LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 01/17
Compiled &
Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the
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Bible Quotations
Do not take revenge on someone who
wrongs you
Matthew 05: 38-48: “You
have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But now
I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you
on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too. And if someone takes you
to court to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well And if one of
the occupation troops forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles.
When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to
borrow something, lend it to him. You have heard that it was said, Love your
friends, hate your enemies. But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in
heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives
rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. Why should God reward you if
you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that! And if
you speak only to your friends, have you done anything out of the ordinary? Even
the pagans do that! You must be perfect—just as your Father in heaven is
perfect.
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 01/17
Aoun & Hariri's Archive refutes their current Pro
Hezbollah Stances/Elias Bejjani/November 30/17I find it difficult to comment on
the enormity of what Saad Hariri has stated as reported in the Paris Match
interview/
Roger Bejjani/Face Book/November 30/17
UNSCR 1559, above and beyond Lebanese politics, calls on the disarming all
militias, including Hezbollah/Dr.Walid Phares/Face Book/November 30/17
Lebanon: A Tale of Two Occupations/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/November
30/17
Iran’s Supreme Leader and Hitler/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/November
30/17
Senate Investigators Turn Focus to Carter Page and Trump Campaign’s Foreign
Policy Team/Max KutnernewsWeek/November 30/17
US Outrage Campaigns Don't Create Change/Leonid Bershidsky/Bloomberg/November
30/17
Missile Launch Is Just North Korea's Latest Bait and Switch/Eli
Lake/Bloomberg/November 30/17
Turkey Rejects "Moderate Islam"/Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/November 30/17
Saudis Fed Up: "Palestinians Milking Us for Decades"/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone
Institute/November 30/17
North Korea Ships Chemical Weapons to Syria: Nukes Next/Debalina Ghoshal/Gatestone
Institute/November 30/17
Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on
December 01/17
Aoun & Hariri's Archive refutes their current Pro
Hezbollah Stances
I find it difficult to comment on the enormity of what Saad Hariri has stated as
reported in the Paris Match interview
UNSCR 1559, above and beyond Lebanese politics, calls on the disarming all
militias, including Hezbollah.
Lebanese Politicians Optimistic About Return of Political Life to Normal
Arab League Calls For Negotiating Mechanism to Establish Palestinian State
Aoun inaugurates 'Rome Med 2017': Dialogue has become the path of salvation
Riachi patronizes ArabDanish Gathering: Violence is the result of man not
religion, rectifying attempt to demonize Islam a responsibility of all Lebanese
Aoun, Italy President Stress Importance of Preserving Lebanon Stability
Aoun Says Lebanese Disputes Won't Descend into Violence Anymore
Hariri to Paris Match Weekly: We Chose Dialogue for Sake of Stability
Report: Berri to Tackle Dissociation Policy with Hizbullah
Residents of Once Isolated Tufail Return to Town
Hariri Says Resignation Crisis Ends Next Week if 'Positivity' Continues
Hariri Visits Family in Paris
Sami Gemayel from Bkirki: For a real, full neutrality, not a lie
Gemayel: Lebanon is Occupied and We're Living under Hizbullah's Tutelage
LF delegation meets with Vatican official, hands him memorandum stressing real
partnership between Lebanese
Lebanese PM decries Hezbollah’s involvement in region’s wars
Hezbollah's Giants In The Middle East Are Trouble For Israel
Jerusalem Post/Reuters/November 30/17
Lebanon: A Tale of Two Occupations
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December
01/17
New international report reveals Qatar ties with terrorism
still deep
Trump, Bahrain crown prince meet at White House
Why are the Ritz detainees being released after settlement?
Ballistic missile intercepted in southern Saudi Arabia
Kuwait sends invitations to the GCC summit
UAE minister says Egyptian presidential hopeful Ahmed Shafiq free to travel
US-Led Coalition Admits Killing at Least 800 Civilians by Airstrikes in Syria,
Iraq
Man Charged in New York Truck Attack Pleads not Guilty
OIC Welcomes Pope Visit to Myanmar
Tahrir al-Sham Arrests of Qaeda Leaders Cranks up Zawahiri- Julani Dispute
Saudi King, Theresa May Discuss Regional Developments, Situation in Yemen
US Pentagon: 26,000 US Troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria
White House Says Tillerson 'Continues to Lead the State Department'
Huthis Say Missile 'Hits Target' in Saudi amid Reports It was Intercepted
Pope Francis calls on world to take decisive action in Rohingya case
Israel Carries Out Gaza Strikes after Mortar Fire
Kuwait invites Qatar to GCC Summit next week
Latest Lebanese Related News published on
December 01/17
Aoun & Hariri's Archive refutes their current Pro Hezbollah
Stances
Elias Bejjani/November 30/17
Aoun's & Hariri's pro
Hezbollah anti Lebanese and anti Lebanese stances are both totally detached from all that is facts, history
and patriotism. Both men sadly have boldly surrendered to Hezbollah's agenda of
occupation and terrorism and are currently serving
their own personal agendas and not that of Lebanon or the Lebanese. No
credibility at all for both officials...mere puppets
I find it difficult to comment on the enormity of what Saad
Hariri has stated as reported in the Paris Match interview
Roger Bejjani/Face Book/November
30/17
I find it difficult to comment on the enormity of what Saad Hariri has stated as
reported in the Paris Match interview in respect with Hezbollah's military and
terror virginity in Lebanon. Based on his irresponsible statement, he is
required to repay the Lebanese people the USD 250 millions paid so far for the
STL assigned to the trial of the mega terrorist attack against Rafic Hariri,
Bassel Fleyan and tens of other Lebanese. He should as well confront the parents
of the 85 Lebanese killed by Hezbollah and their vassals on May 7, 2008 with the
newly discovered virtues of the assassins of their children.
Not to forget the taming of most of the Lebanese political circles through the
terror displayed by Hezbollah through a serial assassination dynamic starting
with the attempt on Marwan Hamade's life and ending with Mohamad Chatah'
assassination. In fact such statement by Saad Hariri is a compelling proof of
its contrary. If he dares lying so bluntly it is due to the menace that the
assassins of Hezbollah and its weapons represent. Last but not least may I
remind Mr. HARIRI that the violation of the blue line and resolution 424 in
South Lebanon by Hezbollah has caused the 2006 war and 1400 Lebanese dead + as
much wounded, half a million temporary displaced and USD 10 billions in damages?
May I also remind him, that Hezbollah has been violating resolution 1701 by
importing weapons and missiles into Lebanon, thus rebuilding the same menace
that may lead Lebanon to a devastating war with Israel where there is no doubt
about which is the weak party that will be on the receiving end of such a war? I
like Saad and the Hariri family; however, statements of this sort (and the one
imputed to Bahia which I hope is baseless) do not honor neither them nor
Lebanon.
UNSCR 1559, above and beyond
Lebanese politics, calls on the disarming all militias, including Hezbollah.
Dr.Walid Phares/Face Book/November 30/17
As far as we remember and archives can testify, Hezbollah forces invaded West
Beirut and attacked Mount Lebanon as of May 7, 2008. They have used a panoply of
weapons against Lebanese citizens and engaged their militias to occupy media
offices, surround politicians residences and wage waves of infantry attacks and
shelling against Lebanese villages in Aley and other districts. The
international tribunal has accused a number of Hezbollah operatives of being
behind assassination of Lebanese politicians. Hezbollah has used its weapons and
militias against Lebanese citizens, M. Prime Minister. A UNSCR 1559, above and
beyond Lebanese politics, calls on the disarming all militias, including
Hezbollah.
Lebanese Politicians Optimistic About Return of Political
Life to Normal
Asharq Al-Awsat English/November 30/17/ Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri expressed
his optimism at the national consensus to resolve the crisis that emerged early
November when Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation, reiterating
that the parliamentary elections would be held on time. He also underlined the
importance that Lebanese expatriates participate in the elections, stressing
that those represented an integral part of the homeland. Berri’s Liberation and
Development Bloc MP Anwar Khalil quoted the speaker as saying that an agreement
was reached between President Michel Aoun, Hariri and himself on the need to
maintain stability and security in the country ahead of the elections. He also
said that Berri was optimistic about the coming phase and the return of the
political life to normal. Future Bloc MPs Khalid Zahraman and Mohammed al-Hajjar
expressed the same optimism. “The atmosphere is positive and [the crisis] is
going to be resolved,” Zahraman said in a radio interview. “The ball is now in
the court of the group, which contributes to undermining the security of some
countries [Hezbollah], and the extent to which this group is ready to make
compromises for the sake of internal stability.”“Dissociating Lebanon from the
crises around us must be everyone’s strategy”, he added. Hajjar, for his part,
spoke about the statement issued by the Presidential Palace following the
consultations held by Aoun, noting that basic points of agreement would be
presented to the constitutional institutions after the completion of
consultations upon the return of Aoun from Italy.
Arab
League Calls For Negotiating Mechanism to Establish Palestinian State
Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat English/November 30/17 /The Arab League underlined the
need to maintain the process of reconciliation to end divisions among
Palestinians and reunite the institutions in order to strengthen the structure
of the Palestinian state toward the achievement of a just and lasting peace. The
League also warned against Israel's practices and its settlement activities,
despite continued international condemnation. On Wednesday, the League
commemorated the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People,
stressing the importance of the Palestinian cause.
Participants expressed full support and solidarity with the Palestinian people
in their legitimate struggle for freedom and independence and the establishment
of a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Arab League
Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the League would keep up its efforts to
strengthen coordinated and joint Arab action in the international arena to
consolidate the status of the Palestinian State, expand its recognition, achieve
its full membership in the United Nations and intensify efforts to end the
occupation. Aboul Gheit warned of the continuation of Israeli violations in the
occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and the attacks on
Islamic and Christian holy sites, especially in the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the
unjust siege imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than ten years, as well as
persistent violations against prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails. The Arab
League Secretary-General stressed that impeding peace settlement would result in
dire consequences not only for the region but also for the whole world. In this
regard, he called for the launching of a serious negotiating process according
to a clear mechanism and timeframe to end the occupation and establish an
independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Aoun inaugurates 'Rome Med 2017': Dialogue has become the
path of salvation
Thu 30 Nov 2017/NNA - Rome - "Dialogue today has become an urgent necessity and
the path of salvation," deemed President of the Republic Michel Aoun in his
inaugural speech at the "Mediterranean Dialogue 2017" Conference, which convened
in the Italian city of Rome this afternoon. "This Conference is held under the
headline, 'Dialogue of the Mediterranean', in acknowledgement and recognition
that dialogue has become an urgent necessity and a way of salvation from all
that our world is floundering over today, especially terrorism which knows no
limits or boundaries. For this reason I chose to speak about terrorism, its real
causes and remedies," Aoun said in his opening speech."Terrorism, in terms of
being a systematic violence by armed groups to change reality or to impose new
equations that are often worse than existing ones, is not innovative and has
been recognized by the world in various epochs and in many ways. Perhaps the
terrorism that strikes our world today is the most dangerous because it is the
most widespread and using the most recent weapons," the President added.
"Several factors combine to allow for the emergence of terrorism, the first
being an arbitrary regime, a fake democracy or a declared dictatorship, in which
the citizen has no room for expression or the possibility of changing power
through democratic methods. It is based on poverty, need and ignorance, then on
an extremist and fanatic ideology that drives instincts, kills reason, paralyzes
logic and provides false solutions that facilitate adaptation. Then a state
exploits all of this and finances and supports it, generating a new terrorism
under a new name, which it uses to achieve its interests by striking other
countries, their economy, security and stability, not minding the sufferings
that may be inflicted on their peoples. This is the typical equation for
terrorist organizations," Aoun explained. "But, the equation says that these
machines of destruction could get out of hand, and this is exactly what happened
with the current terrorism. It started its criminal activity in some Arab
countries, which were hit by the so-called "spring", only to expand and spread
to the depths of Europe, hitting Paris, London, Brussels, Madrid, Nice, Munich
and the United States. Today there is a danger and a serious threat between
sleeping cells and solitary wolves, and no one knows where or how it will hit,
nor how far it would go or how it will end," the President went on.
"In order for the world not to remain prey to deadly extremism, it is necessary
to lay the foundations for a dual solution: an immediate elimination of the
current status quo, and dealing with the issue from its roots to prevent future
recurrence. If immediate treatment is to repel terrorism militarily, deter it by
force, dry up the sources of funding it feeds on and prevent it from being
supplied with new elements, still radical treatment remains the most important,
because it prevents its re-establishment by eliminating the justification for
its existence," advised Aoun.
