LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

April 03/16

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.april03.16.htm

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Bible Quotations For Today

Thomas put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 20/26-31:"A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

We are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.
Second Letter to the Corinthians 05/11-21:"Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 03/16
A Platform for the Day after the Military Defeat of ISIL/Middle East Breifing/April 02/16
Raqqa Battle and the Kurdish National Question/Middle East Breifing/April 02/16
It has Become Fashionable to Criticize Egypt’s Sissi. But is it Constructive/Middle East Breifing/April 02/16
Efforts at Libya Confrontation with ISIL Stymied/Middle East Breifing/April 02/16
Silence Over Genocide Is Unconscionable/Raymond Ibrahim /April 02/16
Spain: Courses on Islam in Public Schools/Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/April 02/16
Why global ‘terror database’ is the need of the hour/Raed Omari/Al Arabiya/April 02/16
Iran’s asymmetrical warfare: The cyberattack capabilities/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/April 02/16

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on April 03/16

Asiri Urges Lebanese not to Use Cartoon to Sabotage Ties with Arabs
Report: Saudi Embassy in Beirut Ups Security Measures
Mufti Shaar Receives Franjieh in Tripoli
Chamoun commemorating his late father's birthday: We hope today's leaders would follow in his footsteps to save the country
Harb: No coverup on illegal internet issue shall be accepted!
Lebanese Army Arrests Six Syrians Including Terror Group Member in Deir al-Ahmar
Politicians Express Support for Conducting Municipal Elections
Civil Activist al-Hashash Arrested after Asharq al-Awsat Incident
Armed Clashes Renew in Ain el-Hilweh

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 03/16

Belgium Charges Third Suspect with Terrorism over French Plot
Mass Grave of Victims of IS Found in Syria's Palmyra
Bomb-hit Brussels Airport to Reopen Sunday with Security Boost
Report: Turkey Launches New Artillery Strikes on IS in Syria
Qatar: Syria Regime Deadly Strikes Could 'Torpedo' Ceasefire
US vows ISIS chief Baghdadi will ‘taste justice’
Most EU foreign fighters in Iraq, Syria are from 4 nations
Al-Qaeda, other insurgents capture Syrian village
Russia accuses Turkey of arming extremists in Syria
U.N.: Violence Kills at Least 1,119 Iraqis in March
Iraq PM Calls for Legal Action over Oil Bribery Scandal
U.S. Issues Travel Alert for Southeastern Tunisia
Egypt Sentences Policeman to Life for Killing Driver
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/April 02/16/An Egyptian court sentenced
U.N. Envoy Says Yemen Peace Talks on Track for April 18
 

Links From Jihad Watch Site for April 03/16
Pakistan: Public schools teach hatred of Jews and Christians, “passion for Jihad”
Jihad terrorist refused to blow himself up during Paris jihad massacre
Imam of Kaaba: Quran & Muhammad “against violence and terror. Islam has nothing to do with terrorism or terror acts”
The Islamic State planted thousands of mines in Palmyra
Can There Have Been Two Annunciations?
Islamic State stones two people to death on charges of adultery
UK: Muslim former mayor resigns from Labour Party over anti-Semitic remarks
Spanish government introduces anti-jihadism lessons for Muslims in high school, using Qur’an to prevent radicalism
Integration is Not the Answer to Muslim Terrorism
What We Fear
Not quite the Islam Awareness they had in mind
UK Muslim school teaches that ‘Jews are plotting world domination’
Video: Muslim terrifies passengers on crowded airliner by repeatedly screaming “Allahu akbar”
Belgium wants migrants to sign pledge to integrate; Leftists enraged

Asiri Urges Lebanese not to Use Cartoon to Sabotage Ties with Arabs
Naharnet/April 02/16/Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadh Asiri urged the Lebanese on Saturday not to use a caricature deemed insulting for Lebanon to sabotage the country’s ties with Arab states. “The Lebanese should keep the caricature within its journalistic frame as clarified by Asharq al-Awsat newspaper so that it is not used by some sides that are trying to damage Lebanon’s relations with its Arab brethren,” Asiri said in a statement. A group of activists briefly raided the office of the Saudi-owned newspaper in Beirut, protesting the cartoon that was published in its Friday edition. The cartoon depicted the Lebanese state as an April's fool joke, printing the Lebanese flag with the words "April's Fool" over it. The insulting cartoon provoked a storm over social media, with many, including politicians, demanding an apology. Asiri said the reaction was exaggerated. He described Lebanon’s ties with Saudi Arabia as “deep,” saying “the Kingdom’s respect for the Lebanese state, its institutions and its people don’t need any proof.”The diplomat reiterated his call for the Lebanese people’s unity, national dialogue and the consolidation of state institutions. The Lebanese state would regain its authority through the swift election of a president, he said, adding Riyadh is keen on Lebanon’s independence and sovereignty.

Report: Saudi Embassy in Beirut Ups Security Measures
Naharnet/April 02/16/The embassy of Saudi Arabia in Beirut has taken precautionary security measures three days ago in light of the threats that the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri has received lately, An Nahar daily reported on Saturday. The security measures were taken ahead of an incident that took place at the offices of the Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat when a group of young men stormed its Beirut offices in protest at a cartoon deemed insulting to Lebanon, added the daily. Asharq al-Awsat assured that it will keep its offices open in Beirut and held the Lebanese authorities responsible for preserving the safety of its employees at its offices. The security measures around the Saudi Embassy were also taken before the Saudi owned al-Arabiya television news channel said on Friday that it has shut down its office in Beirut citing security reasons. In a statement, the Dubai-based channel said it has "restructured" its operations in Lebanon "due to the difficult circumstances and challenges on ground, and out of al-Arabiya's concern for the safety of its own employees and those employed by its providers."It said it would nonetheless "continue to closely cover Lebanese affairs."Reports have said that the news channel may have shut its offices as a new sign of tensions between the kingdom and the Iran-backed Hizbullah movement. Relations between Riyadh and Lebanon deteriorated in February, when Saudi Arabia halted a grant to the army in protest against Hizbullah's virulent criticism of the kingdom and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil's abstention from voting in favor of Arab League resolutions condemning attacks against the Saudi embassy in Iran in January. The kingdom urged its citizens against traveling to Lebanon. Gulf countries also issued similar advisories. Furthermore, in March the Arab League declared Iran ally Hizbullah a "terrorist" group, after Gulf monarchies adopted the same stance over the movement's support for the regime in Syria's war.

Mufti Shaar Receives Franjieh in Tripoli
Naharnet/April 02/16/Mufti of Tripoli and the North Sheikh Malek al-Shaar received at his residence in Tripoli on Saturday Marada leader MP Suleiman Franjieh where talks stressed the need for rapprochement to end the presidential vacuum. After the meeting Shaar said: “This national meeting carries only one concern and that is the presidential vacuum in the country. “Nations can not be built through stubbornness, bombings, hatred or obstructing the institutions. They can only be built through dialogue and rapprochement.”“The majority is considered respectful of the will of others when it doesn't obstruct,” said the Mufti. “The slogans raised claiming that the President must be selected solely by the Christians is wrong,” he added. MP Michel Aoun who is a candidate for the presidential post has been threatening to take to the streets if he was not elected as head of state. Franjieh and MP Henri Helou are also candidates for the post. For his part, Franjieh said: “Electing the strongest Christian president may not be the best alternative to represent them.”He stressed: “If an agreement was reached on a certain candidate we will not obstruct.”Lebanon has been without a president since the term of President Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014. Efforts to elect a successor have failed so over disputes between the March 8 and March 14 camps.

Chamoun commemorating his late father's birthday: We hope today's leaders would follow in his footsteps to save the country
Sat 02 Apr 2016/NNA - In a symbolic gesture marking the late President Camille Chamoun's birthday occasion, the National Liberal Party organized on Saturday a celebration in front of his memorial statue in Hadath, in presence of MP Dori Chamoun, who wished that "today's leaders would follow in his footsteps to rescue the country.""It is forbidden that despair would fill the souls of people," added Chamoun, hoping that "Hadath would continue to be in its right place of political steadfastness, since the late President Chamoun always confronted the enemies from this place."

Harb: No coverup on illegal internet issue shall be accepted!
Sat 02 Apr 2016/NNA - Tele-Communications Minister, Butros Harb, stressed Saturday that "no concealing or covering-up on illegal internet issue shall be tolerated," adding that "anyone attempting any violation against Lebanon shall be imprisoned!" Harb's words came during his tour among a number of telecommunication centers in the Beqaa region, where he inaugurated new centers merging between OGERO, Touch & the Tele-Communications Ministry. Harb indicated that the illegal internet dossier is now in the hands of justice, vowing that "Lebanese citizens' right to preserving their State's funds shall be well-protected."

