Detailed
Lebanese & Lebanese Related LCCC English New Bulletin For September 26/2018
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias
Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the
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Bible
Quotations
Paul:
What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only
to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus
Acts of the Apostles 21/01-14: "When we had parted from them and set sail,
we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from
there to Patara. When we found a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board
and set sail. We came in sight of Cyprus; and leaving it on our left, we
sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo
there. We looked up the disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through
the Spirit they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When our days there
were ended, we left and proceeded on our journey; and all of them, with
wives and children, escorted us outside the city. There we knelt down on the
beach and prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the
ship, and they returned home. When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we
arrived at Ptolemais; and we greeted the believers and stayed with them for
one day. The next day we left and came to Caesarea; and we went into the
house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven, and stayed with him. He
had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. While we were
staying there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
He came to us and took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands with it,
and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, "This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem
will bind the man who owns this belt and will hand him over to the
Gentiles." ’ When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go
up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and
breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in
Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ Since he would not be persuaded,
we remained silent except to say, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’"
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Titles For The Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published on September 25-26/18
Will North Korea Take Over South Korea/Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone
Institute/September 25/18
The untold story of why Israel wants to demolish Khan al-Ahmar/Ramzy Baroud/Al
Arabiya/September 25/18
Michelin Stars: From perfection to conspiracy/Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/September
25/18
US Yields Set to Leave Europe’s in the Rearview Mirror/Marcus shworth/Bloomberg/September
25/18
FULL TEXT: Donald Trump's Address at the 2018 UN General Assembly/Agencies/Haaretz/September
25/18
Analysis/With Russia's S-300 in Syria, Israel Will Have to Think Twice About
the Next Strike/Amos Harel/September 25/18
Why Trump will be proved right on Iran/Osama Al Sharif/Arab News/September
25/18
Terrorist attack in Iran a concern for Saudis, oil markets/Simon
Henderson/The Hill/September 25/18
How Tehran Might React to the Ahvaz Attack/Omer Carmi/The Washington
Institute/September 25/18
Titles For The
Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on
September 25-26/18
Aoun meets
President of UN General Assembly
Aoun meets Swiss President
Macron Says 'Working with Aoun, Hariri' to Return Syrian Refugees
Parliament Passes E-Transactions Draft Law
President Aoun Says Lebanon Will Not Serve as Lily Pad in Regional Conflict
Parliament Approves Arms Trade Agreement after Controversy
Parliament OKs Housing Loan Support as LF, Mustaqbal Walk Out
Hariri, al-Sayyed in Parliament Verbal Clash
Netanyahu Hails 'Great Success' in Stopping Hizbullah Shipments despite
'Exceptions'
Israeli Spies who Photographed Hizbullah Posts Sentenced to Hard Labor
Lebanese Soldier Killed in Army Raid in Hermel
Rahi Voices Calls for 'Slimline Crisis Government'
150 passengers deplaned, 100 stranded for Michel Aoun delegation to New York
Samy Gemayel: Economy Is All About Figures and Facts, Not Personal
Viewpoints
Tawile: Kataeb Party Will Continue to Devise Solutions to Economic Crisis
Abu Nader: Administrative Decentralization Now Possible Amid Wide
Convincement
Kataeb Party Warns of Large-Scale Collapse Amid Political Negligence
Lebanon’s parliament approves Arms Trade Treaty
Lebanon on course to return 200,000 Syrian refugees, Ibrahim says
Titles For The Latest LCCC
Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on September 25-26/18
Bahrain Accuses 169 of Forming Another Hezbollah
Trump: ‘No plans’ to meet Iran’s Rouhani ‘despite requests’
Pompeo Says Trump Ready to Meet Rouhani During UN General Assembly Sessions
Rouhani Says Trump Seeking Iran Leadership 'Overthrow'
Trump Vows U.S. Response to Any Syria Chemical Attack
Israel Says to Keep Fighting Iran in Syria, Coordinating with Russia
Mattis: It is ‘ridiculous’ for Tehran to allege US involvement in Ahwaz
attack
Russia: US being ‘malicious’, electronic gadgets sent to Syria’s Hmeimim
'S-300' Air Defense System Aggravates Russian-Israeli Tension
Saudi Arabia rejects false accusations over recent incidents in Iran
Bolton: Russian Missile System Sale to Syria a 'Significant Escalation'
Khamenei Vows Revenge for Ahvaz Attack, Shamkhani Calls For Regional
Dialogue
Egypt Sentences 20 to Death Over Police Killings
Iranian Military Ship Operates Under Commercial Cover off Hodeidah
Israeli troops shoot dead Palestinian during Gaza protests
Hamas Denies Collapse of Egypt-Brokered Israel Truce Talks
The Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on September 25-26/18
Aoun meets President
of UN General Assembly
Tue 25 Sep 2018/NNA - President Michel Aoun met with
President of the UN General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, during the
reception ceremony hosted by UN Chief, Antonio Guterres, in New York
Tuesday.
Aoun meets Swiss President
Tue 25 Sep 2018/NNA - President Michel Aoun met with the President of the
Confederation of Switzerland, Alain Berset, during the reception ceremony
hosted by UN Chief Antonio Guterres, National News Agency correspondent
reported on Tuesday.
Macron Says 'Working
with Aoun, Hariri' to Return Syrian Refugees
Naharnet/September
25/18/French President Emmanuel Macron revealed Tuesday that he is “working
hard” with President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to
“return the displaced Syrians to their country safely.”“I'm working hard
with Aoun and Hariri to return the displaced Syrians to their country
safely, until we find a drastic political solution in Syria, that's why we
have started efforts to repatriate small groups,” Lebanon's MTV quoted
Macron as saying.“I have helped Lebanon to organize three economic
conferences,” the French leader boasted.
Parliament Passes
E-Transactions Draft Law
Kataeb.org/Tuesday
25th September 2018/The Parliament passed on Monday a draft law pertaining
to electronic transactions and personal data. The law, which was ratified
without any amendments, regulates the country’s domain name and introduces a
new domain name ".lb". It also grants a private-public company the
authorization to regulate the domain in Lebanon and control the registration
of websites. The company should obtain accreditation from the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. During the session, credits were
given to the head of the Information Technology parliamentary committee, MP
Nadim Gemayel, and his predecessor, former Kataeb MP Samer Saade, who both
exerted remarkable efforts to draft said bill.
President Aoun Says
Lebanon Will Not Serve as Lily Pad in Regional Conflict
Kataeb.org/Tuesday 25th September 2018/President Michel Aoun
reiterated that the issue of Hezbollah's arms is linked to the situation in
the region, saying that the group doesn't play any military role inside
Lebanon.
“The party’s weapons are now linked to the situation in the Middle East and
to a solution to the Syrian war," he said in an interview with the French Le
Figaro newspaper. Asked if it is possible to integrate Hezbollah fighters
within the Lebanese army, Aoun said that this option might serve as a
solution. "But, for the time being, some are condemning its intervention in
the war against ISIS and the Nusra Front in Syria. Yet the truth is that the
terrorists were attacking our land, and Hezbollah was defending it." Aoun
claimed that Hezbollah doesn't place any veto on strategic decisions in
Lebanon, stressing that the country is based on consensus and, therefore,
anyone has the right to express his opinion. "In Lebanon, the political
system is consensual; expressing an opinion does not mean putting a veto."
The Lebanese president deemed sanctions targeting Hezbollah as a "political
revenge" after "military revenge" had failed. "The international pressure
against Hezbollah is not new, and it is increasing. Some sides are seeking
to settle political accounts with Hezbollah after they had failed to do so
militarily, since it defeated Israel in 1993, then in 1996, and later in
2006," he stated. "Unfortunately, some foreign public opinion insists on
depicting Hezbollah as the enemy."Aoun renewed Lebanon's commitment to the
policy of dissociation from regional conflicts, notably in Syria, voicing
rejection of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. Asked
if the south of Lebanon may be used in any the confrontation between Iran
and Israel, Aoun said: "No.""As long as Israel doesn't attack Lebanon, then
not a single gunshot will be fired from the Lebanese territory. But in the
event of any attack on Lebanon, then we have the right to self-defense," he
said.
Parliament Approves Arms Trade Agreement after
Controversy
Naharnet/September 25/18/Lebanon’s Parliament passed on Tuesday a draft law
approving the weapons trade agreement, amid objection from several MPs
including Hizbullah lawmakers who cited concerns for the Resistance’s arms,
the National News Agency reported. The draft law was rebuffed by lawmakers
of the Marada Movement, Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, Syrian Social
Nationalist Party (SSNP), MP Jamil Assayed, independent Sunni deputies and
Hizbullah, amid the abstention of AMAL Movement and Free Patriotic Movement
lawmakers. As voting for the law began, Hizbullah MP Ali Ammar walked out of
the session, arguing that the draft law “aims to harm the Resistance’s
arms.”Loyalty to the Resistance MPs demanded the law be returned to the
committees. MP Nawaf Mousawi said: “The Israeli enemy is a partner in this
treaty. Signing it would not fall in Lebanon’s interest.”The Arms Trade
Treaty is the first legally-binding instrument ever negotiated in the United
Nations to establish common standards for the international transfer of
conventional weapons. The (ATT) is a multilateral treaty that regulates the
international trade in conventional weapons. It entered into force on 24
December 2014. On objection of lawmakers, PM-designate Saad Hariri said:
“The treaty has no relation of the arms of the Resistance. Lebanon must sign
it because it falls in its interest.”
Parliament OKs Housing Loan Support as LF, Mustaqbal
Walk Out
Naharnet/September 25/18/The parliament on Tuesday approved an LBP 100
billion financial support for housing loans meant for low-income citizens in
a session that witnessed a walkout by the MPs of the Lebanese Forces and the
al-Mustaqbal Movement. Speaker Nabih Berri adjourned the session after the
withdrawal of the lawmakers of the two parties. Sources from Berri's bloc
said the session enjoyed a quorum of 67 MPs when the Speaker decided to
adjourn it. The approval of the housing bill was conditional on “the
government's preparation of a housing plan within six months,” NNA said.
Explaining the MPs' walkout, LBCI television said the LF had demanded, from
outside the agenda, the approval of a credit line for financing cancer and
chronic illnesses medications. At that point, Berri was seeking the approval
of two loan treaties to expand Tripoli's port. “MP Elias Bou Saab insisted
on carrying on with the session according to the agenda, which prompted the
LF to walk out of the session,” LBCI said. “Al-Mustaqbal's MPs followed
them, which pushed Berri to adjourn the session,” the TV network added.
Hariri, al-Sayyed in Parliament Verbal Clash
Naharnet/September 25/18/Parliament's legislative session witnessed Tuesday
a verbal clash between Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and MP Jamil al-Sayyed
who is close to Hizbullah and Damascus. The confrontation erupted when
Hariri was talking about loans related to the CEDRE Lebanon support
conference. “The displaced (Syrians) will benefit from any water or
electricity project in Lebanon. Let us bring the country to a halt if
anytime we execute a project you will say that the displaced would benefit
from it,” Hariri said. “Is this blackmail?” al-Sayyed replied. Hariri
snapped back: “This is not blackmail but rather the truth.”Speaker Nabih
Berri intervened at this point, telling al-Sayyed that he had not given him
a permission to speak. “I'm here for the legislation of the bills that were
requested at CEDRE. If you do not want to legislate these bills, I will walk
out,” Hariri added. Al-Sayyed hit back by saying that “there is a disease
that must be acknowledged, not concealed as Hariri is trying to do.”“Each
sick person should talk about their own disease,” Hariri answered. The PM-designate's
remarks followed parliament's approval of a loan treaty offered by the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to execute a project
for enhancing the health system in Lebanon. The MPs of the Kataeb Party
voiced reservations over the bill. The project is among those recommended by
the CEDRE conference. In his speech, Hariri also condemned “rumors” about
Lebanon's possible bankruptcy. “Lebanon is not bankrupted and we have a
golden chance through the CEDRE conference. Yes, there are mistakes and our
economy needs reform, but we are not in a desperate situation,” the
PM-designate added. “There is a campaign to harm the lira and frustrate the
Lebanese,” he warned.
Netanyahu Hails 'Great Success' in Stopping Hizbullah Shipments despite
'Exceptions'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 25/18/Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu stressed Tuesday what he called Israel's "great success"
in preventing Iranian military entrenchment in Syria and the transfer of
advanced arms to Hizbullah in Lebanon over the past three years. "That
doesn't mean that there weren't exceptions, but altogether it has been very
successful," Netanyahu said. "We did this with maximal and very successful
security coordination with the Russian army," he added. Both Iran and
Hizbullah are supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in his
country's civil war alongside Russia.
