LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 21/2018
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias
Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias18/english.april21.18.htm
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Bible
Quotations
But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart,
it is I; do not be afraid
Mark 06/47-56: "When evening came, the boat was out on the lake, and he was
alone on the land. When he saw that they were straining at the oars against
an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the
lake. He intended to pass them by. But when they saw him walking on the
lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw him and
were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it
is I; do not be afraid.’Then he got into the boat with them and the wind
ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about
the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. When they had crossed over, they
came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the
boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and
began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.And wherever
he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the
market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his
cloak; and all who touched it were healed."
Instruct certain people not to teach any different
doctrine, and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies
that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by
faith.
First Letter to Timothy 01/01-08: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the
command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy, my
loyal child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and
Christ Jesus our Lord. I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to
Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not
to teach any different doctrine, and not to occupy themselves with myths and
endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine
training that is known by faith. But the aim of such instruction is love
that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Some
people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, desiring to
be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or
the things about which they make assertions. Now we know that the law is
good, if one uses it legitimately."
Titles For
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on April 20-21/18
The Theatrical Lebanese Elections/Elias Bejjani/April 20/18
Hezbollah Will Be the Big Winner in Lebanon's Elections/Hanin Ghaddar/The
Washington Institute/April 20/18
Iranian general: Our hands on the trigger, your airbases within reach.
Netanyahu: We are ready/DebkaFile/April 20/18
The Russian Ambassador and Qaradawi/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/April
20/18
Syria: The Defining Issue of Our Generation/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/April
20/18
North Korea Talks: Here's What a Pragmatist Could Hope For/Tyler
Cowen/Bloomberg/April 20/18
Turkey Targeting Greece - Again/Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/April 20/18
Will Arabs intervene militarily in Syria?/Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/April
20/18
The Iran that Europeans do not know of/Sawsan Al Shaer/Al Arabiya/April
20/18
Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on April 20-21/18
The Theatrical Lebanese Elections
Congressmen Introduce Bipartisan Disarm Hezbollah Act
Kataeb Activists Summoned for Interrogation over Leaflets Distribution
Elections Supervisory Committee Member Resigns over Inability to Honor Oath
Lebanese Parties Race to Lure in Expatriates Ahead of Polls
Tripartite talks in May to tackle Israeli border aggression: Aoun
Lebanon Seeking $4 Billion at Brussels Conference to Face Refugee Crisis
Aoun Meets U.S. Central Command Chief
Report: Generator Owners ‘Pressure Group in Parliament’ Hindering Solution
Rahi Lays Cornerstone for Qatar Church, Says Politicians Must Respect
Constitution
Jumblat: Hariri Invited Me for Iqlim Kharroub Electoral Tour....I Apologized
PSP Dismayed as Hariri Tours Iqlim al-Kharroub 'without Coordination'
HRW Denounces Eviction of Syria Refugees in Lebanon
Richa Slams "Police-Style" Arrest of Kataeb Activist
Former President Amine Gemayel: Lebanon Witnessing Total Surrender, Not
Political Settlement
Titles For Latest
LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 20-21/18
Iranian general: Our hands on the
trigger, your airbases within reach. Netanyahu: We are ready
Saudis Intercept Ballistic Missile from Yemen
Russia: US strikes remove moral hurdles for S-300 missiles for Assad,
Russian FM says
Assad Still Has 'Limited' Chemical Capability, Pentagon Says
Islamic State Group to Give Up Last Pocket in Syrian Capital
Four Palestinians shot dead by Israeli forces in Gaza Strip: ministry
Kurds Capture Extremist who Recruited Three 9/11 Attackers
Iraqi Pre-Emptive Strikes Hit Syria
Report: Absence of Factions will not Affect Palestinian National Council
Quorum
Ukraine Accuses Russia of Transporting Mercenaries to Syria
Tareq Saleh Leads ‘Republican Guards’ against Houthis on Yemen’s West Coast
Oil Prices on the Rise as OPEC Meets in Jeddah
Comey Memos Show President Trump Obsessed with Russia Probe
Latest
Lebanese Related News published on April 20-21/18
The Theatrical Lebanese Elections
Elias Bejjani/April 20/18
The outcome of the
theatrical elections is well known in advance to every body. Why? Simply
because Hezbollah occupies Lebanon since 2005 after replacing the Syrian
one. Since than this Iranian terrorist army has been very successful in
penetrating the government on all levels and at the same time enslaving the
majority of the politicians and the so falsely called political parties
through bribery, fear and terrorism. In conclusion what is going on at the
present time in Lebanon is not an election but a theatrical process of
appointing MP slaves by Hezbollah to serve the Iranian scheme of occupying
all the Arab countries. This is a reality that each and every Lebanese must
be ready to face and refuse openly and courageously.
Congressmen Introduce
Bipartisan Disarm Hezbollah Act
Kataeb.org/Friday 20th April 2018/U.S. Congress members Tom Suozzi and Adam
Kinzinger earlier this week introduced the Disarm Hezbollah Act (HR 5540), a
bipartisan bill that instructs the Director of National Intelligence (DNI),
to investigate Hezbollah.The Act would require the Director of National
Intelligence to produce an official National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on
Hezbollah’s capabilities, its arsenal, and the illicit supply routes it uses
to procure weapons. The report would help assess the work of the United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and also detail the ways
Hezbollah raises and distributes funds in the territory under UNIFIL’s
mandate."Hezbollah continues to build up its military capabilities, with
tens of thousands of advanced missiles that threaten our Middle East
interests and allies, particularly Israel," Suozzi said in a statement. "I
am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with Mr. Kinzinger to
improve our intelligence community’s understanding of a serious ongoing
threat on the doorstep of one of America’s most vital allies.” For his part,
Kinzinger also issued a statement saying that Hezbollah has continued to
present a clear and present danger to the United States and its allies,
noting that the group is still growing and sowing chaos despite sanctions.
"It’s time we address the capabilities, the arsenal, and the international
operations of Hezbollah, and establish ways in which we can more effectively
put stop to their procurement of dangerous weapons," he stressed.
Kataeb Activists Summoned for Interrogation over
Leaflets Distribution
Kataeb.org/Friday 20th April 2018/Nine Kataeb activists on Friday have been
summoned for interrogation over the distribution of leaflets criticizing MP
Ibrahim Kanaan's performance, one day after their comrade Elias Haddad had
been arrested for the same reason. The leaflet blames MP Ibrahim Kanaan for
the tax hikes approved by the Parliament a few months ago, the waste
landfill established in Burj Hammoud and the high-voltage power line project
in Mansourieh.
Elections Supervisory Committee Member Resigns over
Inability to Honor Oath
Kataeb.org/Friday 20th April 2018/Member of the Elections Supervisory
Committee, Sylvana Al-Lakkis, on Friday announced her resignation, saying
that she has not been able to honor the oath she had taken when assuming her
duties. "After I was appointed as a member of the Elections Supervisory
Committee, I took the oath to fulfill my duties with full sincerity,
impartiality, loyalty and independence while making sure to fully abide by
the elections-related laws and regulations," she said in a news conference
held to clarify the reasons behind her decision. Al-Lakkis is the chair of
the Arab forum for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (AFRPD) and the
regional representative of Disabled People International (DPI). "Months
after my appointment, I have found it impossible for me to fulfill my duties
as requires by the oath I took," she added. "I found that it is my duty to
submit my resignation so that I wouldn't become a false witness on the
committee's inability to accomplish its tasks.""Given that the practices we
are witnessing have taken a course that is different from the one I was
aspiring for, it has become my duty to step down and break the silence that
we, as members of the committee, are required to adhere to," she said. "I am
here to express my condemnation as I hope that my resignation would serve as
a reason to straighten things by boosting the Elections Supervisory
Committee's independence and enabling it to perform its role properly so as
to ensure transparent and impartial polls."
Al-Lakkis pinpointed the three main reasons behind her resignation decision:
1- The lack of resources needed to enable the committee to carry out its
tasks;
2- The direct interferrence in the committee's independence and
prerogatives;
3- The reduction of the committee's prerogatives in a way that distorts the
purpose why it was initially established, and often turns it into a tool
that deepens discrimination between candidates.
Lebanese Parties Race
to Lure in Expatriates Ahead of Polls
Beirut - Youssef Diab/Asharq Al Awsat/Friday, 20 April, 2018/Lebanese
expatriates have become a main target in the campaigns for the May 6
parliamentary elections as political parties are eager to lure them to vote
for their lists in exchange for covering the cost of flights to Beirut.
Although some parties have refused to admit it, others have announced to
resorting to such offers on a limited scale.Lebanese sources said not all
candidates have the financial ability to buy plane tickets to Beirut so that
expats vote for their lists. "Only certain parties have enough money to
offer expatriates a vacation in Lebanon at their own expense in exchange for
receiving their vote,” the sources said. An official from the electoral
campaign of Al-Mustaqbal said “the Movement was prone to meet the requests
of some expatriates, especially those residing in Gulf states, who were
willing to come (to Lebanon) in return for free tickets.”However, the
process came to a halt three weeks ago, said the official. Some expats told
Asharq Al-Awsat that “thousands of Lebanese emigrants had received direct
phone calls from some parties offering them tickets to travel to Lebanon
before Election Day.”However, the offer stands for a couple and not their
children. “Flights to Lebanon, especially from Gulf States, are already
booked due to the high number of people traveling to Lebanon before the
elections,” the sources said. Progressive Socialist Party spokesman Rami al-Rayyes
told Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday that his party was coordinating with
expats, including those who had registered their names to vote for the first
time at polling stations abroad on April 27 and April 29, in addition to
those who did not want to travel to Lebanon to cast their ballots. “The
majority of PSP supporters living abroad are eager to participate in the
elections. We are studying all options,” Rayyes said, adding that the issue
of expats’ flight costs to Lebanon is under discussion.
