Detailed Lebanese & Lebanese Related LCCC English New Bulletin For September 27/2018
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias18/english.september27.18.htm

News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006

Pope, Russia and the US: A bipolar world order déjà vu
Walid Jawad/Al Arabiya/September 26/18
Pope Francis’ current pilgrimage to the Baltics states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia is a politically telling one. The three nations have been sounding the alarm of a sinister Russian plot to co-opt them into the sphere of Moscow’s influence.
The Pope’s visit to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of these countries’ independence brings to mind that for five of those 10 decades they were under Russian occupation, from the 1940s to the 90s. Pope Francis predecessor St. John Paul II paid a visit merely days after the last Russian troops withdrew from Lithuania in 1993 confirming the significance of the Baltics. Pope Francis is directing global attention to the Baltics at a moment when Russia is posing a real threat to their sovereignty. All the while, the international community is theoretically concerned with Russia’s hegemonic expansionist strategy.
The US is reluctant to use its power to curb Russia’s President Vladimir Putin’s designs to restore Russia’s glory and prestige as a global Superpower. This is an exceptionally opportune moment for Putin to take advantage of the US commitment to an isolationist strategy. The potential is glaringly clear, Russia has a chance to reshape the current world order.Putin has been successful in exploiting opportunities to hasten US exit from Syria resulting in marginalizing the American role in the conflict, and challenging US influence in the Middle East in general
Global balance of power: The American retreat
The world is observing an unfolding power structure train wreck: an antagonistic American retreating from the world stage. The “America First” policy has translated in practice to an America alone reality.
Early last year in 2017, the US withdrew from the trans-Pacific trade deal, the Paris climate accord and the UN science, educational and cultural organization. The latest episode of this exclusionary policy, removing the US from international institutions, was in June: ceding its seat on the UN Human Rights Council.
The US administration of Donald Trump has been methodical in advancing its exclusionary strategy by digging political trenches as it antagonizes friends and foes. Trump is finding points of divergence to create a rift with historically reliable European allies.
The US saga of withdrawing from the JCPAO redrew the lines pitting the US against the world. In fact its partners: the UK, France, and Germany ended up holding the bag of an unworkable nuclear agreement with Iran.
Southern neighbor
Simultaneously, the US is uncompromisingly alienating its southern neighbor, Mexico, and shocking its northern Canadian kin by renegotiates the mutually beneficial North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The current trade war with China and other countries completes the picture; the US is committed to an isolationist track. The vacuum left behind is allowing Russia to expedite it’s already acted upon and alluded to expansionist goals.
Putin has been successful in exploiting opportunities to hasten US exit from Syrian resulting in marginalizing the American role in the conflict, and challenging US influence in the Middle East in general. Such gains has not distracted Putin from his priority to restore Russia’s hegemony over countries falling under its old sphere of influence. The annexation of Crimea in 2014, and Russian exploits in Georgia in 2008 whereby it is incrementally seizing more land ever since provide a blueprint for whats to come.
Abdicating global leadership is not a solely American issue. Numerous European countries have seen a rise in right-wing forces steeped in anti-immigration fear-based politics. The stalled Brexit negotiations with the EU prompted Theresa May to threaten this past Saturday to unilaterally exit the European Union furthering the UK’s own isolationist streak.
‘Mother Russia’
Putin is skillfully playing a weak hand and reaping the benefits of his calculated bold moves. Putin’s expressed his own Russia First early on in his presidency. He laments the demise of the Soviet Union expressing nostalgic remorse emanating from leaving millions of ethnic Russians beyond the borders of today’s Russian Federation. Moreover, Putin felt slighted by the US as it never showed Russia the respect it was due as a former Superpower after the disillusionment of the Soviet Union.
“We are a free nation and our place in the modern world will be defined only by how successful and strong we are” Putin announced early on in his presidency continuing “the moment we display weakness or spinelessness, our losses will be immeasurably greater,” clearly framing his political philosophy.
Russia’s battlefronts have been expanding to include territorial claims of 460,000 square miles of Arctic Ocean seabed, misinformation campaigns in western democracies, providing funding to European far-right and far-left fringe parties as well as extending political, economic, institutional and military ties with China.On the military front, Russia is increasing the frequency of submarines spying in proximity to undersea cables, donating military equipment to the Ortega regime in Nicaragua, providing support and arms to separatists in eastern Ukraine, and the annexation of Crimea in addition to shoring up the Iranian and Syrian regimes.