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Thursday his group had acquired
"precision missiles" despite Israel's extensive efforts to prevent it from
developing this capability.
"It has been done. The resistance now owns precision missiles" as part of
its weaponry, Nasrallah said in a televised address during the commemoration
of Ashura. Israel this month acknowledged carrying out more than 200 strikes
over the past 18 months in war-torn Syria.
"Attempts in Syria to block the way towards this (missile) capability" have
failed, Nasrallah added. "If Israel imposes a war on Lebanon, it will face a
fate that it never would have expected," he warned. Israel has fought
several conflicts against Hizbullah, the last in 2006.
The Israeli military believes Hizbullah has between 100,000 and 120,000
short-range missiles and rockets, as well as several hundred longer-range
missiles. Earlier this month, an Israeli raid hit Syria's coastal province
of Latakia to prevent what Israel said were deliveries of materials for
advanced weaponry to Hizbullah. Nasrallah denied the site was a Hizbullah
post and noted that Israel has been trying to prevent the Syrian regime from
acquiring an advanced missile capability.
Israeli Spies who Photographed Hizbullah Posts
Sentenced to Hard Labor
Naharnet/September 25/18/The Military Court on Tuesday sentenced three men
to three years of hard labor each on charges of spying for Israel, the
National News Agency said. NNA identified the trio as Hassan Salameh, Karam
Idriss and Kamal Hassan. It said they were also convicted of “providing
enemy agents with pictures of Lebanese areas and Hizbullah posts as well as
information about arms depots and military activities belonging to
Hizbullah.”In addition, they possessed Israeli military communication
devices. The court has also stripped them of their civil rights.
Lebanese Soldier Killed in Army Raid in Hermel
Naharnet/September 25/18/Lebanon’s army raided a suspected fugitives hideout
in the outskirts of Hermel district late on Monday leading to armed clashes
in which a soldier was killed and several troops were wounded, the National
News Agency reported on Tuesday. The night raid on al-Barach neighborhood in
Hermel’s outskirts aimed to capture fugitives but was met with gunshots
which killed a soldier and seriously wounded several other military members,
NNA said.
Rahi Voices Calls for 'Slimline Crisis Government'
Naharnet/September 25/18/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi called for the
formation of a “slimline crisis government” to end the governmental “vacuum”
and carry out reforms required by the CEDRE Conference, the National News
Agency reported on Tuesday. “Because there is no progress, I insist on the
formation of a crisis government independent of all the parliamentary and
partisan blocs,” Rahi told NNA in an interview from Canada where he is on a
pastoral visit. “It must include dignitaries capable of carrying out the
required reforms of the CEDRE conference and spending the eleven billion
dollars and building national unity. I insist on this solution,” stressed
Rahi. The Patriarch criticized political parties for their adamant positions
and unwillingness to concede demands in order to end the four months of
government “vacuum,” he said. “It is shameful particularly that the
International Community has agreed $11 billion in grants to assist the
economy at a time when Lebanon is dying economically and financially,
contrary to what the politicians claim” he said. On Bkirki’s failure to
invite the conflicting Christian leaders for a meeting to agree on a mutual
solution that pleases all, he said: “They are not ready.” PM-designate Saad
Hariri was tasked with forming a Cabinet on May 24 but the conflict between
parties mainly over the Christian and Druze representation have delayed his
mission. In May, Lebanon was garnered $11 billion in pledges, including
$10.2 billion in loans and $860 million in grants at the CEDRE conference-–
also referred to as Paris IV.
150 passengers
deplaned, 100 stranded for Michel Aoun delegation to New York
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday, 25 September 2018/As many as 150
passengers were deplaned from a passenger flight in Lebanon on Monday after
the plane was abruptly designated to commute Lebanese President, Michel Aoun
to New York. The plane belonging to Middle East Airlines (MEA), Lebanon’s
national flag-carrier airline, was heading from Beirut to Cairo. Passengers
were forced to disembark from the plane and, as a result, remained stuck at
the airport for 9 hours. On the other end, another 100 passengers were stuck
at the Cairo airport as they waited for the same fight to take them back to
Beirut. The event sparked a string of messages on social media. There were
posts suggesting that the plane was confiscated to join a large fleet of
four aircraft allocated to transfer Aoun and his delegation to attend the UN
General Assembly meetings in New York. Lebanese MP Paula Yacoubian reacted
sarcastically in a reference to the Lebanese President on her twitter
account: “The father of all, put everyone down and flew away”.The airline
apologized to the passengers that were meant to board their midday flights.
Meanwhile, the presidential media office held aviation entities responsible
for the defect claiming that presidential flight procedures have not changed
for decades.
Samy Gemayel: Economy
Is All About Figures and Facts, Not Personal Viewpoints
Kataeb.org/Tuesday 25th September 2018/The Kataeb bloc on Tuesday voiced
reservations about the loans being endorsed by the Parliament, arguing that
they increase the public debt and affect the state's finances. Speaking
during the second legislative session held this week, Gemayel stated that
the problem does not lie in the loans, but rather in the uncontrolled
spending. "Taking into consideration the current economic situation, the
main target should be to cut spending, not to increase the state's deficit,"
he said, noting that the loans amount to $500 million.
Gemayel warned that most of the approved loans contribute to the settlement
of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, adding that they will never think about
returning to their homeland as long as favorable living conditions are
provided to them in Lebanon. "Lebanon has endured much more than any other
country. [...]. I don’t know how the refugees would even think about
returning to their homeland with everything that is being ensured for them."
Gemayel stressed that economy is based on numbers and facts, not personal
analyses and viewpoints, stating that the current figures indicate that the
situation is deteriorating.
Tawile: Kataeb Party Will Continue to Devise Solutions to Economic Crisis
Kataeb.org/Tuesday 25th September 2018/Head of the Kataeb's Economic and
Social Council Jean Tawile on Tuesday stressed the need to admit that there
is an economic problem in Lebanon, criticizing officials who are turning a
blind eye to this fact. In an interview on Voice of Lebanon radio station,
Tawile said that the problem must be acknowledged and diagnosed, assuring
that the Kataeb party has been bold enough to speak up about economic
hardships jeopardizing the country and to search for the right solutions.
"We will put forth solutions and struggle to turn them into actions because
this is the only solution to pull the country out of this crisis."Tawile
revealed that the Kataeb party will be hosting a conference on Thursday to
address the economic situation in the country.
Abu Nader: Administrative Decentralization Now Possible
Amid Wide Convincement
Kataeb.org/Tuesday 25th September 2018/Kataeb leader's top adviser, Fouad
Abu Nader, outlined the importance of administrative decentralization,
saying that it encloses many advantages as it allows the citizens to manage
the areas where they live. “Thus, one part of the collected taxes will be
allocated to the establishment of local developmental projects, while the
other one goes to the central authority that would manage the funds as part
of a large-scale national and financial strategy,” Abu Nader told the Kataeb
website. “Decentralization encourages each citizen to work and contribute to
the development of his region. Therefore, good and constructive competition
will prevail as regions will strive to provide prosperity, execute projects,
and attract tourists,” he explained. "Regardless of the current political
conflicts, administrative decentralization might be achieved in the near
future, as everyone has become convinced of its benefits," Abu Nader noted.
Kataeb Party Warns of
Large-Scale Collapse Amid Political Negligence
Kataeb.org/Tuesday 25th September 2018/The Kataeb party on Monday warned of
a political and economic collapse in Lebanon, blaming the negligence of
those in charge of the government formation. "In order to avoid what is
worse and before it is too late, the Kataeb party renews its call for
speeding up the formation of a small-scale rescue government that would
include competent experts, work on drastic reforms, revive the state
institutions and restore confidence in them," read a statement issued
following the weekly meeting of the Kataeb's politburo.
"Otherwise, let's form a neutral emergency government. You can name it
whatever you want. What is important is to have a Cabinet that rescues the
country from the unknown and the looming collapse after the ruling parties'
practices have paralyzed the country's life cycle and pushed the economy to
the brink of deterioration, as they continue with their frenzy struggle over
shares and power."The Kataeb party deemed the two-day legislative session
held by the Parliament, under the so-called "urgent legislation", as the
normal result of the Cabinet stalemate, warning that this must not be taken
as an excuse to further procrastinate the formation process. The politburo
stressed the need to consolidate Lebanon's neutrality by shielding it from
the ripple effects of regional conflicts, rejecting attempts to confiscate
the state's sovereignty and decision-making power by sowing discord between
Lebanon and its historic allies. "Lebanon will not get out of its crises
unless the Constitution and the laws are enforced and respected in order to
restore the confidence of the citizens and the international community in a
sovereign, free, independent and democratic state," the statement read.
Lebanon’s parliament approves Arms Trade Treaty
Associated Press/September 25/2018/BEIRUT: Lebanon’s parliament has ratified
the international Arms Trade Treaty, angering Hezbollah legislators, some of
whom walked out in protest. The 2014 treaty seeks to regulate international
trade in conventional arms and prevent illicit trade. Hezbollah legislator
Ali Ammar walked out of the parliament Tuesday, saying it “infringes on the
weapons of the resistance.”After Lebanon’s 15-year civil war ended in 1990,
Hezbollah was allowed to keep its weapons since it was fighting Israeli
forces occupying parts of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah today has a massive
arsenal including tens of thousands of rockets and missiles. The group sent
thousands of its fighters to Syria to fight along President Bashar Assad’s
forces.
Lebanon on course to return 200,000 Syrian refugees, Ibrahim says
Georgi Azar/Annahar/September 25/18 /In an interview with Reuters, Ibrahim
maintained that 50,000 refugees have returned thus far in coordination with
the Syrian authorities.
BEIRUT: Major General Abbas Ibrahim, head
of Lebanon’s General Security Directorate, argued Tuesday that Lebanon is on
course to return 200,000 Syrian refugees by next year. In an interview with
Reuters, Ibrahim maintained that 50,000 refugees have returned thus far in
coordination with the Syrian authorities. Lebanon is home to 976,000
registered Syrian refugees according to the U.N. High Commission for
Refugees (UNHCR) yet the government has continuously alluded to a number of
1.5 million scattered across its territory. Lawmakers have called for their
return, arguing that they are posing a significant burden on the country's
infrastructure while contributing to the anemic economic state. Coordination
between Damascus and Beirut is ongoing he said, with around 10 percent on
average of those wishing to return being rejected by the Syrian government.
Anyone wanted by the Syrian authorities is told so they can decide whether
to stay or go home to “settle their affairs," he said.
The Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News
published
on
September 25-26/18
Bahrain Accuses 169 of
Forming Another Hezbollah
Reuters/Tuesday 25th September 2018/Bahrain charged 169
people on Tuesday suspected of forming "Bahrain's Hezbollah", a local
version of the armed Shi'ite group, which prosecutors said was trained and
backed by Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The announcement follows scores of
arrests and harsh penalties imposed in the Western-allied Gulf state on
defendants accused by the authorities of militancy, who activists say are
mostly peaceful opposition members. Bahrain, a strategic island where the
U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet is based, has a Shi'ite Muslim majority population
but is ruled by a Sunni royal family. It has long accused mainly Shi'ite
Iran of stoking militancy, which Tehran denies. A statement carried by the
state news agency BNA said the prosecutor charged 169 defendants, including
111 who had already been arrested. They were accused of forming a terrorist
group, planning assassinations and receiving training in handling weapons
and manufacturing explosives. "The Public Prosecution had been informed by
the Department of criminal investigation ...that Iran's Revolutionary Guards
have ordered some of their members to work on unifying different Bahraini
militant groups," the statement said."(The groups) would get involved in one
terrorist organisation which they called Bahrain's Hezbollah," it said,
adding the group was planning to send Bahrainis to Iraq, Lebanon and Iran
for military training. A trial is set for Oct. 3, BNA said. Bahrain has
stepped up a crackdown on critics, shutting down two main political groups,
revoking the citizenship of the spiritual leader of the Shi'ite Muslim
community and jailing rights campaigners. The kingdom has seen occasional
unrest since 2011 when authorities crushed pro-democracy protests mainly by
the Shi'ite community demanding a bigger role in running the country.