Tripartite talks in May to tackle Israeli border
aggression: Aoun
The Daily Star/April 20/18/BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun said Friday that
the Tripartite Military Committee that brings together Israeli and Lebanese
military representatives under the mediation of UNIFIL will hold meetings in
early May to "end Israeli violations" of Lebanon's borders. Aoun's comments
came during a meeting with Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of American
troops in the Middle East, at Baabda Palace, a statement from Aoun’s office
reported. The meeting was also attended by United States Ambassador to
Lebanon Elizabeth Richard and a U.S. delegation. Aoun condemned Israel for
continuing to breach Lebanon’s land and maritime territory, especially along
the southern border where the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon is deployed
to establish a permanent ceasefire and prevent hostilities. Aoun however
assured Votel that hostile retaliation was not in question. "Lebanon will
never be an aggressor country, but refuses any aggression on its land,” he
was quoted as saying. The two additionally discussed cooperation between the
countries’ armies, and U.S. assistance provided to the Lebanese Army. The
Lebanese president thanked Votel for the United States’ contribution at the
Rome II conference, which was held in support of Lebanon’s Army and security
services in the Italian capital on March 15. The U.S. announced a new $9
million investment during the conference, which was allocated to train
Internal Security Forces and support its facilities.
At the time, the U.S. said it had contributed more than $1.7 billion to
support the Lebanese Army and over $160 million to support the ISF since
2006.
Lebanon Seeking $4 Billion at Brussels Conference to
Face Refugee Crisis
Beirut - Paula Astih/Asharq l Awsat/Friday, 20 April, 2018/Lebanon is
preparing to participate in the Brussels 2 conference, which will be held on
April 24 to rally support for countries hosting Syrian refugees. Prime
Minister Saad Hariri is heading an official delegation to the conference,
which is hosted by the European Union and the United Nations for the second
year in a row, under the title of “Supporting the Future of Syria and the
Region.”In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Minister of the Displaced Moeen
Merehbi said the Lebanese State would call on the international community to
increase the amount of assistance provided to both the displaced Syrians and
the Lebanese society, and would reaffirm the need to ensure the appropriate
conditions for the safe return of the refugees, as “the recent developments
in Syria are delaying and complicating this return.” He added that Lebanon
would demand $4 billion to address the crisis of displacement, knowing that
the country receives only about half of this amount annually. “About half of
the displaced Syrians in Lebanon do not have enough food, and the Lebanese
State is unable to cover any of their needs,” Merhebi said, stressing that
securing the refugees’ living needs and services such as medicine, education
and others “would provide them with stability and would contribute to
Lebanon’s stability as well.” “There is no doubt that their return to Syria
remains a priority for us, especially since there is a Lebanese consensus
around it, but recent developments, including the use of chemical weapons
and the military developments, do not contribute to encouraging the Syrians
to return, but complicates and delays things,” the minister stated, noting
that around 11,000 refugees have returned home voluntarily last year. The
records of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Lebanon (UNHCR)
show that 995,125 refugees are currently on Lebanese territory, while the
number had reached one and a half million in past years. According to the
International Monetary Fund, Lebanon bears the financial burdens of the
displaced, estimated at about $7 billion, while the Lebanese State already
suffers from an economic deficit, as the growth rate declined from 8 percent
before the outbreak of the Syrian crisis to its current 1.1 percent.
Aoun Meets U.S. Central Command Chief
Naharnet/April 20/18/President Michel Aoun met on Friday with Gen. Joseph
Votel, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), at Baabda palace, the
National News Agency reported. Talks have reportedly touched on several
issues including Israel’s violation of Lebanon’s territory. Aoun told Votel
that “Lebanon will never be an aggressor, but it rejects any aggression
against its land.”Pointing to Israeli practices, he said “Israel continues
to violate Lebanon’s land and maritime sovereignty. Contacts to end these
violations on the border will resume next month,” he said.
Report: Generator Owners ‘Pressure Group in Parliament’
Hindering Solution
Naharnet/April 20/18/Lebanon’s failure to find a solution for its chronic
electricity crisis was attributed to “pressures exerted by owners of
generators who control 50 percent of the Lebanese market and represent a
pressure group within the parliament,” the pan-Arab al-Hayat reported on
Friday.
French sources following up closely on the international CEDRE conference
held in Paris two weeks ago, which secured billions for Lebanon’s
infrastructure, asked about the reasons behind all failed projects that
aimed to reform Lebanon’s electricity sector and improve the bill collection
system.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the daily that the
answer lies in “threats of owners of generators who control 50 percent of
the Lebanese market and represent a pressure group within the
parliament.”They added that “investors at CEDRE insist on the need for
electricity sector reform in order to reduce public expenses and public
deficit, and also because the reforms will not be negative for the consumer,
but will be negative for the of owners of generators.”On the electricity
plan to lease power generating vessels, they considered it an “expensive and
short-term solution,” and Paris has alerted Lebanese officials of corruption
because the plan was based on a “single offer.”They warned that imposition
of such a plan could trigger a “political crisis,” due to the fact that it
raised a lot of criticism and fears of corruption. “Paris can provide the
Lebanese authorities with a permanent solution that will increase the
production of electricity within 10 months via two power plants, and at a
lower cost than the barges. Paris has not yet raised the issue because the
Free Patriotic Movement is still committed to the power barges plan. But
Paris considers the ships plan as no longer viable politically, as it raised
controversy and doubts,” concluded the sources.
Rahi Lays Cornerstone for Qatar Church, Says
Politicians Must Respect Constitution
Naharnet/April 20/18/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi said Friday from
Qatar that Lebanon needs politicians who respect the country’s Constitution
and law, and fight hard to combat corruption, the National News Agency
reported. Speaking from Doha where he laid the cornerstone for the Saint
Charbel Church, the first Maronite church in the Gulf ,Rahi said: “Lebanon
needs objective politicians who fight corruption and have respect for the
Constitution and law.” Hailing President Michel Aoun, he said: “We
appreciate President Aoun’s initiative to reevaluate article 49 of the state
budget. We call on related authorities to study a housing plan to help the
Lebanese.”On Wednesday, Aoun asked parliament to reevaluate a controversial
state budget article granting residence permits to foreigners and Arabs who
own assets of a specified value.
Rahi has warned over Article 49 urging its revocation noting that the
numbers of Arabs and foreigners have exceeded half of Lebanon’s people.
Jumblat: Hariri Invited Me for Iqlim Kharroub Electoral Tour....I Apologized
Naharnet/April 20/18/Following reports that Progressive Socialist Party
leader MP Walid Jumblat was dismayed by PM Saad Hariri for carrying out an
electoral tour “without coordination,” Jumblat said he was invited to take
the tour to Iqlim al-Kharroub in the Chouf district, but has apologized for
meeting the request, al-Joumhouria daily reported Friday. In an interview
with the daily, Jumblat said: “Obviously Hariri implicitly wanted to go
alone to Iqlim al-Kharroub.There was no need for us to be there by his
side.” “Hariri invited me yesterday to participate in the tour, but I
apologized because I sensed that the content of the invitation is of a
classical and "preferential" nature,” added Jumblat. “One concludes that the
celebration is solely for al-Mustaqbal Movement. We do not accept to be
guests or merely an addition,” he said. Hariri on Thursday toured Iqlim al-Kharroub,
a majority Sunni area in the Chouf district, the bastion of Druze leader
Jumblat. Hariri and Jumblat are allied in Iqlim al-Kharroub and the
Chouf-Aley electoral district. Taimur Jumblat (the PSP leader’s son) who
heads the electoral alliance, was not present at the Barja rally. Reports
said the PSP was dismayed after Hariri carried out his electoral tour
“without coordination.”
PSP Dismayed as Hariri Tours Iqlim al-Kharroub 'without Coordination'
Naharnet/April 20/18/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Thursday toured the Iqlim
al-Kharroub region, a majority Sunni area in the Chouf district, the bastion
of Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat. “With the start of Rafik Hariri's
political career, and later with al-Mustaqbal Movement, Iqlim al-Kharroub
became a key component of the political equation in Mount Lebanon,” Hariri
said at a huge electoral rally in Barja after touring several towns in the
region. “Together with Walid Beik and Taimur (Jumblat) we will continue the
journey. Taimur is a rising young man and we will always cooperate with him.
There will be bickering of course, but we accept it from Walid Beik,” Hariri
added. “Chouf and Aley, especially Iqlim al-Kharroub, will say their word on
May 6. Entire Lebanon will realize that this region cannot be infiltrated,
because it belongs to Walid Beik, al-Mustaqbal Movement, Rafik Hariri and
Saad Hariri,” the premier went on to say. Hariri and Jumblat are allied in
Iqlim al-Kharroub and the Chouf-Aley electoral district. Taimur Jumblat, who
heads the electoral alliance, was not present at the Barja rally. LBCI
television said the PSP was dismayed after Hariri carried out his electoral
tour “without coordination.” “Political partnership should be complete in
order to exist. The series of unilateral steps that have been made by al-Mustaqbal
Movement do not contribute to strengthening partnership, such as insistence
on some nominations during the lists formation phase or excluding MP Antoine
Saad in an inappropriate manner,” PSP spokesman Rami al-Rayyes told LBCI. In
a tweet that coincided with Hariri's speech in Barja, Walid Jumblat said
that “experience has proved that electoral seminars are much better than
mass rallies and the accompanying demos and actions that represent an
annoyance to citizens.”“That's why the Mukhtara and Aley rallies have been
called off,” Jumblat added, noting that “preparations are underway to
organize a meeting with the dignitaries at a place and time that will be set
by the comrades.”
HRW Denounces Eviction of Syria Refugees in Lebanon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 20/18/Human Rights Watch on Friday
criticised Lebanese municipalities for what it called the unjustifiable
expulsion of hundreds of Syrians from their homes since 2016, as sentiment
against refugees simmers. "At least 13 municipalities in Lebanon have
forcibly evicted at least 3,664 Syrian refugees from their homes and
expelled them from the municipalities, apparently because of their
nationality or religion," from the start of 2016 through to the end of March
this year, the New York-based rights group said. Almost one million Syrians
are registered as refugees in Lebanon, though many expect the real number is
much higher. The Mediterranean country's population stood at just four
million before neighbouring Syria's civil war broke out in 2011, sending
tens of thousands of Syrians fleeing across the border in search of safety.
Several politicians have blamed a flurry of social and economic woes in
Lebanon on Syrian refugees, and calls for them to return have increased in
the run-up to the country's first parliamentary elections in nearly a decade
on May 6. "Municipalities have no legitimate justification for forcibly
evicting Syrian refugees if it amounts to nationality-based or religious
discrimination," said Bill Frelick, refugee rights director at Human Rights
Watch. "Lebanese leaders should curb rhetoric that encourages or condones
forced evictions, expulsions, and other discriminatory and harassing
treatment of refugees in Lebanon," Frelick said.