Lebanese Army Arrests Six Syrians Including Terror Group Member in Deir al-Ahmar
Naharnet/April 02/16/The Lebanese army arrested six Syrian nationals in the northern town of Deir al-Ahmar in Baalbek including a man who is wanted on charges of belonging to a terror group, the Lebanese Army Orientation Directorate said in a statement on Saturday. “Six Syrians were arrested for wandering illegally inside Lebanon's territory. A man known as Ezzedine Rahil al-Suleimani was among the detainees. He was arrested on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization and for recruiting people to work for the group,” the statement added.
The army confiscated four motorcycles in their possession that did not have legal papers. The detainees were referred to the relevant authorities to take the necessary measures.

Politicians Express Support for Conducting Municipal Elections
Naharnet/April 02/16/Lebanese politicians continue to give momentum for conducting the municipal elections on time in light of the failure to hold the presidential elections to end the almost 22-month vacuum. Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea stressed on Saturday that his party supports holding the municipal elections on time and that it is unlikely that they will be postponed. Geagea told As Safir daily that the Lebanese Forces supports conducting the municipal and mayoral elections on time and that it is enthusiastic about it “first because we have been deprived for a while from holding democratic entitlements, secondly because we have a great belief in the significance and role of local authorities.”He ruled out the possibility of postponing the polls and said: “There is no need for that not at the secuirty nor at the political levels.”For his part, Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun said: “The Free Patriotic Movemnet will wage the elections side by side with the Lebanese Forces, the allies and political factions.”Democratic Gathering chief MP Walid Jumblat told the daily that “the municipal elections is a misfortune that befell on us. It is no longer possible for us to do anything.”Highlighting the failure of political factions to elect a head of state and despite that, they gather efforts to hold the municipal polls Jumblat said: “There is a necesaary maturity called the municipal elections, but it seems we are violating the norms as there are no presidential or paralimenatry elections, and despite that we take the easy way out, which is weird.”The vacuum at the top state post has raised questions in whether the municipal elections, set for May, will be held on time. Ealier, Speaker Nabih Berri and the al-Mustaqbal Movement had expressed support to staging the election on their scheduled time. Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of a successor. Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise candidate have thwarted the polls. In February, Mashnouq announced the dates on which the municipal and mayoral elections will be held in the various Lebanese regions

Civil Activist al-Hashash Arrested after Asharq al-Awsat Incident
Naharnet/April 02/16/The Internal Security Forces arrested on Saturday civil society activist Pierre al-Hashash against the backdrop of storming the offices of Saudi daily Asharq al-Awsat a day earlier, the state-run National News Agency reported. Hashash was arrested in the northern city of Batroun based on a judicial order. A group of young men on Friday stormed the Beirut offices of the newspaper in protest at a cartoon deemed insulting to Lebanon. A video posted on social media showed the protesters arguing with Lebanese employees and asking them to stage a strike to condemn the published cartoon.
Some of the protesters then move to the office's desks and start pushing stacks of newspapers to the ground, unfazed by the employees' appeals. The protesters were led by well-known social media activists al-Hashash and Abbas Zahri. Hashash posted a video of the incident on his Facebook page.
According to the video and state-run National News Agency, the protesters also included civil society activists Hassan Qteish, Bilal Allaw, Mohammed Hirz and a man from the Zeineddine family who is a cameraman at al-Jadeed TV. Security forces arrived at the scene later and listened to the testimonies of three employees. Detectives took pictures of the storming's aftermath and Beirut's public prosecution office was informed of the details. The cartoon published Friday by Asharq al-Awsat shows Lebanon's flag and the words “The Lebanese State: An April Fools' Lie.”In a statement, the newspaper condemned the incident as a “barbaric attack,” holding Lebanese authorities responsible for the safety of its employees. Later on Friday, NNA said Beirut's public prosecution office has launched a probe into the incident and that it intends to summon the individuals who stormed the offices.

Armed Clashes Renew in Ain el-Hilweh
Naharnet/April 02/16/Armed clashes renewed Saturday morning at the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in Sidon after heavy clashes erupted overnight leaving one person killed and several others wounded, the National News Agency reported. NNA said that sniper operations were also heard in al-Braxat and al-Sifsaf neighborhoods and that two members of the Joint Palestinian Security Force were wounded. Later during the day a group of activists who gathered in an area close to the clashes to press for a ceasefire came under fire. As a a result a Palestinian, Siraj Shreidi, was wounded and taken to hospital. Heavy clashes erupted on Friday at the camp with the sounds of heavy gunfire and RPG blasts echoing across the camp. Hussein Othman from the Fatah Movement was killed in the fighting and seven people were injured including two members of the Joint Palestinian Security Forces. Al-Mayadeen television had said that dozens of families fled the camp as a result of the clashes that erupted between “members of the Fatah Movement and Islamist militants.”NNA said the fighting broke out in the wake of a brawl between young men from the al-Sifsaf and al-Braksat neighborhoods. Palestinian-Lebanese contacts kicked off overnight to contain the situation. Reports said that members of the Joint Palestinian Security Force have deployed at the camp's al-Sifsaf neighborhood in a bid to bring the situation under control. Two people were killed at the camp on Monday also in clashes between Fatah and Islamist militants. It was not immediately clear if there is a connection between the two rounds of violence. Such incidents have become frequent in recent years in Ain el-Hilweh, the largest of Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps. By long-standing convention, the Lebanese army does not enter the Palestinian camps in the country, leaving the Palestinian factions themselves to handle security. That has created lawless areas in many camps, and Ain el-Hilweh has gained notoriety as a refuge for extremists and fugitives.

Belgium Charges Third Suspect with Terrorism over French Plot
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/April 02/16/Belgium on Saturday charged a third suspect with terrorist activities over a foiled plot to attack France, federal prosecutors said. They named the suspect only as 35-year-old Y.A., but gave no further details. "He has been charged with participation in the activities of a terrorist group," the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement, adding that the development was part of a joint investigation by France and Belgium. Two others -- Abderrahmane A. and Rabah M. -- are also being held in Belgium over the same plot. The main plot suspect is Reda Kriket, who was arrested near Paris last week after police found an arsenal of weapons and explosives at his home. Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said "no specific target" had been identified for the foiled attack but that the cache of weapons showed an imminent act of "extreme violence" had likely been prevented. The Netherlands is also holding a French national in connection with the same plot and he is currently fighting his extradition to France. European authorities have been under pressure to step up efforts to crack down on cross-border jihadist networks after close links emerged between the attackers blamed for the November Paris attacks and those behind last week's suicide blasts at the airport and a metro station in Brussels.

Mass Grave of Victims of IS Found in Syria's Palmyra
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/April 02/16/The Syrian army has found a mass grave containing the bodies of 42 civilians and soldiers executed by the Islamic State jihadist group in Palmyra, a military source said Saturday. The military on Friday "uncovered a mass grave of officers, soldiers, members of the popular committees (pro-regime militia) and their relatives," the source told Agence France Presse. He said that 24 of the victims were civilians, including three children. "They were executed either by beheading or by shooting," the source said.  The bodies have been transferred to a military hospital in the provincial capital Homs and some have been identified, he added. On Sunday the Syrian army, backed by Russian forces, recaptured Palmyra and its UNESCO-listed ruins, which IS had overrun in May 2015. During their nearly 10-month occupation of Palmyra, the jihadists executed at least 280 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor which confirmed the discovery of the mass grave.