"Terrorist thought is totalitarian, contradicting the right to differ and
permitting the killing of the other, even calling for it, and implementing it.
Thus, the development of democratic values, which respect the human right to
liberty, freedom of belief, expression and opinion, and allow for religious and
ethnic uniqueness, is the sole means towards intellectual confrontation with the
ideology of terrorism," the President underscored. "Undoubtedly, the
modernization of education and teaching democratic values, in addition to
development, combating poverty, creating employment opportunities and the
emancipation of women, combined, serve to keep up with the gradual transition of
backward regimes that constitute the appropriate environments for the growth of
terrorism and extremism towards full democracy and acceptance of differences
between human beings," Aoun reassuredly added. "Lebanon is a pluralistic
society, combining both Christians and Muslims in all their sects, living
together, sharing many customs, values and social and political life. They may
sometimes embark on a wave of political divisions, but such divisions no longer
transcend politics, with national unity being the rooftop. This is what prompted
Pope John Paul II to say about Lebanon: "It is more than a country, it is a
message!" Aoun proudly expressed. The President indicated that this was
precisely the reason that led him to nominate Lebanon at the United Nations as a
"permanent center for dialogue between different civilizations, religions and
races".
"This is also what prompted me to stand before you today. I believe that the
Mediterranean civilization is best suited to embrace this dialogue through the
historical and cultural ties that unite its people, and it is most concerned
with the dialogue between civilizations and religions to eliminate the terrorism
and violence that are sweeping the world," President Aoun stressed in
conclusion.
Riachi patronizes ArabDanish Gathering: Violence is the
result of man not religion, rectifying attempt to demonize Islam a
responsibility of all Lebanese
Thu 30 Nov 2017/NNA - Information Minister Melhem Riachi patronized Thursday the
"Arab-Danish Gathering" which opened its works at the Gefinor Hotel in Beirut
under the headline, "Towards a Better Understanding among Religions
...Activating Dialogue to Prevent Violent Extremism," organized by the Forum for
Development, Culture and Dialogue in partnership with the Denmark Foundation. In
his opening word, Riachi deemed that the origin of violence is the human being
and not religion, and considered that rectifying the attempt to demonize Islam
is a responsibility shouldered by all the Lebanese.
"There is a generalization and a false state that the sects and religions are a
scourge of society and that believers are the source of evils in societies, a
source of violence or violent extremism...and that extremism comes from religion
and not come from human beings. The origin of violence is human, and the
underlying causes of violence are in the absence of a positive extremism, such
as those who have a true faith in their beliefs and convictions who are are also
extremists but their extremism is positive, and this extremism is what saves
societies," Riachi explained. "I am an extremist in my faith to the limits of
the courage of love, an extremist to the limits of faith in dialogue, even in
moments of failure in dialogue. I was extreme in pursuit and follow-up, extreme
that success will come someday because I am only a part of God's helping arms on
earth. Extremism in faith teaches humility, teaches love, teaches courage, and
knows how to recognize the other, no matter how different," asserted Riachi. He
went on to highlight that, "there is an attempt to demonize Islam in the world,
and it is the responsibility of Lebanon to rectify this, first because this
country is a model and a message, as John Paul II says. It is also the
responsibility of the Lebanese Christians because they know their Muslim
brothers and live with them. This is not the responsibility of the Muslims in
Lebanon...because defending life together needs this extremism and this courage
to resist any kind of violence." "Violence today is a result of the things that
the Mediterranean has gone through, and I think the future will be different
because violence in the bloody sense has reached the top and has begun to ebb
and recede," concluded Riachi. On the sidelines of the Gathering, the Forum
members toured with the Danish guests various political and religious leaders in
the country, whereby they met with House Speaker Nabih Berri, who affirmed that
"Lebanon's message to the world is dialogue, craftsmanship and peace...not
violence, war and weapons."The Forum delegation also visited Al-Allama Al-Sayed
Ali Fadlallah, who called for "moving beyond dialogue to work together
effectively among communities to find practical solutions to common
challenges."In turn, the delegation stressed that "dialogue is an indispensable
condition for ensuring diversity in Lebanon and strengthening it."
A few hours before the launching of the "Arab-Danish Gathering" which will
continue throughout Thursday and Friday, the Forum delegation visited the city
of Sidon to learn about its model of unity, diversity and coexistence. The
delegation had an encounter with MP Bahia Hariri, who considered that "the whole
world today faces the obsession of extremism and is looking for ways to keep it
out of society," stressing that "we follow the religion of acceptance of the
other and a religion of tolerance, love and mercy.
Aoun, Italy President Stress Importance of Preserving
Lebanon Stability
Naharnet/November 30/17/President Michel Aoun and his Italian counterpart Sergio
Mattarella stressed Thursday during a meeting in Rome "the importance of
preserving stability and peace and Lebanon.”According to Lebanon's National News
Agency, the meeting tackled “the various regional and international
developments.”Mattarella reassured that his country “will continue to support
Lebanon at the various economic, educational and military levels,” NNA said. The
Italian president also said his country will maintain its participation in the
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in addition to the training
courses it is offering to Lebanese officers and soldiers in Italy. Aoun for his
part thanked Mattarella for the Italian support and invited him to visit
Lebanon. The Lebanese and Italian delegations joined the talks later. Lebanon
was plunged into a political crisis after Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced a
surprise resignation from Riyadh on November 4, lambasting the policies of
Hizbullah and Iran in Lebanon and the region. Hariri put his resignation on hold
after around two weeks, demanding the withdrawal of Hizbullah from the region's
conflicts in order to maintain the 2016 political settlement that led to the
formation of his government and to the election of President Michel Aoun.
Aoun Says Lebanese Disputes Won't Descend into Violence
Anymore
Naharnet/November 30/17/President Michel Aoun reassured Thursday from Rome that
disputes among the Lebanese will no longer descend into violence. The Lebanese
“might sometimes ride the wave of political rifts, but their rifts no longer
surpass politics, and the limit is their national unity,” Aoun told a
Euro-Mediterranean dialogue conference in Rome in a speech focused on terrorism.
"Terrorism cannot grow, spread and get stronger without sponsoring countries,"
Aoun noted. "Lebanon, which they are trying to strike, is a land in which
Muslim-Christian dialogue is an essential culture and a lifestyle that has
always distinguished us from the rest of the world," the president added. He
also underscored that dialogue has become "an urgent need" and "the path to
salvation from what our world is suffering from today, especially the moving
terrorism which knows no limits or borders." Lebanon was plunged into a
political crisis after Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced a surprise
resignation from Riyadh on November 4, lambasting the policies of Hizbullah and
Iran in Lebanon and the region. Hariri's shock resignation and its sharp-toned
announcement raised fears that regional tensions were about to escalate and that
Lebanon would once again pay a heavy price. But Hariri put his resignation on
hold after around two weeks, demanding the withdrawal of Hizbullah from the
region's conflicts in order to maintain the 2016 political settlement that led
to the formation of his government and to the election of President Michel Aoun.
Hariri to Paris Match Weekly: We Chose Dialogue for Sake of Stability
Naharnet/November 30/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed on Thursday that
dialogue with political parties following the latest political crisis was chosen
for the sake of Lebanon's stability, assuring that he was not held against his
will in Saudi Arabia and that Hizbullah has a “political role in Lebanon and
won't use its arms inside.”In an interview with French weekly magazine Paris
Match, Hariri said he will resume his role as Prime Minister and that he wanted
the world to understand that Lebanon “can no longer tolerate the interference of
Hizbullah in regional conflicts.”“I resigned from Riyadh with the intention of
creating a positive shock for Lebanon. Many stories have been told on this
issue. However, if I had been detained, I would not be here in Beirut today.
Before that, I was able to go to Paris, Egypt, Cyprus. I was free,” said Hariri.
“I wanted the world to understand that Lebanon can no longer tolerate the
interferences of Hizbullah in the affairs of the Gulf countries, where 300,000
Lebanese live. They are very important for our economy. We must not pay for the
actions of Hizbullah,” he added.
On the party's role in Lebanon, the PM said: “We have to make a distinction. In
Lebanon, Hizbullah has a political role. It has weapons, of course, but it does
not use them on Lebanese soil. Lebanon's interest is to ensure that these
weapons are not used elsewhere. That is where the problem comes from.
“I fear that Hizbullah's interference abroad will end up costing Lebanon dearly.
I will not accept that a Lebanese political party participates in maneuvers that
serve the interests of Iran.”If he still fears for his life as he announced in
his resignation speech, Hariri said: “I have many enemies, the extremists and
the Syrian regime. The latter pronounced a death sentence against me.”Explaining
the controversial stances that arose after approving the appointment of a new
ambassador to Syria, he said: “We always wanted diplomatic relations with Syria,
which for a long time refused to recognize our independence. In 2010, I went to
Damascus, and it was finally recognized. To appoint an ambassador is to
perpetuate this recognition, whatever the regime in Damascus.”On the situation
in Syria and whether Syrian President Bashar Assad has won the war, the PM said
he did not “Presidents Putin and Rouhani won,” he said.
Report: Berri to Tackle Dissociation Policy with Hizbullah
Naharnet/November 30/17/Speaker Nabih Berri will reportedly
discuss with Hizbullah the need to respect a policy of non-interference in
regional conflicts until President Michel Aoun returns back from a trip to
Italy, the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa daily reported on Thursday.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri has reiterated on Wednesday that dialogue between
Lebanon's political parties must respect the so-called dissociation policy.
Adding that the process must have concrete results. Al-Anbaa said that Berri
“will handle the matter with Hizbullah during the presence of President Michel
Aoun in Italy,” where he arrived on Wednesday on a three-day official visit.
Hizbullah has fought on the side of the Iran-backed regime in neighboring
Syria.Citing Iranian interference in Lebanon through its Hizbullah ally, Hariri
announced he was resigning Nov. 4, but walked it back after returning home last
week.
The original announcement, made from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, was widely
seen as orchestrated by Saudi Arabia to pressure Lebanon's politicians into
taking stronger measures to contain Hizbullah's influence. Hariri has demanded
that Hizbullah remove itself from regional conflicts, from Syria to Iraq and
Bahrain and Yemen. Hizbullah denies playing a military role in Yemen but has
fighters in both Iraq and Syria. The premier said Hizbullah appeared receptive
to dialogue, but said he would resign if the group and Iran did not agree to
rebalance Lebanon's political configuration. He did not elaborate on the new
arrangement he was proposing.
Residents of Once Isolated Tufail Return to Town
Naharnet/November 30/17/Residents of the remote border village of Tufail in the
Bekaa Valley started returning to their homes on Thursday after being forced to
leave three years ago due to infiltration by the Syrian army and Hizbullah
fighters. About 270 families from the border town gathered Thursday at the
entrance of the Bekaa town of Baalbek preparing to return accompanied by the
Lebanese army forces. The return is under the auspices of Dar al-Fatwa,
accompanied by the Lebanese army and army intelligence, the General Security
Directorate and Mufti of Baalbek-Hermel Sheikh Khaled Solh, the National News
Agency said. Tufail, which lies in eastern Lebanon in an area surrounded by
Syrian territory, came under attack three years ago compelling its resident to
leave. It became an isolated village after the only unpaved road that leads to
it came under the control of the Syrian government troops. Many of the Tufail's
residents left the town and lived in encampments in the northeastern border town
of Arsal, in Baalbek and in Riyaq. LBCI said that the only dirt road that leads
to the town was partially paved by the armed forces. The town is located at the
end of the eastern mountain belt's plains, in an area that is 24 kilometers
inside Syrian territories. Tufail is surrounded by Syrian lands to its north,
east and south, and by the Lebanese villages of Ham, Maarboun and Brital to its
west. More than 4,000 Lebanese nationals reside in Tufail, a mix of Sunni,
Shiite, and Christian, with a Sunni majority.
Hariri Says Resignation Crisis Ends Next Week if
'Positivity' Continues
Naharnet/November 30/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri reiterated Wednesday that
“things are positive” in the ongoing consultations over his government's future.
