LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
March 30/17
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The
Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias/english.march30.17.htm
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Bible Quotations For Today
He woke up and
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased,
and there was a dead calm
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 04/33-41/:"With many such
parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not
speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his
disciples. On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go
across to the other side.’And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them
in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and
the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he
was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him,
‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’He woke up and rebuked the
wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there
was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’
And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this,
that even the wind and the sea obey him?’"
God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a
spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline
Second Letter to Timothy 01/06-14/:"For this reason I remind you to rekindle the
gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did
not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and
of self-discipline. Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or
of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the
power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to
our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us
in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the
appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a
herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I
am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure
that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. Hold to
the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and
love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with
the help of the Holy Spirit living in us."
Trudeau “Christians are the
worst part of Canadian society”
رئيس وزراء كندا جستن ترودو يقول أن المسيحيين هم أسوأ شريحة من المجتمع الكندي/شاهد
الفيديو المرفق
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=53783
Published on March 28, 2017 in Canada by Jason Long
http://debatepost.com/2017/03/28/trudeau-christians-are-the-worst-part-of-canadian-society/
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau brought more than 30,000 refugees to Canada over the
last year and half , mostly refugees who fled war torn countries like Syria.
Most of those refugees were Muslims, some reports say 99 percent of refugees
that came to Canada were Muslim.
Why didn’t Trudeau bring Christian or Jew refugees to Canada who fled rape,
beatings and many more sufferings, Trudeau seems to hate Christians, he says:
“Christians are the worst part of Canadian society”
WATCH BELOW.
https://youtu.be/vp3fe3LQd9Y
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published On March 29-30/17
The Repercussions of Misunderstanding History/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al
Awsat/March 29/17
Palestinians: We Have the Right to Poison the Minds of our Children/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone
Institute/March 29/17
Europe: Unwilling to Defend Itself/Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/March 29/17
Al-Sharq Al-Awsat' Report Specifies Locations Of Foreign Military Bases In
Syria, Says Syria Is Turning Into Brittle Federation That Can Fall Apart At Any
Moment/MEMRI/March 29/17
Islamic Projection: Why Muslims Hate Infidels/Raymond Ibrahim/FrontPage
Magazine/March 29/17
Damascus in the midst of the ‘game of the nations’/Ghassan Imam/Al Arabiya/March
29/17
Driven by emotions and interests, Egyptians are deeply polarized/Mohammed
Nosseir/Al Arabiya/March 29/17
Operation Decisive Storm and the Gulf’s sentiments/Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/March
29/17
Turkey vs. Europe — why the escalation/Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi/Al Arabiya/March
29/17
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
On March 29-30/17
Arab summit ends with 'message of peace'
All 15 Arab Summit resolutions blast Iran
Lebanon's Aoun Takes Tumble as
Arab Summit Starts
Calls for Unity as Arab Leaders Meet
Arab Leaders Denounce 'Foreign Interference'
US House of Representatives: Iran Revolutionary Guards are a terrorist army
Jordan’s King Abdullah: Two-state solution basis of Middle East peace
Al-Jubeir: Riyadh will host the upcoming Arab Summit
Bus bombing kills five in Syria’s Homs
Over 280 Iraqi security forces members killed in west Mosul
King Salman leaves Jordan after meeting with Arab leaders
Details of the security raid on terrorist cells in eastern Saudi Arabia
ISIS video shows two men beheaded for ‘sorcery’ in Egypt's Sinai
British PM Theresa May signs Brexit letter invoking Article 50
Drone strike kills 4 Qaeda suspects in Yemen
US ‘probably had a role’ in Mosul blast, says top commander
N. Korea Could Be in Final Preparations for Nuclear Test
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published
On March 29-30/17
March 14 Activists Say Letter of ex-Presidents, PMs 'Broke Wall of Fear,
Silence'
All 15 Arab Summit resolutions blast Iran
Arab Summit Backs Right of Lebanese to 'Resist' Any Israeli Attack, Urges
Support for Army
Arab summit winds up, Arab leaders pledge to continue fight against terrorism
Amman Summit winds up, Jordanian King reiterates importance of strengthening
Arab action
Arab Summit welcomes Lebanon's oil excavation licensing, vows to share burden of
Syrian refugees
President Aoun delivers Lebanon's speech at Arab summit: Wars between brothers
must stop, dialogue ought to begin
Aoun Meets U.N. Head, Arab Leaders as Hariri, Bassil Meet Saudi, Bahrain FMs
Aoun Warns on Refugee Burden, Urges End to 'Wars among Brothers'
Hariri Accompanies Saudi King from Jordan to Riyadh
Hasbani: Electricity Plan Involved Private Sector, Doesn't Aggravate Budget
Deficit
Berri Slams Letter of Former Presidents and PMs: They Forgot Israel's 1978-2006
Wars
Berri Reiterates Rejection of Parliament Term Extension
Bassil: No Turning Back in LF Ties, Hizbullah Wants to Revise, Not Bin Electoral
Law Proposal
Works Minister discusses developmental affairs with Change and Reform MPs
Bou Assi tackles with ICMPD's Bloom ramifications of Syrian influx on Lebanon
Aridi: Proportional system's goal to correct political representation
Marouni: Five presidents' message to Arab summit provides Aoun, Hariri with
strength
Links From Jihad Watch Site for March
29-30/17
Clarion Project calls Qur’anic teaching “radical Islam”
Greece: Guns and ammunition discovered in mosque, imam arrested
Silicon Valley Community Foundation gives $330,000 to Hamas-linked CAIR, Islamic
Relief
Georgetown University’s Qatar campus hosts lecture by former Palestinian Islamic
Jihad leader
Sweden: Man charged with assault for eating bacon too close to Muslim women
India: Muslim leader says “women are impure during menstruation and should not
enter a place of worship during this period”
Montreal: Trudeau International Airport employees distribute Islamic State jihad
videos, still work at airport
Sweden: Islamic State jihadi sets fire to Shia Islamic center
Glazov Gang: Why the Left Denies the Jihad in London
Detroit: Muslim threatened to attack church for ISIS, US Attorney says “he lacks
self-control”
Video: Robert Spencer on Newsmax’s Malzberg: FBI Wanted Pamela Geller and Me
Dead in Garland Jihad Attack
Indiana: Muslim screaming “Allahu akbar” says “I’m going to kill everyone in
here,” tries to strangle clerk, breaks cop’s hand
Links From Christian Today Site
For
March 29-30/17
The devil's come down': How rape and murder are stalking the displaced of South
Sudan
Will Northern Ireland's political meltdown scupper Pope Francis' visit next
year?
How everything you thought about 'born again' Christians may be wrong: survey
shows surprisingly liberal theology and un-conservative politics
US pastor charged for 'illegal' Bible study in Russia appeals to European Court
of Human Rights
Coptic Pope says Egyptian Christians' problems are 'minor', warns against
'harmful' exaggeration
Congo bishops abandon peace deal citing 'lack of sincere political will'
Nigerian Catholic Church calls on Government to stop 'structural injustice'
against Christians
Christian convert in prison in Iran is seriously ill and in urgent need of
medical care
Terror will never drive us apart, pledge Archbishops, Imams and Chief Rabbi
PMQs with Christian Today: On a momentous #BrexitDay, Corbyn misses an open goal
Latest Lebanese Related News published
On March 29-30/17
March 14 Activists Say Letter of
ex-Presidents, PMs 'Broke Wall of Fear, Silence'
Naharnet/March 29/17/
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=53793
The March 14 Moustamerroun group of activists on Wednesday hailed a letter sent
by five Lebanese presidents and premiers to the Arab Summit in Jordan as a “bold
contribution to toppling the wall of fear and breaking the wall of silence that
Hizbullah is trying to impose on the Lebanese regarding its arms and hegemony
over the Lebanese decision.”A statement issued after the activists' weekly
meeting at the Bristol Hotel said the conferees “lauded the initiative of
ex-presidents Amin Gemayel and Michel Suleiman and ex-PMs Fouad Saniora, Najib
Miqati and Tammam Salam, who sent to the Arab Summit a letter that reflects the
insistence of the Lebanese on securing Arab and international legitimacy for the
sovereignty and independence of their state and the freedom of its
decision.”“The aforementioned letter and its clinging to the Taef Accord –
especially in what relates to sovereignty, Resolution 1701, other U.N.
resolutions on Lebanon, and the Baabda Declaration – is a bold contribution to
toppling the wall of fear and breaking the wall of silence that Hizbullah is
trying to impose on the Lebanese regarding its arms and hegemony over the
Lebanese decision,” the statement added. The March 14 activists voiced their
relief that Lebanon has started to witness “a series of steps and stances that
are openly rejecting submission to Hizbullah after the presidential and
governmental settlement that was imposed.”“They stress the need to unite these
moves and stances under the same political roof through a specific
organizational structure, in order to launch the battle for regaining Lebanon's
sovereignty, independence, freedom and historic identity, and to defeat the
scheme aiming to add it to the Iranian axis that is seeking to undermine the
stability and security of the Arab countries,” the statement said.
Earlier in the day, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri criticized the letter of the
former presidents and premiers, accusing them of “forgetting” about Israel's
wars and attacks on Lebanon.
The letter stresses the importance of Lebanon's commitment to U.N. resolutions,
especially Resolution 1701, and tackles controversial issues such as Hizbullah's
arms, the Baabda Declaration, Lebanon's dissociation policy, the state's
authority over its territory and foreign interference in the Syrian crisis.
Several officials have voiced dismay over the letter and accused the former
presidents and premiers of bypassing the country's president and premier. “There
is a train moving forward in Lebanon and those who want to board it are welcome,
or else let them stay in their places,” said Prime Minister Saad Hariri on
Tuesday when asked about the letter. Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq for
his part described it as a “national sin,” saying “no one should send a
statement to the Arab League's general secretariat about a Lebanese dispute.”
“Let no one try to lecture us about Arabism, Hizbullah's arms or the Iranian
policies,” Mashnouq added.
All 15 Arab Summit resolutions
blast Iran
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 29,
2017
All 15 resolutions passed by the Arab summit which took place in Jordan
Wednesday, March 29, were devoted to an indictment of Iran, its Revolutionary
Guards Corps and Lebanese surrogate, Hizballah. They were a testament to the
depth of Arab-Iranian animosity and exposed the extent of the rift between the
Sunni and Shiite Muslim worlds.
Iran was accused of meddling in the internal affairs of Arab nations, inciting
Shiites against Sunnis, and arming and training Shiite terrorist groups for
operations against legitimate Arab governments. The Arab rulers combined to put
Tehran in the dock for its interference in the Syrian civil war and assault on
its sovereignty.
None of the formal resolutions addressed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. As
DEBKAfile reported earlier, this issue is the subject of active exchanges
between the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the
Palestinian Authority. King Abdullah of Jordan, who hosted the summit and
Egyptian President Abdel-Fatteh El-Sisi will travel to Washington to report to
President Donald Trump on the private discussions on this issue at the session
and launch the next stage of the Arab-Israeli peace initiative.
DEBKAfile lists the 15 resolutions submitted to the Arab summit.
1: Good neighborly relations should prevail between Iran and Arab countries and
Iran’s meddling in the affairs of Arab countries condemned as a threat to the
security and stability of the region.
2: The Islamic Republic of Iran should assume responsibility for an attack on
Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad and abide by the
laws of diplomacy.
3: The Iranian government must tell its officials to desist from hostile,
inflammatory remarks against Arab countries.
4: Iran must stop fomenting sectarian rivalries and withdraw support from groups
who destabilize the Gulf countries and armed groups inside Arab countries.
5: Iran’s invasion of three Emirate islands (Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser
Tunbs) is condemned. They must be restored to lawful ownership by peaceful
means.
6: Iran must stop supporting and training terrorists and sending arms and
ammunition to rebel groups fighting the Bahrain government.
7: Bahraini security agencies win praise for foiling a terrorist plot in
December 2016 supported by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and terrorist
Hizballah.
8: Iran’s nefarious meddling in the Syrian crisis has threatened its
sovereignty, future stability, security and unity.
9: Iranian meddling in Yemen’s affairs by backing forces fighting the legitimate
government negatively affects the security of the country, its neighbors and the
wider region.
10: The importance of the initiative taken by the Assistance Council of the Arab
Gulf Countries is underlined and calls for a positive response from Iran
11: Iran must be bound to compliance with Security Council Resolution 2231 of
2015 and penalized swiftly with effective sanctions for any violations. Iran
must be held to its commitments under the nuclear and regional environment
treaties.
12: The Secretary General is entrusted with managing the commission of four Arab
foreign ministers set up to thwart Iranian interference in Arab affairs.
13: Arabic assistance forums with countries, regional, and international groups
will highlight the ill effects of Iranian meddling in their affairs.
14: This issue will be placed on the UN agenda under Section 2 of Article 7
15: The Arab League Secretary General will monitor the implementation of these
resolutions and report on progress to the next Arab summit.
Lebanon's Aoun Takes Tumble
as Arab Summit Starts
DEAD SEA, Jordan (Reuters) - Lebanese President Michel Aoun tripped and fell
face down as Arab heads of state gathered at the start of their summit at the
Dead Sea in Jordan on Wednesday, television footage showed. Aoun, 82, appeared
to trip on a low, red-carpeted podium where flags of Arab states had been
arranged. Two men in suits rushed to help him to his feet as Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stood nearby. Aoun became head of state last year in a
political deal that saw Saad al-Hariri appointed prime minister, ending a 2-1/2
year vacuum in the presidency. Despite his fall, he later addressed the summit.
En route to the same meeting, Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, also
slipped as he disembarked from a plane on arrival in Amman, stumbling as he
reached the bottom of the stairs down to the runway, where a group of people was
waiting to meet him.
(Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Arab Summit Backs Right of
Lebanese to 'Resist' Any Israeli Attack, Urges Support for Army
Naharnet /March 29/17/The Arab League on Wednesday backed the right of the
Lebanese to “resist” any Israeli attack and called on all countries in the world
to offer support to the Lebanese army. The Arab Summit “welcomes the election of
General Michel Aoun as president of the Lebanese republic as a decisive step
that guarantees Lebanon's ability to confront the pressing political, security,
economic and social challenges,” said a paper issued by the League and titled
“Solidarity with Lebanon”. It also welcomed the content of Aoun's presidential
oath of office in terms of “adherence to the Lebanese people's unity and civil
peace, which would keep it safe from the blazes raging around it in the
region.”The League also lauded Aoun's call for “respecting the Arab League
charter, especially Article 8,” and his announcement that “Lebanon will endorse
an independent foreign policy based on Lebanon's higher interest and respect for
international law.”Turning to Lebanon's conflict with Israel, the League
stressed “the right of the Lebanese to liberate or retrieve the Shebaa Farms,
the Lebanese Kfarshouba Hills and the Lebanese side of the Ghajar village, and
their right to resist any attack through the legitimate means.”
The League also stressed the importance to “differentiate between terrorism and
legitimate resistance against the Israeli occupation, which is a right
acknowledged by the international charters and the principles of the
international law.”