A new frontline
The American democratic system is built on trust and openness, which is being exploited by Russia. The Achilles heel of democracy; i.e. freedom and openness, has been tested post-9-11 when the US government took aggressive security measures in an attempt to avoid any future 9-11 type attacks.
Intrusive intelligence and security services practices of monitoring and spying on the once sacred personal communication of its citizens is now a matter of fact. The rush to protect the US from Russian cyber attacks, designed to manipulate American citizens and exploit the democratic system, gave rise to zealot nationalism and authoritarian tendencies. Russia’s digital offense, attacking the US in cyberspace, has been yielding the desired results. The profound and devastating disinformation volley is compromising the cohesion of American society, causing ethnic rifts and undermining the democratic system itself.
The Robert Mueller investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections has revealed Kremlin methods and sources with 13 Russian nationals indicted in the course of the probe. Cyber hacking and disinformation attacks continue into the 2018 midterm elections. Most recently, members of the US Senate are finding their emails targeted by hackers. The US is ill-equipped to combat the digital assault.
Beyond church and state
Perhaps outside actors without political titles are inclined to refocus our attention on the mounting concern over Russia’s global designs. Pope Francis is playing such a role beyond the limitation of church and state on his Baltic trip. On the second day of his trip, he visited the site of the old KGB headquarters in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius offering respect to all of the lives lost at the hands of the Russians. The memory of the Russian occupation is still fresh in the minds of those who lived through it. The KGB museum that was once called the “Genocide Museum” has been renamed the “Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights” focusing on Soviet atrocities. The sequence of political posturing on the world stage between the US and Russia is painting a clear picture: the power balance is swinging back to the long-gone cold-war type world order.
Reverting to a polarity dynamic between the US and Russia is marking the beginning of a new cyclical pattern whereby nations will have to dance between the east and west to avoid the crushing swinging of the bipolar wrecking ball.

The need to end tension with philosophy
Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al Arabiya/September 26/18
The new Saudi Arabia, with all its economic, political, social and religious weight, is making an unprecedented cultural and developmental leap. This is demonstrated by the fact that anyone visiting the kingdom’s cities and regions can see the projects being carried out.
Saudi Arabia has witnessed an abundant educational renaissance as is evident in the number of universities which are among the best in the region. Many of these universities offer the best curriculums in natural sciences, yet in the disciplines of philosophy and humanities we have faced a problem since the beginning of modern education till this day. Islamic doctrine and some philosophical texts are taught in sharia faculties and so are linguistic concepts and modern literary criticism but when it comes to humanities and their modern products or philosophy with all its important history, we only find fear and apprehension from these disciplines.
Muslim philosophers
The establishment of educational curricula and the building of academic institutions and the whole structure of education developed under special circumstances as the state was young, and it was gradually establishing itself. But after a century, we can aspire for exceptional development at all levels including in the institutional and social relation with different portals of knowledge including philosophy. Our Islamic history has had exceptional philosophical legacy since the early centuries as there were major debates of thinkers and benefiting from Greek philosophy. Curiosity to learn from adjoining civilizations was the features of the times. There are immortal names in our Islamic history such as Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, Ibn Arabi, Al-Razi, Ghazali, Avicenna, Averroes, Brethren of Purity and hundreds others. Decadence hit the Muslim world, as if the universe called on the world to stop thinking and the world responded, as was lamented by Ibn Khaldun. A prejudiced movement took control over the mental and philosophical discourse, and history was drawn into a long babble outside the context of science and logic, and years passed in intellectual stagnation as a long passage of debate continued between Tarabishi and Jabri. In the disciplines of philosophy and humanities we have faced a problem since the beginning of modern education till this day.Senior scholars tried to humanize Islamic culture, such as Ibn Miskawayh, al-Tawhidi and another important philosopher Abu al-Hassan al-Amiri (10th century AD). Mona Abu Zeid has many writings on this subject such as her book “Philosophy in the Thought of the Amiri” but Mohamed Arkoun’s book “Battles for the sake of humanizing Islamic context”, which is a continuation of his thesis on “the generation of Ibn Miskawayh and Tawhidi” delved more into this topic.
Arkoun entitled the fifth chapter in his book “the central Logos and the religious truth through the book ‘An Exposition on the Merits of Islam’ by Abi Hassan al Amiri.”