“As you are hearing, things are positive, and God willing we will announce good
news to the Lebanese next week should the positivity continue,” Hariri told
reporters in a brief chat after he attended a ceremony celebrating the Prophet's
Birthday at the Mohammed al-Amin Mosque in downtown Beirut. Asked whether he
will reverse his resignation permanently next week, Hariri said: “If things are
positive, God willing I will.”As for the possibility of holding a cabinet
session next week, the premier said: “Let us see how things go and if they take
a positive course.”Hariri had said Monday that he would resign if Hizbullah
refuses to accept a new power-sharing arrangement for Lebanon. The premier
announced he was resigning Nov. 4, but walked it back after returning home last
week. The original announcement, made from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, was
widely seen as orchestrated by Saudi Arabia to pressure Lebanon's politicians
into taking stronger measures to contain Hizbullah's influence. Hariri said
Monday he wanted to send a "positive shock" across Lebanon through his
resignation, and denied that Saudi officials forced him to resign. Hariri has
demanded that Hizbullah remove itself from regional conflicts, from Syria to
Iraq and Bahrain and Yemen. Hizbullah denies playing a military role in Yemen
but has fighters in both Iraq and Syria.
Lebanon
Hariri Visits Family in Paris
Naharnet/November 30/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri flew Wednesday night to Paris
for a family visit, a source close to him said. "He left half an hour ago and
will spend a few days with his family in Paris," said the source. Hariri's shock
resignation announcement from Saudi Arabia early this month, followed by a
lengthy stay in Riyadh, had prompted speculation that he had been forced to quit
and was not free to travel. He headed to the French capital at the invitation of
French President Emmanuel Macron before returning to Lebanon last week. The next
day, at Lebanese President Michel Aoun's request, he agreed to suspend his
decision to resign pending talks on the political situation. Some analysts
described his departure for France as an "exfiltration" by Paris. Hariri
announced his shock resignation from Saudi Arabia on November 4, citing Iran's
"grip" on his country and threats to his life. In a speech broadcast by the Al-Arabiya
news network, he accused Tehran of "creating a state within a state" and blasted
its Hizbullah ally .Iran rejected what it called "unfounded accusations". Hariri
has repeatedly stated that he wants to remain prime minister, demanding that
Hizbullah respect a policy of non-interference in regional conflicts. The
Lebanese Shiite movement has fought on the side of the Iran-backed regime in
neighbouring Syria.
Sami Gemayel from Bkirki: For a real, full neutrality, not
a lie
Thu 30 Nov 2017/NNA - Lebanese Kataeb Party Chief, MP Sami Gemayel, called
Thursday from Bkirki for "neutrality that is real and full, and not a lie."
On emerging from his meeting with Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros
al-Rahi, Gemayel said that the visit was to brief the Patriarch on the outcome
of his tour among a number of countries, seeking his opinion and advice.
Gemayel added that he informed the Patriarch of "the gravity of the situation"
from his Party's perspective, saying, "Lebanon is more and more under the full
commandment of guardianship, and this is a cover for an abnormal composition at
the level of power."He expressed concern that "not only is it possible to
give-up the State's sovereignty, but also to adopt all that is being carried out
by some parties in Lebanon and abroad," describing the situation as "dangerous
and Lebanon may pay dearly in the future."Gemayel stressed that "the authority's
main concern is not the sovereignty and neutrality of the State, but the
conducting of deals," expressing his fear of this "sudden urgency to finalize in
the coming weeks the oil and gas deals and everything that was stuck till this
day.""The wealth of Lebanon, which is the property of future generations, is
being robbed by a management that proved to be untrustworthy of Lebanese funds
and any proper administration of the country," he added. "The insistence on the
approval of oil decrees and the urgency under the current circumstances is scary
because it is irreversible," warned Gemayel. He hoped that "the Lebanese will be
well-aware of what is happening and make the choices that are in line with their
convictions in the upcoming parliamentary elections, redirecting the compass in
the right direction." Gemayel concluded by saying, "The more Lebanon veers from
its neutrality, the more it plunges into huge conflicts."
Gemayel: Lebanon is Occupied and We're Living under
Hizbullah's Tutelage
Naharnet/November 30/17/Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel decried Wednesday
that “Lebanon is occupied” and that the Lebanese “are living under Hizbullah's
tutelage.” “Stability should be accompanied by sovereignty, freedom and real
democracy, and unfortunately they are asking us today to choose between freedom
and stability in the vein of the Syrian era,” Gemayel said in an interview on
Future TV. “We are living under Hizbullah's tutelage over Lebanon and a local
party does not have the right to impose its agenda on all Lebanese,” he added.
Commenting on calls for stability that followed Prime Minister Saad Hariri's
shock resignation from Riyadh, Gemayel said: “We all want stability but it
should not be an excuse to force Lebanese to live under tutelage.”“We have not
forgotten what happened on May 7, (2008) when (Hizbullah's) weapons were used
domestically. The weapons are put on the table and may be used at any given
moment,” Gemayel added. “Lebanon is occupied, the state's decision is hijacked
and the Lebanese are not the masters of their fate. The presidential vote was
the best example,” he went on to say. As for Hariri's unusual resignation from
Saudi Arabia, which he reversed last week, Gemayel said he “did not like the
manner in which Hariri resigned from outside the country.”“Hariri is apparently
clinging to the settlement and this is something I'm still against,” Kataeb's
chief added. “Our problem with the settlement is that it is a settlement built
upon interests, not a vision for the country,” he explained.
Hariri had said Monday that he would resign if Hizbullah refuses to accept a new
power-sharing arrangement for Lebanon. The premier announced he was resigning
Nov. 4, but walked it back after returning home last week. The original
announcement, made from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, was widely seen as
orchestrated by Saudi Arabia to pressure Lebanon's politicians into taking
stronger measures to contain Hizbullah's influence. Hariri said Monday he wanted
to send a "positive shock" across Lebanon through his resignation, and denied
that Saudi officials forced him to resign. Hariri has demanded that Hizbullah
remove itself from regional conflicts, from Syria to Iraq and Bahrain and Yemen.
Hizbullah denies playing a military role in Yemen but has fighters in both Iraq
and Syria.
LF delegation meets with Vatican official, hands him
memorandum stressing real partnership between Lebanese
Thu 30 Nov 2017/NNA - A Lebanese Forces Party delegation visited the Vatican on
Thursday within the course of a European tour, where they met with the State
Secretariat's Middle East and Lebanon Official, Monsignor Ionut Paul Strejac.
The encounter was a chance to discuss Lebanese concerns and the challenges
facing the country at this delicate stage in the history of Lebanon and the
Middle East.The delegation presented the Vatican Foreign Office with an official
memorandum including its position on hour issues faced by the Lebanese, in
general, and the Christians in Lebanon and in the Middle East region, in
particular. The memorandum emphasized the Lebanese Forces' support for building
the State as the only framework that guarantees real partnership between the
Lebanese and reinforces the role of Christians in their leadership; a State that
has exclusive political and sovereign decision and exclusive arms, a State of
law, justice and respect for institutions, one that engages not in surrounding
fires and commits to positive neutrality. The memorandum also stressed the
importance of maintaining the country's stability at the security, economic and
social levels, especially with the presence of about one and a half million
displaced Syrians. In this context, it reiterated LF's belief that it is time
for the displaced Syrians to return to their country, dignified and
well-respected, in coordination with the United Nations. At the Middle East
level, the memorandum considered that what restores to Christians their role and
effectiveness stems from their values of tolerance and openness, the call for
peace, interfaith dialogue, acceptance of the other, respecting the right to
disagree and freedom of conscience.
Lebanese PM decries Hezbollah’s involvement in region’s wars
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese
Prime Minister Saad Hariri said in remarks published Thursday that he fears
Hezbollah’s military role in regional conflicts will end up costing his country
dearly. But Hariri also stressed he was optimistic that a way to end the
political paralysis gripping Lebanon following his Nov. 4 resignation is being
worked out. It is unclear what, if any, concessions Hezbollah would offer to
ensure that Hariri remain in office, though Hezbollah officials have said they
are keen on finding a political solution to the crisis. Hariri said his
resignation was meant to let the world know that Lebanon cannot tolerate the
militant Hezbollah group’s meddling in the affairs of Gulf countries — a
reference to Yemen, where the kingdom is fighting Shiite rebels. Hezbollah, an
Iran ally, denies having a military role in warn-torn Yemen though it openly
fights on the side of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Syria’s civil war. Saudi
Arabia backs the opposition trying to unseat Assad. Hariri spoke to the French
magazine Paris Mach. He is currently on a private visit to Paris and expected
back in Beirut next week, according to his office.
“I wanted the world to understand that Lebanon can no longer tolerate the
interferences of a party like Hezbollah in the affairs of the Gulf countries,
where 300,000 Lebanese live,” Hariri said. “We must not pay for the actions of
Hezbollah.”He hinted that there were no plans to discuss the disarming of
Hezbollah, saying the militant group has not used its weapons on Lebanese soil.
Hariri’s resignation, announced while he was in Riyadh, stunned the Lebanese and
raised suspicions that it was orchestrated by Saudi Arabia, his main backer. He
later returned to Lebanon on Nov. 21 and put the resignation on hold to allow
for consultations. In a tweet late Wednesday, Hariri said matters are moving
“positively” and predicted that he may formally rescind his resignation next
week.
Saudi Arabia and Iran are fighting proxy wars in the Mideast. Hariri has
demanded that Hezbollah remove itself from the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and
Yemen. Days before Hariri’s return to Beirut, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan
Nasrallah said his fighters are returning from Iraq now that the Islamic State
group has been defeated there. On a visit to Italy, Lebanese President Michel
Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, told the Italian newspaper La Stampa that Hezbollah’s
fighters would return to Lebanon once the fight against IS is over. In Syria,
Hariri said the victory went to Russia and Iran, who had backed Assad. But to
truly end the conflict in Syria, Assad “has to leave,” Hariri said. “The problem
in Syria is Bashar Assad.”
Hezbollah's Giants In The Middle East Are Trouble For Israel
Jerusalem Post/Reuters/November 30/17
Hezbollah has emerged as a big winner in the turmoil that has swept the Arab
world since the uprisings of 2011 that toppled governments in several countries.
When Iran declared victory over Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, it hailed the
"strong and pivotal" role played by Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.
The praise, contained in a top general's letter to Iran's Supreme Leader in
November, confirmed Hezbollan's pre-eminence among Shi'ite Muslim regional
groups backed by Tehran that are helping the Islamic Republic exert influence in
the Middle East.
Hezbollah has emerged as a big winner in the turmoil that has swept the Arab
world since the uprisings of 2011 that toppled governments in several countries.
It has fought in Syria and Iraq, trained other groups in those countries and
inspired other forces such as Iran-allied Houthis waging a war in Yemen.
But its growing strength has contributed to a sharp rise in regional tension,
alarming Israel, the United States — which designates it as a terrorist
organization — and Sunni Muslim monarchy Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional rival,
which accuses Hezbollah of having a military role on its doorstep in Yemen.
Israel fears Iran and Hezbollah will keep permanent garrisons in Syria and has
called for action against "Iranian aggression." With Hezbollah stronger than
ever, war with Israel is seen by many in the region as inevitable, sooner or
later.
New conflicts threaten Syria after Islamic State defeat
"Hezbollah has gained from the experience of working with armies and managing
numerous weapons systems simultaneously — air power, armored vehicles,
intelligence, and drones: all specialties of conventional armies," said a
commander in a regional alliance fighting in Syria.
"Hezbollah is now a dynamic army, bringing together guerrilla and conventional
warfare."
Hezbollah's elevated status among Iran's regional allies was clear at the
funeral this month of Hassan Soleimani, father of Major General Qassem Soleimani
who wrote the letter praising Hezbollah's role fighting IS in Syria and Iraq.
Hezbollah's delegation, led by Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, a top figure in its
clerical leadership, took responsibility for organizing talks on the sidelines
of the funeral between the various Iranian allies present, an official who
attended said.
"All the resistance factions were at the condolences. Hezbollah coordinated and
directed meetings and discussions," the official said
Lebanon: A Tale of Two Occupations/اياد ابوشقرا:
لبنان وقراءة بين احتلالين
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/November 30/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60716
One thing that seems beyond doubt these days is that the days of ‘double talk’
are over. It is no more possible to get away with fake slogans; as we are before
dangerous realities in more than one area in the Arab world, and thus, I claim
wise observers have become aware of what is going on, and will not be fooled
easily.
‘Post 1920 political entities’, ‘Post 1979 Political Islam (both Sunni and
Shi’ite), the relationship between State and non-state’s militias and armed
groups, and of course, various types of liberation and revolutionary slogans,
are now all under scrutiny.
A few days ago, in ‘Asharq Al-Awsat’, my colleague and friend Amir Taheri
uncovered an important side of the problems causing the regional challenges,
almost all of which revolve around the Khomeinist- Khamen’ist Iranian role
throughout the Arab world.
