Detailed
Lebanese & Lebanese Related LCCC English New Bulletin For October 13/2018
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias
Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias18/english.october13.18.htm
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Bible
Quotations
The
kingdom of God is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three
measures of flour until all of it was leavened.
Luke 13/18-21: "He said therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to
what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and
sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air
made nests in its branches. ’And again he said, ‘To what should I compare
the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with
three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."
نشرات اخبار عربية وانكليزية مطولة ومفصلة يومية على موقعنا الألكتروني على
الرابط التالي
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Daily Lebanese/Arabic - English news bulletins on our LCCC web site.Click on
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Titles For The Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published on October 12-13/18
Hezbollah & The Majority of Those Who Allege To Oppose Its Occupation Are
Two faces for the same coin/Elias Bejjani/October 12/18
Lebanon's ‘Assayad’ publisher and the end of an era/Radwan al-Sayed/Al
Arabiya/October 12/18
Spain: Islamic State Recruiting in Prisons/Soeren Kern/Gatestone
Institute/October 12/18
Trump Is Up a China Cold War Without a Plan/Mark Gongloff/Bloomberg/October
12/18
Why America Has a Two-Track Economy/Barry Ritholtz/Bloomberg/October 12/18
From Truman to Trump: The Rise and Fall of a Paradigm/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al
Awsat/October 12/18
Wars of chaos against Egypt and Saudi Arabia/Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/October
12/18
On the curious case of Khashoggi’s disappearance/Faisal J. Abbas/Arab
News/October 12/18
Why are Washington, Moscow and Beijing competing on New Delhi/Shehab Al-Makahleh/Al
Arabiya/October 12/18
Iran’s nuclear defiance should not be ignored/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/October 12/18
We must go back to basics to save our planet/Mohamed Chebaro/Arab
News/October 12/18
Titles For The
Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on
October 12-13/18
Hezbollah & The
Majority of Those Who Allege To Oppose Its Occupation Are Two faces for the
same coin
President Aoun back from Armenia
Berri in Geneva to participate in IPU meetings
Juny concludes hearings over LBC ownership, verdict to be issued on February
28
Battle of Portfolios Kicks off in Lebanon
Aoun: Presence of Francophone Community in the East is Proof of Interaction
with Arab Culture
Lebanon’s Justice Minister Calls for Speeding up STL Work to Avoid High
Costs
Aoun: Government Formation ‘a Lebanese Affair’
Report: All Eyes On Aoun-Macron Meeting in Yerevan
Government 'Unlikely' to Be Formed Soon, Says Hizbullah
Qabalan Says ‘Ruling Class’ Fighting over Oil ‘Spoils’
Bassil: Govt. to be Formed when Aoun, Hariri Agree on Formation Standards
32 Rescued after UNIFIL Locates Missing Boat between Cyprus and Lebanon
Nasrallah Calls Netanyahu's Claims a 'Farce', Says Iran, Syria Not Blocking
Govt.
MP Geagea Slams Bassil's 'Malicious, Evil' Remarks
STL President Ends Working Visit to Lebanon
Souaid Deplores Blatant Suppression in Lebanon
Foreign Ministry Allocated Sum to Buy Three Cars
Lebanon's ‘Assayad’ publisher and the end of an era
Titles For The Latest LCCC
Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on October 12-13/18
US pastor Andrew brunson freed in Turkey despite 3-year jail term
US-Russian Dispute on Syria Reconstruction
Syria Kurds Say they Hold 900 Foreign ISIS Militants
Bulldozers Scoop Slow Way to Recovery in Syria's Yarmuk
Fear Grips Syria City Seized from Kurds by Turkish-Backed Rebels
UK refuses to take back British ISIS fighters detained in Syria
Jordanian King Approves 1st Reshuffle of Razzaz’s Cabinet
Ashmawy Expected to Be Handed over to Egypt Next Week
Arrest of Financiers Deals Fresh Blow to ISIS in Iraq
Five Palestinians killed in border protests - Gaza medics
UN envoy ‘no longer acceptable’ for Palestinians
Israel Captures Palestinian Knife Attack Suspect
Erdogan says Kurdish militia still in Syria’s Manbij, Turkey to act
Macron Says Disappearance of Saudi Journalist 'Very Serious'
Saudi Ambassador 'Concerned' about Missing Journalist
Saudi official welcomes Turkey response for joint team in Khashoggi’s case
Saudi Delegation in Turkey for Talks on Missing Writer
Branson Suspends Saudi Links over Missing Journalist
Japan PM Abe to Make Rare China Visit
Egyptian military court sentences 17 to death for ISIS church attacks
The Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on
October 12-13/18
Hezbollah & The
Majority of Those Who Allege To Oppose Its Occupation Are Two faces for the
same coin
Elias Bejjani/October 12/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/68066/elias-bejjani-hezbollah-the-majority-of-those-who-allege-to-oppose-its-occupation-are-two-faces-for-the-same-coin/
Hezbollah and its governing political figures, Trojans, media puppets’ team
and all the subservient tools are actual national disasters.
Yes, they are the oppressive occupation, but those hypocrites and
opportunists who falsely pose themselves as the opposition under the banners
of sovereignty, freedoms, public representation, realism and martyrs’
sacrifices are millions of times worse than them in all domains and on all
levels.. and more dangerous especially in regards to the Lebanese
distinguishable identity.
Sadly both are in reality and in all political and patriotic stances two
faces for the same coin.
Those politicians and political parties as well as activists who have no
conscience, self respect or faith and do not fear the God or His Judgement
Day, can not be a substitute to Hezbollah, the occupier or to its Trojan
tools because they are real and actual threats to the Lebanese people and to
all that is Lebanon and Lebanese.
President Aoun back from Armenia
Fri 12 Oct 2018/NNA - President of the Republic, General
Michel Aoun, Lebanese First Lady, Nadia Al-Shami Aoun, and the official
accompanying delegation have returned to Beirut after participating in the
Francophone Summit held in Armenia's Yerevan.
Berri in Geneva to participate in IPU meetings
Fri 12 Oct 2018/NNA - Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri arrived in Geneva,
heading a delegation of deputies including Yassine Jaber, Michel Moussa,
Hagop Pakradounian and Roula Al-Tabash, to participate in the General
Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which will discuss a number of
international issues as well as environmental and youth problems.
Berri will attend tomorrow (Saturday) two meetings for parliaments of Arab
and Islamic countries which will focus on the agenda of the conference and
issues of concern to the Arab and Islamic worlds.
Juny concludes hearings over LBC ownership, verdict to
be issued on February 28
Fri 12 Oct 2018/NNA - Judge Fatima Juny concluded the hearings into the suit
filed by the Lebanese Forces and its leader Samir Geagea against Pierre
Daher over the ownership of the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation LBC. The
judge set February 28 as the date for the issuance of the verdict in this
case.
Battle of Portfolios
Kicks off in Lebanon
Beirut - Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 12 October, 2018/Despite a
positive climate surrounding Lebanon's cabinet formation process, the two
principal Christian and Druze obstacles remained unsolved Thursday after
concerned parties said they had not received any official proposals on their
ministerial shares. The Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party
confirmed that Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri did not propose to them
any formula. A source from the LF told Asharq Al-Awsat, “The climate is
neither positive nor negative.”He said Hariri was exerting stronger efforts
to solve the cabinet crisis. “Results of those efforts will see light next
week. Either Hariri succeeds in forming the government, or things would
return to the previous phase,” the source explained. There have been reports
that the LF would receive four ministerial portfolios, including the deputy
PM’s seat. However, the party has rejected a proposal to get the Ministries
of Social Affairs, Education and Culture. The LF position was echoed by PSP
officials, who said that the party was not informed of any ministerial
formula. A member of the Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc, deputy
Bilal Abdullah, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the main obstacle now lies in the
Christian camp after PSP leader Walid Jumblat expressed willingness to give
up one of the Druze seats. On Thursday, the Central News Agency quoted
sources as saying that the distribution of ministerial shares is almost
complete, and that discussions have kicked off on the type of portfolios
allocated to each party. The sources assert that “Hezbollah” would receive
the Health Ministry, which will be headed by a nonpartisan doctor from
Baalbek. Hariri’s Mustaqbal Movement would keep the Interior,
Telecommunications and Labor portfolios while the Free Patriotic Movement
favors appointing women at the Energy or Foreign ministries. Reports also
stated that caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil prefers to head the
Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs.
Aoun: Presence of Francophone Community in the East is
Proof of Interaction with Arab Culture
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 12 October, 2018/Lebanon’s President Michel
Aoun said on Thursday that Francophone countries aimed to “deepen the
dialogue between civilizations and bring people closer to know each other”,
as well as making the French language close and beloved by the communities.
In a speech delivered at the opening of the 17th Francophonie Summit in
Yerevan, Armenia, the president said: “Lebanon, with its pluralistic society
and where different sects and religions meet, is a world in miniature.”He
continued: “After years of tribulations, we have succeeded in overcoming
[divisions] and embracing coexistence… Amid the rise of dark forces based on
extremism... and marginalization, the francophone people are required today
more than ever to continue to underscore the message of coexistence.”Aoun
emphasized “the need to establish international institutions specialized in
training and the dissemination of dialogue among civilizations, religions
and races, to establish a culture of peace.”“Languages are the link between
different cultures and identities. Francophone aims not only at making the
French language familiar within communities, but to deepening dialogue
between civilizations and bringing people closer together,” he said. He went
on to say that the presence of Francophone communities in the East was
evidence of the solidarity and interaction with the Arabic language and
culture. He also expressed his appreciation and pleasure for the decision
taken by the International Organization of the Francophonie to designate
Beirut its regional Middle East headquarters. He thanked “all those who
contributed to this decision”, promising to “provide all necessary support
for the new office to be able to assume its role and functions.”
Lebanon’s Justice Minister Calls for Speeding up STL Work to Avoid High
Costs
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 12 October, 2018/Minister of Justice in the
caretaker government Salim Jreissati has called for speeding up the work of
the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to limit its high expenses. During a
meeting on Thursday, Jreissati discussed with STL President Judge Ivana
Hrdlickova the course of the judicial stages of the tribunal. The meeting
was held in the presence of STL Deputy President Judge Ralph Riachi and a
number of STL officials. “In my capacity as Minister of Justice, I expressed
in the name of the Lebanese government a concern that has two aspects: the
first is revealing the truth in the case of the assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and his companions, which is STL’s main mission,
while the second is the question of time, because in Lebanon time is
costly,” Jreissati said, noting that the STL was the only court in the world
that gets half of its funding from the concerned country. “The international
tribunal is the only court in the world that is financed by the concerned
country on a half expenses basis,” he explained. The minister noted in this
regard that he agreed with the STL president to speed up verdicts in the
preliminary phase, adding that discussions also touched on the appeals phase
and the so-called linked cases. “Time is the basis for the truth in
accordance with the highest standards of international criminal justice, as
stated in Resolution 1757, its annexes and the rules of procedure and
evidence of the court. This time is also precious in terms of the high
annual financial cost of this court. It was agreed to accelerate the
issuance of verdicts in their preliminary stage,” he stated.
Aoun: Government Formation ‘a Lebanese Affair’
Naharnet/October 12/18/President Michel stressed on Friday after meeting
French President Emmanuel Macron that the formation of Lebanon’s government
is strictly a Lebanese affair, noting that his presence in Armenia is not
meant to discuss the formation process. “Forming a Lebanese government is
strictly a Lebanese affair. I did not come to Armenia to discuss the
government issue,” said Aoun after a closed-door meeting with Macron on the
sidelines of the Francophonie Summit in Yerevan. Aoun added saying that
“Macron wants Lebanon to have a new government after the parliamentary
elections.” After meeting Macron, the President held talks with Tunisian
President Beji Caid Essebsi, the National News Agency said. Essebsi noted
Aoun’s “role in supporting Arab issues and in leading Lebanon to a shore of
safety, stability and sovereignty.” He invited Aoun to visit Tunisia, NNA
said.