Arkoun’s argument
Arkoun’s aim of examining Amiri’s work is to highlight two points: to show the fault in banning teaching philosophy and the fault in preventing teaching religions in France. He also criticized Jules Ferry, the founder of the Modern Secular School, as he calls for the teaching of comparative religions considering it is an essential part of the students' curriculum so they learn about the history that crushed them. Arkoun does not believe that this method would bring to the surface any religious fanaticism. It is for these reasons that fanatic Muslims and traditional secularists are furious with Arkoun. Thinker Hashem Saleh said his teacher Arkoun is like Renan in Christianity. Of course, fanaticism denies the ability for knowledge and learning. Amiri refuses to challenge modern sciences when he wrote: “Science has been challenged by prejudiced people who claimed that it is against religious sciences, and that those who wish to study this field would lose the world and the afterlife. They said it’s only huge words decorated with fancy words to deceive the young ignorant. However this is not the case.” Amiri added that science’s origins and branches are supported by evidence.
This has been said eleven centuries ago, yet we still resist modern sciences whose concepts develop daily in the world. After his death, a book about the life of Arkoun was published entitled “Human formation” in which he bitterly said: “Personally, I feel like a human being in a barren desert of thought with my writings and research. I feel lonely.”

Who hates Trump’s siege of the Iranian regime?
Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/September 26/18
American President Donald Trump’s speech at the podium of the United Nations, the glass building with its famous hall and even more famous podium, clearly revealed his plan to force the ruling regime in Iran to change its behavior or to exert “maximum pressure” on it.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Trump said his administration is working with Gulf countries, Jordan and Egypt to establish a regional strategic alliance. He clearly defended the policies of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the rest of the Coalition’s countries in Yemen and called on world leaders to join him in isolating the Khomeini Iranian regime whom he said its leaders “sow chaos, death and destruction.”Trump promised the leaders of the velayat-e faqih regime that Washington will impose more sanctions after resuming oil sanctions on Iran on November 5. In terms of the exploding Syrian affair, Trump linked his approach to the Iranian role in the region and said that any solution in Syria must include a plan to deal with Iran. We hope US President Donald Trump succeeds in his efforts against “the behavior of the ruling Iranian regime” as this will be good for us, for the Iranian people and for the entire world.
Frankly, those who oppose Iran’s “poisonous” role in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and the Gulf, and those who hate this role are a majority, will be glad with Trump’s statements even if only half of them are achieved. It’s the Iranian regime which fired missiles on Saudi cities, planted bombs and spies and formed terror cells (the Abdali cell in Kuwait is an example). These are few examples of the many practices by the dark Khomeini terrorism.
Why do some Arabs not want us to strengthen this endeavor to maintain the security of Arab countries, their airspace and land? This is what the columnist in the last page in a famous London-based daily does as he has nothing to do but make daily accusations, as per the American teenage leftist way. One feels pity for some of these naïve people who believe Khomeini voices and their blabber against the American Great Satan. Truth is it is a complicated love, hate, desire and dread relationship. Where are the analyses of the genius Sigmund Freud from it!
Colleague Ghassan Charbel, the editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper wrote in his recent article: “The Iranian surgeon is also ill” about this story which happened before Trump became president: “One day, former Iranian Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki made important remarks to late Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. He said: ‘Tell your friend, US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, what do the Americans want from us? We supported the liberation of Iraq from Saddam Hussein. We supported the Governing Council and the election of the President of the Republic. We supported this new situation that the Americans have established in Iraq. There is nothing the Americans did and we did not support. Tell your friend what more do they want from us?’”
What can we say? We hope US President Donald Trump succeeds in his efforts against “the behavior of the ruling Iranian regime” as this will be good for us, for the Iranian people and for the entire world.

The Iranian ‘surgeon’ is also ill
Ghassan Charbel/Al Arabiya/September 26/18
This month saw two events related to the Iranian “prestige”. On September 8, Iranian missiles rained down on the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Koysinjaq, southeast of Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan. The IRGC claimed responsibility for the rocket attack and distributed videos showing how it hit the target at a meeting of the leadership of the opposition Kurdish party. It was clear that claiming responsibility and disseminating images of the strike constituted an explicit message from Iran to its enemies in the region that its missiles were able to cross the border separating maps and also capable of hitting definite targets. This power display came at a time when Iranian positions in Syria were under constant attack by Israel, while Iran could not respond through the Syrian territory because of Russia’s tight controls there.