Personally, I was around in 1982 when what became Hezbollah was created in the
political ‘kitchen’ of the Iranian Embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus. The
Iranian ambassador then was Ali Akbar Mohtashami (Mohtashamipur), who later went
on to become Interior Minister in Tehran; and Damascus later became the party’s
regional sponsor and ‘nanny’.
Mr. Taheri was absolutely right to remind those who do not remember, or were
witnesses to that period, that Hezbollah which claims to be the embodiment of
“resistance” to Israel and the USA was, in fact, nothing but a sectarian vehicle
of Tehran’s mullahs, whose prime role was never to resist Israel but rather
confront the Palestinian “resistance” movement fighting against Israel!
During the early 1980s, a sizable section of the Shi’ite population of south
Lebanon became critical of, even openly opposed to, Palestinian guerrilla
operations launched from the area nicknamed ‘Fatah Land’ which the Lebanese
government had relinquished to the Palestinian “resistance” organizations.
For its part, Israel kept retaliating against guerrilla operations across its
borders by shelling the Shi’ite villages with the intention of turning the
villagers against the Palestinians. On the other hand, there were tacit and
intersecting interests between the Israelis and Iranians in destroying the
Lebanese Leftist and ‘Nationalist’ parties fighting under the banner of the
pro-Palestinians ‘Lebanese National Movement’. Shi’ite activists, that time,
constituted a sizeable percentage of the LNM’s rank and file.
Indeed, Iran since the days of the Shah (pre-1979) was unhappy about Lebanese
Shi’ite intellectuals and youth joining Arab nationalist and leftist parties.
Israeli and Iranian interests continued, later on, to intersect after the
Khomeini ‘Islamic Revolution’. While Israel, which during the Cold War was
opposed to pro-USSR ‘Left’ and keen to deprive the Palestinians of their
Lebanese support base, Khomeinist Iran chose to invest in Lebanon’s sectarianism
and nourish it. This was very much in Israel’s strategic interests which have
always capitalized on and benefitted from religious and sectarian contradictions
throughout its Arab neighbors, being the obvious prerequisite for division,
conflicts and the much sought after ‘coalition of minorities’.
Incidentally, only one year after the June War of 1967, many Lebanese were
attracted to the Palestinian ‘resistance’ against Israel, with Khalil Izzeddin
Al-Jamal becoming the first ‘martyr’ in 1968. Later on, following the Israeli
invasion and occupation in 1982, it was the secular Nationalist and Leftist
parties, including the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) and the Lebanese
Communist Party (LCP), which launched the liberation campaign.
The young men and women led the campaign of liberating South Lebanon, and
subsequently Palestine; neither losing the compass nor following a regional
non-Arab sectarian project, although many were Shi’ites, like Sanaa’ Muheidly (SSNP)
and Anwar Yassin (LCP). For those, their liberation priority was different from
those of ‘The Supreme Guide’ in Tehran. They, simply, did not fight and
sacrificed their lives in order to exchange one ‘occupier’ for another.
Tel Aviv and Washington know the truth, the whole truth when the commanders of
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) shout, boast and threaten to ‘exterminate
Israel’, and have these shouts and boasts reverberate in Beirut Shi’ite southern
suburbs and Yemen Sa’dah Mountains, as well as the camps of Iraq’s Popular
Mobilization Forces (PMF) and the Damascus regime’s media outlets.
Yes, both Tel Aviv and Washington know the whole truth; particularly that the
forces that now make up the Iraqi PMF were the main beneficiary of the US
invasion of Iraq, and that ‘The Blue Line’ on the Lebanese – Israeli borders is
much close to Hezbollah south Lebanon strongholds than the Syrian cities of
Aleppo, Albu-Kamal and Deir Ez-Zor. Still, Hezbollah seems to have forgotten the
‘Israeli-occupied’ Sheb’aa farms which were its justification to keeps its arms,
and forgotten the Rafiq Al-Hariri assassination’s ‘false witnesses’ who were its
excuse to bring down the cabinet of Saad Al-Hariri in early 2011.
As for Hezbollah’s arms, it is worth mentioning that it alone among the Lebanese
parties and militias was allowed to remain armed after ‘The Taif Accords’
(1989), under the pretext that it was fighting to liberate south Lebanon.
However, it used it against its opponents inside Lebanon in 2008, and later in
Syria against the Syrian people’s uprising. From then on, it expanded its
explosive ‘services’ to Yemen, Bahrain and elsewhere overseas.
In that regard, in an unforgettable speech, Hezbollah’s Secretary General
(Hassan Nasrallah) candidly said that his “most honourable, best, and greatest
achievement’ in his lifetime was his speech in which he defended Yemen’s Houthi
rebels in the second day of ‘the Storm of Resolve’ campaign; adding “This was
the true ‘Jihad’…"! Such talk undermines the credibility of what he claims is
his priority: “resisting Israel and fighting America”; and rather, underlines
the fact that the mission entrusted to Hezbollah and other sectarian militias
created, sponsored and commanded by Tehran in the Arab world, is nothing but
carrying out Iran’s regional project.
From a strategic point of view this project faced two possibilities:
1- It succeeds, initially, and thus Iran would impose its hegemony on a vast
area where the majority population is non-Shi’ite and non-Persian; but this
would provoke strife and endless civil wars.
2- It fails, pushing Iran into seeking more destructive alternatives, unless its
regime falls, and its theo-militaristic chemistry disappears.
In either case, the West and Israel cannot lose!
The fact is that Tehran's regime, through its sectarian attitude and
militaristic interventions, has gifted the powers he claims to fight priceless
‘services’. Through inciting, or sponsoring, extremist Sunni groups, it has
created a global terrorist phenomenon which in turn has ensured the rise of the
extreme right throughout the West. As for ‘liberating Palestine’, its active
support of certain trends with Hamas, as well as Islamic Jihad Organization, has
ensured destroying Palestinian unity, and strengthening the Likud and other
extreme right-wing Israeli parties hell-bent on expanding illegal settlements
and rejecting any meaningful peace negotiations.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on December 01/17
New international report reveals Qatar ties with terrorism still deep
Al Arabiya English/November
30/2017/Qatar’s ties with terrorism are continuing, according to a report by the
British think tank the Henry Jackson Society. The group suggests a four-point
plan of action to the British government in order to push to Qatar to change its
behavior. The new report examines the charges made against the Qatari government
by other Gulf states and questions whether Doha is engaged in power politics and
bolstering groups and individuals, many of whom are dangerous radicals, that
undermine its neighbors and regional stability. The think tank said that the
report makes the following findings: Up to $200 million has been paid to
jihadist militant groups Al-Nusra and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham in the form of
ransom payments, either facilitated or made directly by the Qatari government,
giving credence to the accusation that the country funds terror by stealth. -
Though Qatar has for some time positioned itself as a mediator and safe-haven
for dissidents, it also host of terrorist organizations.While Britain should
avoid publicly taking sides in the broader dispute between the Gulf States, the
Government should use its influence in the region to press for changes in
Qatar’s ransom payments policy, the appearance of extremists on state-run media
and make major improvements in human rights. Commenting on the report, Kyle
Orton, author and research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, summarized: “The
report raises some troubling questions about Qatar’s regional policies. Despite
finding that in a number of areas Qatar has made significant improvements over
time, it shows that the effects of prior policies—notably in Syria and
Libya—will be lasting and deleterious. There is still progress to be made in
terms of cracking down on terror finance from Qatar and the use of its state-run
media as a platform for incitement and the dissemination of extremism.”
Trump, Bahrain crown prince meet at White House
The Associated Press/November 30/2017/President Donald Trump is meeting at the
White House with the crown prince of Bahrain. Trump says Bahrain and the US have
had a “long relationship and a great relationship” that will only get better. He
says Bahrain is “doing a lot of business” with the US and “buying a lot of
things.”Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa says Thursday’s visit is very
important to the kingdom and is about building on 100 years of relations between
the two countries. The crown prince says the people of both countries have
benefited and will continue to benefit from the relationship.
Why are the Ritz detainees being released after
settlement?
Al Arabiya English/November 30/2017 /The release of the detainees in Saudi
Arabia has so far raised some questions over why they are being freed without
trial. Renowned commentator Turki Al-Hamad were among those wondering about the
fate of the detainees. “It’s a good question,” wrote Abdul Rahman al-Lahem in
Okaz newspaper, stating that It is not possible to compare commonplace theft
crimes to very complex financial corruption offenses, and it requires
flexibility in the process to serve the public interest and the public treasury
with hundreds of millions, which may have been siphoned off outside the kingdom
and would be difficult to recover or trace without the cooperation of the
accused. Lahem adds: “The benefit to the public treasury outweighs the interest
of imprisoning a person. The community will benefit little from his imprisonment
after a long trial that may not result in conviction, because such cases are
complex in terms of evidence and proof. This does not necessarily discount the
validity of a trial, but there is a parallel road that may benefit the community
and the state more than indictment and trial.” Law experts are of the opinion
that trials could extend up to 10 years and the convictions are not guaranteed.
It is well known that many countries resort to this method in such cases and the
most prominent example of this is the United States during financial crises.
Many European and Arab countries also allow those involved in embezzlement,
corruption and smuggling cases to cut deals in the course of serving the needs
of justice. It is worth noting that the Supreme Committee formed by the Saudi
royal order and presided over by the Crown Prince to investigate corruption
cases is exempt from all relevant regulations and has wide freedom of
jurisdiction and decision making in the public interest. It is a non-traditional
committee investigating unconventional crimes by unconventional means and
mechanisms. Four acquitted, five to go on trial Media outlets quoted a Saudi
official as saying that at least four people, from the list of the princes,
businessmen and officials who are under investigation at the Riyadh’s luxurious
Ritz Carlton hotel over corruption cases, have been acquitted. These are in
addition to seven others who have been cleared to leave the hotel, according to
a statement from the general prosecutor, earlier this month. Saudi authorities,
who estimate they could eventually recover around $100 billion of illicit funds,
have been working on reaching agreements with suspects detained at the hotel,
asking them to hand over assets and cash in return for their freedom, according
to reports. On Wednesday, Reuters quoted the Saudi official as saying that at
least four other suspects had finalized settlement agreements and that the
public prosecutor had decided to release several individuals. The prosecutor has
decided to put at least five people on trial, the official said without
disclosing their identities.
Ballistic missile intercepted in southern Saudi
Arabia
Al Arabiya English/November 30/2017/A ballistic missile from Yemen has been
intercepted on Thursday by Saudi air defense forces in southern city of Khamis
Mushait in the south western province of Assir. The missile attack is the second
this month since the November 4 missile intercepted near King khalid
International Airport in Riyadh. The Arab League in November 19 cited that since
the beggining of conflict in Yemen 78 ballistic missiles have been fired towards
Saudi Arabia from Yemen. Militant media in Yemen said, after the leader of the
group threatened Riyadh with retaliation over a blockade : "We confirm the
success of our ballistic missile trial, which hit its military target inside
Saudi Arabia," the Houthi-run Al-Masira television channel said. Earlier, the
militia chief Abdulmalik al-Houthi warned against "prolonging the blockade"
imposed on Yemen following a November 4 Houthi missile attack that was
intercepted near Riyadh international airport. (With AFP)
Kuwait sends invitations to the GCC summit
Al Arabiya English/November 30/2017/Kuwait on Thursday invited Qatar to a summit
of Gulf Cooperation Council countries next week, state media said, the first
such invitation in a months-long crisis. Kuwait, which is not among Arab states
boycotting Qatar, invited Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to the
GCC summit, the state-run KUNA news agency said. On Wednesday, Kuwaiti officials
said that an annual summit of Gulf Arab heads of state would convene in Kuwait
on December 5 and 6, despite the ongoing dispute between some members of group.
It is not yet known whether Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would take
part in the event and at which level they would be represented, if they do
decide to participate.Bahrain said last month it will not attend the summit if
Qatar does not change its policies and that Qatar should have its membership in
the six-nation group suspended. A rift between the GCC members Saudi Arabia,
Bahrain and the UAE on one side, and Qatar on the other, has put this year's
annual meeting in doubt. A senior Kuwaiti official said the level of
representation was not clear yet. Two Gulf diplomats also said Kuwait, which had
led unsuccessful mediation efforts between the two sides, would try again to use
the meeting to resolve the rift.The council was founded in 1980 as a bulwark
against bigger neighbors Iran and Iraq.