“The act of resistance should not be considered a terrorist act,” the League's
Solidarity with Lebanon paper said. The League “backs Lebanon stance in asking
the international community to implement U.N. Security Council 1701, which is
based on the resolutions 425 and 426, through putting an end once and for all to
Israel's violations and threats to its civilian facilities and infrastructure,”
the paper adds. The League also welcomed the aid that has been offered by some
countries to Lebanon, “topped by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” urging all
countries to “enhance the capabilities of the Lebanese army and enable it to
perform its missions, seeing as it is the pillar of security, stability and
civil peace in Lebanon.”
Arab summit winds up, Arab
leaders pledge to continue fight against terrorism
Wed 29 Mar 2017/NNA - The closing statement of the Arab summit on Wednesday
capitalized on the fact that the Syrian crisis could only witness an end through
a political compromise. "We will pursue our fight against terrorism as part of a
comprehensive strategy to combat ignorance," the statement added.
Moreover, conferees praised the achievements of the Iraqi army in its war
against terrorism, stressing the need to ensure political stability in Libya
through reconciliation. The statement rejected unilateral actions by Israel that
could undermine the two-state solution. "We stand by the Palestinian people and
we will support efforts to achieve national reconciliation," the statement said.
Amman Summit winds up, Jordanian King reiterates importance
of strengthening Arab action
Wed 29 Mar 2017/NNA - King Abdullah II of Jordan on Wednesday thanked Arab
leaders and heads of delegations taking part in the 28th Arab Summit for their
active participation and keenness to make the summit a success in light of
difficult circumstances and challenges facing the Arab nation. In a speech at
the closing session of the 28th Arab Summit, the King also thanked the Arab
League and its Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit for their continuous efforts
to activate the role of the league and its bodies. "In this summit, we discussed
all issues with utmost transparency, to come up with a number of important
decisions and recommendations, which we will ensure during our presidency of the
summit, to work with you to translate them on the ground," His Majesty said.
King Abdullah reiterated the importance of strengthening and institutionalizing
pan-Arab action, "so that we can overcome challenges facing us and serve the
issues of our nation."
Arab Summit welcomes
Lebanon's oil excavation licensing, vows to share burden of Syrian refugees
Wed 29 Mar 2017/NNA - The Arab League Council, and within the framework of
Jordan's Arab Summit, issued on Wednesday a Statement of Solidarity with
Lebanon, in which it lauded Lebanon's initiation of the oil excavation licensing
process. The statement also expressed the participating Arab countries' pledge
to share the burden of Syrian refugees "whose presence in Lebanon should be
temporary."The statement also deemed the election of President Michel Aoun an
indispensable step to face political, security, economic, and social challenges.
Arab leaders expressed in the statement their support for Lebanon's request of
the International Community to implement International Security Council
resolution 1701, and to fully halt Israeli violations and threats. They also
lauded the role of the Lebanese Army and Security Forces preserving civil peace
and stability in Lebanon, especially through their relentless endeavors fighting
terrorism. The statement deplored all sorts of terrorist acts and armed activity
across Lebanese territories. It also deplored the countless Israeli assaults and
violations against Lebanon. The Arab League Council also stressed in its
statement the paramount importance of preserving Lebanon's unique diversity and
Christian-Muslim balance and coexistence. It also supported the Lebanese
Constitutional Institution's refusal to naturalize refugees by adhering further
to the Palestinian refugees' right to return to their homeland.
President Aoun delivers
Lebanon's speech at Arab summit: Wars between brothers must stop, dialogue ought
to begin
Wed 29 Mar 2017
NNA - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, said "the gravity of the
current stage pushes us to make the decision, today, to stop the war between
brothers in all its forms, be it military, material, media or diplomatic, and to
sit at the dialogue table to determine the legitimate and vital interests of
each side, otherwise we would all be forced to pay the commission of a solution
looming not so far away."
Aoun delivered Lebanon's word at the Arab Summit in Jordan's Amman, whereby he
said "I would like to congratulate His Majesty, King Abdullah II, on his
presidency of the Arab Summit at its twenty-eighth session. I wish him success
in this major responsibility, especially at these delicate circumstances that
our brother countries are going through, thanking His Majesty for the
hospitality and precision in organizing the Summit.
I also thank the President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz Ali Hassan, for
his management of the previous Arab summit over the past year."
"We meet today to discuss the events that took place in the Arab region and
neighboring countries, and the international interactions that emerged from
them. What can we do before everyone's obvious inability to solve the crises or
help get out of them?" he asked.
"I did not come here today to give advice or guidance. I came wondering; perhaps
we find within us the necessary answers. I will let my conscience address yours;
perhaps we could wake up from this nightmare."
"I would have loved to stand before you to today with joy, to tell you about our
achievements, our projects, and the ways we developed cooperation between Arab
countries. Unfortunately, however, the sounds of explosions and the scenes of
murder overwhelm any other subject, so I could not shake off of my imagination
the black cloud that envelops our Arab atmosphere, nor the previous meetings
which repeatedly increased our sense of disappointment and bitterness," Aoun
said.
"Wars, massacres, destruction, dead, wounded, ailments and whining… Who won the
war? Who lost the war? Everyone has lost here, everyone is dead, everyone is
wounded, everyone is suffering, and everyone is hungry, begging for a living.
For whom do we fight, and why do we kill each other?
Is it for the liberation of Jerusalem and the occupied Arab territories? Or is
it for the promised Palestinian homeland and the return of refugees? (...) On
which page of our history will we record victories? Do we still have blank pages
to write on? Aren't they all filled with the names of our own victims?"
"The storm that blew through our region hit all our countries, including those
directly affected and those who had to carry the burden... The shrapnel have
reached the Arab League's core, and thus made it unable to find solutions.
Therefore, we can say, with all confidence, that we are all concerned with what
is happening, and we can no longer wait for solutions to come from the outside,"
he urged.
"The Arab League was established (...) to prevent wars between us and to
safeguard our sovereignty and independence. The purpose of which was to
strengthen the links among the participating States and to coordinate their
political plans for cooperation between them and for the maintenance of their
independence and sovereignty. Article 5 prohibited the use of force among Arab
States and encouraged arbitration among them. Article 8 required each
participating State to respect the ruling system in other States affiliated with
the League and pledge not to undertake any action aimed at changing it," he
argued.
"Statements of condemnation are no longer sufficient. The Arab League (...)
ought to regain its role and mission. Its most urgent role today is to take
control, stop the bloodshed and extinguish the raging fire," Aoun corroborated,
urging Arab reunification, just solutions and immunization of the Arab world in
the face of challenges and risks.
"Lebanon, which is on the path leading to recovery, (...) is still haunted by
anxiety and anticipation. It has not yet known comfort and reassurance, and here
it is today addressing your conscience:
It is true that the blaze surrounding it could not reach its inside, but the
burden of it has become unbearable. We see misery and pain around us, and we try
to help as much as possible. But when need exceeds our ability, we sink under
its weight and it becomes a threat to us."
"Ever since the painful events in Syria started, we opened our homes and schools
to welcome those fleeing the hell of war. But, since day one, too, we warned
against matters getting out of control. Unfortunately, that did happen
eventually. Today, Lebanon is hosting Syrians and Palestinians equal in numbers
to nearly half its population. The numbers are rising still. You all know that
by its very nature, its land and its limited resources, Lebanon is a country of
immigration and not of settlement. The alleviation of the misery of displaced
persons, their salvation from the harshness of their forced emigration, and
reducing social, economic, security and political repercussions on Lebanon, will
only be achieved through their safe return to their homes," President Aoun
stressed.
"Lebanon, in its good relations with all brotherly States, is fully prepared to
help rebuild bridges and revive the language of dialogue, because we, as
Lebanese, have fought wars of various forms and have ended them only through
dialogue.
The gravity of the current stage requires us to decide today to stop the wars
between brothers in all their forms, (...) and to sit at the dialogue table to
determine and respect the legitimate interests of each team," he concluded.
Aoun Meets U.N. Head, Arab
Leaders as Hariri, Bassil Meet Saudi, Bahrain FMs
Naharnet/March 29/17/President
Michel Aoun on Wednesday held talks on the sidelines of the Arab Summit in
Jordan with U.N. chief António Guterres and a number of Arab leaders. The
meeting with Guterres was held in the presence of Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil,
Lebanon's National News Agency said. Aoun had met in the morning with Saudi King
Salman bin Abdul Aziz at the King Hussein bin Talal Convention Center, NNA said.
Later in the day, Aoun held talks with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed
al-Sabah, Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi and Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas. Talks with Kuwait's emir tackled “the Lebanese-Kuwaiti bilateral ties and
the general situations in the Arab region.”“During the meeting, the Kuwaiti emir
renewed the invitation for Aoun to visit Kuwait, as President Aoun thanked the
emir for the renewed invitation and promised to fulfill it after agreeing on its
date via the diplomatic channels,” NNA added. Also on Wednesday, Prime Minister
Saad Hariri met with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir as FM Bassil held
talks with his Bahraini counterpart Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa. Hariri
later accompanied the Saudi king to Riyadh aboard a royal Saudi plane after the
end of summit. Al-Akhbar daily had reported that Hariri received an official
invitation to visit Saudi Arabia. The developments come after reports said
relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have again suffered a setback
following statements made by Aoun over Hizbullah's arms. Reports claimed earlier
this year that Saudi king had canceled a trip to Lebanon allegedly over
displeasure concerning Aoun's statements. In 2016, Saudi Arabia halted a $3
billion grant for the Lebanese security forces in response to "hostile" stances
by Hizbullah and diplomatic positions by Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.
Aoun Warns on Refugee Burden, Urges End to 'Wars among
Brothers'
Naharnet/March 29/17/President Michel Aoun warned Wednesday that tiny Lebanon is
reeling under the impact of the presence of around two million Syrian and
Palestinian refugees on its soil, as he called for an end to the “wars among
brothers” in the region.
“Lebanon, which started to recover after its institutions returned to normalcy,
is still haunted by anxiety and concern and it has not yet known relief or
reassurance, and today it is addressing your conscience,” Aoun said in a speech
at the 28th Arab Summit in Jordan, his first since being elected Lebanon's
president.
“It is true that the flames raging around it have not reached it, but it is
suffering the repercussions and reeling under their burden. We are seeing the
misery and pain around us and we are trying to help as much as possible, but
when the needed exceeds our capacity, we drown in the burdens and they start to
pose a threat to us,” Aoun warned. He noted that today Lebanon is hosting
“Syrians and Palestinians whose numbers are equivalent to half of its Lebanese
population,” adding that “the numbers are increasing.” “As you know, Lebanon
with its nature, small territory and scarce resources is a migration and not a
resettlement country,” the president told the summit. He stressed that
“alleviating the misery of the displaced and their salvation from the harshness
of their mandatory migration, in addition to sparing Lebanon the social,
economic, security and political repercussions, can only be achieved through
their safe return to their homeland.” Turning to the situations in the region,
Aoun said “Lebanon through its good ties with all the brotherly countries
expresses its full readiness to help in bridging the differences and reviving
the language of dialogue, because we as Lebanese went through various forms of
wars that only ended through dialogue.”“This critical period obliges us to
decide today to end the wars among brothers -- which have many military,
economic, journalistic and diplomatic forms – and to sit around the dialogue
table in order to specify and respect the legitimate vital interests of each
party, or else we will all pay the price of a solution that will be soon imposed
on us,” Aoun went on to say. He urged Arabs to “take an effective initiative
that can influence the events, stop the bloodbaths and put out the raging
blaze.” The Arab League's “role today is to reunite Arabs and find fair
solutions in the burning countries in order to immunize the Arab world in the
face of the current period's challenges and threats,” the president added.
Hariri Accompanies Saudi King from Jordan to Riyadh
Naharnet/March 29/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri accompanied Saudi King Salman to
Riyadh aboard a royal Saudi plane after the end of the Arab Summit in Jordan on
Wednesday, the PM's office said. Hariri had also traveled with the monarch
onboard a helicopter that carried them from the Arab Summit's venue in the Dead
Sea region to the Jordanian capital Amman, the office added. Al-Akhbar daily had
reported that Hariri received an official invitation to visit Saudi Arabia.The
developments come after reports said relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia
have again suffered a setback following statements made by President Michel Aoun
over Hizbullah's arms. Reports claimed earlier this year that Saudi king had
canceled a trip to Lebanon allegedly over displeasure concerning Aoun's
statements.In 2016, Saudi Arabia halted a $3 billion grant for the Lebanese
security forces in response to "hostile" stances by Hizbullah and diplomatic
positions by Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.
Hasbani: Electricity Plan Involved Private Sector, Doesn't
Aggravate Budget Deficit
Naharnet/March 29/17/An electricity-reform plan approved by the cabinet on
Tuesday which includes the establishment of new power plants and leasing
electricity generating vessels, has incorporated the private sector in the
production line, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani said
on Wednesday. Ministers of the Lebanese Forces party have demanded the
privatization of the electricity sector, and in that regard, Hasbani assured the
“LF's request has been noticed in the plan.”“The plan is not new, it has been
extracted from the outlines of the 2010 plan,” he told An Nahar daily refusing
allegations that the LF request was disregarded. “Production will be the share
of the private sector, especially the production of renewable energy. Each stage
will be negotiated in the cabinet for approval, which ensures follow-up and
monitoring,” said Hasbani. The Minister assured the new plan will not increase
the budget's deficit. “The service providers will activate collection of bills
by trying to control electricity theft which is wasting around 15-20 percent of
the energy, and stopping technical waste in the old network which amounts to 15
percent,” concluded the Minister. On Tuesday, the cabinet approved an
electricity-reform plan proposed by Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil to improve
Lebanon's electricity sector, one day after it endorsed the 2017 budget plan,.
LF leader Samir Geagea has recently proposed that private companies build and
operate power plants in a partnership with the state in the electricity sector,
describing it as a necessary reform that should be included in the state budget.
According to Geagea, such a step would provide a 24/24 power supply across the
country and would spare the treasury around $2 billion in yearly losses.
Berri Slams Letter of Former Presidents and PMs: They Forgot Israel's 1978-2006
Wars
Naharnet/March 29/17Parliament
Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday criticized a letter sent to the Arab Summit by
five former presidents and premiers of Lebanon, accusing them of “forgetting”
about Israel's wars and attacks on Lebanon. “No one of those who sent it is
boycotting the president. To the contrary, they're seeing him more than we're
seeing him, so what necessitated showing Lebanon in this image?” Berri asked
during his weekly meeting with lawmakers in Ain el-Tineh. “A day later, I read
the draft statement of the Arab foreign ministers in newspapers and I found it
to be more merciful than our statement against ourselves,” the speaker added.
Told by some MPs that several Arab summits had endorsed Lebanon's
“army-people-resistance equation”, Berri noted that “13 Arab summits endorsed
the army-people-resistance equation and the liberation of the South.”“But it
seems that these people have forgotten what happened in the South in the years
1978, 1982, 1993, 1996, 2000 and 2006 and the martyrs, wounded and massive
destruction caused by the Israeli wars and attacks,” the speaker went on to say.