- Discrimination on religious basis
The evictions have caused refugees to lose income and property, and their
children to miss school or drop out altogether, according to HRW, which
spoke to 57 Syrians affected by the measures. Some municipalities have
claimed the evictions were based on housing regulation infractions such as
tenants not registering their leases with them, HRW said. But despite
"widespread breaches by Lebanese citizens as well, the measures these
municipalities have taken have been directed exclusively at Syrian nationals
and not Lebanese citizens", it said. HRW also pointed to discrimination on a
religious basis, with most of the municipalities involved in forcibly
evicting and expelling Syrian refugees predominantly populated by
Christians. All 57 interviewees who spoke to HRW identified as Muslim. But,
said HRW, "Lebanon's refugee-hosting fatigue has been exacerbated by a lack
of international support" as well.
On Wednesday, around 500 Syrian refugees left southern Lebanon under an
agreement between authorities in Beirut and Damascus to return them to their
home country. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said it was aware of the returns
but was not involved in the agreement, "considering the prevailing
humanitarian and security situation in Syria". Lebanon's foreign ministry
accused UNHCR of "scaring the displaced from any return at this stage
because of what it sees as an unstable security situation". It criticised
the UN agency's "renewed determination to refuse any positive signs for a
return... despite the security situation in many Syrian towns currently
being stable."The ministry said this had led it to "re-evaluate" and
"question" the UN agency's work. Syria's war has killed more than 350,000
people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the brutal
repression of anti-government protests.
Richa Slams "Police-Style" Arrest of Kataeb Activist
Kataeb.org/Friday 20th April 2018/Kataeb's Deputy Secretary-General Patrick
Richa blasted the "police-style" way activist Elias Haddad had been arrested
on Thursday, saying that the latter's only guilt is that he lives in Metn
and smells the foul odor emanating from the Burj Hammoud waste landfill.
Richa told New TV that the content of the leaflet, for which Haddad was
arrested, is much softer than what is being written on social media
platforms, and what is said in fiery and spiteful electoral speeches of some
candidates. Richa pointed out that nine other Kataeb activists have refused
to undergo interrogation over the leaflets distribution after their comrade
has been kept in custody till now. "Had Haddad been released after hearing
his testimony, the summoned activists would have accepted to undergo
interrogation," he said.
"The elections are just around the corner and we have work to do. We don't
want to be distracted by anything."
Former President Amine Gemayel: Lebanon Witnessing
Total Surrender, Not Political Settlement
Kataeb.org/Friday 20th April 2018/Former President Amine Gemayel said that
the current situation in Lebanon is not the result of a political
settlement, but rather of a total surrender to Hezbollah and its allies "who
received a precious gift from the March 14 coalition by losing its unity."In
an interview published in the Kuwaiti Al-Rai newspaper, Gemayel noted that
the balance of power in Lebanon has been disrupted following the settlement
that led to the election of Gen. Michel Aoun as president, adding that this
major settlement has given rise to other petty deals that are based on
transient interests. Gemayel said that any dialogue on Hezbollah's arms will
unlikely reach any solution, noting that conditions are still not ripe for
this issue to be seriously addressed. "The dissociation policy is an empty
slogan that no one is adhering to, except for the state," he said,
expressing fear that Lebanon will be the "first victim" of any potential
confrontation between Iran and Israel in the region given that Hezbollah
will be a key player in it. Asked if the Kataeb party will be part of the
next government to be formed after the elections, Gemayel said that the
Kataeb's participation will be automatic if the ruling authority is sincere
about safeguarding Lebanon's sovereignty and eradicating corruption. "If
these two tasks are not among the top priorities of the next government,
then the Kataeb party might not accept to take part in it."
Hezbollah Will Be the
Big Winner in Lebanon's Elections
حنين غدار: حزب الله سيكون الرابح الأكبر في الانتخابات النيابية اللبنانية
Hanin Ghaddar/The Washington Institute/April 20/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/64014
The group has essentially
guaranteed itself a victory by coopting opponents and shuffling electoral
districts, but the West can still contain the damage by pressing Beirut on
economic reforms.
Since the 2005 Cedar Revolution and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from
Lebanon, Hezbollah has lost every parliamentary election it has entered. Yet
changes to the electoral law and a shift in political alliances have put the
organization and its allies in position to secure an unprecedented
parliamentary majority in next month's vote, without any significant
opposition. Hezbollah's longstanding dominance over the country's security
and military decisionmaking will therefore grow even more preponderant.
WEARING DOWN THE OPPOSITION
In 2005 and 2009, the pro-West March 14 coalition managed to secure
parliamentary majorities despite security challenges posed by Hezbollah. The
group resorted to threats and violence after both of those elections in
order to blunt victories by a coalition that had recently helped to end the
Syrian occupation.
In 2008, following an eighteen-month sit-in that shut down parliament and
other parts of downtown Beirut, Hezbollah forces stormed the capital and the
nearby Chouf district to forestall what it saw as problematic government
edicts. During subsequent ceasefire talks in Qatar, a "national unity
government" was established that effectively stripped March 14 of the
prerogatives it had won at the ballot box. Two years later, several
ministers from Hezbollah's bloc resigned, collapsing the March 14 government
led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri and resulting in another unity government.
In this year's elections, scheduled for May 6, Hezbollah has little need to
worry about threatening or toppling governments. The organization is now on
excellent terms with its erstwhile political opponents, and its Iranian
patrons are eager to maintain stability in Lebanon as they work to establish
hegemony in other parts of the region. Indeed, the environment has shifted
dramatically in the group's favor since 2009. Although the Syria deployment
has been cause for concern among some Lebanese citizens, it has burnished
Hezbollah's credentials among other voters.
Most important, the group's competition is anemic. March 14 continues to
disintegrate, and Hariri has been accommodating Hezbollah more often than
confronting it. He has seemingly deferred to the group even more since
returning from his involuntary sojourn in Saudi Arabia last November and
recanting his forced resignation. This unfortunate bout of political
pragmatism (or appeasement) likely stems from his rift with Riyadh, which
has made his political and economic future much more dependent on domestic
actors. Although Hariri is not directly partnering with Hezbollah in the
elections, his party is aligned with the group's Christian ally, the Free
Patriotic Movement, in many districts. Accordingly, Hezbollah is expected to
win through a combination of wooing the right allies and coopting its
fractured foes.
IMPACT OF THE NEW ELECTORAL LAW
Last year, Lebanon passed an electoral law that boosted Hezbollah's
prospects of victory. Based on proportional representation, the law
decreased the country's electoral districts from twenty-six to fifteen.
Voters now select a full party list and choose one candidate as their
"preferential vote."
Advocates of political reform in Lebanon have long called for a proportional
system, theorizing that it would create a more representative parliament in
which minorities and nontraditional parties have a better chance to win
seats. Instead of opening the political system, however, the new law will
actually benefit Lebanon's political establishment. The "preferential vote"
mechanism will incentivize citizens to vote according to their sectarian
identity. Likewise, the redrawn electoral districts are more homogenous than
before, reducing the number of mixed-sect districts and decreasing
opportunities for cross-sectarian alliances or cooperation.
In short, the new law is designed to cement the status quo, keeping many of
the same key political figures in place while bringing more Hezbollah
loyalists into parliament. For example, Christian leader Sleiman Frangieh—who
heads the Marada Movement and frequently expresses support for Syria's Assad
regime—is expected to win a much bigger bloc, while Hariri and Druze leader
Walid Jumblatt will likely lose seats.
CONSEQUENCES OF A HEZBOLLAH WIN
What might Hezbollah do with its anticipated victory next month? First, the
group is unlikely to gloat, since doing so would alarm the international
community and perhaps spur Western sanctions or other punitive economic
measures against Lebanon. Instead, it will probably act as if nothing has
changed, reinstalling Hariri as prime minister to give the next government
an air of legitimacy. This does not mean the group and its parliamentary
partners will agree on everything, but when it comes to major issues such as
security appointments, regional wars, and other foreign policy matters,
Hezbollah will make the decisions.
Second, the organization will likely try to use its parliamentary majority
to legalize its weapons. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah recently argued
that public sentiment on this issue has changed, stating, "The majority of
the Lebanese people support the resistance in deterring Israel and
preventing terrorism." Given Hariri's new "zero problems" policy—which
essentially boils down to not confronting the group anymore—the prospect of
a permanently armed political party may no longer be a hugely controversial
issue, at least domestically.
Third, Hezbollah could seek constitutional changes to guarantee its
long-term control. When the Taif Accord ended the civil war in 1989, it
reapportioned the parliament to give Christians and Muslims equal
representation, with each electing 64 of the legislature's 128 deputies.
Recently, however, the Hezbollah-allied Amal Party has proposed changing
this to a tripartite system between Christians, Sunnis, and Shia. In
addition to giving Hezbollah and other Shia factions more power, such a
system would also appeal to Sunnis, though it is unclear whether Hezbollah's
Christian allies would stand for it.
CONTAINING THE DAMAGE
Despite all of the above advantages, Hezbollah still faces some obstacles to
its complete takeover of Lebanese state institutions. Western governments
would be wise to consider ways of buttressing these barriers, especially in
the economic sector.
As one of the most heavily indebted countries in the world, Lebanon won aid
pledges exceeding $11 billion at the April 6 Paris donor conference. Yet
these pledges were linked to major economic and structural reforms that have
proven difficult for the country in the past. Beirut failed to implement
such reforms after previous Paris conferences, and it seems unlikely to do
so now. Without serious reforms, however, the country risks falling into a
deep economic crisis.
Following the latest Paris conference, President Trump lauded Beirut's
commitment to necessary reforms such as combating corruption, increasing
transparency, and improving accountability and fiscal management. "The
United States stands in support of Lebanon's efforts to strengthen its
legitimate state institutions and develop an open, free economy that serves
all Lebanese," he noted.
Hezbollah is focused on these issues as well, at least rhetorically. In
March, Nasrallah discussed the need to fight corruption following the
elections. He also vowed that members of the group's parliamentary bloc,
"Loyalty to the Resistance," would tackle urgent economic problems. These
issues are a priority for Hezbollah's electorate, and therefore a potential
source of exposure for the group.
