LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 29/2018
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias
Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias18/english.may29.18.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since
2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Bible
Quotations
You always have the
poor with you, but you do not always have me
John 11/55-57//12-01-11: "Now the Passover of
the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the
Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and were asking
one another as they stood in the temple, ‘What do you think? Surely he will
not come to the festival, will he?’Now the chief priests and the Pharisees
had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should let them know,
so that they might arrest him.Six days before the Passover Jesus came to
Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.There they
gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the
table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard,
anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled
with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples
(the one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold
for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’(He said this not
because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the
common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, ‘Leave her
alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You
always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’ When the
great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only
because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was
on account of him that any of the Jews were deserting and were believing in
Jesus."
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on May 28-29/18
The Iranian Occupation is the cancer & not /Elias Bejjani/May 28/18
US pressure on Hezbollah may hamper Lebanese government/Associated Press/
Ynetnews/May 28/18
Israeli, Russian defense chiefs to meet Thursday in Moscow. Netanyahu: Iran
must leave ALL Syria/DEBKAfile/May 28/18
PM Netanyahu, Minister Lieberman to meet European leaders on Iran/Itamar
Eichner, Shahar Hay and Yoav Zitun/Haaretz/May 28/18
Looking back, (Israeli) Gaza pullout was a mistake/Sever Plocker/Ynetnews/May
28/18
Fascism Is Back. The Internet Is to Blame/Timothy Snyder/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday,
28 May, 2018
He Does Not Like the Sight of Coffins and yet/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday,
28 May, 2018
What Happened at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum/Leonid Bershidsky/Asharq
Al-Awsat/Monday, 28 May, 2018
Coalition forces in Syria, Iraq targeted three Canadians, secret document
says/Stewart Bell and Andrew Russell/Global News/May 28/18
UK: You're Not Allowed to Talk about It. About What? Don't Ask./ Bruce Bawer/Gatestone
Institute/May 28, 2018
Is Italy flirting with Israeli Apartheid/Ramzy Baroud/Al Arabiya/May 28/18
Gaza and the bitter harvest/Mohammed Al Shaikh//Al Arabiya/May 28/18
Obama’s Netflix deal and ‘digital’ Hillary/Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/May
28/18
Titles For The
Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on
May 28-29/18
The Iranian Occupation
is the cancer & not the corruption
Hariri Wraps Up One-Day Govt. Consultations with Parliamentary Blocs
Very Optimistic' Hariri Thanks Blocs for Govt. Formation 'Cooperation'
Al-Sayyed Asks Hariri for Justice Ministry Portfolio
Bassil Demands Finance or Interior Portfolio, Calls for Minority
Representation
Adwan: We Pledge to be Part of President's Share in Govt.
Kardel Meets Iranian Officials, Says ‘Specter of War’ Must be Kept Away from
Lebanon
Al-Rahi in Paris for Talks with Macron, Other Officials
Army Raids in Tripoli in Search of Deadly Clash Fugitive
Douiri denies giving interview to Yediot Aharonot or any other Israeli
newspaper
Hariri tackles Army needs with Sarraf, French delegation
Makhzoumi calls for discussing defense strategy within Parliament
Aoun called on the Higher Judicial Council to “preserve the dignity of the
government” by fighting corruption
US pressure on Hezbollah may hamper Lebanese government
Titles For Latest LCCC
Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on May 28-29/18
Russia says only Syrian army should be on country's southern border
Israeli PM: We Will Not Allow Transfer of Lethal Weapons from Syria to
Lebanon
Moscow Vows to Punish Violations of Syrian Regime Forces
Strikes Cripple Iran for 5th Day as Judiciary Allows Security Forces to
Suppress them
EU Extends Syria Sanctions by a Year
Netanyahu: Iran can have no military presence in Syria
Deal Sought to Allow Lieberman to Temporarily Replace Netanyahu in Exchange
for Early Polls
India says it only follows UN sanctions, not unilateral US sanctions on Iran
Iraqi Electoral Commission Breaks Silence, Defends Voting Results
Tehran ‘Tests’ European Guarantees Post US Nuclear Deal Exit
Small German Banks Risk Iran Sanctions Damage
Small German Banks Risk Iran Sanctions Damage
Israeli Army Raids West Bank Palestinian Camp after Soldier Death
Italy Plunges into Political Crisis after Govt Talks Collapse
'Hacked' Qatar News Site behind Crisis Back on Twitter
Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on
May 28-29/18
The Iranian Occupation
is the cancer & not the corruption
Elias Bejjani/May 28/18
The Iranian Occupation is the cancer that is devouring Lebanon in all
domains and at all levels. Meanwhile the majority of our derailed merchant
like politicians and after they shamefully surrendered to the occupier and
became tools in its hands are viciously cheating the public and distracting
its focus to the cancer's symptoms like corruption, and not on the main
problem, which is the occupation
Hariri Wraps Up One-Day Govt. Consultations with
Parliamentary Blocs
Naharnet/May 28/18/Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on
Monday held one-day, unbinding consultations with the parliamentary blocs
and deputies in Nejmeh Square, kicking off his bid to form a new government.
Hariri first met with Speaker Nabih Berri, and afterwards met separately
with former PM Tammam Salam and ex-PM Najib Miqati. Salam made remarks to
reporters after the meeting saying although everyone is calling for a quick
Cabinet formation, “but I don’t think it should be rushed.” Deputy Speaker
Elie Ferzli said he wished Hariri “would take the presence of the opposition
into account so as not to disrupt the supervisory role of the
Parliament.”The PM-designate then started receiving the various
parliamentary blocs. He met with the Development and Liberation bloc that
stressed “commitment to the Constitution, preserving Lebanon’s sovereignty
and seeking the formation of a national body to abolish political
sectarianism.”He then met with al-Mustaqbal bloc and the Strong Lebanon bloc
that called for adding two more portfolios to the Cabinet. The Strong
Lebanon bloc demanded that minority groups, the Alawite and Syriac
communities, be represented in the Cabinet, saying the bloc wants six
ministerial portfolios other than the President’s share and the allocation
of either the finance or interior ministry to the Free Patriotic Movement.
Hariri then met the Loyalty to Resistance bloc, the Democratic Gathering
bloc, the Kataeb bloc and the Strong Republic bloc of the Lebanese Forces.
The LF's bloc demanded a share of the ministerial seats allocated to the
President, arguing that it had “played a role in his election.”
“We wished success for PM-designate Hariri and we want everyone to show
positivity to give a real chance to the country. Today the entire country is
on the same boat and if it sinks we will all drown,” Kataeb Party chief MP
Sami Gemayel said after the talks. “We care about programs and priorities
more than individuals and we will take the right stance accordingly,” he
added./
MP Mohammed Raad said Hizbullah's Loyalty to Resistance bloc “welcomed the
designation of PM-designate Saad Hariri to form the government and stressed
its willingness for positive cooperation with him.” “As for portfolios, the
bloc said it has the right to have a key portfolio and also stressed the
need to create a public planning ministry for the country in order to
clearly define the long-term course that the country would take in a correct
and appropriate manner,” Raad added. MP Talal Arslan meanwhile stressed that
his Mountain Guarantee bloc should be represented by a Druze minister. “The
results of the parliamentary elections led to the formation of two blocs in
Mount Lebanon and they have the right to be represented,” Arslan added. MP
Hagop Pakradounian of the Armenian MPs bloc meanwhile demanded the formation
of a 32-member Cabinet and the allocation of two portfolios to the Armenian
community.
MP Fouad Makhzoumi meanwhile called for “discussing the national defense
strategy in parliament and not outside state institutions.”Media reports
said the various political parties are eager for an “expedited” formation of
a “national unity government” able of confronting the “danger facing
Lebanon's economic and financial system,” al-Joumhouria daily reported.
Although political parties have reportedly shown eagerness to facilitate the
formation process, but they have also reflected their demands regarding
portfolios and shares in the new Cabinet. The Progressive Socialist Party
(of Walid Jumblat) is demanding the allocation of all three Druze seats to
the PSP, which would keep Arslan out of the government. The PSP argue that
they kept a place for Arslan on their electoral list during the
parliamentary elections, but he chose instead to strike an alliance with the
FPM. Another obstacle that could be facing the formation is the dispute
between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces over the
Christian shares and portfolios. Furthermore, the daily said Hariri “will
not enter into details during his consultations so as not to commit himself
to anything in advance, but rather to listen more than talk.” Meanwhile, “a
kind of resentment is lingering among Sunni circles because of attempts made
by Shiite and Christian parties to control the role of the PM-designate,”
the daily said. “Circles close to Hariri have advised him to draw clear
lines for his jurisdiction, mainly that the Sunni situation bears no more
jabs particularly after the outcome of the parliamentary election,” the
daily added.
Very Optimistic' Hariri Thanks Blocs for Govt.
Formation 'Cooperation'
Naharnet/May 28/18/Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Monday thanked
all parliamentary blocs for their “great cooperation” regarding the cabinet
formation process. “Everyone agreed that we must speed up the government
formation due to the regional and economic challenges that we are facing in
the country and undoubtedly everyone's objective is to improve the national
economy and strengthen state institutions,” Hariri said at the end of his
one-day, unbinding consultations with parliamentary blocs. “After all that
I've heard, I will see what would be the best method to push the country
forward in terms of the government's shape and components. We want it to be
a national accord cabinet and we want to come together to immunize our
domestic arena in the face of the regional challenges,” the PM-designate
added. “To me, the economic situation is the most dangerous issue and we
must do all we can, because there is a real chance to overcome this dire
situation that we are living, due to the CEDRE conference and the reforms
that we should make in order to stem corruption and public money waste in
the country,” Hariri went on to say.
The premier-designate also reassured that he is “very optimistic” and noted
that the political parties are capable of forming a government “as soon as
possible.”
Al-Sayyed Asks Hariri for Justice Ministry Portfolio
Naharnet/May 28/18/MP Jamil al-Sayyed, a controversial former General
Security chief, on Monday demanded that the justice ministerial portfolio be
allocated to his pro-Damascus March 8 political camp. “The meeting with
PM(-designate) Saad Hariri was normal and it involved a brief discussion
about the 2005 period and its events,” al-Sayyed said after meeting Hariri
as part of protocol parliamentary consultations related to the formation of
the new cabinet. “Hariri dealt with me as if there has never been a problem
between us,” the major general added. Al-Sayyed was one of four generals
ordered jailed by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in connection with the
2005 assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri, Saad's father. The four generals
were eventually released due to lack of evidence. Al-Sayyed has accused
so-called “false witnesses” of framing him and the other three generals.
After the meeting with Hariri, the newly-elected lawmaker said the new
government should be inclusive as much as possible. “The ministerial policy
statement should endorse the resistance,” al-Sayyed added. He also said he
asked Hariri to allocate the justice ministry portfolio to his political
camp “as a sort of compensation and because this ministry witnessed the
fabrication of false witnesses.”
Bassil Demands Finance or Interior Portfolio, Calls for
Minority Representation
Naharnet/May 28/18/Head of the Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc, caretaker
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Monday said the minorities in Lebanon
should be represented in the government, adding that his bloc demands the
allocation of either the Finance Ministry or the Interior Ministry in the
new Cabinet. “The bloc has demanded the representation of two minority
groups, the Alawite and Syriac, in the new cabinet,” Bassil said after
meeting Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri as part of consultations made
by the Premier to line-up the Cabinet. Bassil also said that the so-called
“sovereign portfolios should be distributed to minority groups,” including
the Druze and Alawites. The Free Patriotic Movement chief stressed that no
party has the right to adhere to specific ministerial portfolios, in an
indirect reference to the AMAL Movement demand to permanently allocate the
Finance Ministry. “The time has come for the Strong Lebanon bloc to either
allocate the Finance Ministry or the Interior Ministry,” he emphasized. LBCI
said the bloc has demanded the allocation of six ministerial seats other
than the share allocated to President Michel Aoun (founder of the Free
Patriotic Movement). Hariri has started consultations with the various
parliamentary blocs on Monday in a bid to form a new government.
Adwan: We Pledge to be Part of President's Share in
Govt.
Naharnet/May 28/18/Lebanese Forces deputy chief MP George Adwan on Monday
vowed that the LF will be “a part of the President's share in the new
government.”“What we care about are the standards that will be followed in
the formation of the government and the standards that should be followed
are that the LF's representation should be equal to the Free Patriotic
Movement's representation,” Adwan said after leading the LF's delegation to
the protocol parliamentary consultations with Prime Minister-designate Saad
Hariri. Expressing the LF's willingness to “cooperate to facilitate the
formation of a government that would address problems and corruption,” the
lawmaker added: “We in the LF consider ourselves to be a part of the
President's share, seeing as we were partners in his election.”“We pledge to
be a part of the President's share in the new government and everyone knows
the role that we played in his election,” Adwan went on to say. As per
constitutional norms, Hariri kicked off parliamentary consultations Monday
morning to explore the demands of the parliamentary blocs regarding the
line-up and policies of the new government. Earlier in the day, FPM chief MP
Jebran Bassil had demanded six ministerial portfolios including finance or
interior. He also said President Michel Aoun should have four other separate
portfolios.