Report: All Eyes On Aoun-Macron Meeting in Yerevan
Naharnet/October 12/18/An anticipated meeting on Friday between President
Michel Aoun and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the
Francophone Summit in Yerevan, draws attention as it highlights the future
of loans pledged for Lebanon at the CEDRE conference, al-Joumhouria daily
reported on Friday. Sources of the official Lebanese delegation to Armenia,
said the two men are to meet in a side hall of the building that hosts the
Francophone Summit. Talks are expected to focus on the “government
formation, the CEDRE Lebanon support conference and the Syrian refugees
crisis,” they said. Caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil will join the
meeting, added the sources. Whether Macron carries an initiative for
Lebanon, they said “he is expected to urge the expedition of the government
formation in order to save the pledges made at CEDRE.”French Presidential
Envoy Ambassador Pierre Dukan had on Thursday held talks with Speaker Nabih
Berri and PM-designate Saad Hariri. He emphasized the need to expedite the
formation. Last month, Dukan had urged Berri to speed up the formation,
otherwise the money allocated at CEDRE will be given to other countries.
International donors pledged $11 billion for Lebanon at the CEDRE economic
conference in Paris held in April. But political disagreements have led to a
delay in the implementation of loans and grants.
Government 'Unlikely' to Be Formed Soon, Says Hizbullah
Naharnet/October 12/18/Hizbullah reportedly said a government is unlikely to
be formed within the time limit pledged by PM-designate Saad Hariri in light
of the obstacles hampering the process, al-Joumhouria daily reported on
Friday. “In light of the internal difficulties and obstacles hampering the
formation, it is unlikely for the government to be formed within the ten-day
time limit set by Hariri,” Hizbullah sources told the daily. However the
sources did not elaborate further. Last week, Hariri had expected a Cabinet
be formed within a week to ten days. Hariri was designated on May 24 to form
a new government, but his mission has since been delayed because of
disagreements among political parties over shares and portfolios.
Qabalan Says ‘Ruling Class’ Fighting over Oil ‘Spoils’
Naharnet/October 12/18/Grand Jaafarite Shiite Mufti Sheikh Ahmed Qabalan
urged the “ruling class” in Lebanon to end wrangling over the country’s oil
and gas wealth, asking them to focus instead on the people’s concerns and
livelihood matters. “It is painful to see the people in power trying to
secretly put their hand on the oil wealth, while the country is passing
through the most difficult circumstances. This wealth belongs to the people,
it is their right and we warn against any attempts to steal it,” said
Qabalan in a speech during Friday prayers. He added: “Oil wealth is a red
line. We urge everyone to stop wrangling over oil spoils and remember that
the (government) budget deficit has exceeded $84 billion, unemployment hit
unprecedented numbers adding to the crisis of Syrian refugees and foreign
employment,” and many other problems. Qabalan accused the ruling class of
being “power greedy” and indifferent of the people’s concerns while focusing
on wrangling over ministerial shares and quotas in the government.
Bassil: Govt. to be Formed when Aoun, Hariri Agree on
Formation Standards
Naharnet/October 12/18/The new government will be formed when President
Michel Aoun and PM-designate Saad Hariri agree on unified “formation
standards,” Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil said on Thursday.
“Lebanon's government will be created in Lebanon when the president and the
PM-designate agree on formation standards. Those who accept it can stay in
it and those who don't want it can leave,” Bassil said in an interview with
MTV. “We understand the situation of the PM-designate and we are helping
him. We are sacrificing for Hariri and for the sake of the country,” Bassil
said. “Hariri will overcome the crises and obstacles. I'm one of the parties
and the issue is in the hand of the president and the PM-designate,” the FPM
chief added. Reassuring the Lebanese that “there will be a government,”
Bassi lamented that “unfortunately, some parties waste time during every
formation process before we eventually reach the same result.”As for the
controversy over the Lebanese Forces' share in the new government, Bassil
said “the LF is only entitled to three ministerial seats.”“But we don't mind
if someone wants to give them seats from his share,” he added. “We're not
against giving the LF a sovereign portfolio and we suggested that they get
the foreign affairs portfolio but we were told that there is opposition to
that, so we asked Hariri to give them the interior portfolio and take the
foreign portfolio for his movement but this did not happen,” Bassil
revealed. “I'm paying the price daily through political assassination and
the falsification has reached the extent of accusing us of sabotaging our
interests through blocking the formation of the government,” the FPM chief
decried. And noting that it is “not important” whether or not he gets
re-appointed as a minister, Bassil emphasized that he is “not a presidential
candidate” out of respect for himself and for President Aoun. As for his
relation with Hariri, Bassil underlined that he does not have a problem with
the premier-designate. “I have not obstructed the formation of the
government but rather facilitated it through saying that we're willing to
stay outside the government,” the FPM chief said about the press conference
he held after Hariri's latest optimistic remarks regarding the formation
process.
32 Rescued after UNIFIL Locates Missing Boat between Cyprus and Lebanon
Naharnet/October 12/18/The Maritime Task Force (MTF) of the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) participated in a search and rescue
operation at sea after receiving reports on Wednesday of a missing boat off
the coast of Lebanon, the U.N. force said on Friday.
“UNIFIL was informed that a small boat, allegedly heading towards Cyprus,
was missing. UNIFIL tasked its Maritime Force to locate the missing vessel.
On 11 October at 1130 hrs, UNIFIL’s flagship, BRS Liberal, found a small
white boat northwest of Beirut in the area of responsibility of Rescue
Coordinator Center Beirut,” a UNIFIL statement said. “There were 32
passengers on board: 19 men, six women and seven children. The boat was out
of fuel and the passengers had been without food and water for four days.
While waiting for the Lebanese Navy to arrive, UNIFIL naval peacekeepers
distributed water and food, and provided medical assistance,” it added.
“After the Lebanese Navy arrived at the scene, the passengers were able to
board the Lebanese patrol boats and arrived at Beirut port at 0145 hrs on
Friday 12 October, escorted by UNIFIL,” UNIFIL said. In a statement, the
Lebanese Army said the boat was carrying 32 Syrian and Lebanese citizens.
“They were heading towards Cyprus illegally,” the army confirmed, noting
that the boat was intercepted by UNIFIL off the city of Tripoli and outside
the Lebanese territorial waters. “Crews from the Military Healthcare and the
Lebanese Red Cross examined them and investigations got underway under the
supervision of the relevant judicial authorities,” the army added. Caretaker
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil had warned the international community in an
interview overnight Thursday that the displaced Syrians in Lebanon have
started heading by sea to Cyprus. The United Nations' refugee agency (UNHCR)
has registered nearly one million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Humanitarian
representatives and government officials say the number is likely much
higher, since many Syrians who have fled to Lebanon are not officially
registered with the United Nations.
In September, EU member Cyprus announced it was looking to broker a
repatriation agreement with Lebanon because of an increased influx of
migrants from the nearby country. Cyprus Interior Minister Constantinos
Petrides said his country faces one of the largest migratory flows per
capita, with 4,022 asylum requests in the first eight months of 2018 -- 55
percent more than in the same period last year.
Nasrallah Calls Netanyahu's Claims a 'Farce', Says
Iran, Syria Not Blocking Govt.
Naharnet/October 12/18/Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah on Friday dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's
claims about the presence of missile plants near Beirut airport as a
“farce,” as he emphasized that Tehran and Damascus are not blocking the
formation of the new government.
“Netanyahu's psychological warfare over the missiles was a farce,” said
Nasrallah in a televised speech commemorating the late mother of slain
Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh. “Our silence over our weapons is
deliberate and purposeful,” Nasrallah noted.Referring to the tour of the
alleged missile sites that caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil
organized for the foreign ambassadors in Lebanon and the press, Nasrallah
described it as “an initiative from the Lebanese Foreign Ministry” that was
not coordinated with his party. “We laud this move,” Nasrallah added,
thanking Bassil for the initiative and hailing his "advanced diplomacy."
“Our policy is based on 'constructive silence' and we do not give 'free
information' to the enemy,” Nasrallah went on to say, while noting that he
understands the Lebanese government's concerns over the image of a sensitive
public facility such as Beirut's airport.
“No one must aid the enemy in its psychological warfare against our country
and government,” Nasrallah emphasized, pointing out that Israel had sought
to “scare and intimidate people” through SMS messages that were sent during
the peak of Israel's diplomatic and social media offensive over the alleged
missile sites. “I want to thank people for their sarcastic responses to the
allegations of the incompetent Israeli officials. This is the responsibility
of everyone in Lebanon,” Nasrallah added. Turning to the stalled cabinet
formation process, Hizbullah's chief said his party has “nothing new to say”
regarding the issue. “We are waiting for what the coming days will carry and
we stress the importance of speeding up the formation process,” Nasrallah
said. “Iran is not interfering in the cabinet formation process in any way
and I can confirm that Syria is not interfering. This is a Lebanese affair
and a Lebanese decision can be taken,” Nasrallah added, noting that “the
region and the world are preoccupied” with other issues.
MP Geagea Slams Bassil's 'Malicious, Evil' Remarks
Naharnet/October 12/18/MP Sethrida Geagea of the Lebanese Forces on Friday
lashed out at Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil over remarks he
voiced in a TV interview overnight Thursday. Referring to Bassil's remarks
on the expected reconciliation between the LF and the Marada Movement,
Geagea said the FPM chief “spoke of the issue in the worst and most
malicious way possible, in remarks filled with spite, evil and bad
intentions towards the two parties.” “His opening of this wound was based on
totally false information and those who have passed away know very well who
decided and who carried out” the 1978 massacre against Marada Movement chief
Suleiman Franjieh's family, the MP added. In his interview on MTV on
Thursday, Bassil said that “if Franjieh manages to forgive the person who
killed his family, then he can also forgive the person whom he thinks has
taken the presidency from him.” Bassil's remarks carried an apparent
accusation that LF leader Samir Geagea played a role in the massacre.
Turning to Bassil's stance on the LF's share in the new government, Sethrida
Geagea denied the FPM chief's claim that “all political forces are against
giving the LF a sovereign portfolio.” “This is pure misinformation. It is
enough to demonstrate the stances of all parties since the beginning of the
cabinet formation process to verify that no one has opposed the allocation
of a sovereign portfolio to the LF other than Minister Bassil,” Geagea
added. The four so-called sovereign portfolios are foreign affairs, defense,
interior and finance.
STL President Ends Working Visit to Lebanon
Naharnet/October 12/18/The President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL),
Judge Ivana Hrdličková, visited Beirut this week and met with Lebanese
officials and counterparts to update them on the work of the Tribunal, STL
said Friday. “Hrdličková and Vice President Judge Ralph Riachi met with the
Minister of Justice Salim Jreissati and the Prosecutor General Judge Samir
Hammoud. They also met representatives of the diplomatic community in
Lebanon,” an STL statement said. Hrdličková and Riachi participated in a
number of outreach events, including two briefings on the STL's latest
judicial developments to a group of Lebanese NGOs, and ambassadors and
academics at the American University of Science and Technology (AUST). “My
visit this week to Lebanon aimed at meeting with the Lebanese officials, the
diplomatic community as well as the civil society to update them on the
latest judicial developments at the Tribunal and more specifically on the
end of trial hearings preceding the upcoming Judgment in the Ayyash et al.
case,” said Judge Hrdličková. The STL President also gave a lecture on
“Evidence before international criminal tribunals and the specifics of
evidence before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon" to students and professors
at the Beirut Arab University. Finally, Judge Riachi, Vice President of the
Tribunal, was presented with the Légion d’honneur by the Ambassador of
France to Lebanon during a ceremony at the Pine Residence.
