Palmyra now stands at 21, according to evidence gathered by Reuters,
after information emerged about the deaths of three military contractors. The
Reuters tally over the period from Jan. 29 until late March is more than four
times higher than the official toll given by the Russian defense ministry of
five servicemen killed. Russian forces are backing Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad in his war with rebels and militants seeking to oust him. Reuters
reported last month, based on conversations with friends and relatives of the
killed men, social media posts, and cemetery officials, that 18 Russian citizens
had been killed from late January to late March. Since then, Reuters has
established the deaths in combat of a further three - Alexei Safonov, Vladimir
Plutinsky and Mikhail Nefedov - that interviews with people close to them
indicated they were military contractors rather than regular servicemen. Apart
from regular soldiers, Russia deploys private contractors to Syria. They have
civilian status, officially, but are often retired veterans with battlefield
experience. They act as an attack force in ground operations under military
command, sources familiar with the operation in Syria have previously told
Reuters. Moscow does not publicly admit the presence of military contractors in
Syria and does not reveal casualties among them. The official total Russian
military death toll since Moscow’s 2015 intervention in Syria is 30, but may be
considerably higher as under Russian law military casualties are a state secret.
The Russian defense ministry, the foreign ministry, and the Russian consulate in
Damascus did not respond to requests for comment on the three contractors
submitted by Reuters.
The family of 41-year-old Safonov, who died in mid-March, was told little about
how it happened, one of his relatives said on condition of anonymity. “I can
only say one thing: it was in Syria,” said the relative. Safonov had fought in
eastern Ukraine, where pro-Moscow rebels are fighting a separatist war, before
moving on to Syria, according to his relative. Safonov was buried in his home
village of Khutor Pochtovy, southern Russia, two weeks after his death. Several
of Safonov’s neighbors, and a local official, confirmed that he had died in
Syria. Pyotr Ivanov, head of the local draft board, did not confirm the
circumstances of his death but said he went to the funeral because Safonov was a
veteran of the military’s past campaigns against a rebellion in the Russian
region of Chechnya. He was not a serviceman when he died, Ivanov told Reuters.
Plutinsky, a 46-year-old resident of a settlement called Stanitsa Kazanskaya in
southern Russia, was killed in Tiyas near Palmyra on Feb. 12, according to an
official document that had data from his death certificate and was seen by
Reuters. A relative of Plutinsky confirmed that he had died in the Syrian
province of Homs, which includes Tiyas, and said he had not been serving in the
army at the time. Nefedov, 27, a private military contractor, was killed in
Syria in February, an acquaintance, Alexander Pashkov, told Reuters, confirming
earlier reports in Russian media about Nefedov’s death.
King Salman, Mattis Discuss Saudi-US Strategic Friendship
Asharq Al-Awsat English/April 19/17/The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Salman bin Abdulaziz received at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Wednesday United
States Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Saudi Press Agency reported. During
the meeting, King Salman and Mattis discussed ways of enhancing strategic
friendship relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the US, especially
in the field of defense. They also discussed the latest regional and
international developments, SPA said. According to the state news agency, the
audience was attended by Minister of State and Cabinet’s Member Dr. Musaed bin
Mohammed Al-Aiban, Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Adel bin Zaid
Altoraifi, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir. On the US
side, it was attended by US Charge d’Affaires Christopher Henzel, Deputy
National Security Advisor for Strategy Dina Powell, Senior Advisor Sally
Donnelly, and Senior Military Assistant Rear Admiral Craig S. Faller, SPA added.
Mattis in Riyadh: There is disorder wherever Iran is
present
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Wednesday, 19 April 2017/Saudi Arabia’s King
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received the United States Secretary of Defense
James Mattis at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh today, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA)
has announced. During the meeting, they discussed ways of enhancing strategic
friendship relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States
of America, especially in the field of defense, and the latest developments of
regional and international events. At the end of his talks today in Riyadh, the
US defense secretary said that Saudi Arabia is taking a leading role in the
region by helping Jordan to Egypt with the Syrian refugees. He also said he
discussed Iran's activities in the region and aims to prevent them from
establishing a ‘Hezbollah-like’ militia in Yemen. Minister of State and Cabinet
Member Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Minister of Culture and Information Dr.
Adel bin Zaid Altoraifi, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir,
were present on the occasion. From the American side, the meeting was attended
by the Charge D’Affaires of the Embassy of the United States of America to the
Kingdom Christopher Henzel, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy Dina
Powell, Senior Advisor Sally Donnelly, and Senior Military Assistant Rear
Admiral Craig S. Faller.
Tillerson: Iran supports Houthis and threatens naval
navigation in the Gulf
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Thursday, 20 April 2017/US Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson said in a press conference in Washington on Wednesday that Iran
continues to support the Houthi militia in Yemen and threatens naval navigation
in the Arabian Gulf. Tillerson also noted that Iran funds insurgents in Syria as
well as sends troops to fight in support of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
He added that Tehran’s nuclear ambitions place a threat on world peace, and it
holds the worst record with human rights – highlighting that Iran’s danger to
the region and world must be seen.
France to provide proof on Syria govt chemical weapons use
Reuters, Paris Wednesday, 19 April 2017/French intelligence services will
provide proof in the coming days that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces
used chemical weapons in an attack on April 4, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc
Ayrault said on Wednesday. “There is an investigation underway (by) the French
intelligence services and military intelligence ... it’s a question of days and
we will provide proof that the regime carried out these strikes,” Ayrault told
LCP television. “We have elements that will enable us to show that the regime
knowingly used chemical weapons,” he said.
US Special Forces reach Anbar province in Iraq to support
ISIS fight
Staff writer, Al Arabiya.net Wednesday, 19 April 2017/US Special Forces units
reached Ain al-Assad Airbase, the western Anbar province in Iraq, on Tuesday to
help Iraqi forces recapture cities still held by ISIS. “A large number of US
Special Forces units reached the Ain al-Assad Airbase in Anbar’s Al-Baghdadi
district some 90 kilometers west of Ramadi,” the Turkish Anadolu Agency
reported, quoting an Iraqi army brigadier-general. The anonymous officer didn’t
provide details with regard to the number of Special Forces involved due to
restrictions on talking to the media. The source added, the Special Forces units
were transported within a military convoy arriving from Al-Bakr airbase to
Anbar’s Ain al-Assad in Baghdad. “They arrived fully-equipped to take part in
the anticipated liberation of the cities of Anah, Rawa and Al-Qaim,” The
military officer stated.
Salman-Mattis meeting affirms convergence on security
issues
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Wednesday, 19 April 2017/Saudi Deputy Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul-Aziz, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Defense, met in his office in Riyadh on Wednesday with US
Defense Secretary James Mattis. The meeting discussed bilateral relations and
opportunities for improving them and pledged to develop programs and initiatives
between the two countries. During the session, the two sides discussed the
challenges facing the region, especially the hostile practices of the Iranian
regime and its role in destabilizing the security and the stability in the
region. Prince Salman and Mattis also emphasized the need for joint efforts in
combating terrorism and extremist groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda. The meeting
also discussed joint efforts to maintain the security and stability of the
region in general, including the navigation routes and water crossing fords. The
meeting confirmed a convergence of approaches between both sides and a firm
desire to continue joint efforts to achieve security and stability in the
region.
Arab coalition aerial defense intercepts two ballistic
missiles in Yemen’s Marib
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Wednesday, 19 April 2017/The Arab coalition
aerial defense system intercepted two ballistic missiles flying over Yemen’s
Marib on Wednesday. The aerial defenses that protect and support the legitimacy
in Yemen also intercepted two other ballistic missiles and destroyed them.
Earlier, the Yemeni Army took hold of a Houthi militia weapons cache near Khalid
bin al-Waleed camp, which contained all types of weapons and ammunition. This
came in light of the continuous progress achieved by the national army towards
the camp, as battles and artillery shelling and missile exchange continue in the
vicinity of the camp.
Coalition forces destroy ballistic missiles in Yemen
By Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Wednesday, 19 April 2017/The Saudi-led
coalition air defenses intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles in Marib
in Yemen. Meanwhile, national army forces seized control of an arms warehouse
that belongs for Houthi militias and forces loyal to ousted president Ali
Abdullah Saleh in the area surrounding Khaled bin al-Walid camp. The warehouse
contained small, light and heavy weapons and ammunition. Army forces made these
gains as they advance towards the camp. Battles are still ongoing around the
camp as legitimate forces intensified their attack on militias’ gatherings and
pockets in the north, east and west and managed to deter militias from their
posts and to tighten their siege. Military aid provided by the Arab coalition
forces was delivered to fronts in East Mokha. The coalition air force also
helped legitimate forces pursue militias in some mountainous areas inside the
Khaled bin al-Walid camp. The army and resistance forces have as a result
advanced in the western and southern gates of the camp.
US Drone Strikes Kill 5 Qaeda Suspects in Yemen
Asharq Al-Awsat//April 19/17/Two strikes apparently carried out by US drones
killed overnight five suspected al-Qaeda members as they were travelling through
two Yemeni provinces, an official and military sources said on Wednesday. One
strike hit a vehicle in the southern province of Shabwa, killing two suspected
militants, the sources said. A second hit a car in the province of Marib, east
of the capital Sana’a, killing three, they added. A local official said that
authorities had not been able to identify those killed because the bodies were
so badly Washington has sharply intensified its air war against militants from
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) since President Donald Trump took
office in January. The Pentagon said on April 3 that it had carried out more
than 70 strikes against jihadist targets in Yemen since February 28. Washington
regards al-Qaeda’s Yemen-based branch as its most dangerous and accuses it of
plotting multiple attacks against the West. In late January, at least 30 people
were killed in a US commando dawn raid in southern Yemen, including at least 10
women and children, in the first such military operation authorized by Trump.
The new US administration has not yet laid out a clear policy on drone strikes,
but Trump has said he would support an escalation of the fight against militant
groups.