Bomb-hit Brussels Airport to Reopen Sunday with Security Boost
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/April 02/16/Brussels Airport said it will partially reopen on Sunday, 12 days after it was hit by Islamic State suicide blasts, as Belgian prosecutors charged a third suspect with terrorism over a foiled plot to attack France. The first three "symbolic flights" will begin departing from Sunday afternoon, Brussels Airport chief executive Arnaud Feist told reporters, adding that travelers will be subject to additional security checks as police had demanded. "These flights are the first hopeful sign from an airport that is standing up straight after a cowardly attack," Feist said. Passengers will have to make use of a temporary check-in facility as the airport's departure hall was wrecked in the March 22 blasts that also struck a metro station in Brussels and killed 32 people. The attacks came just four days after Belgium arrested the prime suspect in last November's Paris terror assaults and links have emerged between the attackers, exposing a web of cross-border jihadist networks. European authorities, under pressure to crack down on home-grown extremists, have carried out a number of raids and arrests since then, several of them linked to a foiled plot to attack France. In the latest development in the case, Belgian prosecutors Saturday charged a third suspect with "participation in the activities of a terrorist group" over the plot. They man was named only as 35-year-old Y.A., who according to Belgian media was arrested in the centre of Brussels on Friday. The main plot suspect is Reda Kriket, who was arrested near Paris last week after police found an arsenal of weapons and explosives at his home. Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said an imminent act of "extreme violence" had likely been prevented.
Passengers only
Brussels Airport had on Thursday already announced it was "technically ready" to resume partial services after testing the tent-like new departure hall. But police unions held up the restart, threatening to go on strike unless stricter checks were introduced. A deal with the government was reached late Friday, clearing the way for flights to resume. One of the biggest changes will be that from now only passengers with tickets and ID documents are allowed into the new departure hall, and their bags will be checked before entering. Cars headed for the airport will be screened and police will carry out spot checks. The first scheduled flights on Sunday will fly to Athens, Turin and Faro and will be operated by Brussels Airlines, Feist said. The number of flights will be increased in coming days, although the airport will be only be able to work at 20 percent capacity using the temporary structures, handling 800 to 1,000 passengers an hour. Feist has said it could take months to return to normal. The airport shutdown has wreaked havoc on the travel industry, triggering a drop in tourist arrivals and forcing thousands of passengers to be rerouted to other airports in and around Belgium.
Protest ban
In the tense Belgian capital meanwhile, police were out in force Friday, with water cannons on the streets and a helicopter hovering above after local authorities banned an anti-Islam demonstration and any counter-protests. Arrests were made in the city centre and in the troubled area of Molenbeek, home to several of the Paris attackers, according to AFP reporters. The authorities are eager to prevent a repeat of last weekend, when riot police fired water cannon to disperse far-right football hooligans who disrupted mourners at a shrine for the victims of the Brussels attacks. Belgium has been on edge since it emerged that several of the attackers in the November 13 gun and suicide bombings in Paris came from Brussels. The sole surviving Paris suspect, Salah Abdeslam, was arrested on March 18, just metres from his family home in Molenbeek. His brother Mohamed visited him in prison in northern Belgium on Friday. He told France's BFMTV that Abdeslam told him he "voluntarily chose not to blow himself up" with the other IS bombers in the attacks that killed 130 people. He has denied having prior knowledge about the Brussels attacks, even though he has links to two of the bombers. Belgium is still desperately searching for a mystery third man, known as "the man in the hat", who was seen on CCTV footage next to the two airport bombers.

Report: Turkey Launches New Artillery Strikes on IS in Syria
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/April 02/16/Turkish armed forces on Saturday launched artillery strikes on positions of the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, reports said. Turkish artillery fired shells from howitzers positioned in its border region of Kilis against IS targets in settlements around the town of Azaz in northern Syria, the Dogan news agency said. A fragile ceasefire backed by Turkey has taken effect in Syria, but the deal does not apply to territory held by the IS group and al-Qaida affiliate al-Nusra Front. This was the the first time there had been reports of Turkey striking IS in Syria since early March. The report said the artillery strikes were carried out following air raids in the same region by the U.S.-led coalition against IS. Security in the Turkish border region -- which has on occasion been hit by deadly IS shelling from Syria -- has been stepped up as a result, it added. From mid-February, Turkish artillery had also on successive days shelled targets of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) inside Syria, with the military saying it was responding to incoming fire. But Turkey has not shelled any positions held by Syrian Kurdish fighters inside Syria since the ceasefire was implemented from February 27. Washington had urged Ankara to halt its fire on the PYD and its People's Protection Units (YPG) militia. The issue of the Syrian Kurds had caused a rare rift between Ankara and Washington, which regards the YPG as the most effective fighting force on the ground against IS and wants Turkey to focus on the fight against jihadists. Washington has applauded Turkey's role in the anti-IS coalition but U.S. officials on occasion have urged Ankara to do more.

Qatar: Syria Regime Deadly Strikes Could 'Torpedo' Ceasefire
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/April 02/16/Qatar warned Saturday that Syrian regime air strikes that killed more than 30 people including children in a rebel-held town near Damascus could "torpedo" a fragile ceasefire in the country. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, reported that 33 people, including 12 children, died in air strikes Thursday on Deir al-Assafir, a town in the opposition stronghold of Eastern Ghouta. "Qatar expresses its strong condemnation and concern over the massacre by Syrian regime forces targeting civilians in Deir al-Assafir... in a violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement and related U.N. Security Council resolutions," the foreign ministry said in a statement. Eastern Ghouta is among the areas in Syria where a fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States and Russia has been in place since February 27. "This criminal shelling... reflects the regime's policy in killing civilians... and threatens to torpedo" the ceasefire and "international efforts to reach a political solution" to end the country's five-year war, said the statement, carried by the official Qatar News Agency. Qatar and Saudi Arabia support Syrian rebels fighting the Russian- and Iranian-backed regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The United States said Thursday it was "appalled" by the Syrian government air strikes and France accused Assad's regime of violating the ceasefire and trying to undermine efforts by the international community to resolve the conflict. Qatar urged the Security Council to "assume its responsibilities to end these crimes, protect the Syrian people, and prevent (attempts to) undermine chances of reaching a political settlement to the Syrian crisis." U.N.-led talks on a peace deal are deadlocked over the fate of Assad, whom the opposition insists must leave power before a transitional government is agreed.
 

US vows ISIS chief Baghdadi will ‘taste justice’
AFP, Washington Saturday, 2 April 2016/The Pentagon on Friday warned ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi that he will eventually "taste justice" as the US military continues to target the jihadist group's upper ranks. "We are hunting him, and we will find him," military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said. "Just like we found his mentor, (Abu Musab) al-Zarqawi and killed him. Just like we found the grand master of terrorism, Osama bin Laden, we killed him. We are going to find Baghdadi, and he will taste justice."
Warren's prediction comes after the US-led coalition has targeted several senior ISIS leaders in Iraq and Syria in recent weeks, including Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli – also known as Haji Imam – who was second-in-command of the extremist group. "I don't know if that justice will look like a Hellfire missile, or if it will look like a dark prison cell somewhere, but he will find justice one day," Warren said of Baghdadi. The US Justice Department had offered a bounty of up to $7 million for information leading to Qaduli. He had been seen as an eventual successor to Baghdadi, for whom a $10 million reward has been offered.Warren said Baghdadi spends his time in both Iraq and Syria, where the ISIS group seized large areas of territory in 2014. Pentagon chief Ashton Carter last week said the military was "systematically eliminating" the ISIS group's leadership.
Omar al-Shishani, the man known as "Omar the Chechen," who was effectively ISIS's defense minister, was also killed last month.

Most EU foreign fighters in Iraq, Syria are from 4 nations
AFP, The Hague Saturday, 2 April 2016/Around 4,000 Europeans have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join extremist groups as foreign fighters, most from just four EU countries, a new study released Friday said. Of the estimated 3,922 to 4,294 foreign fighters from EU member states, some 2,838 came from Belgium, Britain, France and Germany, said the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism in The Hague. Using data supplied by 26 EU countries, the independent think-tank found that while around 30 percent have since returned home, about 14 percent were killed on the battlefield. The center also found that there was “no clear-cut profile” of a foreign fighter. Some 17 percent of the group were women, and up to 23 percent were converts to Islam. More than 90 percent come from large metropolitan areas, some from the same neighborhoods suggesting the “radicalization process” is short and “often involves circles of friends radicalizing as a group and deciding to leave jointly for Syria and Iraq.”The report -- complied before the March 22 attacks in Brussels -- reiterated that Belgium has the highest number of foreign fighters per capita in the European Union. Between September 2014 and September 2015 there were reportedly some 30,000 foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria from around 104 countries. “Experts and government officials have increasingly warned of the potential security threat this phenomenon might also pose to Europe and beyond,” the report said. It found that while European countries have tightened national security and border controls, only nine have made it a criminal offence to become a foreign fighter. Few countries also have any kind of reintegration program for those returning from the conflict areas. And the changing pattern of foreign fighters, including the radicalization of women as well as the very young, as well as those with possible mental health issues “are not (yet) reflected in more targeted policies.”The center recommended that the EU should set up an internal reporting system, saying there was “a clear need for an effective (and centralized) monitoring and evaluation framework” to analyze the impact of existing policies.