Souaid Deplores Blatant Suppression in Lebanon
Kataeb.org/Friday 12th October 2018/Former MP Fares Souaid on Friday said
that the forcible cancellation of the meeting of Saydet Al-Jabal Gathering
for two consecutive times has become a public opinion case that revolves
around the state of freedom in Lebanon. Gefinor Rotana Hotel on Thursday
informed former MP Fares Souaid that it can no longer host the meeting of
Saydet Al-Jabal Gathering that was set to take place on Sunday. This is the
second hotel to abruptly call off the event, after the forcible cancellation
of the meeting that was set to be held at the Bristol Hotel in Beirut last
week. In the wake of the first cancellation, Hezbollah's senior official
Wafik Safa admitted that he had personally asked the hotel to not host the
event. “The Saydet Al-Jabal Gathering is legal, orderly and democratic; its
funding is transparent and its members are experts with a respectful
political experience,” Souaid said during a press conference. “Lebanon is
subject to a blatant suppression that is being enforced unashamedly; the
situation today is worse than it was in the past,” he added. “The ruling
authority is yielding to Hezbollah which is trying to eliminate whoever
speaks up against Iranian tutelage over Lebanon,” he deplored, warning that
“the ruling authority's silence over such suppressive actions makes it an
accomplice.”Souaid pointed out that both the Kataeb party and the National
Liberal party have put their headquarters at the disposal of Saydet Al-Jabal
Gathering so that it can hold its meetings, also praising former President
Amine Gemayel for doing the same. Earlier this week, the Kataeb party hosted
a broad meeting of Saydet Al-Jabal Gathering at its headquarters in Saifi to
voice absolute opposition to the growing political oppression in the country
and to renew unwavering commitment to all forms of freedom.
Foreign Ministry Allocated Sum to Buy Three Cars
Kataeb.org/Friday 12th October 2018/The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been
alloted a sum of LBP 325 million (almost $217,000) to buy three cars,
journalist Nawfal Daou revealed on Friday. Daou posted on his Twitter page
photos from the Official Gazette, issued on October 11, showing the decree
which stipulates said allocation. The decree number 3279 allows the transfer
of LBP 325 million from the 2018 public budget reserves to enable the
Foreign Affairs Ministry to purchase three BMW 530i type cars, as per the
Cabinet decision approved on May 21, 2018. “The Foreign Ministry’s
austerity, prevention of squandering, as well as commitment to reforms and
change have all been manifested in Minister Gebran Bassil’s purchase of
three brand new cars for approximately $225,000,” Daou wrote.
Lebanon's ‘Assayad’
publisher and the end of an era
Radwan al-Sayed/Al Arabiya/October 12/18
When Dar Assayad announced suspending its publications, including Al-Anwar
newspaper and Assayad Magazine, I felt really sad. I haven’t been a reader
of Dar Assyad publications for a while except for the articles of Rafiq
Khoury in Al-Anwar. However, for the 70s generation, Al-Anwar was considered
Gamal Abdel Nasser’s newspaper. It is reminiscent of the union between Egypt
and Syria. The daily and the magazine followed up on the efforts of the late
great Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in founding the UAE and on the
establishment of the united Yemeni state in 1990. It was an Arab era that is
full of moments of pride and happiness and the worries of despair and
disappointments. It was the era of the Arab dream, hopes and horizons even
if mixed up with defeats. Did Dar Assayad close because the Arab dream has
ended? The technical reason for closing is that the time for paper printing
and publication is over. This has affected major magazines and newspapers
around the world, and it’s something that cannot be ignored because its
repercussions can be seen everywhere. It’s the era of “social media”, and
even satellite channels are heavily impacted.It is not just paper
publications that face extinction, but also the political times that
Al-Anwar covered and stood for. Thus suspending Dar Assayad publications did
not cause any sadness, but it actually was reminder of past grief
Extinction of paper publications
Paper publications depend on advertisements so why would businessmen publish
an advertisement in a paper that no one reads? Lebanese newspapers, which
are private dailies that are not funded by the government and that rarely
benefit from official advertisements, received what was known as political
money.
The money was offered by parties that wanted to promote the opinion of the
concerned newspaper and that wanted to get closer to a specific audience
which supports this newspaper’s viewpoints or ideology. The time of paper
publications is about to come to an end, and the Arab or Arabist movement
which Assayad publications adopted has actually ended. There are no longer
people buying this newspaper or advertising in it since it humors a movement
that no longer exists or that’s no longer active at least in Lebanon. It is
not just paper publications that face extinction, but also the political
times that Al-Anwar covered and stood for. Thus suspending Dar Assayad
publications did not cause any sadness, but it actually reminded of past
grief, the end of the second Arab era. The first Arab era came with the end
of Western colonialism while the second Arab era was the time of building
nation states. Since individuals die and nations do not, we are waiting for
the third and fourth Arab eras, though the indicators and signs of them
rising are not clear yet. My generation had another reason for grief. Due to
the old prestigious Egyptian and Lebanese press, we have several
distinguished journalists. Most of them crossed the ages of 70 and 80 years.
Each one of them is famous for at least one unforgettable article, report,
opinion or analysis. Each one of them wrote more than one book.
No one should think that these books were made up of a collection of
articles written by the writer. These are mostly books or novels that
contain a lot of creativity and profundity. Every one of us can tell the
distinction between a real writer and journalist and an unprofessional
one.Usually the unoriginal owners of newspapers turn into businessmen or
politicians, while real journalists stick to daily or weekly writings
throughout their lives. All of us know 20 or more journalists in Egypt and
Lebanon who have preserved their work in this difficult enlightening career
for decades. We do not want those to die because they had to stop writing.
If any one of us dies, he dies alone, but the real or worse death happens
when you witness your friends dying, either by death or due to the end of an
era. Famous poet Jarir ibn Atiyah once stood outside the door of Omar bin
Abd al-Aziz but was refused entry. When he saw an orator enter, he said: “O
man with the loose turban! This is your time, since my time has been left
out.”
Yes, it’s the time of hustle and social media!
The Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News
published
on
October 12-13/18
US
pastor Andrew brunson freed in Turkey despite 3-year jail term
Reuters/October 12/18/ANKARA: A Turkish court ruled on Friday that the
American evangelical Christian pastor at the center of a row between Ankara
and Washington could go free, a move that could be the first step towards
mending ties between the NATO allies.
The court sentenced Andrew Brunson to three years and 1-1/2 months in prison
on terrorism charges, but said he would not serve any further jail time. The
pastor, who has lived in Turkey for more than 20 years, was put in prison
two years ago and has been under house arrest since July.
US President Donald Trump, who has imposed sanctions on Turkey in an attempt
to secure Brunson's release, tweeted: "PASTOR BRUNSON JUST RELEASED. WILL BE
HOME SOON!" Dressed in a black suit, white shirt and red tie, the North
Carolina native wept as the decision was announced, witnesses said. Before
the judge's ruling he had told the court: "I am an innocent man. I love
Jesus, I love Turkey." After the ruling, Brunson's lawyer told reporters the
pastor was likely to leave Turkey. The diplomatic stand-off over Brunson,
who had been pastor of the Izmir Resurrection Church, had accelerated a
selloff in Turkey's lira, worsening a financial crisis. Brunson had been
accused of links to Kurdish militants and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the
cleric blamed by Turkey for a coup attempt in 2016. Brunson denied the
accusation and Washington had demanded his immediate release. Witnesses told
the court in the western town of Aliaga that testimonies against the pastor
attributed to them were inaccurate. After the judge questioned one witness,
Brunson said the judge was asking about incidents Brunson had not been
involved in. His wife Norine looked on from the visitors' area. Trump has
scored points with evangelical Christians, a large part of his political
base, by focusing on the Brunson case. The pastor's release could boost
Trump's ability to spur such voters to vote in large numbers for Republicans
in the Nov. 6 elections, which will determine whether they keep control of
Congress. The heavily conservative constituency voted overwhelmingly for
Trump in 2016. He has called Brunson a "great Christian", and Vice President
Mike Pence, the White House's top emissary to evangelicals, has urged
Americans to pray for Brunson. US broadcaster NBC said on Thursday that
Washington had had done a secret deal with Ankara to secure Brunson's
release. The lira stood at 5.910 to the dollar at 1336 GMT, little changed
on the day after firming 3 percent on Thursday on expectations that Brunson
would be released. Relations between the two NATO allies are also under
strain from disputes over U.S. support for Kurdish fighters in northern
Syria, Turkey's plans to buy a Russian missile defence system, and the
jailing of a Turkish bank executive for violating U.S. sanctions on Iran.
With Brunson's release, attention may now turn to the fate of a Turkish-U.S.
national and former NASA scientist in jail in Turkey on terrorism charges,
as well as local employees of the US consulate who have also been detained.
US-Russian Dispute on
Syria Reconstruction
Moscow - London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 12 October, 2018/A dispute between
the US and Russia on the reconstruction of Syria grew on Thursday after US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed that Washington would not make any
financial contribution as long as there are Iranian forces or their backed
militias in the war-torn country. On the other hand, Russian President
Vladimir Putin expressed hope that the international community would join
forces to rebuild Syria. During a ceremony at the Kremlin where he received
credentials from 23 new ambassadors representing five Kingdoms and 18 other
countries, Putin stressed the importance of international unity to
facilitate the recovery of Syrian economy and infrastructure as well as the
return of the displaced. A day earlier, Pompeo made remarks reflecting for
the first time Washington’s new policy towards Syria, after a number of US
officials had issued statements signaling similar positions in the past
weeks. “If Syria doesn’t ensure the total withdrawal of Iranian-backed
troops, it will not receive one single dollar from the United States for
reconstruction,” Pompeo told the Jewish Institute for National Security of
America.
According to the UN, rebuilding Syria could cost $250 billion. “The onus for
expelling Iran from the country falls on the Syrian government, which bears
responsibility for its presence there,” said the US Secretary of State. Over
the past months, the US and the European Union have rejecting Russian
appeals to help with reconstruction until an agreement is reached on
power-sharing in Syria. The United States has some 2,000 troops in Syria,
mainly training and advising opposition fighters. Pompeo said that fighting
ISIS “continues to be a top priority” but listed rolling back Iran as
another. For his part, Putin said Russia’s role was very decisive in
directing the final blow against terrorism to protect the entity of the
Syrian state.
Syria Kurds Say they
Hold 900 Foreign ISIS Militants
Qamishli (Syria) - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 12 October, 2018/Syrian Kurdish
forces battling ISIS hold around 900 of the terrorist organization's foreign
militants, a spokesman said on Thursday, a sharp increase from a previous
figure. In lengthy battles against ISIS in the war-torn country, the Kurdish
People's Protection Units (YPG) have rounded up thousands of alleged ISIS
members, Syrian and otherwise. "Around 900 ISIS terrorists are in our
jails... from 44 countries," YPG spokesman Nuri Mahmud told Agence France
Presse. That is a sharp rise from the figure of 520, given by another
Kurdish official last month. "The war is ongoing and until now we are
arresting terrorists," Mahmud explained, referring to ongoing battles
against ISIS in eastern Syria. "The numbers have increased over the past
months from the battles between our forces and ISIS," he said. Syrian Kurds
also hold 550 women and around 1,200 children from the families of ISIS
members, according to local officials. ISIS seized large swathes of Syria
and neighboring Iraq in 2014, declaring a so-called "caliphate" in areas
they controlled. But multiple offensives in both countries have since
decimated that proto-state. In Syria, the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces
last month launched a battle to expel the militants from their last eastern
redoubt of Hajin near the Iraqi border.
Bulldozers Scoop Slow
Way to Recovery in Syria's Yarmuk
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 12/18/Not far from where he used to
live, Palestinian engineer Mahmud Khaled watched as bulldozers rumbled back
and forth scooping up smashed concrete from the devastated streets of
Syria's Yarmuk. Once home to 160,000 Palestinian refugees, the camp in the
Damascus suburbs has been emptied of its inhabitants and pounded to rubble
in Syria's seven-year war. But five months after regime forces expelled the
last jihadists in the area, soldiers now stand guard at the camp's entrance,
wearing face masks to protect themselves against the dust billowing up into
the air. On a narrow street inside the camp where he grew up, Khaled has
returned to help oversee bulldozers and diggers engaged in joint
Palestinian-Syrian clean-up operations. "When we first entered, we were
horrified by what we saw," said the 56-year-old engineer, wearing a light
grey and white checkered shirt.
"But after we started the clean-up, it all started to look up," Khaled said.