UAE minister says Egyptian presidential hopeful
Ahmed Shafiq free to travel
Al Arabiya English/November 30/2017/The United Arab Emirates has denied reports
that Former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq is barred from travelling
outside of the country in contrary to his previous comment to Al Jazeera earlier
in the day. Shafiq, an ex-air force commander and presidential candidate, said
earlier he had planned to return to Cairo in the coming days from his current
location in the UAE, as he intends to run in the presidential election early
next year. “The UAE confirms that there is no obstacle to the departure of the
Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shafiq from the state,” UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Dr. Anwar Gargash tweeted on Wednesday.
US-Led Coalition Admits Killing at Least 800 Civilians by Airstrikes in Syria,
Iraq
Asharq Al-Awsat English/November 30/17/ At least 800 civilians have been killed
by US-led coalition airstrikes against the ISIS terrorist group in Iraq and
Syria since the campaign began in 2014, according to a Pentagon report released
Thursday. Five more strikes, all in Syria, were investigated over the past month
and found to have resulted in 15 civilian additional civilian deaths, the report
stated. “We continue to hold ourselves accountable for actions that may have
caused unintentional injury or death to civilians,” the coalition said in its
report. However, monitoring groups say the number of civilian casualties from
coalition airstrikes in the fight against ISIS is far higher than the Pentagon
acknowledges. Since August 2014, more than 5,000 civilians have been killed as a
result of coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, according to the London-based
Airwars organization that tracks civilian deaths in the anti-ISIS operations.
The majority of civilian casualty allegations are currently from coalition
airstrikes in Syria. The Pentagon says they are still assessing 695 reports of
civilian casualties, more than 400 of which are from strikes carried out in
Syria. US-backed Syrian forces retook the city of Raqqa from ISIS control in
October and pushed ISIS militants out of a swath of territory along the
Euphrates river valley in the following weeks. Each investigation that found an
allegation credible determined it was "more likely than not" that a coalition
strike resulted in a civilian casualty, the report stated."Although all feasible
precautions were taken and the decision to strike complied with the law of armed
conflict, unintended civilian casualties unfortunately occurred," the Pentagon
added. Since the start of the campaign against ISIS, the coalition has carried
out more than 28,000 strikes and has received 1,790 reports of potential
civilian casualties, the report said. These airstrikes have contributed to
fueling progress against ISIS by Iraqi and Syrian ground forces, reducing
ISIS-held territory to pockets of desert along the Iraqi-Syrian border.
Man Charged in New York Truck Attack Pleads not Guilty
Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat English/November 30/17 /The Uzbek immigrant accused of
killing eight people in a truck rampage in New York on Halloween pleaded
innocent Tuesday to murder and other charges.Sayfullo Saipov was present in
court before US District Judge Vernon Broderick but his lawyer David Patton
spoke on his behalf.Saipov, 29, has said he acted in the name of the ISIS
terrorist group. He faced a 22-count indictment that includes charges of murder
and provision of material support and resources to a foreign terrorist
organization. He appeared in court wearing a dark blue prison uniform. His feet
were chained together, but not his hands. He appeared to have recovered from the
shot he took in the abdomen from the police officer who arrested him after the
attack. Saipov allegedly drove a rented pickup truck down a 1.6km stretch of
bike path in lower Manhattan, where children and their parents were preparing to
celebrate Halloween. Of the eight people killed, five were friends from
Argentina celebrating 30 years since their high school graduation. Twelve other
people were hurt. The Oct 31 attack was the worst in the US financial capital
since the Sept 11, 2001 Al-Qaeda plane hijackings that brought down the Twin
Towers.
OIC Welcomes Pope Visit to Myanmar
Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat English/November 30/17 /The Organization of the Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) on Thursday welcomed the visit of Pope Francis to Myanmar and
his reaffirmation of support to peace and national reconciliation which can only
advance through a commitment to justice and respect for human rights. According
to the Saudi Press Agency, such visits to Myanmar are important to highlight the
plight of those people, particularly the Rohingya, that have faced injustice and
persecution. The OIC appreciated the call by the Pope for the Myanmar
authorities to have "respect for each ethnic group" and his appeal to the
country that "religious differences need not be a source of division and
distrust, but rather a force for unity, forgiveness, tolerance and wise
nation-building." More so, the OIC reiterates its appreciation to the Government
of Bangladesh for its efforts to provide for the large influx of Rohingya
refugees in the country and reiterates the call upon member states to support
Bangladesh in these humanitarian endeavors. The Muslim body has also taken note
of the agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar to repatriate Rohingya to their
homeland and maintains that any such agreement must clearly identify the terms
and conditions, including the numbers that will be returned and provide
guarantees of safety. The body repeated its call to the Myanmar government that
Rohingya refugees must be allowed to return in safety and dignity to their
original places of residence and that the authorities must take concrete steps
to address the root causes of tensions in Rakhine State, including the anti-Rohingya
and anti-Muslim rhetoric which is promoted by extremist right wing groups in
print, public and social media arenas.
Tahrir al-Sham Arrests of Qaeda Leaders Cranks up Zawahiri- Julani Dispute
Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat English/November 30/17 /Conflict ruptured between Al
Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and the military commander of the terror
group’s ex-offshoot in Syria Abu Mohammad al-Julani, after Julani led a wide
campaign of arrests against Qaeda big shots near Afghan-Pakistani
borders.Zawahiri said in an audiotape broadcast on Tuesday night that he did not
authorize Julani’s break from Qaeda. In the 35-minute audio message, Zawahiri
categorically rejected the rebranding and said that Jabaht Al Nusra had betrayed
the oath of allegiance (bayat) it owed as the branch of his organization in
Syria. Al Nusra Front, according to him, did not consult the organization’s
leadership when it made the decision to formally disengage from Qaeda. Tahrir
al-Sham group was formed in summer 2016 as a merger between Jabhat Fateh al-Sham
(formerly al-Nusra Front), the Ansar al-Din Front, Jaysh al-Sunna, Liwa al-Haqq,
and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement. Zawahiri and Julani’s fight came into
public spotlight after Jabhat Fateh al-Sham launched a large-scale arrest
campaign on Monday. Qaeda figures in Idlib, leaders and immigrants were among
those taken away. It is reported that the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham arrested the two
most important figures on the wanted list, the former legitimate official in Al-Nusra
Front Sami al-Aridi, and the former leader in Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Iyad al-Tubasi.
Zawahiri’s remarks showed grave discontent, as he said that Syrians had no right
to ask militiamen to leave the country since the jihad in Syria was a matter
pertaining to the global Muslim community.His public statement signals that the
schism reached a point of no return. Increasingly, the tension between the two
rose. On another hand, dozens of mortar bombs landed on the last major rebel
stronghold near the Syrian capital Damascus on Wednesday, a war monitor and a
witness said on Wednesday, despite a 48-hour truce proposed by Russia to
coincide with the start of peace talks in Geneva. After a relatively calm
morning, shelling picked up later in the day, accompanied by ground attempts to
storm the besieged enclave, a witness in the Eastern Ghouta area told Reuters.
The Syrian army stepped up bombardment two weeks ago in an effort to recapture
Eastern Ghouta, a rebel-held pocket of densely populated agricultural land on
the outskirts of the capital under siege since 2012.
Saudi King, Theresa May Discuss Regional Developments, Situation in Yemen
Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat English/November 30/17 /The Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, held talks on Wednesday evening with
British Prime Minister Theresa May at his palace in Riyadh, during which they
reviewed bilateral relations and means of enhancing them, in addition to
developments in the region. The talks were held in the presence of Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Defense
Minister. May had landed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday on an official visit to
the Kingdom, her second in less than 6 months.The premier last visited Saudi
Arabia in April. In a related development, a spokesperson for the prime minister
said: “The meeting between King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and May
discussed enhancing the friendship bonds between Riyadh and London,” adding that
the talks focused on cooperation and dialogues concerning the latest
developments in the region, particularly in Yemen. “May is very pleased to visit
Saudi Arabia for a second time, which reflects the level of partnership and
cooperation between Britain and the most important regional State,” the
spokesperson said. Earlier Wednesday, May met with her Iraqi counterpart Haider
al-Abadi, with whom she discussed the fight against terrorism and ways to
enhance bilateral relations. May is on a three-day tour to the Middle East. She
is expected to visit Jordan on Thursday. Also on Wednesday, Custodian of the Two
Holy Mosques held official talks at his palace with Bulgaria’s Prime Minister
Boyko Borisov. During the meeting, the two reviewed potentials of cooperation
between the Kingdom and Bulgaria in various fields. Borisov also met with Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
US Pentagon: 26,000 US Troops in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Syria
Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat
English/November 30/17/US Democratic and Republican legislators pressed the
Department of Defense (DOD) to declare that actual number of total US troops
outside the country. The DOD issued a report where it stated that US has a total
of 26,000 troops spread across Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, which is far higher
than any number previously admitted. The report admitted that there are now
8,892 US troops in Iraq, 15,298 in Afghanistan and 1,720 in Syria, based on
information from the Defense Manpower Data Center. The information was publicly
released last week in November, as part of the DOD's quarterly count of active
duty, reserve, guard and civilian personnel assigned by country by the Defense
Manpower Data Center. However, the numbers are current as of September 30. The
report did not include number of special operations forces or temporary
personnel rotating into or out of the country in the official figures, so,
military experts and analysts believe the actual number could be even higher.
Congressmen questioned the actual numbers of US troops outside the country
especially after four US soldiers were killed in the Niger last month.Defense
Department's acknowledged that there were seven troops stationed there, and,
when asked about the number of troops serving in certain war zones, Pentagon's
official response was that “force management levels” caps set under former
President Barack Obama. Around the end of Obama's presidency, DOD announced that
the number of US troops in Iraq is 2,662, however, Defense Manpower Data Center
announced in December 2016 that there are 6,812 troops in Iraq. The new report,
however, puts the series of troops as 1,720 in Syria as well as three civilians,
and 8,892 in Iraq. As for Afghanistan, there are 15,298 active avocation members
of the military on the belligerent and another 1,202 Defense Department
civilians, making it a total of 16500 US.
White House Says Tillerson 'Continues to Lead the State Department'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 30/17/The White House responded to
speculation about Rex Tillerson's imminent departure as Secretary of State
Thursday, saying he was still in the job and "there are no personnel
announcements at this time.""Secretary Tillerson continues to lead the State
Department and the entire cabinet is focused on completing this incredibly
successful first year of President Trump's administration," press secretary
Sarah Sanders added in a statement.
Huthis Say Missile 'Hits Target' in Saudi amid
Reports It was Intercepted
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 30/17/Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels
said Thursday they fired a ballistic missile at Saudi Arabia and hit a military
target, in the second such attack this month, after threatening to retaliate
over a crippling blockade. "We confirm the success of our ballistic missile
trial, which hit its military target inside Saudi Arabia," the Huthi-run Al-Masira
television channel said. A spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition
fighting the Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen did not immediately respond to an AFP
request for comment. But Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television said the missile was
intercepted in the air over the southwestern Saudi region of Khamis Mushait.
Hours earlier in a speech broadcast on Al-Masira, rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi
warned against "prolonging the blockade" imposed on Yemen following a November 4
rebel missile attack that was intercepted near Riyadh international airport.
"Should the blockade continue, we know what (targets) would cause great pain and
how to reach them," he said. Saudi Arabia and its allies tightened the
longstanding blockade on Yemen's ports and the main international airport in
Sanaa in the wake of the November missile attack. The move prompted the Huthis
to warn that they considered "airports, ports, border crossings and areas of any
importance" in Saudi Arabia, as well as its ally the United Arab Emirates,
legitimate targets. "We will not stand idly by -- we will seek more radical
means to prevent both the tightening of the blockade and all acts aimed at
starving and humiliating the people of Yemen," the rebels' political office said
this month. Riyadh accuses its arch-rival Iran of arming Yemen's Huthis and
earlier this month Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said
this "could be considered an act of war."Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of
supplying the Huthis with arms.
Iran's foreign ministry has denied the accusation.
Rebel rift
The Huthis, a northern minority that has long complained of marginalization,
descended on the capital Sanaa from their mountainous region in September 2014,
seizing the city with little resistance. Security forces loyal to former
president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who ruled Yemen for decades until he resigned
under pressure in 2012, joined forces with the Huthis. Together they forced the
government of President Abedrabbo Mansour to flee to the main southern city of
Aden and later to Riyadh. Saudi Arabia and a coalition of mainly Sunni Arab
allies launched air strikes in March 2015 against the Huthis and later sent
ground troops to support pro-government forces. The conflict has claimed more
than 8,600 lives since the Saudi-led coalition joined the government's war
against the rebel alliance. More than 2,000 people have also died of cholera
this year.