The letter was sent to the Arab Summit by former presidents Michel Suleiman and
Amin Gemayel and ex-PMs Tammam Salam, Najib Miqati and Fouad Saniora. It
stresses the importance of Lebanon's commitment to U.N. resolutions, especially
Resolution 1701, and tackles controversial issues such as Hizbullah's arms, the
Baabda Declaration, Lebanon's dissociation policy, the state's authority over
its territory and foreign interference in the Syrian crisis. Several officials
have voiced dismay over the letter and accused the former presidents and
premiers of bypassing the country's president and premier. “There is a train
moving forward in Lebanon and those who want to board it are welcome, or else
let them stay in their places,” said Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Tuesday when
asked about the letter. He stressed that the president and the prime minister
are the ones representing Lebanon at the summit. Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq
for his part described it as a “national sin,” saying “no one should send a
statement to the Arab League's general secretariat about a Lebanese dispute.”
“Let no one try to lecture us about Arabism, Hizbullah's arms or the Iranian
policies,” Mashnouq added. Gemayel defended the move on Tuesday, saying the
letter aimed to "strengthen the Lebanese position."
"Is it a crime to talk about the Baabda Declaration?" he wondered.
Berri Reiterates Rejection of
Parliament Term Extension
Naharnet/March 29/17/Speaker Nabih
Berri reiterated on Wednesday that he strictly refuses any extension of the
parliament term if it was not for technical reasons, al-Joumhouria daily
reported. “We must distinguish between a technical parliament extension and a
regular one. I will never accept another extension,” Berri told his visitors on
Tuesday. “I would accept a technical extension, but according to a specific
mechanism, if it turns out to be the only solution,” added the Speaker. Berri
explained saying: “If a law cannot be agreed in the next few weeks, then an
understanding must be reached. After which the government must take an
initiative and prepare a law within a specific period of time.Only “in this
case, as a parliamentary council, I will immediately take the special measure
meaning a technical extension and for a specific period of time,” he added.
Political parties are bickering over devising a new electoral law to govern
Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections. Hizbullah has repeatedly called for
an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but al-Mustaqbal
Movement and Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat have both voiced reservations.
Mustaqbal has argued that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in
the party's strongholds while Jumblat has warned that such an electoral system
would “marginalize” the minority Druze community whose presence is concentrated
in the Chouf and Aley areas. The political parties are meanwhile discussing a
so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the
winner-takes-all system.
Bassil: No Turning Back in LF Ties, Hizbullah Wants to Revise, Not Bin Electoral
Law Proposal
Naharnet /March 29/17/Free Patriotic Movement chief
Jebran Bassil stressed Wednesday that “there will be no turning back in the
relation with the Lebanese Forces,” as he noted that Hizbullah wants to amend
and not shelve his latest electoral law proposal. “There will be no turning back
in the relation with the Lebanese Forces and should disagreements happen in some
places, they would be healthy disagreements. Together with the LF we are heading
towards a strength that gives us a common ability to carry on with our role in
the peaceful and civilized coexistence,” Bassil said in an interview on MTV.
Dismissing reports of a dispute with the LF over its latest announcement of its
parliamentary candidate for the Batroun district, Bassil added: “I cherish
Batroun and I will prove that no one can threaten, blackmail or entice over this
seat, because this parliamentary seat in Batroun is similar to the other seats.
This is not a message to a specific party but rather to everyone.” “We have
agreed with the LF to have an electoral agreement, but the manner in which this
agreement will be made depends on the new law. I have a priority which is that
the LF should clinch any parliamentary seat that these scattered individual
political forces are currently holding,” Bassil went on to say. Turning to the
electoral law format that he has recently proposed, Bassil said Hizbullah's
leadership has agreed to the proposal and demanded “two changes and a
remark.”“These two changes do not prevent the approval of this law,” Bassil
added. Bassil's proposal calls for electing 64 MPs according to the proportional
representation system and 64 others by their respective sects under a
winner-takes-all system.
Works Minister discusses developmental affairs with Change and Reform MPs
Wed 29 Mar 2017/NNA - Public Works Minister,
Youssef Fenianos, welcomed on Wednesday Change and Reform Parliamentary bloc MPs
Abbas Hashem and Nabil Nicholas, with whom he broached the most recent
developmental projects in different Lebanese regions. On another level, the
Minister followed up on his ministry's affairs, as well as those concerning the
Syndicate of Contractors.
Bou Assi tackles with ICMPD's Bloom ramifications of Syrian influx on Lebanon
Wed 29 Mar 2017/NNA - Social Affairs Minister,
Pierre Bou Assi, welcomed on Wednesday, Martin Bloom, the Director of the
International Centre for Migration Policy Development ICMPD, who visited him in
the company of ICMPD's regional representative, Ambassador Abdul Mawla Soloh.
The meeting reportedly touched on the repercussions of the Syrian massive influx
into Lebanon at the humanitarian and security levels. Bloom promised to place
ICMPD's expertise at the disposal of the Lebanese state, especially the Ministry
of Social Affairs. "The International Centre is currently is currently
implementing in Lebanon an integrated border management project, which is being
financed by the European Union," Bloom said, anticipating positive results
concerning border control and combating illegal human smuggling.
Aridi: Proportional system's goal
to correct political representation
Wed 29 Mar 2017/NNA - "Democratic
Gathering" bloc member, Deputy Ghazi Aridi said that "proportional system's goal
is to correct the political representation in the country."His remarks came at
an exhibition in Tyre on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the martyrdom
of Kamal Jumblatt. "It is shameful not to approve a new electoral law in the
country as this will be considered a failure of all the political figures," the
MP added. On another note, Aridi said that the salary scale issue is the
"citizen's right", clarifying that his political party's objection was regarding
the means of financing this issue.
Marouni: Five presidents' message
to Arab summit provides Aoun, Hariri with strength
Wed 29 Mar 2017/NNA - "Kataeb"
parliamentary bloc member MP Elie Marouni told "Al-Fajr" radio on Wednesday that
the content of the five presidents' message to the Arab summit comes in harmony
with President Aoun's inauguration speech and Premier Saad Hariri's ministerial
statement, adding that the content of the message provides power to both
President of the Republic Michel Aoun and Premier Saad Hariri.Marouni noted that
the message neither contradicts with the Taef Accord, the international
resolutions, the Lebanese legitimacy nor with the need to impose the Lebanese
Army and the security forces control over all the Lebanese territories. "The
content of the message addressed to the Arab summit is a source of strength to
both the President of the Republic Michel Aoun and the Prime Minister Saad
Hariri who are to represent Lebanon today at the summit," Marouni said,
wondering how some parties "described the message as negative."Talking about the
electoral law, Marouni explained that the political disagreements prevent the
approval of a new electoral law, indicating that a political decision to approve
this draft has not been made yet. "It is the parliament's duty to discuss the
draft laws that he had with the General Assembly and put them to vote. Then, the
draft that acquires the biggest number of votes would be applied," Marouni said.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published On
March 29-30/17
Arab summit ends with 'message of
peace'
Ynetnews/Associated Press/March 29/17
The Arab summit reachs its conclusion on Wednesday, and after Jordan's Kin
Abdullah II blames Israel for the stalled peace process, US Pres. Trump is given
the message that any agreement must include an independent Palestinian state.
Arab leaders on Wednesday endorsed key Palestinian positions in the conflict
with Israel—a signal to President Donald Trump that a deal on Palestinian
statehood must precede any Israeli-Arab normalization.
In a one-day summit, they relaunched a peace plan that offers Israel
normalization with Arab and Muslim states, provided it cedes lands it captured
in 1967 to a future Palestinian state. A closing statement said that "peace is a
strategic option" for Arab states. "The summit has ended with a message of
peace," said Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.
The Arab peace plan was first launched in 2002. Its renewed endorsement
Wednesday would undercut Israel's proposal of a regional peace in which
normalization with some Arab countries would precede a deal with the
Palestinians.
The Palestinian quest for independence also served as a showcase for Arab unity
in a fractured region, where leaders find themselves on opposite sides of
long-running conflicts, particularly Syria's six-year-old civil war.
The 21 kings, presidents and top officials gathered on the Jordanian side of the
Dead Sea, with a clear view of the West Bank on the opposite shore.
Despite demands for urgent political reform to tackle the region's challenges,
including high unemployment and widespread gender inequality, the optics of the
summit signaled business as usual. The leaders around the conference table were
all men, most of them elderly.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was absent—he hasn't been invited since Syria's
suspension from the 22-member Arab League following his crackdown on a 2011
uprising that quickly turned into a brutal civil war.
The gathering came ahead of White House meetings in coming weeks between Trump
and three Arab leaders—Jordan's King Abdullah II, Egyptian President
Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Trump hasn't yet formulated a policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but
has suggested the internationally backed idea of a two-state solution isn't the
only option on the table. His international envoy, Jason Greenblatt, held
meetings with Abbas and the foreign ministers of Qatar and Egypt on the
sidelines of the summit.
The Palestinians want to set up a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east
Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war.
Abbas told Arab leaders Wednesday that the summit resolutions will "send a clear
message to the world" of a united Arab stance.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not formally abandoned his stated support
for the two-state solution, but has stopped mentioning it in his speeches since
Trump was elected. Instead, he has made vague statements about seeking a
region-wide agreement.
Netanyahu frequently boasts of strong behind-the-scenes alliances with
unidentified Arab countries.
In a speech this week to AIPAC, the pro-Israel American lobby group, Netanyahu
once again alluded to a region-wide approach, saying that "common dangers faced
by Israel and many of our Arab neighbors now offer a rare opportunity to build
bridges toward a better future."
The summit's final statement urged countries around the world not to move their
diplomatic missions in Israel to contested Jerusalem, a signal to Trump who said
in the past he would relocate the US Embassy in Israel to the holy city.
Jordan's king told the summit's opening session that there can be no peace or
stability in the region without setting up a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Jordan has a large Palestinian population and also serves as custodian of a
major Muslim-run shrine in Jerusalem that is also Judaism's holiest site.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, has been a scene
of frequent Israeli-Palestinian tensions, including clashes.
Palestinians fear Israel wants to divide it, a charge Israel denies. Jordan's
monarch said "we will continue to fight any attempts to change the status quo"
at the site.
The Egyptian president and Saudi Arabia's King Salman slipped out of the summit
session for face-to-face talks, signaling an attempt at possible reconciliation.
A photo handout by the Egyptian delegation showed the two leaders sitting next
to each other in white cushion chairs.
Relations between the two countries have been tense in recent months. Saudi
Arabia is a leading supporter of the Syrian opposition, while Egypt, fearful of
Islamic militants among the rebels' ranks, has pushed for a political solution
that might keep Assad in power.
All 15 Arab Summit resolutions
blast Iran
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 29,
2017
All 15 resolutions passed by the Arab summit which took place in Jordan
Wednesday, March 29, were devoted to an indictment of Iran, its Revolutionary
Guards Corps and Lebanese surrogate, Hizballah. They were a testament to the
depth of Arab-Iranian animosity and exposed the extent of the rift between the
Sunni and Shiite Muslim worlds.
Iran was accused of meddling in the internal affairs of Arab nations, inciting
Shiites against Sunnis, and arming and training Shiite terrorist groups for
operations against legitimate Arab governments. The Arab rulers combined to put
Tehran in the dock for its interference in the Syrian civil war and assault on
its sovereignty.
None of the formal resolutions addressed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. As
DEBKAfile reported earlier, this issue is the subject of active exchanges
between the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the
Palestinian Authority. King Abdullah of Jordan, who hosted the summit and
Egyptian President Abdel-Fatteh El-Sisi will travel to Washington to report to
President Donald Trump on the private discussions on this issue at the session
and launch the next stage of the Arab-Israeli peace initiative.
DEBKAfile lists the 15 resolutions submitted to the Arab summit.
1: Good neighborly relations should prevail between Iran and Arab countries and
Iran’s meddling in the affairs of Arab countries condemned as a threat to the
security and stability of the region.
2: The Islamic Republic of Iran should assume responsibility for an attack on
Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad and abide by the
laws of diplomacy.
3: The Iranian government must tell its officials to desist from hostile,
inflammatory remarks against Arab countries.
4: Iran must stop fomenting sectarian rivalries and withdraw support from groups
who destabilize the Gulf countries and armed groups inside Arab countries.
5: Iran’s invasion of three Emirate islands (Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser
Tunbs) is condemned. They must be restored to lawful ownership by peaceful
means.
6: Iran must stop supporting and training terrorists and sending arms and
ammunition to rebel groups fighting the Bahrain government.
7: Bahraini security agencies win praise for foiling a terrorist plot in
December 2016 supported by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and terrorist
Hizballah.
8: Iran’s nefarious meddling in the Syrian crisis has threatened its
sovereignty, future stability, security and unity.
9: Iranian meddling in Yemen’s affairs by backing forces fighting the legitimate
government negatively affects the security of the country, its neighbors and the
wider region.
10: The importance of the initiative taken by the Assistance Council of the Arab
Gulf Countries is underlined and calls for a positive response from Iran
11: Iran must be bound to compliance with Security Council Resolution 2231 of
2015 and penalized swiftly with effective sanctions for any violations. Iran
must be held to its commitments under the nuclear and regional environment
treaties.
12: The Secretary General is entrusted with managing the commission of four Arab
foreign ministers set up to thwart Iranian interference in Arab affairs.
13: Arabic assistance forums with countries, regional, and international groups
will highlight the ill effects of Iranian meddling in their affairs.
14: This issue will be placed on the UN agenda under Section 2 of Article 7
15: The Arab League Secretary General will monitor the implementation of these
resolutions and report on progress to the next Arab summit.
Calls for Unity as Arab
Leaders Meet
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 29/17/Arab leaders looked to overcome
divisions and "foreign interference" on regional crises including the
devastating wars in Syria and Yemen as they met Wednesday for an annual summit
in Jordan. A show of unity was expected on the Israeli-Palestinian question, but
on other issues analysts said any breakthrough was highly unlikely. As the
summit of the 22-member Arab League opened in Sweimeh on the Dead Sea coast,
Jordan's King Abdullah II suggested that failing to come together would expose
the region open to outside influence. "We need to take the initiative to find
solutions to all the challenges we face in order to avoid foreign interference
in our affairs," he said. Arab leaders have been unable to find common ground on
how to end Syria's conflict, which in six years has killed more than 320,000
people and forced millions from their homes. Various Arab nations support
different proxy forces on the ground and there is disagreement on the future of
President Bashar Assad, whose participation in the league has been suspended
since 2011. While some say Assad must go for any peace deal, others, including
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, have not insisted on his departure as a
condition for a political agreement. The divisions have allowed other nations
including Iran, Russia and Turkey to take the diplomatic initiative. Arab League
head Ahmed Abul Gheit said he regretted the fact member states were watching
"events in Syria without the possibility of intervening," calling the conflict
"shameful." Visiting a refugee camp in Jordan ahead of the summit, U.N.
Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for differences to be set aside.
wo-state commitment
"Arab unity is a very important element in order to allow this region to be
stabilized and for... the Syrian refugees to find again a future that
corresponds to their aspirations," he said.Talks are expected on a range of
other issues including efforts against the Islamic State group, the war in
Yemen, unrest in Libya and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On the Palestinian
question, the leaders are set to oppose plans by U.S. President Donald Trump to
move Washington's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and consider alternatives to a
Palestinian state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told leaders on Wednesday
he would refuse to accept "temporary or regional" attempts to solve the
conflict. A draft summit statement, drawn up by the Palestinian delegation and
obtained by AFP, says the league's members "reaffirm their commitment to the
two-state solution."Since taking office in January, Trump has sent mixed signals
over how he will address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including a break
with decades of U.S. policy by saying he would be open to a one-state solution
if it meant peace. Abbas is expected to visit the White House next month, after
a visit by Sisi scheduled for April 3. Abdullah is also expected in Washington
soon.
- 'No breakthrough expected' -
Jordanian officials have stressed fighting "terrorism" as a major theme of the
summit, in particular the threat from IS which is facing U.S.-backed offensives
in Iraq and Syria. "Arab and Muslim countries must unite their efforts to combat
terrorism," Abdullah said in his address. On Yemen, regional powerhouse Saudi
Arabia will be looking for more support for the coalition it launched two years
ago to intervene in support of government forces against Iran-backed Shiite
rebels. The Huthi rebels have seized control of large parts of the Arabian
Peninsula nation. Continued fighting has left thousands dead and raised fears of
famine. Riyadh has been frustrated by a lack of willingness by some Arab nations
to back the coalition, in particular from key military power Egypt. The Saudis
cut off oil shipments to Egypt in October, apparently in connection with
disagreements on Yemen and Syria, though the shipments resumed this month.
Addressing the summit, Sisi said it was "regrettable that certain powers are
benefiting from the unprecedented situation in the region to bolster their
influence and expand their control" -- an apparent reference to Iran's role in
the conflicts. Previous Arab League summits have seen little progress in
overcoming divisions and analysts were expecting more of the same. "I think this
summit won't be any different," said Oraib al-Rantawi, head of the Al-Quds
Center for Political Studies. "The Arab (political) system is weak, divided and
has been plagued by defects for years," he said. "No breakthrough is
expected."Also in attendance was Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted
by the International Criminal Court for alleged genocide and war crimes in
Darfur. Human Rights Watch urged Jordan to arrest him, saying it "has the chance
to show its commitment to victims of heinous atrocities in Darfur."
Arab Leaders Denounce
'Foreign Interference'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet /March 29/17/
Arab leaders meeting Wednesday at a summit in Jordan denounced "foreign
interference" in their affairs, in reference to Iran, and called for the
settlement of conflicts that are tearing the region apart.
As at previous summits, the leaders of the 22-member Arab League criticized
Iran, but without naming the Shiite-dominated main regional rival of Sunni-ruled
Saudi
"We reject any intervention in the internal affairs of Arab countries," they
said in a declaration at the end of their one-day meeting in the Jordanian town
of Sweimeh on the Dead Sea coast.
In their statement, they also called for a revival of "serious and productive
peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians" and renewed their
commitment to a two-state solution.
Since taking office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has sent mixed
signals over how his administration will address the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, including a break with decades of U.S. policy by saying he would be
open to a one-state solution if it meant peace.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the leaders he would refuse to accept
"temporary or regional" attempts to solve the conflict.
Abbas, who met late Tuesday on the sidelines of the summit with Trump adviser
Jason Greenblatt, is expected to visit the White House next month.
Arab League head Ahmed Abul Gheit told the summit he regretted the fact that
member states were watching "events in Syria without the possibility of
intervening," calling the conflict "shameful."
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said it was "regrettable that certain
powers are benefiting from the unprecedented situation in the region to bolster
their influence and expand their control" -- in apparent reference to Iran.
'Redouble' Syria peace efforts -
"We will not allow any power to intervene in our affairs," said Sisi. "And any
attempt at confessional or territorial domination... will have to face a clear
and firm Arab position."Iran is also accused of supporting Shiite Huthi rebels
fighting government forces who have been backed by a Saudi-led Arab military
coalition since 2015.
Arab leaders have been unable to find common ground on how to end Syria's
conflict, which in six years has killed more than 320,000 people and forced
millions from their homes. Various Arab nations support different proxy forces
on the ground and there is disagreement on the future of President Bashar Assad,
whose country's participation in the Arab League has been suspended since 2011.
While some say Assad must stand down in any peace deal, others, including Sisi,
have not insisted on his departure as a condition for a political agreement.
The divisions have allowed other nations including Iran, Russia and Turkey to
take the initiative. The summit's final communique stressed the need to
"redouble efforts to find a peaceful solution that preserves the unity of the
country, its sovereignty and independence and ends the presence of terrorist
groups." The ministers at the gathering were instructed to find a way to help
Arab countries to host millions of Syrian refugees.
'No breakthrough'
Visiting a refugee camp in Jordan ahead of the summit, U.N. Secretary General
Antonio Guterres called for differences to be set aside. "Arab unity is a very
important element in order to allow this region to be stabilized and for... the
Syrian refugees to find again a future that corresponds to their aspirations,"
he said.
Jordanian officials had stressed fighting "terrorism" as a major theme of the
summit, in particular the threat from IS which is facing U.S.-backed offensives
in Iraq and Syria. "Arab and Muslim countries must unite their efforts to combat
terrorism," Jordan's King Abdullah II told the summit. Previous Arab League
summits have seen little progress in overcoming divisions, and analysts had
expected more of the same this time. "The Arab (political) system is weak,
divided and has been plagued by defects for years," said Oraib al-Rantawi, head
of the Al-Quds Center for Political Studies. "No breakthrough is expected."
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, quoted by Jordan's Petra news agency,
said the next Arab summit would be held in Saudi Arabia in March 2018. Also in
attendance in Jordan was Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the
International Criminal Court for alleged genocide and war crimes in Darfur.
Human Rights Watch urged Jordan to arrest him, saying it "has the chance to show
its commitment to victims of heinous atrocities in Darfur."
US House of
Representatives: Iran Revolutionary Guards are a terrorist army
Staff writer, Al Arabiya EnglishWednesday, 29 March 2017/The speaker of the US
House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, called to designate the Revolutionary
Guards as a terrorist group, describing it as a “terrorist army.” He said “Iran
supports the terrorist dictator of Damascus and the militias in Yemen, Baghdad
and Beirut.”Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said in a speech to the
American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) that “We must exploit all the
tools of American power and work with our allies, especially Israel, to confront
the threats of Iran.” Ryan stressed that in recent weeks both the US
administration and Congress took serious measures to increase sanctions against
Iran, pointing out that sanctions are not the only tool Washington has to fight
the nuclear Iran. According to the official website of the US House of
Representatives, Ryan called for the imposition of new sanctions on the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard Corps, which he described as “the terrorist army in Iran,”
and demanded that it be included on the list of terrorist organizations. He
highlighted the need to prevent Iranian airlines from delivering troops and
weapons across the Middle East. Ryan also criticized the Obama administration’s
nuclear agreement with Iran saying, “This agreement is a disaster and I do not
say so lightly. Iran has increased its support for terrorism and human rights
violations. It has also stepped up its ballistic missile program in the
aftermath of July 2015.”Furthermore, Nikki Hailey, the US ambassador to the
United Nations asserted that “Iran’s nuclear deal is worrisome because it
empowered Russian and Iran and encouraged the latter to act freely without fear
of accountability.”Mitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader in the Senate
disclosed: “Today we must adopt a different approach. We must combat Iran’s
ability to finance, arm and train terrorists, such as Hezbollah, Hamas and its
proxies in Syria.”McConnell criticized Iran’s nuclear deal, saying that it
disabled the United States from taking more aggressive steps against Iran.
Jordan’s King Abdullah: Two-state solution basis of Middle
East peace
Al Arabiya English, AgenciesWednesday, 29 March 2017/Jordan's King Abdullah said
peace would not be attained in the Middle East without the creation of a
Palestinian state under a two-state solution that would be the basis of a
comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace deal. In a speech at the start of an Arab
summit held beside the Dead Sea, King Abdullah said the kingdom's western
neighbor Israel was wrecking the chances of peace by accelerating settlement
building in occupied Palestinian territory. Speaking on Syria, the king said he
hoped that the recent round of negotiations between the opposition and the
regime initiate a political process. He also said that the Arab bloc also
supports efforts to restore stability in Libya and Yemen. Also speaking during
the opening session was Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, who
said that the Palestinian cause remains to be the region’s main focus.
“Palestinian divisions are having a negative impact on the Palestinian cause,”
he said. “Crises in Arab world are tough, but the will to defeat them must be
tougher,” he added, in reference to conflicts in the region. While they are
highly unlikely to bridge rifts over the regional role of Iran or intractable
wars in Syria and Yemen, Arab leaders remain united in supporting a two-state
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “We are concerned that there
should be an Arab consensus on the Palestinian file so that this reflects
clearly in the discussions of Arab states and their leaders with the new
American administration,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told
Reuters. Before taking office in January, Trump promised to move the US embassy
in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem - something adamantly opposed by Arabs as
tantamount, in their view, to recognizing Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.
The Palestinians want Arab East Jerusalem - which Israel captured in a 1967 war
and later annexed in a move not recognized internationally - as the capital of a
future state encompassing the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been frozen since 2014. Also read: King
Salman meets Jordan’s King Abdullah ahead of Arab summit (With Reuters)
Al-Jubeir: Riyadh will host the upcoming Arab Summit
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Wednesday, 29 March 2017/Saudi Foreign Minister
Adel al-Jubeir disclosed on Wednesday evening that Saudi Arabia has agreed to
host the next annual 29 th Arab summit at the request of the United Arab
Emirates. At the end of the one-day Arab summit in Jordan, Arab leaders said on
Wednesday that they are ready to achieve historic reconciliation with Israel in
exchange for its withdrawal from the territories it occupied in the 1967 war.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that Arab countries would
support the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks to end decades of conflict if it
guarantees the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Aboul Gheit
called on states not to transfer their embassies to Jerusalem. King Abdullah II
of Jordan affirmed the success of the 28th Arab Summit saying: “despite the
circumstances and challenges facing the Arab region, the Arab summit was a
success thanks to the Arab leaders.” The King of Jordan added that the Arab
leaders discussed all the issues at the Arab summit with the utmost
transparency. In addition, he reiterated the importance of promoting joint Arab
action in a way that would overcome challenges and serve the Arab nation. The
King of Jordan was thankful to the Arab leaders for their participation in the
Arab Summit, declaring the end of the final session of the Summit.
Bus bombing kills five in Syria’s Homs
Reuters, Beirut Wednesday, 29 March 2017/A bomb blast hit a passenger bus in the
government-held city of Homs at noon on Wednesday, killing five people and
wounding six, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported. The Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights, a British-based war monitor, also said that at least five
people were killed in the attack. SANA’s correspondent in Homs said the bombing,
which it said was carried out by terrorists, targeted a small passenger bus
which was in a street in al-Zahra neighborhood. The agency quoted the Homs
health director as saying the bombing killed 5 people and wounded 6.
Government-held cities have been hit by a series of bombings in recent weeks,
including in Homs, where an attack that included blasts and shooting killed
dozens of people in February including a senior security official. Scores of
people were killed in suicide attacks in the capital Damascus earlier this
month, including twin bombings on March 15 at a central courthouse and a
restaurant, and a blast days earlier near an important Shiite Muslim shrine.
After some of the attacks in recent weeks the militant group Tahrir al-Sham,
whose main component is al Qaeda’s former Syrian branch Nusra Front, said it had
been behind the blasts. Analysts have predicted that as rebels fighting to oust
President Bashar al-Assad suffer military reverses, they will increasingly turn
to guerrilla-style attacks in territory controlled by the government.
Over 280 Iraqi security forces members killed in west Mosul
Reuters, Washington Wednesday, 29 March 2017 /The US military said on Wednesday
that 284 members of the Iraqi security forces had been killed since the battle
to retake western Mosul began, with more than 1,600 wounded. Army General Joseph
Votel said during a congressional hearing that in addition to the casualties in
western Mosul, the battle for eastern Mosul had lead to 490 members of the Iraqi
security forces being killed with over 3,000 wounded. Votel is head of the US
military’s Central Command. Iraqi special forces and police fought ISIS
militants to edge closer to the al-Nuri mosque in western Mosul on Wednesday,
tightening their control around the landmark site in the battle to recapture
Iraq’s second city.
King Salman leaves Jordan after meeting with Arab leaders
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Wednesday, 29 March 2017/Saudi Arabia’s King
Salman left Jordan today, after attending the 28th Arab Summit in Amman where he
met with Arab leaders on Wednesday. During the summit King Salman spoke
separately with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Kuwait’s King Emir
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, Tunisian President Mohamed Beji Caid Essebsi, Libya’s
Head of Presidential Council of Libya's Reconciliation Government Fa'ez Al-Sarraj,
and President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir of Sudan. The conversations covered a number
of matters. These included maintaining and improving relations between Saudi
Arabia and the various nations and further developing cooperation. There was
also discussion of the agenda of the summit. King Salman stressed in his speech
at the summit’s opening session, the importance of a peaceful solution to the
crisis in Yemen.
He highlighted that “the most dangerous thing facing our Arab nation is
terrorism and extremism.”And the Saudi king called for the activation of joint
economic mechanisms.
Details of the security raid on terrorist cells in eastern
Saudi Arabia
Staff writer, Al Arabiya EnglishWednesday, 29 March 2017/The security spokesman
for the Saudi interior ministry announced on Tuesday that two wanted men were
killed and four were arrested in al-Awamiyah in the Qatif region, eastern Saudi
Arabia. In detail, the statement read that on Tuesday morning, security forces
raided a farm north of al-Awamiyah that was harboring several terror cells that
were planning and preparing extremist operations. When security forces began
their operations, they came under fire from a nearby farm but neutralized the
source immediately. Those who opened fire on the security forces and were killed
were reported to be Mohammad Taher Mohammad al-Nimr and Mokdad Mohammad Hassan
al-Nimr. Those arrested were reported to be Abdelrahman Fadel Abdallah al-Abdalaal,
Mohammad Jaafar Abdallah al-Abdalaal, Jaafar Mohammad AlFarj, and Wasfi Ali
Makki al-Qaroos. The statement confirmed that all those killed and arrested were
“Saudis who have previous precedents to have been linked and involved in
terrorist acts and criminal attacks, no citizens or security forces were injured
in the operation.”
ISIS video shows two men beheaded for ‘sorcery’ in Egypt's
Sinai
Reuters, CairoWednesday, 29 March 2017/ISIS’s branch in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula
posted a video on Tuesday depicting the beheading of two men the militant
Islamist group said it had found guilty of practicing witchcraft and sorcery.
The video, posted on a Telegram channel often used by ISIS, showed the group
forming a religious police unit known as the Hasbah in northern Sinai, where it
has waged an insurgency for years. The rugged, thinly populated peninsula
borders Israel, Gaza and the Suez Canal. No comment was immediately available
from Egypt's military or Interior Ministry.