Off Yarmuk's main artery, recently cleared side streets are flanked by
buildings ravaged by years of fighting. Some have been reduced to mountains
of grey rubble and mangled rebar. In others, entire floors dangle
dangerously downwards, their steel rods jutting out. "We have shifted 50,000
cubic metres of rubble and reopened all the main roads," Khaled said. But
"it will be a while before families can come back", he added. As Khaled
surveyed the neighbourhood, a yellow bulldozer spilled rubble into a large
red truck behind him. Tens of thousands have fled Yarmuk since Syria's
conflict started in 2011 and government forces imposed a crippling siege on
the then rebel-held camp a year later. Since the latest round of fighting to
expel the Islamic State group ended in May, the United Nations agency for
Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said no residents have been allowed to return.
Walking through the camp, Khaled pointed out his former home and the office
where he used to work. The first had been damaged in fighting, while the
second was completely destroyed.
The very beginning'
With about a fifth of Yarmuk reduced to rubble in the war, according to an
initial estimate, Khaled said there is still much work to be done. And
although he estimates 40 percent of the buildings could be lived in, another
40 percent need major work before their residents can return. When he
visited the camp in May, UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness described it as lying
"in ruins".Basic services such as water and electricity were so severely
damaged, he said, that it was hard to imagine people returning any time
soon. Funded by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Syrian
government, the clearing operation has been ongoing for 20 days and is
expected to take another month to complete. But there are no clear plans yet
for the reconstruction of the neighbourhood or its ravaged infrastructure.
PLO official Anwar Abdel Hadi told AFP he hoped reconstruction would start
"as soon as possible so that our people can return to the camp". "But the
rebuilding is still awaiting a government decision," he said. Back in Yarmuk,
Ibrahim Am Ali walked between the bulldozers, oblivious to the dust
permeating his clothes. "I was desperate when I saw how destroyed the
building was where my brothers and I had gathered over the past years," said
the 74-year-old, also part of the team overseeing the clean-up work. Now "we
have started rebuilding the camp," the Syrian-Palestinian said, wearing a
light purple shirt. "Perhaps I will never see it completely rebuilt, but
it's enough for me to have taken part in the very beginning."
Fear Grips Syria City Seized from Kurds by Turkish-Backed Rebels
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 12/18/From kidnappings for ransom to
armed robberies and torture: residents of Syria's Afrin region say they are
suffering a litany of abuses at the hands of Turkish-backed rebels. They say
the fear of harassment has kept them shuttered inside their homes since
Ankara and its Arab rebel allies overran the then overwhelmingly Kurdish
city in March after a two-month air and ground offensive. Their testimonies,
given under pseudonyms because of fear of retribution, paint a picture of a
chaotic city with little protection for civilians. "They robbed my son's
house and didn't leave a thing -- not even the clothes," says 55-year-old
resident Ahmad. His own motorcycle and 20 gas canisters were seized by
rebels, who also looted his family's liquor store. Since Turkish troops and
pro-Ankara Arab rebels captured the city from the Kurdish People's
Protection Units (YPG), the United Nations and human rights groups,
including Amnesty International, have documented widespread abuses. Half of
the enclave's 320,000 residents fled, according to a recent report by the UN
Commission of Inquiry, and most are unable to return. Those who have often
found their homes occupied by fighters or by Arab civilians displaced from
other parta of Syria, the UN said. Other returned to homes "stripped of
furniture, electrical appliances and all decor," in large-scale looting.
Ahmad and his family fled the fighting but came back recently to scenes of
devastation with their property looted and their hometown barely
recognisable. "When we came back, not even our tractor was left," he said.
"They don't even let us sleep at night, with all the shooting."
Kidnap for ransom
Other residents have been forced to buy back stolen cars for up to $5,000 or
pay bribes at checkpoints to access their property, according to the UN
commission.Salim, 50, owns several olive groves in the fertile agricultural
land outside the city but he can no longer reach them without permission
from the new authorities. "If you don't get a paper from the local council,
you can't enter your own land," the father of three complains. Even with
authorisation, the roads are dangerous for Kurdish civilians. "A rebel
faction could find you on the way to your land and kidnap you for a ransom,"
ranging from $15,000 to $50,000, he tells AFP. "Kurds don't dare leave their
homes."Both the UN and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported
cases of kidnapping for ransom. The Britain-based Observatory said it
documented at least 40 people abducted and taken to "hostage houses" in
recent weeks.
Detainees are tortured and beaten, their relatives asked to pay to secure
their release. Abductions have become "a way to make money," the monitor
said. Rebel factions have accused Kurdish residents of being loyalists of
the Damascus regime, or members of the YPG or its Turkish rebel ally, the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). "They accused me once of being a shabiha
(pro-government militiaman), and another time of being a PKK member," says
Ibrahim, an industrial worker in Afrin. Ankara is bitterly opposed to the
YPG, which also holds swathes of northern and northeastern Syria with the
backing of a US-led coalition, regarding it as an extension of the PKK,
which has waged a deadly insurgency against Kurdish troops in southeastern
Turkey since 1984. "They arrested me, took me to a base outside Afrin, hung
me on the balango and hit me," says Ibrahim. The "balango" is a torture
method notorious across Syria, by which the victim is hoisted in the air for
hours from wrists tied behind the back.
'Blood spilt for nothing'
Turkey has denied allegations of abuses, and rebels say proven offenders are
punished.But residents say not enough is done to curb violations. And it is
not only Kurds who have fallen victim to the lawlessness. Samia, an Arab
student in Afrin, says she has been permanently scarred by her father's
brutal killing by armed men trying to steal their family car. "The first
time they tried, my father kicked them out of the house. They came back a
second time for revenge and killed him," she recounts. Rebels investigated,
but "the killer went to jail for just one month," she said. "My father's
blood was spilt for nothing." The UN and Amnesty have also reported patterns
of house appropriations by fighters and civilians bussed to Afrin during the
April surrender to government forces of the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta
suburb outside Damascus. Some relocated families have opened businesses in
Afrin, including the Ghouta Pastryshop and Damascene Dame restaurant. Parts
of Afrin have even been renamed to reflect its new authorities. One is a
traffic roundabout formerly called Kawa, after the legendary blacksmith and
Kurdish symbol of resistance whose statue once stood there but was destroyed
by the rebels after their capture of the city. Now, a banner in Arabic and
Turkish identifies it as "Olive Branch Circle," after the name that Turkish
commanders gave to their operation to drive Kurdish forces out of the
enclave on the border with Turkey. Another sign reads: "President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan Square." Abu Jihad, 60, misses Afrin's calmer days, before
its seizure by the Turkish-backed rebels. "Injustice, injustice, injustice,
and no one is holding them accountable," he sighs.
UK refuses to take
back British ISIS fighters detained in Syria
Staff Writer, Al Arabiya English/Friday, 12 October 2018/The
United Kingdom is refusing to take back at least nine Britons held in Syria
with links to ISIS, which include two members of the so-called Beatles cell
as well as two unidentified women and their children, according to The
Telegraph. The newspaper reported that the British government wants Syria to
deport El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, the two members of ISIS's
execution squad, to the United States. In an attempt to find out more about
the two men arrested by the Kurdish internal security forces, Al Arabiya
English reached out to a Kurdish senior official in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in Qamishli. However, he refused to disclose any information. The
Kurdish official stressed that “security requirements” prevent the
disclosure of additional information on the detainees. “Two of the detainees
are dual nationals and have both British and Canadian citizenship,”
Abdulkarim Omar, co-chair of the Foreign Relations Commission in north
Syria, told Al Arabiya English. Elsheikh and Kotey have had their British
passports revoked, however the other held fighters all have British
passports. Meanwhile, some of the children are thought to have been born in
ISIS camps in Syria and are therefore considered stateless. The Telegraph
reported that the British government admitted to the difficulty it faces
bringing foreign fighters to justice, but denied blocking their return.
Those arrested include members of the “Jihadi John” organization, known for
killing and torturing foreign hostages and executing Western journalists in
Syria and Iraq. One of the detained ISIS fighters, Jack Letts’ parents are
being tried for three charges of funding terrorism after they had sent money
to their son. “Western countries refuse to accept their detained citizens
because they pose a threat to [their countries],” Omar said. US military
advisers and experts are investigating the detainees held by the internal
security forces in northern Kurdish areas.
Jordanian King Approves 1st Reshuffle of Razzaz’s
Cabinet
Amman - Mohamed Al-Daameh/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 12 October,
2018/Jordanian King Abdullah II approved Thursday the first reshuffle of
Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz’s cabinet, which had faced severe criticism
regarding services and disclosure of corruption in several ministries that
were included in the reshuffle. The move saw six cabinet portfolios merged
with other ministries, while a new portfolio -- that of "Administrative and
Institutional Development" -- was created. Five new ministers entered the
cabinet for the first time while ten others were dismissed. Majd Shweikeh
was appointed as minister of institutional and administrative development,
Ghazi Al Zaben as minister of health, Falah Omoush as minister of public
works, Basma Ishaqat as minister of social development, Mohammad Abu Rumman
as minister of youth and culture, and Ibrahim Shahahdeh as minister of
agriculture and environment.
Those who joined the government included Bassam Talhouni, appointed as
minister of justice, Raed Abu Saoud (minister of water and irrigation) and
the new Minister of Education, Azmi Mahafzah.
Ashmawy Expected to Be Handed over to Egypt Next Week
Cairo - Khalid MahmoudAsharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 12 October, 2018/Leader of the
Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar might visit Cairo next week after Egypt
demanded the delivery of one of its most wanted terrorists, Hisham al-Ashmawy,
captured early this week by the LNA in the city of Derna, Libyan and
Egyptian sources have said.Egyptian sources predicted on Thursday that
Ashmawy would be sent to Cairo next week after Libyan security apparatuses
complete their investigations into the case. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah
al-Sisi asked for the militant to be returned to the country.
"We want him to serve time in prison," Sisi said during his speech at the
29th Educational Seminar of the Armed forces, titled "October; Continuity of
Generations.”Sisi also drew a comparison between Ashmawy and Colonel Ahmed
el-Mansy, an Egyptian officer who was killed in clashes with terrorists in
North Sinai and who was part of the same Army Special Forces unit as the
newly captured militant. The Egyptian president said there is a huge
difference between Ashmawy and Mansy, stressing that both were officers, but
one of them chose to betray the country, while the other remained loyal.
Ashmawy left the Egyptian army in 2012 and joined Ansar Beit al-Maqdis,
based in the eastern Sinai Peninsula. He is believed to have gone to Libya
in 2013 and had pledged allegiance to ISIS in November 2014. When captured
in Libya this week, Ashmawy was with the wife and the sons of Omar Rifai
Sorour, the Mufti of the Shura Council of Mujahedeen in Derna, who succumbed
in June to injuries he had sustained in clashes with the Libyan forces.
Egyptian authorities accuse Ashmawy of heading the Ansar al-Islam network,
which claimed responsibility for a deadly desert ambush against Egyptian
police last October. The Dignity Operations Room of the Libyan Army said
Monday Ashmawy was wearing an explosive belt when he was captured in Derna’s
neighborhood of Al-Maghar, which lies 250 kilometers away from the Egyptian
border. Libyan observers consider his arrest a blow to extremists in Libya.
Arrest of Financiers Deals Fresh Blow to ISIS in Iraq
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 12 October, 2018/Ten members of a key financial
network for ISIS have been arrested in Iraq, the US-led coalition fighting
the militants announced Thursday. Iraqi commandos and Kurdish
counter-terrorism forces arrested the members of the al-Rawi network in
operations October 7-9 in Baghdad and Erbil in northern Iraq, the coalition
said in a statement. According to the coalition commander, US Army
Lieutenant General Paul LaCamera, the arrests "deal a major blow to the
desperate attempts by ISIS to re-emerge in Iraq."
"Those who provide support to ISIS, in any way, will face the consequences,"
he said.
Five Palestinians
killed in border protests - Gaza medics
Reuters, Jerusalem/Friday, 12 October 2018/Israeli forces killed five
Palestinians on Friday during border protests along Gaza’s border, a
spokesman for Gaza's Health Ministry said. Israeli military officials said
they were checking the reports, amid weekly Palestinian protests along
Israel’s border fence with Gaza. Israel accuses Hamas that controls Gaza, of
orchestrating the protests to provide cover for attacks.