Al-Qaeda, other insurgents capture Syrian village
AP, Beirut Saturday, 2 April 2016/Activists say al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch and other insurgents have captured a strategic overlook from government forces south of Aleppo after weeks of government air raids, in fighting that could unravel a month-old ceasefire. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, along with other militants as well as more moderate factions, captured the village of Tel el-Ais early Saturday. The village overlooks a vital highway connecting Aleppo with the capital, Damascus. The Nusra Front boasted of its offensive on social media, posting videos showing mortars and tanks firing on what is said to be government positions. Syria’[s state news agency acknowledged fierce clashes in the area. Both the Nusra Front and ISIS are excluded from the ceasefire that began in late February.

Russia accuses Turkey of arming extremists in Syria
AP | United Nations Saturday, 2 April 2016/Russia is accusing three Turkish foundations of supplying weapons and military equipment to ISIS extremists in Syria and says $1.9 million worth of explosives and industrial chemicals were smuggled across Turkey’s border to extremist groups. Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said in a letter to the U.N. Security Council circulated Friday that Turkey is the main supplier of weapons and ammunition to ISIS fighters. He said the transfers are overseen by the country’s National Intelligence Organization and are delivered mainly by vehicles, “including as part of humanitarian convoys.”In an email, a spokesman for Turkey’s U.N. Mission said the Russian letter “obviously contains baseless allegations which we totally reject.” He pointed out that many Turkish citizens have been killed in attacks by ISIS, which he called a national security threat. Russia’s air campaign that began on Sept. 30 has helped close ally Syria make broad advances on the ground in the five-year-old war that has killed over 250,000 people. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other regional players have backed opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad and are loath to see him strengthen his grip on power. The Turkish spokesman said Russia’s letter was “an attempt to overshadow the civilian deaths, havoc and destruction in Syria caused by the military operations of the Russian Federation, the regime’s staunchest ally.”
ISIS is on the back foot in Iraq and Syria, where forces on the ground supported by U.S.-led airstrikes have targeted the extremists. Russian aircraft are also targeting ISIS positions. The U.S.-led international coalition estimates that the militant group has lost 40 percent of the territory it once held in Iraq and around 20 percent of its territory in Syria. Churkin’s letter gave details of convoys with military equipment and munitions for ISIS fighters, and of funding allegedly arranged by the three foundations. It said one foundation has sent 7,500 vehicles with various supplies to ISIS-controlled territory since 2011. The letter said that among the supplies delivered to ISIS were ammunition for TOW anti-tank missile systems, RPG-7 grenade launchers and small arms, M-60 recoilless rifles, 82mm mortar shells, hand grenades, communication tools and equipment from the Turkish intelligence services. The letter also said “smuggling explosives and industrial chemicals to terrorist groups operating in Syria is also usually organized from Turkish territory” through the border crossings. “In order to pass through the border controls unimpeded, effectively with the complicity of the Turkish authorities, products are processed for companies that are purportedly registered in Jordan and Iraq,” it said. Churkin said large consignments of explosives are often transported by water, especially the Euphrates River.

U.N.: Violence Kills at Least 1,119 Iraqis in March
Naharnet/Associated Press/April 02/16/The United Nations says violence killed at least 1,119 Iraqis in March, a sharp increase from the previous month, as the Islamic State group stepped up attacks on civilians despite suffering battlefield setbacks. Another 1,561 Iraqis were wounded last month, the U.N. mission to Iraq said in a statement Friday. The figures include 575 civilians killed and another 1,196 wounded. The other casualties were Iraqi security forces, including Kurdish forces known as the peshmerga and government-allied militiamen. The worst-hit area was the capital, Baghdad, with 259 civilians killed and 770 wounded, followed by the northern Ninevah province, which is almost entirely controlled by IS, with 133 killed and 89 wounded. In February, there were 670 Iraqis killed and 1,290 wounded. The U.N. said it could not verify reports of large numbers of casualties from secondary effects of violence, including those who died after fleeing their homes from exposure to the elements or lack of food, water or health care. The U.N. envoy to Iraq, Jan Kubis, said he's "extremely disturbed at the continuing loss of life and injury as a result of terrorism, violence and armed conflict.""It is totally unacceptable that civilians should bear the brunt of violence," Kubis said in the statement. The IS group seized much of northern and western in Iraq in the summer of 2014 and established a self-styled Islamic caliphate in the areas of Iraq and Syria under its control, imposing a violent version of Islamic law. Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition have advanced against IS on a number of fronts in recent months. But the extremists have meanwhile carried out a number of large-scale bombings targeting civilians in Baghdad and elsewhere.

Iraq PM Calls for Legal Action over Oil Bribery Scandal
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/April 02/16/Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called Saturday for legal action over allegations that senior officials took millions of dollars in bribes to help major firms secure lucrative oil sector contracts. Abadi instructed the country's anti-corruption commission to take "legal measures" and called for the judiciary to pursue prosecutions connected to the scandal, a statement from his office said. The allegations of corruption came to light in an investigation by The Huffington Post and Fairfax Media, which reviewed thousands of internal documents from Monaco-based firm Unaoil. The report "revealed the involvement of senior Iraqi officials... in corrupt deals and bribes related to oil contracts during the period of previous governments", the premier's statement said. The investigation found that Unaoil agreed to pay millions of dollars to influence Iraqi officials including oil ministers Hussein al-Shahristani and Abdul Karim Luaibi, the former of whom also served as deputy premier for energy affairs, to help secure contracts for its clients. Unaoil clients in the Middle East included Rolls-Royce, Weatherford, Petrofac, Clyde Pumps, Cameron/Natco, FMC Technologies, Saipem, SBM Offshore, MAN Turbo and Leighton Offshore, according to the report. At a news conference on Saturday, Shahristani, who is currently minister of higher education, denied having had contact with Unaoil. He also said in a statement that if the evidence on which the investigation was based is not turned over to the Iraqi government, it should file a defamation suit. The report on oil sector corruption has already sparked action in Europe. Authorities in Monaco searched Unaoil's headquarters and the homes of company officials and also questioned leaders of the firm, the principality said in a statement. This was done at the request of Britain's Serious Fraud Office as part of "a major corruption case with international ramifications," the statement said. On its website, Unaoil says that it "invests locally in frontier markets to provide local capabilities at international standards using leading technology." "This has made us as the local partner of choice for larger international companies," it says. Iraq is plagued by endemic corruption that has robbed the country of huge sums of money that could otherwise have been spent on development and services. Abadi has announced a series of reform measures aimed at reducing government waste and curbing corruption. But the powerful parties and politicians who benefit from the existing system have opposed the changes behind the scenes, and little in the way of lasting change has been achieved.

U.S. Issues Travel Alert for Southeastern Tunisia
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/April 02/16/The U.S. government is warning its citizens to avoid visiting southeastern Tunisia near the Libyan border as well as the country's mountainous western areas due to "the threat of terrorism."In a travel warning out Friday, the State Department warns that Islamic State group jihadists have targeted Tunisian security officials, tourists and civilians in the regions. The warning urges U.S. citizens to "exercise caution" in Tunisia "when frequenting public venues," especially tourist sites, and to avoid political gatherings, "rallies, large crowds and demonstrations, as even demonstrations that are meant to be peaceful can be unpredictable."Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring, has suffered from jihadist violence since the 2011 revolution that ousted longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. A raid on the Libyan frontier town of Ben Guerdane, blamed on the IS group, killed 20 people in March. Last year IS claimed responsibility for attacks on the Bardo museum in Tunis and a popular resort hotel, killing 59 tourists in total, as well as a suicide bombing that killed 12 presidential guards. The government recently extended by three months a state of emergency imposed following jihadist attacks, while the United States announced a $24.9-million (22-million-euro) project to install an electronic surveillance system on Tunisia's border with Libya.

Egypt Sentences Policeman to Life for Killing Driver
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/April 02/16/An Egyptian court sentenced Saturday a policeman to life in prison for shooting dead a driver over a fare dispute, a judicial source said, a case that provoked outrage over police abuses. Mustafa Mahmud was referred to an expedited trial after he shot dead Mohamed Ali Sayed Ismail with his police issue firearm in February, sparking rare protests and an apology from the interior ministry. Mahmud had hired Ismail to transport his belongings when they had a dispute over the fare that turned violent. A life sentence in Egypt is 25 years. Mahmud can appeal the verdict issued by the Cairo criminal court. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had said he would ask parliament to amend the law to toughen sanctions for police abuses after the incident. Police have been on the defensive after a string of deaths in custody, reminiscent of abuses that sparked an 18-day uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Five years on, human rights groups are again denouncing torture and deaths in police stations, arbitrary arrests and the disappearances of opponents of the regime. In February, thousands of doctors held a protest against the police after officers allegedly assaulted two doctors in a hospital. Over the past year, several policeman have been detained for violence against prisoners and some have been sentenced to jail.