In the video, two elderly men appear in orange jumpsuits and are taken out of a
black van and led to the desert, where they are beheaded. A man reads out what
he says is a verdict from a Sharia court condemning them to death for "apostasy,
sorcery, claiming the ability to tell the future, and leading people to
polytheism." ISIS uses the terms sorcerers and heretics to refer to adherents of
Sufism, a non-violent form of Islam involving mystical rituals that has been
practiced for centuries. ISIS has killed hundreds of soldiers and police in
Sinai since 2013, when fighting intensified, but the video shows the militants
are expanding their activities to target civilians. "Thanks be to God who has
allowed the Islamic State's soldiers in Sinai in applying his law and
instituting religion in spite of all the infidels, apostates and envious Jews,"
one fighter can be seen and heard saying.
In the video, which is also notable for the fact that the men speaking in it are
unmasked, fighters are shown seizing trucks full of cigarettes and drugs, and
then burning them. They are also seen handing out fliers with religious advice
to motorists at checkpoints and raiding a Sufi gathering and arresting a number
of men, who are given a religious sermon and then made to sign a document saying
they will repent. Fighters are also seen smashing television sets and satellite
dishes, destroying tombs they say go against Islamic burial laws, and using
sticks to beat men accused of smuggling.
They are also shown blowing up what they describe as Sufi shrines. ISIS has
instituted similar religious police units in Syrian and Iraqi territories it
controls. The Egyptian branch first showed signs of expanding its goals beyond
fighting security forces when in December it bombed a church adjoining Cairo's
St Mark's Cathedral, the seat of the Coptic papacy, killing 28 people. In
February the militants threatened all Egyptian Christians, the Middle East's
largest Christian community, in a video, and began circulating names of
Christians who must leave Sinai or die. Within a period of three weeks they
killed seven Christians, prompting almost 200 families to flee northern Sinai,
church officials and human rights groups say.
British PM Theresa May signs Brexit letter invoking Article
50
Reuters, LondonWednesday, 29 March 2017/British Prime Minister Theresa May
signed a letter on Tuesday to European Council President Donald Tusk notifying
the European Union of Britain's intention to leave the bloc, a photograph seen
by Reuters showed. The letter is due to be delivered by hand to Tusk in Brussels
on Wednesday by Tim Barrow, Britain's permanent representative to the EU. May
will also notify parliament about the letter.
Drone strike kills 4 Qaeda suspects in Yemen
(File Photo: Reuters)By AFP, Aden Wednesday, 29 March 2017 Text size A A A/A
drone strike killed four suspected members of Al Qaeda in south Yemen Wednesday,
a security official said, as the United States intensifies air raids on
jihadists in the war-torn country. Two missiles hit a vehicle on the outskirts
of the town of Mudiyah in Abyan province, killing all four people inside, the
official said. The raid comes two weeks after US President Donald Trump's
administration reportedly gave the CIA new powers to conduct drone strikes
against extremist targets in the Middle East. Since March 2, the US has launched
dozens of strikes against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula targets in Abyan and
the neighbouring provinces of Shabwa and Baida. In the first three days of the
strikes at least 22 suspected AQAP fighters were killed, security officials and
tribal sources have said. More than two years of civil war in Yemen between
government forces and Shiite rebels who control the capital have created a power
vacuum which AQAP has exploited to consolidate its presence in the south and
east. Washington regards AQAP as the jihadist network's most dangerous arm and
says that in recent months it has been plotting attacks on the West.
US ‘probably had a role’ in Mosul blast, says top commander
Isabel Coles, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali, ReutersWednesday, 29 March 2017 /The
senior US commander in Iraq acknowledged on Tuesday that the US-led coalition
probably had a role in an explosion in Mosul believed to have killed scores of
civilians but said ISIS could also be to blame. As investigators probe the
blast, Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend strongly defended US behavior in the
war and pushed back against accusations the United States had loosened
safeguards meant to protect civilians as it ramps up the battle against ISIS.
Still, he said increases in casualties were to be expected as the war against
the insurgents entered its deadliest phase in the cramped, narrow streets of
Mosul's Old City. "It is the toughest and most brutal close-quarters combat that
I have experienced in my 34 years of service," Townsend told Pentagon reporters,
speaking from Iraq.
"What has not changed is our care, our caution ... our tolerance from civilian
casualties - none of that has changed."Rights group Amnesty International has
said the high civilian toll in Mosul suggested US-led coalition forces had
failed to take adequate precautions to prevent civilian deaths. Investigators
combed through the rubble left by a March 17 explosion in al-Jadida district in
west Mosul, where Iraqi forces backed by US-led coalition air strikes are
fighting to clear ISIS militants from Iraq's second city. One line of
investigation is whether ISIS rigged explosives that ultimately caused the blast
that destroyed buildings. One estimate put the death toll at more than 200
people. "My initial assessment is that we probably had a role in these
casualties," Townsend told a Pentagon news briefing, speaking by teleconference.
"Now, here's what I don't know. What I don't know is were they (the civilians)
gathered there by the enemy? We still have some assessments to do. ... I would
say this, that it sure looks like they were." The United States has about 5,200
troops in Iraq, the Pentagon says. Officials say two more companies of US
soldiers, just under 300 troops, are headed to Iraq on a temporary deployment.
Families buried under the rubbleWitnesses on Sunday described horrific scenes of
body parts strewn over rubble, residents trying desperately to pull out
survivors and other people buried out of reach. The Iraqi military's figure of
61 bodies was lower than that given by local officials - a municipal official
said on Saturday that 240 bodies had been pulled from the rubble. A local
lawmaker and two witnesses say a coalition air strike may have targeted a truck
bomb, triggering a blast that collapsed buildings. If confirmed, the toll would
be one of the worst since the 2003 US-led invasion, raising questions about
civilian safety as Iraq's Shi'ite-led government tries to avoid alienating
Mosul's mostly Sunni population. Iraq's military command has blamed militants
for rigging a building with explosives to cause civilian casualties, but some
witnesses say it was collapsed by an air strike, burying many families under the
rubble. "My initial impression is the enemy had a hand in this. And there's also
a fair chance that our strike had some role in it," Townsend said. "I think it's
probably going to play out to be some sort of combination. But you know what, I
can't really say for sure and we just have to let the investigation play out."
Townsend noted that the type of munitions the US-led coalition had used should
not have collapsed a building.US Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley after
meeting Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Iraq's defense minister late on
Monday, said there had been air strikes in the vicinity that day and on previous
days but it was not clear they had caused the casualties. He raised the
possibility that ISIS blew up the building to cast blame on the coalition and
"cause a delay in the offensive on Mosul". A source close to Abadi's office said
the US military delegation also called for more coordination among the Iraqi
security force units on the ground and for consideration that thousands of
civilians are stuck in their homes.
N. Korea Could Be in Final
Preparations for Nuclear Test
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 29/17/Satellite images suggest North Korea
could be in the final stages of preparations for a new nuclear test according to
US-based analysts, who echoed similar conclusions by the US military. The
images, taken Saturday, show up to four vehicles or equipment trailers
continuously present at the entrance to the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site, with
communications cables likely laid on the ground. "This equipment would likely be
used to initiate the test, collect data from the explosion and process the
data," said 38 North, a project of the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins
University. Last week, the US military reached similar conclusions after
observing activity at the hermit state's nuclear sites.Pyongyang is on a quest
to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a
nuclear warhead, and has so far staged five nuclear tests, two of them last
year. Another blast would be a fresh challenge for new US President Donald
Trump, who has tweeted that its goal of possessing an intercontinental ballistic
missile "won't happen."The North carried out multiple missile launches in 2016,
and earlier this month sent up four rockets in what it said was a drill for an
attack on US bases in Japan. Soon afterwards new US Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson visited the region and said that 20 years of efforts to denuclearise
the North had "failed". He promised a new approach, without offering specifics.
The 38 North researchers noted Tuesday that water was being pumped out of the
portal at Punggye-ri and drained downhill to keep the tunnel dry for monitoring
or communications equipment. "The combination of these factors strongly suggests
that test preparations are well under way, including the installation of
instrumentation," the researchers said. But they warned that there was "no
definitive evidence", adding: "Since North Korea knows the world is watching and
is capable of deception, caution should be used before declaring that a nuclear
test is imminent."Seoul's defence ministry would not be drawn on details of the
latest report, but said it was "keeping a close watch over the North, using
surveillance assets of both South Korea and the United States".A spokesman
re-iterated its view that "North Korea is prepared to conduct nuclear tests any
time when its leader decides to do so." Despite a string of United Nations
sanctions since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006, Pyongyang has insisted
it will continue its program.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published
On March 29-30/17
The Repercussions of Misunderstanding History
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/March 29/17
It is never a must that all those engaged in politics should hold university
degrees in history. Actually, many of the world’s prominent statesmen never
majored neither in history nor political science.
Among those, some entered politics as legislators after studying at law schools.
Others came through military academies, such as Charles De Gaulle and Winston
Churchill.
A third group even included those who specialized in medicine and engineering,
before seeking power either through electoral politics or revolutions. Among
those we find physicians like Ernesto “Che” Guevara, Mahathir Mohamad of
Malaysia and Michelle Bachelet of Chile, and engineers like US president Herbert
Hoover, Necmettin Erbakan of Turkey… and currently Lebanon’s Foreign Minister
Jebran Bassil!
Going back to history, I do not believe that there is a problem in lecturing
about history, but there surely is one with misrepresentation and subjective
‘interpretation’.
Last week, Foreign Ministers of the 68-member ‘Global Coalition’ working to
defeat ISIS met in Washington DC upon the invitation of US Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson. The meeting, attended by Mr Bassil, was held in order to review
and accelerate the campaign for the lasting defeat of the extremist terrorist
organization.
I have not been fortunate enough to read about the contributions of Mr Bassil in
the aforementioned meeting; however, I had the chance to read what he said at
the Wilson Institute, in Washington, during his stay in the US capital.
The Lebanese foreign minister said – from what I have gathered – something
around the lines of ‘ISIS as an ideology’ has been around for a long time, and
because of this ideology one third of the ‘Lebanese’ emigrated to America and
other parts of the World; and later another third died under the “Allies’ siege”
during WW1. The remaining third, according to Mr Bassil, has managed to stay put
and continue to fight against ISIS till today.
What is extremely interesting in this historical voyage is that it contradicts
several simple historical facts, although, in these days of radicalism and
religious sectarian and ethnic extremism, it is a very ‘attractive’ incitement
against Mr Bassil’s ‘political enemies’. Moreover, it does not really help the
cohesion of Lebanon’s “national unity government”, let alone the spirit of
‘national entente’ in the pretty complicated local, regional, and even
international, spheres.
To begin with, claiming that ISIS’ ideology had existed “for a long time”, given
the rest of his speech, alludes to the pre-WW1 era. This means it had existed
before Lebanon had even been created as an entity within its presents borders in
1920.
Then there is a clear indication that what meant was the Ottoman Empire;
however, the Ottomans followed the liberal Sunni Hanafi school of Islamic
jurisprudence, which had nothing at all to do with ISIS’ “takfir” – i.e.
declaring others as apostates – which is rejected by all Muslim states. In
addition to this, the Ottoman Empire, which dominated the Middle East and most
of Northern Africa between 1516 and 1918, had gone through the “Tanzimat”, a
far-reaching progressive movement that included modernization and constitutional
reform between 1839 and 1876, ushering impressive religious tolerance and
openness. In fact, even when external pressures and military setback in Europe
provided an excuse for Sultan Abdul Hamid II to claw back some authoritarianism,
he was opposed by ‘reformists’ since 1908; and later deposed by the ‘Three
Pashas’ Talaat, Enver and Djemal who were the furthest from Islamic
conservatism, let alone ‘ISISism’ …if it had ever existed.
Another issue Mr Bassil touched on, and sounded more like folkloric rather than
a serious reading of history, is when he was keen to mention Lebanese emigration
during Ottoman rule while ignoring the ‘real’ reasons for the accelerated exodus
since the end of the Lebanese War (1975-1990).
This could be explained by his ambiguous position towards Hezbollah. In
Washington he claimed that Lebanon was paying a heavy price for what was going
on in Syria, including Hezbollah’s military intervention there. He added that he
did not speak for the (pro-Iran Shi’ite party/militia), and invited those
interested in knowing more about its military intervention in Syria and
elsewhere in the region to ask Hezbollah itself!
What is quite interesting here is that Hezbollah is regarded as a terrorist
organization by the US, where Mr Bassil was speaking; and yet it (i.e.
Hezbollah) is an ally of Bassil’s party, the Free Patriotic Movement. More
interestingly, Hezbollah has been the main player that imposed Gen Michel Aoun,
the FPM’s founder and leader and Mr Bassil’s father-in-law, as president of
Lebanon; after more than two years of presidential vacuum. Aoun, in turn, has
continued to defend not only Hezbollah’s military involvement in Syria, but also
using the Syrian situation to justify the Party’s retaining its weapons despite
the fact that all Lebanese militias disarmed voluntarily after 1990.
Thus, when Minister Bassil claims that “Lebanon’s official policy”, as expressed
in the manifesto of the ‘national unity government’, is committed to keeping
Lebanon away from all regional conflicts, is practically, meaningless.
Another noteworthy point was Bassil’s criticism of the failure of international
justice to act against ISIS. His party, the FPM, has always been critical of the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) formed in 2005 to investigate and prosecute
those involved in the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21
others. The STL as already accused at least five Hezbollah militiamen of
involvement in the crime, but, the Party has refused until now to cooperate with
it. On the other hand, prominent figures in Bassil’s FPM have recently bemoaned
the costs of the STL to Lebanon’s treasury.
Last but certainly not least, the Lebanese foreign minister has called yet again
for the return of Syrian refugees and displaced to either areas deemed
combat-free, or to Tartous Province in the Alawite heartland of northwest Syria.
This negative stance towards the plight of Syrian refugees and displaced is not
actually new. It is a re-enactment of the old negative stance towards
Palestinian refugees who have been displaced since 1948. While it is a duty,
from nationalist and humanitarian viewpoints, to reject uprooting and
displacement in general, some Lebanese spent more time in the past criticizing
the Palestinian victims than denouncing the power which uprooted and driven them
away from their homes. Today, the trend represented by Mr Bassil does not want
the Syrian victims around but neither criticizes nor holds accountable those who
caused their misery!
Here lies the heart of the problem that has prevented the transformation of
Lebanon from a ‘deal’ to a true state; and thus, the intentional
misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the Middle East’s history will keep
Lebanon a weak link in a turbulent region.
**Eyad Abu Shakra is the managing editor of Asharq Al-Awsat. He has been with
the newspaper since 1978.
Palestinians: We Have the Right to Poison the Minds of our
Children
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/March 29/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10122/palestinians-poison-children
The Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas wish to continue teaching children that
the conflict with Israel is not over a two-state solution, but the "liberation
of Palestine, from the river to the sea," which means the annihilation of
Israel. The goal is for the students to believe that Israel is one big
settlement that has no place in the Middle East.
Along with Hamas, Abbas and his PA plan to continue inculcating Palestinian
children with the idea that they should look to terrorists who kill Jews as
their role models. It might be illuminating if the conversation between Trump
and Abbas were to be informed by these uncomfortable facts.
In an ironic turnaround, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) is now the object of intimidation and threats made
by many Palestinians.