Demonstrators have clashed frequently with security forces, which have been
targeted by several bomb attacks. U.N. and rights groups accused Bahrain's
government of crushing dissent and violently cracking down on protests and
members of a peaceful political opposition.
Trump: ‘No plans’ to
meet Iran’s Rouhani ‘despite requests’
AFP, New York/Tuesday, 25 September 2018/President Donald
Trump said Tuesday he had no plans to meet with Iranian leader Hassan
Rouhani at the United Nations “despite requests” to do so. “Maybe someday in
the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!” Trump tweeted just
hours before both leaders were set to speak at the UN General Assembly, and
four months after the US president ditched the Iran nuclear deal. Trump
withdrew from the nuclear deal in May to the dismay of European allies,
Russia and China which had invested years in negotiations to achieve a
milestone agreement on keeping Iran’s nuclear ambitions in check.Rouhani
earlier said that as a precondition for any dialogue, Trump would need to
repair the damage done by exiting the nuclear deal. “That bridge must be
rebuilt,” he told NBC news.The United States maintains that it is seeking to
ramp up pressure on Iran which it accuses of sowing chaos in Iraq, Syria,
Yemen and Lebanon. In his General Assembly address, Rouhani was to stress
that Iran continues to stick to the 2015 deal and portray the United States
as a pariah for breaking its international commitments.
Pompeo Says Trump Ready to Meet Rouhani During UN
General Assembly Sessions
Asharq Al- Awsat/Tuesday, 25 September, 2018/US State Secretary Mike Pompeo
said in an interview released on Sunday that President Donald Trump was
ready to engage in a constructive dialogue with Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani and meet him at the UN General Assembly in New York this week.
“He’s happy to talk with folks at any time...,” Pompeo said on NBC’s “Meet
the Press,” one of two appearances on Sunday political talk shows. “The
President has been pretty clear about that.” The onus is on Rouhani to reach
out, Pompeo added. On “Fox News Sunday,” Pompeo said that if Trump sat down
at some point with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei -- however remote
that might be -- it would represent “an important and interesting
conversation.”“The leader of the country is Ayatollah Khamenei,” he said.
“The President said he’ll talk with anyone if we can have a constructive
conversation.”Khamenei, who has final say over state matters in Iran, has
called for no talks with the US until it returns to the nuclear deal.
Notably, Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal that his predecessor,
President Barack Obama, signed in 2015 with Iran and five other countries.
On the sidelines of the General Assembly, Trump is scheduled to meet with
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May.
Iran's nuclear issue and Trump's willingness to conclude a new deal are
expected to lead the talks. Many European companies have pulled out of deals
and trade relations with Iran to avoid risking their trade ties with the
United States. “When you have a security incident at home, blaming others is
an enormous mistake and the loss of innocent life is tragic,” Pompeo said,
referring to similar comments from Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Under UN rules, Iran, which isn’t currently a member of the Security
Council, can attend a meeting if it’s going to be the main subject of
discussion. Trump’s characterization raises the prospect of an encounter,
chance or otherwise, between Trump and Rouhani. The rhetoric shows the US
pressure campaign is working, and Iran’s economy is faltering, said Nikki
Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations. The US position remains not
to do business with European countries that engage with Iran, and they’re
making that decision, Haley said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
“If you look, they are dropping business from Iran left and right,” Haley
said. “Iran’s economy is plummeting.”
Rouhani Says Trump
Seeking Iran Leadership 'Overthrow'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 25/18/Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani accused his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump of trying to topple his
government Tuesday as he poured cold water on the idea of resuming talks
with Washington after its pullout from an international nuclear accord. "It
is ironic that the U.S. government does not even conceal its plan for
overthrowing the same government it invites to talks," Rouhani said in a
speech at the United Nations General Assembly. "For dialogue to take place,
there is no need for a photo opportunity. The two sides can listen to each
other right here in this Assembly. "I am starting the dialogue right here,
and state, in unequivocal terms, that the question of international security
is not a toy in American domestic politics."
Trump Vows U.S. Response to Any Syria Chemical Attack
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 25/18/President Donald Trump warned
Tuesday that the U.S. would respond to any new chemical weapons attack by
Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's regime as he called for fresh momentum to be
injected into international peace efforts
"The ongoing tragedy in Syria is heartbreaking. Our shared goals must be the
de-escalation of military conflict, along with a political solution that
honors the will of the Syrian people," Trump said in a speech at the United
Nations General Assembly. "In this vein, we urge the United Nations-led
peace process be reinvigorated. But, rest assured, the United States will
respond if chemical weapons are deployed by the Assad regime," added Trump
who ordered air strikes on Syria earlier this year after one such suspected
attack.
Israel Says to Keep Fighting Iran in Syria, Coordinating with Russia
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 25/18/Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Tuesday to continue combating Iranian
"entrenchment" in Syria and coordinating with Russia after the downing of
one of Moscow's planes. "We will continue to act to prevent the Iranian
military entrenchment in Syria, and continue the security coordination
between the Israel Defense Forces and Russian army," Netanyahu told
reporters. On September 17, Syrian air defenses mistakenly shot down a
Russian military plane following an Israeli raid in Syria, killing 15
people. Moscow has blamed the friendly fire incident on Israeli pilots using
the larger Russian plane as "cover."Israel disputes the Russian findings and
says its jets were back in Israeli airspace when the plane was downed.
Russia announced new security measures to protect its military in Syria,
including supplying the Syrian army with an S-300 air defense system and
jamming radars of nearby warplanes. Those moves prompted Netanyahu on Monday
to warn Putin against "transferring advanced weapons systems into
irresponsible hands."Speaking at the airport before traveling to New York
for the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu stressed Israel's "great
success" in preventing Iranian military entrenchment in Syria and the
transfer of advanced arms to Hizbullah in Lebanon over the past three years.
"That doesn't mean that there weren't exceptions, but altogether it has been
very successful," Netanyahu said. "We did this with maximal and very
successful security coordination with the Russian army," he added. Netanyahu
also noted he had agreed with Putin to have Israeli and Russian military
teams meet soon to enhance the coordination. Russia and Israel set up a
hotline in 2015 to avoid accidental clashes in Syria. Israel is now
concerned Russia will seek to limit its actions there. Israel's main enemy
is Iran and it has pledged to stop it from entrenching militarily in
neighboring Syria. Iranian-backed Hizbullah is also one of its enemies. Both
Iran and Hizbullah are supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime
in his country's civil war alongside Russia.
Mattis: It is
‘ridiculous’ for Tehran to allege US involvement in Ahwaz attack
Agencies/Tuesday, 25 September 2018/US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on
Monday dismissed Iran’s threats of revenge after Saturday’s deadly attack at
a military parade in southwestern Iran and said it was “ridiculous” for
Tehran to allege US involvement. When asked by reporters at the Pentagon if
Iran’s threat worry him, Mattis said: “No it does not. We’ve been very clear
that they shouldn’t take us on like that. I am hopeful that cooler, wiser
heads will prevail,” Mattis said. Earlie US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
criticized his Iranian counterpart Mohamed Javad Zarif’s remarks, in which
he accused regional states and the United States as behind the attack which
29 people were killed and scores injured. Pompeo described Zarif's remarks
as an enormous mistake as the incident happened inside Iran, regretting the
fall of innocents in the attack, calling on the Iranian regime to focus on
maintaining the security of its people rather than causing insecurity around
the world. On Monday, Iranian media quoted Hossein Salami, deputy commander
of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corp, as saying that the attack, exposed the
dark face of the US-led coalition and its allies to counter Iran’s influence
in the region. It is, however, highly unlikely the Guards will strike any of
its foes directly and risk setting off a regional conflict. Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani engineered Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world
powers that ushered in a cautious detente with Washington before tensions
flared anew with US president Donald Trump’s decision in May to pull out of
the accord and reimpose sanctions on Tehran. Iran’s Intelligence Minister,
Mahmoud Alavi, said a network of suspects had been arrested in connection
with the attack, the judiciary’s news agency Mizan reported. He did not
elaborate. Karim Dahimi, a human rights activist in London, told Reuters
local sources had said more than 300 people had been arrested in the cities
of Ahvaz, Khorramshahr and Abadan in recent days, mostly from the Sunni
Muslim community. (Reuters)
Russia: US being ‘malicious’, electronic gadgets sent
to Syria’s Hmeimim
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday, 25 September 2018/Despite American
condemnation and the Israeli state of alert with the Russian Defense
Ministry announcement on Monday that it will supply the Syrian regime with
S-300 defense missiles, it seems that Russia is determined to proceed with
its project.
According to Russian newspaper Izvestiya, the first group of electronic
warfare devices was delivered on Monday on an El-76 plane, to Syria’s
Hmeimim military base. This is despite the warning that it will disrupt the
functioning of radars and communications systems on aircraft trying to
approach the Syrian shores. The Interfax news agency said that the work of
these groups will aim to disrupt the work of radars and communications
systems and control aircraft that will attack Syrian territory. The means of
electronic warfare would disrupt the work of satellite navigation systems.
This development, comes after a Russian reconnaissance plane was shot down
on September, 17, off Lattakia, killing 15Russian servicemen on board. The
Russian Defense Ministry blamed the Israeli air force for that incident and
described Israeli conduct as “deliberate.”On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin that supplying
advanced weapon systems to “irresponsible players” would increase dangers in
the region, Netanyahu’s office said. Full story
Russia foreign ministry: US is being ‘Malicious’
At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that the
arguments of Russia’s partners, who previously demanded that Syria should
not get the S-300 missile defense system, are no longer convincing,
stressing that any country has the right to provide technical military
support to its partners. The ministry stressed that the supply the S-300
missile defense system to Syria will not lead to escalation in Syria, but to
stability, noting that this system is defensive, and the United States is
being “malicious” when it says that Russia’s export of the missiles threaten
the US security. The Russian Foreign Ministry explained that the S-300,
which will be received by Syria will be able to cover the Syrian airspace,
where it requires doing so.
'S-300' Air Defense System Aggravates Russian-Israeli
Tension
Moscow, Tel Aviv, New York - Raed Jaber, Nazeer Majli, Hiba Al-QudsiAsharq
Al- Awsat/Tuesday, 25 September, 2018/Moscow announced on Monday it would
supply Damascus with modern S-300 missile defense systems, signaling a new
round of crisis between Russia and Israel. Russian President Vladimir Putin
defended Moscow’s move during a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the Russian move was “aimed primarily at fending
off any potential threat to the lives of Russian servicemen,” according to
the Kremlin.”The announcement of the S-300 delivery came one day after
Russia accused Israel of “criminal negligence” in dealing with Moscow, and
one week after the Syrian regime accidentally shot down a Russian military
plane, killing more than a dozen people. Later, the Israeli military denied
the accounts. On Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the
S-300 systems would be delivered to Damascus within two weeks. He said
Russia is now going to go ahead with the shipment because “the situation has
changed, and it’s not our fault.”The Minister also said his country would
equip Syrian air defenses with a new automated control system to enhance its
efficiency and help identify Russian aircraft. “We are convinced that these
measures will calm down some hotheads and keep them from careless actions
which pose a threat to our troops,” Shoigu said. Practically, the delivery
of the S-300 means that Russia has decided to shut the Syrian air traffic in
the face of Israeli planes. A decision to hand over the S-300 missile
defense systems was taken in 2010. However, Russia never delivered them due
to Israel’s continuous rejection, as Tel Aviv feared Syria could use them
against it. After Netanyahu called Putin Monday, his office said the Israeli
prime minister “stressed once again that the responsibility for the
unfortunate incident lay on the Syrian army that shot it down and on Iran,
whose aggression is destabilizing the region.”Referring to the S-300, the
Prime Minister was quoted as telling Putin that “transferring advanced
weapons to irresponsible hands will increase the dangers in the region.” For
his part, US national security adviser John Bolton said the delivery of the
Russian S-300 would be a “significant escalation.” Speaking at a press
conference on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York, the
advisor announced that more than 2,000 US troops stationed in Syria would
remain in the war-ravaged country “as long as Iranian troops are outside
Iranian borders.”
Saudi Arabia rejects false accusations over recent
incidents in Iran
Riyadh, SPA/Tuesday, 25 September 2018/A senior official at the Saudi
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that the Kingdom completely rejects
the deplorable false accusations by Iranian officials regarding the
Kingdom's support for the incidents that occurred in Iran last Saturday.