Israeli Official: Barghouti Should Have Been Served a Death
Penalty
Asharq Al-Awsat English/April 19/17/Ramallah, Tel Aviv – On the second day of
hunger strikes in Israeli prisons, officials attacked strike leader Marwan
Barghouti, saying that Israel should have executed the head of the central Fatah
committee a long time ago. Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails began a
hunger strike on Monday. Rage-fueled comments were largely instigated by word on
Barghouti heading the strike, and the American daily “The New York Times”
publishing a detailed report authored by the Fatah activist. The report also
received its fair share of Israeli criticism. Netanyahu blasted “The New York
Times” for not mentioning Barghouti’s “terrorist actions” and for labeling him a
political leader. “Calling Barghouti a leader and parliamentarian is like
calling [Syrian President Bashar] Assad a pediatrician,” Netanyahu said on
Tuesday. An editor’s footnote explained that the Barghouti article explained the
writer’s prison sentence, but neglected to provide sufficient context by stating
the offenses for which he was convicted. They were five counts of murder and
membership in a terrorist organization. Barghouti declined to offer a defense at
his trial and refused to recognize the Israeli court’s jurisdiction and
legitimacy.
Referring to the amended description of Barghouti, Netanyahu added that “the
paper retracted it because we pointed [the error] out to them.”Israeli officials
attacked the Times, saying they publish articles authored by killers, without
fully disclosing their crimes and therefore readers do not know who they are.
For its part, the administration of the Israel Prison Service (IPS) said that
the article was unlawful, because Barghouthi was not given permission to write
it. Barghouti, along with Karim Younis, Maher Younis and Mahmoud Abu Sorour,
were isolated and placed in solitary confinement at the Jalameh prison in
northern Israel after being transferred from Hadarim Prison, located some 20
kilometers from Tel Aviv. In a statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry refused
to consider Barghouti and his comrades partaking in the hunger strike as
“political prisoners,” noting that “they were murderers and saboteurs”– the
statement clearly stated that they were tried and convicted, according to the
law. In his opinion piece in the Times, Barghouti said a strike was the only way
to gain concessions after other options had failed. Intelligence and
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz said that the convicted Fatah figure,
Barghouti, should have been given the death penalty instead of life imprisonment
for plotting murders during the second intifada. “When a despicable murderer
like Barghouti protests in prison for improved conditions, while the relatives
of those he murdered are still in pain, there is only one solution — death
penalty for terrorists,” Katz wrote. Palestinians termed the open-ended strike a
protest against poor conditions and an Israeli policy of detention without trial
that has been applied against thousands since the 1980s.
Young Muslim Jordanians Launch Initiative To
Guard Churches On Easter Sunday
MEMRI/April 19/17
On April 15, 2017, following the deadly church bombings perpetrated by ISIS in
Egypt and following the circulation of an ISIS video threatening terror in
Jordan,[1] the English-language Jordanian daily Jordan Times reported that young
Muslim Jordanians from various parts of the country had volunteered to guard
churches on Easter Sunday. The article, by Suzanna Goussous, quoted some of the
activists, who said that the goal of the initiative was to underscore the unity
among Jordanians and enable all citizens of the kingdom to practice their
religion in peace without restrictions or fear.
The following are excerpts from the report, in the original English.
"After the attacks on two churches in Egypt last week, Muslim Jordanian youth
launched an initiative to protect churches all over the Kingdom on Easter
Sunday, in an act of solidarity, they said.
"Daesh claimed responsibility for the attacks on two Coptic churches in Egypt’s
Tanta and Alexandria on Palm Sunday, which killed around 44 and injured more
than 100 worshippers, many of whom were children.
"Kazem Kharabsheh wrote: 'On Sunday, our Christian brothers and sisters will be
in churches [performing] religious [rituals], [and] extremists [are] threatening
our national security… My Muslim friends and I will be in Balqa Governorate,
protecting its churches and people'...
"Another Balqa resident, Fayez Ruqeidi, added the vigilante act is meant to
'underline the unity of Jordanians and to give everyone the freedom to practice
their religion without restraints or fear'."In Madaba, Hazem Al Fouqaha said many Muslim residents will stand as guards in
front of churches to ensure the safety of Christians inside.
"Saleh Abu Mahfoud from Zarqa Governorate, some 19km east of Amman, announced
his wil lingness to protect churches in the area, along with other activists to
show solidarity with Christians celebrating Easter.
"Activists in Ajloun voiced a similar stand to 'show the world the harmony and
conviviality in Jordan' and to present a model of a fight against extremism,
xenophobia, and radicalism.'
"'We are always proud to say Jordan is made up of harmonious pieces of mosaics;
it’s truly sad to see such security measures taken out of necessity in Jordan.
We live in a small country and we know everyone here,' Amman resident Hala Saadi
told The Jordan Times.
"Several security checkpoints were installed on the gates of some churches
around the country, as a way to ensure protection of worshippers.
"Father Rifat Bader from the Amman-based Catholic Centre for Studies and Media
said installing checkpoints at church gates is only a normal measure 'to help
the security personnel, who are always present on every religious occasion'.
"Palm Sunday in Jordan was trouble free."
[1] About the video, see MEMRI JTTM report, New ISIS Video Calls For Attacks On
American And Western Soldiers And Civilians In Jordan, April 6, 2017.
Turkey’s main opposition party could withdraw from
parliament
Reuters, Ankara Wednesday, 19 April 2017/Turkey’s main opposition Republican
People’s Party could consider withdrawing from parliament in protest at
irregularities in Sunday’s referendum, the party’s spokeswoman was quoted by
Hurriyet daily as saying. “We don’t recognize the referendum result,” Selin
Sayek Boke said. “There should be no doubt that we will exercise all our
democratic rights against it.”Boke said the referendum should be held again
because its legitimacy was being questioned both in Turkey and internationally.
Members of Modi’s party in India to face trial over Babri
mosque demolition
AFP, New Delhi Wednesday, 19 April 2017/Three senior members of India’s ruling
Hindu nationalist party including a government minister should face trial over
the demolition of a mosque a quarter of a century ago, the Supreme Court ruled
on Wednesday. The three are accused of inciting Hindu zealots to pull down the
16th century Babri mosque in 1992, igniting one of India’s most explosive
religious disputes in which thousands died. The demolition of the mosque marked
the culmination of a virulent campaign led by the now ruling Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP). India’s top court said government minister Uma Bharti, former
deputy prime minister L K Advani and M M Joshi – all senior BJP members – should
face criminal conspiracy charges, according to the Press Trust of India news
agency. The ruling came after a lower court dropped the charges brought against
them by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), kicking off a series of
appeals and counter-appeals.“We have allowed the CBI appeal against the
Allahabad High Court judgement with certain directions,” the Press Trust of
India news agency quoted the Supreme Court judges as saying. Many Hindus believe
the Babri mosque was only built after the destruction of a temple that marks the
birthplace of their deity Ram. Indian activists of Hindu Bajrang Dal, along with
Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) organizations, raise religious slogans during a
procession marking the 23rd anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid
Mosque in Ayodhya, in Amritsar on December 6, 2015. (AFP)
India’s next president
Some in the BJP, which recently won elections in India’s largest state Uttar
Pradesh, want to build a temple to Ram on the ruins of the razed mosque – an
idea that horrifies the state’s significant Muslim minority. Indian media said
the charges would scupper the chances of Advani, now 89, of becoming India’s
next president when the role becomes vacant later this year. He was present on
the day of the demolition, which sparked nationwide riots and thousands of
deaths and came to define his political career. However, in a later interview
with the BBC, he said the incident had hurt him “tremendously” and should never
have happened. There was no immediate reaction from the BJP, but the opposition
Congress said the ruling party had “tried every trick in the book” to ensure
that Advani, Bharti and Joshi did not face charges. “What they (Supreme Court)
have said today means there’s clinching evidence that needs to be now argued out
in the court,” said party spokesman Sanjay Jha. The court also ruled that a
fourth senior BJP politician, Kalyan Singh, who was leader of Uttar Pradesh at
the time of the incident, should face criminal conspiracy charges. His trial,
however, will be delayed until his stint as governor of Rajasthan state is over
because the position of governor gives him immunity from prosecution.
ISIS claims deadly attack near Egypt’s St. Catherine’s
Monastery in Sinai
Ali Abdelaty, Reuters Cairo Wednesday, 19 April 2017/Gunmen attacked security
forces near St. Catherine's Monastery in Egypt's south Sinai on Tuesday, killing
at least one police officer and injuring four others, the Health Ministry said,
just a week after two deadly church bombings killed 45. ISIS claimed
responsibility for the attack on a police checkpoint about 800 meters (yards)
from the entrance to the monastery, one of the world's most important Christian
sites. The attack comes just 10 days before Pope Francis is scheduled to visit
Egypt and just over a week after two deadly suicide bombings on Christian
churches, also claimed by Islamic State, plunged the country into mourning and
marked one of the bloodiest days for the country's Christian minority in
decades. St. Catherine's, founded in the 6th century and located at the foot of
Mount Sinai, is one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world and a
UNESCO world heritage site. It is part of the Eastern Orthodox church. Egypt's
Christian minority, which makes up about 10 percent of the country's 92 million
people, has increasingly been targeted by Islamist militants, with three deadly
church attacks in the span of four months. In February, scores of Christian
families and students fled North Sinai province after a spate of targeted
killings.A successful assault on St. Catherine's would be the latest challenge
to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has pledged to protect the religious
minority as part of his campaign against extremism. Egypt has for years been
battling an Islamist insurgency in the rugged and thinly populated northern
Sinai, which gained pace after the military overthrew President Mohamed Mursi of
the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 following mass protests against his rule. Attacks
in Egypt's southern Sinai, a popular destination for tourists dotted with Red
Sea resorts, are by contrast rare. Security sources told Reuters that security
had been put on high alert at tourist facilities across southern Sinai after the
attack. The attack in southern Sinai comes as Russia is expected to make a
long-awaited decision on whether to restore flights to the Sharm el-Sheikh
resort after a Russian airliner was downed in 2015, dealing a serious blow to
the area's tourism industry, which relies heavily on Russian visitors. Egypt's
tourism industry, a crucial source of hard currency, has suffered in the years
of turmoil that followed the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, as
well as from the suspected bombing of the Russian plane, which killed all 224 on
board. Israel took the unusual step earlier this month of barring its citizens
from crossing into the Sinai peninsula, saying the threat of attacks in the area
inspired by ISIS and other militant groups was high.