UNRWA is reportedly planning to introduce some changes to the curriculum in its
schools in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the Palestinians are rather unhappy
about it. They claim that UNRWA has "succumbed" to Israeli pressure to make the
changes.
The proposed changes are based on leaks to Palestinians and have not been
confirmed by UNRWA. Palestinians claim that they learned about the plans to
introduce the changes during meetings with senior UNRWA officials.
According to the Palestinians, the changes are intended to "eradicate" their
"national identity" and "history" and distort their "struggle" against Israel.
The Palestinians claim that the new textbooks have replaced the map of "historic
Palestine" (including Israel) with pictures of a pumpkin and a bird. Palestinian
textbooks often feature maps of "historic Palestine" without Israel. Cities
inside Israel, such as Haifa, Jaffa, Tiberias and Ramle, are referred to as
"Palestinian cities." The Palestinian Authority (PA) media also refer to these
cities as "Palestinian cities inside the 1948 Land."
In one fourth-grade textbook, the Palestinians charge, UNRWA has replaced the
map of Palestine with a picture of a traditional Palestinian woman's dress.
The new textbooks make no reference to cities in Israel; they mention only
cities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, such as Nablus, Jenin, Gaza City,
Jericho and Ramallah.
Unsurprisingly, an UNRWA revision of the Palestinian presumption of Jerusalem as
the "capital of the State of Palestine" to Jerusalem as a "Holy city for the
Abrahamic religions" did not go over well with Palestinians. In addition, they
are angry because the UNRWA textbooks make no mention of the Jordan Valley along
the border between Israel and Jordan.
The controversial textbooks have also removed photos of Israeli soldiers
patrolling near schools and references to Palestinian prisoners held in Israel
for terrorism. Moreover, the new textbooks are missing the previous references
to "Palestinian Prisoners' Day" -- an annual event marked by Palestinians in
solidarity with imprisoned terrorists.
Palestinians are also protesting the removal of words such as "occupation" and
"checkpoints" from the new textbooks.
If true, the proposed changes to the Palestinian textbooks should be welcomed as
a positive development towards ending anti-Israel incitement in Palestinian
schools, including those belonging to UNRWA. In light of the widespread
Palestinian protests and threats, however, it is doubtful whether UNRWA will
succeed in making the proposed revisions.
A girls' school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestinian Refugees. (Image source: UNRWA)
A recent study into schoolbooks used by UNRWA-run schools found that the texts
consistently delegitimize and demonize Israel. The schools do not teach
Palestinian children to recognize Israel. The research was conducted by Dr.
Arnon Gross, who translated the books, and Dr. Roni Shaked, both from the Harry
Truman Research Institute at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
In these currently-used books, Zionism is defined as a colonialist movement that
was founded by European Jews in order to gather Jews from all around the world
and bring them to Palestine. No mention is made of the religious or historical
connection of Jews to the Land of Israel or to Jerusalem. Instead, the UNRWA
textbooks teach that Jewish holy sites such as the Western Wall, Rachel's Tomb
and the Cave of the Patriarchs are Muslim holy sites.
Not surprisingly, vicious rivals though they are, Hamas and the Palestinian
Authority have joined forces to thwart UNRWA's planned changes to the textbooks.
This is an issue that these two corrupt regimes can agree on: inciting children
against Israel and denying its existence.
Ahmed Bahr, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, warned that any changes
to the curriculum would "harm the history and national rights of the Palestinian
people, as well as their resistance" against Israel. By "resistance," the Hamas
official means terrorism against Israel, including suicide bombings and the
launching of rockets at Israel.
According to the Hamas official, UNRWA and the international community need to
understand that "the option of resistance is the only and shortest way for
restoring Palestine and liberating our land."
In other words, Bahr wants to go on teaching Palestinian children to continue
perpetrating terror attacks, in order to destroy Israel and replace it with an
Islamic empire. In fact, Hamas has long been teaching precisely this in its own
schools in the Gaza Strip. Yet Hamas is making it manifest that UNRWA is to
follow suit in its schools. Children studying in the UN agency's schools are to
continue learning that Israel is nothing more than a figment of the imagination.
The past few days have seen Palestinians in the Gaza Strip staging a series of
protests against UNRWA. They warned the agency against making the changes, which
are designed to "distort the minds of Palestinian children" and which "do not
comply with the culture of Palestinian society."
Hamas has refused to allow UNRWA to teach about the Holocaust in its schools.
From Hamas's point of view, the UN agency seeks to "poison the minds of our
children by taking steps that only serve" Israel. "UNRWA is trying to justify
Israeli crimes against the Palestinians by teaching the so-called Holocaust in
the context of human rights in UNRWA-run schools," Hamas said. This attitude is
far from surprising: Holocaust denial has always been an integral part of
Palestinian and Arab narratives.
It is easy to see why Hamas and other extremist Palestinian groups would be
opposed to changing textbooks that delegitimize and demonize Israel. More
difficult to understand is that the Palestinian Authority, whose president,
Mahmoud Abbas, says he is opposed to anti-Israel incitement, also came out
against UNRWA's planned changes.
A statement issued by the Palestinian Ministry of Education in Ramallah warned
that it would take "punitive measures" against anyone who tries to change or
tamper with the curriculum. "Any attempt to change the Palestinian curriculum
will be considered an assault on Palestine and an eradication and dilution of
our national identity," the ministry cautioned.
The language used by the PA is strikingly similar to that used by Hamas to
threaten an organization that has for decades helped millions of Palestinians to
survive. In this regard, the Palestinians are once again biting the hand that
has fed them. Ask Kuwait and other Gulf countries that used to give Palestinians
billions of dollars before the Palestinians supported Saddam Hussein's invasion
of Kuwait.
In his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington in mid-April,
Abbas is expected to renew his commitment to combating anti-Israel incitement,
according to senior PA officials in Ramallah. One wonders how Abbas plans to
account for the PA's threats against UNRWA regarding the textbooks.
The PA, like Hamas, plans to continue indoctrinating their children through
poisonous textbooks that depict Jews as evil occupiers and land-thieves who
build "racist walls" and demolish houses for no reason. They also wish to
continue teaching children that the conflict with Israel is not over a two-state
solution, but the "liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea," which
means the annihilation of Israel. The goal is for the students to believe that
Israel is one big "settlement" that has no place in the Middle East.
Moreover, along with Hamas, Abbas and his PA plan to continue inculcating
Palestinian children with the idea that they should look to terrorists who kill
Jews as their role models. It might be illuminating if the conversation between
Trump and Abbas were to be informed by these uncomfortable facts.
Bassam Tawil is an Arab scholar 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.
Europe: Unwilling to Defend Itself
Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/March 29/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10056/europe-defense-spending
"The problem in Europe is that there are far too many people in uniform, and too
few of them able to go into action." — NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson.
"A majority of the German public opposes combat missions, and supports the
Bundeswehr [German military] only as a quasi-humanitarian organization, a kind
of Médecins Sans Frontières with guns". — Konstantin Richter, Politico.eu.
The relative abundance enjoyed by the Western post-war generations have created
a kind of shame instead of pride.
It has been said that when German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer signed the
reconstitution of the military in 1955, he proclaimed: "It is crazy, gentlemen,
that I have to create a German army, it is just crazy".
Sixty years have passed, but that sentiment still seems very strong in Germany.
A few days ago Sigmar Gabriel, the German foreign minister, said: "We have to be
a bit careful here that we don't over-interpret the 2 percent target." Gabriel
then became clearer: "Maintain perspective, stay focused on the target, but
avoid being consumed by the bliss of a new rearmament spiral!"
A few days earlier, Germany had made an announcement: to raise the number of
soldiers from 170,000 to 198,000 by 2024 -- a modest "rearmament".
It is a direct consequence of the Trump Administration's important pressure on
European allies, urging them to invest more in defense and security. European
armies have become, to quote The Economist, "Potemkin Euro-armies". Germany's
views are crucial to understanding Europe's attitude about security and defense.
Germany, the world's fourth-largest economy and Europe's financial giant, is a
military dwarf, proud of being weak and disarmed.
Take the countries which suffered most of terror attacks in the last two years.
Belgium? It spends 0.85% of its gross domestic product on defense. France?
1.78%. Germany? 1.19%. Spain, which in 2004 experienced the most severe attack
in Europe's recent history? 0.94%.
Europe is enjoying a big siesta. It is disarmed not only militarly but also
mentally. Seventy-five percent of Belgium's military spending goes to pay army
pensions. As NATO's Secretary General Lord Robertson put it, "The problem in
Europe is that there are far too many people in uniform, and too few of them
able to go into action."
Another NATO official, Joseph Ralston, the former supreme commander for Europe,
defined European armies as "fat and redundant".
These countries have all embraced the moral vanity of pacifism.
Thanks to it, Germany's military supply depots are now almost completely empty,
according to the newspaper, Die Welt. Possibly fearing a "rearmament spiral",
Germany in fact ended up with a shy army with no drums.
The German population is unwilling to defend itself. A survey by the research
firm TNS Emnid showed that 73% of the Germans remain opposed to higher military
spending by NATO countries. Manfred Güllner, head of the Berlin-based pollster,
Forsa, said that many Germans "would rather have the military not be operational
and stay at home". For most Germans, "history is over". After the reunification
of the country, they seem to mean, they have no more enemies or threats; only
friends and opportunities to build a better world, all together. According with
Der Spiegel, "Germany is experiencing a relapse into pacifism".
Born in the years of a Cold War that could become hot, the Bundeswehr, the
German army, was the backbone of NATO forces. Today, it is Europe's military
soft underbelly. In contrast to its European neighbors (Belgium, Denmark, France
and the Netherlands), Germany refused to deploy its military jets to attack
Islamic State positions in Iraq. When, last September, German Defense Minister
Ursula von der Leyen visited Iraq to talk to the German officers training
Kurdish fighters, she assured her troops that they would not be close to the
battle zones. She added that for the German army, "Security is the highest
priority".
John Vinocur wrote in the Wall Street Journal that Germany, one of the largest
manufacturers of weapons in the world, has made it clear again that even facing
a barbaric enemy, such as ISIS, it is a non-lethal actor. "Diplomats in uniform"
is how German soldiers have been called. In Germany, sending fighting troops
abroad looks unthinkable today.
The military no longer figures in the German public's consciousness. If a German
chief of staff can be pressured to resign after a raid in Afghanistan did not go
as well as planned, it means that he did not have the backing of his society and
government.
The German army is now just 20% of what it was in 1990. The country is the
economic leader in Europe, but Berlin refuses to invest in security and defense
-- even less so than the UK, France and other European nations.
Konstantin Richter wrote:
"In the decades since World War II, Germans have turned into genuine pacifists,
enjoying their role on the sidelines of global conflicts. A majority of the
German public opposes combat missions, and supports the Bundeswehr only as a
quasi-humanitarian organization, a kind of Médecins Sans Frontières with guns.".
In a recent Foreign Policy article, Hans Kundnani found that "a simple
comparison between the American and German military budget illustrates the
problem". In 2015, according to the International Institute for Strategic
Studies, the U.S. defense budget was $597.5 billion. Germany's was $36.7
billion, one-twentieth the size of America's. The same is true for the number of
soldiers: Germany army has shrunk to 176,752 active military personnel, a
seventh of the 1.3 million of the United States.
That is why Jochen Bittner of Die Zeit wrote: "For the foreseeable future, don't
count on us Germans". The late Guido Westerwelle, as Germany's foreign minister
from 2009 to 2013, made the withdrawal of American nuclear weapons from Germany
one of his top priorities.
According Kundnani, this military dysfunction reflects a cultural one:
"In the first decade after reunification in 1990, Germany seemed to be
converging with France and the U.K. on the question of the use of military
force. This incremental shift culminated in Germany's participation in the
Kosovo War in 1999. 'Never again Auschwitz' seemed to have replaced 'never again
war' as a fundamental principle of German foreign policy. But in the 2000s,
against the backdrop of the deployment of the Bundeswehr to Afghanistan and the
perceived failures of military interventions elsewhere, Germans seemed to revert
to the principle of 'never again war.' Germany refused to participate in the
military intervention in Libya in 2011 — a decision that many Germans feel has
been vindicated. And even the strategic shock of the Ukraine crisis hasn't
changed German attitudes about the use of military force."
"Pacifism became the German lifestyle". So a few weeks ago, a German MEP
expressed his anger after his 16-year-old daughter received a letter from the
army in search of volunteers. "It is outrageous that people so young are being
targeted", said Özcan Mutlu to the news website taz.de. "Young people need
protection". And what does a modern Western society need to be protected?
Germany and Europe are not able to answer this question. That is why they are
all desperate about Trump's request to invest more in defending themselves, as
if they hope to continue their siesta forever.
The relative abundance enjoyed by the Western post-war generations have created
a kind of shame instead of pride. Being born in Europe after the Second World
War meant belonging to the dregs of humanity, an execrable society that, for
centuries, oppressed almost all the rest of the planet. Europe's commitment for
the Third World and the "wretched of earth" is accompanied by a strange
fatalism: Why defend the feeble Western democracies, since the path of history
requires their disappearance? We are supposedly at "the end of history". That is
the moral arrogance pervading the Europeans today: at the time of twilight, we
just have to work to our own downfall. That is the mentality through which
"pacifism, sometimes in a self-righteous manner, has become part of the German
DNA".
What did Spain do after al-Qaeda bombed Madrid's trains? It withdrew its army
from Iraq. What did France do after the carnage at the Bataclan Theater? It
played John Lennon's "Imagine". What did Belgium do after the bombings in
Brussels? It lit candles. What Germany did after the massacre at the Christmas
market in Berlin? It cried, "Je suis Berlin". There is something so tragic and
despairing in the Germany's lack of will to hunt down and eradicate the Islamic
State.
See Germany, which destroyed Europe with its arms race under the Nazis. It is
now putting Europe at risk again -- but this time out of the fear of a supposed
"rearmament spiral". It is as if they think that just because you do not have an
army, this means there can be no fight. But there is good news: the US Marines
have just arrived in Syria to fight the Islamic State!
**Giulio Meotti, Cultural Editor for Il Foglio, is an Italian journalist and
author.
© 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.
'Al-Sharq Al-Awsat' Report Specifies Locations Of Foreign
Military Bases In Syria, Says Syria Is Turning Into Brittle Federation That Can
Fall Apart At Any Moment
MEMRI/March 29/17
On March 14, 2017, the London-based daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat published a report
giving the location of military bases of various foreign forces in Syria,
including the U.S., Russian and Turkish forces. According to the report, the
locations of the bases reflect the influence-zone of each country, and that
Syria is gradually becoming a loose federation of ethnic states that can fall
apart at any moment.[1]
The following are excerpts from the report:
"In the lost time between the Geneva and Astana conferences, the superpowers
turned to expand their influence-zones in Syria by establishing numerous
military bases which, according to experts, effectively pave the way towards a
political solution based on a federation and the division [of Syria]. Until now
Moscow and Washington were the major players in this theatre alongside Iran, but
recently Ankara decided to establish many military bases of its own in the
region known as the Shield of the Euphrates,[2] in order to ensure itself a
front-row seat at the international negotiation table...