U.N. Envoy Says Yemen Peace Talks on Track for April 18
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/April 02/16/Talks aimed at ending the war in Yemen are on track to begin on April 18 in Kuwait, the U.N. envoy confirmed on Friday. A nationwide ceasefire is due to come into effect at midnight on April 10 to bolster the new round of talks between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Shiite Huthi rebels. "With political will, good faith and balance, they could take this opportunity to end the conflict and pave the way towards a permanent and durable end of the war," UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement. The talks were announced last week after months of shuttle diplomacy by the U.N. envoy and growing pressure on a Saudi-led coalition to end its air campaign in Yemen. More than 6,300 people have been killed in Yemen since the coalition -- which includes Kuwait -- began an air war a year ago to push back the Huthi offensive. The envoy said U.N. teams were working "at full speed" in Sanaa and Riyadh to prepare the delegations and another team was on its way to Kuwait to finalize preparations. The peace talks are to focus on militia withdrawal, the handover of heavy weapons, security arrangements, the resumption of a dialogue and the creation of a committee on detainees, said the envoy. Cheikh Ahmed welcomed a prisoner exchange this week that saw nine Saudis swapped for 109 Yemenis, saying the move provides "an important drive to the political process." Confirmation of the peace talks came after the Huthi rebels this week mounted a deadly counterattack against government troops advancing down the Red Sea coast from the Saudi border. The rebels and their allies surrounded a government force that was attempting to recapture the coastal town of Midi and killed 45 loyalist troops on Tuesday and Wednesday, sources said. At least 15 rebels were also killed in the fighting. The United Nations has expressed growing alarm over the heavy civilian toll from the airstrikes and the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, where more than 80 percent of the population is on the brink of famine.Previous U.N.-sponsored negotiations failed to reach a breakthrough, while a ceasefire that went into force on December 15 was repeatedly violated until the Saudi-led coalition announced an end to it on January 2.

A Platform for the Day after the Military Defeat of ISIL
Middle East Breifing/April 02/16
Palmyra is ISIL-free now. The gang of murderers which takes destroying antiquities as a hobby, is defeated by another gang of murders which takes killing Syrians as a hobby. It is a bitter choice. But at least the Assad killers would preserve the marvels of the past, which, ironically, stand as a silent condemnation of both the “liberators” and the occupiers. Palmyra is a reminder of how the place, which was great once upon a time, has become a battle ground between two gangs of murderers. The destroyed temples and headless statues convey a harsh curse from the past on those, Syrians and non-Syrians, who destroyed this once great country and reduced it to rubble.
And soon, ISIL will lose Raqqa and Mosul. Does that mean that ISIL will be no more?
In the day after ISIL, that is the day when the organization is completely defeated militarily, a simple question may emerge in the minds: Have we all been hyping this “thing”, giving it more than what it is worth, hence contributing to an elusive sense of relief which we will certainly see spreading everywhere when this group of killers is militarily defeated?
Another question may spontaneously follow: Is ISIL really gone?
ISIL was merely a tip of an iceberg. Breaking the tip is like shaving in the morning. What is ISIL? Really? And what does “gone” mean precisely?
There is Boko Haram, Al Shabab, Ansaru Al Sharia, Al Nusra, Taliban and a host of smaller groups spreading here and there like a poisonous weed. Palmyra, Raqqa, and Mosul are not the end of the line. So long as the ideas of ISIL exist unchallenged and the soil remains fertile to this black poisonous seed, the line will go on.
Indeed, ISIL is losing. Well, at least militarily. Following its defeat in Palmyra, the group may lose Al Qariatayen which will definitely mean the loss of its position in Eastern Qalamoun. In Yemen, Two leaders of ISIL, Abu Ayoub Al Ansari and Abu Hemeh, were killed. In Sinai, Egypt security forces killed 60 Ansar Bait Al Maqdes (an off-shoot of ISIL) in one week. In Libya, hopes of political solution are emerging, against all odds, which may open the way to larger military action against the terrorist group. During the last four months, the organization lost Ramadi, Shadadi, Tikrit, and soon we may see the fall of Fallujah, Dair al Zour, then Raqqa and Mosul.
Great celebrations will follow. Claims of accomplishments and expansion of legacies would certainly be echoed here and there. But this will remain only on the surface. To go to the depth of this phenomena, a detailed road map should be adopted by all members of the international community to make the soil sterile and unwelcoming to similar poisonous plants. Here are some proposed points:
– A de-escalation of political and strategic polarization in the Middle East and a global sanctions against sectarian hate speech perpetrators. Any religious or sectarian incitements lead to terrorist crimes against minorities or others and furnishes the base of extremism. There is major differences between those who carry the guns and the explosive belts, and those who provide the killers with religious and sectarian motives to commit their crimes.
– Political solutions to the crisis of Syria, Libya Yemen and Iraq. While we see various degrees of progress on those tracks, the processes have been too slow and were allowed a lot of time to grow and harden the opposed positions.
– Implementing equal measures against all terrorist groups. Al Nusra is as the PKK and as ISIL as Hezbollah as extremist Shia groups in Iraq. There is no point on using double standards based on expediencies or momentary calculations. This shakes confidence in the impartiality of the international community.
– Regional governments have to use their media in a systematic effort to discredit extremist groups and their ideologies.
– The establishment of centers for true Islamic thought. The true Islamic thought is that which is based on reason and critical review of common Islamic interpretations. These centers should be assisted by the global community and their researches made public in social media. They should be run by Muslims and adhere to the essence of Islam all the while criticizing the currently common and dogmatic interpretations of this religion.
(The previous plan of throwing a stone in the stagnant lake of Middle East societies through NGO’s was wrong in that it was too ambitious and half backed. For if you shake a structure in a moment when the dominant latent force is non-democratic, non-inclusive and violent, you would simply be helping this force to surface and highjack the whole transition process. Conversely, what is needed is to weaken this kind of forces which would mean, indirectly, strengthening their opposites. Therefore, the process of transformation should begin with assisting a fermentation process that promotes the rational interpretation of spirituality and defeats dogmatic interpretation of Islam).
-A plan to rebuild regional economies. This has to be done from a grassroots perspective. It does not make sense to obtain impressive macro-economic parameters if these parameters are not reflected on the daily lives of ordinary people. Global financial institutions should stop looking at development from the macro-economic perspective alone. Development should be understood as a social process.
This is important for the security of the region. Foreign aid, left to corrupt government agencies, does not reach the people. Macro-economic statistics should not be a thermometer for social stability. Financial aid should target the ordinary citizen and aims at broadening popular participation in the economy of a given country. Otherwise, loans will not be safe, even if the macroeconomic numbers are great. In the Middle East, the rising tide does not lift all boats. It lifts only a few, while leaving the rest hopeless and desperate. The anger erupts as we have seen over and over again giving prominence to the ideological tools that already exist to frame visions about tomorrow. What comes out usually is visions of yesterday sought for tomorrow.