EU Warns against Jeopardizing Libya’s Political Process
Asharq Al-Awsat//April 19/17/Cairo – Leader of the Libyan National Army (LNA)
Marshal Khalifa Haftar has once again rejected calls made by Libyan Prime
Minister of Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj to end military
operations to liberate the South of armed militias, instead assigning a
commander for the southern military area. Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni
is expected to discuss the Libyan crisis in his first summit with Donald Trump
since the US President took office in January. Algeria is also playing its part
in attempts to resolve the Libyan crisis. Algerian Minister of State Abdul Qader
Msahel is expected to begin his trip to Libya on Wednesday during which he will
visit several cities, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. The statement
mentioned that Msahel’s visit is part of the continuous efforts exerted by
Algeria to reach a political solution through a comprehensive Libyan dialogue
and national reconciliation. On the battlefield, the LNA air force targeted
third force militias located near Tamnhant airbase in the south of the country,
where the military besieges militias inside the airbase most of which are loyal
to Sarraj’s government, including the militias loyal to Chadian opposition and
the city of Sirte. Leader of Shield of South brigade Ahmed al-Hasnawi, who is
loyal to Sarraj’s GNA, said army troops shelled the airbase, while Brigade 201
spokesperson said the base was targeted with over 20 howitzer-152 projectiles.
Spokesperson of Sarraj government’s militias Mohammed al-Ghosari said that
Haftar’s end, which will start in southern Libya, is nearing. He stated that the
so-called international intervention force will target the troops and air force
of the Libyan National Army in the South. Ghosari added that the ministry of
defense of Sarraj’s government had requested a no-fly zone over southern Libya.
Haftar, who heads the LNA that is loyal to the internationally recognized
parliament, ordered the formation of a main operations room for the air force of
the general directorate of the army in Benina airbase in Benghazi, eastern
Libya.
Haftar had instructed General Pilot Mohammed al-Manfoor to lead the operations
room and create additional rooms in areas of al-Akhdar Mountain, central,
western and southern Libya. He also assigned Brigadier Khalifa al-Taher Khalifa
Milad commander of the southern military area.
Haftar’s decisions came at a time the European Union warned that the escalating
violence and clashes are threatening the political process and jeopardizing the
lives of Libyan civilians. “Libyans deserve peace and stability, and expect all
sides to refrain from violence and take measures to de-escalate the tense
situation. Libya’s political crisis can only be solved through negotiation
between all stakeholders based on willingness to compromise and by putting the
interests of Libyans first,” an EU spokesman said. The spokesperson pointed out
that the United Nations remains the framework through which the international
community continues to support Libya’s political settlement. He confirmed EU’s
determination to continue supporting this process, including through the Libya
Quartet with the United Nations as well as the African Union and the Arab
League. Sarraj had called on the international community to end the clashes in
the south of the country, saying the sudden military escalation puts Libya on
the brink of a civil war. In the past few months, the LNA was able to liberate
several areas after it lost control over two primary oil ports and then
liberated them recently.
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published on
April 19-20/17
The US War against ISIS
Eli Lake/Bloomberg/April 19/17
Listening to his campaign rhetoric, the last thing you would expect Donald Trump
to do as president would be to escalate a ground war in the Middle East. He won
the Republican nomination last year by campaigning against both George W. Bush’s
war in Iraq and Barack Obama’s war in Libya.
But as Trump’s young presidency has shown, many of the candidate’s foreign
policy positions are not as firmly held as his supporters had hoped. It’s not
just that Trump struck the Syrian regime after last week’s chemical weapons
attack on rebels. It’s not just his recent reversals on Chinese currency
manipulation and the NATO alliance. The president’s biggest foreign policy
surprise may be yet to come.
Senior White House and administration officials tell me Trump’s national
security adviser, General H.R. McMaster, has been quietly pressing his
colleagues to question the underlying assumptions of a draft war plan against
the ISIS group that would maintain only a light US ground troop presence in
Syria. McMaster’s critics inside the administration say he wants to send tens of
thousands of ground troops to the Euphrates River Valley. His supporters insist
he is only trying to facilitate a better interagency process to develop Trump’s
new strategy to defeat the self-described caliphate that controls territory in
Iraq and Syria. US special operations forces and some conventional forces have
been in Iraq and Syria since 2014, when Obama reversed course and ordered a new
air campaign against ISIS. But so far, the US presence on the ground has been
much smaller and quieter than more traditional military campaigns, particularly
for Syria. It’s the difference between boots on the ground and slippers on the
ground.
Trump himself has been on different sides of this issue. He promised during his
campaign that he would develop a plan to destroy ISIS. At times during the
campaign, he said he favored sending ground troops to Syria to accomplish this
task. More recently, Trump told Fox Business this week that that would not be
his approach to fighting the Syrian regime: “We’re not going into Syria,” he
said.
McMaster himself has found resistance to a more robust ground troop presence in
Syria. In two meetings since the end of February of Trump’s national security
cabinet, known as the principals’ committee, Trump’s top advisers have failed to
reach consensus on the ISIS strategy. The White House and administration
officials say Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff Joseph Dunford and General Joseph Votel, who is in charge of US Central
Command, oppose sending more conventional forces into Syria. Meanwhile, White
House senior strategist Stephen Bannon has derided McMaster to his colleagues as
trying to start a new Iraq War, according to these sources.
Because Trump’s national security cabinet has not reached consensus, the ISIS
war plan is now being debated at the policy coordinating committee, the
interagency group hosted at the State Department of subject matter experts that
prepares issues for the principals’ committee and deputies’ committee, after
which a question reaches the president’s desk for a decision.
The genesis of this debate starts with one of Trump’s first actions as
president, when he told the Pentagon to develop a strategy to defeat the ISIS
group. Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, opposed sending
conventional forces into a complicated war zone, where they would be targets of
al Qaeda, ISIS, Iran and Russia. In Flynn’s brief tenure, he supported a deal
with Russia to work together against ISIS and al Qaeda’s Syria affiliate,
similar to a bargain Obama’s secretary of state, John Kerry’s tried and failed
to seal with Moscow.
Inside the Pentagon, military leaders favor a more robust version of Obama’s
strategy against ISIS. This has been a combination of airstrikes and special
operations forces that train and support local forces. Military leaders favor
lifting restrictive rules of engagement for US special operations forces and
using more close air support, like attack helicopters, in future operations
against the ISIS capital in Raqqa.
McMaster however is skeptical of this approach. To start, it relies primarily on
Syrian Kurdish militias to conquer and hold Arab-majority territory. Jack Keane,
a retired four-star Army general who is close to McMaster, acknowledged to me
this week that the Kurdish forces have been willing to fight ISIS, whereas Arab
militias have primarily fought against the Assad regime.
“Our special operations guys believe rightfully so that this was a proven force
that could fight,” Keane said of the Kurdish fighters. “While this makes sense
tactically, it doesn’t make sense strategically. Those are Arab lands, and the
Arabs are not going to put up with Syrian Kurds retaking Arab lands. Whenever
you select a military option, you have got to determine what political end state
will this support. Regrettably this option puts us back to the drawing board.”
There are other reasons that relying too much on the Kurds in Syria presents
problems. The US Air Force relies on Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base to launch
bombing raids over ISIS positions in Syria. The Turks consider the Syrian
Kurdish forces to be allies of Kurdish separatists within Turkey and have
complained that Obama was effectively arming militias with weapons that would be
turned on their own government. (Turkey’s own president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
cynically declared war on his own Kurdish population in 2016, exacerbating these
tensions.)
Keane, who said he was not speaking for McMaster, told me he favored a plan to
begin a military operation along the Euphrates River Valley. “A better option is
to start the operation in the southeast along the Euphrates River Valley,
establish a US base of operations, work with our Sunni Arab coalition partners,
who have made repeated offers to help us against the regime and also ISIS. We
have turned those down during the Obama administration.” Keane added that US
conventional forces would be the anchor of that initial push, which he said
would most likely require around 10,000 US conventional forces, with an
expectation that Arab allies in the region would provide more troops to the
US-led effort.
“The president wants to defeat ISIS, he wants to win, what he needs is a US-led
conventional coalition ground force that can take Raqqa and clean out the
Euphrates River Valley of ISIS all the way to the Iraq border,” Keane said.
“Handwringing about US ground troops in Syria was a fetish of the Obama
administration. Time to look honestly at a winning military strategy.”
White House and administration officials familiar with the current debate tell
me there is no consensus on how many troops to send to Syria and Iraq. Two
sources told me one plan would envision sending up to 50,000 troops. Blogger and
conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich wrote on April 9 that McMaster wanted 150,000
ground troops for Syria, but US officials I spoke with said that number was
wildly inflated and no such plan has been under consideration.
In public the tightlipped McMaster has not revealed support for conventional
ground forces in Syria. But on Sunday in an interview with Fox News, McMaster
gave some insights into his thinking on the broader strategy against ISIS. “We
are conducting very effective operations alongside our partners in Syria and in
Iraq to defeat ISIS, to destroy ISIS and reestablish control of that territory,
control of those populations, protect those populations, allow refugees to come
back, begin reconstruction,” he said.
That’s significant. Obama never said the goal of the US intervention in Iraq and
Syria was to defeat ISIS, let alone to protect the population from the group and
begin reconstruction. Those aims are much closer to the goals of George W.
Bush’s surge strategy for Iraq at the end of his second term, under which US
conventional forces embedded with the Iraqi army would “clear, hold and build”
areas that once belonged to al Qaeda’s franchise.
McMaster himself is no stranger to the surge. As a young colonel serving in
Iraq, he was one of the first military officers to form a successful alliance
with local forces, in Tal Afair, to defeat the predecessor to ISIS, al Qaeda in
Iraq. During the Iraq War, McMaster became one of the closest advisers to David
Petraeus, the four-star general who led the counter-insurgency strategy in Iraq
that defeated al Qaeda in Iraq — and brought about a temporary, uneasy peace
there.
That peace unraveled after Obama withdrew all US forces from Iraq at the end of
2011. Obama himself never apologized for that decision, even though he had to
send special operations forces back to Iraq in the summer of 2014 after ISIS
captured Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city. He argued that US forces in Iraq
would have been caught up inside a civil war had they stayed.
The cadre of former military advisers to Petraeus took a different view. They
argued that America’s abandonment of Iraq gave the Shiite majority there a
license to pursue a sectarian agenda that provided a political and military
opening for ISIS. An active US presence in Iraq would have restrained those
sectarian forces. One of those advisers was H.R. McMaster. It’s now up to Trump
to decide whether to test the Petraeus camp’s theory or try to defeat ISIS with
a light footprint in Syria. Put another way, Trump must decide whether he wants
to wage Bush’s war or continue Obama’s.
Turkish Opposition Seeks Annulment of Referendum
Said Abdul Razzak/Asharq Al Awsat/April 19/17
Ankara – Tensions have risen in Turkey and protests have erupted following
Sunday’s referendum which resulted in a 51.41 percent victory for the “yes”
campaign, while the parliament approved the memo presented by the government to
extend the state of emergency announced since July 21, 2016.