"Russia is the only [country] that has [openly] announced more than once that it
has two bases [in Syria]: an airbase in Khmeimim in the Latakia area and a naval
base in Tartus, which is its only [base] on the Mediterranean and is planned to
be its biggest naval base... According to various sources, Moscow recently
expanded its presence in Damascus, in the rural area east of Homs and in the
rural area [near] Aleppo, and there are [also] Russian headquarters in the
Kurdish-held areas in northern Syria that are part of the American
influence-zone.
"Washington is keeping mum about the location of [its forces] in Syria [that
number] over 900 troops. Last week it announced it was dispatching 400 Marines
to Syria in order to support local forces in the battle for Al-Raqqa, the
stronghold of the ISIS organization. According to reports, the [U.S.] troops
that arrived began establishing a military base from which artillery attacks
will be made on ISIS positions 32 km away. The U.S. has established its military
bases in northern Syria, mostly in the areas controlled by their allies, the
Kurdish People's Protection Units.[3] The most prominent of these bases are
Rmeilan Base in the northeastern tip [of the country], near the Iraqi border,
and a base that has been established in the city of 'Ain Al-Arab (Kobane).
According to Kurdish sources, the Americans have other bases in Syria, one of
them in Hassakah.
"The single British base in Syria is in near Al-Tanf on Syria's border with
Jordan and Iraq, in the Al-Hamad desert region in the southeast of Homs
district, 240 km from Palmyra.
"Iran has two military bases [in Syria], one in the Damascus international
airport, which is the headquarters of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
(IRGC) [in Syria], and another in the Azzan Mountain [area] near Aleppo.
"The newest military bases in Syria are apparently the Turkish ones, which are
still under construction. They are located in the region controlled by Turkey,
which is a 30 km [belt] whose northern [boundary] stretches from Jarabulus to 'Azaz,
[and whose southern boundary] stretches from Al-Bab to the municipal borders of
Manbij. There is a heavy veil of secrecy over these bases, and consequently
there are conflicting reports about them. Kurdish sources stressed to Al-Sharq
Al-Awsat that there is more than one [Turkish] base in the environs of the towns
Al-Ra'i and Akhtarin. The director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights,
Rami 'Abd Al-Rahman, says that there is one base in Al-Ra'i, another in
Jarabulus and a third in Sheikh 'Aqil Mountain west of Al-Bab. He says that
Syria has effectively become a country under international sponsorship,
especially considering that all the above-mentioned counties aspire to expand
their military bases [there], 'making the partition of Syria a tangible
reality.' In February the Syrian regime appealed to the UN twice [to protest]
Turkey's establishment of a military base in Syria... in the north of the town
Tel Rifat. [The base] includes weapons depots, officers' barracks and positions
of the Euphrates Shield forces. According to anonymous Syrian opposition
sources, Ankara has built a military base in Al-Bab, [so] it seems that Turkey
has more than one base to consolidate its influence in the northern region.
"According to Dr. 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Hajj, an expert on extremist groups, Syria
can be said to be divided into three influence zones: American, Russian and
Turkish. The American region lies east of the Euphrates and stretches to Deir
Al-Zor and the Iraqi border. By means of this [influence zone] the U.S. seeks to
undermine the Iranian influence [in Syria] and disrupt Hizbullah's supply lines
from Beirut... This paves the way to a federalized state based on an ethnic
division and on civil war, a federalized state that can fall apart at any
moment.
"Regarding the Iranians, Al-Hajj says: 'The Iranians want the entire state. By
means of the [Syrian] regime they control everyday life [in the country],
focusing on the strategic zones connecting Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. Therefore
[in the Iranians' case] we can speak of influence centers, rather than influence
zones."
[1] On the possibility of Syria's partition, see MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis Series
No. 887, Pro- And Anti-Assad Camps Share Concerns Over Syria's Possible
Disintegration Into Separate Sectarian, Ethnic Entities, September 29, 2016.
[2] A region in north Syria where Turkey, along with Syrian opposition factions
allied with it, are conducting Operation Euphrates Shield against ISIS and
Kurdish militias. The region extends from the city of Jarabulus on the
Syria-Turkey border to Manbij, Al-Bab and north Aleppo. As part of the operation
Turkey aims to expand its intervention to north-eastern Syria and to ISIS's
stronghold in Al-Raqqa.
[3] The People's Protection Units is the military branch of the Kurdish
Democratic Union (PYD), a party established by Kurdish activists in northern
Syria and headed by Saleh Muslim. According to Turkey the party is a Syrian
branch of the Turkish PKK.
Islamic Projection: Why Muslims Hate Infidels
Raymond Ibrahim/FrontPage Magazine/March 29/17
A little known fact: When Muslims persecute religious minorities in their midst,
they often justify it by projecting the worst aspects of Islam onto the
“infidels.” A well-known phenomenon, “projection” is defined as “the attribution
of one’s own ideas, feelings, or attitudes to other people.” One academic
article states, “Projection allows the killer to project his (unacceptable)
desire to kill (torture, rape, steal, dominate, etc.) onto some target group or
person. This demonizes his target, making it even more acceptable to kill.”
Accordingly, anyone who listens to the last video made by ISIS inciting violence
against Egypt’s Copts would think the Christian minority is oppressing the
Muslim majority—hence the need for “heroic” ISIS to “retaliate.” Similarly,
after ISIS slaughtered 21 Egyptian Christians on the shores of Libya in 2016, it
made a video portraying its actions as “revenge” against the Coptic Church,
which ISIS bizarrely accuses of kidnapping, torturing, and forcing Muslim women
to convert to Christianity—all things Muslims regularly do to Christians in
Egypt. (Apparently the killing of nearly 60 Christians in a Baghdad church a few
years earlier—which the jihadis then also portrayed as revenge against the
Coptic Church’s forced conversion of Muslim women—was not enough).
When a Muslim cleric said that “whenever they [U.S.] invade a Muslim country,
they strike on a Sunday. Always,” he too was projecting what he knows of Muslim
attacks on infidels. Look to almost any report of Muslim mob uprisings against
Christians and their churches, especially in Egypt; they are almost always on
Fridays—and naturally so: for that is the one day of the week when Muslims
congregate in mosques for prayers, only to invariably hear sermons that rile
them up against infidels.
But perhaps the best example is Ayat Oraby—the smiley-faced, pink-hijab wearing,
Muslim woman and activist with many Muslim followers on social media. In a video
she made some months back (around the same time that one authority said Egyptian
Christians were suffering attacks “every two or three days”), this Muslim woman
who often resides in America sought to foment as much hostility for the Copts as
possible; and she did this by accusing them of doing to Muslims what Muslims are
always doing to them. After calling the Coptic Church a “bunch of gangsters” and
a “total mafia” that “rules [Egypt] behind the curtains,” she accused it of
“stockpiling weapons in churches” and “striving to create a Coptic statelet” in
an effort to continue waging “a war against Islam.”
Meanwhile, back in the real world—which consists of some 200 nations—Egypt is
the 21st worst nation for Christians to live in; there they experience “very
high persecution,” according to Open Doors, an international human rights
organization. The abduction of Christian women and children and their forced
conversion to Islam is par for the course; entire Christian villages and
churches are regularly set aflame on the rumor that a Christian somewhere
“blasphemed” against Muhammad on social media, or that a Christian man is dating
a Muslim woman.
But many Muslims, such as this Ayat Oraby, ever seeing themselves as victims,
are blind to such facts; their notions of reality are informed by Islam. And if
Islam calls for constant hostility against the “other”—the non-Muslim, the
infidel—who must be subverted or subjugated one way or the other, that must mean
the “other” is constantly working to subvert and subjugate Muslims. This sort of
thinking goes right to the beginning: the 7th century Islamic conquests—those
wonderfully “altruistic openings”—are constantly portrayed, not as offensive
warfare, but defensive. Muslims supposedly left Arabia, conquering and
plundering their way through the Middle East, Egypt, North Africa, Spain, and
into France, to preempt the infidels who apparently were preparing to set off
for Arabia to snuff out a nascent Islam. Such is how the discipline of history
is regularly mocked in Islamic schools around the world.
Let’s return to Ayat Oraby and consider her “projective” claims. She accuses
Egypt’s Christians of controlling events “behind the curtains.” This is as
ironic a claim as it is old. In 2010, prominent Egyptian cleric Khalid al-Jundi
complained that in Egypt “Muslims have fewer rights than Christians, and even do
not have the right to worship like Christians.” In reality and as is well known,
Christian churches face immense restrictions; just talk of building one sets off
mass riots and attacks on Christians. Facts speak plainly: there are 114,000
mosques in Egypt but only 2,000 churches; that’s 57 mosques for every one
church, even though Christians are at least ten percent of the population.
Moreover, in a country where Islam reigns supreme; where Sharia (which mandates
the subjugation of non-Muslims, a la Koranic verse 9:29) is part of the
Constitution; where Copts have been conditioned over centuries to be content
with just being left alone—is it reasonable to believe that these selfsame,
down-trodden “infidels,” who make up ten percent of the population, are planning
a violent takeover of Egypt?
As for Oraby’s claims that Egypt’s Christians are “stockpiling weapons in
churches,” and “striving to create a Coptic statelet” to continue waging “a war
against Islam,” this is another tired charge. Muhammad Salim al-Awwa, former
secretary-general of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, once appeared
on Al-Jazeera and, in a wild tirade, accused the Copts of “stocking arms and
ammunitions in their churches and monasteries”—imported from Israel no less,
“the heart of the Coptic Cause”—and “preparing to wage war against Muslims.” He
warned that if nothing is done, the “country will burn,” inciting Muslims to
“counteract the strength of the [Coptic] Church.”
In reality, all that ever burns are Coptic churches at the hands of Muslim mobs
and terrorists—as when nearly 70 churches were attacked and many destroyed
following the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Muhammad Morsi. Moreover, it is
Muslims who smuggle and stockpile weapons, including in mosques, in order to
fuel their separatist jihads to secede from “infidel” powers (e.g., Chechneyan
or Mindanao jihadi separatist attempts against Russia and the Philippines
respectively; during the Muslim Brotherhood retaliation against the Sisi
government, vast stores of weapons were regularly discovered in mosques).
As Coptic activist Mounir Bishai once put it: “Suddenly we [Copts] have shifted
from complaints to self-defense, from demanding [our] rights to [trying to]
convince the public that we are not depriving others of their rights… now we are
being accused of amassing weapons… How have we suddenly turned from persecuted
into persecutors, from the weak [party] into the strong and tyrannical [one],
from the attacked [party] into the infamous attackers, and from the poor [party]
into the rich exploiters? How did these lies become widespread, without us
gaining any ground or improving our situation one whit?”
Even in the field of theology, Muslims are apt to project Islam’s notions of
jihad and “martyrdom,” fighting to the death for Islam, onto Christian theology.
For example, in the midst of the accusation that the Copts are stockpiling
weapons to wage war on Muslims, the Al Azhar Scholars Front, which consists of
Al Azhar alumni, once declared: “Christianity…is constantly defining its overt
and covert policy of eliminating all its rivals or degrading [the followers of
other religions] and depriving them of every reason to live so that they will be
forced to convert to Christianity.”
In fact, this is precisely what Islam does: through jihad, “eliminate all its
rivals,” or, through the institution of dhimmitude, “degrade [the followers of
other religions] and deprive them of every reason to live so that they will be
forced to convert to” Islam. This is both historically and doctrinally
demonstrable.
Similarly, when Bishop Bishoy declared that Egypt’s Christians are reaching the
point of martyrdom due to the increase in their persecution, this, too, was
thoroughly “Islamicized” as a declaration of “war-to-the-death,” including by
al-Awwa, who, during his aforementioned Al Jazeera rant, asserted that “Father
Bishoy declared that they would reach the point of martyrdom, which can only
mean war. He said, ‘If you talk about our churches, we will reach the point of
martyrdom.’ This means war!”
Of course, the notion that a martyr is someone who wages and dies in jihad, or
“holy war,” is intrinsic to Islam (e.g., Koran 9:111). Even the authoritative
Hans Wehr Arabic-English Dictionary translates shahid (“martyr”) as “one killed
in battle with infidels.” On the other hand, Christian martyrdom has always
meant being persecuted and killed for refusing to recant Christianity—and this
is precisely the definition that has for centuries applied to Egypt’s
Christians, the definition that Bishop Bishoy clearly meant (see this article
for more on the important differences between Christian and Muslim notions of
martyrdom).
To recap:
Muslims regularly abduct, abuse, brainwash, and compel Christian girls to
convert—and now Christians are accused of doing the exact same thing;
Muslims regularly smuggle and stockpile weapons, including in their mosques—and
now Christians are accused of doing the exact same thing;
Muslims are constantly either trying to break away or conquer infidel
nations—and now Egypt’s Christians are accused of doing the exact same thing;
Muslims seek to eliminate or subjugate the infidel according to the doctrine of
jihad and dhimmitude—and now Christians are portrayed as seeking the exact same
thing;
Islamic violence regularly pops up on Fridays, and now Christians (or merely
Westerners) are accused of targeting Islam on Sundays.
Islamic martyrdom means killing others and oneself while waging jihad to empower
Islam—and now Christian martyrdom, which has always meant accepting death rather
than the renunciation of faith, is defined as the exact same thing.
This lengthy excursion into Islamic projections onto Christians using Egypt as a
paradigm serves another purpose: it suggests that, if civilizational projection
so pervades the Muslim world, despite reality, could that also be why the people
of the West—most of whom either profess Christianity or are at least influenced
by its ethics and mores—cannot accept the realities of Islam: because they too
project the ideals of their religious heritage—one that preaches love,
tolerance, and forgiveness for enemies—onto Muslims and Islam?
Damascus in the midst of the ‘game of the nations’
Ghassan Imam/Al Arabiya/March 29/17
I have not seen my city Damascus since I left it in the 1970s. The details of
its neighborhoods, however, are still engraved in my memory. I still remember
the Abbasid Square and the Barzeh and Qabdoun suburbs where there are currently
battles between Syrian Sunni groups and Shiite militias led by commanders of the
Iranian invasion of Syria. The Syrian regime launched the battle more than a
month ago. Its air force heavily shelled the neighborhoods of Qaboun and Barzeh
where poor people work in neighboring factories. The Iranian intelligence
controls the air force which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad lost control.
Therefore, it was not him behind the firing of anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli
air force jets which shelled convoys transferring arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
What’s the aim of shelling religious organizations in control of the Barazeh and
Qaboun heights? The tactical aim is to fully secure the Damascus-Aleppo road.
The strategic aim is to displace these organizations and their families –
including al-Nusra Front which controls these two suburbs – to the
western-northern Edleb governorate and allow the families of Shiite groups to
reside there. They want to do exactly what they did before when they isolated
and besieged groups and their families in the south, west and southeast of the
Damascus countryside.
To accomplish their aim of invading Barazeh and Qaboun, the regime and Iran are
planning to occupy Damascus’ eastern countryside, Jawbar, Harasta and Duma,
which comprises a solid fort that groups sometimes use to shell Damascus and
particularly the Christian al-Qasaa neighborhood and the al-Adawi neighborhood
which is linked to the significant Abbasid Junction.