UN envoy ‘no longer
acceptable’ for Palestinians
AFP, Ramallah/Friday, 12 October 2018/The Palestinian leadership will no
longer work with the UN peace envoy, a senior official said Thursday,
accusing him of overstepping his role by seeking a deal between Israel and
the extremist movement Hamas. Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the Palestine
Liberation Organization’s (PLO) executive committee, said it had informed
the UN secretary general that envoy Nickolay Mladenov was “no longer
acceptable” to the Palestinian government. Mladenov had “gone beyond his
role” in seeking agreements between Israel and rival Palestinian faction
Hamas, which controls Gaza, he said, adding that his actions impacted
“Palestinian national security and the unity of our people.”There was no
immediate comment from Mladenov or confirmation from the United Nations.
“After the Palestinians said ‘no’ to Israel and ‘no’ to the Americans, they
are now saying ‘no’ to the UN as well,” Israel’s ambassador to the United
Nations Danny Danon said in a statement. “In this decision, Abu Mazen
(Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas) is continuing to lead the Palestinian
Authority to international isolation, which ultimately harm the
Palestinians.” Mladenov, alongside Egypt, has been seeking a long-term truce
agreement between Hamas and the Jewish state, without including Abbas’s
internationally recognized government in the indirect negotiations. The
talks have stalled, partly due to pressure form Abbas, but on Tuesday a
smaller UN-brokered agreement was reached for Qatar to finance fuel
deliveries to Gaza for six months.Abbas’s government was not involved in
that deal and Mladenov’s strategy has angered Palestinian politicians. The
Palestinian Authority headed by Abbas has semi autonomy in parts of the
occupied West Bank but lost control of Gaza to Hamas in a near-civil war in
2007.
The international community has since worked with the PA. The PLO has
recognized Israel and signed a series of peace treaties with it, while Hamas
has fought three wars with the Jewish state since 2008.
Israel Captures Palestinian Knife Attack Suspect
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 12/18/Israeli forces detained a
Palestinian suspected of stabbing and wounding a soldier but a manhunt
continued for a second Palestinian who shot dead two Israeli civilians, the
army said Friday. The army spokesman's office released video it said had
been taken late on Thursday showing a cuffed and blindfolded man being led
by soldiers in what appears to be a military facility. "A short while ago,
the terrorist who committed the terror attack... this afternoon was caught,"
regional commander Colonel Sagiv Dahan said in the Hebrew-language clip. An
army spokesman told AFP that details of the suspect and his arrest were
being withheld for the time being as his interrogation was still in
progress. He is suspected of stabbing and wounding an army reservist on
guard at a junction near the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday
afternoon. A civilian was moderately wounded from shrapnel when soldiers
fired in the direction of the fleeing assailant, the army said. The fugitive
who remains on the run is suspected of killing two Israelis and wounding a
third in a shooting on Sunday in the Israeli-owned industrial zone where
they all worked near the northern West Bank Jewish settlement of Barkan.
"Activity continues to catch the terrorist who carried out the shooting
attack at Barkan," an army statement said in Hebrew. The army has named the
wanted man as Ashraf Naalwa, 23, from the northern West Bank village of
Shuweika. The two attack sites and Shuweika village all lie within a 32
kilometre (20 mile) radius but so far there has been no indication of any
connection. A wave of mainly lone-wolf Palestinian attacks against Israelis
erupted in 2015 but it has since largely abated.
Erdogan says Kurdish militia still in Syria’s Manbij, Turkey to act
Reuters, Istanbul/Friday, 12 October 2018/Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan
said on Friday that the Kurdish YPG militia has not left the northern Syrian
town of Manbij, contrary to a US-Turkish agreement, and Turkey will do what
is necessary. “They are now digging trenches in Manbij. What does this mean?
It means ‘we’ve prepared the graves, come and bury us’,” Erdogan said at a
rally in southern Turkey. “They said they would abandon the area in 90 days,
but they haven't. We will do what is necessary.”
Macron Says Disappearance of Saudi Journalist 'Very Serious'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 12/18/French President Emmanuel Macron
said the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was "very
serious" and called for an investigation to yield "complete clarity" on what
had happened to him. "What has been described is serious, very serious,"
Macron told French broadcasters France 24 and RFI in his first comments on
the case. "I await the truth and complete clarity being established."
Saudi Ambassador 'Concerned' about Missing Journalist
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 12/18/Saudi Arabia's ambassador to
Britain expressed concern on Friday about the fate of a journalist who
vanished after entering its Istanbul consulate last week.But Prince Mohammed
bin Nawaf al Saud told the BBC he needed to wait for the results of an
investigation before commenting further about Jamal Khashoggi's fate. "We
are concerned about our citizen Jamal," he said. "There is an ongoing
investigation and it would be premature for me to comment until we see the
final results of the investigation."Asked when he would have an answer, the
envoy replied: "Hopefully soon." Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor
who has been critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's policies,
has not been seen since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on
October 2. Turkish officials have said the journalist was murdered in the
consulate by Saudi agents, a charge Riyadh denies, insisting he left the
mission a short time later. The Saudi ambassador did not repeat the earlier
claim of Khashoggi leaving the building or explain why he was concerned.
Saudi official
welcomes Turkey response for joint team in Khashoggi’s case
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Friday, 12 October 2018/A senior Saudi
source welcomed the positive Turkish response to Saudi Arabia‘s request to
set up a joint working group to investigate the disappearance of Saudi
journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul on October 2, 2018.
The Saudi source speaking in the capital Riyadh expressed his full
confidence in the joint Saudi-Turkish working group’s ability to carry out
its tasks into the Jamal Khashoggi case. The Saudi source further affirmed
the kingdom’s keenness on the security and safety of all its citizens.With
SPA
Saudi Delegation in Turkey for Talks on Missing Writer
Associated Press/Naharnet/October 12/18/Turkey's state-run news agency says
a delegation from Saudi Arabia has arrived in Turkey as part of an
investigation into missing Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi.Anadolu Agency said
Friday that the delegation would hold talks with Turkish officials over the
weekend. It did not provide further details. On Thursday, Turkish
presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Turkey and Saudi Arabia would form
a "joint working group" to look into Khashoggi's disappearance. The
journalist vanished last week after entering the Saudi consulate in
Istanbul. Turkish officials have said The Washington Post contributor may
have been killed inside the consulate, but they haven't offered any
evidence. Saudi Arabia has denied the allegation as "baseless."
Branson Suspends Saudi Links over Missing Journalist
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 12/18/British entrepreneur Richard
Branson is suspending two directorships linked to tourism projects in Saudi
Arabia following the unexplained disappearance in Turkey of Saudi journalist
Jamal Khashoggi. In a statement late Thursday, Branson said also that his
Virgin group would suspend discussions with Saudi Arabia over proposed
investment in Virgin Galactic, which is set to carry out its first space
flight within weeks. "I had high hopes for the current government in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and
it is why I was delighted to accept two directorships in the tourism
projects around the Red Sea," Branson said in the statement posted on the
Virgin website. "I felt that I could give practical development advice and
also help protect the precious environment around the coastline and
islands."But he added: "What has reportedly happened in Turkey around the
disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, if proved true, would clearly
change the ability of any of us in the West to do business with the Saudi
government. "We have asked for more information from the authorities in
Saudi and to clarify their position in relation to Mr Khashoggi. "While
those investigations are ongoing and Mr Khashoggi’s whereabouts are not
known, I will suspend my directorships of the two tourism projects. "Virgin
will also suspend its discussions with the Public Investment Fund over the
proposed investment in our space companies Virgin Galactic and Virgin
Orbit," Branson added.In comments Tuesday, Branson said he expected his
Virgin Galactic company to conduct its first space flight "within weeks, not
months".
Japan PM Abe to Make Rare China Visit
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 12/18/Shinzo Abe will pay the first
visit to China by a Japanese prime minister since 2011 later this month,
Beijing announced Friday, in the latest sign of warming ties between the
rivals. Abe will visit from October 25 to 27 and mark the 40th anniversary
of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the two nations, said Chinese
foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang. The visit will "elevate our bilateral
ties and put bilateral cooperation back on the right track," Lu said at a
regular press briefing. Lu added that the two sides will work to "jointly
uphold multilateralism and the free trade system" -- a comment that comes as
China and the United States are mired in a trade war that the IMF said this
week will hobble global growth. Lu said there a reception was planned to
celebrate the Sino-Japanese friendship treaty, which was signed on October
23, 1978. Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping have met numerous times over
the last few years on the sidelines of international events. But no Japanese
prime minister has paid an official visit to China since 2011 and no Chinese
president has visited Japan since 2010.
'New stage'
Relations between Beijing and Tokyo soured in 2012 over a territorial
dispute over several tiny Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea.
Upon returning to power in 2012, Abe took a firm position on Japan's
sovereignty over the island chain, aggravating tensions with Beijing.
But he has since softened his rhetoric and called on China to press North
Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programmes. Abe announced last
month that he planned to visit China later this year. "After that, I very
much wish to invite President Xi to Japan," Abe said after meeting the
Chinese leader on the sidelines of an economic forum in Russia. "Through
this exchange of visits at the leaders' level, I hope to raise Japan-China
relations to a new stage. I am firmly determined in this regard," he said at
the time. Japanese businesses have also voiced desire for closer ties with
China to boost trade. Despite the rapprochement, sources of tension
linger.Last month, Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said China had
been "unilaterally escalating" its military activities in the past year,
including carrying out new airborne operations around Japan and running a
nuclear submarine near disputed East Coast isles.
Japan also carried out in September its first submarine drills in the
disputed South China Sea, which Beijing mostly claims. At the time, the
Chinese foreign ministry said Tokyo "should act cautiously and avoid doing
anything which would harm regional peace and stability".
Egyptian military court sentences 17 to death for ISIS
church attacks
AFP, Cairo/Thursday, 11 October 2018/An Egyptian military court on Thursday
sentenced 17 people to death over a series of suicide bombings of churches
claimed by the ISIS extremist group that left dozens dead. Seventy-four
people were killed in the attacks in 2016 and 2017, targeting Coptic
Christians in Cairo, Alexandria and the Nile Delta city of Tanta. The court
also sentenced 19 people to life in prison and 10 others to between 10 and
15 years, judicial and security officials said. Christian sites of worship
across Egypt have been repeatedly targeted in attacks claimed by ISIS,
prompting the authorities to impose a state of emergency 18 months ago. A
suicide attack on December 11, 2016 on the Saint Peter and Saint Paul church
killed 29 in the heart of Cairo. The following April, 45 people were killed
as Christians gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday in the cities of Tanta and
Alexandria. Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s
predominantly Sunni Muslim population. Since 2013, hundreds of police
officers, soldiers and civilians have been killed in extremist attacks. In
November last year, suspected ISIS member killed more than 300 Muslim
worshippers in a gun and bomb assault on a mosque in the Sinai Peninsula.
The Egyptian army is waging a major operation focused on the Sinai aimed at
wiping out ISIS. In April, a military court had initially condemned 36
people to death over the church bombings. The retrial came after the case
was referred to the Grand Mufti, Egypt’s highest religious authority, as
required by law whenever a death sentence is passed.
The Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on
October 12-13/18
Spain:
Islamic State Recruiting in Prisons
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/October 12/18
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13117/spain-prisons-islamic-state
The group — which Spain's Interior Ministry described as a jihadi "Prisons
Front" ("frente de cárceles") — was engaged in recruiting, indoctrinating
and radicalizing other inmates, as well as in plotting new jihadi attacks.
"We want to prepare ourselves for the jihad for Allah. I have good news: I
have created a new group, we are willing to die for Allah at any moment. We
are waiting to be released from prison so that we can begin working. We have
men, we have weapons and we have targets. All we need is practice." —
Mohamed Achraf, in a letter written from prison to another inmate.
"The majority of the individuals being investigated, far from being
deradicalized, have not only remained active in jihadi militancy, but have
become even more radical during their incarceration." — Spanish Interior
Ministry.