Kardel Meets Iranian Officials, Says ‘Specter of War’
Must be Kept Away from Lebanon
Naharnet/May 28/18/The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Pernille Dahler
Kardel said that staging the parliamentary elections was a “great
accomplishment,” as she stressed the need to “keep the specter of war away
from Lebanon,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.
“The latest parliamentary elections in Lebanon was a great accomplishment,
but that is not the end of the mission, we must still help Lebanon maintain
its stability and keep away the specter of war,” said Kardel. Her remarks
came during a meeting on Sunday in Iran with Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohamed Javad Zarif and Parliament's General Director for International
Affairs Hussein Amir-Abdollahian. “Achieving economic development in Lebanon
and protecting Syrian refugees is one of our priorities," she said, hoping
to reach a "comprehensive agreement in a political framework on these
issues.""The developments in the region are interrelated. Countries of the
region should seek to remove the specter of war from Lebanon and not allow
it to be involved in regional crises,” she added. For his part, Zarif said
Iran “aspires and wants to promote stability and security in Lebanon,"
adding that “the Lebanese people's vote and their will must be
respected.”"Fortunately, through the wisdom of Lebanese officials, we are
witnessing a period of calm, stability and understanding between the
political parties in Lebanon and we hope that the Lebanese government will
be formed in the shortest possible time," Amir-Abdollahian said.
Al-Rahi in Paris for Talks with Macron, Other Officials
Naharnet/May 28/18/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi arrived Monday in the
French capital Paris for a visit that involves talks with President Emmanuel
Macron, Lebanon's National News Agency said. Al-Rahi will also meet with a
number of political and religious officials, NNA said.
Shortly after the patriarch's arrival at his residence at the Hôtel Le
Bristol Paris, he was visited by Lebanon's former deputy premier Issam
Fares, the agency added. He is accompanied by Maronite Archbishop of Beirut
Boulos Matar, Patriarchal Vicar Bishop Boulos Abdel Sater, the head of the
Catholic Media Center Father Abdo Abu Kassm and Walid Ghayyad, the head of
the patriarchate's press office.
Army Raids in Tripoli in Search of Deadly Clash
Fugitive
Naharnet/May 28/18/The army carried out intensive raids Sunday in Tripoli's
al-Qobbeh neighborhood in search of a fugitive who took part in a deadly
clash with troops earlier this week, media reports said. “The army encircled
the street where the raids took place, deploying units on the rooftops of
neighboring buildings,” LBCI television reported. Troops were searching a
building after the army obtained information about the presence of the
fugitive Khaled Hmeidan, who took part in shooting against soldiers in
Tripoli several days ago, the TV network added. A soldier was killed and
several others were wounded in Tuesday's clash with a number of fugitives in
Tripoli's al-Tal area.
Douiri denies giving interview to Yediot Aharonot or
any other Israeli newspaper
Mon 28 May 2018/NNA - The Lebanese Film Director, Ziad Douiri, on Monday
denied in a statement giving any interview to the Israeli daily 'Yediot
Aharonot' or any other Israeli newspaper. "I have called in more than one
press interview to fight Islamic extremism and clean the Arab House, and I
will continue to say this... However, I did not give any interview to Yediot
Aharonot, nor to any other Israeli newspaper," Douiri said in his statement.
Douiri added that he has asked his media team in the United States to reject
requests for interviews with Israeli media outlets. He categorically denied
giving any interview to any Israeli daily or newspaper during the screening
of his "Case Number 23" Film in the United States in the run-up to the
Oscars ceremony.
Hariri tackles Army needs with Sarraf, French
delegation
Mon 28 May 2018/NNA - Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri received this
Monday at Beit Al-Wasat caretaker Defense Minister, Yacoub Sarraf, in the
presence of the French ambassador to Lebanon, Bruno Fucher, and a delegation
from the French administration.
The meeting dwelled on the needs of the Lebanese Army in light of the 400
million euro loan pledged by France at the Rome II Conference dedicated to
assisting the Lebanese Army and security forces. Hariri later met with US
Senator Cory Booker, in the presence of the US Ambassador to Lebanon,
Elizabeth Richard, with talks touching on the situation in Lebanon and the
region. Conferees also tackled bilateral relations and ways to bolster ties.
Makhzoumi calls for discussing defense strategy within
Parliament
Mon 28 May 2018/NNA - "National Dialogue" Party head, MP Fouad Makhzoumi, on
Monday stressed the need to discuss the defense strategy within the
Parliament rather than within dialogues from outside the constitutional
institutions. MP Makhzoumi's words came in a statement issued by his Media
Bureau, in the wake of his meeting with Prime minister-Designate Saad Hariri
at the sidelines of parliamentary consultations to form the new cabinet.
Makhzoumi said on emerging that they discussed the future work mechanism and
development and daily living' projects intended for the welfare of the city
of Beirut and its people, in light of the pledges made during the recent
parliamentary elections.
Aoun called on the Higher Judicial Council to “preserve the dignity of
the government” by fighting corruption
The Daily Star/May 28/18/BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun called on the Higher
Judicial Council to “preserve the dignity of the government” by fighting
corruption, as he welcomed the appointment of seven new judges to the body
Monday. “Starting from today, I hope that you will work to always uphold the
dignity of the government and maintain the Constitution,” Aoun told the
newly-appointed judges at Baabda Palace, urging them to “remain on our side”
against corruption, according to a statement released by his press office.
Also speaking at the ceremony, caretaker Justice Minister Salim Jreissati
called on the Higher Judicial Council to “root out corruption from the
state.”Judges are appointed to the council, which is Lebanon’s highest
judicial body, for non-renewable three-year terms.
US
pressure on Hezbollah may hamper Lebanese government
الضغوطات الأميركية على حزب الله قد تؤدي إلى عرقلة تشكيل الحكومة اللبنانية
Associated Press/ Ynetnews/May 28/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/64974/us-pressure-on-hezbollah-may-hamper-lebanese-government-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B6%D8%BA%D9%88%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AD%D8%B2%D8%A8/
Analysis: Caretaker
Prime Minister Hariri's aim is to quickly recreate a national unity
government that incorporates Hezbollah members to implement reforms and deal
with a crippling and growing national debt, but he might come under
increasing pressure from US and its Arab allies to shun militant group which
says it wants to play a bigger role in the future cabinet.
Growing US pressure on Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah group, including a
new wave of sanctions targeting its top leadership, may hamper the formation
of a new government that caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri was
overwhelmingly chosen to form on Thursday.
Hariri's aim is to quickly recreate a national unity government that
incorporates Hezbollah members to implement reforms and deal with a
crippling and growing national debt, but might come under increasing
pressure from the US and its Arab allies to shun the militant group which
says it wants to play a bigger role in the future Cabinet.
After a day of consultations between President Michel Aoun and the country's
128 legislators, 111 named Hariri as their choice to form a new Cabinet
while the rest, including Hezbollah's bloc and some of its allies, did not
give a name. Hariri's nomination comes after this month's parliament
elections in which Hezbollah, along with its political allies, significantly
increased their presence in the legislature.
"The least we should expect is huge complications over the formation of the
Cabinet," said Nabil Bou Monsef, deputy editor-in-chief of the leading daily
An-Nahar. He said Lebanon is again in the heart of the US-Iran conflict and
this will lead to "complications over the government that will be caused by
conditions and counter conditions."
Despite soaring regional tensions, Hariri appeared optimistic after he was
named to form the Cabinet.
"I extend my hand to all political elements. We should work together to
achieve what the Lebanese people are looking for," Hariri told reporters.
Asked if there will be a veto on Hezbollah's participation, Hariri said "I
only heard that from the Lebanese media. This is the first time I hear it."
Hariri added: "I am open to all elements and never closed the door in front
of anyone."
Hezbollah, which has 13 seats in the 128-member legislature, did not name
its own candidate for the premiership as it has done in the past—signaling
it will likely go along with Hariri's re-appointment despite tense relations
between the Iran-allied Shiite group and the Western-backed Hariri.
A UN-backed tribunal has indicted five Hezbollah members in the 2005
assassination of Hariri's father and former premier Rafik Hariri. Hezbollah
denies the charges.
"We have confirmed our readiness to take part in the next government and to
deal positively with whomever is named by the majority," Mohammed Raad, who
heads Hezbollah's bloc in parliament, said after meeting Aoun.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. Senior organization official
says Saudis 'can't prevent Hezbollah from holding important portfolios in
the government'
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. Senior organization official
says Saudis 'can't prevent Hezbollah from holding important portfolios in
the government'
Naming Hariri came amid concerns in Lebanon that a new wave of sanctions by
the US and its Arab allies against Hezbollah would delay Hariri's formation
of the Cabinet.
The increasing pressures by the US and its Arab allies on Hezbollah come
amid rising tensions in the region following President Donald Trump's
decision earlier this month to withdraw Washington from the 2015 Iran
nuclear deal and the militant group's gains in the May 6, parliamentary
elections.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tehran should end its
support of Hezbollah, Iran's most powerful arm in the region.
"We will track down Iranian operatives and their Hezbollah proxies operating
around the world and crush them," Pompeo said.
The US has been imposing sanctions on the militant group for decade.
However, a new wave last week appears to be more serious about targeting the
group's top leadership as well as businessmen and companies that Washington
says are funding the group that is heavily involved in Syria's seven-year
war, providing strong military backing for President Bashar Assad's forces.
The sanctions reflect the battle between the US and its allies against Iran,
which has expanded its influence in the Arab world in recent years. Tehran
enjoys wide influence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen and last year opened
a land corridor from its border through Iraq and Syria all the way to the
Mediterranean.
On May 16, the US and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council that includes
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman
imposed sanctions on 10 top Hezbollah officials including its leader Sheikh
Hassan Nasrallah, his deputy Naim Kassem and top officials Hashem Safieddine,
Ibrahim Aim al-Sayyed, Hussein Khalil and Mohammed Yazbek.
A day later, Washington imposed sanctions on businessman Mohammed Ibrahim
Bazzi and Hezbollah's representative in Iran, Abdullah Safieddine, as well
as several companies in Europe, Africa and Lebanon saying they launder money
for the group.
The six GCC countries and the US consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization
while the European Union only labels its military wing as a terrorist group.
"This action highlights the duplicity and disgraceful conduct of Hezbollah
and its Iranian backers. Despite Nasrallah's claims, Hezbollah uses
financiers like Bazzi who are tied to drug dealers, and who launder money to
fund terrorism," said Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin in a
statement."The savage and depraved acts of one of Hezbollah's most prominent
financiers cannot be tolerated. This Administration will expose and disrupt
Hezbollah and Iranian terror networks at every turn, including those with
ties to the Central Bank of Iran," he said.
Hariri said earlier this week that the sanctions will not hinder the
formation of a new Cabinet but on the contrary might accelerate it.
On Sunday, outgoing cabinet minister Marwan Hamadeh, a Hariri ally, said
that sanctions on Hezbollah would "hamper the formation of the government."
Senior Hezbollah official Nabil Kaouk said Saudi Arabia does not want his
group to be represented in the government, adding that the coming days will
prove that the kingdom "is weak and cannot prevent Hezbollah from holding
important portfolios in the government."
A Saudi envoy said during a visit to Lebanon over the weekend that the
kingdom does not interfere in the country's internal politics and supports
the stability of Lebanon.
Hezbollah's allies are strongly standing behind the organization's
representation in the new Cabinet.
"The party should be represented in the new government. This is not
negotiable," said Foreign Minister Gibran Bassil, who heads the Free
Patriotic Movement that has the largest bloc in parliament, about Hezbollah.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on May 28-29/18
Russia says only Syrian army should be
on country's southern border
Reuters,
Moscow/Monday, 28 May /Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday
that only Syrian government troops should have a presence on Syria’s
southern border, which is close to Jordan and Israel. Rebels hold stretches
of that area and intensive Israeli airstrikes in Syria this month were
prompted by what Israel said was Iranian rocket fire from the area into the
Golan Heights. Russia and Iran are close allies of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad. “Of course, the withdrawal of all non-Syrian forces must be
carried out on a mutual basis, this should be a two-way street,” Lavrov said
at a joint news conference in Moscow with Jose Condungua Pacheco, his
counterpart from Mozambique.“The result of this work which should continue
and is continuing should be a situation when representatives of the Syrian
Arab Republic’s army stand at Syria’s border with Israel,” Lavrov said. The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported Syrian army movements into
the south and state media have reported leaflet drops on rebel-held areas
there urging insurgents to accept government rule, two signs a military
offensive may be coming.