The senior official added that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's policy is clear
regarding its non-interference in the domestic affairs of other countries,
and its rejection to any interference in the Kingdom's domestic affairs. The
Iranian regime, in contrast, interferes in the affairs of its neighbors, and
is the leading sponsor of terrorism in the region and the world. The Iranian
regime since its inception has spread chaos, destruction, sectarianism, and
extremism. The regime has wasted its peoples resources in its aggression and
reckless behavior that has brought nothing but chaos and destruction to the
region.
The senior official also noted that the Kingdom is used to such false
allegations by a regime that has no other option but to lie and place the
blame on other countries to cover its shortcomings and failures to fulfill
the aspirations of its people. The regime recently accused the Kingdom of
causing the collapse that Iran's economy is witnessing, which in fact was
the result of the regime's policies that have wasted its people's resources
and capabilities to support terrorist organizations and spread ballistic
missiles in the region. The senior official added, that we advise the
Iranian regime to follow a new path and behave like a responsible country
that seeks to achieve prosperity and stability for its people, rather than
waste its capabilities in support of terrorist organizations, sectarianism,
and extremism, and to engage with its neighbors on the principle of good
neighborliness, respect for international laws and norms, and without
interference in the affairs of other countries.
Bolton: Russian Missile System Sale to Syria a
'Significant Escalation'
The Hill/ Tuesday 25th September 2018/National security adviser John Bolton
warned Monday that a Russian delivery of a missile defense system to the
Syrian government is a substantial escalation. "We think introducing the
S-300s [missile defense systems] to the Syrian government would be a
significant escalation by the Russians and something that we hope, if these
press reports are accurate, they would reconsider," Bolton said, according
to The Associated Press. Russia announced earlier Monday that it would give
the Syrian government the S-300 after Syria's current missile defense
systems accidentally downed a Russian plane last week. Russia blamed the
incident on "misleading information" from the Israeli air force. Russian
military spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that Israeli command warned on the
day of the incident that it would strike the "north of Syria," according to
Agence France-Presse.
Konashenkov said Russia ordered its plane to return to its base, but "one
minute" after the call, Israeli F-16s struck targets in western Syria,
according to the news service. Israel has issued a full-throated denial of
the accusation. "We have American forces that we're concerned about," Bolton
said Monday. "The Israelis have a legitimate right to self-defense against
this Iranian aggressive behavior, and what we’re all trying to do is reduce
tensions, reduce the possibility of major new hostilities." "That’s why the
president has spoken to this issue and why we would regard introducing the
S-300 as a major mistake," he added. Tensions continued to worsen between
the various players in Syria as the U.S. and allies prepare to respond to a
possible chemical weapons attack on the remaining rebel forces in Idlib.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Sunday that the U.S. will hold anyone
who uses chemical weapons in Syria accountable. When asked if that might
include the use of military force, Pompeo responded that they aren't ruling
out "a single thing." Earlier this month, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, indicated that President Trump had
been presented with military options for Syria. The Wall Street Journal also
reported several weeks ago that Trump privately threatened to retaliate with
a massive attack if Syrian President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons.
When asked two days later if America would respond with military force,
Defense Secretary James Mattis said, "I am not going to give that clarity."
The Washington Post reported three weeks ago that the president has approved
stationing about 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria indefinitely. According to The
Associated Press, Bolton said Monday that the U.S. military will not leave
Syria until Iran is no longer active in the country. "We're not going to
leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that
includes Iranian proxies and militias," Bolton said.
Khamenei Vows Revenge for Ahvaz Attack, Shamkhani Calls
For Regional Dialogue
London/Asharq Al- Awsat/Tuesday, 25 September, 2018/Iranian officials
continue to provide floundering statements, as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
accused foreign parties of the attack that killed severals in Ahvaz city. In
a statement published on his official website, Khamenei asserted that the
perpetrators of the terrorist attack in Ahvaz are funded by foreign regimes,
adding that: “We will rigorously punish the cowardly masterminds behind the
attack.”He went on to say: “According to reports, the cowardly attack was
carried out by the same people who, whenever trapped in Syria or Iraq, the
US comes to save them. He also accused Arab states against Iran’s regional
policies of funding the attackers. On Saturday, four militants attacked a
parade marking the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, spraying the crowd
with gunfire and killing 24 people. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
deputy head Hossein Salami reiterated accusations against the United States
and Israel and warned the two countries to expect a "crushing and
devastating" response from Tehran. Salami was speaking at the funeral of the
victims which was also covered by the state-owned tv. Meanwhile, the
secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, said on
Monday that terrorism is endangering the entire Middle East and leaving the
region in crisis. “The danger of terrorism and its roots...have caused
crisis in the region and impeded the Islamic countries’ progress,” he said,
adding that Iran needs to talk to its neighbors.
“It is essential to be vigilant and increase interaction and constructive
dialogues to foil destructive efforts being made by ill-wishers to cause
division among regional countries,” the top security official noted.
Shamkhani also criticized the US and the Zionist regime of Israel’s divisive
policies in the region. He pointed to the White House’s re-imposition of
sanctions indicating that such policies will just lead to more isolation of
the US. On Monday, IRGC organized a funeral where thousands of people
gathered in the streets of Ahvaz to mourn the victims of the attack. At the
ceremony, some mourners chanted "death to Israel and America." Authorities
declared a national day of mourning, and public offices, banks, schools, and
universities will remain closed. IRGC’s news agency published the names of
the victims of the assault included civilians and members of the Corps’
elite. Iran’s Fars news agency said on Monday that five attackers were
killed in Saturday’s attack, two of which were brothers along with their
cousin. The body of the fifth assailant had not been identified as it was
mixed up with other casualties, Fars said without mentioning its source. A
spokesman for the "Arab Struggle Movement" said that Ahvaz National
Resistance was responsible for Saturday’s attack, without providing
evidence. Former Labor Minister, Ali Rubaie, warned of attitudes that tended
to show the process ethnically motivated, saying it was "a continuation of
the work of elements of terrorism." "Nationalists, despite all the problems,
always see themselves as part of Iran," he said through his Twitter account,
adding: "activists are following their rights with a reformist, peaceful
approach and against violence."The United States and the UAE have refuted
Iranian allegations that they were involved in the attack. Asked if the
United States had any role in the attack, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
blasted Iranian leadership for blaming the US and its allies for an attack.
"When you have a security incident at home, blaming others is an enormous
mistake," Pompeo said on Fox News Sunday.
Egypt Sentences 20 to Death Over Police Killings
Cairo- Mohammed Abdu Hassanein/Asharq Al- Awsat/Tuesday, 25 September,
2018/Egypt’s highest court upheld on Monday the death sentences given to 20
people convicted over a deadly attack on a police station in 2013. The Court
of Cassation, whose rulings are final and cannot be appealed, also confirmed
the life sentences handed out to 80 defendants and 15-year prison terms for
34 others. The court issued a final verdict of executing 20 extremists who
are supporters of former president Mohammed Morsi and life-imprisonment for
others, after being convicted of killing 13 policemen in an attack against a
police station west Cairo in 2013. This assault is known in the media as 'Kerdasa
massacre'. On August 14, 2013, an attack took place on a police station in
Kerdasa that is a city in Giza. The convicted were previously re-trialed,
after another criminal court issued in February 2015 an execution sentence
in the case of 183 accused in the case – further, a minor was sentenced
10-years in prison. However, the cassation court abolished the sentence and
ordered a retrial of 156 convicted. In the second time, the criminal court
issued sentences of imprisonment and execution, which were upheld by the
cassation court on Monday – the court acquitted 21. International human
rights organizations criticize what they call collective execution sentences
in cases of political prospects in Egypt – however, the Egyptian authorities
reject this criticism, affirming that the judiciary is independent and
integral.
Iranian Military Ship Operates Under Commercial Cover
off Hodeidah
Riyadh- Abdel Hadi Habtoor/Asharq Al- Awsat/Tuesday, 25 September, 2018/The
Arab coalition fighting in support of the legitimate Yemeni government said
on Monday it has spotted Iranian military using spying devices to monitor
ships crossing the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb.Spokesman Col. Turki Al-Maliki
said the Coalition discovered that an Iranian-registered commercial ship was
actually a military one named Safiz, monitoring ships passing through the
Strait of Bab Al-Mandeb by using listening devices and sending military
experts to Yemen. "Our operations continue against suspicious ships that are
threatening international shipping in the Red Sea," Maliki said. Hodeidah
port is a vital lifeline for aid shipments to Yemen. Maliki accused the
Iranian regime of continuing to violate international law and destabilize
the security of the region and the world. The ship is assisting Houthi
militias in threatening the international navigation, he added. The
spokesperson said the Arab Coalition has established three safe corridors
for civilians to travel between the cities of Sanaa and Hodeidah, in
cooperation with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “The coalition is working with OCHA in Yemen to
establish safe humanitarian corridors to help in the delivery of aid...
between Hodeidah and Sanaa,” Maliki told a press conference in Riyadh.
Yemen's civil war, which began when the Iran-backed rebels seized Sanaa in
September 2014, has left 22 million people in need of assistance, according
to the UN. The spokesperson explained that progress in Hodeidah has been
slow because the Coalition wants to avoid harming civilians there,
especially that Houthis continue to use civilians as human shields in the
city of Hodeidah. Maliki concluded that the Arab Coalition has many pieces
of evidence, that would be uncovered later, documenting Iran’s violation of
the international law.
Israeli troops shoot dead Palestinian during Gaza
protests
Reuters, Gaza/Tuesday, 25 September 2018/Israeli soldiers shot dead a
Palestinian man and wounded dozens of others on Monday taking part in a
protest near the border between Israel and Gaza, Gaza health officials said.
The Israeli military said thousands had taken part in the demonstration,
throwing burning tyres, rocks and explosive devices toward the troops on the
other side of the border fence. Soldiers responded with riot dispersal means
according to rules of engagement, a military spokesman said. Gaza health
officials said 90 people were hurt, 10 of them by live fire. Since Gazans
began holding border protests on March 30, the Israeli army has killed 184
Palestinians. A Gaza sniper has killed one Israeli soldier. Israel accuses
Hamas of having deliberately provoked violence in the protests, a charge
Hamas denies. Israel says the blockade is intended to prevent weapons from
reaching militant groups, including Hamas, which it designates as a
terrorist organization and with whom it has fought three wars in the past
decade. More than 2 million Palestinians are packed into tiny Gaza, which is
experiencing deep economic hardship. Around 10 Palestinian boats sailed off
the coast to challenge the blockade on Monday, drawing warning shots from
the Israeli navy. There were no reports of Palestinian casualties.
Hamas Denies Collapse
of Egypt-Brokered Israel Truce Talks
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 25/18/A senior Hamas official denied
Tuesday that Egyptian-brokered talks on reconciliation with the Palestinian
Authority and a lasting truce with Israel have collapsed, but admitted
progress was slow. "The efforts of our Egyptian brothers continue on the
file of Palestinian reconciliation and the calm with the (Israeli)
occupation," spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP. "We in Hamas are responsive
to these ongoing efforts." Egypt has for months been seeking to broker two
separate deals. One would bring Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas' secular
Fatah party together a decade after a bloody split, and another would see a
lasting truce between Hamas and Israel in exchange for a loosening of the
Jewish state's blockade of the Gaza Strip. U.N. officials have also been
involved in the indirect discussions between Gaza's Islamist ruler Hamas and
Israel, which have fought three wars since 2008. Abu Zuhri accused Fatah of
obstructing the talks, while Fatah has accused Hamas of being intransigent.
A senior Hamas leader told AFP Tuesday that a delegation would visit Cairo
to continue negotiations in the coming days. An Egyptian security delegation
traveled to Gaza for a few hours on Saturday for a visit that included a
meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniya. Hamas has encouraged months of
violent border protests against Israel. After a lull, protests have regained
strength in recent weeks as talks were seen to stall.
The Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on
September 25-26/18
Will North Korea Take
Over South Korea?
Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/September 25/18
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13021/north-korea-takeover
Throughout his visit to North Korea, South Korean President Moon Jae-in went
out of his way to downplay the legitimacy of the government he leads and the
country he was elected to represent. He was not asserting South Korea's
right to exist.
Up to now, the South's textbooks have stated that Seoul is "the only
legitimate government on the Korean Peninsula." New textbooks, however, do
not include that declaration.