Although it is too late to prevent Hezbollah's inevitable electoral victory,
the international community can still take several steps to contain the
group afterward. First, the Paris donors should withhold their pledges until
Beirut implements the required economic reforms, since many of these
measures would empower legitimate state institutions and help weaken
nonstate actors. Second, foreign officials should urge Hariri not to let
Hezbollah take advantage of his "zero problems" policy, even if they
continue to support the general principles of stability and nonviolence that
underlie that policy. Aid programs could give the West an avenue for
monitoring this policy and protecting state institutions whenever possible.
To further undermine Hezbollah, Western officials should expose the group's
internal corruption—something the Lebanese Shia community is already
complaining about. Hezbollah should not be allowed to depict itself as
fighting corruption while at the same time engaging in corruption. Releasing
intelligence on the group's graft and criminality would likely erode its
credibility. Many Western states already target Hezbollah's finances because
it is a terrorist organization, and they should not ease up on such pressure
just because the group wins a parliamentary majority.
**Hanin Ghaddar, a veteran Lebanese journalist and researcher, is the
Friedmann Visiting Fellow at The Washington Institute.
**Hanin Ghaddar is the inaugural Friedmann Visiting Fellow at The Washington
Institute, , where she focuses on Shia politics throughout the Levant.
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/hezbollah-will-be-the-big-winner-in-lebanons-elections
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Iranian general: Our hands on the
trigger, your airbases within reach. Netanyahu: We are ready
DebkaFile/April
20/18
Iran’s leaders used their Friday sermons to double down on their threatening
invective against Israel, the day after its April 19 Independence Day
celebrations. They chose a particularly hardline Revolutionary Guards
general, vice commander Hossein Salami, to indicate that they meant
business: The promised military punishment was on the way for Israel’s air
strike on the Syrian T-4 base on April 9, the deaths of seven Guards
officers and the knocking out of their airspace command in Syria. Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu replied: We hear the threats from Iran. The IDF
and the security forces are ready for any development.” Addressing a festive
post-Independence Day cabinet meeting, he said: “We will fight whoever tries
to harm us. We are not put off by the price and will exact a cost from those
who want to harm us… the people will stand strong.”
Since Iran stepped up its bellicose rhetoric, Israel’s defense deployments
on the Syrian and Lebanon borders were substantially beefed up and its air
force placed on alert to meet a possible Iranian reprisal for its T-4
attack. Intelligence analysts have advised the government that the threats
are to be taken seriously. Although the national holidays of Memorial Day
and the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence passed without security
incidents, the military maintained a high level of preparedness.
By his two Twitter messages, the Iranian general Friday brought the
threating rhetoric to a new level: “Don’t have hope in US and UK; when they
arrive, you won’t be there… Smallest goal will be your existence. You can’t
bear. When you escape, you’ll have no way but to the sea.” In an earlier
tweet Salami warned, “Hands are on the trigger and missiles are ready and
will be launched at any moment that enemy has a sinister plot… North and
west of Israel are at the intersection of fire; you will not escape. You
live in the dragon’s mouth.
Saudis Intercept Ballistic Missile
from Yemen
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 20/18/Saudi air
defences intercepted a "ballistic missile" fired by Yemeni rebels at the
kingdom's southern coastal city of Jizan, the Saudi-led coalition fighting
the rebels said. It was the latest in a series of such attacks. "Saudi air
defences intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Huthi militias
targeting Jizan," the coalition said in a statement. The Huthis, in a
statement on their news outlet Al-Masirah, claimed that they fired a "Badr
1" ballistic missile and said it struck Jizan Regional Airport. AFP was
unable to reach the airport for comment, but open-source flight information
appeared to show flights arriving and departing on time. Saudi Arabia has
since March 2015 led a coalition of Arab states fighting to roll back the
Huthi rebels in Yemen and restore its neighbour's internationally-recognised
government to power. Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed in the
conflict, in what the United Nations has called the world's worst
humanitarian crisis. In March, an Egyptian labourer became the first known
fatality in a rebel missile attack on the Saudi capital. Saudi Arabia
accuses its rival Iran of smuggling missiles to the Huthis -- a charge
Tehran denies.
Russia: US strikes remove moral
hurdles for S-300 missiles for Assad, Russian FM says
Reuters/April 20, 2018 /MOSCOW: US military strikes
on Syria last week removed any moral obligation Russia had to withhold S-300
anti-aircraft missile systems from its ally Syrian President Bashar Assad,
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday, according to RIA
state news agency.
Lavrov was also quoted as saying that, prior to the US strikes on Syrian
targets, Russia had told US officials which areas of Syria represented “red
lines” for Moscow, and the US military action did not cross those lines.
“Now, we have no moral obligations. We had the moral obligations, we had
promised not to do it some 10 years ago, I think, upon the request of our
known partners,” he said according to RIA. He also said that he was
convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump
would not allow an armed confrontation between their two countries, RIA
reported. A Russian army commander has also said that Moscow would consider
supplying S-300 missile systems to Syria following US-led strikes. The
United States, France and Britain launched 105 missiles last week in
retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack by government forces on a
rebel-held area near the capital. According to military analysts, the S-300
surface-to-air missile system would improve Russia’s ability to control air
space in Syria, where Moscow’s forces support the government of President
Bashar Assad, and could be aimed at deterring tougher US action.
Assad Still Has 'Limited' Chemical Capability, Pentagon Says
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 20/18/The Syrian regime remains able to
conduct chemical attacks, though only at a limited level, the Pentagon said
Thursday following last week's international cruise missile strikes on
chemical weapons-related targets. General Kenneth McKenzie, director of the
US military's Joint Staff, said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime
retains a "residual" chemical capability at a variety of sites across the
country. "They will have the ability to conduct limited attacks in the
future," McKenzie told Pentagon reporters. "However as they contemplate the
dynamics of conducting those attacks, they have to look over their shoulder
and be worried that we are looking at them, and we will have the ability to
strike them again should it be necessary." Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White
said there was no indication the Assad regime was preparing to launch
another chemical weapons attack. "Assad must know the world will not
tolerate the use of chemical weapons under any circumstances," she said. On
April 13, the US, Britain and France fired more than 100 cruise missiles at
three Syrian sites, including a large research center in Damascus, in
response to an alleged chemical attack in Douma that killed more than 40
people. According to satellite imagery displayed by the Pentagon, the three
sites were completely destroyed. "We achieved the level of success that we
wanted against those three targets," McKenzie said. "We believe that there
was probably some chlorine and possibly sarin at possibly all of the sites."
The three-star general added the Syrian regime had now returned to a "state
of normalcy." "I don't think we sought to change the strategic balance of
the Syria conflict with those strikes. We sought to send a lesson that it's
bad practice to gas women and children," McKenzie said.
Islamic State Group to Give Up Last Pocket in Syrian
Capital
Associated Press/Naharnet/April 20/18/Syrian state media says Islamic State
group militants have agreed to give up their last pocket in Damascus. The
SANA news agency says militants will be given the option to stay and
reconcile with the government or leave on buses to IS-held territory in the
eastern Syrian desert. The agreement announced Friday follows a day of
intensive government airstrikes on the IS-held neighborhoods of Hajr al-Aswad
and the Yarmouk Palestinian camp, in the Syrian capital. The Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported "relative calm" in
the two neighborhoods after the announcement of the agreement.
Four Palestinians shot dead by Israeli forces in Gaza Strip: ministry
AFP/April 20, 2018/Thousands of Gazans were
gathered on Friday at various locations along the border in the Gaza Strip,
calling for Palestinian refugees to be able to return to their former lands
in what is now Israel.
Israel is accusing the Palestinian movement Hamas of using the protests as
cover to carry out violence. Gaza City: Four Palestinians were shot dead by
Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, the Palestinian Health
Ministry said, as demonstrations entered their fourth week along the
Gaza-Israel border. Ashraf Al-Qudra, spokesman for the health ministry in
Hamas-run Gaza, said Ahmad Abu Aqel, 25, died of bullet wounds sustained
east of Jabaliya. The names of the three other Palestinians are unknown. The
Israeli army said it was looking into the incident. Security sources in Gaza
said Abu Aqel was standing near a group of people setting fire to tyres near
the border with Israel. Their deaths bring the number of Gazans killed by
Israeli forces in demonstrations and clashes since March 30 to 38, according
to Gaza's health ministry. Thousands of Gazans were gathered on Friday at
various locations along the border in the blockaded enclave, calling for
Palestinian refugees to be able to return to their former lands in what is
now Israel. Hundreds were clashing with Israeli forces, an AFP correspondent
said. Earlier on Friday, Israel dropped leaflets in the Gaza Strip warning
Palestinians not to approach its border fence as the military braced for
fresh clashes along the frontier. Israel has pledged to stop damage to the
fence, infiltrations and attacks, and alleges there have been attempts at
all three. It accuses Palestinian movement Hamas, with whom it has fought
three wars since 2008, of using the protests as cover to carry out violence.
Kurds Capture Extremist who Recruited
Three 9/11 Attackers
London -
Ibrahim Hamidi/Asharq Al Awsat/Friday, 20 April, 2018/The Asayesh Kurdish
security units detained Mohammed Haydar Zammar, a member of the so-called
Hamburg Cell accused of helping to plan the September 11, 2001 attacks in
New York, announced the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Kurdish
officials on Thursday. Zammar, a Syrian-born German, was arrested in
northern Syria and is now being interrogated by the security apparatus from
the US-led coalition fighting ISIS in northern Syria. The Hamburg terror
cell is thought to have been an important operative in the 9/11 attacks in
the United States. In 2007, a Syrian court sentenced Zammar to 12 years in
prison for being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. He was later
transferred from Syria’s Saadneya prison to the central prison in Aleppo. A
Syrian opposition official told Asharq Al-Awsat he had met Zammar in jail.