Israeli PM: We Will
Not Allow Transfer of Lethal Weapons from Syria to Lebanon
Tel Aviv – Nazir Majali/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 28 May, 2018/The Israeli
government withdrew on Sunday the powers of Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu to decide on a war unilaterally and only in consultation with the
defense minister. Last Monday, the Knesset had granted this authority to the
prime minister, allowing him to declare war only with the approval of the
defense minister. The government on Sunday decided, however, to restore
these powers to its 12-minister security cabinet. The move was a blow to
Netanyahu, who, for several weeks, has been trying to provoke a whirlwind of
war against Iran that ended with Sunday’s session. The Israeli premier said
he was working “to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and in
parallel, working against the Iranian military presence in Syria, which is
directed against us.”Netanyahu added that he was also seeking to thwart the
transfer of lethal weapons from Syria to Lebanon or their production in
Lebanon. “All of these weapons are for use against Israel and it is our
right – based on the right of self-defense – to prevent their manufacture or
transfer,” he said during the cabinet session. The Israeli official said he
spoke with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the weekend and expressed
his gratitude for the determined stance the US administration has adopted
against the nuclear agreement with Iran and against Iranian aggression in
the region. “The regime in Tehran is the main destabilizing party in the
Middle East, and the campaign against its aggression is not over and we are
still at its peak,” he added.
Moscow Vows to Punish Violations of Syrian Regime Forces
Beirut - Damascus - London - Nazeer Rida and Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 28 May,
2018/Moscow has vowed to deal forcefully with any violations by the Syrian
regime forces “in areas liberated with the participation of Russian
forces.”Hmeimim military base said on its Facebook page on Sunday that the
Russian police in the south of Damascus “managed to arrest a number of
members of the Syrian regime forces after trying to loot and steal civilian
properties.”“Russian forces certainly do not allow violations in the
liberated areas, and the Russian police are committed to restoring security
to areas south of Damascus. Any rebelling individuals… will be dealt with
force in the areas where they are being held,” it added. In response,
proponents of the Syrian regime accused Moscow of “generating terrorism” in
Syria and “insulting the Syrian military uniform”. A person, who identified
himself as First Lieutenant Hayyan Lohu of the Syrian regime forces, accused
the Russian side of “generating terrorism” and seeking to win the opposition
support for the Russian presence. In the Syrian Badiah, ISIS intensified its
attacks on the gathering points and positions of regime forces and their
allies, leaving dozens, including Russian fighters, dead. The deadliest
attack occurred last Wednesday in the province of Deir Ezzor, with the
killing of 35 fighters of the regime forces and loyalists, including nine
Russian fighters, according to information published by the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) on Sunday.
In the past few days, social networking sites have been flooded with images
of regime forces looting and stealing houses in the neighborhoods they
re-captured south of Damascus - in al-Hajar al-Aswad and the Yarmouk refugee
camp -and other areas.
Strikes Cripple Iran
for 5th Day as Judiciary Allows Security Forces to Suppress them
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 28 May, 2018/As truck
drivers’ strikes in Iran continued for the fifth day, the Iranian judiciary
on Sunday ordered the security forces to take firm steps to quell any
protests that could challenge the authorities. Judiciary spokesman
Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei warned that groups with legitimate demands and a
right to protest should not allow the “opportunists, counter-revolutionaries
and terrorists to exploit them.”“I urge families not to let their children
be fooled by psychological warfare ... and not let counter-revolutionaries
infiltrate crowds of protesters, who have with legitimate demands,” he
stated. In a first response from the judiciary to US Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo’s announcement last week of a stronger strategy to face Iranian
threats, Ejei said: “No one says the United States can be trusted.”The US
has, “from the beginning, wanted to confront Iran through a military and
economic war,” he added. During an interview with Voice of America Persian
last week, Pompeo had called on the Iranian authorities to stop “looting”
their own people. Iran had seen popular protests at the end of December,
which extended to mid-January, reaching more than 80 Iranian cities. The
protests saw turned violent in 46 cities, leading to 12 civilian deaths and
hundreds of detentions. Demonstrators chanted slogans criticizing the
economic situation and corruption, while some called for overthrowing the
regime and the departure of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as
a halt to Iran’s regional meddling. Meanwhile, truck drivers’ strike
continued for the fifth day across Iran, as the government ignored union
demands to raise cargo fees. State-run Iran Labor News Agency (ILNA)
reported on Sunday that the demand to increase the cargo fees by 20 percent
was among the motives of the strike. Truck drivers protested high expenses,
resulting from taxes, services and insurance, in comparison with low cargo
fees. In parallel, universities of Baluchistan province witnessed on Sunday
angry protests after the circulation of a video showing a professor at the
University of Zahedan making harmful statements against Sunnis. The
authorities announced that they arrested the professor in light of the
protests.
EU Extends Syria Sanctions by a Year
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 28/18/The European Union on Monday
extended sanctions against the Syrian government for another year because of
the "ongoing repression of the civilian population."A meeting of the 28 EU
foreign ministers in Brussels agreed to roll over sanctions against
President Bashar al-Assad's regime until June 1, 2019 and also updated the
bloc's list of individuals subject to travel bans and asset freezes. A total
of 259 people and 67 organizations are now under sanction by the EU. "Given
the ongoing repression of the civilian population, the EU decided to
maintain its restrictive measures against the Syrian regime and its
supporters, in line with the EU strategy on Syria," the European Council,
which groups the member states, said in a statement. EU sanctions currently
in place against Syria include an oil embargo, restrictions on certain
investments, a freeze of Syrian central bank assets held in the EU and
restrictions on the export of equipment that might be used for repression.
The EU has been pushing for a resumption of U.N.-led peace talks in Geneva
as a means to end the Syrian civil war, which has raged since 2011.
Netanyahu: Iran can have no military presence in Syria
AFP, Jerusalem/Monday, 28 May 2018/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
said Monday he will press German and French leaders next week to support his
position that Iran should have no military presence in neighboring Syria.
Netanyahu will travel to Germany and France for talks expected to focus on
the US decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal -- long sought by
Israel -- and the Iranian presence in Syria. He will meet French President
Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the June 4-6 trip.
Netanyahu said he may also meet British Prime Minister Theresa May. “We
believe that there is absolutely no room for any Iranian military presence
in any part of Syria,” Netanyahu told senior officials from his Likud party,
according to a statement from his office. “These things, of course, reflect
not only our position. I can safely say that they also reflect the views of
others in the Middle East and beyond the Middle East. This will be the main
focus of my discussions.” Israel has been pledging for months to prevent its
main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where Tehran is
backing President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Earlier this month, Israel
launched a large-scale attack on what it said were Iranian targets in Syria,
raising fears of a major confrontation. Those strikes followed a barrage of
rockets that Israel said was fired toward its forces in the occupied Golan
Heights by Iran from Syria.
Israeli soldiers block a road in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, on
February 10, 2018. (AFP)
Recent strikes
Even before that, Israel had been blamed for a series of recent strikes
inside Syria that killed Iranians, though it has not acknowledged them.
Israel argues the lifting of sanctions under the nuclear deal allowed Iran
to expand its presence in the Middle East, both through its own forces and
with proxy groups.
It also says the time limits on the accord do not guarantee Iran will not
eventually obtain nuclear weapons, while it also wants to see restrictions
on Iranian missile development. Trump announced on May 8 that the United
States was pulling out of the agreement, but all other parties to it --
Germany, France, Britain, China and Russia -- say the agreement is working
as intended and want to stick by it. There have been concerns over the
fallout from the White House decision and tensions in Syria. Chagai Tzuriel,
director general of Israel’s intelligence ministry, told journalists on
Monday he believed recent events were convincing countries such as Russia
that allowing Iran to entrench itself militarily in Syria was not worth it.
Russia is also backing Assad’s regime in Syria and Netanyahu has held a
series of recent discussions with President Vladimir Putin on Iran’s
presence there. Tzuriel said that if the opportunity is not seized on and
Iran is not pushed back “we are on a collision course with Iran”.
Deal Sought to Allow
Lieberman to Temporarily Replace Netanyahu in Exchange for Early Polls
Tel Aviv – Nazir Majali/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 28 May, 2018/At a time when
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been stirring up an atmosphere
of war against Iran, contrary to the desire of the army and the majority of
intelligence services, efforts are being exerted in Tel Aviv to bring
forward the date of parliamentary elections. This will help boost his image
before the public as he battle corruption cases that have been piling up
against him by the police and prosecution. Given the fierce opposition
Netanyahu is facing from his closest allies on the right and the far-right,
he has been trying to reach a deal with Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman
that will provide him with the required majority to dissolve the Knesset
(Israeli parliament) within the next two months and head towards new
elections. The deal relies on the position of religious parties that oppose
mandatory military service being imposed on religious Jews. According to the
expected scenario, these parties will insist on drafting a law that reduces
the chances of imposing mandatory enlistment on religious youths. Lieberman
will be expected to vote against it and withdraw from the government
coalition, granting Netanyahu a minority government that relies on 61 of the
120 deputies. To this end, Lieberman wants a deal under which Netanyahu
promises to include his party in the Likud to form a single bloc. He also
wants the creation of the post of "acting prime minister", to which he will
be appointed, while also retaining his post as defense minister.
Should the police and the prosecution insist on trying and indicting
Netanyahu in corruption cases, Lieberman will then replace him as premier
and vow to back him in his judicial fight. Circles close to the two
officials confirmed that the deal is viable, but key sources in the ruling
Likud party have strongly rejected it.
They explained that a Likud-Lieberman alliance was struck in the 2012, but
failed miserably in the elections, winning no more than 31 seats. Both
parties were represented by 42 seats before the elections, 27 for the Likud
and 15 for Lieberman. The alliance fell apart in 2014.
Key Likud leaders oppose an alliance because it will eliminate their chances
of replacing Netanyahu. They have declared that such a deal, and under this
condition, will bring about the end of the Likud as a historic party for the
right, in favor of Lieberman, the opportunist.
Despite the opposition, Netanyahu is insisting on trying to find a way to
bring forward the date of the elections. He does not want to repeat the
mistake of his predecessor, Ehud Olmert, who resigned as soon as the
prosecution announced its intention to indict him for corruption.
He believes that the best way for him is to confront the police and the
prosecution from his position as prime minister, and according to opinion
polls, the elections will allow him to boost his power. He is trying to
confront the party's internal opposition and believes that even if he was
put on trial, he needs a prime minister loyal to him. In such a scenario, he
will find no figure more loyal than Lieberman, who himself had waged a long
bitter battle with the police and prosecution over corruption cases.
India says it only
follows UN sanctions, not unilateral US sanctions on Iran
Reuters, New Delhi/Monday, 28 May 2018/India only abides by sanctions
imposed by the United Nations and not those imposed by any other country,
such as ones announced by the United States against Iran, India’s foreign
minister said on Monday. US President Donald Trump this month withdrew the
United States from the Iran nuclear deal and ordered the re-imposition of US
sanctions against Iran that were suspended under the 2015 accord. But Indian
foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said New Delhi’s position was independent of
any other country. “India follows only UN sanctions, and not unilateral
sanctions by any country,” she said at a news conference in response at a
question on India’s response to the US decision. India and Iran have
long-standing political and economic ties, with Iran one of India’s top oil
suppliers. Later on Monday, Swaraj will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Javad
Zarif who arrived in New Delhi to build support against the US rejection of
the nuclear accord.
Iraqi Electoral Commission Breaks Silence, Defends
Voting Results
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 28 May, 2018/A week after doubts,
accusations and calls for cancellation surrounding the final results of
Iraq’s parliamentary election, the Independent Higher Election Commission
broke its longstanding silence and issued a lengthy statement.
In response to overall objections and backlash against the electoral process
and results, the commission – acting under government orders— reaffirmed
that e-polling is part of the national constitution since the 2013 amendment
on regulations pertaining to parliamentary elections.
However, the statement did not address Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi
referring results to a government integrity commission for a probe. Abadi’s
move came after he argued that the e-polling was conducted without
contracting with licensed companies to examine voting systems.
As for arguments on the voting of displaced people, the commission said that
they represent at most an approximate 2 percent of the number of polling
stations. It added that after registering violations, several of these
stations were canceled. The statement concluded that the polling process and
vote count were conducted under ministerial and international supervision,
adding its willingness to provide any data needed to cement confidence in
results. Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court, meanwhile, rejected a request to
cancel the parliamentary election results over allegations of voting
irregularities, but said it will accept complaints put forth by doubters.
Objections citing irregularities in balloting were raised by several
political parties suggesting that hackers may have manipulated results. “The
Iraqi supreme federal court met and discussed the complaints and decided not
to proceed any further," the spokesman of the court, Eyas Al Samok said.
Samok stated that the issue must be raised to the Independent High Electoral
Commission, “which is responsible for accepting complaints and objections to
alleged violations during the election period.”