The United Nations has warned Yemen faces mass famine unless the Saudi-led
coalition allows more food aid into the country, long the poorest in the region.
The coalition allowed limited supplies into select areas in Yemen last weekend.
Yemen's conflict, which has enabled Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP,
and the Islamic State group to flourish in the chaos of war, shows no sign of
waning. The Huthi-Saleh rebel alliance has also begun to unravel, with clashes
between the Huthis and fighters loyal to the former president leaving at least
14 dead on Wednesday. Violence between the two, whose alliance first began to
show cracks in August, flared again on Thursday night, localized in southern
Sanaa and around the residence of two of Saleh's nephews.
Pope Francis calls on world to take decisive action in Rohingya case
Thu 30 Nov 2017/NNA - Pope Francis called on the international community to take
"decisive measures" in the face of the crisis of the Rohingya from Burma,
especially "to send immediate aid" to the refugees in South Asia to escape the
violence. The Pope, who arrived in Dhaka on Thursday after a four-day visit to
Burma, broke his diplomatic silence in his first speech in Bangladesh.
Israel Carries Out Gaza Strikes after Mortar
Fire
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 30/17/Israel's military carried out a
series of strikes on the Gaza Strip on Thursday after mortar rounds from the
Palestinian enclave were fired at its soldiers, in a significant flare-up of
violence. Hamas authorities reported three Palestinians wounded and taken to
hospital, providing no further details on their conditions. No Israelis were
reported hurt. The violence came a month after Israel blew up an Islamic Jihad
tunnel stretching from the Gaza Strip into its territory, resulting in the
deaths of at least 12 Palestinian militants. There have been warnings that
Islamic Jihad would respond to the destruction of the tunnel.The strikes also
occurred at a highly sensitive time for the Palestinians, with rival movements
Hamas and Fatah seeking to follow through on a reconciliation accord aimed at
ending their 10-year feud. Israel's army said it had hit six military targets
after the mortar fire, including four near the border fence in the north of the
strip and two others in the "central Gaza Strip."The operation involved tanks
and Israeli aircraft. AFP journalists reported seeing three strikes in the Gaza
City area. Palestinian security sources said four Islamic Jihad military bases
were struck in different parts of Gaza, as well as at least one Hamas lookout
point. Israel's military said the targets included two belonging to Hamas and
two to Islamic Jihad. The other two strikes confirmed by Israel targeted
"military posts belonging to terror organizations," a statement said. Islamic
Jihad said none of its fighters were among the wounded. Israeli military
spokesman Jonathan Conricus said between 10 and 12 mortar rounds were fired at
its forces and positions near the northeastern part of the Gaza Strip before it
responded with strikes. There were no Israeli casualties and "only very light
damage," he told journalists. Conricus signaled that Islamic Jihad was
responsible for the mortar fire, but declined to say clearly. If confirmed, they
would be the first strikes by the Hamas-allied group from Gaza since the last
war in 2014, sources close to Islamic Jihad said.
'Dangerous escalation'
Repeating Israel's longstanding policy, Conricus said it held Hamas responsible
for all such activity from the Gaza Strip. Dawoud Shahab, a senior Islamic Jihad
leader, said in a statement Thursday they had the "full right to respond to this
dangerous escalation for which the (Israeli) occupation is responsible."
Islamist movement Hamas has run the Gaza Strip for a decade. Conricus said that
Israel did not want to escalate the situation but that it considered the mortar
fire a "severe event." "We know exactly who conducted this attack," he said. "We
even know them by name, but we hold the Hamas terrorist organization responsible
for any act of hostility perpetrating from the Gaza Strip against Israel."He
pointed out that the incident came exactly a month after the tunnel operation.
Tensions have risen between Israel and Islamic Jihad after the army blew up the
tunnel that stretched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on October 30.
Such tunnels have been used in the past to carry out attacks. Israel and
militants in the Gaza Strip have fought three wars since 2008. Occasional
exchanges of fire continue to occur along the border. Under a reconciliation
deal signed in October, Hamas was meant to hand power back to the Palestinian
Authority by December 1, thereby ending its decade-long dominance there. But
Fatah and Hamas announced late Wednesday that they were postponing the planned
handover to December 10 with sharp disagreements persisting between the two
sides.
Kuwait invites Qatar to GCC Summit next week
Thu 30 Nov 2017/NNA - Kuwait has handed over an invitation to Qatar to attend
the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit on December 5 and 6, the official
Kuwaiti News Agency (KUNA) reported, despite the unprecedented crisis in the
Gulf.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on December
01/17
Iran’s Supreme Leader and Hitler/المرشد وهتلر
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al
Awsat/November 30/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60718
Reviewing the Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman’s recent comparison of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Khamenei to Hitler, an analyst says that albeit historical and sectarian strife
does exist between Iran and the Gulf countries, the comparison doesn’t suggest
that Iran is Hitler.
The Crown Prince’s statement clearly draws the comparison based on a leader, who
runs an expansionist theocracy and does not think twice about putting the lives
of hundreds of thousands up against death—or has at least aided others in the
killing.
Tehran had refused to reconcile and open up to its Arab neighbors and the West,
and continues to invest almost everything in building a hostile and superior
military state further empowered by a network of terror proxies covering up the
map from Indonesia to Central Africa.
Europe’s problem with Hitler started with his tendency to use hostile power and
unbound ambition to take over countries he saw as key to securing Germany, like
Czechoslovakia, Poland and France.
And Hitler’s expansion saw no end until states came together and decided to
confront him.
What the Gulf faces today is a regime following in Hitler’s footsteps. Tehran’s
Supreme leader justifies sending Revolutionary Guards to Iraq and Syria by
labeling the countries as ‘key’, although his country does not share any borders
with Syria.
The Iranian Islamic Republic regime has swayed towards ideological fascism ever
since clerics overran state institutions four decades ago.
This does not translate into a sectarian Sunni-Shi'ite conflict, like the
analyst commented-- Iran stands behind extremist Sunni organizations like Hamas,
Islamic Jihad and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Iran is the only political regime in the region that provided al-Qaeda with
support and refuge inside Iran following the September 11, 2001 attacks.
It would also be downplaying the gravity of the threat to suggest that recent
confrontations and conflicts are simply Iran waging an ethnic-inspired brawl
with Arabs in the name of a remerging Safavid dynasty.
Iran’s supreme leader, who rests on the top of Iran’s pyramid of authority, is
not Persian himself but descends from Azerbaijani roots.
Iran’s current authority is fascist, expansionist and dangerous as it does not
know any limits. The Supreme Leader, who points in what course the country’s
actions will take, will not stop at what he points out to be vital areas, but
also expand like fascists did.
He will head toward Saudi Arabia and on his way, he will pass by Kuwait, Qatar
and Bahrain like Hitler did when he seized Baltic states, Ukraine and Belarus in
the second phase of his plan to invade the Soviet Union.
Actually, most Gulf disputes with Iran’s republic are easy to settle, but its
political theocracy does not want to seek a solution as it’s anchored by an
expansionist partisan and military project that greatly resembles ISIS—the same
terror group which talks about establishing a self-styled caliphate with
expanded colonial substates that obey.
This is Hitler’s dream. Khomeini’s vision for Iran is like that of Nazi Germany
– it has no value for people’s lives, regardless of who they are.
Senate Investigators Turn Focus to Carter Page and Trump Campaign’s Foreign
Policy Team
Max KutnernewsWeek On 11/29/17
http://www.newsweek.com/senate-feinstein-grassley-russia-page-clovis-phares-gordon-726175
The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee has sent letters requesting
interviews with three former members of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and
documents from a fourth member, advancing the panel’s investigation into Russian
meddling and possible collusion.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is one of three congressional panels examining
Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election and possible coordination
with the Trump campaign. On Tuesday, Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking
member of the committee, sent letters to Carter Page, Sam Clovis, Walid Phares
and J.D. Gordon. The letters asked Clovis, Phares and Gordon to provide
documents and schedule interviews with the committee for December. From Page,
who has already testified about Russia before the House and Senate intelligence
committees, the senator asked only for documents. Her office announced the
requests on Wednesday.
Related: Will Anything Come of Congress’s Trump-Russia Probes?
Keep up with this story and more by subscribing now
Page, Phares and Gordon were members of the Trump campaign’s foreign policy
team. Clovis helped oversee the team and is now a White House adviser to the
Department of Agriculture (USDA). In early November, amid controversy over his
nomination and his proximity to the Russia issue, he withdrew from consideration
to be chief scientist for that department.
Another person who was on the foreign policy team, George Papadopoulos, has
pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents investigating Russian meddling and
possible collusion.
In a statement by email, Gordon said, “I'm always glad to clear up popular
misconceptions, myths and blatant falsehoods surrounding all things
Trump-Russia, like I’ve already done with other Congressional committees. I look
forward to a valuable exchange of information with the Senate Judiciary
Committee as well.”Neither Page nor Phares were immediately available to comment on the requests. A
spokesperson for the USDA was not immediately available to comment on behalf of
Clovis.
11_29_Feinstein_Grassley_Page_Russia Senator Dianne Feinstein, pictured on
November 14, has asked members of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign to
interview with the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of its Russia
investigation. Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Feinstein’s requests did not contain the signature of Republican Senator Chuck
Grassley, the committee chairman. In late October, Feinstein told Mother Jones
that the Democrats on the panel would pursue the Russia issue without the
Republicans because those across the aisle seemed more interested in other
topics. Days later, she sent what her office called its “first tranche” of
letters related to the Russia probe, all without Grassley’s signature.
In early November, Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat on the committee, told
Newsweek that bipartisan progress on the probe had “slowed dramatically over the
last couple of months, and my understanding is it’s come to a complete
standstill.” On November 15, Feinstein sent four more letters related to the
Russia investigation without the chairman’s signature.
But a source on the Republican side of the committee said it is not unusual for
the leader of one party on the committee to send a letter without the signature
of the leader of the other party. For the letters announced Wednesday, the
source said that because of meetings, the Republicans did not have enough time
to review the letters before the deadline for sending them.
The Democratic side also downplayed the fact that Grassley did not sign the
letters. “Sending letters from just one senator is routine,” Tom Mentzer, a
spokesman for Feinstein, said by email. “You’ve seen some signed by both
Feinstein and Grassley, others by just one of them.”
On November 16, Grassley and Feinstein sent a joint letter requesting
information from a lawyer for Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a senior
adviser to the president. It was their first bipartisan letter in almost two
months.
Requests from the majority party generally carry more weight than those from the
minority, as on the Senate Judiciary Committee, it is the chairman from the
majority who holds the authority to issue subpoenas compelling a person to
testify. (To issue a subpoena, the chairman needs the agreement of the ranking
member or a vote by the committee. The chairman can designate another member to
issue a subpoena.)
Feinstein’s office said it expects to send additional requests in the coming
weeks.
US Outrage Campaigns Don't Create Change
Leonid Bershidsky/Bloomberg/November 30/17
Tony Hovater, the Ohio man whose profile in The New York Times caused much
indignation last weekend, would have been in jail or at least under close police
surveillance if he lived in Germany. In the US, Hovater is free to keep posting
swastika-filled pictures on Facebook -- but the writer and editors who published
a piece about him that was bleakly neutral in tone face ferocious anger for
"normalizing" the Nazi sympathizer.
A certain part of US society's desire to set rules has been frustrated by the
election of Donald Trump as president -- though, in fact, it was frustrated even
earlier, by years of Republican majorities in Congress. That frustration is
manifesting itself as vocal outrage campaigns on the same social networks that
have enabled Trump supporters to organize and white supremacists to find
like-minded people in other parts of the country. But rather than bring change,
the outrage will end up deepening rifts.
After 1945, Germany chose to pass laws that made most radical right propaganda,
as well as Nazi symbols, illegal. These laws are still in force. The
Constitutional Protection Office watches people who tend to cut it too close. A
tourist who throws a Nazi salute in jest can get arrested. It's not just
swastikas that are banned -- schools routinely forbid the wearing the clothes of
certain brands that are associated with the neo-Nazi movement. Hate speech
against groups of people, including races, is a crime. A vast majority of
Germans approves of these rules. Those who don't -- such as members of the
far-right NPD party or the most radical elements within the milder Alternative
for Germany party (AfD) -- keep quiet about it or run legal risks. Other
countries without Germany's history of Nazi rule -- such as Sweden and
Switzerland -- have also legislated against Nazi symbols.