The main opposition People’s Republican Party (CHP) presented a formal appeal to
the High Electoral Board (YSK) challenging the results of the referendum and
calling for its cancelation and the recount of 60 percent of the votes. Hundreds
gathered at the headquarters of YSK calling for cancelation of the results of
the referendum which grants the president new jurisdiction. CHP deputy chairman
Bulent Tezcan said the number of missing votes was “unprecedented” – although
the exact number of unstamped ballots was unknown. CHP said it will take its
challenge to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary. Head of YSK at the
parliament MP Mustafa Sentop said that European Court of Human Rights has
nothing to do with the Turkish referendum. Pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party
stated that it filed an appeal for about three million voters who had unstamped
ballots, which is more than the approval result achieved by President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey’s bar association said that the last-minute decision
taken by YSK to allow unstamped ballots in the referendum was clearly against
the law, prevented proper records being kept, and may have impacted the results.
“With this illegal decision, ballot box councils (officials at polling stations)
were misled into believing that the use of unstamped ballots was appropriate,”
the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) said in a statement.
The association stated that its regret is not over the outcome of the
referendum, but because of the desire to overlook clear and harsh violations of
the law that have the potential to impact the results. Council of Europe
observer mission said up to 2.5 million votes could have been manipulated,
almost double the margin of Erdogan’s victory, and that the YSK decision on
unstamped ballots appeared illegal. Member of mission Alev Korun said: “These
complaints are to be taken very seriously and they are, in any case, of such an
extent that they would turn around the outcome of the vote.”
The European Commission called on Turkey to launch a transparent investigation
into the alleged irregularities. On Wednesday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali
Yildirim said that appeals against the outcome of Sunday’s referendum handing
Erdogan sweeping powers were a right, but that calling people to the streets in
protest were not. During a weekly parliamentary group meeting in Ankara,
Yildirim said the ruling AK Party had received a message from the nation in the
vote – as the “yes” camp won by a narrower majority than it expected – that it
needed to be more careful on some issues.
The PM described efforts to cast a shadow on the result of the vote by spreading
rumors of fraud as “futile and in vain.”
“The will of the people was freely reflected into the ballot boxes and this
business is over. Everyone and all sections and the main opposition party in
particular must show respect. It is wrong to speak after the people have
spoken,” Yildirim stated. Turkish Minister for EU Affairs Omer Celik accused the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) mission, which
oversaw the constitutional referendum in Turkey, of a biased approach. “Report
of the OSCE observation mission is immature and far from objectivity. The
violations were noticed, however, the observers did not comment on the lack of
opportunities for the supporters of the presidential system in Europe to hold
campaigns there, and this is an evidence of their biased approach. The mission
also noted the alleged unequal conditions for ‘yes’ and ‘no’ campaigning,” Celik
told journalists. A day after the referendum and upon the recommendation of the
National Security Board (MGK), Turkish government on April 17 decided to extend
a state of emergency for another three months. It has now been extended three
times since the July 2016 failed coup. Hundreds of people marched to the streets
of Istanbul to protest the results of the referendum and extension of state of
emergency. Local media said that 13 persons had been arrested in Antakya, south
Turkey. On Monday, protesters took to the streets in at least three suburbs of
Istanbul and thousands protesters were shouting “thief, murderer, Erdogan” while
banging pots and pans.
Amid the controversy following the referendum, Turkish Prime Minister Binali
Yildirim said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would be invited to rejoin the
governing AK Party as soon as the official results are announced. “After the
announcement of official results, we will invite our Founding Chairman [Erdogan]
to our party and we will be glad to see him among us,” Yildirim said. During the
meeting, Yıldırım said that the results of the referendum are the beginning of a
new era in Turkish politics and emphasized the necessity for unity and
solidarity in the country as a whole.
“We have turned a new page in our political history. With the result from the
ballots, our people and Turkey has won. This result is a beginning of a new era.
Not only did the supporters of ‘yes’ win but so did our citizens who chose to
support ‘no’ on April 16th… No one is a loser in this election. There is no
difference in the percentage of ‘yes’ votes from Bayburt and the ‘no’ votes from
Tunceli. They have both won,” Yildrim stated. The prime minister stressed that
Turkey is to now move forward and called on his party members to get to work.
Continuing his remarks by urging unity as a country, the prime minister affirmed
that the AK Party is to protect the rights of all citizens without exception.
The membership invitation would come after election results are published in the
Official Gazette, expected in 10-11 days.
What is the IDF trying to hide about the interception of
the Syrian missile
Jerusalem Post/April 19/17
In the wee morning hours of March 17, a Friday, a strange incident marred the
skies over the area of the Jordan Valley in Israel. According to an official
statement released by IDF Spokesman, the country's Air Defense Command
intercepted a Syrian, Russia-manufactured anti-aircraft missile at 2:40 a.m.
It had later been clarified that an Arrow 2 missile was aimed at a Syrian
missile that was fired in the direction of the West Bank and Israel north of
Jerusalem, in the area of the Jordan Valley.
But it seems that the short and laconic announcement by the IDF doesn't really
tell the full story. Or in other words- the IDF isn't revealing the whole truth
about the incident. So what really happened that Friday morning?
On that night, several Israel Air Force jets had returned from a mission in
Syria, where they operated like they have in the past (according to foreign
reports) to stop weapons convoys –mostly advanced missiles - on their way to
Shi’ite terror organization Hezbollah. When the jets were already en route back
to Israel, they came under fire of Russian-manufactured surface to air missiles
SAM-5 (Vega) that were launched from Syria.
One of the Syrian missiles' trajectory pointed south-south west. Theoretically,
it could have landed in Israeli territory. But when such a missile misses its
target (in this case, the IAF jets), it's supposed to activate a
self-destructing mechanism that sends its parts flying to the ground.
Since it was not clear at the time where the missile was coming from and there
was serious concern that it would land within the West Bank or in Israel, it
appears that the Arrow missile defense system had fired one or two intercepting
missiles in its direction (as is the common procedure during interceptions).
Prior to the launch, a red alert siren was heard in several villages in the
Jordan Valley where the interception of the missile was expected to happen.
Several days following the incident, the commander of the Air Defense Command,
Brigadier General Tzi Haimovitch, provided more details. According to him "the
threat was ballistic, and in such a situation there is no room for question
marks or dilemmas." Haimovitch explained that the decision to intercept the
missile was made by the relevant commanders "within a split second."
Due to the rapid reaction that was required facing this threat, the commander of
the IAF and the chief of staff were not made privy to this decision- but they
later backed up and justified it.
Arrow 2 missiles are equipped with a warhead with shrapnel shells. The shrapnel
is usually supposed to hit the front part of the ballistic missile the Arrow
intercepts. This is aimed mainly against the major threat facing Israel -
Shahab-3 and Scud-D missiles, which Iran, Syria and Hezbollah all have in their
arsenal. The shrapnel fired at the missile is meant to eliminate the explosives
and neutralize the threat.
However, the “warhead” of SAM-5, a 40-year-old, outdated missile, does not
contain explosives. It contains "metals"- avionics equipment and a radar
antenna. Its warhead is actually located in its back part, some 3.5-4 meters
from the tip. Next to it is the self-destructing mechanism, and between the two
and the front separates a steel divider.
In short, it is most likely that the Arrow’s shrapnel hit the Syrian missile’s
warhead but not its explosives in the back. In other words- it is doubtful that
an interception took place in the full sense of the word.
What may have happened is that a shock wave, which spreads when shrapnel shards
hit the front part of the missile (with the same effect of a hand-grenade),
could have possibly neutralized the self-destructing mechanism of the Syrian
missile. Another possibility is that the self-destructing mechanism didn't work
for a technical reason.
If that is indeed the case, it can be assumed that a part or parts of the SAM-5,
which weighs seven tons in total, continued in its flight and landed in some
spot in Israeli territory.
Just to make things even clearer: the warhead of the Syrian missile weighs 200
kg. There are both seeing and hearing witnesses from communities in the area who
noted large explosions that were followed by a resounding booming noise and a
visible flash.
The Arrow 2 is a two-stage missile with two engines. The first one is
manufactured by the Israel Military Industries and the second by Rafael Advanced
Defense Systems. When the first engine finishes its activity, it is ejected.
After the incident photos were published in Jordan showing a part of a missile's
motor with inductors that came out of the engine. It fell to the ground in the
area of Jordan's Irbid and was probably the first-stage engine of the Arrow.
Therefore, there is a probability that an Arrow shard hit the Syrian missile,
neutralized its self-destructing mechanism, but did not entirely destroy it.
There's also a chance that the two Arrow missiles missed their target and that
following a technical failure in the Syrian missile's self-destructing
mechanism, the missile got to Israel.
The claim that some made in Israel that the parts that fell in Jordan were
shards of the Syrian SAM has been ruled out by experts.
For the past two weeks the Jerusalem Post has been attempting to receive
detailed answers from the IDF Spokesperson's Unit about the aforementioned
information. Among some of the questions that were referred to the IDF it was
asked whether parts or even small shards from the Syrian missile actually landed
in Israeli territory, and whether published images that showed the metal part
that landed in Jordan were actually part of the Arrow missile.
The spokesperson's unit declined to comment on the questions and was only
willing to comment that the incident was still being investigated and that
conclusions will be drawn accordingly.
This evasive reply raises even more questions. It implies perhaps that the IDF
has something to hide and that the army is not interested in disclosing to the
public the full details about this incident. It is also reminiscent of the
security establishment's conduct seven years ago regarding the Iron Dome missile
defense system. It was claimed in the past that the Iron Dome would be capable
of intercepting mortars or rockets within a short range, even a range of 5km,
and still defend the communities along the border with Gaza. However, as the
previous two military campaigns in Gaza have taught us, despite Iron Dome's
impressive capabilities and the upgrades it has seen since, its ability to
protect is challenged on an almost daily basis.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/What-is-the-IDF-trying-to-hide-about-the-interception-of-the-Syrian-missile-488264
Russia In Syria: All Pain And No Gain
MEMRI/April 19/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=54513
An article by the leader of the liberal Russian party Yabloko, Grigory Yavlinsky,
titled "Russia's Deadlock in Syria" was posted on his party's website on April
13, 2017.[1] In his article, written in the aftermath of the chemical weapons
attack on Khan Sheikhun and the American retaliatory strike on the Shayrat base,
Yavlinksy flayed Putin's policy in Syria. He claimed that Assad was a loose
cannon who controlled Russia more than Russia controlled him despite Russia's
costly investment in the Syrian regime. Furthermore, Russia's policy had left it
without reliable allies in the region, while alienating the Trump administration
in which Russia had placed such high hopes.