Battle in the suburbs
However, all of Damascus’ residents are worried due to the ongoing battle in the
city’s eastern and northeastern suburbs. The confrontation may destroy Damascus,
just like what happened to Aleppo.
Millions of Damascenes and refugees know well that air force jets will not
hesitate to shell the capital if al-Nusra Front and organizations allied with it
succeed at sneaking through the Abbasid junction to the city’s neighborhoods and
streets thus making it impossible for the Alawites and Iranians to regain
control of them.
The problem of Sunni organizations in Damascus and other Syrian areas lies in
the fact that they overlap with ISIS and al-Qaeda organizations which are are
well-trained and more accepting of death in the battlefield.
Perhaps, al-Nusra Front’s expansion of the Damascus battle aims to destroy the
Geneva talks which do not concern it. At the same time, it does not want
organizations allied with it to reach any agreements with the regime.
Damascus is like other Syrian cities. Most of its residents belong to the middle
class. They don’t care about the regime’s survival as much as they are afraid of
Islamized organizations’ domination over political life once they reach an
agreement with the regime.
In both cases, it is democracy which will be the greatest casualty.
The negotiating organizations have kicked off the battle in Hama’s countryside
and it’s clear that the aim is to block the road between Damascus and Aleppo and
force the regime to make concessions to the political and armed opposition in
order to survive – knowing that the regime succeeded at including the item
“fighting terrorism” in the talks. Perhaps, it means combating Iranian violence
in Syria.
The negotiating organizations have kicked off the battle in Hama’s countryside
and it’s clear that the aim is to block the road between Damascus and Aleppo and
force the regime to make concessions to the political and armed opposition in
order to survive – knowing that the regime succeeded at including the item
“fighting terrorism” in the talks. Perhaps, it means combating Iranian violence
in Syria. Where is the “game of the nations” in the Damascus’ battle? Russia
continues to fight alongside the Syrian regime and Iran in such matchless
stupidity! It brutally shells east of Damascus countryside, Qaboun and Barazeh
,which are packed with civilians because it wants to prevent the groups fighting
it from attaining any strategic depth for their battle in Damascus. Russia looks
at its battle in Damascus as based on its confrontation with the ‘rebellious’
Sunni organizations in Caucasus and with the opposition inside Russia (20
million Tatars) and in the Crimean front which it restored from Ukraine. Russian
President Vladimir Putin thinks that Arabs’ sympathy with the Sunnis in Caucasus
and the Tatars compels him to support the Assad regime and keep silent over
Iran’s involvement in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon. It is no secret that the
rebels in Caucasus have some sort of presence with religious organizations
Russia is even heading in the direction of supporting Kurdish militias – in the
Kurdish Workers’ Party in Turkey and Syria – in order to compete with the US,
which established two military bases in Hasakah, in northeastern Syria, and in
Manbij, in Aleppo’s northern countryside.
Trump has not yet revealed his entire plan about Syria. However, what we can
tell from his participation in undermining ISIS in Mosul is that it is clear
that his first goal in Syria is to eliminate ISIS in Raqqah and Deir az-Zour.
Like former President Barack Obama, he is using Kurdish militias and prefers
them over Turkey which voiced its readiness to assume the Kurds’ role in the
Raqqah battle.
Syria’s Kurds imply to the Assad regime that they want to participate in the
battle against ISIS. This means America agrees to ripping the Assad regime out
of Iran’s control as Tehran seems far away from the Raqqah battle.
Mosul battle
Iran is also interested in settling Shiite militias fighting in Syria and in
tightening control over Iraq after Iraqi militias affiliated with it
participated in the Mosul battle.
We must note that the Iraqi government did not provide enough residential areas
for the hundreds of thousands of Sunnis fleeing from ISIS in Mosul. Some media
sources estimated that nearly 4,000 Sunni civilians were killed by Iraq’s
shelling of west Mosul.
Assad has not militarily defied Israel in Golan or in Syrian airspace.
Therefore, Israel’s threat to destroy the Syrian air defense missiles’ network
is in fact directed at Putin who supplied Assad with this network. Will Putin
remain silent? Will he let these missiles to be used to pursue Israeli jets?
What will he do if Israel destroys the Syrian air defense network?
Up until now, Turkey has been acting on behalf of Arabs in Syria. Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is upset with Trump because the latter prefers to
cooperate with his Kurdish rivals. Therefore, the Turkish president has to humor
Putin to spite the US.
Meanwhile, Putin is extremely cheerful as he follows up on Erdogan’s argument
with Germany and the Netherlands.
Driven by emotions and interests, Egyptians are deeply
polarized
Mohammed Nosseir/Al Arabiya/March 29/17
“I believe in democracy – so long as my political opponents never assume power”,
stated an acquaintance defining his understanding of democracy. Egyptians are
currently placing their emotions and personal interests above their rational
thinking and national interest, confronting a true polarization that is clearly
splitting society. Egypt is presently experiencing a state of affairs that seems
to benefit citizens affiliated to the ruling regime, and this is,
unquestionably, detrimental to our nation. One of the fundamental aspects of
true democracy is that citizens are able to establish a constructive dialogue
among disputing parties – a trait that does not seem to exist in our culture. We
Egyptians express our opinions confidently; certain that we are always right and
that we need to lecture our misguided opponents. To a great extent, Egyptians
are now able to enjoy expressing their outlooks, endlessly arguing about topics
they have no clue about and accusing their opponents of espionage. Personal
emotions and interests shape the thinking of most Egyptians. Many of us tend to
defend and justify what we like and condemn everything that we dislike. We are
constantly digging a deep fissure that is splitting society into supporters and
opponents (based on fabricated narratives that each of the two parties
believes). I haven’t heard of a single Egyptian modifying his thinking pattern
to adopt that of the “other side”; some people pretend to express different
opinions temporarily (to align themselves with the government), but I’ve never
witnessed a genuine paradigm shift in a citizen’s opinion. This flaw in our
society has nothing to do with the government.
Apparently, freedom of expression in the era of the social media has a downside
that enables each citizen to relieve his or her frustrations unconstructively
and immorally, causing more harm than good to society. Deleting many friends and
acquaintances from social networking websites is the easy punishment meted out
by many Egyptians when confronted with difficult conversations – an illustration
of society’s intolerance in dealing with opposing opinions. The complete
marginalization of the opposition in Egypt has left it with two choices; turn
into intolerant, prejudiced citizens or into potential extremists who might
explode at any moment
Social media phenomenon
Social media, which is supposed to broaden citizens’ horizons, has confused
Egyptians, who are unable to digest the basic essence of democracy. The complete
marginalization of the opposition in Egypt has left it with two choices; turn
into intolerant, prejudiced citizens or into potential extremists who might
explode at any moment. Even if we assume that the opposition in Egypt is a clear
minority, living under such conditions is certainly putting the entire society
at risk. Meanwhile, affiliation to the ruling regime gives another segment of
society a false impression that it is always right. This segment of society
tends to expand its ignorance by arguing incessantly and it will always do its
utmost to maintain its status and not repeat the unpleasant experience of being
ruled by its opponents. We in Egypt live in a completely polarized society where
each citizen believes that he or she knows the whole truth and has a valid
opinion. The gap is widening between citizens who support the ruling regime and
those who completely oppose it. The debate in Egypt is not about what serves our
country best, but about who will win the current battle – a battle that is paid
for by our national resources and the thousands of citizens who offer their
lives to protect our country. As long as the Egyptian government continues to
apply a polarization policy that splits citizens into “us vs. them”, allowing a
segment of society to believe that they have won and that their opponents have
lost, the country will not move forward. Winners in Egypt believe that they
deserve to be in power forever, forcing losers not only to be intolerant but
extremists as well. Egyptians need to be reunited as one nation with diverse
opinions. This necessitates a bold government and mature citizens who can
understand the value of this objective and comply with it.
Operation Decisive Storm and the Gulf’s sentiments
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/March 29/17
After midnight, Yemen was set for a dawn promising to take the country on the
path of progress. It was meant to take power away from the hands of its ousted
executioner whose years in power led to decades of drought, starving his own
people.The Arab Coalition jets took off from south of Saudi Arabia, announcing
the beginning of Operation Decisive Storm. They were set to launch the most
important battle of liberation since Operation Desert Shield that liberated
Kuwait in 1990. The jets continue to target strongholds of Houthi militias and
purge the borders of their presence.Operation Decisive Storm is led by King
Salman bin Abdulaziz and his allies, with the most prominent and strongest being
the United Arab Emirates. There is continuous cooperation between him and his
brothers Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid in order to
safeguard the Gulf from a dark sectarian future which the Houthis and those
allied with them were planning.
This operation has revived cooperation among Arabs and has awakened their sense
of dignity. They kept silent for years in the wake of Iran’s designs and ever
since it entered Iraq after the US war in 2003. Within the framework of United
Nations’ resolutions, Yemen’s President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi appealed for help
of a neighboring country to save the state and its institutions from Houthi
terrorists. The latter came close to aiming their missiles toward Saudi borders
as they want to blackmail Saudi Arabia. They predicted several reactions but the
last thing they expected was that Saudi Arabia will launch a comprehensive war
against them. This came as a sudden surprise. The roof fell over their heads and
the unjust were uprooted completely. The UAE is a founding member of this Arab
coalition and it has sacrificed young men. Blood of Saudis, Emiratis, Bahrainis
and Qataris have been mixed with blood. They launched a fierce battle that took
the militias centuries back and entirely altered Yemen’s composition.
Iran and its proxies continue to use inappropriate words while Saudi Arabia and
the Coalition countries have plowed the ground and planted seeds of a new future
for Arab societies
The UAE’s martyrs
The UAE has sacrificed 65 martyrs to liberate Yemen. Ousted Yemeni president
begged to stop the war and longed to negotiate claiming that Yemen and the
solutions to its problems were in his hand. However, the coalition only
recognizes international decisions, charters and customs. Operation Decisive
Storm and Operation Restoring Hope have been roadmaps which altered the scene in
the region and divided political stages in the Middle East into two:
Pre-Decisive Storm and Post-Decisive Storm. This is the outcome of wars. They
draw different paths and create new powers. Iran and its proxies continue to use
inappropriate words while Saudi Arabia and the Coalition countries have plowed
the ground and planted seeds of a new future for Arab societies. Ancient
philosophers say it is through the ravages of war that you make the best models
of peace. A war becomes part of a political solution especially when it has been
launched within the framework of international sanctions.UN Resolution 2216
stipulates: “All Member States shall immediately take the necessary measures to
prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer to, or for the benefit
of Ali Abdullah Saleh, Abdullah Yahya Al Hakim, Abd Al-Khaliq Al-Huthi, and the
(sanctioned) individuals and entities, from or through their territories or by
their nationals, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related
materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and
equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned, and
technical assistance, training, financial or other assistance, related to
military activities or the provision, maintenance or use of any arms and related
materiel, including the provision of armed mercenary personnel whether or not
originating in their territories.”
In brief, Operation Decisive Storm has united what stood divided. It has
strengthened Saudi-Emirati ties and has paved the way for social sentiment,
which no longer distinguishes between a Saudi and an Emirati. King Salman’s tour
to Gulf countries and social engagement as part of his visit are the most
prominent evidence of this unity, empathy and cooperation. This is what we have
expected from the Gulf Cooperation Council for 30 years and more.
The upcoming generations will see the results of this Operation Decisive Storm.
Victory is but an hour of patience.
Turkey vs. Europe — why the escalation?
Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi/Al Arabiya/March 29/17
“Is it in the interest of Turkey to strain relations with Europe?”, was the
title of an article posted on a Turkish-affairs WhatsApp group. A member
commented: “Yes, it is in our best interest to make Turks aware that the West is
an enemy of Muslims and therefore Erdogan must succeed so we could resist and
defeat them.”Another replied: “Turkey should not gather so many enemies. We need
to be patient in dealing with provocations. Time is in our favor because the
arrival of extreme right-wing movements to power in Europe is a sign of its
ruin. The Turkish Renaissance Project is progressing successfully and is the
hope of Arabs and Muslims.”A third commented: “Good politics is to seize
opportunities in the fine area between friendships and enmities … to mediate
between moderation and antagonism. This is a stage in history of high
competitiveness among arrogant superpowers … and every error has a hefty price.”
I answered the first commentator who thought escalation was useful: Yours is a
jihadist, not a political speech. What is the difference between that and the
logic of ISIS? Turkey needs to reconcile with the whole world — not just with
Israel and Iran — in order to continue its Renaissance Project.
Reconciling with Moscow
By the way, if Europe is any devil, Russia is definitely not an angel. Still,
Turkey has reconciled with Moscow despite its Syrian war crimes in cooperation
with Iran, Israel, Hezbollah and Bashar regime. If we recall the tone of
hostility after the downing of the Russian fighter jet and the Ship of Liberty
incident, we’d find it similar to the speech against Europe, today. In time,
interests and new realities changed that tone, and made former enemies good
friends.
Wise leaders do not burn bridges with partners, or bypass logic, sense and
sensibility to excite public emotions, and ride their waves for personal gains
or electoral victories. There might come a time when you need to change tracks,
return back or eat your words.
The clash between a Muslim nation and Christian countries is fueling religious
differences, hateful rhetoric and racism, beside recalling Euro-Ottoman enmity
And lets not forget the hefty price paid by the European Muslim communities, in
general, and Turkish, in particular, as a result of such escalation. The clash
between a Muslim nation and Christian countries is fueling religious
differences, hateful rhetoric and racism, beside recalling Euro-Ottoman enmity.
When we put this in the context of the ISIS terror attacks and the rise of the
extreme right in the West, the escalation is evoking the wounds and justifying
the stands of the religious and nationalist parties hostile to Islam and
Muslims.
We urgently need to return to the pre-Al-Qaeda era, when the world was more open
to Islam and Muslim communities, accepting their religious activities and
respecting their human and national rights. As if all losses in this regard was
not enough, here we are risking the their remaining rights of citizenship and
residence. I do not know the rationale behind the recent escalation with Europe,
and whether the purpose of inflaming Turkish nationalism is to gain more votes
in favor of the new constitution, or for other reason. But I fear for the future
of Turkey, its security, stability and rise.
Political rallies
I also cannot comprehend the insistence on holding political rallies led by
Turkish ministers in foreign countries without the consent of their authorities.
Would Turkey accept if, say, Iran organized its presidential and parliamentary
elections in Turkish cities for the Iranian community led by Iranian ministers
without official invitation or approval? And what the response would be if Iran
didn’t take no for an answer and called Turkey dictatorial?Others respect our
sovereign rights as much as we respect theirs. The world needs to close ranks to
face the political, security and cultural dangers that threaten us all; to build
bridges of cooperation, development; and to raise the spirit of tolerance and
brotherhood. The escalation of conflicts and disputes in all directions,
especially with partners and allies, does not serve us or help our cause.
Dear Turkey: How about going back to the “zero problems” strategy? It certainly
makes more sense (and bring higher returns) than the politics of “problem
escalation.”