Raqqa Battle and the Kurdish National Question
Middle East Breifing/April 02/16
The ongoing preparations to capture ISIL self-proclaimed capital Raqqa are entering a critical moment. This calls for a further examination of the Kurdish National Question as it will emerge in the post Raqqa battle to be a central issue in the North of Syria.
We may have to clear a few related matter first. In “Middle East Briefing”- February 25 we wrote, in describing the contradicting signals sent by Washington to the warring parties in Syria: “The US is assisting a group that fights other US backed groups”. Now, it seems that this has turned to be a widely circulating news here in Washington. However, many details are neglected in the story which was published few days ago by other publications.
The most significant detail is that when people talk about the Kurdish YPG (People’s Protection Units) they talk about two separate military forces which belong to the same single organization. The YPG, a branch of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), controls the traditionally Kurdish areas of East Euphrates and one region in Efrin in the North West of Syria through those two relatively separate armed groups.
The YPG militia, which attacked US assisted groups in North Syria was the one based in Efrin. This group, while they are part of the YPG, do not physically receive any assistance from the US.
Therefore, the reason for the confusion was simply that the Efrin YPG (not helped by US) moved against Arab opposition groups helped by the US. But because the YPG in the East is assisted by the US (exclusively in the East), the impression was that US backed YPG is fighting US backed opposition.
On operational levels, the YPG tricked the US operatives based in Turkey. It is childish to say that the militia of Efrin moves independently from the overall leadership of the YPG (the PKK). But the attacks launched from Efrin on the Arab opposition groups around Aleppo was not coordinated with the US. It was an expression of the PKK determination to connect its controlled areas east and west of the Euphrates. And this shows how difficult the situation is on the ground with all the conflicting agendas fighting each other in North of Syria.
Nothing much will remain from this story of the US helping groups to fight other US backed groups. What will remain is the Kurdish Question. So long as this issue is not handled properly, it will remain a source of troubles even after the Syrian civil war ends. By helping the YPG, the US and Russia plant a future mine on the road to peace in this part of the world. As the US operatives were tricked, the open road to all kinds of games have been widened and it is easy to smell big problems coming on the way.
But for the moment, we detect an increasing proliferation of ceasefire violations. Only this week, parts of Aleppo were bombed, Hama’s east countryside and Dara’s west countryside witnessed fierce fighting, East Ghota, Douma and Haraste were theatres for intensive regime air raids and ISIL is still advancing in the north of Aleppo.
The impact of a wave of speculations which followed the news of CIA Director John Brenan visit to Moscow the beginning of last month was negative. The opposition is sensing that both Moscow and Washington have indeed agreed that Assad can remain in power for the time being. We are entering slowly the grey areas where speculations about an official reversal in Washington’s position towards Assad are gaining momentum.
The clear reiteration of Washington’s policy on this issue which came from The White House Spokesman Josh Ernest March 30 was indeed timely. Ernest responded to Assad’s interview with Russia’s RIA Novosti where he said that a national unity government should be formed by his men and selected opposition figures under the current Syrian constitution. This meant that Assad refuses the Geneva Communique’s transitional government with full powers and without his or his mafia’s presence. Furthermore, it clearly reflects his determination to remain in power whatever happens. It is expected that President Obama will raise this issue during his visit to Saudi Arabia this month. Ernest statement was indeed needed. A reversal in Obama’s position in this matter wouldn’t be welcomed by most of the Syrian opposition groups or their allied regional powers. The mere rumor of a reversal was causing already a negative backlash against the political process.
Now, back to Raqqa and the Kurds.
Kurds in Syria and Iraq are divided on what should be the objective of this critical phase of their history. Iraq’s Kurdish Region Government President Massoud Barzani said March 23 that the PKK does not represent the Kurdish people. Pointing to the difficult situation that Syrian Kurds face, he said: “I do not know what might happen to the Kurds once the war ends, because neither the Syrian administration nor the opposition grants their rights.”
“Kurdish people have no agreement with the regime or the opposition. Neither the regime nor the opposition grants the rights of those Kurdish people in Syria. I do not know how they might be going on the right path, however I do know that the Rojava Kurds [Syrian Kurds] are being used as a war tool. Their fate is unknown after the war ends”, Barzani added.
Barzani is right. Assad declared few days later that the Kurds are chasing an illusion when they talk about federalism in Syria. Turkey, Iran and Assad are determined to block any attempt to join Efrin with the Kurds in east Euphrates or create an independent entity for the Kurds in north Syria, even under the loose banner of a federal state.
There are many signs that the Turks will do everything possible to prevent that. It is not accurate to say that Ankara opposes the creation of a Kurdish semi-independent region in north Syria. They do not oppose the creation of such an entity in Iraq. The precise Turkish position is that they do not want the PKK to be the one which create such an entity. For them, it is like Al Qaeda building a state on the US borders. The tools of Turkey to prevent that are not necessarily “Halal”, so to speak. The Turkish objection is more focused on the political-armed group that leads the Kurdish fight in Syria than it is on preventing the establishment of a Kurdish entity there.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said March 28 that Turkish authorities allowed over 50 Nusra militants and three vehicles loaded with ammunition supplies to cross their borders into Syria. The reinforcements have arrived to Anadan city near Aleppo, the information bulletin from the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria, published by Russian Defense Ministry said. The statement cited witness reports made by local residents.
Erdogan wanted to reinforce the groups fighting YPG militias west of the Euphrates in order to block the PKK allied forces advance. The YPG’s (Efrin branch) swoop earlier into traditionally Arab lands north of Aleppo after fierce fight with Arab and Turkmen Syrian opposition. The resistance to the PKK expansion, outside of traditionally Kurdish regions, are still there. And it will not go away soon, Erdogan knows that.
Barzani does not think that Erdogan is opposed to Turkish self-determination in Syria on ethnic or national grounds. “”Erdoğan has a better understanding of the Kurdish cause than most. When Erdogan was prime minister, it was he who came to Erbil, and to Erbil said that the era of denying the Kurds was over. This was a very important development. What I heard from Erdogan, I heard from no one else.” Barzani said.
The grounds on which Erdogan builds his position on the Kurds are framed by the violence and terrorist methods of the PKK. As for the PYG reiteration that it is not affiliated to the PKK, Barzani said that their denial is a lie. “”Any support to the PYD means support for the PKK. They are exactly one and the same thing” he added. Barzani dismissed that the US does not know if the YPG and the PKK are the same. “They (the Americans) know that very well, but they don’t want to say they know it very well”, he asserted.
US officially lists the PKK and Al Nusra as two terrorist organizations. However, the Pentagon and the CIA assist the YPG of the east Euphrates region. Therefore, in principle, the US has crossed its own legal red line. Why Erdogan wouldn’t cross those US lines as well and assist Al Nusra fighters, if those who drew the lines in the first place do not respect them? Why should he accept US classification of terrorist groups when the US breaks it systematically?
We think that history took a strange turn in the course of the Kurdish National Question in Syria when a leading role was given in the North of Syria to the PKK’s YPG. By doing this, Turkey will never rest as long as the PKK is the leading force there. Arabs in territories controlled recently by the PKK will not accept that as a fait accompli. A Barazani-like leader in North Syria could have changed the course of this delicate episode of Kurds fight for their legitimate rights.
The YPG, opportunistically using US and Russian support, accepted to be used in return for expanding its territories in order to connect their areas in the East and West of the Euphrates’s. It did not take into consideration the provocations this may cause to Arabs once it advances into their territories east of Efrin. A combination of Turkish-Syrian Arabs in the North of Syria would be hard to defeat in the future even if it is retreating now. This issue will transcend the Syrian war and will remain a complicating factor in heroic fight of the Kurdish people to obtain what is rightly theirs: Their long-denied national rights.
The objective of taking Raqqa and defeating ISIL in its own capital is too tempting to resist for planners in the Pentagon and for an administration which seeks additional accomplishments to add to the legacy of President Obama. The problem here is that while the rush to Raqqa is gathering steam now, the political and social bills for Syria’s Kurds and Arabs would certainly come later. But that would be the problem of the next US President anyway.