“He spoke little and did not voice his positions. I learned later he had
joined ISIS,” the official said. In 2014, reports said Zammar was released
as part of a “deal” reached between Damascus and extremist opposition
factions. The deal stipulated the release of Zammar and five other
extremists in exchange for detained Syrian regime officers. His whereabouts
remained unknown until the Observatory and Kurdish officials uncovered on
Thursday that they had captured him and others. Zammar is dubbed the “Syrian
bear” for his immense size, weighing around 150 kilograms. He has played a
leading role in the 9/11 attacks. The man is believed to have recruited from
the mosques of Germany’s Hamburg some of the perpetrators of the New York
attacks, including Mohammed Atta, Ziad al-Jarrah and Marwan al-Shahhi, who
were sent to Afghanistan in 2008 before moving to the US to receive aviation
training.
Iraqi Pre-Emptive Strikes Hit Syria
Moscow - Ankara - Raed Jabr and Saeed Abdelrazek/Asharq Al Awsat/Friday, 20
April, 2018/Iraqi warplanes attacked on Thursday positions in Syria as
officials from Iraq, Russia, Iran and the Bashar Assad regime were meeting
in Baghdad. The pre-emptive attacks came ahead of a US plan to withdraw from
Syrian areas east of the Euphrates River. "Our heroic air force carried out
deadly air strikes against ISIS sites in Syria on Thursday near the border
with Iraq," said a statement issued by the office of the Iraqi Prime
Minister. It added that the attacks aim to counter dangers posed by
militants to Iraqi territories and is proof of the improved military
capabilities of the armed forces in fighting terror. PM Haider al-Abadi had
stated earlier that Iraq would take all necessary measures against ISIS if
their militants threaten the security of his country. Iraqi warplanes have
previously attacked ISIS positions inside Syrian territories. However, it is
the first time that such attacks coincide with a meeting of military and
security officials from Iraq, Iran, Russia and Syria in Baghdad to
coordinate their efforts in “fighting terrorism,” according to Iraqi
sources. Meanwhile, it is still unknown whether international chemical
weapons inspectors had entered the location of a suspected poison gas attack
in the Syrian town of Douma. The inspectors had delayed their entry after
gunfire at the site during a visit by a UN security team last Tuesday. On
Thursday, the US State Department accused Russian and Syrian regime
officials of denying an investigative team access to the alleged chemical
weapons attack sites as they sanitize them and remove incriminating
evidence. At the political level, Ankara said Thursday that the next round
of the intra-Syrian talks would be held between May 14 and 15 in Astana. UN
Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will be visiting Moscow on Friday
to discuss means for improving efforts to hold a new round of Syrian talks
in Geneva.
Report: Absence of Factions will not Affect
Palestinian National Council Quorum
Ramallah - Kifah Ziboun/Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 20 April, 2018/The National
Council will convene at the end of April, well-informed Palestinian sources
said, stressing that the boycott of some factions will not affect the legal
quorum. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the sources said: “The Fatah
Movement, independents and other factions and unions would constitute a
majority if the Popular Front insisted on its decision to boycott the
Council.” The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine announced on
Thursday that it will not participate in the National Council meeting
scheduled for the end of April. “The PFLP delegation, which met with
representatives from the Fatah Movement on Wednesday (in Cairo) called for
postponing the session, and continuing efforts to hold a national unity
council, in accordance with national agreements signed in this regard,” a
statement issued by the Front said.
“In light of the lack of agreement between the two delegations to postpone
the National Council meeting, the Popular Front decided not to attend,” the
statement added. The Hamas Movement described the PFLP decision as
“historic”, calling for similar national stances. “We highly appreciate the
PFLP position and consider it a historic position that comes in line with
national responsibility and concern over the march towards Palestinian
national unity,” it said in a statement. The PFLP, as well as Hamas and
Islamic Jihad, were seeking to convene the National Assembly abroad with the
participation of all members and unions, but Fatah insisted on holding the
meeting in Ramallah and refuses the entry of Hamas to the Palestinian
Liberation Organization before the completion of the reconciliation process.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is insisting on convening the Council at
the end of April to elect a new PLO executive committee, as the last step in
“pumping new blood” in institutions, which is aimed at securing a smooth
transition of power in the event of any forced absence of the president. The
session will come a year after the Fatah elections, which established a new
Central Committee and Revolutionary Council. The National Council serves as
the PLO parliament, representing all Palestinians at home and abroad. It
currently has around 650 members, who represent Palestinian factions, forces
and unions everywhere. The Council has convened 22 times since it was
founded, the most recent of which was a special session in Ramallah in 2009
that ended with the appointment and election of six new members to the
Organization.
Ukraine Accuses Russia of Transporting
Mercenaries to Syria
Moscow - Raed Jaber/Asharq Al Awsat/Friday, 20 April, 2018 /The issue of
"Russian mercenaries" fighting in Syria once again returned to the spotlight
after Ukrainian special forces published details showing that the Russian
army provided extensive facilities for transporting private fighters with
their weapons to Syria. Ukraine, which closely monitors the movements of
Russian special forces fighters known as the Wagner Private Military Company
(PMC), revealed its data as the US Congress discussed the case. It listened
to an extensive briefing two days ago by Assistant Secretary of State for
European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell on “attacks carried out by the
mercenaries against US forces positions in Syria.”Although he did not
specify the nature or date of the attacks, it is clear that Mitchell was
referring to the confrontation that took place near Deir al-Zour in February
and resulted in the death and injury of hundreds of fighters from Russian
private companies. "[Russia’s] reckless intervention in Syria and support
for the Assad regime has raised the risk of confrontation with the West,"
Mitchell said, adding that the "failed attack on US forces by Russian
mercenaries recently in Syria was one sobering example of this behavior."Earlier,
Ukraine’s Security Service published results of an investigation conducted
with a Russian military personnel, who was in Syria between 2015 and 2017.
He was detained two months ago while attempting to illegally cross the
border into Ukraine. He told Ukrainian investigators that he was serving as
a contractor on the Varyag missile cruiser from 2015 and 2017 and had
regularly taken part in the transportation to Syria of members of the Wagner
PMC and their heavy weapons and ammunition. He noted that "a large number of
packets similar to that of ammunition were loaded, but they told us that it
is humanitarian aid.""Army of Wagner" was first mentioned in 2015 right
after Russia’s military intervention in Syria. Russian media at the time
reported details of "special missions" of army members, who had previously
fought alongside pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine. Russian media
also published details of an agreement signed between the Syrian regime and
private companies in Moscow, run by Kremlin close associates, to carry out
operations at oil sites in exchange for huge revenues estimated at a quarter
of Syria's oil production. But this private army received a hit by US forces
in February when three units of about 1,000 members tried to approach an oil
facility near Deir al-Zour. The US bombed the area, killing hundreds of the
members, 217 of whom were part of the Wagner army. Moscow initially denied
any irregular military formations in Syria. Russian Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Maria Zakharova at the time described the information that
Russian soldiers were killed by a US military strike as "misleading". The
Russian Foreign Ministry said citizens of Russia and the countries of the
Commonwealth of Independent States were in Syria without the knowledge of
the authorities of their countries.
But the ministry later admitted the US operation killed and injured dozens
after details about the fighters and interviews with their families were
published in Russian media. The Russian Ministry of Defense denied Ukrainian
security service information about using the Varyag cruiser to transport
mercenaries to Syria. "Before spinning some tales, the illiterate bosses in
Ukraine’s intelligence services should have consulted either the Ukrainian
Naval command or their Western handlers," Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman
Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday. Konashenkov stated that the Varyag
guided missile cruiser was never called into Syria’s Tartus, explaining that
its naval facility had no quays adequate for ships with such displacement to
moor or dock. "As for the alleged shipment of heavy weaponry, the Varyag’s
design lacks cargo holds. The cruiser is neither meant nor built for the
transportation of military equipment and other large-sized cargoes for
military use," he stressed.
Tareq Saleh Leads ‘Republican Guards’ against
Houthis on Yemen’s West Coast
Sanaa - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 20 April,
2018/General Tareq Saleh, the nephew of slain former Yemeni President Ali
Abdullah Saleh, joined the fighting against the Houthis militias in the
battle for the western coast. Saleh is leading the “Republican Guards” unit,
a name he chose for his troops, who used to make up the special forces that
were loyal to the late Saleh. This development coincided with the launch of
the December 2 news website that specializes in covering the field
operations of this unit. The website revealed that the Houthis threatened to
kill Tareq Saleh’s detained relatives in Sanaa, who include his son, brother
and cousins, but he was undeterred and insisted on joining the battle
against the Iran-backed group. Sources loyal to the General People’s
Congress told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saleh’s forces breached on Thursday the
Houthi frontlines at the Khalid bin al-Walid camp and Jabal al-Nar on the
western coast. His forces had launched their attack from their main base in
the city of al-Mokha, where they had arrived days earlier from Aden.
Observers said that their advance is aimed at covering their back from the
East, by seizing Houthi positions west of Taiz, before turning north towards
al-Hodeidah. December 2 is named after the date the late Saleh announced
that he severing his alliance with the Houthis and prepared to open a new
chapter in ties with the Saudi-led Arab Coalition aimed at liberating Yemen.
His decision ultimately cost him his life and he was killed by the Houthis
on December 4. The late Saleh’s uprising was the “spark that launched the
new revolution” against the Houthis, said the website. “This uprising can
only end with the recapture of Sanaa and ending the Houthi existence.” “The
national resistance forces established by General Tareq Saleh is a
significant addition to the military effort to support the resistance in the
South and the Arab coalition forces,” it continued. It confirmed previous
Asharq Al-Awsat reports that Tareq Saleh and his officers stripped
themselves of their military ranks so that they could stand on equal footing
with their soldiers. They had vowed to restore their ranks once Yemen is
liberated from the militias.
Oil Prices on the Rise as OPEC Meets in Jeddah
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 20 April, 2018/Oil prices continued to rise
on Thursday hitting a new high not seen since 2014 at the time US crude
supply decreased, after sources told Reuters that Saudi Arabia looks to push
prices higher. Brent crude benchmark touched $74.75 a barrel, its highest
since November 27, 2014, the day OPEC decided to pump as much as it could to
defend market share which led the prices decrease to just over $27 in 2015.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled 98 cents higher at
$68.45, and the WTI earlier hit $69.56, their highest since November 28,
2014. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other
major producers including Russia began in 2017 an agreement to curb their
production. OPEC and its partners are expected to meet in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia, on Friday, after which the organization will meet on June 22 to
review its oil production policy. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Saudi
Arabia would be happy for crude to reach $80 or even $100 a barrel, viewed
as a sign that Riyadh will not seek changes to the supply pact. A global oil
glut has been virtually eliminated, according to a joint OPEC and non-OPEC
technical panel, two sources familiar with the matter said, thanks in part
to an OPEC-led supply cut deal in place since January 2017. A source
familiar with the matter said that OPEC's Joint Technical Committee found
that inventories in developed nations in March were at just 12 million
barrels above the five-year average. The declared goal of reducing supplies
is to reduce the surplus of oil stocks to an average of five years, but a
number of oil ministers said other measures must be taken into account.