Tehran ‘Tests’ European Guarantees Post US Nuclear Deal
Exit
London - Adil Al-Salmi/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 28 May, 2018 /Iran is
currently in the process of testing guarantees given by European signatories
in hopes of keeping it in the nuclear deal signed in 2015, Iranian Deputy
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed the National Security and Foreign
Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament on Sunday. Araghchi gave a
detailed explanation on the outcome of last Friday’s joint committee meeting
in Vienna, which was held to discuss the repercussions of Washington’s
unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal. However, Araghchi
expressed pessimism towards the chances of talks working in saving the deal
post a US exit. “I felt that negotiations will not lead to tangible
results,” he said in a press statement after leaving parliament. He called
on the Europeans to work hard on meeting Iranian demands. The Iranian
diplomat went on to point out that Tehran has not yet decided whether to
stay in the nuclear agreement. “Iran has not yet decided whether to stay in
the JCPOA or not and the final decision in this regard is left to the
results of the negotiations with remaining members of the JCPOA in the next
couple of weeks,” highlighted Araghchi. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action JCPOA, known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal, is an
agreement on the nuclear program of Iran reached in Vienna between Iran, the
P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security
Council—China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany),
and the European Union. Stressing that the decision depends on the course of
negotiations in the coming weeks, Araghchi reiterated Tehran’s desire to
keep talks ongoing. “We will continue negotiations as long as we feel that
they are on the right track and take into account the Iranian timeframe,” he
said. Spokesman of the Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy
Committee Seyed Hossein Naghavi Hosseini said Aragachi told lawmakers those
European signatories insist on preserving the deal. “Negotiations have
stayed their course, and we see the intention they (Germany, France and the
UK) have to save the agreement-- as far as they are able to implement Iran’s
demanded guarantees, evaluation is up to Tehran,” Naghavi cited Araghchi.
Small German Banks Risk Iran Sanctions Damage
Frankfurt - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 28 May, 2018 /Several German banks have
been doing business with Iran since the 2015 nuclear deal, but their
adventures might come to an end amid a November deadline issued by
Washington after the US president abandoned the agreement that loosened
business restrictions on Iran in exchange for Tehran giving up its pursuit
of nuclear weapons. Germany's two biggest banks, Deutsche Bank and
Commerzbank, avoid Iran completely after being slapped with harsh fines in
2015 over their dealings there, with Deutsche alone paying $258 million in
penalties. But some firms plan to press on in their dealings with Iran
despite the looming threat of penalties. "We will continue to serve our
clients," for now, said Patrizia Melfi, a director at the "international
competence centre" (KCI) founded by six cooperative savings banks in the
small town of Tuttlingen in southwest Germany. The center has seen demand
"rising sharply in the last few years, from firms listed on the Dax
(Germany's index of blue-chip firms), from all over Germany and from
Switzerland," she added, according to Agence France Presse.
Already, firms dealing with Tehran are taking great care not to fall foul of
US restrictions. Transactions are carried out in euros, and the KCI does not
deal with businesses that have American citizens or green card resident
holders on their boards. What's more, products sold to Iran cannot contain
more than 10 percent of parts manufactured in the US. One of the most
important inputs for the business is "courage among our managers" given the
high risks involved, Melfi said. DZ Bank, which operates as a central bank
for more than 1,000 local co-op lenders, is withdrawing completely from
payment services there, a spokesman told AFP. That left KCI to seek out the
German branch of Iranian state-owned bank Melli in Hamburg. Even that
linkage could break if Iran's biggest business bank appears on a US list of
barred businesses as it has before. Meanwhile, among Germany's roughly 390
Sparkasse savings banks, business with the regime is mostly limited to
producing documents linked to export contracts. "We will be looking even
more closely at those" in the future, a person familiar with the trade told
AFP. Elsewhere in the German economy, the European-Iranian Trade Bank (EIH)
founded in 1971 is another conduit to Tehran. Also based in Hamburg, it for
now remains "fully available to you with our products and services", the
bank assures clients on its website, although "business policy decisions by
European banks may result in short term or medium term restrictions on
payments".Neither does the Bundesbank (German central bank) believe that
much has so far changed for business with Iran. "Only the European Union's
sanctions regime will be decisive", if and when it is changed, the
institution told AFP. Any payment involving an Iranian party would have to
be approved by the Bundesbank if things return to their pre-January 2016
state. German banking lobby group Kreditwirtschaft has called on Berlin and
other EU nations to clarify their stance -- and to make sure banks and their
clients are "effectively protected against possible American sanctions".
KCI's Melfi said time is running out for EU governments to act. Many firms
just want to stop anything with Iran, since they can't calculate the risk of
staying," she noted.
Arab Coalition Destroys Iran-Made Drone Warehouses in
Saada
London, Aden - Asharq Al-Awsat/The Saudi-led Arab Coalition announced on
Sunday that it destroyed drone warehouses belonging to the Houthi militias
in their stronghold of Saada in Yemen. Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki
revealed to Al-Arabiya television that Houthi drones, which are called
“Qasif” by the militias, were actually re-branded Iran-made Ababil drones.
An examination of the debris showed the drones were manufactured by Iran and
used by the Houthis, Maliki said in a statement cited by the Saudi Press
Agency.
The spokesman described the use of drones by the Houthis as an act of
terrorism, stressing that militia terror crimes are being countered
effectively and dealt with in a timely and firm manner by coalition forces.
In what is considered a military escalation, Maliki said that the Houthis
have resorted to Iranian drone attacks to divert attention from great losses
they are suffering in strategic locations in Saada, Hodeidah, al-Bayda and
Hajjah. He revealed that the militias were dealt a “painful blow” after
their field commanders were targeted in Razih front. The commanders were
identified as Abu Hussein Ghathwan, Walid Saleh al-Ghamri, Ali Qassim Qazan
and Hamid Muhammad Rawiya. In a separate development, pro-government Yemeni
Popular Resistance spokesman Colonel Sadeq Dweid said that forces are
inching in closer to Hodeidah and are only 18 kilometers away after winning
fierce battles against the Houthis. The Arab Coalition and Yemeni Resistance
forces are also making major advances beyond Zubeid Junction, south of
Hodeidah. Hodeidah Governor Dr. Hassan Taher said that Yemeni national army
troops and pro-government resistance forces continued their strong advances
towards Hodeidah with the support of the Arab Coalition. In a statement
quoted by Yemeni news agency Saba, he explained that three new directorates
in Hodeidah have been liberated from Houthis.
Israeli Army Raids
West Bank Palestinian Camp after Soldier Death
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 28/18/The Israeli army raided a
Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank Monday, AFP journalists
said, in an apparent hunt for suspects in the killing of a soldier. Dozens
of Israeli troops entered the Amari Refugee Camp in Ramallah in the early
hours of Monday, closing off all the entrances, AFP journalists said. At
least 13 Palestinians were lightly or moderately injured during the raid as
clashes broke out, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, with soldiers
firing tear gas and bullets. Residents said a number of Palestinians were
arrested, though there was no immediate confirmation or statement from the
army. Israeli forces later withdrew from the camp. It came days after an
Israeli soldier was killed during a raid inside the camp. Sergeant Ronen
Lubarsky, 20, of the Duvdevan special forces unit, was struck on the head by
a stone block thrown during an arrest raid Thursday and died early Saturday.
Israeli media said the block was a granite slab dropped from a third-floor
window. Those responsible were not arrested at the time. Amari is located
inside Ramallah, seat of the Palestinian Authority, in an area theoretically
under the full control of the Palestinian government. Israeli forces
regularly carry out night raids in Palestinian-governed parts of the West
Bank to arrest suspects they accuse of militant activities against Israel.
Amari, home to around 6,000 Palestinians according to the United Nations, is
a regular flashpoint where Israeli raids have sparked fierce clashes in the
past.
Italy Plunges into Political Crisis after Govt Talks
Collapse
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 28/18/Italy was plunged into fresh
political chaos as the president prepared Monday to appoint a pro-austerity
economist as leader after a bid by two populist parties to form a government
collapsed. The crisis was sparked when President Sergio Mattarella vetoed
the nomination of fierce eurosceptic Paolo Savona as economy minister,
enraging the far-right League and leading to the anti-establishment Five
Star Movement calling for his impeachment. The decision led to prime
minister-elect Giuseppe Conte stepping aside, exacerbating the political
turmoil nearly three months after March's inconclusive general election.
Mattarella said he had accepted every proposed minister except Savona, who
has called the euro a "German cage" and has said that Italy needs a plan to
leave the single currency "if necessary". The leaders of Five Star and the
League, Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini, furiously denounced the veto,
decrying what they called meddling by Germany, debt ratings agencies and
financial lobbies. Mattarella has summoned Carlo Cottarelli, an economist
formerly with the International Monetary Fund, for talks at 0930 GMT, with a
temporary technocrat government on the table as Italy faces the strong
possibility of new elections in the autumn. Cottarelli, 64, was director of
the IMF's fiscal affairs department from 2008 to 2013 and became known as
"Mr Scissors" for making cuts to public spending in Italy. But he will
struggle to gain the approval of parliament with Five Star and the League
commanding a majority in both houses. "They've replaced a government with a
majority with one that won't obtain one," said Di Maio.
- 'First impeachment, then polls' -A livid Di Maio later called for the
president to be impeached.
"I hope that we can give the floor to Italians as soon as possible, but
first we need to clear things up. First the impeachment of Mattarella...
then to the polls." "Why don't we just say that in this country it's
pointless that we vote, as the ratings agencies, financial lobbies decide
the governments."Salvini, who was Savona's biggest advocate and a fellow
eurosceptic, declared that Italy was not a "colony", and that "we won't have
Germany tell us what to do". On Monday, Salvini threatened to break his
alliance with pre-election right-wing coalition partner Silvio Berlusconi
should the media mogul's Forza Italia party vote for the government. The
81-year-old billionaire former prime minister released a statement on Sunday
in which he praised Mattarella's efforts to "safeguard this country's
families and businesses. His partnership with Salvini, which saw them part
of a grouping that won the most votes in the March vote, is still in place
despite the League's attempt to form a government with Five Star, as Forza
Italia and the League hold local and regional administrations together.
"Berlusconi's statement yesterday was the same sort of thing that could have
been written by (former centre-left prime minister Matteo) Renzi," Salvini
told Radio Capitale. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen joined in their
outrage on Monday, accusing the president of a "coup d'etat" and saying the
"European Union and financial markets are again confiscating democracy". On
Monday, the Milan stock market rose sharply after the president's veto.
- 'Diktats' -A former judge at Italy's constitutional court, Mattarella has
refused to bow to what he saw as "diktats" from the two parties that he
considered contrary to the country's interests. He had watched for weeks as
Five Star and the League set about trying to strike an alliance that would
give Italy's hung parliament a majority. Mattarella said he has done
"everything possible" to aid the formation of a government, but that an
openly eurosceptic economy minister ran against the parties' joint promise
to simply "change Europe for the better from an Italian point of view". "I
asked for the (economy) ministry an authoritative person from the
parliamentary majority who is consistent with the government programme...
who isn't seen as a supporter of a line that could probably, or even
inevitably, provoke Italy's exit from the euro," Mattarella said.
The president said Conte refused to support "any other solution" and then,
faced with Mattarella's refusal to approve the choice of political novice
Savona, 53, gave up his mandate to be prime minister.
'Hacked' Qatar News Site behind Crisis Back on Twitter
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 28/18/Qatar's state-run news agency was
back on Twitter on Monday for the first time since its "hacked" website
carried controversial comments from the emir that sparked a Gulf crisis.In
its first tweet since May 24 last year, the Qatar News Agency announced the
emir had sent a message to Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev. The return
to social media follows QNA gaining notoriety last May, when a press release
purporting to contain quotes from the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani,
appeared on its website. In comments said to have been from a military
graduation ceremony, the emir in part expressed understanding for Hizbullah
and Hamas, and claimed Donald Trump might not last long as U.S. president.
Doha insists the explosive remarks were fake and that the website was
"hacked by an unknown entity." However, less than a fortnight later, Saudi
Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt abruptly broke off
diplomatic and trade relations with Qatar, accusing it of having links with
radical groups and seeking closer ties with Iran. Qatar denies the charges
and the boycott remains in place almost a year later.
Latest LCCC
Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on May 28-29/18
Israeli, Russian
defense chiefs to meet Thursday in Moscow. Netanyahu: Iran must leave ALL
Syria
اجتماع قريب بين وزيري دفاع اسرائيل وروسيا/نيتانياهو يصر على المغادرة الكاملة
لإيران من سوريا
DEBKAfile/May 28/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/64984/debkafile-israeli-russian-defense-chiefs-to-meet-thursday-in-moscow-netanyahu-iran-must-leave-all-syria-%D8%B2%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D9%8A/
PM Netanyahu said on May 28 Iran must quit all parts of
Syria, qualifying Lavrov’s comment that only Syrian forces should stay on
Israel’s border. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman was then invited for
talks with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigo in Moscow on Thursday, May 31. He
will be accompanied by Military Intelligence (AMAN) chief Maj. Gen. Tamir
Haiman and senior security-political adviser Zohar Palti.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov’s comment on Monday, May 28 – that
only Syrian government forces should stand on the Israeli border – was a
step in the process initiated by his boss. On May 18, President Vladimir
Putin summoned the Syrian ruler Bashar Assad to Sochi in order to co-opt
him, with President Donald Trump’s tacit assent, to the latest Russian-US
posture on Syria. The new direction was summed up by Putin after their
meeting in a short sentence: “All foreign troops must withdraw from Syria
after the start of the political settlement,” he said to Tehran’s dismay.