In the US, the swastika, so beloved of Hovater, the welder in the NYT profile,
and his fiancee, is protected under the First Amendment. The Supreme Court
affirmed that in 1977 in the National Socialist Party of America v. Village of
Skokie ruling. "Fighting words" -- the unprotected US equivalent of hate speech
-- have to be directed at a person to become punishable, although some racist
speech can be qualified by the courts as libel. For decades, the US has had
extremely liberal free speech laws as a conscious choice. That's why the
American Civil Liberties Union vigorously defends white supremacists' right to
speak freely while condemning what they say.
A citizen who doesn't break the law is protected by society as a whole, however
immoral his actions. It isn't writing about Hovater that "normalizes" his
behavior; it's the lack of legal consequences when he embraces Nazi symbolism.
Trump's election, Hovater told New York Times writer Richard Fausset, helped
drive that home. He now brushes off attacks with "Yeah, so?"
All the outrage campaigns against "normalizing" white nationalism and sexual
harassment, two sins of which Trump has been accused, might seem like a call for
legislative change. But there is no serious movement for German-style hate
speech laws or Nazi symbol bans making their way through Congress. There are no
proposals to match this year's German law that requires social networks to
remove hate speech or face steep fines.
"Research shows that the dynamic that leads to outrage is not the same as that
which effects change," says Ronny Patz, a nongovernmental organization
researcher at Munich's Ludwig Maximilian University. "When such waves, such
scandals come into focus, it helps when there's already a process afoot that
matches the outrage." He means a legislative process, and he's right. In
response to the criticism of Fausset's piece, The New York Times felt compelled
to issue a deftly-worded non-apology and to remove from the piece a link to a
website selling swastika armbands. But it's a long way from this kind of damage
control to real, lasting change.
Such change would require going through the normal political process: Drafting
legislation, pushing it through Congress and getting it signed by the president,
or overriding his veto. In the US, of course, the Supreme Court could also
legislate outside this process -- something that wouldn't work in European
countries, where referendums and parliamentary majorities have made the
decision.
In the US, however, there's no political majority capable of pushing through
curbs on the freedom of speech, even in the name of fighting Nazis. There's also
no majority able to pass tougher sexual harassment legislation stipulating, for
example, that a female accuser always tells the truth or that it doesn't matter
how long ago an alleged transgression took place. That's evident from senatorial
candidate Roy Moore's continued popularity in Alabama. There's also no effective
anti-gun majority, and no anti-Trump majority, either.
In fact, I'm not sure there's a workable majority for any kind of radical
change.
In a political stalemate and under an administration that used Twitter and
Facebook outrage to come to power, it's clear why Trump's opponents are trying
out the same tools that worked for him. He didn't suffer from repeatedly going
too far, and perhaps his opponents can beat him at this game. I doubt they
really want censorship (or self-censorship) in the media or a ban on closed-door
meetings in the workplace -- they just want to reassert their rule-making power,
undermined by Trump's victory.
In the process, though, they're also making social divisions deeper, raising the
stakes for those who voted Trump in. Outrage tends to do that. Who cares why
Hovater is a Nazi sympathizer and his neighbors are OK with it -- right? Nobody
wants to win them over, anyway.
Missile Launch Is Just North Korea's Latest Bait and Switch
Eli Lake/Bloomberg/November 30/17
There are two ways to understand North Korea's missile test Tuesday after two
months without such provocations.
The first is through the lens of masochism. President Donald Trump has taunted
North Korea's leader, tweeting recently that he was fat, calling him "little
rocket man." Trump's government just added the Hermit Kingdom to the list of
state sponsors of terrorism, 10 years after President George W. Bush removed the
regime during negotiations.
We pressure. They escalate.
This was what Hillary Clinton was driving at this week when the former secretary
of state told a conference in Beijing by video that both Trump and China's
leader, Xi Jinping, should refrain from tempting the North Korean tiger.
The other way to understand the missile tests is that they are North Korea's way
of extracting ever more from the West, while giving only moments of hope in
return. The kingdom has done this before. Bush famously removed sanctions on the
eve of negotiations with the North in 2007. Despite Trump's rhetoric, it's been
clear his diplomats were looking for an opening. As the Washington Post reported
this month, the US special envoy to North Korea, Joseph Yun, told experts at the
Council on Foreign Relations that the US was looking for a 60-day pause in
missile tests as a sign to restart direct talks with Pyongyang. Is it surprising
that North Korea strung us along?
The missile test is a part of a North Korean dance. The US quietly pursues
negotiations, until it gets close. Then North Korea pulls out at the last
minute. Classic Lucy and the football. The regime has been doing this for more
than 20 years. The North agreed to a partial deal on plutonium in the late
1990s. It hinted at a willingness to discuss missiles too. A few years later the
US discovers a parallel uranium enrichment program.
In 2007 the North went down the road again with the six-party talks. The US
lifted sanctions and removed it from the terrorism list. Then the talks fell
apart. Add to this that the Israelis and the US discovered a secret Syrian
nuclear facility where North Korean engineers had provided technical assistance.
The fact is that North Korea has no intention of negotiating away its nuclear
deterrent. It never has. It does however have an interest in extracting
concessions and removing penalties by appearing willing to negotiate. That may
sound crazy, but it's been working for a quarter century.
Turkey Rejects "Moderate Islam"/تركيا ترفض الإسلام المعتدل
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/November 30/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60725
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11436/turkey-rejects-moderate-islam
"These epithets of 'moderate Islam' are very ugly, it is disrespectful and an
insult to our religion. There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam
and that's it." — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
In keeping with Erdoğan's assertions, the Turkish government-funded Directorate
of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) published in July a detailed 140-page report,
which stated that Islam is "superior" to Judaism and Christianity, and that
"interfaith dialogue is unacceptable."
"The word kafir is the worst word in the human language. It is far worse than
the n-word, because the n-word is a personal opinion, whereas, kafir is Allah's
decree." — Dr. Bill Warner, director of the Center for the Study of Political
Islam (CSPI).
At a conference on women's entrepreneurship, held in Ankara on November 9 and
hosted by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan rejected the concept of "moderate Islam". Referring to the vow by
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- during the Future Investment
Initiative conference in Riyadh on Oct. 25 -- to turn his country into a bastion
of "moderate Islam," Erdoğan said, "Islam cannot be either 'moderate' or 'not
moderate.' Islam can only be one thing." He also claimed that the "patent of
this concept originated in the West," which "really want[s] to weaken Islam."
Erdoğan has consistently communicated his thoughts about the term "moderate
Islam" often used in the West to describe his Justice and Development Party (AKP).
As early as 2007, he said: "These epithets of 'moderate Islam' are very ugly, it
is disrespectful and an insult to our religion. There is no moderate or
immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that's it."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently rejected the concept of
"moderate Islam" again, saying, "Islam cannot be either 'moderate' or 'not
moderate.' Islam can only be one thing," and that the "patent of this concept
originated in the West," which "really want[s] to weaken Islam." Pictured:
Erdogan in Hamburg, Germany on July 8, 2017. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
In keeping with Erdoğan's assertions, the Turkish government-funded Directorate
of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) published in July a detailed 140-page report,
which stated that Islam is "superior" to Judaism and Christianity, and that
"interfaith dialogue is unacceptable."
The report focuses on the teachings and goals of the US-based Islamic cleric,
Fethullah Gülen, whom the Turkish government accuses of orchestrating the
attempted coup in July 2016. In the third chapter, the authors of the report
slam Gülen for trying to "combine or equate Islam with Christianity" under the
guise of dialogue. It says, in part:
"Gülen's claim that anyone who believes in the trinity of Christianity should
not be immediately declared an unbeliever does not comply with Islam's Tawhid
belief [oneness of Allah] in any way. It is obvious that such a claim, which is
part of his interfaith activities, is nothing but an attempt to whitewash the
trinity of Christianity and to make the trinity legitimate in the eyes of
Muslims.
"When it comes to proving this perverted thought of his, he does not even back
down from distorting the meaning of a Koranic verse. However, all Islamic
scholars understand that the verse which says, 'They have certainly disbelieved
who say, Allah is the third of three,' (Mâide 5/73) means that those who believe
in the trinity are kafirs [infidels].
"His [Gülen's] statements that attempt to whitewash Christians against whom the
Koran provides very harsh criticisms because of their opposition to Tawhid are
unacceptable. For according to Islam, after Allah sent Islam as the last
religion, Christianity lost its validity."
The report concludes: "Islam is the last divine religion sent to the entire
humanity. All of the former religions lost their validity when Prophet Mohammed,
the last pearl of the sequence of prophets, was sent as a prophet and the Koran
was sent as the last divine book. Hence, according to Islam, it is unacceptable
to evaluate Islam on the same level as Judaism and Christianity and to engage in
'interfaith dialogue' by saying that former religions continue to be 'true
religions.' To bring Islam, the last and only true religion, next to other
religions does not comply with Islam's uniqueness and superiority in the eyes of
Allah."
In other words, while many Western governments and Christian leaders consider
Turkey a "moderate" ally, and include Islam in their interfaith activities, the
powers-that-be in Ankara proudly declare Christians and all other non-Muslims to
be kafirs, in accordance with Islamic doctrine.
To grasp the depth of this divide, one needs to understand the word kafir, and
its significance to Muslims. Dr. Bill Warner, director of the Center for the
Study of Political Islam (CSPI), explains: "The usual translation of this Arabic
word is unbeliever, but unbeliever is only a very small part of its meaning. It
is the Koran that defines the word 'kafir' and it says the most terrible things
can happen to them. The Koranic doctrine about kafirs says they are hated and
are Satan's friends. Kafirs can be robbed, killed, tortured, raped, mocked,
cursed, condemned and plotted against. The Koran does not have one good thing to
say about kafirs...
"For over the last 1,400 years, 270 million kafirs have died as a result of the
political doctrine of Islam. It is the biggest single source of suffering in the
history of the world.
"The word kafir is the worst word in the human language. It is far worse than
the n-word, because the n-word is a personal opinion, whereas, kafir is Allah's
decree. Nearly two thirds of the Koran is devoted to the kafir. Islam is fixated
on the kafir and the moderate Muslim thinks that you are a kafir. How moderate
is that?"
It is ironic that Warner's assessment of a lack of "moderate" Islam is closer to
Erdoğan's than to that of the Saudi crown prince. Whether Islam can be moderated
or reformed, or whether Islamic societies can be secularized, is debatable.
According to Islamic doctrine, the Koran is the literal speech of omniscient
Allah. The angel Gabriel coming down to Muhammad with the Koranic verses is a
large portion of Islam and does not allow parts of the scripture to be changed
or ignored. The Koran asserts that it is the final, perfect, and eternal message
of Allah to the world, and that it has always been and will always remain
unchanged. But Muslims as individuals can and should be encouraged to change
their thinking for the better.
Yet even if it is not possible to achieve these aims fully, it is still worth
the effort if some of the persecuted kafirs in the Muslim world can be protected
from intolerance, oppression and bloodshed.
It is the political and religious leaders of Muslim communities, however, who
need to lead such efforts. It is they who should be introducing reforms and
promoting freedom and human rights for all.
Sadly, even when the president of an ostensibly "moderate" Muslim country such
as Turkey abhors the mere mention of the word "moderate" in relation to Islam,
this does not seem to prevent Western "progressive" elites from excusing violent
Muslim rhetoric -- both in the name of multiculturalism and out of fear of being
accused of "Islamophobia." Never mind that Islam is the religion that sets
itself apart from, and above, all others, or that leaders such as Erdoğan
advance an ideology of subjugating and enslaving people of different faiths or
political opinions. It is no wonder that Christianity, Judaism, and Yazidism
have been virtually annihilated in Turkey, as they have in the rest of the
Muslim world.
**Uzay Bulut, a journalist born and raised a Muslim in Turkey, is currently
based in Washington D.C.
© 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.
Saudis Fed Up: "Palestinians Milking Us for Decades"
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/November 30/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11465/palestinian-shakedown
Like most Arab countries, the Saudis too have finally realized that the
Palestinians are ungrateful and untrustworthy. Saudi Arabia and most of the Arab
countries are obviously fed up with the recurring attempts by the Palestinians
to blackmail them and extort money from them.
The Palestinians are crying Wolf, Wolf! -- but only a few in the Arab world are
listening to them. This, in a way, is encouraging and offers hope for them
finally to be released from decades of repressive and corrupt governance.