Brent crude surged above Dubai's price to $4.30 a barrel, its highest since
January 2016, amid strong performance of European benchmark crude, based on
Reuters' data. Rising price differentials encourage Asian consumers to buy
crude from Russia and the Middle East, which is priced in comparison to
Dubai, while reducing the crude consumption of the Atlantic associated with
Brent.
Comey Memos Show President Trump
Obsessed with Russia Probe
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 20/18/US President Donald
Trump repeatedly complained to FBI director James Comey in early 2017 that
the Russia meddling investigation was a cloud over his young administration,
weeks before firing him, leaked memorandums showed Thursday. Trump "said he
was trying to run the country and the cloud of this Russia business was
making that difficult," Comey wrote in a memo on a conversation they had on
March 30, 2017. Eleven days later, Trump again pressed Comey about the
issue. The president told Comey that "he is trying to do work for the
country, visit with foreign leaders, and any cloud, even a little cloud,
gets in the way of that," Comey wrote, referring to "the Russia thing."The
memos, which Comey wrote immediately after several meetings with Trump in
the weeks after his inauguration on January 20, 2017, depict a president
deeply worried about the impact of the probe into Russian meddling in the
election the previous year. Obtained by AFP Thursday after the Justice
Department released them to Congress, the memos could become evidence in a
criminal investigation into whether Trump consciously tried to obstruct the
probe. Comey makes clear in his memos that he was uncomfortable with the
pressure and that it was not completely proper, though at the time he did
not allege the president had broken any laws. But Comey never committed to
easing off the investigation, which continues to examine a number of
suspicious contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia. Weeks after their
last conversation, on May 9, Trump fired Comey, saying in an interview two
days later that he decided to dismiss the FBI chief in part out of
unhappiness over the Russia probe. "In fact, when I decided to just do it, I
said to myself, you know, this thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up
story, an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election." "In my
opinion, it should've been over with a long time ago." Much of what is in
the memos, most notably Trump's demand that Comey pledge his loyalty, has
been known for nearly a year. Comey wrote that the president repeatedly
raised the still-unconfirmed story that Russians have a video of him with
prostitutes in a Moscow hotel. "The president said 'this hookers thing' is
nonsense," Comey wrote. However, Trump also said "that Putin had told him,
'We have some of the most beautiful hookers in the world,'" Comey noted.
Latest LCCC Bulletin
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April
20-21/18
The Russian Ambassador
and Qaradawi
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/April 20/18
While recalling his memories as a diplomat, former Russian ambassador to
Qatar Vladimir Titorenko spoke about his experience in Qatar and recounted
an interesting conversation that happened between him and Muslim Brotherhood
leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi.
During an interview with a program that airs on the Russia Today channel,
Titorenko said: “Qaradawi told me: ‘Russia must accept the truth that bloody
and corrupt regimes in Arab countries must go, and that people have gotten
sick of their old governments which must be replaced by the power of
society. When these countries get rid of their expired rulers, they will be
able to build prosperous societies that are based on our authentic
traditions.’ I then asked him: ‘Excuse me but you keep repeating the word
democracy. Do you think the regime of the country where you live is
democratic? I mean Qatar and other neighboring countries where there are no
political parties and parliament but absolute monarchies, so is this
democratic?’ He answered: ‘No, but their turn will come too.’”
Speaking on the program called “A Journey Through the Memory”, the we
continued: “I repeated my question: ‘Do you think it’s necessary to also
overthrow the rulers and emirs of Qatar?’ and he answered: ‘Emirs must first
carry out their role and the people will overthrow them later.’”
Titorenko thinks that Qaradawi has influence in Qatar as, for instance, he
would contact the Amiri Diwan to recommend that Qatari television channels
air more horrific scenes. Titorenko said that Qaradawi did that in front of
him, quoting him as saying: “Air more scenes that show plenty of blood and
murdered children as much as possible.”
The program’s host then commented: “Really?! That is horrible!”
The envoy responded: “Indeed. I informed Moscow of this and wrote about my
impression that Qaradawi gives directions to Qatar’s leadership on how to
manage propaganda and how he asks them to show the massacres of children and
women on television.” Titorenko’s story and his impressions are not
surprising and do not offer any new information. However, it is a testimony
from a retired diplomat, not someone who is part of the dispute, although
Russia remains friendly with some of Qatar’s allies, such as Iran and
“Hezbollah”.
Those who overheard Qaradawi’s order and the Russian envoy’s testimony,
which is publicly backed by some of Qaradawi’s followers, may see it as a
testimony for, not against, the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood sees the
testimony as a reflection of their vision and system of modern governance
that believes in political participation through democracy.
There is not enough space here to fully discuss this, but I’ll clarify that
Islamic groups’ political expressions and speeches, particularly the
Brotherhood’s, are distinguished for their advanced political rhetoric,
which is in fact misleading and does not reflect their exclusionary,
religious and theological agenda.
During the Arab Spring in 2011, they tried to hijack that historic moment.
They abandoned talking about their political religious agenda under the
slogan “Islam is the solution” and went along with the new situation,
focusing on three words in their speech: “freedom, rights and elections,” to
fall in line with Egypt and Tunisia’s polls.
However, the truth is incomplete, because democracy is a term they copied
and linked to harsh fascist religious concepts, which guarantee permanent
governance by a certain group. This is exactly the case of the democracy in
Khamenei’s Iran, which brags about empty elections until this day. The truth
is it had executed during the revolution tens of thousands of its
nationalist and leftist group partners.
Qaradawi’s statements – according to the envoy’s narrative – about Qatar and
the rest of the Gulf states are not unusual. The religious group had used
the Shah during a difficult period of his reign and they also rode the horse
of democracy in Gaza where they have been in power ever since, turning the
strip into an Iranian garrison. The Brotherhood seized the opportunity in
Sudan where they took over power and toppled the elected government of Sadiq
al-Mahdi.
Extremist ideological groups will, therefore, not fool us into believing
that they really want popular change and political participation and that
they believe in rights and elections because they don’t. Communists, too,
used to adopt the same rhetoric.
However, I do not agree with the former envoy that Qaradawi is running
Qatar. He probably has a function in the Amiri Diwan, exploiting the
Brotherhood’s rapprochement with some Arab nationalists. And just like the
former envoy, we do not understand how Qatar’s politicians can turn a blind
eye to those conspiring against them. There is no scientific explanation or
historical logic to this.
Syria: The Defining Issue of Our Generation
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/April 20/18
“We are here to protest against the bombing of Syria by Donald Trump and
Theresa May,” said the placard waving young man sporting a ferocious beard.
“Killing Muslims must be stopped,” added the middle-aged lady dressed all in
black with a demeanor of a diva.
Our interlocutors were among a handful of activists from the anti-war
coalition spending part of their weekend venting their hatred of Trump and
America, and presumably of capitalism and imperialism in general, in front
of an empty US Embassy in London.
We asked whether they would also demonstrate in front of the Russian Embassy
in Bayswater, a posher part of London?
The answer was a chagrined look all around.
How could we not understand that in their Manichaean world the role of evil
was reserved solely for the Western democracies?
Over the past decade or so Russia has waged war against Georgia, in Ossetia
ad Abkhazia, attacked Ukraine, annexed the Crimean Peninsula, turned
Chechnya into a pile of rubble and driven thousands out of their villages in
Ingushetia and Dagestan without the Anti-War Coalition waving a single
placard. When we come to Syria, the anti-war coalition, one of whose big
beasts Jeremy Corbyn is now leader of the British Labour Party, deigns to
remember that Russia has been bombing Syria, killing countless civilians,
since 2015.
Under Russian attack from air and land, Syria’s most populous city Aleppo
has suffered a level of destruction never seen since the Mongol Invasion in
the Middle Ages. And yet no anti-war coalition militant, least of all Corbyn,
turned up to demand that the blizzard of death and destruction released by
the Russia stop. The fact that the minimalist American-British-French
missile launch against Bashar al-Assad’s alleged chemical weapons’ sites did
not amount to “bombing Syria” as such didn’t matter. Nor did our protesters
care about the fact that no one had been killed in the US-led operation and
that “killing Muslims” was a rather exaggerated claim bearing in mind that
there are 1.5 billion Muslims in the world.
In some cases, intense hatred shown against Western democracies may be
prompted by self-loathing, a common disease in many other societies
including Russia. The only difference is that in Western societies giving
expression to that self-loathing is risk-free, indeed somehow chic, while it
is severely repressed in Russia. In Washington, London or Paris you could
express dissent even beyond reasonable limits without suffering punishment.
In Moscow, however, you could be shot even in Red Square or, if you flee
Russia, risk being murdered with chemical substances in Gloucester.
In other cases, the pro-Russian position taken by some elements in the West
is prompted by nostalgia for the “good old days” when Soviet ideology,
represented by Mother Russia, challenged the global status quo and promised
a golden future beyond “earth-devouring Imperialism”.
All that gives Russia a distinct advantage in what is at times, erroneously
I believe, termed “a new Cold war.” In terms of power Russia is in no
position to challenge the global status. With a GDP of $1.5 trillion it lags
far behind the United Sates with almost $20 trillion. The US military budget
is more than times that of Russia’s. And in terms of soft power, including
scientific, cultural and artistic fields, the American “Great Satan” remains
far more attractive. People queue in Moscow ad Vladivostok for those easy to
eat and hard to digest McDonalds. But no one lines up in Washington of Paris
for a nice bowl of borscht.