On May 23, DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources disclosed that Trump and
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had embarked on a consistent, calculated
campaign against Iran, contrary to many claims by critics that it was
haphazard and unrealistic, and that this strategy was the fruit of a secret
deal between Trump and Putin. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and
Syria’s Bashar Assad are both playing roles.
This joint effort is still in an incipient stage and will no doubt undergo
ups and downs as it matures. But meanwhile, on May 23, Syrian Deputy Foreign
Minister Faisal Mekdad had this to say: “Whether Iranian forces or Hizballah
withdraw or stay in Syria is not up for discussion because it’s the
[business] of the Syrian government.” Mekdad did not go on to spell out
where his government stood on this question, further deepening the
uncertainty in Tehran.
The last issue of DEBKA weekly of May 25, outlined in exclusive detail how
the nascent collaborative effort was conceived and its early steps. Then, on
Sunday, May 27, Netanyahu bluntly informed the weekly cabinet meeting in
Jerusalem that the campaign against Iranian aggression had not ended: “We
are working to prevent Iran obtaining nuclear weapons…against Iran’s
consolidated military presence against us… and operating against the
transfer of deadly weapons from Syria to Lebanon or their manufacture in
Lebanon,” he said.
What he was saying was that expelling Iran’s military presence from the
Israeli border region was not the end of it and that Iran’s military
facilities would be targeted henceforth in all parts of Syria – and even
outside its boundaries towards Lebanon.
The Russian foreign minister’s comment the next day was meant as a reminder
that Moscow stood by the principle of reciprocity. While conceding that no
forces other than those of the Syrian government should stand on the Israeli
border, he added: “Of course, the withdrawal of all non-Syrian forces must
be carried out on a reciprocal basis. It must be a two-way street.” His
message was plain: Iran and Hizballah will have to withdraw their forces
from Syria, but so too must the US and France.
Netanyahu answered Lavrov with another word about his plans for Iran. He
told his Likud faction that he would present Israel’s position – that there
is no place for an Iranian military presence in any part of Syria – when he
meets German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and
British Prime Minister Theresa May next week in their capitals.
The positions laid out this week by Moscow and Jerusalem will no doubt be
followed by some pretty animated rhetoric from Washington, Moscow,
Jerusalem, Damascus and also Tehran, to the accompaniment of further
military action in Syria.
PM Netanyahu, Minister Lieberman to meet European leaders on
Iran
رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي سيلتقي قادة أوروبا لبحت الشأن الإيراني
Itamar Eichner, Shahar Hay and Yoav Zitun/Haaretz/May 28/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/64978/ynetnews-looking-back-israeli-gaza-pullout-was-a-mistake-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%85/
Premier to leave for Germany, France next week, possibly also visiting UK to
impress upon countries' leaders importance of blocking Iranian nuclear
aspirations, expansion in Middle East; Defense Minister Lieberman to visit
Moscow for meeting with Russian counterpart, accompanied by head of Military
Intelligence Directorate. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will leave for a
three-day visit to Germany and France starting next Monday, during which he
will meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel
Macron to discuss the Iranian nuclear threat and the Islamic republic's
entrenchment in Syria. The premier is also said to be mulling continuing
across the English Channel from Paris to London, to meet with British Prime
Minister Theresa May.
Before he does, however, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman will leave for a
working visit to Russia this coming Wednesday. Lieberman was invited by his
Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu after the two conversed this past weekend.
The meeting will take place Thursday, with the defense minister being joined
by the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate Maj.-Gen. Tamir Hayman,
head of the Defense Ministry's Political-Military Bureau Zohar Palti and
other defense establishment officials.
Prime Minister Netanyahu outlined his upcoming trip at the commencement of
his party's parliamentary group meeting, saying, "Next week I will leave for
Europe. I will meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with French
President Emmanuel Macron and perhaps with British Prime Minister Theresa
May as well.""I will discuss with them blocking Iranian nuclear aspirations
and Iranian expansion in the Middle East," the premier expounded. "I will
present our positions as clearly as possible. We are already well
experienced. For years we stood alone against these twin threats and I think
that the situation has changed for the better. Of course I will present
these matters as vital to the security of Israel." On Syria, Netanyahu said,
"We believe that there is no room for any Iranian military presence anywhere
in Syria. And of course, this reflects not only our position; I can say with
certainty that it also reflects the positions of others in the Middle East
and outside it. This will be the main focus of discussions there."Earlier
Monday, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov said that only
Syrian soldiers should be stationed on the country's southern frontier, near
Israel.
In so doing, the Russian diplomat may have been sending a message to Syrian
rebels, still waging war against the Syrian army near the border, or it may
have been a rare warning aimed at Hezbollah and Iran, whose presence near
the border greatly perturbs Israel.
Prime Minister Netanyahu himself met Russian President Vladimir Putin
earlier this month, and expressed his concern at Iranian entrenchment in
Syria. "I have no reason to believe Russia will harm our interest,"
Netanyahu said after the meeting. "I told Putin it was our right to defend
ourselves against Iranian aggression emanating from Syria."
Looking back, (Israeli) Gaza pullout was a mistake
بالعودة إلى الوراء في الزمن..فإن الإنسحاب الإسرائيلي من
غزة كان خاطئاً
Sever Plocker/Ynetnews/May 28/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/64978/ynetnews-looking-back-israeli-gaza-pullout-was-a-mistake-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%85/
Op-ed: Had Israel remained in Gaza, the
economic gap between the Palestinians in the strip and in the West Bank
would have been narrowed, the PA would have maintained its rule, tens of
thousands of Gazans would be working in Israel and the level of violence
would have dropped.
The recent developments on the Gaza border lead to a grim political
conclusion: The experiment called the disengagement failed.
Gaza isn’t controlled by the Palestinian Authority, as the supporters of the
disengagement—myself included—expected. Gaza was basically handed over to
Hamas, which failed to establish a civilian government there. Instead, it
established a wild military regime seeking conflicts and lacking any
civilian goals. Israel, for its part, tried to rid itself of Gaza, suffocate
it and hand it over to Egyptian responsibility.
At the end of the day, neither option was implemented: Gaza is stuck in our
throats, today more than ever. The conflict isn’t over. It has worsened, and
it likely won’t end on its own.
The disengagement wasn’t an initiative of the “peace camp”; it was the
personal initiative of late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. On paper, it seemed
like the right solution—the beginning of a process to end the occupation.
That’s how it was presented by Sharon too.
But immediately after Israel pulled out of there, it turned out the strip
wouldn’t be like Singapore—but rather like Benghazi. The Hamas militias had
no interest in an organized transfer of the production and real estate
assets Israel had left behind. They preferred to build training camps in
greenhouses than grow tomatoes there. And the PA vanished from the area.
That sealed the enclave’s fate.
The economic, social and security situation in Gaza has deteriorated in the
years that have passed since the disengagement: Thousands of Gazans have
been killed in three wars against Israel, tens of thousands have been
wounded, and an unknown number have died due to lack of water, electricity
and basic medical services. On the Israeli side, many soldiers and civilians
have been killed, communities have been damaged and billions have been
invested in fortification and in protecting the border.
Our siege worsened the crisis in the strip but didn’t create it. It was
created by the fact that the Gazans’ fate was placed—or rather deserted—in
the hands of a cruel, violent, illegal and incompetent Islamic terror
organization, which was unprepared to rule as a responsible government.
Nevertheless, many Israelis, including senior IDF officers, saw it as the
lesser of two evils. So did many European and Arab politicians, who didn’t
lift a finger to loosen its grip.
Now, tens of thousands of Gazans are protesting under slogans that not a
single Israeli can accept or identify with. They’re not protesting against
the occupation, against the siege or against the US Embassy’s move to
Jerusalem, as the Western media are wrongly reporting; they are protesting
against the actual existence of a Jewish state. And we are responding with
cruel live fire. We are firing without crying. They are dying without
crying. They have nothing to lose apart from a miserable and hopeless
existence. It’s a terrible reality. And the hatred is breaking new records.
Looking back, the disengagement was a mistake. I admit I was wrong to
support it, although I had my reservations. Had Israel remained in Gaza, the
economic gap between the Palestinians in the strip and the Palestinians in
the West Bank would have been narrowed, and a solution would have been found
for the transfer of goods and people between Gaza and Hebron. The PA would
have maintained its rule—and would have even grown stronger. Tens of
thousands of Gazans would be working in Israel, as they did in the past, and
the level of violence would have dropped.
What now? Israel won’t reoccupy Gaza, but Israel can serve as a critical
element in jumpstarting an international move to free the strip of Hamas and
restore the PA's rule. We must, therefore, turn to the Arab League and the
European Union countries immediately and call for a comprehensive initiative
that would include ending the siege, disarming Hamas, opening the crossings
between Gaza and Egypt and bringing the PA back to the strip as the only
legitimate government.
Because as long as Israel continues the siege, as long as Hamas continues
the terror regime, as long as Egypt remains indifferent and the PA keeps
enjoying the bloodshed, no one will be willing to invest the billions of
dollars needed to reconstruct Gaza—critical investments which will open a
window of hope for the strip’s residents, slightly ease their despair and
cool the boiling atmosphere. The vicious circle of bloodshed won’t stop
turning on its own. On the contrary, its rounds will only hasten and become
more frequent—and more disastrous.
Fascism Is Back. The Internet Is to Blame
Timothy Snyder/Asharq
Al-Awsat/Monday, 28 May, 2018
Some Americans ask: What is wrong with the
internet? Others ask: Can fascism return? These questions are the same
question.
Despite all the happy talk about connecting people, the internet has not
spread liberty around the globe. On the contrary, the world is less free, in
part because of the Web. In 2005, when less than one-quarter of the global
population was online, common sense held that more connectivity would mean
more freedom. But while Mark Zuckerberg was calling connectivity a basic
human right, the more traditional rights were in decline as the internet
advanced. According to Freedom House, every year since 2005 has seen a
retreat in democracy and an advance of authoritarianism. The year 2017, when
the internet reached more than half the world’s population, was marked by
Freedom House as particularly disastrous. Young people who came of age with
the internet care less about democracy and are more sympathetic to
authoritarianism than any other generation.
It’s telling that the internet has become a weapon of choice for those who
wish to spread authoritarianism. In 2016, Russian Twitter bots spread
divisive messages designed to discourage some Americans from voting and
encourage others to vote for Russia’s preferred presidential candidate,
Donald Trump. Britain’s vote to leave the European Union that same year was
substantially influenced by bots from beyond its borders. Democracy arose as
a method of government in a three-dimensional world, where interlocutors
could be physically identified and the world could be discussed and
verified. Modern democracy relies upon the notion of a “public space” where,
even if we can no longer see all our fellow citizens and verify facts
together, we have institutions such as science and journalism that can
provide reference points for discussion and policy.
The internet breaks the line between the public and the private by
encouraging us to confuse our private desires with the actual state of
affairs. This is a constant human tendency. But in assuming that the
internet would make us more rather than less rational, we have missed the
obvious danger: that we can now allow our browsers to lead us into a world
where everything we would like to believe is true. We think of computers as
“ours” and imagine that we are the rational ones, using computers as tools.
For many of us, much of the time, this may be a disastrously self-flattering
perspective. When we perform a search or read a feed, we are encountering
instead an entity that runs algorithms about our preferences and presents a
version of reality that suits us. Yes, people can also humor us, but not
with the same heartless determination, and not with the same flawless and
cumulative memory of our weaknesses. Traditionally we have thought of
artificial intelligence as a kind of rival to our own intelligence, emerging
in parallel. What is actually happening is not parallel development but
interaction, in which entities that are not themselves intelligent can
nevertheless make us stupid.
Rather than testing the reason of computers, we concede our own at the
outset if we are made to feel good about ourselves. We believe that
computers are trustworthy when they seem to care how we feel. We follow
sites that amplify our emotions, outraging us or elating us, not asking
ourselves whether they are designed to keep us online so that we see
targeted ads — or, for that matter, whether they are used as weapons by
foreigners to harm us.