These are just some of the challenges Saudi Crown Prince is facing. It is
important to support him in the face of attacks by some Palestinians and other
spoilers.
A young Saudi man has posted videos on social media in which he calls the
Palestinians "dogs" and "pigs." The man says that Saudi Arabia has provided the
ungrateful Palestinians with "billions of dollars" during the past few decades.
"The Palestinians," the Saudi man charges, "have been milking us for decades."
The videos, which have since gone viral, have understandably drawn strong
condemnations from Palestinians, who say they would not have been made public
without the tacit approval of the Saudi authorities. For the Palestinians, the
abusive videos represent yet another sign of increased tensions in their
relations with Saudi Arabia.
Further evidence of Saudi disdain for the Palestinians was provided in a video
posted by Saudi Arabia featuring a Palestinian gunman as a terrorist.
Last July, the Saudi ambassador to Algeria, Sami Saleh, shocked many
Palestinians when he described Hamas as a terror group. Hamas responded by
saying that such remarks were "harmful to Saudi Arabia and its record and
stances towards the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the
Palestinian people."
The apparent shift in Saudi Arabia's position towards the Palestinians should
not come as a surprise. Like most Arab countries, the Saudis too have finally
realized that the Palestinians are ungrateful and untrustworthy. Saudi Arabia
and most of the Arab countries are obviously fed up with the recurring attempts
by the Palestinians to blackmail them and extort money from them.
Saudi Arabia and most of the Arab countries are obviously fed up with the
recurring attempts by the Palestinians to blackmail them and extort money from
them. Pictured: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas embraces Saudi
King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 30, 2015.
(Photo by Thaer Ghanaim/Palestinian Press Office via Getty Images)
The Palestinians were ungrateful to Kuwait when they supported Saddam Hussein's
invasion of the tiny emirate in 1990. Kuwait was one of the wealthy Arab
countries that used to give the Palestinians millions of dollars in aid. The
Palestinians were ungrateful to Lebanon, a country that opened its doors to them
and allowed the PLO to create its own state within Lebanon. The Palestinians
played an important role in tearing the country apart and brought disaster and
death to Lebanon, until they were finally expelled in 1982.
Before that, in Jordan, in the armed conflict known as "Black September"
(1970-71), the Palestinians did the same thing until the late King Hussein
ordered his army to eradicate the PLO and all the terror groups in the country.
Now, the Palestinians are being disrespectful towards Saudi Arabia -- a country
that has provided them with billions of dollars over the past few decades. It is
no wonder, then, that a growing number of Saudis are beginning to voice their
disgust for the way the Palestinians are behaving and talking.
The Palestinians seek to continue holding Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab
countries hostage. In fact, the Palestinians wish to retain their death grip
against Israel at the cost of their Arab brethren. Any Arab who dares to
challenge the Palestinians is denounced as a traitor and a Zionist.
Palestinian officials say that Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud
Abbas, who visited Saudi Arabia in early November, left the kingdom with a bad
taste in his mouth. A senior Palestinian official was quoted as saying that
Abbas feels that Saudi Arabia and some Arab countries are would like to see him
removed from power and replaced with someone who would be more acceptable to the
Americans and Israelis.
The Palestinians believe that Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman,
is personally spearheading his country's rapprochement with Israel. Some of them
are even convinced that it is only a matter of time before Saudi Arabia and
Israel establish diplomatic ties as part of a peace treaty.
The general feeling among the Palestinian public is that their Saudi brothers
have decided to "throw them under the bus" by signing a peace treaty with
Israel. The Palestinians claim that Saudi Arabia has accepted the Trump
administration's "ultimate solution" for peace in the Middle East -- a plan the
details of which remain largely unknown, but is said to promote peace between
the Arab countries and Israel before the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is solved.
Their biggest fear is that once Saudi Arabia embarks on such a dramatic move,
many other Arab countries will follow suit, leaving the Palestinians isolated in
the international arena and abandoned by their Arab brethren.
The Palestinian Authority, however, is keen not to be seen as taking a public
stance against a powerful and wealthy country such as Saudi Arabia. In an
attempt to defuse tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Palestinians, some
Palestinian officials have come out in defense of the kingdom.
Mahmoud Al-Assadi, the PA Consul-General in Jeddah, for example, said that
reports claiming that Saudi Arabia was headed towards normalizing its relations
with Israel were false and based on malicious rumors. "Saudi Arabia's position
towards the Palestinian cause and people is historic and consistent," Al-Assadi
said in an interview. "The Saudi leadership has repeatedly made it clear that
there will be no normalization with Israel until the Palestinian issue is
solved."
The PA ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Bassam Al-Agha, has also taken pains to
exonerate the kingdom from the "allegation" that it is seeking to normalize its
relations with Israel. In an interview with a Saudi newspaper, Al-Agha heaped
praise on Saudi Arabia for its continued support for the Palestinians. The
Palestinians, he added, "Will always remember Saudi Arabia's generosity,
hospitality and support."
The public statements of Palestinian officials, however, stand in jolting
contrast with the sentiments of the Palestinian public, which seems to be
overtly hostile towards Saudi Arabia and its crown prince.
The Palestinians believe that the abusive videos posted by the Saudi man and
other derogatory remarks by Saudi citizens in the past few days are part of a
larger campaign by the Saudi authorities to prepare the Saudis for a peace
treaty between the kingdom and Israel.
The Palestinians point to a Twitter campaign launched by Saudi citizens under
the title of "Riyadh is more important than Jerusalem." The campaign is
accompanied by abusive remarks against the Palestinians, who are blamed for the
"loss of Jerusalem and Palestine." The campaign also repeats the charge made by
many Arab countries, namely that the Palestinian "dogs" have always been
ungrateful in the face of massive financial aid from their Arab brothers.
The Palestinians have been firing back with full force to this unprecedented
online onslaught by the Saudis.
"This is a media campaign spearheaded by the boys of the [Saudi] monarch to pave
the way for Saudi normalization with Israel," commented Khalid Omar. He and many
Palestinians claimed that Mohammed bin Salman was behind the online campaign
"that smears and discredits the Palestinian cause."
Yusef Jadallah wrote in response:
"We're not surprised to hear some Saudis say that Riyadh is more important than
Jerusalem. The Saudis are returning to their Zionist origin, which is hostile to
Arabs and Muslims. We used to say that the Saudis support us. Unfortunately, the
Saudis support Israel publicly."
Another comment from Radwan Al-Akhras, of the Gaza Strip: "This online campaign
is aimed at fomenting strife among the Arabs and Muslims. The only ones who
benefit from it are the Zionists and those who are trying to be Zionists."
The Palestinians also point to more troubling voices emerging from Saudi Arabia
in recent days.
Here, for instance, is what Saudi academic Sa'ad Al-Hussein tweeted on November
25, in reference to the 2007 Fatah-Hamas "reconciliation" agreement:
"History relates that it's the Palestinians who sold out their cause. History is
also witness that the Palestinians fought amongst each other and betrayed and
violated the Mecca accord."
Again, many Palestinians took to social media to attack the Saudi academic and
the royal family in Saudi Arabia. They accused the academic of being "ignorant"
and "illiterate" and claimed that his charges were also designed at paving the
way for normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Mustapha Anan, a Palestinian, retorted: "You are a trivial and despicable
person; shame on you and your king!"
Another Palestinian, Yusri Yusef, responded:
"What's the secret behind this Saudi smear campaign against the Palestinians? If
you [the Saudis] want to make peace and form an alliance with the Zionists,
that's your business. But why these unjustified attacks on the Palestinians?"
Echoing the Palestinian public's sentiment, Palestinian political analyst Majed
Abu Diak also voiced concern over the apparent rapprochement between Saudi
Arabia and Israel. He accused the Saudis of bowing to pressure from the Trump
administration.
"Saudi Arabia and Israel appear to be in a hurry to normalize their relations,"
Abu Diak claimed.
"The Saudi regime is preparing for Mohammed bin Salman to succeed his father.
That's why the regime is prepared to pay the price [to the Americans], which
includes normalizing relations with Israel as a way to improve Saudi relations
with the US. For Israel, this is an old-new dream of ridding itself of the
status of an alien body in the Middle East."
Most Arabs, in fact, do not seem to care about the Palestinian "cause" any more,
as pointed out in a previous article, which showed how the Arab League ministers
were focusing on Iran and Hezbollah while ignoring the Palestinians.
Many people in the West are not aware that the Palestinians are trying to
torpedo any peace initiative in order to blame others.
The Palestinians are crying Wolf, Wolf! -- but only a few in the Arab world are
listening to them. This, in a way, is encouraging and offers hope for them
finally to be released from decades of repressive and corrupt governance.
These are just some of the challenges Saudi Crown Prince is facing. It is
important to support him in the face of attacks by some Palestinians and other
spoilers.
The question now is whether the Saudis and the rest of the Arabs have had enough
of the great Palestinian shakedown.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim based in the Middle East.
© 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.
North Korea Ships Chemical Weapons to Syria: Nukes Next?
Debalina Ghoshal/Gatestone Institute/November 30/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11441/north-korea-syria-chemical-nuclear-
Syria could, of course, also acquire nuclear weapons from North Korea. Syria
already possesses ballistic missiles; the chemical weapons are already there.
In the past, North Korea has shipped ballistic missiles to Hezbollah and Hamas
via Syria; they will probably continue to do so, and to terrorist organizations
as well.
North Korea is reported to be shipping chemical weapons to Syria. The United
Nations Security Council (UNSC) has stated that activity has been intercepted
during the past six months and that North Korea is also shipping conventional
weapons there. Furthermore, a Syrian government entity, the Scientific Studies
and Research Centre, has apparently established cooperation with the Korean
Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID), North Korea's key arms exporter,
and blacklisted by the UN Security Council
Shipping weapons and chemical weapons to Syria brings cash-strapped North Korea
hard currency, Meanwhile Syria, thick in a civil war, can only acquire
sophisticated weapons and weapons of mass destruction through a black market; so
a sanctioned North Korea is ideal.
This news should not come as a surprise. North Korean support for Syria is
nothing new. In 1995, a CIA report confirmed that Syria's Scud B and Scud C
missile systems had been acquired from North Korea. By 1997, a State Department
report confirmed that North Korea was providing Syria with crucial equipment for
its missile development program. Der Spiegel reported in 2015 that Syria was
again trying to build nuclear bombs.
A nuclear reactor being built by North Korea in Syria was destroyed by Israel in
2007. In 2012, North Korea was sending Syria artillery components through China
while using sophisticated techniques to avoid interception.
In April 2017, Kim Jong-un called a US missile strike on Syria, in response to
Syrian use of chemical weapons on its own citizens, an "unforgivable act of
aggression." North Korea's aid to Syria in developing chemical weapons, however,
is also nothing new.
Lately, North Korea has again been providing Syria with chemical weapons as well
as assisting its ballistic missile program.
All these activities have been carried out despite the Iran, North Korea and
Syria Non-proliferation Act, which "authorizes the United States to impose
sanctions against foreign individuals, private entities, and governments that
engage in proliferation activities."
North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs have been both alarming the
US and destabilizing the Middle East.
North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs have been both alarming the
US and destabilizing the Middle East. Pictured: A mobile ballistic missile
launcher at North Korea's 2013 Victory Day parade. (Image source: Stefan
Krasowski/Flickr)
Syria could, of course, also acquire nuclear weapons from North Korea. Syria
already possesses ballistic missiles; the chemical weapons are already there.
Syrian forces have used these chemical weapons against rebel forces and
civilians; the main delivery systems for chemical warheads have been artillery
rockets, ballistic missiles and aerial bombs.
Syria's chemical weapons stockpile still exists, despite the country acceding to
the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in 2013. Syria's agreement to the CWC is
most likely why it has been seeking chemical weapons clandestinely.
Although Syria is also a party to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it
could just as easily clandestinely acquire nuclear weapons from the black market
rather than build nuclear program that would be easily detectable by satellites.
To add to this, Russia has vetoed renewing the mandate of the Joint
Investigative Mechanism (JIM) due to have expired in November 2017. The JIM, a
mechanism of the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons under UN Resolution 2235, set up in the year 2015, aimed at
determining the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
In the past, North Korea has shipped ballistic missiles to Hezbollah and Hamas
via Syria; they will probably continue to do so, and to terrorist organizations
as well.
**Debalina Ghoshal, an independent consultant specializing in nuclear and
missile issues, is based in India.
© 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.