To be sure, Russia is a nuclear “superpower”. But its nuclear arsenal, as
President Vladimir Putin has pointed out on occasions, is old, not to say
antiquated. The “new generation” of undetectable nuclear warheads that Putin
promised on the eve of his re-election may still be a long way down the
road. In any case, no one seriously envisages a thermonuclear war or even a
new arms race if only because Russia lacks the wherewithal to keep up with
the Western Joneses.
So what we have is a lukewarm war in which Russia’s assets consist mainly of
the anti-West constituencies inside Western democracies plus the veto power
that Russia has in the United Nations’ Security Council.
In the case of Syria, the two become interlinked. This is why Corbyn, like
his French counterpart Jean-Luc Melanchon, and other anti-West leaders in
Europe, insist that any Western military intervention in Syria should first
be ratified by the United Nations Security Council.
Interestingly, they don’t demand that Russia’s military intervention should
also be subject to approval by the UN Security Council. This is because
Russia can never master a majority in the Security Council. (Its last
resolution there last week, seeking to condemn the US-led missile attack on
Bashar’s alleged chemical sites, won the votes only of China and Bolivia!)
In other words, the pro-Russia constituency in the West wants the Western
democracies to give Moscow a veto on their policy without securing a similar
advantage vis-à-vis Russia.
The Russian propaganda scheme in his “lukewarm war” is aimed at sowing
confusion in Western democracies, destroying trust in democratic leaders and
institutions, including the media, and preventing the formation of a
consensus on any major issues.
Thus while the Western democracies have far more power than Russia to
influence global events they won’t be able to use more than a fraction of it
without Moscow’s assent. Russia, however, would be able to use all of the
little power it has.
As things are, Putin, helped by the anti-West constituencies inside Western
democracies, is playing a weak hand well to his advantage. In most other
circumstances one might have said: Well, why not? Why shouldn’t a weak power
try to exploit the adversary’s weaknesses?
The problem, however, is that Syria isn’t just a power game. It is a tragedy
in every sense of the term. More than half a million have died and a further
three million injured. Half the nation’s population has been driven out of
their homes and even their country. This conflict has gone beyond the level
of popular uprising, civil war or even regional proxy wars, to become a
tragedy that produces nothing but losers. Syria has become the defining
issue of our generation. To use it as a means of propping up Putin or his
second fiddles, the mullahs of Tehran, in a sinister regional power game is
the height of folly.
By supporting Putin’s illusion of victory in Syria, as a larger version of
Chechnya, the pro-Russian constituency in the West merely prolong the
tragedy.
North Korea Talks: Here's What a Pragmatist
Could Hope For
Tyler Cowen/Bloomberg/April 20/18
It's been confirmed that CIA Director Mike Pompeo held direct talks with Kim
Jong Un in North Korea, and negotiations between Kim and President Donald
Trump really do seem in the offing, so we need to ask how such negotiations
might actually succeed.
There are indeed reasons to be optimistic, but not because I see high odds
of striking a workable deal with the North Korean totalitarian regime to
abandon its nuclear ambitions. Instead, the best realistic scenarios would
have the North Korean leaders deciding to carve out a more normal existence
for their nation. Talks can help create or hasten that outcome.
The case for pessimism is not hard to see. The North Korean regime is
notorious for conducting and then stalling negotiations -- and then
proceeding to violate agreements -- as a tactic to buy time to build up
weapons of mass destruction. There is a very real danger that, two years
from now, there will have been plenty of talk but North Korea will have
developed high-quality intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of
striking Europe or North America accurately.
So if time appears to be on the side of the North Koreans, and America does
not seem on the verge of a preemptive attack (nor would I recommend one),
what is the cause to be optimistic about the outcome of talks?
First: The North Korean regime has never been bureaucratized in the modern
sense of that term. While we don't have comprehensive information, it seems
that until recently Kim as leader had not been going abroad, nor had he been
receiving many visits from other heads of state. His position and perhaps
his mood has been one of extreme isolation, and he is not surrounded by
anything resembling the US State Department or even the old-style Soviet
bureaucracies that managed foreign policy for the USSR. The rest of his
regime is probably poorly informed about the extent of American military
superiority, should a conflict come to pass.
By meeting with other foreign leaders, the North Korean regime would be
forced to build up its basic processes for dealing with the rest of the
world. That in turn creates interest groups and flows of information (some
of which invariably leak out). The North Korean populace responds by
thinking more about the outside world, making it harder to control by
propaganda. In turn the North Korean leadership may decide to continue
economic liberalization.
One need not count on an "End of History" story culminating in liberalism
and democratization. The more modest hope would be for the North Korean
leadership to become more decentralized, more bureaucratic, better informed
and harder to marshal behind crazy military measures.
The unspoken goal of engagement would be to encourage North Korea to evolve
into a more banal and more predictable form. That is the natural flow of
most bureaucratic organizations, so in this regard American negotiators
actually have time on their side. The North Koreans are going to change a
lot more than the US is likely to.
Second: Kim is only human and has to be thinking some about his own life.
Does he want 40 or more years of lining up officials and executing them?
These days the headlines are about K-pop in North Korea, such as when the
popular girl group Red Velvet performed for Kim and his wife early in April.
It turns out that Kim is quite the fan of South Korean popular culture --
long banned for his people, with brutal enforcement.
Another good sign is that Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to go to
Pyongyang for further talks with Kim. And in addition to these explicitly
political contacts, Kim visited China's technology hub Zhongguancun, where
he was the recipient of much attention and he tried on virtual-reality
headsets.
Perhaps this leader would personally prefer more cultural and economic
exchange with South Korea, China and the West.
Given that Kim studied in Switzerland (and perhaps crossed a few borders
incognito), he is hardly a stranger to foreign travel and contacts, but this
is the first time he is enjoying the perks of being a leader abroad or
receiving others. Is that not a superior and indeed more stable existence
than ruling the Hermit Kingdom? Let's hope he sees that. Think of any
diplomatic talks with North Korea as a big act of theater -- designed not to
fool him, but to teach him that theater itself can be fun.
Turkey Targeting Greece - Again
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/April 20/18
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12199/turkey-targeting-greece-again
With the illegal seizures and occupation of northern Cyprus in 1974 and the
Syrian city of Afrin this March -- with virtually no global reaction --
Turkey apparently feels unchallenged and eager to continue; this time, it
seems, with the oil-and-gas rich islands of Greece.
"To take an interest in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Crimea, Karabakh, Bosnia and
other brotherly regions is both the duty and the right of Turkey. Turkey is
not just Turkey. The day we give up on these things will be the day we give
up on our freedom and future." — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
2016.
Turkish needs are in reality supplied by its association with the US.
Turkish officials usually get whatever they want from the West, but they
seem to have chosen to align themselves with Iran and Russia, possibly in
attempt to blackmail the West for more.
Turkey has been harassing Greece consistently. Most recently, this week, on
April 17, two Turkish fighter aircraft harassed the helicopter carrying
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the Greek Armed Forces Chief Admiral
Evangelos Apostolakis as they were flying from the islet of Ro to Rhodes.
With the illegal seizures and occupation of northern Cyprus in 1974 and the
Syrian city of Afrin this March -- with virtually no global response --
Turkey apparently feels unchallenged and eager to continue; this time, it
seems, with the oil-and-gas rich islands of Greece.
A computer-generated rendering of the April 17 incident in which Turkish
fighter jets harassed the helicopter carrying Greek Prime Minister Alexis
Tsipras, and in response Greek fighter jets arrived to protect the
helicopter. (Image source: 'A News' video screenshot)
Another provocation by the Turkish government recently took place when three
young Greek men recently paid tribute to a dead pilot by planting five flags
in some islets in the Aegean.
According to the Turkish media, Turkey first urged Greece to remove the
flags, then carried out a military operation against a tiny islet, Mikros
Anthropofagos, at night: special operation units (SAT) of the Turkish Navy
allegedly removed them on April 15.
"Do not take dangerous steps," Turkish foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu,
warned Greece: "Our soldiers might cause an accident."
Many Turkish media outlets proudly covered the operation as if Turkey, in a
triumphant battle, had conquered new realms. The Greek media, however,
reported that according to witnesses in the area, all five flags are
apparently still in place.
The Aegean islands that Turkey keep threatening to invade, legally and
historically belong to Greece.
Since Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Greece last December,
the Turkish media has escalated its anti-Greek, pro-war reporting concerning
"the Greek occupation of the islands." Some newspapers claim that "Greece
has become home to terrorists hostile to Turkey." Others say, "Greece is
planning to invade Turkey." Some columnists claim that "Turkey can fight
against Greece in the Aegean", while others accuse Greek consular officials
in Istanbul of trying to revive the Greek Byzantine Empire through an
exhibition the Greek consulate organized in Istanbul from December 2017 -
January 2018.
Why are so many Turks obsessed with Greece?
In 1923, after a major attack against Anatolian Greeks -- the 1913-1923
genocide -- the Turkish republic was founded. Since then, Turkey's
expansionist goals seem to be inspired by a seeming historical aggression,
hatred towards Greeks, neo-Ottomanism and an Islamic tradition of conquest,
or jihad.
From the mid-15th century until the proclamation of the first Hellenic
republic in 1822, modern Greece's borders were occupied by the Ottoman
Empire. Erdogan has been open about his goals of resurrecting the Empire or
at least expanding Turkish territory as much as possible:
"There are physical borders and there are borders in our hearts," he said.
"Some people ask us: 'Why do you take an interest in Iraq, Syria, Georgia,
Crimea, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, the Balkans, and North Africa?'... None of
these lands is foreign to us. Is it possible to divide Rize [in Turkey] from
Batumi [in Georgia]? How can we consider Edirne [in Turkey] to be separate
from Thessaloniki [in Greece]? How can we think that Gaziantep [in Turkey]
has nothing to do with Aleppo [in Syria], Mardin [in Turkey] with Al-Hasakah
[in Syria], or Siirt [in Turkey] with Mosul [in Iraq]?
"From Thrace to Eastern Europe, with every step you take, you will see
traces of our ancestors... We would need to deny our true selves for us to
think Gaza and Siberia, with whom we speak the same language and share the
same culture, is separate from us. To take an interest in Iraq, Syria,
Libya, Crimea, Karabakh, Bosnia and other brotherly regions is both the duty
and the right of Turkey. Turkey is not just Turkey. The day we give up on
these things will be the day we give up on our freedom and future."