Democracy depends upon a certain idea of truth: not the babel of our
impulses but an independent reality visible to all citizens. This must be a
goal; it can never fully be achieved. Authoritarianism arises when this goal
is openly abandoned and people conflate the truth with what they want to
hear. Then begins a politics of spectacle, where the best liars with the
biggest megaphones win. Trump understands this well. As a businessman he
failed, but as a politician he succeeded because he understood how to beckon
desire. By deliberately spreading unreality with modern technology, the
daily tweet, he outrages some and elates others, eroding the very notion of
a common world of facts. In fascism, feeling is first. Fascists of the 1920s
and 1930s wanted to undo the Enlightenment and appeal to people as members
of a tribe, race or species. What mattered was a story of “us and them” that
could begin a politics of conflict and combat. Fascists proposed that the
world was run by conspirators whose mysterious hold must be broken by
violence. This could be achieved by a leader (Führer, Duce) who spoke
directly to and for the people, without laws or institutions.
The internet has revived fascist habits of mind. Smartphones and news feeds
structure attention so that we cannot think straight. Their programmers
deliberately appeal to psychological tactics such as intermittent
reinforcement to keep us online rather than thinking.
That’s a lesson we can learn — but not from machines. We can fix the
internet only by taking an honest look at ourselves.
He Does Not Like the Sight of Coffins and yet…
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 28 May, 2018
Russian President Vladimir Putin hates the sight of Russian coffins coming
from Syria. He has sought since the beginning to avoid such images. He knows
that coffins stir fears of deep involvement, even if Moscow has higher
tolerance than Washington in this regard.
This is why he engineered the Russian military intervention in a way that
would help avoid such scenes or remind his people of the Afghan war period.
Russia intervened by air and did not send soldiers to the battleground. It
dispatched aides to accompany the Syrian regime troops and deployed military
police in safe areas. We can say that the master of the Kremlin has
succeeded. He realized early on that Barack Obama had no intention of
ensnaring Russia in Syria and that his attention was focused on the nuclear
deal with Iran. This is why he did not provide the Syrian opposition with
anti-aircraft weapons and did not allow his allies to send such arms to
Syria. This meant that Obama did not want to drown Moscow in a new
Afghanistan.
The Russian strikes could not alone shift the balance of power in Syria in
favor of the regime. Russia had to take into consideration the pro-Iran
militias. This is how this triangle of Russia, Iran and its allies, and the
regime emerged to change the balance and ISIS was their main target.
The Russian intervention helped change the rules of the game. The toppling
of the regime was no longer part of the equation. In fact, the regime was
expected to expand areas that it controls and recapture many it had
retreated from.
The truth is that the Syrian opposition was dealt a fatal blow by ISIS and
al-Qaeda before it was dealt a similar blow by Russia and its allies. The
world could not tolerate the idea of Syria living under ISIS’ control. The
regime itself could not coexist with such a Syria. This therefore paved the
way for the counter-strike that allowed the regime to seize the reins and
deal defeat after defeat against the opposition.
Russia moved on two fronts. First, it focused on enabling the regime to
regain the initiative on the battlefield. Second, it broke up the opposition
and regional and international front that supported it. In this context, one
can understand some Russian ideas over the de-escalation zones and its
simultaneous efforts to weaken the Geneva talks through the Sochi and Astana
paths.
One has to credit Russia in this regard for taming Ankara’s stance and
transforming it into a partner in the Astana talks. In return, Turkey
received the right to discipline the Syrian Kurds in Afrin and break the
Kurdish belt that was being formed along its border with Syria. It also
received the right to set up military positions in Syria. Ankara will likely
use this issue as a bargaining chip when serious negotiations over the
withdrawal of foreign forces from Syria are launched.
Russia and Iran allied together in battle against the opposition and ISIS in
an attempt to change the balance of power. This does not mean that they see
eye-to-eye. Whereas Russia was focused on tilting the military balance in
the regime’s favor, Iran was concerned with entrenching itself in Syria and
bringing it into the “Iranian crescent”. It had shifted its attention to
removing obstacles in the formation of a smooth land corridor that connects
Iran to the Lebanese Mediterranean coast through Iraq and Syria.
Donald Trump’s arrival to the White House did not flip the game on its head,
but he simply created some confusion. His administration does not have an
agenda to defeat the coup Russia is leading on the ground. It only possesses
the means to delay or obstruct it. The United States is not really that
preoccupied with who rules Syria. It, along with Israel, is only looking at
Syria because of the Iranian presence there.
In wake of the battle against ISIS and the West’s reluctance to pay the
price of a wide military intervention in Syria, western and regional
countries opted for accepting the “Russian Syria” if it prevents the
establishment of an “Iranian Syria.” Israel has sought to obtain guarantees
from Moscow that Iran and its allies would not come near Israeli positions
in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. Putin showed great interest in
preserving the strong relationship with Israel and understanding what it
considers as its security needs. He could not, however, provide the
necessary guarantees.
Israel realized that Trump was leaning towards withdrawing from the Iran
nuclear deal. It therefore, raised the roof of its demands from Russia and
increased its raids against what it says are Iranian arms transfers to
Lebanon’s “Hezbollah.” As tensions once again soared between Washington and
Tehran, Israel moved on towards the phase of directly targeting Iranian
military presence in Syria and killing Iranians. Benjamin Netanyahu’s
government exploited a “limited” Iranian attack on the Golan to launch a
wide strike against the Iranian military infrastructure in Syria.
For now, Putin has succeeded in preventing a wide-scale war from erupting.
This success, however, remains vulnerable. He does not want to sever ties
with Iran in Syria, which would not be easy if he wanted to. He also can not
not go along with the Iran agenda and withstand its consequences. The game
has become more complicated after the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
Perhaps this is why Putin focused during his latest talks with regime leader
Bashar Assad on the need for a political solution in Syria. Assad showed a
willingness to go along with his demands. However, the political solution
according to Syria and Russia does not fall in line with the spirit of the
Geneva peace path because the field developments have eliminated several of
its elements, including talk of a transitional period. Moscow, Damascus and
Tehran have a complex network of relations. They have mutual needs, but lack
united visions and goals. Whenever they near a solution, disputes become
clearer. These complex ties exist during a time when American-Iranian
tensions have grown more strained and when Israel announced that it wants to
uproot Iranian military presence in Syria. A small war is going on and
Russia is becoming a simple witness to it. What will happen after the
balance of power on the field in Syria has changed? What does Moscow want
now and what can it do? How does the regime, which holds the Russian and
Iranian wings, think? Is Iran using Syria as a trial area to test American
will? Or has Syria turned into a trap that is depleting the Iranian role?
Putin does not like the image of coffins coming from Syria, but keeping
Syria without a real solution means that more are sure to come. It is clear
that waging a war against the opposition and ISIS is easier than making
peace in Syria.
mself since 2006. He had a non-attendee to thank for the full house, Donald
Trump.
What Happened at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum
Leonid Bershidsky//Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 28 May, 2018
On Friday, President Vladimir Putin assembled the most impressive panel ever
seen at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, which he’s used as a showcase for
Russia and hi
Usually, one or two foreign leaders attend the forum to act as foils for
Putin, who delivers a keynote address, pitching Russia as an investment
destination. This year, however, Putin shared the stage with President
Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, International
Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde and the Chinese vice
president, Wang Qishan. They all had something in common: They’ve been
slighted, rebuffed or otherwise aggravated by Trump. Macron visited the US
president last month to try to dissuade him from imposing high import
tariffs on European steel and aluminum, but also to plead with him not to
pull the US out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. He failed on both counts. Abe
was one of Trump’s early victims, when the US abandoned the Trans-Pacific
Trade Partnership, which would have benefited Japan. As for Wang, Trump
keeps threatening to start a trade war with China, though he’s blown hot and
cold on that. In addition, China is the biggest international patron of
North Korea. Lagarde represents the international organizations that form
the institutional backbone of globalization. Trump has shown a contemptuous
disregard for the system’s rules and recommendations. Putin is seething with
anger about US economic sanctions against Russia and what he has long seen
as America’s unilateralism on just about every issue and around the globe.
So this year’s St. Petersburg Economic Forum could have turned into a
support group for people traumatized by Trump. But in their prepared
speeches, the dignitaries avoided mentioning the US president’s name. The
leaders only lifted the taboo under some pointed questioning from the
moderator, Bloomberg Editor John Micklethwait.
One reason for this reluctance to attack Trump directly is that, 16 months
into his presidency, the support group members have no idea what to do about
him. It’s also extremely difficult for them to form a common agenda. In his
opening speech, Putin made an impassioned appeal for the preservation of a
rules-based international system and against “economic egotism” and
unilateralism (a reference, of course, to He Who Shall Not Be Named). But at
least to some Europeans such as Macron and Lagarde, Putin’s plea must have
been rich with irony, coming from the leader of a country that has invaded a
neighboring state and who on Friday was accused by the Netherlands and
Australia of downing a passenger airliner in July 2014.
During the Q&A, Putin teased Macron about Europe’s dependence on the US for
security. “Don’t worry, we’ll provide security,” he said. Macron would have
none of it; he said he was happy with the current structure.
Abe spoke of a huge potential for energy cooperation with Russia and of
Japanese investment for the Russian Far East. But no such partnership would
be possible without first resolving a dispute over the Kuril Islands that
has prevented the two countries from signing a post-World War II peace
treaty. Putin and Abe have failed to advance on the issue in the 20 meetings
they have held so far. Still, Abe started his speech with a fantastical
scenario for the upcoming soccer World Cup that involved Russia and Japan
facing off in the finals. That’s about as realistic as a deal on the islands
and the rest of the grand cooperation plans. The Chinese vice president, who
tried to say as little as possible, stuck to his country’s strategy of
conducting an unemotional dialogue with everyone, making no enemies and
getting the best possible deals. As far as China is concerned, Europe, the
US, Russia, Japan and the international institutions are all arm’s-length
partners. There would be grounds for a broad anti-Trump coalition, but it
will never coalesce around Putin, the most passionately anti-American of the
group. He would be even more unreliable than Trump. Inexperienced Macron
can’t be a convincing leader, either; Japan is too focused on regional
interests; China is impervious to anyone’s pull; and the international
institutions mean little without the US and have to stay neutral.
That they all came together in Russia would be an alarm signal to any US
leader except Trump. But he’s too focused on domestic politics and his
promises to his base. The St. Petersburg gathering isn’t a threat even to
Trump advisers who would like the US to display its might. The meeting is so
ragtag and disunited, it doesn’t give the appearance of the beginning of a
beautiful friendship. Not yet, at least. Trump still has enough time in
office for that to start changing. Obstacles to “mutual trust,” the
leitmotif of the leaders’ speeches in St. Petersburg, could fade if the US
remains as unpredictably intractable as it has been in the past 16 months.
Coalition forces in Syria, Iraq targeted three
Canadians, secret document says
Stewart Bell and Andrew Russell/Global News/May 28/18
Three Canadians were deliberately targeted by the coalition conducting
airstrikes against the so-called Islamic State, according to a secret government
document on the military’s role in the killing of its own citizens.
The Canadians were targets of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led anti-ISIS
campaign in Iraq and Syria that Canada participates in, said the briefing note
prepared for the Chief of Defence Staff, General Jonathan Vance.
“To date, there have been three known instances where specific individuals
targeted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve were believed to be Canadian
citizens,” read the four-page document, obtained by Global News.
The briefing note is a discussion of the “strategic issues” arising from the
targeting of enemy combatants who are Canadian citizens by Operation Impact, the
Canadian Armed Forces contribution to Operation Inherent Resolve.
It laid out the legal justification for airstrikes killing Canadian foreign
terrorist fighters in the region, saying their nationality was irrelevant and
that each target of the coalition was “first and foremost, an enemy combatant.”
But the document went on to say that, “while the nationality of targeted
individuals is, in the context of the Law of Armed Conflict, not an issue,
domestic Canadian policy, political, and legal concerns may emerge.”
Titled “Op Impact — Canadian Citizens and Targeting of ISIS Combatants,” the
brief, marked “secret,” was dated Sept. 16, 2015 but was only recently
de-classified and released to Global News under the Access to Information Act.
It is believed to be the first official confirmation that the anti-ISIS military
coalition, which includes Canada, has deliberately tried to kill Canadian
citizens in Syria and Iraq. It did not say whether the targeted strikes were
successful.
Experts said that under international law there was nothing illegal about the
Canadian military participating in the killings of Canadian enemy combatants in
an armed conflict. But it raises a host of questions and the government has not
discussed the matter nearly as openly as its close allies.
“Your document is the first I’ve ever seen acknowledging that there have been
instances in which Canadians were part of a target package” at the time Canadian
forces were conducting airstrikes, said University of Ottawa law professor Craig
Forcese, co-author of a 2016 paper on the legality of targeted killings of
Canadian foreign fighters.
Global News also obtained two secret memos by the Department of Justice dated
Oct. 8 and 15, 2015, however government officials completely blacked out their
contents before releasing them after eight months.
Asked what role the Canadian military had played in the targeting of the three
Canadians, Daniel Le Bouthillier, a National Defence spokesman, said he could
not discuss the matter in detail for operational security reasons.