Moon, unfortunately, has undermined democracy in tangible ways. Since
becoming president in May of last year, he has used control of big
broadcasters to reduce access to dissenting views and to promote North
Korea's. Alarm is now widespread.
If all this were not enough, Moon is taking down defenses along invasion and
infiltration routes into Seoul and proposing substantial reductions in the
South Korean military. Americans should care because by treaty they are
obligated to defend the South.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (right) guides South Korean President Moon
Jae-in during his visit in Pyongyang, North Korea, September 18, 2018.
Kim Jong Un assembled a reported 100,000 people, many waving his North
Korean flag or the blue-and-white unification standard, to greet Moon
Jae-in, the president of South Korea, as he arrived in Pyongyang on
September 18.
President Moon did not seem to mind that no one was holding the symbol of
his country, the Republic of Korea. "What was glaringly missing was the
South Korean flag," Taro O of the Pacific Forum told Gatestone in e-mailed
comments. "Maybe South Korean people take comfort in seeing that Samsung's
Lee Jae-yong wore the South Korean flag badge on the lapel of his jacket
while in North Korea. No one in the Moon administration did."
Nor did Moon himself. In fact, throughout the trip Moon went out of his way
to downplay the legitimacy of the government he leads and the country he was
elected to represent. As Ms. O observed, Moon on the trip often used "nam
cheuk," literally "south side" or "south," when the custom has been for
South Korean leaders to say "Hanguk," literally "country of Han people."
Similarly, Moon while in the North said "nam cheuk gookmin." That translates
as "south side citizens." South Korean presidents would normally use "uri
gookmin," literally "our citizens" and figuratively "my citizens."
In contrast, Kim Jong Un did not reciprocate Moon's rhetorical gestures.
During Moon's visit, he used the communist term "uri inmin," "our people" or
"my people."
Kim's Democratic People's Republic of Korea does not recognize Moon's
Republic of Korea as sovereign. Similarly, South Korea does not recognize
the North. Moon's choice of terms signaled -- subtly but significantly -- he
was not asserting South Korea's right to exist.
Moon obviously wants to change Seoul's core position, which it has
maintained since the founding of the South Korean state in August 1948. His
Ministry of Education, disturbingly, has already changed textbooks. Up to
now, the South's textbooks have stated that Seoul is "the only legitimate
government on the Korean Peninsula." New textbooks, however, do not include
that declaration. And, as Ms. O points out, the South's Unification Ministry
has also deleted the critical phrase from training materials.
To pave the way for unification, Moon's long-cherished goal, he has also
tried to make the South more compatible with Kim's horrific state. Most
fundamentally, his Democratic Party of Korea led an attempt to remove the
notion of "liberal" from the concept of "democratic" in the constitution.
Fortunately, the South's "conservatives" rebuffed the effort, but the
Education Ministry in June tried to change the country's textbooks,
proposing to describe the nation's political system as just "democracy." The
ministry had to relent, permitting the concept of freedom to be included in
the materials.Moreover, Moon's government has given only a lukewarm
endorsement to the South's National Community Unification Formula, which
affirms that a unified state should be a liberal democracy. Since September
1989, every South Korean president has backed the document as official
policy. The Kim regime in the north rejects the label "liberal" but
maintains it too is "democratic," so Moon's various changes would have
reduced a high barrier to the union of the two Koreas. President Moon,
unfortunately, has undermined democracy in tangible ways. Since becoming
president in May of last year, he has used control of big broadcasters to
reduce access to dissenting views and to promote North Korea's. "An American
expert recently visiting [South] Korea was warned by a state-funded media
outlet to avoid any remarks critical of Moon's approach to North Korea,"
Lawrence Peck, a leading expert on pro-North Korea activities in the U.S.,
told Gatestone this month. Now, Moon's government is going after free
expression on social media. Minjoo, as Moon's party is known, is behind a
"broadcast law reform" bill, which if enacted will give the government the
right to take down YouTube videos it does not like. "YouTube remains the
only open venue for those Koreans who want to safeguard their country as a
democratic republic," writes In-ho Lee, a former South Korean diplomat and
once president of the Korea Foundation, in e-mail comments.
Is South Korea becoming North Korea? It is certainly moving in that
direction. Its leader, in Peck's words, "attempts to stifle dissent, both
under color of law and by unofficial and more subtle forms of pressure." A
favorite tactic has been, as he explains, "extremely dubious criminal
defamation charges against critics." Moreover, the South Korean government
is pressuring North Korean defectors to keep quiet about the North.
Conservative voices, Peck says, are being "persecuted, censored, fired,
prosecuted, pressured, or otherwise retaliated against or harassed."
And they are not the only ones targeted. Moon has created an atmosphere
where pro-North Korea elements are waging what Lee calls "a reign of
terror." In the terror, these forces feel free not only to speak but also to
deny freedom to others. The North's radical proponents now hold rallies
urging the arrest of "scum" -- those who have escaped from the North to live
in the South. Moreover, radicals have put up in Seoul wanted posters naming
two defectors, asking citizens to report on their whereabouts. Because the
pair is believed to be targeted by Pyongyang for assassination, the posters
put their lives in danger.
It is not clear whether "free democracy" is "currently on the verge of a
collapse," as charged in the September 4 Statement of the Congress of the
Republic of Korea on the National Emergency on the Situations that Face the
Nation, but alarm is now widespread.
If all this were not enough, Moon is taking down defenses along invasion and
infiltration routes into Seoul and proposing substantial reductions in the
South Korean military. Americans should care because by treaty they are
obligated to defend the South, which for decades has anchored their western
defense perimeter. Many speculate as to Moon's motives, but, whatever his
intentions, he has kept as senior advisors those who, as members of the
so-called juchesasangpa groups, advocated North Korea's juche self-reliance
ideology and have refused to disavow their views to this day. And to this
day concerns continue to swirl around Im Jong-seok, Moon's radical chief of
staff. Moon, according to Peck, has continued to hire far-left advisors.
Therefore, Moon's refusal to insist that the North Koreans fly his country's
flag, something a host country would do as standard diplomatic protocol, is
deeply troubling. As David Maxwell of the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies notes, the North continually attempts to undermine South Korea
with "subversion, coercion, and use of force."
And now, Kim appears to have recruited a sympathizer, Moon Jae-in.
*Gordon G. Chang is the author of "Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On
the World" and a Gatestone Institute Distinguished Senior Fellow.
© 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.
The untold story of why Israel wants to demolish Khan al-Ahmar
Ramzy Baroud/Al Arabiya/September 25/18
On September 4, the Israeli High Court of Justice gave the green light for
the demolition of Khan Al-Ahmar and of the so-called “rubber tires school”,
built by the Italian NGO, Vento di Terra. The school provides educational
opportunities for 180 children from the Bedouin village and from adjacent
villages as well. A few weeks earlier, on August 10, Israeli warplanes
bombed and completely destroyed al-Mishal Cultural Center in Gaza. Among its
many activities, the center was used to help children cope with trauma
resulting from war-inflicted physical and psychological scars.
Targeting of Palestinian educational and cultural institutions – through
bombings, demolition or property confiscation – has been a regular Israeli
policy for many years. While Israel often offers the clichéd explanation,
that such destruction is carried out in the name of “security”, facts
demonstrate that there is no basis for this claim. In fact, Israel
demolishes and destroys based on a completely different logic which dates
back to Israel’s own creation over the ruins of hundreds of Palestinian
towns and villages in 1948.
The Khan al-Ahmar Model
The Palestinian village of Khan Al-Ahmar, which is facing imminent Israeli
demolition, is a perfect illustration of this horrific and lingering
reality. The strategic location of Khan Al-Ahmar makes the story behind the
Israeli demolition of the peaceful village unique amidst the ongoing
destruction of Palestinian homes and lives throughout besieged Gaza and
Occupied West Bank. Throughout the years, Khan Al-Ahmar, once part of an
uninterrupted Palestinian physical landscape has grown increasingly
isolated. Decades of Israeli colonization of East Jerusalem and the West
Bank left the village trapped between massive and vastly expanding Israeli
colonial projects: Ma’ale Adumim and Kfar Adumim, among others. The village,
its adjacent school and 173 residents are the last obstacle facing the E1
Zone project, an Israeli plan that aims to link illegal Jewish colonies in
Occupied East Jerusalem with West Jerusalem, thus cutting off East Jerusalem
completely from its Palestinian environs in the West Bank. Like the Neqab
(Negev) village of Al-Araqib, which has been demolished by Israel and
rebuilt by its residents 133 times, Khan Al-Ahmar residents are facing armed
soldiers and military bulldozers with their bare chests and whatever
solidarity they are able to obtain.Despite the particular circumstances and
unique historical context of Khan Al-Ahmar, however, the story of this
village is but a chapter in a trajectory of tragedies that has extended over
the course of seventy years. Israel is engaging in a seemingly endless
campaign of erasing everything Palestinian, because the latter, from an
Israeli perspective, represents an ‘existential threat’ to Israel’s ‘Jewish
identity’
Erasure of Palestine
It would be an error to discuss the destruction of Khan al-Ahmar, or any
other Palestinian village outside the larger context of demolition that has
stood at the heart of Israel’s particular breed of settler colonialism. It
is true that other colonial powers used destruction of homes and properties,
and the exile of entire communities as a tactic to subdue rebellious
populations. The British Mandate government in Palestine used the demolition
of homes as a ‘deterrence’ tactic against Palestinians who dared rebel
against injustice throughout the 1920s, 30s and 40s, till Israel took over
in 1948. Yet, the Israeli strategy is far more convoluted than a mere
‘deterrence’. It is now carved in the Israeli psyche that Palestine must be
completely destroyed in order for Israel to exist. Therefore, Israel is
engaging in a seemingly endless campaign of erasing everything Palestinian,
because the latter, from an Israeli perspective, represents an ‘existential
threat’ to Israel’s ‘Jewish identity’. This can only be justified with an
irrational degree of hatred and fear that has accumulated throughout
generations to the point that it now forms a collective Israeli psychosis
for which Palestinians continue to pay a heavy price. The repeated
destruction of Gaza is symptomatic of this Israeli obsession.
Israel is a “country that when you fire on its citizens it responds by going
wild - and this is a good thing,” was the official explanation offered by
Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister in January 2009 to justify its
country’s war on the blockaded Gaza Strip. The Israel ‘going wild’ strategy
has led to the destruction of 22,000 homes, schools and other facilities
during one of Israel’s deadliest wars on the Strip. A few years later, in
the summer of 2014, Israel went ‘wild’ again, leading to an even greater
destruction and loss of lives. Israel’s mass demolition of Palestinian homes
in Gaza, and everywhere else, preceded Hamas by decades. In fact, it has
nothing to do with the method of resistance that Palestinians utilize in
their struggle against Israel. Israel’s demolishing of Palestine – whether
the actual physical structures or the idea, history, narrative, and even
street names – is entirely an Israeli decision.
Numbers don’t lie
A quick scan of historical facts demonstrates that Israel demolished
Palestinian homes and communities in diverse political and historical
contexts, where Israel’s ‘security’ was not in the least a factor. Nearly
600 Palestinian towns, villages and localities were destroyed between 1947
and 1948, and nearly 800,000 Palestinians were exiled to make room for the
establishment of Israel. According to the Land Research Center (LRC), Israel
had destroyed 5,000 Palestinian homes in Jerusalem alone since it occupied
the city in 1967, leading to the permanent exile of nearly 70,000 people.
Coupled with the fact that nearly 200,000 Jerusalemites were driven out
during the Nakba, ‘the Catastrophe’ of 1948, and the ongoing and gradual
ethnic cleansing, the Holy City has been in a constant state of destruction
since the establishment of Israel.
In fact, between 2000 and 2017, over 1,700 Palestinian homes were
demolished, displacing nearly 10,000 people. This is not a policy of
“deterrence” but of erasure – the eradication of Palestinian lives,
livelihoods, sense of belonging and culture. Gaza and Jerusalem are not
unique examples either. According to the Israeli Committee against House
Demolitions (ICAHD’s) report last December, since 1967 “nearly 50,000
Palestinian homes and structures have been demolished – displacing hundreds
of thousands of Palestinians and affecting the livelihoods of thousands of
others.”Combined with the destruction of Palestinian villages upon the
establishment of Israel, and the demolition of Palestinian homes inside
Israel itself, ICAHD asserts the total number of homes destroyed since 1948
to be more than 100,000.