On October 1, Spanish counterterrorism police searched Mohamed Achraf's
prison cell in Campos del Río penitentiary in Murcia and discovered that he
was running a "disciplined and organized" network of jihadi inmates
dedicated to recruiting and radicalizing other inmates, as well as to
plotting attacks against specific targets. (Image source: Spanish Interior
Ministry)
Spanish police have dismantled a jihadi network operating inside and across
more than a dozen Spanish prisons. The network, allegedly linked to the
Islamic State, was established and operated by one of the most implacable
jihadis in the Spanish prison system — apparently under the noses of prison
authorities.
The network's existence has called into question not only the effectiveness
of security procedures in Spanish prisons, but also of Spanish "deradicalization"
programs, which are aimed at "rehabilitating" Islamic militants for eventual
"reinsertion" into society.
The group's core members included 25 jihadis in 17 different prisons
(accounting for more than half of the 30 Spanish prisons equipped to house
jihadi convicts), according to the Interior Ministry, which provided details
of the counterterrorism operation on October 2.
The group — which the Interior Ministry described as a jihadi "Prisons
Front" ("frente de cárceles") — was engaged in recruiting, indoctrinating
and radicalizing other inmates, as well as in plotting new jihadi attacks.
The network's members included convicted jihadis as well as common inmates
who were radicalized in prison. Among them were several Spanish citizens who
are converts to Islam. Some members were nearing the end of their sentences
and were waiting to be released from prison.
The group's ringleader, Mohamed Achraf, a 44-year-old Moroccan whose real
name is Abderramane Tahiri, was serving a 14-year prison sentence for
plotting truck bomb attacks against high-profile targets in Madrid,
including the Spanish Supreme Court and the Príncipe Pío railway station.
Achraf was scheduled to be released from prison on October 14, 2018 — almost
four years early. He was incarcerated in 2008 and served most of his
sentence by being moved from one prison to another, a standard protocol
aimed at preventing Islamists from establishing a foothold in any one
facility and radicalizing other inmates. In February 2018, Achraf was
transferred to the Campos del Río penitentiary in Murcia, where he was held
in solitary confinement.
On October 1, counterterrorism police searched Achraf's prison cell and
discovered that he was running a "disciplined and organized" network of
jihadi inmates dedicated to recruiting and radicalizing other inmates, as
well as to plotting attacks against specific targets.
The Interior Ministry said that the network carried out its activities
through physical interaction between inmates within the same prisons, as
well as through "epistolary relationships" among inmates located in
different prisons. The network evaded monitoring mechanisms by carrying out
communications through the use of inmates who were not subject to special
surveillance.
The Murcia-based newspaper La Verdad, quoting police sources, reported that
Achraf will likely be prosecuted for new terrorism offenses and, rather than
be released early, will be held in preventive detention.
Achraf has a long history of jihadi militancy in Spain. During an earlier
prison sentence, served between 1999 and 2002 at the Topas penitentiary in
Salamanca, Achraf organized a similar jihadi network — called "Martyrs for
Morocco" — which operated inside and across at least five Spanish prisons.
The network consisted of four cells that were, according to prosecutors,
"perfectly structured and connected to each other."
After the 2004 Madrid train bombings, in which 193 people were killed and
2,000 others injured, Spanish authorities launched a nationwide crackdown on
Islamic fundamentalists. A counterterrorism operation — Operation Nova —
resulted in the arrest of 36 jihadis, including several members of Achraf's
network. Investigators found correspondence which revealed that Achraf was
plotting to bomb the Audiencia Nacional, the upper court in Madrid where
judicial authorities were investigating the Madrid train bombings.
Investigators also found correspondence between Achraf and other jihadis,
including a letter that stated: "Muslims now have two places to go: jail or
jihad." Another letter read:
"We want to prepare ourselves for the jihad for Allah. I have good news: I
have created a new group, we are willing to die for Allah at any moment. We
are waiting to be released from prison so that we can begin working. We have
men, we have weapons and we have targets. All we need is practice."
In April 2005, Achraf was extradited to Spain from Switzerland, where he
fled after his release from prison, and where he unsuccessfully sought
asylum by claiming to be Palestinian.
In February 2008, Achraf was sentenced to 14 years in prison for "promoting
and directing a terrorist group." During his trial, the court learned how
Achraf, who referred to himself as "Emir," used a makeshift mosque in a
prison gymnasium to "indoctrinate" other inmates in the hardline
Salafist-takfiri jihadist ideology promoted by the Islamic State.
Given Achraf's history of Salafi-jihadism, and his previous efforts to
proselytize and indoctrinate inmates during his first stint in prison, it
remains unclear why Spanish authorities allowed him to establish another,
even larger jihadi network during his second time in prison.
The newspaper La Verdad reported that Achraf's network "was very
organized... and already had specific targets" and "had threatened certain
prison officials, some of higher rank." The group had "its own iconography
and slogan" and "was perfectly structured, with precise orders of action in
prison courtyards and in methods of training."
Achraf's network may be just the tip of the iceberg. A recent analysis of
official prison data by the online publication El Independiente found that
more than 150 inmates are currently serving time in 28 different Spanish
prisons for jihad-related crimes.
Nearly half (72) of the jihad-related convicts are Moroccans, followed by
Spaniards (57). Other inmates are from Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh,
Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Denmark, Egypt, France, Mexico, the Netherlands,
Pakistan, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
The most frequent crime among jihad-related convicts is membership in a
terrorist group, followed by recruitment, indoctrination and training for
terrorism and support for an armed group.
In addition, another 120 inmates serving time for non-jihad-related crimes
are being monitored for signs of "Islamist fanaticism," according to the
newspaper El País, quoting sources from the Interior Ministry.
Achraf's network has also cast a spotlight on the effectiveness, or lack
thereof, of Spanish deradicalization programs for jihadi inmates. According
to human rights protections guaranteed by the Spanish Constitution, such
programs can only be applied on a voluntary basis.
Of the roughly 270 inmates being monitored for jihadist tendencies, only 20
are participating in deradicalization programs, according to the Spanish
news agency EFE. The Interior Ministry admitted:
"The majority of the individuals being investigated, far from being
deradicalized, have not only remained active in jihadi militancy, but have
become even more radical during their incarceration."
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute.
© 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.
Trump Is Up a China Cold War Without a Plan
Mark Gongloff/Bloomberg/October 12/18
They say no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. But what if
the genius way around that is to just … have no plan? President Donald Trump
may soon find out in his brewing cold war with China. On trade, he has
launched tariffs and threatened more, while also calling for China to stop
spying, technology theft and other corporate misdeeds. But the tariffs are
dumb weapons that hurt US companies and growth too; and cracking down on
corporate espionage is harder than it looks, writes Noah Smith. A much more
effective and straightforward approach, Noah writes, would be to convince
China to stop keeping its currency so cheap to boost its export. This would
make global trade more fair and curb the trade deficit Trump hates so much.
Last week, Vice President Mike Pence laid out Trump’s broader complaints
about China, on everything from military aggression to human-rights abuses.
Most of this was legitimate and welcome, writes Hal Brands – but Trump
doesn’t seem to be really doing much about it. Nor is it clear what his goal
is: A new cold war? A quick-and-dirty deal that maintains the status quo, a
la Nafta? “The US is finally starting to say the right things when it comes
to the China challenge,” Hal writes. “But it is still struggling to do what
is necessary to succeed.”On the plus side for Trump, China’s response hasn’t
exactly been brilliant. It has pulled old policy levers, such as cutting
bank reserve ratios, to stoke its production-centered economic engine. In
the process, it has abandoned efforts to modernize its economy. Mohamed El-Erian
writes this will only keep China on a collision course with the US.
Why America Has a Two-Track Economy
Barry Ritholtz/Bloomberg/October 12/18
Which of these two scenarios describes the US economy?
No. 1. The economy is better than ever: The stock market is near a record
high, wages are rising, there are more job openings than applicants,
household wealth has hit a record, gross domestic product is growing
briskly, house values have recovered from the bust, and consumer confidence
is back — and so is America! No. 2. Real Americans are suffering:
Inflation-adjusted wages are stagnant or even declining, economic mobility
is nonexistent, gasoline is getting expensive as oil prices rise, labor
force participation rates are stuck at levels not seen since the late 1970s,
health care is brutally expensive and getting more so, and rents have been
rising. There is a looming retirement crisis coming, as households have too
little savings, and pensions are underfunded — the average American is
getting crushed! In reality, this binary choice is a false construct and
both of these scenarios are very true. But who you are, where you live, your
job and educational background very much determine which of those two
descriptions you relate to more. And while there has always been a divide
between rich and poor, it has grown especially acute during the past decade.
In broad terms, since 2010 the US has seen a modest, post-credit crisis
recovery slowly taking hold. True, there has been lots of very encouraging
economic news, especially during the past five years. But it has been lumpy
and unevenly distributed by geography, industry and educational attainment.
Even the gig economy hasn’t worked out as hoped, with many workers being
paid much less than needed to support a family.
There are more than enough economic data series for dishonest commentators
to cherry pick one in support of their biased positions. My preference
instead is to look at the big picture to try to discern why we have such a
bifurcated economy. The usual suspects — globalization, automation and the
shift to service industries — have all been picked over. So let’s try to
consider this in terms of historical shifts. I have four theories worth
exploring: No 1. The credit crisis changed everything: The financial crisis
was so large and all-encompassing that even now it’s hard to grasp its
import. It revealed enormous stresses that weren’t readily apparent before.
You can draw a straight line from weak wage gains to rising home-equity
withdrawals and from rising real-estate prices to aggressive home
refinancing.
After the crisis, many families were forced to honestly recognize their own
financial situations. Even though real wages had been mostly flat for
decades, the easy credit made it possible for millions of people to pretend
otherwise. It’s a social and psychological stress event when people must
accept that, despite working long and hard, their living standard is
falling. This is as true for hedge funds as it is for middle-class families.
No. 2. Unions declined: Unions once guaranteed the middle-class good jobs at
a living wage. The trade-off was increased labor costs for companies and
higher-priced manufactured goods for consumers.
That was then. Membership in labor unions has been falling since the 1950s.
As of 2017, just 10.7 percent of wage and salary workers in the US belonged
to a union; that is half of what it was in 1983. The share of unionized
workers in the private sector is even lower, at 6.5 percent.
A turning point in the fate of unions came when President Ronald Reagan
fired striking members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers
Organization. A number of states, especially in the South, passed laws
making it harder for unions to organize. As union membership declined, so
did the ability of workers to win pay increases from employers. This ties in
to the next point. No. 3. Capital was rewarded instead of labor: We can
point to the Reagan, Clinton, Bush and Trump administrations for various
changes to the tax code that were much friendlier to capital than to labor.
Capital gains taxes fell, as did the top income-tax brackets. Policies that
were extremely shareholder friendly were also put into place. Although
income inequality has been rising for decades, these four administrations
had an outsized impact.
Despite huge increases in output and productivity during the past six
decades, a shrinking share of those gains have been falling to workers.
Although household income rose during this period, much of the gain can be
attributed to the rise of the two-income family, as large numbers of women
entered the workforce.
No. 4. The vast American middle class was a historical aberration: My pet
thesis, admittedly not particularly one well-supported by data, is that the
broad sharing of so much of the nation’s wealth was an anomaly, the result
of an unusual confluence of forces that sprang from the Great Depression and
World War II. It was a one-off that couldn’t resist powerful historical
forces.
Let’s back up a bit. During the feudal era and early stages of capitalism,
much of the population was impoverished and either engaged in agriculture,
and later on, factory work; above that was a small cohort of craftsmen, shop
owners and merchants; above that was an even smaller class of nobles and
royals — and later on, industrial magnates — with fabulous wealth at their
disposal. Extrapolate that to the present, and we have the working poor, the
middle class and the professional class, and a similar pyramid-shaped wealth
distribution.
The Great Depression wiped out much of the wealth of the richest Americans.