But he said ISIS members who engaged in hostilities against the coalition could
“in certain circumstances, be considered a threat” under the Laws of Armed
Conflict.
“The nationality of the person is not a factor,” he said.
The briefing note made the same point, saying that discussions with allies
“confirm the extant CAF [Canadian Armed Forces] perspective that every
individual person targeted under OIR [Operation Inherent Resolve] and
consequently Op Impact, is first and foremost, an enemy combatant.”
Forcese, a national security law expert, said he saw nothing in the briefing
note to suggest the legal advice it contained was incorrect. Under international
law, those directly participating in hostilities in an armed conflict can be
legally targeted, he said.
But he said there was no consensus on the meaning of “directly participating in
hostilities.” While the U.S. defined it more broadly, others argued that
“insurgents by night” can’t be targeted during the time they are acting as
civilians.
The briefing note dates to the final weeks of the Conservative government.
Airstrikes by CF-188 Hornets began in Iraq and Syria on Oct. 30, 2014. Canadian
fighter aircraft struck 246 targets in Iraq and five in Syria over 16 months.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pulled the CF-188s from the conflict on Feb 15,
2016 but the Canadian military continues to participate in the anti-ISIS
coalition. A separate Justice Department document, disclosed to Global News
following its request for material on Canada’s policy on targeted airstrikes
against Canadians, was dated 2016, after Trudeau took office. It was marked
“secret” for reasons of cabinet confidence.
The United Kingdom and United States have both conducted airstrikes against
their own citizens on the grounds they were threats. After two senior British
ISIS members were killed in targeted airstrikes in 2015, the U.K. Intelligence
and Security Committee conducted an investigation and published a public report.
Prime Minister Theresa May said in a statement last December that airstrikes
against British citizens were a “last resort” but that when there was a direct
threat to British citizens the government would “always be prepared to act.”
The killing of Reyaad Khan, a notorious British ISIS attack planner, followed a
“rigorous decision-making process,” she said. “The Attorney General was
consulted and was clear that there would be a clear legal basis for action in
international law.”
The Canadian targets were not named in the heavily-redacted version of the
briefing note disclosed to Global News but it was written two months after
Calgary ISIS member Mohamed Farah Shirdon, aka Abu Usamah, was killed by a
coalition airstrike in Mosul on July 13, 2015, according to the U.S. military.
Shirdon would have been a likely target because of his incitement of attacks in
the West, along with Mohamed Ali, aka Abu Turaab, of Mississauga, Ont. and Abu
Mohammed Al Kanadi, believed to be a senior ISIS member in Raqqah.
While the briefing note said targeted killings of Canadian terrorist fighters
was legal, it also mentioned alternatives. “Canada may also wish to exploit
Canadians allied with ISIS for intelligence, or consider prosecuting them under
Canadian law,” it said.
Officials from the U.K and U.S. have said they preferred to kill foreign ISIS
fighters overseas than see them return home. But the Liberal government had a
different message when the issue arose last fall.
“Canada does not engage in death squads,” Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale
said on the CBC show Power & Politics last fall.
The briefing note suggests that at least some of the almost two dozen Canadian
foreign fighters who have died in Syria and Iraq were killed in targeted
strikes.
“This note provides a discussion of the strategic issues associated with the
targeting of enemy combatants who are also Canadian citizens under the auspices
of Op Impact, the CAF contribution to Operation Inherent Resolve.”
“As Canada is engaged in armed conflict with ISIS and associated armed groups,
CAF operations under Op Impact include both direct and indirect support to, as
well as participation in, strikes against target packages including enemy
combatants,” it said. “On occasion, these target packages consist of
specifically identified individuals, with nationalities in some cases known
prior to engagement.”
The redacted version of the document did not elaborate on the “Canadian policy,
political, and legal concerns” it said were raised by Canada’s role in targeting
Canadians.
“The policy issues, I imagine, are tied to the reaction, political and
otherwise, that Canadians might have to the idea that the Canadian state is
targeting Canadians, even if from an international law perspective, in an armed
conflict situation, it is lawful to do so,” Forcese said.
“From a legal perspective domestically, this is novel terrain,” he said. What
remains unresolved is how the Charter of Rights and Freedoms would apply to a
targeted killing. “There’s no precedent on this. My inclination is to suggest
that the Charter will map international law in this area.”
Forcese said a targeted strike against a combatant was not the same as an
extrajudicial execution that does not take place during an armed conflict.
“Whether you’re killing within or outside of armed conflict makes a world of
difference,” he said.
Chris Waters, an international law professor at the University of Windsor, said
citizens not fighting in an armed conflict should not be targeted under Canadian
or international law. However, picking up arms to fight for groups like ISIS
makes them legitimate targets.
“Certainly, if the individuals have returned to civilian life in any capacity, I
absolutely think it would not be legitimate,” he added. “During that period when
they’re engaged in those active hostilities, they are legitimately targetable.”
He said whether targeted killings were the best policy was a separate question.
“Certainly, the emphasis should be on de-radicalization, on inclusion, the
variety of administrative measures that can be used including in the new bill,
C-59, to prevent counseling of terrorists and offences and so on.”
“But I think when it comes right down to it from a, strictly speaking, legal
perspective, certainly from an international legal perspective, if someone is
engaged in fighting with an armed group, they’re targetable under the laws of
armed conflict.”
NDP Foreign Affairs critic Hélène Laverdière called on the government to be more
transparent about Canadians who have been declared enemy combatants and those
that have been targeted by Operation Inherent Resolve.
“The issue is making sure that was done according to Geneva conventions,” she
said. “I think there should be an explanation from the government. Let’s see
what the government comes up and if there’s a need then for a formal inquiry.”
Laverdière said while there can be legal justification for targeting enemy
combatants there was a “black hole of information” on this issue. “We have a
government that talks a lot about transparency but when we compare it to other
countries it has very little.”
Forcese also argued the government should be more forthcoming about targeted
killings. “We have to ask the question, I think: above and beyond the legal
minimum, are there policy issues where we would decide to not kill Canadians, or
in this case, kill Canadians? And that’s the sort of debate that I think
probably deserves to be a much more open now.”
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
https://globalnews.ca/news/4232306/exclusive-coalition-forces-in-syria-iraq-targeted-three-canadians-secret-document-says/
UK: You're Not Allowed to Talk about It. About What?
Don't Ask.
Bruce Bawer/Gatestone Institute/May 28, 2018
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12389/britain-dissent-silenced
"I am in a country that is not free... I feel jealous as hell of you guys in
America. You don't know how lucky you are." — Carl Benjamin (aka Sargon of
Akkad), YouTuber with around a million subscribers.
"I am trying to recall a legal case where someone was convicted of a 'crime'
which cannot be reported on." — Gerald Batten, UKIP member of the European
Parliament.
"UKIP Peer Malcolm Lord Pearson has written to Home Secretary Sajid Javid today
saying: if Tommy is murdered or injured in prison he and others will mount a
private prosecution against Mr Javid as an accessory, or for misconduct in
public office." — Gerald Batten.
Good on Lord Pearson.
On Friday, British free-speech activist and Islam critic Tommy Robinson was
acting as a responsible citizen journalist -- reporting live on camera from
outside a Leeds courtroom where several Muslims were being tried for child rape
-- when he was set upon by several police officers. In the space of the next few
hours, a judge tried, convicted, and sentenced him to 13 months in jail -- and
also issued a gag order, demanding a total news blackout on the case in the
British news media. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was
immediately taken to Hull Prison.
Hull Prison, in Kingston upon Hull, England, where Tommy Robinson was taken to
serve a 13-month prison sentence just hours after his arrest on Friday, May 25.
Most media outlets were remarkably compliant. News stories that had already been
posted online after Robinson's arrest at the Scottish Daily Record, Birmingham
Live, The Mirror, RT, and Breitbart News were promptly pulled down, although,
curiously, a report remained up at the Independent, a left-wing broadsheet that
can be counted on to view Robinson as a hooligan. Indeed, the Independent's
article described Robinson as "far-right" and, in explaining what he was doing
outside the courthouse, used scare quotes around the word "reporting"; it then
summed up the least appealing episodes in his career and blamed him for an
attack on the Finsbury Park Mosque last January. Somehow, the Independent also
got away with publishing a report on London's Saturday rally in support of
Robinson.
Also on Saturday, Breitbart UK posted a copy of the gag order, but redacted it
as required. The resulting document proved to be a perfect illustration of
Western Europe's encroaching tyranny.
Were all the articles in the British media pulled down "voluntarily"? There is
no way to know for sure. On Sunday, at about noon Central European Time, one of
my Facebook friends posted a link to what was apparently a new story at
Breitbart UK, about Robinson's imprisonment in Hull. Three hours later, however,
the story was no longer there. Shortly afterward, I clicked on a link to an
article at the Hull Daily Mail that Google summed up as follows: "Supporters of
former EDL leader Tommy Robinson are urging people to write to him in Hull
Prison -- where they say he is in 'grave danger.'" When I clicked on the link,
however, the story had been pulled.
Carl Benjamin, who produces video commentary under the name "Sargon of Akkad,"
is a popular British YouTuber who has somewhere around a million subscribers,
and who routinely criticizes Islam, identity politics, and political correctness
with wit and panache. He is generally a lively, free-wheeling, sardonic fellow,
but in the two-hour-plus video he posted on Saturday about the Robinson case, he
was uncharacteristically sober, exceedingly cautious, and at times even sounded
mournful.
"I did tell you that Britain isn't a free country, didn't I?" he said a minute
or so into his video. "I've been saying it for ages... and nobody listens." He
made it clear he was not about to violate the gag order -- not, as he put it,
about to "blunder into the jaws of the beast, in much the same way as I guess
Tommy has," and thus "deliberately put myself in the line of fire with the UK
government, giving them just cause to arrest me."
Benjamin is a gutsy guy, so it was unsettling to hear him speak this way. The
look on his face somehow brought home the dark reality underlying Robinson's
fast-track arrest, trial, conviction and incarceration. Benjamin emphasized that
the most "sensible" thing for someone like himself [Benjamin] to do right now --
he used that word, "sensible," repeatedly -- is to do his best to stay out of
jail so that he can continue to speak up. "I am in a country that is not free,"
he repeated gravely. "My options are limited... I feel jealous as hell of you
guys in America. You don't know how lucky you are."
The upside -- and the irony -- of this case is that the gag order, while
silencing the British news media, has caused people around the world to take
notice. To be sure, a quick tour of major mainstream newspaper websites in
Western Europe, North America and around the Anglosphere turned up nothing. But
on alternative news sites around Europe, the story was front and center. The Fox
News website reported on Robinson's arrest -- but even Fox, frustratingly,
insisted on calling him a "right-wing activist."
Judi McLeod, editor of the Canada Free Press, began her article:
"Where is Tommy Robinson? A question whose answer should be demanded rather than
merely asked.... Modern day Merry England has become far more nightmare than
fairytale, as it steadily works its way toward ugly police state status."
McLeod also challenged Fox's label for Robinson: "'Right wing activist'? How
about civil rights activist or humanitarian activist?"
Yesterday, my article asked when anyone in a position of power in Britain would
speak up against Robinson's arrest. Since then, Gerald Batten, a UKIP member of
the European Parliament, has done so:
"I am trying to recall a legal case where someone was convicted of a 'crime'
which cannot be reported on," he tweeted. "Where he can be cast into prison
without it being possible to report his name, offence, or place of imprisonment
for fear of contempt of court. Can anyone remember such a case"
Shortly after noon on Sunday, London time, Batten tweeted:
"UKIP Peer Malcolm Lord Pearson has written to Home Secretary Sajid Javid today
saying: if Tommy is murdered or injured in prison he and others will mount a
private prosecution against Mr Javid as an accessory, or for misconduct in
public office."
Good on Lord Pearson. We can only hope his efforts make a difference -- and
that, in the end, a prosecution of Javid will not be necessary.
Bruce Bawer is the author of the new novel The Alhambra (Swamp Fox Editions).
His book While Europe Slept (2006) was a New York Times bestseller and National
Book Critics Circle Award finalist. His other books include A Place at the Table
(1993), Stealing Jesus (1997), Surrender (2009), and The Victims' Revolution
(2012). A native New Yorker, he has lived in Europe since 1998.
See also: Petition to Free Tommy Robinson
© 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.
Is Italy flirting with Israeli Apartheid?
Ramzy Baroud/Al Arabiya/May 28/18
On May 4, a legendary Italian biking race, Giro d’Italia, began in Jerusalem,
despite numerous calls made to the race organizers not to validate Israel’s
illegal military occupation of the city.
Israeli leaders interpreted the event as a “celebration” of Israel’s
independence, while Palestinian groups viewed it as a violation of international
consensus on the status of Jerusalem.