In fact, as the group itself acknowledges, the above figure is rather
conservative. In Gaza alone, and in the last 10 years which witnessed three
major Israeli wars, nearly 50,000 homes and structures were reportedly
destroyed. So why does Israel destroy with consistency, impunity and no
remorse? For the same reason that it passed laws to change historic street
names from Arabic to Hebrew. For the same reason it recently passed the
racist nation-state law, elevating everything Jewish and completely ignoring
and downgrading the existence of the indigenous Palestinians, their language
and their culture that go back millennia. Israel demolishes, destroys and
pulverizes because in the racist mindset of Israeli rulers, there can be no
room between the Sea and the River but for Jews; where the Palestinians -
oppressed, colonized and dehumanized - don’t factor in the least in Israel’s
ruthless calculations.
This is not merely a question of Khan Al-Ahmar - it is a question of the
very survival of the Palestinian people, threatened by a racist state that
has been allowed to ‘go wild’ for 70 years, untamed and without
repercussions.
Michelin Stars: From perfection to conspiracy
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/September 25/18
I usually leave my old friends with a fixed date to take me away from work
pressure whenever I visit the countries they live – although our chats
always include talk about work. Some see me in the café where they usually
sit. Another one of my generous friends whom I visited years ago took me to
his mother’s house and when I ate from the food which I found delicious and
couldn’t stop eating from, this specific dish made by his mother – may God
prolong her life – became a habit which I don’t hesitate accepting an
invitation for. Sometimes I find myself telling him before the others that I
am visiting so I guarantee my renewed old date. Among these are a friend I
don’t forget and who told me: “Close your eyes and place your finger
anywhere on the menu of my favorite restaurant, and I bet that there’s
nothing you won’t like!” He did this over and over again, and he was very
confident. I ordered two plates and I found myself drowning in delight. Then
it was time for dessert. There were only three options on the menu. I closed
my eyes and wished that when I open them, I can taste all three. When we
finished this strange dining experience, he said: “Do not thank me. You can
do this with any friend on condition that you select a restaurant from the
list of restaurants which are ‘worthy of a special trip.’”I now confess to
this latter friend that what he said to me cost me a lot later as first of
all I spent my entire day looking into what he meant until I found it in the
restaurants which have three Michelin stars. Ever since, I am like the truck
drivers whom brothers Andre and Edouard relied on to collect data at the
beginning of issuing their guide as they wrote in the first edition: “We
cannot do anything without the help of drivers, and we can do everything
with them.” These are the Michelin Brothers, the most famous tire
manufacturers in the world.
At the time, there were only 3,000 cars in France, and the two brothers were
thinking of a way to make roads more tempting for drivers so they relied on
truck drivers as a credible source to evaluate restaurants in nearby roads
and cities. The guide which made roads more tempting for drivers was free,
until one of the brothers found a way to add a fourth leg to a table that’s
missing a leg! He swore that the guide will not be free anymore and he
actually laid out a basic rule in the world of marketing: People do not
respect what’s free. If you can sell your merchandise with loss, go ahead.
Never, ever present it for free to others!
Painful losses
The guide which derived its power from truck drivers became the most
important tourist guide which the best chefs in the world brag about its
stars. It’s reason enough to collapse in tears if one loses a single star
like what happened to Gordon Ramsay, whose restaurants have a total of 16
Michelin stars, as he wiped away his tears as he spoke of the pain of losing
one star and said it was a very painful loss that resembles losing someone
you love. Some may say I am exaggerating this but one of the reasons that
one of the most famous chefs in the world committed suicide few years ago –
according to analysts – was losing a Michelin star. This huge pressure which
these stars put on chefs is much more than the pressure which celebrities
face during the Oscars ceremony! Who said only Arabs believe in conspiracy
theories?! What makes the theory that chef Benoît Violier, 44 years old,
committed suicide under the pressure of possibly losing a Michelin star is
that another famous French chef shot himself in the head after his
restaurant lost two stars that same year. The Michelin Guide, however, is
accused of being bias to French restaurants and this conspiracy theory is
spearheaded by the Americans. In 2014, one restaurant in Chicago got three
stars, four restaurants got two stars and 20 restaurants got one star. The
evaluation seems ordinary but then you find out that the competition was
among 500 restaurants in one city! Like many others, I thought that people
ate to live until I traveled a lot and realized that this truth in luxurious
countries is very different. Some people actually fulfill the wish of the
Michelin Guide and go on a special trip for a unique dining experience in a
faraway restaurant thus confirming the theory that they live to eat! I have
no doubt that humanity came a long way beginning with uncooked food and up
until the decisive and major phase when man discovered fire. Since fire is a
source of warmth, it’s also a good friend of the hungry. Ever since man
began to cook, the size of his jaw began to decrease, and ever since we
began pasteurizing and boiling milk, we became less fearful and fonder of
all forms of milk. The fireplace did not know that one of the fanciest and
most profitable jobs in the world today will rely on cooking and that
generations will cross roads and find time to make evaluations – for free –
hence honoring a chef with a star that puts him on the map and that one
single complaint can end the life of a famous chef. A few years ago, I was
accompanying King Salman – at the time he was crown prince – on a trip to
Japan. It was a huge banquet on which representatives of the most important
categories of the Japanese people sat across. It was neither strange nor
surprising – after I had spent a long time on the Michelin Guide – to see
chefs sitting on the other side of the table alongside politicians and
economists!
Last week, I was in Amsterdam where the International Broadcasting
Convention was held. I went to a hotel, and one of the employees told me the
good news, as if his baby was just born, that one of their restaurants
received a Michelin star. I later asked an employee in the same hotel where
the restaurant that got the star is. She almost broke in tears as she told
me it was taken away from them. She then justified why and said it’s because
a conspiracy was weaved against them to withdraw the Michelin star from
them.
Who said only Arabs believe in conspiracy theories?!
US Yields Set to Leave
Europe’s in the Rearview Mirror
Marcus Ashworth/Bloomberg/September 25/18
Where the US leads, the world will follow. That has been the case in the
bond market for the past month as American yields have climbed steadily. But
Europe is unlikely to follow the leader much further if U.S. Treasuries move
up to a higher yield range; there’s simply not enough high-quality European
debt to go around. The reasons for rising US government bond yields are easy
to rattle off: A Federal Reserve intent on raising rates and reducing its
quantitative-easing holdings at a faster pace.
Robust economic growth. A widening federal budget deficit, which means the
Treasury needs to sell more bonds. An inflation rate rising steadily toward
3 percent. The risk that China, the largest holder of US Treasuries, decides
to use them as ammunition in an intensifying trade war.
All these are chilling for bondholders. The reverse is largely the case for
Europe: The European Central Bank’s negative 40 basis points deposit rate is
on hold for at least another year. The ECB’s QE, though tapering off, will
continue through the end of the year. Growth in Europe is half that of the
US. Net issuance from the German government over the next few years is set
to be around zero, according to Unicredit analysts. Core euro-area inflation
is stuck at just 1 percent. This doesn’t make a compelling case to buy
European bonds, but it suggests yields are unlikely to move much either way.
Another dynamic is holding down German yields: scarcity. Demand for
super-safe debt has only increased just as the pool of core European
government bonds has contracted thanks to the ECB’s vast QE program. The ECB
holds more than a quarter of outstanding issuance — as it does for other
euro-area government bonds — with no plans to liquidate. Foreign central
banks and sovereign wealth funds hold about 37 percent, according to
Unicredit. These are long-term holders, so there is not much of a free
float.The spread between German and US Treasuries has widened steadily from
level in the aftermath of the financial crisis to more than 250 basis points
now. That looks set to continue to widen further as the US and Europe move
in different directions.
FULL TEXT: Donald
Trump's Address at the 2018 UN General Assembly
Agencies/Haaretz/September 25/18
Trump slams Iran, insists Israeli-Palestinian peace has advanced, attacks
ICC and says U.S. won't return to Human Rights Council.
U.S. President Donald Trump sharply attacked Iran during his remarks at the
UN General Assembly on Tuesday, the first day of the high-profile
international gathering in New York. Below is the full text of his address:
One year ago I stood before you for the first time in this grand hall, I
addressed the threats facing our world, and presented some options to reach
a better future.
Today I want to share the extraordinary progress we made.In two years my
administration has achieved more than any admninistration had achieved
before in history.
The American economy is booming like never before, the stock market is
thriving, unemployment is at a historic low. We operated the biggest tax
cuts and reforms in american history. We strenghtened our border security,
our military will soon be more powerful than it has ever been before
The United States is stronger, safer and richer than when I assumed office
two years ago. We are standing up for America and the american people and
for the world.
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This is great news for our citizens and for peace loving people everywhere.
When nations respect each other, they can work together for prosperity and
peace. Each of us here is an emissary of the own culture, history, values
that make our homeland like nowhere else on earth.
America chooses indipendence and cooperation over global government, each
must pursue its own customs. The U.S. won’t tell you how to live work, or
worship. We ask you to honor our sovereignty in return. My highest honor is
to represent the U.S. abraod . I forged strong alliances with the leaders of
many nations.
We have engaged with North Korea to replace the spectre of conflict with a
bold new push for peace. In June in Singapore I met with the leader of North
Korea and had a highly productive conversation. We agreed that
denuclearization was in both countries’ interests. A number of encouraging
measures were taken since. Missiles and rockets are no longer flying in
every direction. Some militaty facilities were dismantled. Hostages were
released. I would like to thank Kim for his courage and for the steps he has
taken though much work is yet to be done. Sanctions will stay in place till
deneclearization occurs. This moment is far greater than people would
understand. I thanks the Presidents of South Korea, Japan and China for
their support.
In the Middle east historic change has happened thanks to our appraoch. Gulf
counties are enforcing new sanctions to identify and track terrorist
networks and extremists in their own region.
The UAI and Saudi Arabia and Qatar have pledged billions of dollars for
Syria and Yemen, and are attempting multiple avenues to end the horrific
civil war in Yemen. It is up to the nations to decide what kind of future
they want. U.S. is working with the Gulf cooperation council, with Jordan
and Egypt to increase prosperity.
Thanks to the U.S. military and its partnership with many of your nations,
ISIS was driven out from territories in Syria and Iraq. We will continue to
work to deny them funding and means of infiltrating. The ongoing tragedy in
Syria is heartbreaking. De-esclaation is needed as well as a political
solution that honors the Syrian people. The UN peace process must be
reinvigurated. If chemical weapons are deployed, there must be a response.
People in Jordan and around Syria must be praised for hosting refugees from
this brutal civil war. Being as close to home as possible the refugees can
be part of the rebuilding process. Every solution to the humanitarian crisis
in Syria must include a strategy to address brutal regime.
Another issue is the corrupt dictstorship of Iran. They cause chaos, death
and destruction, they do not respect neighbours’ borders and the sovereign
rights of nations. They plunder nations’ resources to enrich themselves and
spread bad across the region. Their leaders have embezzled millions of
dollars from the Iranian treasures, sent proxies to wage wars, not good!
Their regional agenda is aggression and expansion. That’s why many supported
me in withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal and in reimposing nuclear
sanctions. The deal was a win for Iran leaders, their military budget grew
40 percent since deal was reached, they increased internal repression,
financed terrorism, in Syria and Yemen. U.S. launched a campaign of economic
pressure on Iran to deny the regime funds it needs to advance its bloody
agenda.
We began reimposing the sanctions lifted after the deal, on November 6 there
will be more sanctions, and more will follow. We want countries that import
iran crude oil to stop.
We cannot allow a regime that chants death to america and threatens Israel
of annihilation to deliver a nuclear warhead. Just can’t do it. We ask to
isolate regime as long as the aggression continues. We need to support
people in reclaiming their relgious destiny.
I took other significant steps in the recognition of every state’s right to
establish its own capital. I moved the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem
which advances hopes of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. That aim is
advanced not harmed by acknowledging facts. It is principled realism, we are
not hostages to dogmas, experts who were proven wrong over the years time
and time again. Not only in matters to do with peace but also to do with
prosperity. We believe that trade must be fair and reciprocal. U.S. will not
be taken advantage of any longer. For decades US opened its economy with few
conditions. Wer allowed goods to fly in freeely yet other markets were not
open in return. Countries dumped their products, subsidized their goods,
manipulated currencies.