Russia, argued Yavlinsky, had pressing needs at home and could not financially
sustain a quagmire in Syria, while simultaneously overextending itself in
Ukraine, Libya, and conducting an arms race with the Americans. In sum, the
military involvement in Syria would soon resemble the tragedy of the Soviet
Union's involvement in Afghanistan and if Russia sought to avoid a recurrence of
that nightmare it had to withdraw immediately from Syria. We republish
Yavlinsky's article below:
Assad Is Calling The Shots Not Russia
"How can it be still unclear to someone that Syria is a trap for Russia? Russia
was led into the Syrian trap by the stupidity of Russian foreign policy, its
short-sightedness and adventurousness. Any further steps targeted at escalation
of Russia’s military actions in Syria only aggravate our situation. The
suspension of the memorandum envisaging the mechanisms to avoid incidents
between the United States and Russia in Syria means that any stupidity or
accident can now lead to a direct clash.
"Contrary to common sense, Russia has been struggling to protect Bashar
al-Assad. Putin sympathizes with the Assad regime, and our country, having
started the war on his side and sending its military to Syria, has become a
hostage to this regime. A big political stake was put on the Syrian president
and preservation of his power. However, in reality, Russia does not control
Assad, either politically or militarily. And it is not Russia which determines
the strategy and tactics of military operations and political maneuvers in Syria
(in particular, in the inter-Syrian negotiations).
"It is also impossible to rely on Assad. Moreover, the Syrian president does not
fully control the situation even in the territories under his control, not to
mention the zones of military operations. Nevertheless, the Russian leadership
has turned Assad into a symbol of its foreign policy and now cannot give up
[supporting] him, even when his crimes drag Russia behind him into a shameful
pit. It turned out that Russia fails to effectively protect Assad from Americans
either. It has become obvious after yesterday’s destruction by the Americans of
the base of the Syrian air force. The US attack showed that, if necessary, they
would do whatever they want.
"The Russian partnership with Turkey is not merely fragile; it is a part of the
trap.
Bottom Line: No True Regional Allies
"Moreover, Russia’s policy has also led to dependence on the decisions of the
extremely inconsistent and unstable Turkish regime. All the plans for a joint
action, all the "bridges" with the regime of Recep Tayyip Erdogan collapse, as
we can see, in an instant and unilaterally. Turkey actively supports the US and
opposes Assad and Russia in the present Syrian crisis.
"Iran has been naturally pursuing its own interests and has also achieved its
goal: it firmly tied Russia to itself, embroiled Russia with other interested
parties and made Russia its tool. By the way, it cannot be completely ruled out
that it was Iran that somehow provoked the use of chemical weapons in Khan
Sheikhun.
"Israel, which traditionally strives for good relations with Russia, has sharply
condemned the use of chemical weapons, showing no doubt who did it, and
supported the American strike against Syria. This was to be expected. Israel is
very concerned that new weapons have got into Hizbullah’s hands and that Sh'iite
militants have had good training under the guidance of Russian instructors. In
addition, after the Israeli air raids on Syrian targets and summoning of the
Israeli Ambassador to the Russian Foreign Ministry, it became clear that a
crisis had emerged in the relations between the two countries. But it is much
more difficult for the Russian aviation to operate in the region without the
neutrality of Israel.
Jordan and Saudi Arabia have certainly also supported the actions of the United
States.
"So Russia does not have allies in the region."
Russia Has Alienated The Americans, Who Do The Heavy Lifting Against ISIS
"In such a situation under the present "chemical" crisis, Russian politicians
and diplomats have, as usually, continued to confront the whole world,
stubbornly defending the military dictatorial regime of the Syrian president.
Delaying the UN investigation into the bombing with the possible use of chemical
weapons in Khan Sheikhun, Russia has virtually proposed to play the fool –
proceed, so to speak, from the presumption of uncertainty, as if saying
"something happened, let’s start from a clean sheet finding out what happened
and who was to blame".
"And then the US missile strike followed. Donald Trump in response to the
chemical attack and without much thought, made a strike at Assad’s troops,
however, technically warning (literally the day before) China, Israel, Turkey
and Russia. The Americans justify the blow by the fact that, given the position
Russia has taken at the UN, there was nothing left for them to do.
"The Trump whom so many Russian political commentators were waiting for – the
one who would not think twice, resolutely correct the consequences of Obama’s
'indecisiveness' and turn on a dime the previous US policies – showed his worth
in the missile attack on Syria. However, the first and so far the only decisive
reversal [of policies] not in words but in deed, hurt the interests of the very
one who seemed to have been supporting him.
"Furthermore, Syria presents for the United States only one of the elements of
their Middle East policy, which, in turn, is only a part, and not a key part, of
their global policy. The decision to strike with Tomahawks on the Syrian air
force base, which overshadowed all other world events, was in fact taken 'on the
sidelines' of Xi Jinping’s visit to Donald Trump. We can assume that one of the
motives that guided the US president was the desire to demonstrate his
'toughness' to the Chinese leader.
"The vanity of hopes that Trump would pull Russia out of its international
isolation and sanctions was clear from the very beginning. But an American blow
at the government airbase in Syria is the end of the "Trump-Is-Ours" game. At
the same time, it is clear that heating up of the conflict up to a "hot" war
with the US is absolutely unacceptable for our country.
"Protection of the Bashar al-Assad regime did not result in any foreign policy
dividends for Russia. On the contrary, he and his crimes only more discredit
Russia in the international arena. According to the UN, 300,000 people were
killed (according to observers, 465,000 people), 2 million were injured and
millions left the country during the war in Syria. Over 4.5 million people live
in constant mortal danger.
"Has Russia defeated the Islamic State? Experts, even those from the Russian
'hawks', admit that Russia has not seriously engaged in the defeat of the ISIS,
and the United States play a decisive role in the fight against terrorists.
However, Russian media criticize more the actions of the anti-ISlS coalition
than condemn the ISIS. The report of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this
topic (about 204 killed warlords and liquidation of 35,000 militants) causes
perplexity and questions, rather than indicate some achievements.
"The resentment of Russia by Sunnis, the followers of the main and most numerous
trend in Islam which Russia helps Assad to fight against, was further
strengthened after Russia’s actual blanching over of the recent chemical attack.
Moreover that Russia, having been a guarantor of the non-use and liquidation of
chemical weapons in Syria since 2013, is responsible for the use of prohibited
weapons by Assad. The number of Sunnis in the world is over 1.5 billion people,
about 90 per cent of all Muslims.
"Participation in the internal confrontation of Sunnis and Shi'ites is a direct
threat to the security of Russian citizens. Therefore, one cannot justify
interference into the Syrian war by the need to ensure the safety of Russians.
The effect is the opposite. The attack in St. Petersburg on the day of Vladimir
Putin’s presence there is a message of this kind.
Protecting Assad Or Treating Russian Cancer Patients
"And that is all for our money, so to say. According to the most conservative
estimates, Russia spent at least 87 billion rubles to protect Assad during the
18 months of the war. This is approximately the same amount as was allocated to
the housing and utilities sector from the federal budget in 2016. This money
could suffice to build 400 kindergartens for 200 children each, or pay for a
course of treatment to 320,000 cancer patients, or cover five years of study in
Moscow universities for 60,400 children, or build 120 fitness centers.
"Further [Russia’s] participation in the war in Syria and a growing expenditure
of [Russia’s] domestic resources is a fundamental undermining of our vital
forces. What is Russia doing there? What do we need there and what can we offer?
Absolutely nothing, as shown by the developments.
"Russia has got into this quagmire of an endless Middle Eastern religious war,
and now our enemies only need only one thing: so that we are completely bogged
down there, continuing to spend all possible and impossible resources. That is a
trap."
Get Out Now
"There is only one solution: to stop Russian military intervention in the Syrian
civil war and withdraw immediately. However, given the psychology of the present
authorities in the Kremlin and the history of Russia’s presence in Syria, it is
especially difficult to do this now. The assault of Americans on Assad is
perceived as a challenge.
"Nevertheless, Russia’s national interests should be higher. Russia has to act
right now. Because tomorrow the conditions for a withdrawal from the Syrian trap
can become even worse, and it is still necessary to get out of there. Yet Russia
does not sacrifice anything, except its ambitions withdrawing from Syria.
Further participation in the Syrian war on the side of brutal dictator Bashar
al-Assad, who probably does not disdain of chemical weapons, as well as
adventurism with bloody consequences in Ukraine, is morally unacceptable and
represents an absolute political dead-end.
"In addition, it is necessary to state with all certainty that neither the
country’s economy nor its military resources allow to pursue a policy that
includes:
– "The war in Syria;
– "The war in Ukraine;
– "Presence in Libya;
– "An accelerated arms race (and at the same time the prospects of a military
clash with the US at any moment).
"The country cannot withstand such a garrote even in the medium-term. Russia
must stop all these military adventures, because its internal resources do not
correspond to the foreign policy and personal ambitions of its leadership.
Otherwise, we will remain trapped, find ourselves in a deadlock from where it
will be increasingly difficult to get out. After all, there are real forces
interested in Russia getting bogged down in this conflict even deeper, getting
exhausted in the absence of the necessary internal resources. And then the trap
will slam shut. It was like this when the USSR was dragged into Afghanistan.
Then the Americans took revenge for their defeat in Vietnam. Soon after
Afghanistan, the country collapsed. History is merciless, it does not tolerate
losers.
"We need a powerful political will and at least a simple common sense, if not
wisdom so that to admit mistakes and stop Russian participation in wars and
adventures that we cannot afford in any way. There are no alternatives to this."
Palestinian Writer To Marwan Al-Barghouti: Hunger Strikes
Achieve Nothing; What Palestinian People Are You Talking About?