It has Become Fashionable to Criticize Egypt’s Sissi. But is it Constructive?
Middle East Breifing/April 02/16
In its editorial of March 25, the “New York Times” called on President Obama to “start planning for the possibility of a break in the alliance with Egypt”. The newspaper cited an open letter to the President signed by experts and former officials asking him to “confront” Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah Al Sissi over the issue of Cairo’s crackdown on NGO’s and human rights groups.
What was neglected in both the editorial and the letter was the central point of balancing pressure with overall strategic calculations. While Sissi may use the fight against terrorism as a cover for a crackdown on human rights groups, this, nevertheless, does not say if “confronting” him over the later would seriously hinder the former. In other words, it was not clear from the views expressed in both forms if preventing Sissi from getting away with the crackdown on human rights groups may indeed impede the fight against terrorism in the Middle East.
It was striking to find out that some of those who signed the open letter to the president were in the first lines of the cheerleaders of Iraq’s invasion and Libya’s war. It is even more striking that some of the signatories of the open letter, quoted by the “liberal” New York Times, are usually considered “conservatives”, and even “neo-conservatives”. It is either Al Sissi has turned to be the unifier of odd political views, or they both defend an indisputably clear and correct cause capable of unifying opposed views around one basic position.
But the cause in this case is neither indisputable nor clear or correct. The subject which both sides are raising is a little more complex and nuanced.
In the case of Libya, for example, no one questions that Qaddafi was a brutal dictator. As such, the choice was clear. One should either accept him, if one is fond of dictators, or wish he goes away, hoping that something better will emerge. If heavens granted the wish, as it indeed did, one may then start the wait for the better that will emerge.
But what if the alternative is much worse? That was indeed the conclusion of the tragic story of Libya after getting rid of its brutal dictator.
Sissi is not Qaddafi. And “Principled values” which should be “uncompromisingly defended” sound like youngsters’ vocabulary in a certain dreamy age. If pursuing values goes in a limitless arrow-straight line, it ends up with totally different results than those hoped for in the beginning. Since the Great French Revolution, and the Terror which followed, human societies have learned that very lesson the hard way, or they should have.
If we have an organism which includes within its envelope some very destructive elements, we should think twice before thinking of assisting in a process that gets it to burst from within and tears away its boundaries. For if it does, we would find each and every destructive element turning into a very dangerous organism on its own. In other words, we will get several destructive organisms to replace the one which we hoped to induce its transformation into a “better” being. If this word-better-exists in our plans only and not organically within the entity we seek to change, the result would be extremely disappointing.
The balance between values on the one hand and strategic calculations on the other is not a static formula. Priorities change according to a host of considerations. In the case of a region currently in the eye of a violent storm where wars and violence erupt everywhere, the priority should be stability. In other ordinary and stable circumstances, the priority could be anything else. Now, the cardinal objective is to bring the Middle East to a level of relative stability that may enable all, including Sissi, a larger margin of choices. The immediate mission now is to avoid further earthquakes and to improve the region’s general security environment.
Sissi is faced with a mission from hell to put his country back together. The economic situation is bad, the society is divided, the State machine is more to the side of a liability than to this of a helping hand, the urban youth are restless, corruption is a way of life, police force exceed its legitimate limits systematically, centers of power fight each other fiercely, and the Mubarak State is the only left-over that the Egyptian President has to do with. Furthermore, the concept of security is raw and unsophisticated and the rule of law is more a phrase than a reality.
All this is clear. Yet, it has to be placed in the general picture of a region in fire, and in its proper place in the list of priorities.
Furthermore, the threat of “the peaceful Islamists”, as the New York Times call them, is evident to all Egyptians. The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) ruled Egypt for a year. Their President, Mohamed Morsi, issued a decree giving himself absolute authorities only six months after taking power. Churches were burned, Shia, a very small minority in Egypt, had their leaders killed savagely in the streets and liberal youth were called Kafirs (unbelievers). The MB embarked on a relentless and comprehensive effort to convert the whole society into adopting the one line of thought the group promotes. Secular and liberal Muslims were considered enemies. This does not sound like “peaceful Islamists”.
Furthermore, ISIL planted the seeds of its presence in Sinai then started advancing to the heart of the densely populated Nile valley. The country was being prepared to go the Syria or Libya roads.
We have seen the Obama administration moving between a position of supporting the MB and that of shyly distancing itself from them. There are some valuable insights into the shocking support given by Washington to a group that announces publicly that its ultimate objective is to build an Islamic Caliphate which, by definition, dissolves the determinants of the Nation State. That was going on, ironically, in the oldest nation on the face of planet earth: Egypt.
Christians in Egypt were told that the MB is having a message of peace to all of them. They just have to pay taxes for being “Kafirs” (non-believers), a tax that their Muslim compatriots would not pay, and never ring the bells of their Churches or build any new one in their own country. The MB dominated Parliament was debating lifting the minimum age of marriage for girls and a host of other terrifying legislations.
Human Rights? Peaceful Islamists?
Does this mean that we should keep silent towards atrocities committed against Egyptians by their own authorities? No. It does not. It simply means that those atrocities must be placed in their proper place in the bigger picture. And the bigger picture is the situation inside Egypt now and how it may develop tomorrow. This should in its turn be placed in its regional context, where an epic fight is raging against radical Jihadists and terrorism.
Ordinary human rights come in ordinary circumstances. Extraordinary conditions in Egypt and in the region, should allow a comprehensive view that gives things their proper weight.But are these rights denied only because of the extraordinary conditions Egypt is currently going through?
No. And here is where the Egyptian President should be justly criticized. The Egyptian President is responsible for his security agencies’ brutality, which is, ironically, not needed in most cases. There must be a real rule of law in Egypt. Security agencies’ excesses have reached levels of absurdity indeed. This should stop as it hurts the Egyptian regime domestically and internationally. Brutality is politically and morally bankrupt and corrupt. And Cairo should get that loud and clear all the time, ordinary and extraordinary. What to do with Sissi then? The Egyptian President should be helped in his mission to prevent another Libya in the heart of the Middle East. This is the central point which should come above any other consideration. Very few countries are extending a helping hand to Egypt in this sensitive cross roads it is going through. Instead of “confronting” Sissi, a recommendation that recklessly threatens to repeat the tragic stories of Libya and Syria, he should be provided with constructive, and practical ideas and mechanisms to deal with the challenges of the moment, including the necessity to respect civil society organizations and human rights groups, but mainly on how to cross the current economic difficulty which threatens the whole country. And for those in the region who want to see Sissi shaking, the reasons why he is targeted with criticism apply to you also. Your turn will come. And if he is shakes, a pillar in your own stability would shake as well. All things considered, a constructive dialogue, not a reckless “confrontation” and “breaking relations” should start with Egypt in earnest. This is a moment when Egyptians will know who is standing by them, as a nation, and who is only happily appointing themselves the protectors of rights, all the while forgetting what they did with the rights of Libyans, Iraqis, Syrians and others in this unhappy region.

Efforts at Libya Confrontation with ISIL Stymied
Middle East Breifing/April 02/16
When US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week in Moscow, top priority was given to Syria and Ukraine. But another nagging crisis was also on their plate: Libya. With plans advancing for an assault against the Islamic State’s capital in Raqqa, Syria, an estimated 5,000 ISIL fighters, and some top ISIL leaders, have moved into the Sirte region of Libya, controlling a coastal area of 150 miles, and triggering a refugee flight that has European governments bracing for an even bigger refugee influx of a million Africans this year. A coalition of NATO countries, including the United States, Italy, France and Britain have been working up and revising plans for a military campaign against the Islamic State in their new African beachhead. British SAS commandos are on the ground in Libya, along with US Special Forces. So far, the Pentagon is planning what is described as a limited military campaign, involving bombing sorties, from bases in Italy, and drone attacks on ISIL leaders, modeled on the “decapitation” program that has knocked out some top ISIL commanders in Iraq and Syria.
Even the limited military actions are, for the time being, on hold. The stumbling block is the lack of a unity government in Libya. In fact, there are four distinct “governments” controlling parts of the country. An internationally recognized parliament, based on June 2014 elections, is seated in internal exile in Tobruk. A coalition of Islamist militias, broadly grouped under the Libya Dawn umbrella, controls the capital city of Tripoli. The Islamic State is controlling the Sirte region, which contains some crucial oil port and refinery facilities. And in December, United Nations special envoy Martin Kobler formed a Government of National Accord. That GNA has been rejected by both Tobruk and Tripoli. Last week, Kobler announced that the Government of National Accord would be moving into Tripoli to begin governing. Immediately, in response, the “prime minister” of the Islamist coalition controlling the capital declared a state of “maximum national emergency,” threatening to mobilize all militias to fight against the GNA intrusion. The Foreign Minister of Malta, George Vella, warned that Libya is nearing a “point of no return,” and urged the United Nations to drop the planned insertion of the Government of National Accord, because the effort would intensify the national discord and revive the worst of the fighting. The Libya Dawn coalition of militias next issued demands that any unity government must accept Sharia law, and, more important, must remove General Khalifa Haftar from power. Gen. Haftar is the Defense Minister of the internationally recognized Tobruk government, and has led Operation Dignity, targeting the Islamist factions.
While all of these cross-purpose efforts continue, with no clear solution in sight, the Islamic State is taking full advantage of the rifts. ISIL forces are presently moving to take over Ras Lanuf, the site of key oil depots. An estimated 90 percent of the population of ISIL-controlled areas of the country have fled. UN envoy Martin Kobler has declared a humanitarian emergency, with both food and medicine in short supply. The Libyan economy is in crisis, with oil production down to 350,000 barrels a day, from a pre-2011 peak of 1.6 million barrels. The African Union has warned that the planned NATO intervention can result in a spreading of the ISIL operations south into other parts of Africa, where groups like Boko Haram and Al Shabab have already announced their affiliation. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM) has been deeply entrenched in north Africa for a long time, and poses further terrorist threats to the continent. While Kerry and Lavrov agreed, in principle, that the ISIL threat to Africa had to be countered, they were not able to come up with any concrete plans, as time works in favor of the Islamic State, and Tripoli and Tobruk-centered rivals are more focused on fighting each other than in forming a unified effort against ISIL.
 