As a result trade our deficit balooned. For this reason we are
systematically renegotiating trade deals. Last month a U.S. mexico trade
agreement was announced.
skip - Trump forced to pause amid laughter at the 2018 UN General Assembly
address
Trump forced to pause amid laughter at the 2018 UN General Assembly address
- דלג
Yesterday I stood with President of South Korea. A brand new US Korea trade
deal announced. Many nations will agree that world trading system in dire
need of change. Countries in WTO violate every single principle on which
organization is based, U.S. instead and others play by rules, but some rig
system in their favour. They do product dumping, forced technology transfer,
theft of intellectual property. The U.S. lost a quarter of steel jobs after
China joined the WTO. We had 14 trillion dollars in trade deficit. But those
days are over. We will no longer tolerate such abuse. Our workers are not to
be victimised, our wealth not to be plundered, America will never apologize
for protecting its citizens.
There will be new tariffs to chinese groups, as our trade imbalance is not
acceptable. The way they deal cannot be tolerated. America will always act
in its national interest. I warned that the UN human rights council became a
great embarassment to this institution, shielding human rights abusers and
slashing America and its many friends. Nikky Haley laid out an agenda for
reform but despite warnings no action at all was taken. So US took the only
possible course, withdrew from the human rights council, will not return
till reform is enacted. And will not give recognition to the International
Criminal court. ICC has no legitimacy and no authroity. It claims universal
jurisdiction violating due process, violating justice , we will never
surrender to this unaccountable global bureacracy. We reject globalism and
embrace patriotism, around the world responsible nations must resist threats
to sovereignrty. In America we believe strongly in energy security for
ourselves and our allies.
We are the largest energy producer on the face of earth. Clean coal oil,
natural gas. Opec and Opec nations as usual are ripping off rest of world,
and I don’t like it, nobody should like it, we defend many of these nations
for nothing, and they give us high oil prices. NOT GOOD. We want them to
start lowering prices, they must contribute to their own military protection
from now on. These are horrible prices. Relying on a single supplier leaves
nations vulnerable to distortion. Polond is building the baltic pipeline so
nations are not dependent on russia anymore for energy needs.
Germany will be dependent to russia if it does not change course. We need
indipendence from encroachment and we welcome cooperation with countries
that wish to do the same. U.S. is also working with Latin America to
confront threats of uncontrolled migration, tolerance for human smuggling
and trafficking is not humane, it’s a horrible thing going on at levels
unseen before.
Illegal immigration finances criminal networks, and the flow of deadly
drugs. It produces a vicious circle of crime and poverty. Only by upholding
national borders, can we break the cycle, we recognise the right of every
nation to have own immigration policy according to its national interest.
This must be respected. US will no participate in the new Global compact of
migration, it is a global body unaccountable to our own pople. People to
build more hopeful future in own country.Make their countries great again.
We are witnessing a human tragedy in Venezuala. Two million people fled
anguish inflicted by Madhuro and his Cuban sponsors. Venezuele used to be
one of richest countries, now poeple driven into abject poverty. Virtually
everywhere socialism and communism has produced decay, socialism’s thirst of
power leads to expansion and oppression. All nations of the world must
resist socialism. In that spirit we ask nations to join us in restoring
democracy in Venezuala. We are announcing new sanctions against the
repressive regime. We are greatful for all work UN does to help people build
better lives for themselves and families.
UN is the world’s largest giver of foreign aid. But few aid is given to us,
that’s why we are looking into our assistance. We will examine what is
working and not working and whether countries that recieve our dollars and
protection have our interest at heart. Only to those who are our friends we
will continue. We expect countires to pay a fair share for their own
defence. The UN must become more effective and accountable. The UN has
unlimited potential. As part of reform efforts we said we won’t pay more
than 25 percent of pece keepign budget, sharing in this large burden.
Only when each of us contributes our share can we realise the UN highest
aspirations. We must pursue hope without despair, security without apology.
Looking around this hall we think of the many before who came here, and
thoughts turn to the same question, the question of what kind of world we
will leave to our children and what kind of nations they will inherit.
Answers are as diverse as people who have stood at this podium. Great
progress was made by India lifting people from poverty, from Saudi Arabia
with its reforms, Israel is celebrating 70 years as a thriving democracy in
the holy land. Many countries pursue own unique visions building own future
and pursuing wonderful dreams. The whole world is richer, humanity is better
because of this beautiful constellation of nations, each unique shining
brightly in its part of the world. As Americans we know what kind of future
we want, what nation America wants to be.
We believe in the majesty of freedom and dignity of individual, self
government and rule of law, culture built on strong families, fierce
indipendence. We celebrate our heroes, love our country. Inside this great
chamber each patriot feels the same powerful love for his own nation, the
same loyalty to your homeland. Passion has inspired reform and revolution,
sacrifice, scientific breakthrough and magnificent works of art. We must not
erase it, but embrace it, draw on its wisdom, find a way to make our nations
greater, the regions safer, the world better. To unleash potential of our
people, sovreign and indipendent nations are the only vehicle where freedom
succeeds. We must protect sovreignty and indipendence above all. When we do
we will find new avenues for cooperation unfolding before us, new ways of
peace making, new purpose, new spirit flourishing more around us. Making
this a more beautiful world. Let us choose the future of patriotism, let us
come here to stand for our people and for their nations, forever strong,
sovreign, just, thankful for the grace and the glory of God, God bless the
nations of the globe.
Analysis/With Russia's
S-300 in Syria, Israel Will Have to Think Twice About the Next Strike
عاموس هاريل من الهآررتس: إسرائيل مضطرة لإعادة حساباتها بما يخص غارراتها على
سوريا بوجود النظام الروسي للصواريخ اس 300 فيها
Amos Harel/September 25/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/67699/amos-harel-haaretz-with-russias-s-300-in-syria-israel-will-have-to-think-twice-about-the-next-strike-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3-%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87/
The new missile system provided by Russia is not a total
barrier to airstrikes, but Israeli jets' freedom of action will be
significantly curbed.
The two latest developments in Moscow – the Defense Ministry’s report that
placed full responsibility for last week’s downing of a Russian plane over
Syria on Israel, and the announcement of the transfer of advanced S-300
anti-aircraft missile systems to the Assad regime – shouldn’t surprise
anyone in Israel except maybe a few foolish supporters of Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu. No matter how good his relations with Russian President
Vladimir Putin may be, Netanyahu can’t make the problem disappear.
Russia suffered an embarrassing blow when Assad’s anti-aircraft fire shot
down the plane, and it still has widespread interests to promote in Syria.
It was quite clear that the affair would lead to a Russian condemnation of
Israel and to demands of Israel. The bottom line still depends on Putin, who
initially sufficed with a cautiously worded statement the day after the
incident. For the time being it seems the result of the Russian steps will
be a significant restriction of Israel’s freedom of action over Syria.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Monday that his country
would supply Syria with S-300 ground-to-air missiles. Russia, he said, would
also use electronic warfare systems to prevent the activation of satellite
tracking systems along Syria’s coast, making it harder for Israel to conduct
airstrikes. And Russia will equip Syrian anti-aircraft units with Russian
tracking and guidance systems to prevent mishaps in which Syria downs
Russian aircraft.
The transfer of S-300 missiles to the Syrians, along with even more advanced
systems (like the S-400) that the Russians are deploying near their bases in
Syria’s northwest, don’t constitute a total barrier to Israeli attacks.
According to foreign media, the Israel Air Force has trained for missions in
which Israeli jets must contend with S-300 batteries – which the Russians
sold to Cyprus and are now in Greece's hands. It’s reasonable to assume that
the air force can figure out how to reduce the risk when facing these
systems.
In April, after an American attack and a number of Israeli attacks, Moscow
announced that it would sell the S-300 systems to Syria, but it didn’t
follow through. This time the Russians seem more determined to follow
through, though it’s doubtful the weapons will be delivered in two weeks as
promised by Shoigu, and it could take the Syrians a while to learn to
operate the technology.
The test for Israeli-Russian relations is sure to come soon when a new
intelligence warning pops up about an Iranian attempt to smuggle arms into
Lebanon on a route near the Russian bases in northwestern Syria. Because
Iran is determined to continue with its arms shipments to Hezbollah, and
Israel has insisted on its right to attack such shipments, Jerusalem is
bound to face a dilemma: Should it attack once again near the Russians and
risk further exacerbating the crisis and even the downing of an Israeli
plane?
Russia’s announcement of the decision to supply the S-300s and its report
Sunday on the circumstances of the downing of the Ilyushin plane underscore
one point. Moscow can’t accuse the main culprit responsible for the incident
– its ally, the Assad regime. (It’s amazing to see that blame for the Syrian
anti-aircraft forces doesn’t even appear in the Defense Ministry’s official
statement.)
It was therefore clear from the beginning that the responsibility would be
placed on Israel. It’s also interesting that all the blame is directed at
the Israeli military, which the Russians accuse of being unprofessional or
“criminally negligent, at the very least.” The Israeli political leadership
isn’t mentioned except for one general claim about Israel’s alleged
dangerous offensive policy in Syria.
The Russian inquiry seems dubious; some of its claims are odd. For instance,
the Russians say Israel gave them a warning of only one minute (it’s
surprising that Israel hasn’t stated the real time lag, which was much
longer). According to experienced Israeli pilots, the claim that the Israeli
jets hid behind the Russian intelligence-gathering plane is unreasonable and
not in keeping with accepted operational practices.
The accusation that Israel deceived the Russians about the location of the
planned attack also seems illogical. According to Russia, the IAF informed
it about an attack in northern Syria, while the attack occurred in western
Syria. Latakia is in northwest Syria, as a quick glance at a map reveals.
And because the military coordination has been working successfully for
three years now, during which hundreds of Israeli attacks have taken place,
it’s hard to believe that the two sides haven’t yet cleared up some basic
terminology.
The Russian announcement accuses Israel of ungratefulness in light of
Moscow’s steps on behalf of Israeli interests such as keeping Iranian forces
from the Israeli border in the Golan Heights. (The Russians say they’ve kept
them 140 kilometers [87 miles] away, while actually it’s 85 to 100
kilometers, a buffer zone that doesn’t include Damascus, where Iranian
soldiers remain.)
In recent years, Russia has been caught lying or spreading disinformation
about its role in a number of incidents, the most recent being its
involvement in the U.S. presidential elections, the poisoning of the former
Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain, and the invasion
of Crimea and eastern Ukraine. So it’s hard to believe that anyone but Syria
and Iran will adopt the Russian version of last week’s events.
But it’s unlikely that this will matter. Moscow has the last word on the
plane affair. It seems Putin waited for an Israeli blunder to put Jerusalem
in its place.
This isn’t the end of an era for Israel’s military operations in Syria,
where it has conducted hundreds of attacks in the north over the past six
years. But for now, it appears the situation on the northern front won’t
return fully to the conditions before the Russian plane was shot down.
Israel has operated freely in northern Syria for years thanks to the
combination of offensive actions and good diplomatic relations with the
Russians. Mostly, Israel acted shrewdly, achieving many of its goals.
In this handout video grab released by the Russian Defense Ministry speaks
to the media next to the screen showing the scheme of the incident during a
briefing in Moscow, Russia, September 22, 2018.
But in recent months Israel has displayed excessive confidence in Syria.
It’s unlikely that the Russians were happy with the Israeli military's
announcement this month that it had conducted more than 200 attacks in Syria
since the beginning of last year. It seems Jerusalem hasn’t fully grasped
the implications now that the Assad regime, with the help of the Russians,
has regained control of most of the country, including the region bordering
Israel.
Israel isn’t a superpower and isn’t invincible. It will have to take into
account Russian considerations and maybe even adapt its offensive model.
Senior defense officials say they ascribe great importance to the latest
incident. Those who still claim that this is just a mild shudder on the wing
must be so busy defending Netanyahu’s image that they’re no longer capable
of analyzing reality objectively.
Why Trump will be proved right on Iran
Osama Al Sharif/Arab News/September 25/18
US President Donald Trump will be the center of attention at the UN General
Assembly this week. Just as he was last year, he is expected to be
“undiplomatic” in criticizing foes and allies on many issues: Trade, defense
strategies, counter-terrorism, and non-proliferation and denuclearization,
among others. But, while he will not lambast North Korea, as he did last
year, he will focus on Iran; especially his decision earlier this year to
unilaterally withdraw from the nuclear agreement that was meticulously
negotiated by his predecessor, as well as Tehran's regional meddling and its
sponsorship of terror.