However, there is more to the story than meets the eye. It is part of a worrying
trend in Italian politics and an increasing affinity to the rightwing government
of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Italy breaking ranks
Although the US Administration of Donald Trump is the only country in the world
that has carried out the unlawful decision of recognizing Israel’s illegal
annexation of the Palestinian city, others could follow suit if enough pressure
is not exerted by civil societies on their governments to respect international
law.
For now, Italy remains committed to the legal status of Jerusalem, abiding by
the consensus of the European Union. But once a strong supporter of Palestinian
rights, the Italian government has been shifting course in recent years.
Italy was the first European state to break ranks and reject a resolution by the
UN cultural agency, UNESCO, last year which renounced Israel’s sovereignty in
Occupied East Jerusalem. This was followed by more disturbing statements by
Italian politicians that indicated a sizable shift in Italy’s foreign policy
outlook on Palestine and Israel.
The trend continued. Last April, representatives of Italy’s Jewish communities
pulled out of rallies marking the 73th anniversary of the country’s liberation
from the Nazis simply because various groups attending the rallies raised
Palestinian flags.
Instead, separate rallies were staged by pro-Israel Jewish organizations that
were offended by “the presence of Palestinian and pro-Palestinian groups,”
according to the Times of Israel.
Outrageously, Italy’s leadership accommodated such intransigence as the
country’s prime minister and the mayor of Rome reportedly attended the private
celebrations.
The irony is that Israeli practices against Palestinians is reminiscent of the
reality that Bartali and millions of Italians fought against for years
More recently, for the first time since its inception in 1909, Giro d’Italia
kicked off outside Europe and strangely enough, from the city of Jerusalem.
Every attempt aimed at dissuading the race organizers from being part of
Israel’s political propaganda failed. The millions of dollars paid to the Giro
d’Italia organizers, RCS Sport, seemed far more compelling than shared cultural
experiences, solidarity, human rights and international law.
Legendary Italian novelist, Dino Buzzati, wrote various accounts in Italian
newspapers in the 1940s, describing the symbolism of the race in the context of
a battered nation resurrecting from the ashes of untold destruction.
The 1946 Giro D’Italia, especially the legendary competition between Fausto
Coppi and Gino Bartali, became a metaphor for a country rising from the horrors
of war and reanimating its national identity, as symbolized in the final
struggle between heroic athletes pedaling through the torturous mountainous
roads to reach the finish line.
Understanding this history, Israel exploited it in every possible way. In fact,
the Israeli government recently awarded the late Gino Bartali an honorary
Israeli citizenship. The decision was made as an acknowledgment of the Italian
athlete’s anti-Nazi legacy.
The irony, of course, is that the Israeli practices against Palestinians –
military Occupation, racism, Apartheid and abhorrent violence – is reminiscent
of the very reality that Bartali and millions of Italians fought against for
years.
When Israeli officials announced last September that Giro D’Italia would start
in Jerusalem, they labored to link the decision to Israel’s celebration of 70
years of independence.
70 years ago, Palestinians were dispossessed from their homeland by Zionist
militias, leading to the Nakba, the catastrophic destruction of Palestine and
the establishment of Israel as a Jewish state.
It was then that West Jerusalem became part of Israel, and the rest of the Holy
City, East Jerusalem, was also conquered in 1967 before it was officially, but
illegally, annexed in 1981 in defiance of international law.
RCS Sport cannot claim ignorance regarding how their decision to engage and
validate Israeli Apartheid will forever scar the history of the race. When their
website announced that the race would kick off from “West Jerusalem”, the
Israeli response was swift and furious.
Israeli Sports Minister, Miri Regev and Tourism Minister, Yariv Levi, threatened
to end their partnership with the race, claiming that “in Jerusalem, Israel’s
capital, there is no East or West. There is one unified Jerusalem.” Alas, Giro
d’Italia organizers publicly apologized before removing the word ‘West’ from
their website and press releases.
Celebrating Apartheid
According to international law, East Jerusalem is an occupied Palestinian city.
This fact has been stated time and again through United Nations resolutions,
including the most recent Resolution 2334, adopted on December 23, 2016. It
condemns Israel’s illegal settlement constructions in the Occupied Territories,
including East Jerusalem.
This reality stands as a stark contradiction to the claims made by Giro d’Italia
organizers that their race is a celebration of peace. In truth, it is an
endorsement of Apartheid, violence and war crimes.
The fact that the race was held according to plan, despite the ongoing killing
of Palestinian protesters in Gaza, also underlines the degree of moral
corruption by those behind the effort. Over 110 Palestinians have been killed
since the start of the peaceful protests at the Gaza border, known as the “Great
March of Return”, on March 30. Over 10,000 were wounded, among them 30 athletes,
according to the Palestinian Ministry of Youth and Sports.
One of those wounded is Alaa al-Dali, a 21-years-old cyclist whose leg was
amputated after being shot on the first day of protests. “Canadian-Jewish
philanthropist”, Sylvan Adams, one of the biggest funders of the race, claimed
that his contribution is motivated by his desire to promote Israel and to
support cycling as a “bridge between nations.”
Palestinians, like Alaa whose cycling career is over, are of course excluded
from that lofty, and selective definition. Was the 12 million dollars received
by the organizers from Israel and its supporters a worthy enough price to ignore
the suffering of Palestinians and to help normalize Israeli crimes against the
Palestinian people?
Sadly, for the RSC Sport, the answer is “yes”. Many Italians and more around the
world, of course, disagree. Despite Italian media’s partaking in Israel’s
‘sport-washing’, hundreds of Italians protested at various stages of the race.
The fourth stage of Giro d’Italia which was held in Catania, Sicily, was delayed
by a protest, against a race which is “stained with the blood of Palestinians”,
in the words of activist, Simone Di Stefano.
Renzo Ulivieri, the head of the Italian Football Managers Association, was one
of prominent Italian voices that objected to the decision to hold the race in
Israel. “I could have remained indifferent, but I fear I would have been
despised by the people I respect. Viva the Palestinian people, free in their
land,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
The RCS Sport has done the ‘Giro’ race, sport cycling and the Italian people an
unforgivable disservice for the sake of what could well be constituted an
Israeli bribe of a few million dollars. By agreeing to start the race in a
country that is guilty of apartheid practices and a protracted military
occupation, they have stained the race forever.
This event cannot be seen as separate from Italy’s worrying political attitude
towards Israel’s occupation of Palestine. The inherent contradictions in Italy’s
behavior are inescapable.
Italy is a country that has experienced a ruthless occupation and was ravaged by
fascism and war. To be party to Israel’s constant attempts at whitewashing or,
in the case of Giro d’Italia, “sport-washing’ its military occupation and daily
violence against the Palestinian people, is appalling.
However, the general wave of indignation caused by this reckless decision seems
to indicate that Israel’s efforts at normalizing its crimes against Palestinians
are failing to alter public opinion and the perception of Israel as an occupying
power – one that deserves to be boycotted, not embraced.
*Romana Rubeo, an Italian writer, contributed to this article.
Gaza and the bitter harvest
Mohammed Al Shaikh//Al Arabiya/May 28/18
In order to understand the extent of misery, suffering and the hardship which
the Gazans suffer from under the rule of Hamas Islamists, you have to compare
between their living conditions during the Israeli occupation from 1967 until
the withdrawal in recent decades with their current living conditions.
You will see how these undesirable Islamists had turned Gaza into a place
suffering from hunger, poverty and disease while Hamas and its cadres enjoy the
pleasures of life. This is what an elderly Palestinian told me while commenting
on the practices of those who insist to rule the Gazans with force and who do
not work to serve the interest of Palestine and its people but rather to serve
the interest of the Persian expansionist project.
When Iran’s mullahs provide Hamas or al-Jihad with old missiles, they know that
these missile cannot confront Israel’s advanced arms and that provoking the
Israeli occupier will only affect the Gazans with more bombings, worse siege,
deaths and destruction. Those who pay the price are the simple Gazans and not
the Islamists.
Ever since Hamas started ruling Gaza, it has been arguing with the authority in
Ramallah and intentionally stirring problems to be strongly present on the
internal Palestinian scene and to stand as an obstacle against any
reconciliation or peace. This presence enables its leaders to serve the Persian
expansionist project which exploits the idea of liberating the entire of
Palestine as an excuse to expand in the Arab region.
Hamas receives instructions from Tehran, whose authorities choose not to provide
it with funds but with missiles and tools of killing and destruction. As for
money, Hamas makes money by using the power of its arms on the Gazans to force
them to pay money in the form of taxes and fees. Hamas has not even built one
hospital or school or construct a road or execute any developmental project ever
since it began ruling Gaza. It uses its revenues to confront Israel which in
turn directs its anger at the Gazans while Hamas’ leaders and families remain
safe.
When there was unrest in Egypt during Hosni Mubarak’s era, Hamas significantly
contributed to empowering the Muslim Brotherhood there. Some of its cadres
attacked Egyptian prisons to release the arrested Brotherhood members. When the
Muslim Brotherhood was ousted, Hamas turned Gaza into a safe refuge for their
members who fled the Egyptian authorities. As a result, all crossing points
between Egypt and Gaza were closed. The Egyptian authorities also tracked the
underground tunnels which link Egypt and Gaza and destroyed them. Hamas
intentionally opposes the Palestinian Authority’s positions to avoid holding
elections in the strip because it is aware that any elections there will “dump
them in the trash bin.”
Hamas consists of hired Islamist fighters whose aim is power and money. This is
why they do as they are directed by those who hire them whether it’s Tehran or
Doha. The Palestinian cause and the Palestine people are the least of their
concerns.
I am completely certain that the Palestinian cause has no solution but peace
which the Israelis reject and avoid by all means. Therefore, the practices of
Hamas and al-Jihad only serve Israel at the end. That’s why it can be said that
the first step which the Palestinians must take towards peace starts with
getting rid of these impostor Islamists.
Obama’s Netflix deal and ‘digital’ Hillary
Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/May 28/18
Hillary Clinton, who had lost in the presidential elections against Donald
Trump, did not hesitate to voice her desire to be the CEO of Facebook, the most
famous social media platform.
According to the Financial Times, Hillary was asked at Harvard last week which
company she would like to be the CEO of. She said she wanted to be the CEO of
Facebook because “it's the biggest news platform in the world… Most people in
our country get their news, true or not from Facebook.”
Earlier this month, Netflix, the biggest digital streaming platform, announced
that it secured a deal with former US President Barack Obama and his wife
Michelle.
Barack and Michelle Obama and Hillary, and I won’t include her husband Bill
Clinton here, represent a political and cultural threat that’s dangerous to
stability in the Arab world due to their delusional ideas they have about change
and revolution and other leftist illusions
Netflix said that Barack and Michelle Obama "have entered into a multi-year
agreement to produce films and series for Netflix, potentially including
scripted series, unscripted series, docu-series, documentaries, and features.”
Netflix’s agreement with the couple was announced a few months ago. At the time,
the New York Times said that among the proposed programs include Obama
conducting debates about healthcare, climate change and immigration. These are
all topics which dominated the scene during the eight years of Obama’s term.
According to the New York Times and Obama’s supporters, Obama will produce
“inspirational” shows.
What will be discussed in the Obama “show” will not be any different than the
news piece reported by Reuters which said that Obama opened the Barack Obama
Presidential Center in Chicago, which he hopes will become a center to “train”
future leaders.
What's the harm?
These are two American symbols, or rather global leftist and liberal symbols,
who believe in values like the Arab Spring, and who are politically dragged
behind naïve ideas like betting on the fictitious Iranian moderation.
The latter idea was the dangerous cultural motive behind the worst deal in our
region – the P5+1 deal with Iran, the “actual” conclusion of which was to
empower Iran’s position in the Arab world in exchange for suspending its
“military” nuclear program and opening up the Iranian market for western
companies.
Barack and Michelle Obama and Hillary, and I won’t include her husband Bill
Clinton here, represent a political and cultural threat that’s dangerous to
stability in the Arab world due to their delusional ideas they have about change
and revolution and other leftist illusions. Becoming leading and influential
figures on social media platforms and modern production services must be
thoroughly contemplated and paid attention to.
Barack and Michelle entered the world of Netflix and Hillary is waiting for her
turn at Facebook. We must develop solid means of protection from the
disadvantages of this propaganda which will infiltrate the hearts and minds of
the youth, and we must do so soon.
Looking back, (Israeli) Gaza pullout was a mistake
بالعودة إلى الوراء في الزمن..فإن الإنسحاب الإسرائيلي من
غزة كان خاطئاً
Sever Plocker/Ynetnews/May 28/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/64978/ynetnews-looking-back-israeli-gaza-pullout-was-a-mistake-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%85/
PM Netanyahu, Minister Lieberman to meet European leaders on
Iran
رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي سيلتقي قادة أوروبا لبحت الشأن الإيراني
Itamar Eichner, Shahar Hay and Yoav Zitun/Haaretz/May 28/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/64978/ynetnews-looking-back-israeli-gaza-pullout-was-a-mistake-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%85/