MEMRI/April 19/17
In a recent article on the liberal left-wing website Al-Hiwar Al-Mutamadin (alhewar.org),
Palestinian writer Majdi 'Abd Al-Wahhab addressed the hunger strike that has
been launched by Palestinians in Israeli prisons under the leadership of Marwan
Al-Barghouti and has been dubbed "the Struggle for Freedom and Dignity." In the
article, titled "Marwan, Hunger Is Degradation, Not Dignity," 'Abd Al-Wahhab
criticized the strike, stating that hunger bears no connection to freedom and
dignity and that this method has been tried many times in the past without
yielding any positive results. He advised Al-Barghouti to pursue the goal of his
own release from prison, so that he may spend the rest of his life with his
family, and asked Al-Barghouti and his fellow prisoners to leave the
Palestinians alone and let them enjoy their lives. He also wondered how Al-Barghouti
could claim to speak in the name of thousands of prisoners when he was being
held in solitary confinement and how he had managed to smuggle letters out of
his solitary confinement cell.
It should be noted that 'Abd Al-Wahhab has written on the topic of Al-Barghouti
in the past. In a May 2016 article he explained why there was no chance of Al-Barghouti's
release from the Israeli prison.[1]
"The Palestinian prisoners, or, to be accurate, many of them, are starting a
hunger strike today after Marwan Al-Barghouti announced the strike in a letter
that was no doubt smuggled out of solitary confinement cell no. 28 in Hadarim
Prison, [where he is currently held]. First, before addressing the essence [of
the letter], let me ask: How did the leader [Al-Barghouti] even manage to
smuggle this letter out of a solitary confinement cell?! Perhaps with the help
of miracle workers?...
"As for the letter [itself], Marwan addressed it to the people, [but] I do not
know which people he is talking about. Does he still believe that the
Palestinian people exists? Does he not know we are all on the brink of
announcing that we relinquish our Palestinian identity? And may God forgive the
Jews for turning us into a people!!
"Marwan Al-Barghouti began his letter with the words: 'I address you from my
narrow solitary confinement cell.' And I ask: Can a solitary confinement cell be
wide? And how can a letter like this be written from a solitary confinement
cell? But worse than that is [the fact that] he claims to be 'among thousands of
prisoners and [writing] in their name.' If he is in solitary confinement, how
can he feel that he is among thousands [of prisoners]? Is this not a
hallucination? And how can he feel that he speaks for [all the prisoners],
unless the Israel Prison Service allowed him do so? I wish our leader had begun
his letter with the words: 'I address those who wish to hear me after the Israel
Prison Service allowed me to address this letter to you.' Then he went on to
speak of 'the prisoners who decided to take part in the noble and heroic
struggle for freedom and dignity– the battle of the open-ended hunger strike.'
And I ask: How are freedom and dignity connected to hunger?! Does one need to go
hungry in order to attain freedom and dignity? All I know is that hunger is a
sign of degradation.
"Marwan Al-Barghouti then stressed that the prisoners have conducted dozens of
protests and strikes over the [last] 50 years, and that over 200 prisoners have
been martyred. I ask him: What did you attain with all these protests, sir,
except for 'martyrdom'? And if these protests were to no avail, as evident from
the 'martyrdom' – or actually death – of 200 [prisoners], why announce the
present hunger strike?! After all, nothing has changed in your conditions of
imprisonment, and I do not even want to go into the question of applying the
term 'martyr' to one who died as a result of a hunger strike or who threw
himself to his death.
"Marwan Al-Barghouti wrote that every year the occupation casts thousands into
the darkness of its prisons and detention camps. I ask: What is he complaining
about, if that is the road to freedom?! Is this not a [necessary] struggle
[according to his beliefs]? Did he think Israel would hand out roses to those
who kill its sons?! Is this not a kind of foolishness?!
"Moreover, Marwan noted that this strike takes place in the month of April, and
reminded everyone who had forgotten [exactly] what happened in the month of
April: '[It is] the month of the [Deir] Yassin massacre [and of the death of] 'Abd
Al-Qadir Al-Husayni[2] and Abu Jihad[3]... and that is not the end of the list.'
I ask Marwan: Does that not mean that it was all to no avail and that the path
taken by all these leaders was undoubtedly mistaken?!
"Finally, I call on our leader Marwan Al-Barghouti to consider carefully how he
can be released from prison and return to his wife and children before he turns
old, if at all, and spend some time with his family, without which life has no
meaning. [I say to him:] Leave us, our children, our young people and our
mothers alone, for all we want is to enjoy life and not spend it with you in a
dark prison. If you and thousands of others have chosen this [life in prison],
then may you enjoy your choice. But if you want to leave [prison], think
carefully and send another, different message. Let me remind you that your
message will coincide with the Jewish festival of Passover and the Christian
festival of Easter. You should know that [these] holidays are associated with
light, salvation and liberty, and these are things that I wish for you and for
all of us."
[1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6431, "Palestinian Writer: No Chance For
Marwan Barghouti Release From Israeli Prison," May 16, 2016.
[2] A Palestinian Arab nationalist who founded and commanded a militant group
that fought in the Jerusalem area in the 1948 war. He died on April 8, 1948.
[3] Palestinian leader Khalil Ibrahim Al-Wazir, aka Abu Jihad, was a co-founder
of Fatah and a top aide of PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, who eventually became the
commander of Fatah's military wing. He died on April 16, 1988.
UK: War on Free Speech at the National Union of Students
Douglas Murray/Gatestone Institute/April 19/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10235/nus-bouattia-free-speech
It is interesting to consider what would happen were anyone to demand the same
standards of these campaigners against free speech as they demand of others. The
people who make such claims rarely if ever exercise the same civic hygiene they
demand of everybody else.
If it furthered their political and other goals then Malia Bouattia and the
National Union of Students (NUS) would most likely be currently calling for
arrests and prosecutions for incitement, "hate speech" and more. Of course,
nobody could be so ill-mannered as to play this political game back at them. But
if they were to, they would certainly find far greater evidence of cause and
effect than Bouattia and her colleagues have produced to date in their war on
free speech.
It could be said that Bouattia engaged in "hate speech" as well as "racist
speech" when she said the words she did. It could further be claimed that what
Bouattia said in fact constituted "incitement" and an "open invitation to
violence". It could be argued that the words which came out of her lips led
directly to a Palestinian man thinking that a British student could be killed on
a tram in Jerusalem in a legitimate act of "resistance" against a representative
of a "Zionist outpost."
The great effort of the present-day censors on campuses across the West is to
make speech synonymous with action. Campaigners against free expression claim
that words not only "wound" people but actually "kill". They claim that people
associated with any group being criticised are not only suffering a verbal
"assault" but an actual "physical" assault. Those who campaign against any and
all criticism of Islamists, for instance, not only claim that the attacks are "Islamophobic"
and target "all Muslims". They also claim that such words cause violence --
including violence against any and all Muslims.
One of the notable things about their objection is that the people who make such
claims rarely if ever exercise the same civic hygiene they demand of everybody
else. It is interesting to consider what would happen were anyone to demand the
same standards of these campaigners as they demand of others.
Consider the case of one Malia Bouattia. This is the young woman who is
currently president of the National Union of Students (NUS) in Britain. The NUS
has long been a campaigning organisation less interested in standing up for the
rights and welfare of students as a whole than campaigning for the sort of
issues that preoccupy a portion of the hard-left in Britain, at the forefront of
which is anti-Zionism. Since her election as NUS president last year, a number
of British universities have sought to disaffiliate from the organization in
apparent recognition that it has taken an especially virulent turn.
Before she became NUS president, Bouattia had a particular track-record for a
type of militant anti-Zionism which can only endear a person to people like the
NUS. In a speech recorded in 2014 at a conference on "Gaza and the Palestinian
Revolution", Bouattia railed against "Mainstream Zionist-led media outlets" in
which, she said, "resistance is resented as an act of terrorism." Three years
earlier -- in 2011 -- Bouattia referred to the University of Birmingham as
"something of a Zionist outpost in British higher education."
A House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee which looked into Bouattia's
track-record last year concluded that:
"The current president of the National Union of Students, Malia Bouattia, does
not appear to take sufficiently seriously the issue of anti-Semitism on campus,
and has responded to Jewish students' concerns about her previous language with
defensiveness and an apparent unwillingness to listen to their concerns.
"There is of course no reason why an individual who has campaigned for the
rights of Palestinian people – a cause widely supported on university campuses –
should not serve as president of the NUS.
"But Ms Bouattia's choice of language (and ongoing defence of that language)
suggests a worrying disregard for her duty to represent all sections of the
student population and promote balanced and respectful debate. Referring to
Birmingham University as a 'Zionist outpost' (and similar comments) smacks of
outright racism, which is unacceptable, and even more so from a public figure
such as the president of the NUS."
Malia Bouattia, the president of the UK National Union of Students, refers to
acts of terrorism against Israelis as "resistance". (Image source: NUS press
office)
Now let us move from the realm of speech into the realm of action.
Last week, a British woman was travelling on a tram in Jerusalem. With no
warning, she was suddenly repeatedly stabbed in the chest by a 57-year-old
Palestinian man who was detained at the scene. The Israeli authorities
immediately described it as a terrorist incident -- yet another in the long line
of attacks which have been described as a "stabbing intifada," in which some
radical Palestinians follow the advice of radical Palestinian clerics and
assault Israelis with whatever weapons they can get their hands on, including
cars and trucks.
The murdered woman was subsequently identified as 20-year-old Hannah Bladon. She
was a student at the University of Birmingham taking part in an exchange with
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She had been taking classes in Bible
studies, archaeology and Hebrew. In a statement, her family back in Britain
expressed themselves to be "devastated" at her murder, adding that she was "the
most caring, sensitive and compassionate daughter you could ever wish for." She
was also "a talented musician, part of a serving team at her local church and a
member of her local archaeological group."
Even without making as close a link between words and actions as some
campaigners currently do, it is worth considering this:
Miss Bladon attended a university described as a "Zionist outpost" by the person
elected by the NUS to represent her interests, as well as those of all other
students. Miss Bladon was in a city and in a country where that same woman --
Malia Bouattia -- has claimed that what is called "terrorism" is in fact
"resistance". By such lights, Hannah Bladon (from a "Zionist outpost") was
killed in an act of "resistance". That at any rate is the logical conclusion to
draw from the statements of Malia Bouattia.
If anyone were to operate by the standards that some students presently do, then
this link could be made further. It could be said that Malia Bouattia engaged in
"hate speech" as well as "racist speech" when she said the words she did. It
could further be claimed that what Bouattia said in fact constituted
"incitement" and an "open invitation to violence". It could be argued that the
words that came out of her lips led directly to a Palestinian man thinking that
a British student could be killed on a tram in Jerusalem in a legitimate act of
"resistance" against a representative of a "Zionist outpost."