On September 22, Iran was stricken by an incident also related to its “prestige”, but this time on its own territory. Armed men surprised the IRGC and the Iranian army by attacking a podium for senior officials during a military parade in Ahwaz, killing and injuring dozens of IRGC and army members. If the first incident provided evidence, from Tehran’s view point, that the Guards were capable of reaching enemies, the second incident gave proof that Iran’s security was vulnerable. Moreover, if the attack against the KDP headquarters in Koysinjaq revealed that Khomeini’s Iran could not solve its chronic problem with its Kurds, the Ahwaz incident also showed that Iran’s problem with the Arabs of Ahwaz continues and worsens.
It is evident that the Iranian authorities’ anger mounts not only because of the security breach of a place that is supposed to be highly fortified, but also because this incident revealed the persistent problem of ethnic and sectarian minorities, despite Tehran’s attempt to present itself as guarantor of the safety of minorities in some parts of the region. Forty years ago, the Iranian revolution tried to say, upon its victory, that a new era in the Middle East had begun, and that the uprising that was born outside the world of the two camps that existed at that time had sufficient solutions for the suffering of the “vulnerable peoples.”
There are those who believe that the Ahwaz attack will give President Hassan Rouhani the opportunity to speak in New York about “terrorism” that targets his country
Resorting to memory
Resorting to memory is helpful sometimes. A few days after the revolution, Khomeini received a high Kurdish delegation from Iraq’s Kurds, who came to congratulate the new regime and explore the stances. The delegation discussed the grievances of the Kurds, who are subjected to attempts to uproot them and obliterate their identity, culture and aspirations. Khomeini’s response was that these injustices against the Kurds of Iran would no longer exist “because the revolution is Islamic, belongs to all and does not differentiate between Muslims.” Forty years later, the attack on Koysinjaq came to remind that the situation of Iran’s Kurds has not changed. Iran accused separatists from Ahwaz of carrying out the attack. It said they had received support from two Gulf States, and that their move “is part of an American-Israeli conspiracy to destabilize Iran.” The country promised a quick and decisive response.
There are those who believe that the Ahwaz attack will give President Hassan Rouhani the opportunity to speak in New York about “terrorism” that targets his country. But it is certain that the rising Iranian tension is also linked to other dates.
It is obvious that President Donald Trump will employ his presence at the UN General Assembly and the Security Council to launch a broad campaign on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, missile arsenal and destabilization policy in the region. This date gains more importance as it comes weeks ahead of Trump’s deadline for the second round of sanctions against Iran - oil sanctions that he said would be the toughest in history.
There is no doubt that Iran’s recent behavior bears the hallmarks of the loss that resulted from America’s exit from the nuclear deal and Washington’s insistence that the missile arsenal and regional behavior be part of any future agreement with Iran.
Dreams of taking advantage of the fruits of the nuclear deal to fund the large-scale attack in the region have ended. The past weeks have shown that the European stance, which is committed to the nuclear agreement, is by no means a reasonable or acceptable cushion for Iranian concerns.
Currency slump
Taking into consideration the drop of the Iranian currency, the recent protests in different parts of the country and the disclosure of Iran’s crises with its Kurdish, Arab, Baloch and Turkmen citizens, we can understand the current tension.
As the Soviet citizens once complained about the deterioration of their situation, while their country was pumping billions into the veins of the Castro regime, Iranians will complain about the deterioration of their situation and the spending of their country’s wealth in regional adventures.
It is clear that we are on the threshold of a more heated chapter in Iran’s relations with the region and with the United States. Iran behaves as if it has lost the “deal of the century” when it lost the US signature on the nuclear deal. Then it discovers that the Middle East works like communicating vessels…
That those who export strife, will surely import it one day… And that those who contribute to the dismantling of maps of others, may push their own map to a similar fate. Iran thought it was a skilled surgeon in a sick area, and now it discovers that the “doctor” is also ill.
Most likely, Iran was harassing the “Great Satan” to force it to be its biggest partner in the region. Back to the recent past: One day, former Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said important words to the late Iraqi president Jalal Talabani. He said: “Tell your friend, US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, what the Americans want from us? We supported the liberation of Iraq from Saddam Hussein. We supported the Governing Council and the election of the President of the Republic. We supported this new situation that the Americans have established in Iraq. There is nothing the Americans did and we did not support. Tell your friend what they want from us more.”