Then, after World War II, 16 million American soldiers returned home. The GI
Bill gave them a chance to get a college education; pent up postwar consumer
demand meant manufacturing jobs were plentiful and well-paying. Most of the
rest of the world was in ruins at the time so there was little competition
for US industry. From the American perspective, all seemed good.
Or it was until mean reversion began to rear its head. These postwar factors
faded during the following decades. Eventually, the economy returned to its
prewar stratifications.
The US economic expansion is both robust and weak, broad and narrow, higher
and lower than before the financial crisis. How these economic gains have
been distributed is likely to have an impact for decades to come.
From Truman to Trump: The Rise and Fall of a Paradigm
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/October 12/18
Because of their intense dislike of President Donald Trump, the mainstream
media seem to have missed the potential importance of his recent address to
the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Parts of the media either
ignored it while some dismissed it as a consignment of Trumpian balderdash.
However, leaving aside its sentimental approach and provocative lexicon, the
address merits attention for at least two reasons. The first is that, in it,
Trump signaled what he sees as the looming end of globalization, a paradigm
that, with varying degrees of intensity, has dominated international life
for seven decades.
The second reason is that the alternative that Trump implicitly suggested,
albeit in a round-about-way, could put the so-called world order on a new
trajectory with unknown consequences.
According to some historians the average life of a paradigm is around eight
decades. It starts as a seductive novelty before morphing into received
wisdom on its way to inevitable decline and eventual atrophy.
The globalization paradigm was an invention of the ruling elite in the
United States when faced with the challenge of creating a new world order in
the aftermath of the Second World War. A handful of American statesmen,
known as the “Egg Heads”, emerged as the architects of what became Pax
Americana. They included George Marshall, Dean Acheson, Cordell Hull,
Charles Bohlen, Averell Harriman, John McCloy and Robert Lovett with
Presidents Franklin D Roosevelt and then Harry S Truman in the helm.
Addressing the first UN General Assembly in 1945 in San Francisco, Truman
highlighted the need for multinationalism.
He said: “We fully realize today that victory in war required a mighty
united effort. Certainly, victory in peace calls for, and must receive, an
equal effort. Man has learned long ago, that it is impossible to live unto
himself. This same basic principle applies today to nations. We were not
isolated during the war. We dare not now become isolated in peace. “
Truman went on to urge the creation of a “sensible machinery for the
settlement of disputes among nations. Without this, peace cannot exist.”
However, he was quick to point out that the creation of such a machinery did
not mean the effacement of differences among nations.
He said: “Differences between men, and between nations, will always remain.
In fact, if held within reasonable limits, such disagreements are actually
wholesome. All progress begins with differences of opinion and moves onward
as the differences are adjusted through reason and mutual understanding.”
The new world order needed to establish Pax Americana succeeded in creating
its mechanisms in a record time. The United Nations and its various addenda
were fully in place within a few years along with The International Monetary
Fund, The World Bank, The General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) and
more exclusive outfits such as the Atlantic Council and the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO).
By the 1980s, the American gospel of fee trade, pluralist democracy and
market economy had been established as the paradigm of the international
order when even the Soviet Union, through its massive reliance on loans from
Western banks, and the People’s Republic of China with its switch to
capitalism appeared as new converts at least in part.
However, by the end of the last century, the established order was beginning
to show fundamental weaknesses.
The United Nations was exposed as a dilatory mechanism that merely froze
international problems. One stark example was the Israel-Palestine problem
which the UN danced around for almost five decades eventually putting it on
the backburner. The UN was also absent when one of the worst genocides in
history was enacted in Rwanda. Nor did the UN provide leadership in ending
the tragedies triggered in the heart of Europe, by the disintegration of
Yugoslavia.
The free-trade ideology did help raise hundreds of millions out of poverty
but produced a reduction in the living standards of some strata in the older
industrial societies, fomenting anger and despair.
Globalization enabled even the medium and small nations to secure enough
resilience to stand up to the diktats of the World Bank and the IMF. In the
1980s, the twins dictated the economic policies of more than 60 nations
across the globe. In 2018 they were active in fewer than a dozen and
expelled from several others, most recently Turkey.
The decline in the power of international organizations was partly due to
the dramatic rise in the economic and financial clout wielded by global
business empires based on modern technology.
The globalization paradigm enjoyed the support of most countries for as long
as the very relevance of the nation-state was not challenged. However, the
2008 global financial crisis revealed the inability of nation-states to
exert meaningful control through the international mechanisms in place.
Trump won the presidency at a time that the global system fathered by the
American “Wise Men” had entered its phase of decline. Together with
elections in a dozen other countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin
America, Trump’s election was an emotional response to a malaise felt across
the world.
But what is to be done?
The British tried to provide an answer with their Brexit. The Hungarians,
Poles, Czechs, Swedes, Germans, Austrians and Italians have opted for
various forms of nationalism with a taste of xenophobia. In Russia, Vladimir
Putin has embarked on a strategy of power projection to hide fundamental
weaknesses. In Xi Jinping’s China, sino-centrism rather than classical
Maoism now sets the tone. Trump has tried to offer a mixture of strategic
isolationism and tactical activism with “America First” as ideological topos.
Some Western luminaries, for example German philosopher Jurgen Habermas and
former Pope Benedict, preach a return to “Christian culture” as the backbone
of an alternative global order, at least for Europe and the Americas. Both
Truman in San Francisco and Trump in New York tried to attract world
attention to a real problem. Truman had a solution in the form of the global
architecture the US erected around the concept of globalization. Trump, in
contrast, has confined himself to guerrilla attacks on aspects of
globalization to attract interest in the problem. That in itself merits the
quest for a new paradigm.
Wars of chaos against
Egypt and Saudi Arabia
Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/October 12/18
During the ceremony that the Egyptian armed forces held for the 45th
anniversary of their October 6 war victory, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah
al-Sisi addressed important points, including the arrest of Hisham al-Ashmawy,
the most dangerous Egyptian terrorist leader. He was behind plenty of
tragedies that harmed the Egyptian people’s security, of which the most
despicable targeted security forces and innocent Coptic families.
Sisi spoke realistically about the future that awaits Egypt following the
series of difficult measures which the country has went through during his
term, to improve the country’s situation and prepare it to enter the new
world.
Sisi voiced the importance of formulating a real awareness of the current
scene in Egyptians, because if there’s no awareness in all state apparatuses
and the public opinion, everything that’s been built will be destroyed.
Egypt is headed towards the best. However, there are those who do not want
stability for Egypt, and for it to head towards development. They want to
take revenge on Egypt which refused to be soft with the Muslim Brotherhood
and those who support it.
He asserted that on June 30, 2020, Egypt will have a different status. “You
will see Egypt as a different country,” he said. Some may think of this is
as an exaggerated optimism, such as those with good intentions and Egypt’s
lovers or the ones who complain about the difficult cost of economic and
administrative reform, and those are easy to deal with as there’s no real
and deep dispute with them. There are also the “enemies” of Egypt’s current
era who excused the likes of terrorist and Sa’ka Forces officer Hisham al-Ashmawy.
A different Egypt
Regardless of all these stances, Egypt is headed towards the best. However,
there are those who do not want stability for Egypt, and for it to head
towards development. They want to take revenge on Egypt which refused to be
soft with the Muslim Brotherhood and those who support it. It was a rare
moment as President Sisi spoke with more frankness about the so-called
January revolution, the chaotic movement led by the Brotherhood who also led
a bunch of “revolutionary” youths who were an easy target for it.
During his speech, Sisi said the battle did not end, but is ongoing with a
different vocabulary. He said: “The 2011 events are a wrong treatment for a
wrong diagnosis.”
This is one of the most accurate descriptions of what happened at the
beginning of 2011 when the political and security earthquake struck Egypt
and the agents of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood who tampered
with Egyptian prisons and archives under the fuss of “romantic”
revolutionary chants.
So has the battle of the chaotic Arab Spring ended?
No, and it’s just like Egypt’s man who saved his country from a black fate
said: “The battle did not end but is ongoing with different vocabulary.”
What applies to Egypt applies to Saudi Arabia, which repelled the waves of
strife from its land, people and neighbors during the season of Arab
destruction but has the Saudi battle ended?
No, the battle is ongoing in Saudi Arabia but with different vocabulary.
What we see and hear today in terms of all this fuss about Saudi Arabia
every day and under several headlines, including the Jamal Khashoggi
headline, is part of the battle of the Arab Spring remnants.
On the curious case of Khashoggi’s disappearance
Faisal J. Abbas/Arab News/October 12/18
Let us start with the obvious: There is certainly much more than meets the
eye when it comes to the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.
As a friend, a fellow journalist — and a former deputy editor of Arab News —
his sudden vanishing certainly raises serious concerns, particularly as the
incident happened in Turkey, a country known for its hostility toward the
media.
Indeed, it is surreal that the Turkish authorities are suddenly championing
freedom of expression. One would think they ought to start with looking in
their own back garden.
More importantly, Khashoggi is not a Turkish citizen but a Saudi one. We
should not forget that the Kingdom has instructed an official investigation
to take place. Riyadh has also, through its ambassador in the US, which was
Khashoggi’s last place of residence, expressed solidarity and great concern
about his disappearance.
The only thing Saudi Arabia is not doing is responding to every piece of
unsubstantiated reporting or wild claims out there. Emotions aside, this is
the correct thing to do. After all, there is a formal investigation in place
and it must be allowed to be conducted without interruptions or
distractions.
Of course, the Saudi silence may trigger people to point fingers. This is
understandable, given that Khashoggi was last seen entering the consulate in
Istanbul more than a week ago. There is also the fact that he had been
critical of the government since he moved to the US late last year.
Yet people forget that Khashoggi was part of the establishment until
recently. He left the Kingdom — voluntarily — at around the same time the
Anti-Terror Quartet (comprising Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt)
decided to impose a boycott on Qatar which, along with Turkey, supported the
Muslim Brotherhood.
Khashoggi also expressed — via his official Twitter account — unfavorable
views that could have been deemed sympathetic to Al-Qaeda and Daesh. In
other words, he was more than just a journalist and somewhat of a political
Islam activist as well.
So, while on one hand concerned journalists have a right to question
Khashoggi’s disappearance, we should not ignore that there is also much at
play here from a Qatari point of view considering Khashoggi’s political
affiliations, and his most recent stance which was critical of Riyadh.
Was his vanishing used to embarrass Saudi Arabia? As we wait for the facts
to unravel, what is clear is that this is definitely the case, at least from
Al Jazeera and other Qatari media outlets’ way of reporting unconfirmed
facts and relying on speculation and anonymous sources.
This is not the first time Doha, in particular, has tried to undermine the
change happening in Saudi Arabia. It has resorted to every possible method
of standing in the way of Riyadh’s sweeping reforms. It has constantly tried
to portray the Kingdom as the aggressor, ignoring — in the case of the
boycott — that there are written confessions signed by Qatari Emir Sheikh
Tamim himself pledging to stop meddling in the internal affairs of
neighboring states.
There is no question that the Saudi authorities are doing — and will do —
everything possible to resolve the mystery behind Khashoggi’s disappearance.
There is a team working alongside Turkish authorities to find out what it
can. In the meantime, the only thing that can be said is that my thoughts
and prayers are with the Khashoggi family at this very difficult time.
• Faisal J. Abbas is the Editor in Chief of Arab News. Twitter: @FaisalJAbbas
Why are Washington, Moscow and Beijing competing on New
Delhi?
Shehab Al-Makahleh/Al Arabiya/October 12/18
America is in relative decline, but this is not attributed to the rise of
China, India, Brazil and Russia, but to internal US political, economic and
even cultural deterioration.
As known through history, the decline of a great power does not necessarily
lead to its demise unless there is a force or other forces collectively
working to ending one civilisation and starting another. The world is
undergoing major shifts in the balance of power due to the rise of the three
major Euro-Asian powers (China, India and Russia) together for the first
time in history, but it is also true that none is individually capable of
defeating the American leadership of the world at current stage without
setting up a strong alliance.
This is why China, Russia and the US are now approaching Indian government
by signing many economic and military agreements to ensure that India stays
either neutral or join any of the two blocs: Western led by the Americans
and Eastern led by Chinese and Russians.