That is the game which Malia Bouattia and her colleagues in the NUS would engage
in if the target were any other, the victim anyone else and the location of the
slaughter anywhere but Israel. If it furthered their political and other goals
then Bouattia and the NUS would most likely be currently calling for arrests and
prosecutions for incitement, "hate speech" and more. Of course, nobody could be
so ill-mannered as to play this political game back at them. But if they were
to, they would certainly find far greater evidence of cause and effect than
Bouattia and her colleagues have produced to date in their war on free speech.
If the NUS and others are really concerned about hate speech, they should look
to their own president, and think about Jerusalem.
*Douglas Murray, British author, commentator and public affairs analyst, is
based in London, England.
© 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.
Why Is the US Still Funding Palestinian Terrorism?
(At Least Close the PLO Office in Washington)
Shoshana Bryen/Gatestone Institute/April 19/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10234/funding-palestinian-terrorism
Jamil Tamimi, 57, knew that if he committed an act of terror, he would be
lionized by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and -- perhaps more importantly --
that, if he were killed or sent to prison, his family would be taken care of
financially.
"The PLO Commission was new only in name. The PLO body would have the same
responsibilities and pay the exact same amounts of salaries to prisoners... PA
Chairman Mahmoud Abbas retained overall supervision of the PLO Commission." —
Palestinian Media Watch.
In 2016 Bashar Masalha, who murdered U.S. Army veteran Taylor Force and wounded
several others, was hailed on official PA media outlets as a "martyr." A few
months later, Abbas said on PA TV, "We welcome every drop of blood spilled in
Jerusalem.... With the help of Allah, every martyr will be in heaven, and every
wounded will get his reward."
The U.S. government should let the PLO and PA know that we are onto their game.
Disincentivizing terrorism by closing the PLO office in Washington would be a
good first step.
British exchange student Hannah Bladon was stabbed to death on a Jerusalem light
rail train last Friday. Her murderer was identified as an East Jerusalem
resident who had previously been convicted of molesting his daughter and had
tried to commit suicide. Failing at that, he apparently opted for terrorism, on
the assumption that the police would kill him. They didn't. "This," the Shin Bet
said in a statement, "is another case, out of many, where a Palestinian who is
suffering from personal, mental or moral issues chooses to carry out a terror
attack in order to find a way out of their problems."
"Suicide by cop" is not unheard of, but the real incentives need to be spelled
out.
Jamil Tamimi, 57, knew that if he committed an act of terror, he would be
lionized by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and -- perhaps more importantly --
that, if he were killed or sent to prison, his family would be taken care of
financially.
To take the PA leader, Mahmoud Abbas, at his word, the PA itself does not pay
salaries or pensions to terrorists in Israeli jails or to their families; the
money -- instead! -- comes from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
That sleight-of-hand would make this a perfect time for the United States, an
ally of the UK and properly appalled by terrorism, to take a step it has been
avoiding for more than 25 years: to close the PLO office in Washington --
preferably before the planned visit by Abbas in May.
The PLO was once understood to be a terrorist organization and a terror
umbrella. It hijacked airplanes and threw an elderly disabled man in a
wheelchair overboard from a cruise ship. Black September, an arm of the PLO,
murdered 11 Israeli Olympic athletes in Munich. The PLO has committed acts of
horrific terror in Israel -- including massacring bus drivers and their families
on holiday. Twenty-five adults and 13 children were killed and 71 others
wounded. The PLO has also committed acts of war against the United States by
killing American diplomats in Sudan.
In the 1970s and 80s, the U.S. generally knew what it was looking at.
During the Reagan-to-Bush "41"-transition, however, the U.S. dropped its ban on
officially talking to then-PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. (Full disclosure: Colin
Powell, then national security advisor, gave this author a "heads up": "Everyone
has something to say," he said. "The U.S. government already knows what Arafat
has to say," I said, and it is unacceptable." He was not interested.)
Talking was not the same as opening an office; that move was still prohibited by
the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987. However, in the post-Oslo Accords euphoria,
Senate legislation permitted the PLO an official mission in Washington "to
implement the accords," and it allowed President Clinton to waive the law
barring U.S. funds to international organizations that gave money to the PLO.
The House passed similar legislation. Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-CA) said at the
time:
"This legislation provides a limited, temporary and conditional waiver of
restrictions in United States law that would seriously impede the ability of
Israel and the PLO to proceed with negotiating and implementing their landmark
peace agreement."
It was "conditional" on the PLO meeting its Oslo Accords obligations, including
refraining from terrorism and renouncing international moves that would impede
bilateral agreement on final status issues. While the legislation was, as Berman
said, "temporary," it came with the usual waiver provision, ultimately allowing
Presidents to do as they wished.
Presidents, therefore, beginning with President Clinton, did exactly that, even
as the Palestinian Authority supplanted the PLO as the "peace partner" and
ignored the Oslo Accords at will.
In 2003, the height of the so-called "second intifada," the Palestinian terror
war against Israel, Colin Powell, by then Secretary of State, waffled through a
statement suggesting that the Palestinians kindly refrain from not killing so
many Jews. "We need to see a more concerted effort against the capacity for
terrorist activity on the Palestinian side... It's not enough just to have a
cease-fire." He then noted "progress in reducing attacks against Israelis" --
but without mentioning that the IDF and Shin Bet had reduced them; not the PA.
Nevertheless, President Bush exercised the waiver.
A 2011, a Palestinian bid for recognition as a full member of the UN failed, but
the waiver remained. Over U.S. objections, "Palestine" joined the International
Criminal Court in 2015. President Barack Obama waived the sanctions every six
months -- right through two Hamas wars against Israel.
Largely through the work of Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), the question of
payments to terrorists and their families has come to the fore. Worried about
foreign aid payments from the U.S. and the EU, in 2014 the Palestinian Authority
claimed it stopped paying salaries and that future money would come from a new
PLO Commission of Prisoner Affairs. However, PMW reported from Palestinian
sources:
The PLO Commission was new only in name. The PLO body would have the same
responsibilities and pay the exact same amounts of salaries to prisoners; the
former PA Minister of Prisoners' Affairs, Issa Karake, became the Director of
the new PLO Commission and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas retained overall
supervision of the PLO Commission.
Tower Magazine reported that in 2015, a year after the PA "officially"
transferred authority over Palestinian prisoners to the PLO, it also transferred
an extra 444 million shekels (more than $116 million) to the PLO -- nearly the
same amount that the PA had allocated in the previous years to its now-defunct
Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs.
Citing PMW, Tower wrote that the transfer to the PLO was meant to evade pressure
from Western governments that demanded an end to terrorist salaries --
specifically the United States and the UK, which froze payments to the PA in
2016 over the problem.
In the end, perhaps, it does not matter whose bank account transfers the money
to whose bank account:
In 2016 Bashar Masalha, who murdered U.S. Army veteran Taylor Force and wounded
several others, was hailed on official PA media outlets as a "martyr." A few
months later, Abbas said on PA TV, "We welcome every drop of blood spilled in
Jerusalem. This is pure blood, clean blood, blood on its way to Allah. With the
help of Allah, every martyr will be in heaven, and every wounded will get his
reward."Abbas has not said much about Jamil Tamimi, last Friday's murderer, and it is
time to stop encouraging, threatening or demanding that he do so. Rather, the
U.S. government should let the PLO and PA know that we are onto their game.
Disincentivizing terrorism by closing the PLO office in Washington would be a
good first step.
**Shoshana Bryen is Senior Director of the Jewish Policy Center.
© 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.
Trump has to undo Obama’s Mideast legacy
Ahmad al-Farraj/Al Arabiya/April 19/17
Ever since Donald Trump became president, I have come to realize how bad the
situation was during Barack Obama’s term. The latter served two terms which were
mostly lean years on the level of America’s historical relations with the Saudi
Kingdom. I have repeatedly written that an intellectual is not fit to become a
political leader as politics is the art of the possible and a mixture of innate
guile, courage and resolution. Most politicians who changed the world did not
belong to the category of intellectuals. What is strange is that Obama’s role
model was Abraham Lincoln who made one of the greatest decisions in history –
the decision to end slavery. This decision led to a violent civil war in America
resulting in many fatalities. It ended with the sweeping victory of America’s
best presidents. A great leader is a man who bravely makes difficult decisions
no matter how impossible they seem.
Historical surprise When Obama won the elections, it was a historical surprise.
Muslims and Arabs rejoiced as they thought he will be the savoir faire to their
causes. You probably remember the articles written about him in Arab dailies.
However, Obama later turned his back on everyone, including on the historical
legacy of America’s relations with the Saudi Kingdom. He did so for ideological
and personal reasons. And why else would Obama turn his back on America’s
historical allies in favor of a fascist Islamist regime that has always declared
hostility against America, supported all terrorist activities in the Middle East
and targeted American interests? According to some reports, statements and
leaks, Obama is stubborn and he does not care about the opinions of his
advisors. This contradicts the “American decision making mechanism” which relies
on an ancient institutional system and on studies carried out by respectable
academic institutions. Obama, as a well-informed intellectual, believed he could
resolve the Middle East problems according to ideological theories and not
realistic political ones.
And why else would Obama turn his back on America’s historical allies in favor
of a fascist Islamist regime that has always declared hostility against America,
supported all terrorist activities in the Middle East and targeted American
interests? According to some reports, statements and leaks, Obama is stubborn
and he does not care about the opinions of his advisors.
I was asked a lot whether there was contradiction between the fact that some
American presidents make decisions on their own and my statements that the
American system is an ancient institutional system which formulates plans for
decades. The answer is easy. America’s foreign policies have clear objectives
which all presidents abide by. However, a strong president can still make a
decision that does not go against the grain. For example, America’s general
political line is that Iran, under the governance of mullahs, represents a
threat that must be dealt with. However, dealing with Iran differs according to
the president’s character and political ideology. America’s presidents have
strictly dealt with Tehran since 1979 and they resorted to sanctions and siege.
However, Obama thought he could peacefully resolve this problem without
resorting to military power or siege. He strongly followed this path and
fulfilled his wish of making an achievement. However, he did this at the expense
of America’s most important allies. He therefore reshuffled the cards in this
disturbed area and then left office leaving a burdensome legacy for Trump.
President Trump launched a campaign to rectify all this since day one and he did
so by restoring back America’s relations with Saudi Arabia on the right path. He
then struck at the Assad regime.
Trump, however, still has a lot to do to correct Obama’s political legacy in the
Middle East.