Trump's view of the world is different from that of previous
administrations. He appears at the UN podium as a leader who has rattled his
closest allies and partners over defense spending, foreign policy, trade,
immigration, Iran and military alliances. His views and positions on many
foreign policy issues are in contrast with those of America's closest
allies. Certainly, he has taken the side of the Israeli far right in dealing
with the thorny Arab-Israeli conflict. He has punished the Palestinians
while claiming that he will unveil a plan that will end decades of
hostilities and hardship. No ally of the US has endorsed his departure from
the two-state solution.
But, when it comes to Iran, Trump may turn out to be on the right side of
history, despite the widening gap that separates him from his European
partners. There is no doubt that the nuclear deal that was adopted in 2015
was the result of years of secret and open negotiations and that it
delivered what was then the best possible outcome. As it has turned out,
Tehran did abide by the agreement, according to international and even
Trump's own experts. But, crucially, it did nothing to contain Iran's
regional ambitions, its support of terrorist groups and its ballistic
activities.
Crucially, the nuclear deal did nothing to contain Iran's regional
ambitions, its support of terrorist groups and its ballistic activities
Today the region is in turmoil and Iran is largely responsible for this. One
can point to Iraq and its dysfunctional political system due to brazen
Iranian meddling in its affairs. Tehran-backed militias have become a major
player in Iraqi politics and have deepened the sectarian divide that has
unraveled the fabric of Iraqi society. As Iraqi politicians quibble over
positions and benefits, the country continues to sink into a quagmire of
corruption and mismanagement. Iran's interference in Iraqi affairs has
become a source of discontent among both Sunnis and Shiites, as was evident
in the recent protests in Basra.
The Yemeni crisis is a poignant reminder of Iran's irresponsible meddling
and regional disruption. All attempts to end the Houthi insurgency that has
destroyed Yemen's foundations and institutions have been foiled by Tehran.
Iran's role in prolonging Yemen's ordeal is undisputed.
Tehran's controversial involvement in the Syrian crisis is another cause of
regional instability. The Syrian civil war took a sectarian trajectory
following Tehran's intervention. Iranian-backed militias, as well as members
of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, are complicit in countless war
crimes in Syria. A just political settlement in Syria will remain elusive so
long as foreign meddling continues.
Regardless of how effective the nuclear deal is, it did nothing to contain
Iran's regional ambitions and its bullying of its neighbors. Trump may have
wanted to derail the agreement simply because it was negotiated by Barack
Obama but, now that the US has withdrawn, the world must address its
aftermath.
Europe will not be able to save the agreement in its present form. Trump has
taken a hardline position, threatening to punish companies and states that
do business with Iran. The next batch of sanctions in November will hit Iran
hard as it targets its oil exports. So far, US sanctions have dealt a heavy
blow to the Iranian economy and ignited a major political crisis between
President Hassan Rouhani and parliament. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
may end up ditching Rouhani and enabling extremists. Such a move will only
deepen Iran's crisis.
But, despite Trump's strong words and actions, he has left the door open for
a possible settlement. He has expressed willingness to meet with Rouhani
unconditionally, while a close aide has said that the US will seek to
negotiate a treaty with Iran rather than an agreement.
So far Khamenei has stuck to his anti-US rhetoric, rejecting calls for a
dialogue. This is a big mistake. Iranian leaders can't afford to wait as
their citizens suffer; largely as a result of the regime’s foolish regional
meddling. Dialogue with the US will go a long way toward addressing regional
grievances. Tehran must change course if it wants to normalize its ties with
its neighbors and open up to the world. Trump is right to pressure Tehran to
negotiate.
*Osama Al Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman.
Terrorist attack in Iran a concern for Saudis, oil
markets
Simon Henderson/The Hill/September 25/18
Reporting on Saturday’s attack on a military parade in the Iranian city of
Ahwaz is missing a significant angle – oil. Ahwaz is the capital of
Khuzestan province, where Iran’s major oilfields are. Tehran could well
regard the attack in which 29 died, including some children and other
civilian spectators, as an attack on its oil infrastructure. It therefore
may regard other countries’ oil installations as being a legitimate target
for retaliation. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has vowed revenge
against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well Israel and
the United States. Today Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi of financing the “perpetrators” and threatening “harsh
punishment.”
Saudi Arabia, along with the UAE, is a regional rival of Iran. Tehran backs
proxies in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Bahrain. All three rivals are major oil
producers and exporters — though U.S. policy is to cut Iran’s oil exports to
zero, if possible, from November. Together, they account for the majority of
exports from the Persian Gulf through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Last year, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, the kingdom’s effective
leader who usually is known as just MbS, spoke ambiguously of the contest
against Iran in a television interview: “We will work so that battle is on
their side, inside Iran, not in Saudi Arabia.” But, as I wrote (perhaps
presciently) in March for The Hill: “If Saudi Arabia tries to destabilize
Iran by promoting insurrection, as MbS has said privately to visiting
interlocutors, its own vulnerability may be quickly exposed.”
On Monday, the oil price jumped more than 2 percent to more than $80 per
barrel for the benchmark Brent crude, a four-year high attributed to Saudi
Arabia’s reluctance to persuade the OPEC cartel to agree to a production
increase at the weekend’s oil summit in Algiers. Saudi oil minister Khalid
al-Falih disingenuously claimed on Saturday that OPEC is all about
production rather than price: “There is plenty of supply to meet any
customer that needs it.” In narrow economic terms, that is a sustainable
argument — but if there is a major political disruption in the Gulf, that is
very different. Coping with production decreases in Venezuela, Mexico and
Iran is one thing. Iranian disruption of Saudi production could be
catastrophic, and challenging to counter if Tehran’s fingerprints were not
obvious.
So far there is confusion about who was actually responsible for the Ahwaz
attack. There were four assailants; two reportedly were killed, and two may
have been captured. Local Khuzestan separatists — the province is ethnically
Arab rather than Persian — have claimed responsibility and also denied it.
The Islamic State has issued a video asserting its role, in which case it
would be Shia-Sunni religious tensions which would be in play. At this
stage, it is probably safer to judge neither claims, nor even denials, as
either true or false. Given the Iranian Supreme Leader’s comments, it may
also be irrelevant.
The Ahwaz incident brings back memories for me. In December 1978, just weeks
before the revolution which overthrew Iran’s shah, I went there for the
Financial Times and interviewed the American oil executive who ran the
western consortium headquartered there, producing Iran’s oil. I didn’t name
him in my Dec. 20 story because, a few days earlier, someone had left a note
of his desk, warning, “Remember before New Year you must leave the country.”
But I quoted him: “Hell, I have been in this business too long. That sort of
thing doesn’t scare me.” On Dec. 27, I wrote another story saying that Paul
Grimm, the man I had interviewed, had been “ambushed on the way to work in
his car by three gunmen using automatic weapons.”
In January 1979, the shah left the country and, the following month,
Ayatollah Khomeini returned home from exile in France.
I am hoping that what happened in Ahwaz a few days ago may be just a blip,
memories of which will be lost in the news cycle over the next few days and
weeks. But my fear is that things may be spinning out of control. On
Wednesday, President Trump is scheduled to chair the United Nations Security
Council in New York; he is reported to intend to speak on Iran. On Saturday,
a State Department spokesperson condemned the Ahwaz attack as terrorism.
What will the President have to say?
*Simon Henderson is the Baker Fellow and director of the Bernstein Program
on Gulf and Energy Policy at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
How Tehran Might React to the Ahvaz Attack
Omer Carmi/The Washington Institute/September 25/18
The identity of the assailants remains unresolved, but precedent suggests
Iran could respond by targeting minorities at home, assassinating
oppositionists abroad, or attempting missile strikes on jihadist areas in
Syria or Iraq.
On Saturday, September 22, during the annual commemorations of the Iran-Iraq
War known as "Sacred Defense Week," assailants fired on a military parade in
Ahvaz, capital of the southwestern Iranian province of Khuzestan, killing
about thirty and wounding dozens more. Khuzestan is home to large numbers of
the country's Sunni and Arab minorities, not to mention many of its oil
fields, and most casualties were members of Iran's armed forces.
IDENTIFYING THE OPERATIVES
Following the strike, Iranian officials responded in typical fashion by
blaming the United States and its Gulf allies for serving as sponsors. Some
officials even floated a broader "Hebrew-Arab-Western" conspiracy,
reflecting an inherited paranoia regarding foreign intervention and
destabilizing actions in their country. Yet as the dust settled, two main
sets of suspects emerged:
Local Arab groups. Soon after the incident, groups identified as the
al-Ahwaz Arab People's Democratic Front, al-Ahvaziyeh, and the Arab
Resistance Movement for the Freedom of Ahwaz claimed responsibility for the
attack. Names of the assailants were even published by these local
groups—but the regime has not confirmed them as the perpetrators. Instead,
extrapolating from the details, Iranian officials linked the assault to
training and support by Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States. Over
the years, similar local militant groups have reportedly been responsible
for minor attacks on the Iranian oil infrastructure, and ethnically charged
socioeconomic tensions often rise in the province.
The Islamic State. The jihadist group joined the ranks of those taking
credit for the attack. Its claim, issued hours after the event, included the
suggestion that Iranian president Hassan Rouhani had himself been present.
IS soon retracted this important detail, reducing its credibility as a
prospective assailant. In seeking to reestablish its relevance, the group
published a video depicting its fighters allegedly on their way to the Ahvaz
parade. This video has drawn much skepticism, but if IS does prove to have
been the actor, this will be its second major strike on Iranian soil—after
its successful operation in June 2017 in Tehran.
While reliably assigning blame to the United States and its allies in a
broad sense, voices in the regime have been split on whether local Ahvazi
groups or IS carried out the operation. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, reflected this ambiguity in his initial remarks, referring to
"plots [hatched] by the U.S.-led governments in the region that aim to
create insecurity." But the Supreme Leader has been unambiguous in ordering
Iranian intelligence to respond swiftly, and President Rouhani further
called on the country's security apparatus to immediately identify the
terrorists and decisively deal with "all those who committed the crime."
WHAT IRAN MIGHT DO NEXT
In the June 2017 Islamic State hit on Tehran sites, militants stormed
Ayatollah Khomeini's grave and the Majlis building, killing and wounding
dozens. As after the Ahvaz incident, the regime accused Washington and
Riyadh of ultimate responsibility. But in light of IS's plausible
acknowledgment, Iran focused its response on the Sunni jihadist group,
setting aside Saudi Arabia and the United States for the moment. In
particular, eleven days later, Iran rained missiles on IS targets in Deir
al-Zour, Syria, later boasting about the force of this bombardment—even
though most missiles actually missed their intended targets. Through this
statement, the regime sought to convey a deterrent message to other parties
in the region.
Earlier this month, Tehran took the same approach when it bombed Kurdish
groups in northern Iraq in response to what it perceived as "hostile moves
from inside the Iraqi Kurdistan Region against Iran's border
areas...[including] acts of sabotage...in Iran's western provinces of West
Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and Kermanshah." After the attack, the secretary of
Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, asserted that Iran
would follow a similar course if faced with future provocations.
According to its pattern, then, Tehran accuses foreign powers of
responsibility for such events, but proceeds to retaliate against domestic
opponents and regional groups. By allowing for vagueness in the identity of
the specific attackers, Iran can justify conducting a wide range of
potential responses. In the Ahvaz instance, Iran will, first, most likely go
hard after local Sunni and Arab groups, hoping to identify and dismantle
insurgent networks, and to deter an "emulation trend" in other parts of the
country. Second, Tehran may seek to initiate another campaign of
assassinations against exile oppositionists in Europe, with one of its
latest attacks reportedly targeting a prominent Ahvazi political figure in
Netherlands. Third, Iran could take an "eye for an eye" approach and use its
affiliated Shia militant groups in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province and in
other Gulf states (e.g., Bahrain) to spark instability and target local
security forces, as it did last year in the Saudi kingdom.
Last but not least, Tehran could again fire missiles against Islamic State
sites in Syria, or Sunni and Arab militant groups in Iraq, in hopes of
achieving two ends: avenging the Ahvaz outrage and restoring Iranian
dignity, while sending a deterrent message to Washington, Riyadh, and
Jerusalem in advance of periods of rising tension to come.
*Omer Carmi is director of intelligence at the Israeli cybersecurity firm
Sixgill. Previously, he was a visiting fellow at The Washington Institute
and led IDF analytical and research efforts pertaining to the Middle East.