Erdogan also referred to the Misak-ı Milli ("National Pact"), a set of
decisions made by the Ottoman Parliament in 1920 concerning the borders of
the future Turkish state to be established in Ottoman Turkey. The National
Pact is commonly referenced by Turks when calling for Turkish territorial
expansion.
The Turkish newspaper Hürriyet wrote:
"Some historians say that according to the National Pact, the Turkish
borders include -- in addition to the current borders of Turkey -- Cyprus,
Aleppo [in Syria], Mosul, Erbil, Kirkuk [in Iraq], Batumi [in Georgia],
Thessaloniki [in Greece], Kardzhali, Varna [in Bulgaria], and the Aegean
islands."
On April 18, the Turkish foreign ministry asserted, "the Kardak rocks
[Greece's Imia islets] and their territorial waters and airspace above them
are exclusive under Turkish sovereignty."
Major political parties in Turkey unite in their desire to invade the Aegean
islands -- what they disagree on is who is guilty of having allowed Greek
sovereignty over the islands in the first place. The main opposition party,
the CHP, (Republican People's Party) accuses the ruling AKP (Justice and
Development Party) of "letting Greeks occupy Turkish islands"; the AKP
accuses the CHP, the founding party of Turkey, of "letting Greeks take the
islands through the 1923 Lausanne treaty."
Turkey's quests for new economic gains from additional tourism, but
especially from the newly-found Aegean oil and gas potential, seem to have
intensified Turkey's renewed interest in Greece.
In 2011, after facing an economic crisis, Greece re-launched its own gas and
oil exploration. Last year, France's Total and Italy's Edison companies
signed a lease for oil and gas exploration off Greece, Reuters reported.
Although Greece might well be willing to partner with Turkey in economic
agreements, Turkey appears to prefer "other means."
Turkish needs are in reality supplied by its association with the US.
Turkish officials usually get whatever they want from the West, but they
seem to have chosen to align themselves with Iran and Russia, possibly in
attempt to blackmail the West for more.
In the meantime, Turkish politicians threaten Greece on Turkish national
television. Yiğit Bulut, a chief advisor to Erdogan, recently said that he
wants to avenge the blood of his grandfather, whom he claims was killed by
Greeks:
"Anatolia [Turkey] will walk all over Greece. And no one can prevent this.
Greece should know its place. If they try to attack and rape this geography
like they did 100 years ago by trusting [French President] Macron, England,
the U.S., Germany and [Angela] Merkel, these attempts will end terribly."
The time to stop Turkey is now.
**Uzay Bulut is a Turkish journalist born and raised in Turkey. She is
presently based in Washington D.C.
© 2018 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.
Will Arabs intervene
militarily in Syria?
Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/April 20/18
No matter what happens in Syria, can Russians and Iranians remain stuck to
the idea that Assad should remain in power forever or that ‘it’s either
Assad or nothing’, which are the most popular regime slogans sprayed on the
walls of Damascus and Syria, or whatever is left of these walls?
Is it possible to overlook the facts written in the blood and tears of
millions of refugees and displaced people as well as in the hundreds of
thousands who were killed, wounded, missing and imprisoned? Is it possible
to overlook these facts that are documented with the ashes of tens of
billions worth of losses in construction, agriculture and many others? After
the American-British-French airstrikes against Assad’s deadly chemical
weapons warehouses, US President Donald Trump said Syria’s crisis is also
the region’s crisis, and they must seek to resolve it. Frankly, and away
from interpreting the significance of his remarks, he’s right . More
importantly, can Russian emperor Vladimir ‘the terrible’ or the religious
Shah, Khamenei, wipe up the wounds, the anger and the malice, resulting from
the sectarian murder and abuse that has been ongoing since 2001 from the
hearts of the Syrian people and many Arabs?
Can the world – the reasonable and the just – forgive that Bashar’s regime
and his protectors ploughed the earth and dug holes in which murky waters
attracted al-Qaeda’s pestilence and the ISIS disease?
Syria's neighboring countries
In the end, the Syrian cause remains the primary concern of Syria’s
neighbors and its partners in the wider region of the Middle East.
After the American-British-French airstrikes against Assad’s deadly chemical
weapons warehouses, US President Donald Trump said Syria’s crisis is also
the region’s crisis, and they must seek to resolve it. Frankly, and away
from interpreting the significance of his remarks, he’s right.
During a press conference with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in
Riyadh on Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said: “We are
holding talks with the US about sending troops to Syria within the context
of the Islamic Alliance, and we have been doing so since the beginning of
the Syrian crisis.” He added that Saudi Arabia had proposed this idea to
former US President Barack Obama.
This came a day or two after the conclusion of the Joint Gulf Shield 1
massive military drills by Islamic Alliance forces in east Saudi Arabia.
Assembling Arab forces
The Wall Street Journal recently quoted American officials as saying that
the Trump administration is seeking to assemble an Arab force in Syria. The
report added that there was actual communication with Egypt for this
purpose.
This came after the Saudi Kingdom reaffirmed that it stands with the Syrian
people, and called for “maintaining the unity and independence of Syria’s
sovereignty.” This is according to the Saudi government’s statement during
its weekly meeting chaired by King Salman. Of course, the statement here is
clear when they mentioned the “unity and independence” of Syria. If this
intervention happens, it won’t be solely Saudi, but rather an intervention
within the context of an international plan and international guarantees. It
will also be under the umbrella of a massive Islamic alliance in partnership
with the US.
Will this happen?
The Iran that Europeans do not know of
Sawsan Al Shaer/Al Arabiya/April 20/18
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has equated the danger posed by
Khamenei with that of Hitler, a threat the Europeans realized too late back
then. This is an analogy that Europeans, especially the French, can resonate
with pretty well.
Yes, we need to expose Iran to the European public opinion, specifically
Germany and France. There is another medium through which this message
should be communicated well to the Europeans, which is the North African
Arabs. They are the most capable of addressing European parliaments,
organizations and media outlets in a language that Europeans can better
understand, as they are closer to them geographically and historically and
are more related to them culturally.
The question I always ask is how did countries that were the cradle of
civilizations such as Iraq, Syria, Iran and Yemen, the countries which I
consider as the pearl of human civilization, became a prey to this regime
and its destructive practices?
Persuading Europeans
Iran has gotten involved and stationed in areas that are remote from the
Arab center in the Arabian Peninsula. It specifically got involved in North
African regions like Algeria and created problems that North Africans had
not experienced throughout their history ever since they were introduced to
Islam.
They had never witnessed Sunni-Shiite sectarian conflict, but it is Iran
that has introduced these conflicts and is now seeking to uproot North
Africa from its Arab roots as much as it can.
Before visiting France, the Saudi Crown Prince said: “The biggest enemy in
the region is the Iranian regime and not the Shiite sect.” He highlighted
that Islam is totally different from what extremists are trying to promote.
It is a fact that the Arab world with its Sunni majority had no problems
with the Shiite minorities before the Khomeini revolution. The Sunni sect
peacefully co-existed with the Shiites and granted them the freedom to
practice their beliefs in all Arab countries.
We never heard about Shiite-Sunni issues, especially in North Africa, until
Khomeini came. Thus, the problem is not sectarian, but it became so after
Iran’s involvement.
Algerian-Iranian relations
Former Prime Minister of Algeria and Chairman of the Arab Islamic Solidarity
Committee Sid Ahmed Ghozali recently said: “(I am speaking) as an Algerian
citizen who does not serve any political trend or movement. The cause which
I believe in and commit to is the cause of the people who have been taken
hostage by the most dangerous regime in the world.
The path I am taking is not a theoretical or intellectual one; but rather it
stems from my personal beliefs and experiences. It is based on my experience
in Algeria with Iran, whether during the Shah’s era or even the new regime,
which claims to be ‘Islamic,’ until the phase when we cut ties with it. I
have known the Iranians since the Shah’s era. Our relation with Iran back
then was cold…I have also known them through (OPEC).”
“After the revolution, Algeria was against the war against Iran and stayed
neutral during the Iraqi-Iranian war. Algeria also played the role of an
honest mediator in solving the American hostage issue, between the US and
Iran. In spite of all this, we later learnt that the Iranians were working
through their networks inside Algeria.?
They began to lure and recruit Algerian youths by promoting Nikah al-Mut’ah
(pleasure marriage),” Ghozali said, adding that Ali Akbar Velayati,
then-Iranian foreign minister, bluntly told him: “You allowed the Salafists
from Saudi Arabia to work on promoting Wahhabism in your country so allow us
to promote for Shia!”“After that we knew that they were supporting
terrorists with money, training them and politically supporting them so we
severed ties. President Boudiaf decided to sever ties as per a suggestion
from my government. Ties were severed after Boudiaf was assassinated,” he
added.
Iran’s conspiracies
“I have no doubt that the Iranian regime thrives on destabilizing other
countries, and pushes all countries to instability. It wants to exploit
Islam and Shiites…to control all Islamic countries,” Ghozali also said,
noting that “Iran’s theocracy claims to be Islamic, but it has killed the
largest number of Muslims, (more) than any other country in modern times.
There is no doubt that there is no solution for the Arab and Islamic
countries except to eliminate this cancerous tumor which defines itself as
wilayat al-faqih regime.”
“The Iranian regime sees itself as a guardian of the Arab and Islamic
countries, and it works to flagrantly interfere in these countries and to
export terrorism and sectarian wars. Unfortunately, Western policy also
supports it in this regard.
The question I always ask is how did countries that were the cradle of
civilizations such as Iraq, Syria, Iran and Yemen, the countries which I
consider as the pearl of human civilization, became a prey to this regime
and its destructive practices? When we look at these countries, we see in
each, the hand of the Iranian regime behind all ordeals, wars and
destruction, as it was in Algeria in the late 1980s and 1990s,” the former
PM said.
“Yes, our elites must wonder: how did countries like Iran, Iraq, Syria, and
Yemen which were considered as the most important centers of human
civilization, turn into an arena for killing, terrorism, wars and tragedies,
behind which stands Iran’s theocracy?” Ghozali inquired.
Such a speech knows how to persuade the Europeans and reach their ears,
better than our speech does. We have to unite our efforts and arrange
meetings with the Arab North Africa who knows Iran as well as us to make
their voices heard in Europe.