Why saying ‘I know a Christian’ only furthers extremist
rhetoric
Mamdouh AlMuhaini/Al Arabiya/April 19/17
The blasts that hit churches in Tanta and Alexandria earlier this month left a
trail of death and destruction and led to some painful scenes. Children breathed
their last in the presence of their parents. A couple held each other with
bleeding hands and a policewoman on duty was killed in a matter of seconds. Her
family has now lost her forever. Terrorism not only inflicts horrible pain on
victims’ families but also on the society it targets. Most horrible moments are
those that take away innocent lives as a result of evil acts of the most morally
wicked. The reason behind all this – despite attempts to confuse it – is
extremism. Terrorists are born as a result of extremism. Unless this root cause
is eliminated, and those promoting it dragged to courts, these demons hiding
under the cover of piety will continue to sneak into mosques, churches, markets
and airports and turn the happiest moments into the most miserable.
Unfortunately, despite all the statements condemning acts of terrorism, we
easily fall into the traps laid down by ISIS. Most of the time, we don’t even
realize this. One of these traps is a statement we often make in response to
terror attacks. We sometimes casually say: “But I have a Christian friend who is
very moral and polite.”
If we maintain a solid conviction that Muslims and Christians are the same, then
there is no need to argue that “I know some Christians who are kind” as this
simply goes without saying. Although the response seems to reflect a defensive
approach, it is actually rather ambiguous. It confirms the validity of extremist
ideas, which deprive certain religions or sects of integrity. Such a statement
suggests that these good individuals are exceptions. If we maintain a solid
conviction that Muslims and Christians are the same, then there is no need to
argue that “I know some Christians who are kind” as this simply goes without
saying.
Extremist rhetoric
Such a discourse also confirms that we remain stuck in the orbit of extremist
rhetoric even if we criticize it. This rhetoric is based on looking at others
through religious and sectarian eyes rather than as fellow humans. We say this
person is a Christian or a Jew or a Sunni or a Shiite is kind and gentle when in
fact the real identity that unites us with him is that of humanity. This is his
basic identity and we feel sad when he dies because he is first and foremost a
human. The extremist rhetoric only sees the religious identity in others. This
highlights isolation and psychological and emotional fault lines within
societies, which needs unity and solidarity in the most difficult times. One
might say I know a kind and ethical Christian. Is there an iota of doubt about
that? Even when a person dies in a terrorist attack, we categorize him as a
Muslim, Christian or Jew. Truth remains though that a human lost his life.
We do not hear phrases such as “I know a Christian” in cultures that have
overgrown narrowmindedness and base their thoughts on human values. When the
truck attack happened in Sweden earlier this month, we were not informed about
the victims’ religious beliefs because those killed were humans after all. There
are no religious or sectarian or blue bloods among us. Extremists drag us into
their rhetoric and we don’t even realize it. In fact, we end up furthering their
ideas. Even when we believe we are condemning their crimes we are rather
strengthening and propagating them.
War on extremism initiated from Malaysia
Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/April 19/17
“Defeating the ideology of terrorism” is a phrase coined by Doctor Mohammed al-Issa,
the secretary general of the Muslim World League and the director of the
intellectual center to combat extremism and terrorism in the Saudi defense
ministry. Issa recently visited Malaysia, a Muslim Asian country which thanks to
its rich experience is a basic pillar in the Saudi-led Islamic military alliance
to fight extremism and terrorism.
Saudi-Malaysia Cooperation
The aim of the visit is cooperation. This is why King Salman Center for
International Peace will be launched in Malaysia. The center’s goal is to work
on strengthening peace and tolerance. This can be achieved through confronting
extremist ideology. It attracted my attention that they focused on extremism
more than terrorism. Another goal is to defend Islam and Muslims against hate
speech and those who intimidate others from Islam. Issa reiterated that King
Salman Center for International Peace will contribute to solidifying values of
peace and moderation and improve positive images about Islam. While speaking
before a group of scholars, intellectuals and diplomats in Kuala Lumpur at the
Wasatiyyah Institute Malaysia (Moderation Institute) affiliated with the
Malaysian cabinet, Issa said: “Extremism will not be politically defeated before
it’s ideologically defeated. It previously expanded in areas where there was
vacuum in terms of confronting it.” Does Malaysia have something to offer to
help accomplish this major mission and fight this intermittent, endless war?
It’s actually interesting that, despite their diversity, the Malaysians are the
least engaged in terrorist groups from among Muslim communities
Wasatiyyah Institute Malaysia director Mohammed Yusof said the major reason the
Malaysian people are united despite their different races and cultures is the
moderate approach. It’s actually interesting that, despite their diversity, the
Malaysians are the least engaged in terrorist groups from among Muslim
communities. Of course some have been engaged in terrorism but they are very
few. The World Muslim League, the Saudi intellectual center, King Salman’s peace
center and the Malaysian government deserve to be encouraged and supported. I
reiterate that focusing on fighting extremism first – before terrorism – is the
right approach towards succeeding in this confrontation. Sheikh Issa said it’s
not possible to politically defeat extremism before ideologically defeating it,
adding that sick extremism expanded amid vacuum in terms of confronting it.
Anticipations are high
Truth is, a lot has been said in terms of confronting extremist ideology.
However, it’s not fair to say there was “vacuum.” Thus the question is: Why have
these efforts failed? Must we increase these efforts or improve them? Honestly
the answer is that Muslim countries did not frankly, decisively and continuously
cooperate to launch war against extremists. They failed to do so due to
political disputes or intellectual laziness or political negligence. The
situation is now different considering the practices of ISIS, al-Qaeda, Boko
Haram and lone wolves as well as Khomeini and Houthi gangs and popular
mobilization forces in Muslim countries.
The question is: How will the confrontation be different this time? We
enthusiastically wait for this to unfold.
US banks’ Trump card – rolling back banking regulations?
Dr. Mohamed A. Ramady/Al Arabiya/April 19/17
The 2008-09 global financial crisis tsunami, triggered by excessive banking risk
taking in derivative and leveraged financial services which bankrupted not only
banks but countries, brought about wide ranging regulations to ensure that
systemic bank risk is contained. In the US, in order to avoid another financial
meltdown, the Dodd–Frank regulations was passed by Congress which severely
restricted banks’ ability to engage in proprietary trading on their own account
and also restricted hedge fund like activities at banks that receive deposit
guarantees from the US government. US banks are now gleefully expecting a
“reform”, if not outright rollback in bank regulations, spearheaded by the
assorted millionaires and billionaires on “team Trump”. Billionaire venture
capitalist Carl Icahn has been appointed as special advisor of regulatory issues
and Steven Mnuchin, US Treasury Secretary, a hedge fund millionaire and Goldman
Sachs alumni who has publicly stated that he wants to strip back parts of the
Dodd-Frank Act. This has significant repercussions, both to the US financial
sector as well as internationally, including the Gulf economies, as the recent
global financial crisis so vividly illustrated.
President Trump has now signed an executive order to review the 2010 Dodd –Frank
financial regulations and stated that “Dodd–Frank is a disaster … and we’re
going to be doing a big number on Dodd-Frank”.
Those critical of the Act have argued that it is an example of government being
overtly–controlling and it fits into the President’s election promise to drain
the Washington swamp, as he and his advisors believe that unwinding some of
Dodd-Frank regulations will enable smaller community banks to compete by
offering choice to consumers.
Financial regulators in Europe most affected by the 2008-9 fallout have
supported coordinated international regulation and macro-prudential supervision
of the world’s largest banks, some of whom had branches operating in the Gulf
countries
Consumer banking
One of these regulations under threat of repeal is the so-called fiduciary rules
in consumer banking which aimed at blocking financial advisors from steering
clients towards investments with higher commissions and fees, making them less
valuable on maturity. Trump team now argues that the Act limits investment
choices by forcing asset managers to opt to low yield and low risk investment
options. Can President Trump really do a “big number” on Dodd-Frank? It would
seem that, notwithstanding a rally in US bank shares following the Trump
executive order, the move is largely symbolic as only the US Congress can
rewrite the legislation which cannot be undone by a fiat executive order, and
Treasury Secretary Mnuchin has 120 days to consult with the Financial Stability
Oversight Council , also established by the Dodd-Frank Act. The treasury
secretary has to make a persuasive case and prove that the Act does not foster
economic growth, hinders US companies to be competitive with foreign firms in
domestic and foreign markets, and has not advanced US interests in international
financial regulatory agreements. It is not certain that President Trump will
obtain all the necessary Republican Congressional and Senate support as the
Dodd-Frank Act was a sweeping bi-partisan plan. There are some Republican
representatives who will be under pressure from consumer and activist groups,
like Occupy Wall Street, who will remind their representatives of the
consequences to ordinary families whose homes were repossessed during the 2008-9
financial crisis.
Repealing Obamacare
The set in motion a wave of corporate crisis that led to a global recession,
that also affected many countries of the Gulf. Moderate Senate Republicans will
most probably resist wholesale rollback, and given the fact that President Trump
could not muster all his party’s support to repeal Obamacare, this is a
possibility. Instead, President Trump will initiate executive order – driven
(non-legislative) piecemeal changes, followed by legislative fixes such as his
proposed tax cuts. The drive to wipe out or scale back Dodd-Frank has seemingly
lost some momentum. Trump issued an executive order on Feb. 3 for Treasury
Secretary Steven Mnuchin to review the law, but the president made no mention of
it in his priority-setting speech to Congress on Feb. 28. As with the Republican
vow to repeal Obamacare, the sticking point may be finding a replacement for the
law on the books. Whether Dodd-Frank is partially or totally repealed will have
international consequences, given that today’s global financial system is
closely interlinked and no country can set up its crisis proof firewall.
Financial regulators in Europe most affected by the 2008-9 fallout, like
Germany, the UK, Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal have supported coordinated
international regulation and macro-prudential supervision of the world’s largest
banks, some of whom had branches operating in the Gulf countries.
The aim was to monitor more closely these international institutions that are
“too big to fail” and limit the type of risks they can take. However, building
another wall to protect American banks from global banking rules is not
something that will come easy.
It has taken nearly seven years for a semblance of confidence to return to the
international financial system, but as the current resurgence of Greek debt
negotiations illustrate with bailout negotiations between Athens and its
creditors stalling, the possibility of “Grexit”, or euro exit, has re-emerged.
With selective policy amnesia setting in, the danger of yet another financial
crisis remains real.