Reasons for change
India’s interest in following up the rapid developments in regional crises
in the Middle East is due to several considerations: First, the increasing
involvement of a number of international forces in those calamities, such as
Russia and China, which also sought to raise the level of economic relations
with the countries of the region through major economic and investment deals
in various fields and military agreements in defence cooperation in tandem
with American bids to copy Chinese and Russian deals in the Middle East and
India to be able to corner China, Russia, India and even Mideast states.
The reasons for India’s interest in Russia’s military has stemmed from
Moscow’s involvement in the Syrian crisis, the high level of cooperation
between Russia and Iran after the nuclear agreement reached on 14 July 2015,
and the regional tour by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia, Egypt
and Iran in January 2016, which aimed to deepen economic relations with the
three countries.
The world is undergoing major shifts in the balance of power due to the rise
of the three major Euro-Asian powers (China, India and Russia) together for
the first time in history
The other reasons hinge on the likelihood of increased terrorist operations
in India along the lines of the Bombay operation in 2008 and recent threats
to India. Several reports indicate that India has dismantled a terrorist
cell that was planning terrorist attacks.
The city of Mumbai was attacked by insurgents in January 2016, which was an
important indicator that India is no longer immune from operations. Thus,
countering terrorism is one of the areas of cooperation between India,
China, Russia and the USA as millions of Indians work in the Middle East,
and they can be easily recruited.
It seems that security cooperation was one of the main axes of Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Pakistan on Dec. 25, 2015, the first
Indian prime minister to visit Pakistan since the Mumbai attacks in 2008.
Moreover, India was one of the forces that sought to support peace efforts
in Afghanistan.
The other motives are that India tends to increase the level of trade
cooperation with international powers and Middle Eastern states, which are
considered a major market for Indian products.
The US, with sanctions on Iran, has tried to convince India through
high-level economic and military cooperation to cease oil imports from Iran
as New Delhi purchases about 80 of its crude oil needs from the Middle East,
mainly from Tehran which is strategically closer to India than Arab states.
New Delhi also takes into account the increasing number of Indian workers in
the Gulf countries, which are a major source of remittances to the country’s
economy. India attempts to compete with Pakistan to establish strong
relations with the states of the region and to draw support from some
regional powers for its position on the Kashmir issue.
This is evident in India’s relentless efforts to strengthen its relations
with Iran, especially on the economic front. India has begun to accelerate
the work in the port of Chabahar, which will be the gateway to resource-rich
Central Asia and Afghanistan. The port is located in southeastern Iran, a
vital point for India’s quest to overtake Pakistan.
On May 22, 2016, a tripartite agreement was signed between India, Iran and
Afghanistan to develop the port. India is developing closer security ties
and economic interests with Iranians as the port, which India is
co-financing, is another gateway for Iran itself to trade not only with
India but also with China and Far East.
Vying for New Delhi
Russian President Vladimir Putin has worked to restore the glories of the
Russian Empire through several pragmatic stratagems based on the tenets of
the most important policies: not to engage in confrontation with the United
States, to enhance Russian economy which is primarily based on its huge gas
and oil reserves, to pursue a multi-polar world and to form alliances with
China and India. The Americans have recently realized that to win over China
they have to neutralize Russia and India.
American politicians are working hard to win India or neutralise its
government as they seek to do the same with Russia to ensure that their next
confrontation would only be with one enemy: China.
The traits of success would be very difficult as each international country
has its own considerations and future calculations.
Iran’s nuclear defiance should not be ignored
الدكتور ماجد ربيزاده:
لا ينبغي تجاهل التحدي النووي الإيراني
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/October 12/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/68071/dr-majid-rafizadeh-irans-nuclear-defiance-should-not-be-ignored-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%af%d9%83%d8%aa%d9%88%d8%b1-%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%ac%d8%af-%d8%b1%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af%d9%87-%d9%84%d8%a7/
History appears to be repeating itself as the international
community continues to disregard reports about Iran’s clandestine nuclear
activities.
More than a decade ago, the opposition National Council for Resistance of
Iran (NCRI) revealed that Tehran was conducting secret nuclear activities at
two major sites, Natanz and Arak. Yet initially, the revelation was not
taken seriously by the international community or relevant organizations,
such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It took years for the
international community to act, giving Iran the opportunity to speedily
advance its nuclear program and reduce its nuclear breakout time (the amount
of time needed to obtain necessary materials, such as weapons-grade uranium,
in order to develop a nuclear weapon). At one point, Iran’s nuclear breakout
time reached a dangerous level of approximately two to three months,
according to many experts. Recently, several sources have revealed data
about Iran’s nuclear defiance, but the international community and the IAEA
do not appear to be taking the issue seriously. Israeli intelligence, which
is considered one of the most robust in the world, gained access to tens of
thousands of documents from inside Iran’s nuclear program. It revealed
several developments, including the fact that Iran has been seeking to
weaponize its nuclear program for a long time. In one of the documents, an
Iranian scientist writes: “The (nuclear) work would be divided in two:
Covert and overt.” Since the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, it seems that
Tehran has not halted its nuclear activities.
The international community and the IAEA must conduct more comprehensive
inspections of Iran’s nuclear program. Its military bases that are
reportedly linked to the program, such as Parchin, should be monitored and
inspected regularly.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed out recently that Iran has
enriched 3 tons of uranium to 3.5 percent, doubled its stockpile of 20
percent enriched uranium, added thousands of new centrifuges (including
advanced ones), and continued work on the heavy water reactor at Arak. Since
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s election, “this vast and feverish effort
has continued unabated,” Netanyahu said.
Any increase in Iran’s nuclear activities under Rouhani should come as no
surprise. He used to be Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator during the
presidency of hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and in his book published in
2011, Rouhani boasted about his role in deluding the West.
“While we were talking to the Europeans in Tehran, we were installing
equipment in Isfahan,” he wrote. “By creating a calm environment, we were
able to complete the (nuclear) work in Isfahan.” Besides the revelations by
Israeli intelligence, critical information about Iran’s nuclear activities
was also recently disclosed by the NCRI, whose report states: “Reliable
information shows that the ‘nerve center’ of the Iranian regime’s nuclear
weapons project, responsible for designing the bomb, has been continuing its
work. Following the nuclear deal reached in 2015, not only has the unit
remained in place and its activities have not subsided, but it is now clear
that in some fields its activities have even expanded.”Such illegal
activities are most likely carried out in Iran’s military bases, such as the
Parchin military complex southeast of Tehran. Interestingly, during the
nuclear negotiations Iranian leaders succeeded in persuading the Obama
administration, Germany, the UK and France to exclude Parchin from IAEA
inspection. Other intelligence agencies have also detected Iran’s nuclear
defiance. For example, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal
Office for the Protection of the Constitution, revealed in its annual report
that Tehran has pursued a “clandestine” path to obtain illicit nuclear
technology and equipment from German companies “at what is, even by
international standards, a quantitatively high level.”
It is intriguing that despite all these intelligence reports, several
European countries are still appeasing Iran and ensuring that it enjoys
trade and sanctions relief. The EU should know that this is not the first
time Tehran has been caught advancing its nuclear program in violation of
international rules.
It had previously kept secret some of its nuclear-related operations (such
as in Arak and Natanz, which were revealed in 2002), in violation of the
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the terms of the IAEA. The agency’s
regular reports that Tehran is complying with the NPT and the nuclear deal
ought to be taken with a pinch of salt. We should not forget that the IAEA
failed on several occasions to detect Iran’s secret military-nuclear
activities. The international community and the IAEA must conduct more
comprehensive inspections of Iran’s nuclear program. Its military bases that
are reportedly linked to the program, such as Parchin, should be monitored
and inspected regularly. The IAEA should also investigate the leading
scientists and researchers linked to the program.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political
scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a
businessman and president of the International American Council.
Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
We must go back to basics to save our planet
Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/October 12/18
Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, we came to believe that the use of a
plastic bag was a luxury and a sign of development at the expense of the
more sustainable paper bag. We were also led to believe then that owning a
gas-guzzling motor car was a sign of success. Today we are told that these
modern necessities and many more are polluting our planet, and that we must
drastically change our attitude to saving the environment if we are to
protect it from global warming.
The findings of a new report by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate
Change, which convened in South Korea on Monday, make for gloomy reading
about the well-being of our planet. Its key message and warning was a call
to end our addiction to fossil fuels before 2030, or life on Earth as we
know it would start to become unsustainable from 2052.
The authors of the report warned that avoiding climate chaos will require
major transformations in governments, societies, economic models and our
day-to-day lives. Their main concern is to limit the rise in the planet’s
temperature, keeping it below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels,
if we are to avert worsening ecosystem damage across the globe, which in
time will fail to maintain life on Earth.
The findings of the scientists of 2018 are not new. The world has been
listening to the same warning annually since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, when
the Rio Convention set out a framework aimed at reducing greenhouse gases to
a level that protects the planet’s climate system, with approval from 195
countries.
However, despite governmental legislation and regulation, our addiction to
fossil fuel consumption has continued to increase.
We have simply sleepwalked into a lifestyle that encroaches negatively on
the planet’s fragile ecosystem.
The world’s open skies policy encouraged more air travel, so now we can
boast how the world has become one large, accessible village, despite the
large carbon dioxide footprint left by air travel. And look at the household
items used by consumers across the globe in the early part of the 20th
century. Gradually they were all replaced by plastic and other
environmentally damaging products, since they were cheaper to produce and
sell, regardless of their impact on the planet’s future.
So has modernity polluted our environment, or is it our greed for economic
and financial success that has led us to cutting industrial corners that
impact the environment in order to achieve better profits? In short, many
agree that we have simply sleepwalked into a lifestyle that encroaches
negatively on the planet’s fragile ecosystem — but who should we blame?
I believe we are all guilty and, unless there is a call for a return to
basics, the limits set up by the UN report will not be met in 2030 or 2050.
Saving the ecosystem that preserves our fragile world needs a global mindset
change. But, in a world that is polarized politically, ideologically and
commercially, this could be challenging to achieve, since sustainable growth
in countries and economies around the world is based on access to fossil
fuels.
The EU was the first to react to last week’s report, and its leaders have
decided to act to meet interim targets that envision car emissions being
reduced in the bloc by 35 percent by 2030. This, they claim, could be done
by banning the use of diesel vehicles in European cities, while also
migrating infrastructure to cleaner energy sources like wind and solar power
instead of coal and oil.
Europe has been at the forefront of attempts to reduce fossil fuel
consumption, but countries suffering from war, conflict or breakdowns in
upholding the rule of law elsewhere in the world will find it harder to
educate people on the importance of saving the environment, when many people
are still living in poverty and instability.
For the Middle East, where some countries are key producers of the oil that
has helped turn the wheels of the world’s economy in the last few years, the
challenges are equally daunting. How do they reconcile economic models
reliant on fuel production for income and stop producing this key commodity,
which is seen as strategic and essential for their gross domestic product.
In other Middle Eastern countries, discord, conflict and the absence of the
rule of law will make it more challenging for governments to meet the UN’s
demands. In some of the region’s countries, it is inconceivable to have a
greener policy to encourage people to protect the environment while law and
order is failing and the coffers of the state are empty.
Having lived in a Western society for decades I have learned to recycle my
newspapers, my tin cans, plastic and food waste. I have learned to reduce my
water consumption and insulated my home to save energy and pollute less.
Many like me have adapted their daily routines to better meet targets set to
reduce our carbon dioxide footprint. The latest report is telling us,
however, that this is not enough, and that more dramatic efforts are needed
to avert the point of no return and save life on our planet.
When the world came together in Rio 26 years ago, cooperation and
multilateral work fueled the conversation and the desire to work together to
save the environment. In today’s world, where populism, nationalism,
patriotism and economic protectionism are on the rise and multilateralism is
waning, there are serious doubts about our ability to meet UN targets. Large
and small nations must realize that we are once again in it together. We
must make an effort to go back to basics and make it a personal and social
priority to reduce emissions and limit global warming before it is too late.
• Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with more than 25 years’
experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy.
He is also a media consultant and trainer.