Silence Over Genocide Is Unconscionable
Raymond Ibrahim /April 2, 2016
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”— Matthew 5:13
As far as human beings go, we’re not so very much unlike those who came before us and are probably not much unlike those who will come after us. But, the fact that large-scale crimes against humanity are ignored, even when public news of such horrors abounds, remains a stain on the soul of the species, especially in the aftermath of the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, Rwanda, etc., etc.
It is the week following the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, and the world has so far, tragically … inexcusably … unthinkably … done to Christians what it did to the Jewish people last century: ignored them as they were slaughtered … men, women, children, grandparents, grandchildren … in mass numbers over an inexcusably long period of time.
You would think we’d have learned our lesson. But, according to Raymond Ibrahim, writing for the Gatestone Institute on March 17, the Obama Administration’s original rejection of the term “genocide” was changed to include Christians only after the House of Representatives voted 393 to 0 on a resolution that does describe Christians as victims of genocide. And yet, still there is no initiative to “fast track” Christians for immigration as they are publicly targeted for destruction. Despite the fact that, according to the Congressional Record, there is precedent to authorize “fast-tracking” due to religious persecution: in 1989 … 2004 …. 2007 … Senators Lautenberg, Specter and Kennedy, respectively, passed bills that granted priority status to specified religious minority members. [114th Congress, 2nd Session, March 17, 2016]
But do we really need any legal precedent to do what’s obviously so morally right? Do we need legal precedent to instigate a rescue action of such great human consequence? In Syria, Christians, who totaled 1.25 million in 2011, are now down to about 500,000. [“Persecuted and Forgotten?”Aid to the Church in Need, Executive Summary] According to Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D, the Christian population in Iraq has been decimated in a little over a decade, dropping from 1.4 million in 2003 to just 275,000 today. The Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil, Bashar Warda, has testified that for many long centuries the Christians of Iraq have experienced hardships and persecutions “but what we have now experienced are the worst acts of genocide in our homeland. We are facing the extinction of Christianity as a religion in Iraq.”
But this is not really about numbers, is it? This is about the heart and its intersection with memory. Is there a Christian mandate for fast-tracking Christians for immigration to safety in the United States? How about this: “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?” [Proverbs 24:11-21]
It is the church that ought to be leading the effort to rescue Christians abroad, in keeping with the Torah and with Jesus’ teaching. The church did not “love its neighbor” during the Holocaust. Nor did it behave as the “good Samaritan” to the Jewish population of Europe and others as all were led to slaughter. Its silence was deafening. It is deafening still.
Holocaust survivor, professor and Nobel Prize laureate Elie Wiesel says that “indifference” is “the epitome of evil,” going so far as to specify that “the opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” [US News & World Report, October 86]
Jesus said to his disciples, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” It’s hard to read any “indifference” into that statement. And yet, one is want to say, as concerns Christian leadership at this time in history: Is anyone listening?

Spain: Courses on Islam in Public Schools
A Gateway to Radical Islam?
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/April 02/16
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7747/spain-schools-islam
The guidelines for teaching Islam in public schools — drafted by the Islamic Commission of Spain and approved by the Ministry of Education — are aimed at stirring religious fervor and promoting Islamic identity among young Muslims in Spain.
The guidelines, which envision the teaching of every aspect of Islamic doctrine, culture and history, are interspersed with "politically correct" terminology... but the overall objective is clear: to inculcate young people with an Islamic worldview.
According to the guidelines, preschoolers (ages 3- 6) are to learn the Islamic profession of faith, the Shahada, which asserts that "there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger." The Shahada is the gateway into Islam: one becomes a Muslim by repeating the Shahada three times in front of a witness. They are also encouraged to "emulate, through different forms of expression, the values observed by Mohammed."
In primary school (ages 6-12), the guidelines call for children to "recognize Mohammed as the final prophet sent by Allah and accept him as the most important."
The Spanish government has published new guidelines for teaching Islam in public preschools and primary and secondary schools.
The guidelines are being touted as a way to prevent Muslim children and young people from being drawn into terrorism by exposing them to a "moderate" interpretation of Islam.
On closer inspection, however, the guidelines — drafted by the Islamic Commission of Spain and approved by the Ministry of Education — are aimed at stirring religious fervor and promoting Islamic identity among young Muslims in Spain.
The new plan, which is the most ambitious in all of Europe, amounts to a government-approved program to establish a full-fledged Islamic studies curriculum at public schools nationwide, at a time when Christian religious symbols are being systematically removed from Spanish public schools by official enforcers of secularism.
Although Spanish taxpayers are being expected to pay for the religious education of up to 300,000 Muslim students between the ages of 3 and 18, it remains unclear whether Spanish authorities will have any oversight of the teaching of Islam in public schools. The government has agreed to allow local Muslim organizations to draft the course syllabi, choose the textbooks, and even determine who will teach the classes.
Spain's Ministry of Education quietly published the guidelines in the official state gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado) on March 18. The curriculum for teaching Islam in Spanish public preschools can be found here; in public primary schools here; and in public secondary schools here.
The guidelines, which envision the teaching of every aspect of Islamic doctrine, culture and history, are interspersed with "politically correct" terminology — the documents are rife with buzzwords such as coexistence, diversity, equality, human rights, inclusion, integration, intercultural education, interreligious dialogue, moderation, pluralism, religious liberty, respect and tolerance — but the overall objective is clear: to inculcate young people with an Islamic worldview.
According to the guidelines, preschoolers (ages 3- 6) are to learn the Islamic profession of faith, the Shahada, which asserts that "there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger." The Shahada is the gateway into Islam: one becomes a Muslim by repeating the Shahada three times in front of a witness.
Block 6 is aimed at instilling "interest for Islamic religious and cultural texts," stirring "curiosity for the Koran in oral and written language," and learning "Islamic recitations, narrations and descriptions."
Children should develop an "attitude of listening to Koranic and prophetic texts" and memorize "short Hadiths [reports about the words, actions or habits of Mohammed] and Koranic stories." They are also encouraged to "emulate, through different forms of expression, the values observed by Mohammed."
In primary school (ages 6-12), the guidelines call for children to "recognize Mohammed as the final prophet sent by Allah and accept him as the most important." Students are to "recite the Shahada in perfect Arabic and Spanish," and "recognize that the Koran is a guide for all of humanity." Children are to "know certain Arabisms in the Spanish language and appreciate the linguistic contributions of Islam to the history of Spain, using verbal language to communicate emotions and sentiments."
Primary school students are to "know examples of Mohammed's coexistence with non-Muslims," although there is no indication that Muslim pupils will be taught about the 900 Jews of the Banu Qurayza tribe in Medina that Mohammed ordered to be beheaded in 627AD.
Students are also to "understand that Islam is a religion of peace — spiritual or internal peace and social or communitarian peace. The prophet teaches us to live in peace. Islam promotes solutions to resolve conflicts and social inequality."
Moreover, the guidelines call for primary students to "comprehend and explain the existence of other monotheistic revelations of Allah: Judaism and Christianity." But it remains unclear whether students will learn about the three instances in the Koran (Suras 2:65, 5:60 and 7:166) in which Allah turns Jews into apes and/or pigs.
In secondary school (ages 12-18), the guidelines call for students to "know, analyze and explain the affective-emotional attitudes of Mohammed when confronting personal offenses, valuing conflict resolution." It remains unclear whether students will learn about Suras 5:33 and 33:57-61, which call for curses against those who "annoy Allah and His Messenger."
Block 4 calls on students to evaluate the "transversality present in the Koran and the Hadiths regarding social relations." It does not, however, mention whether students will be taught that the Koran and the Hadiths require non-Muslim subjects (dhimmis) residing in Muslim lands to pay a protection tax known as the jizya.
In a section on the "Islamic model for economics and jurisprudence," students are asked to identify Islamic solutions to world problems. They are also asked to "analyze and explain the benefits of interest-free loans [aka Sharia finance]."
In Block 8, students are asked to "analyze the stages of the establishment and flourishing of Islamic jurisprudence [Sharia law] during the splendor of al-Andalus."
Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given to those parts of Spain, Portugal and France that were occupied by Muslim conquerors (also known as the Moors) from 711 to 1492. The Islamic State (ISIS) has repeatedly vowed to "liberate" al-Andalus from non-Muslims and make it part of their new Islamic Caliphate.
The guidelines also encourage students to use the internet to learn more about Islam, even though the internet is playing an increasingly important role in the radicalization of young Muslims.
The legal basis for teaching Islam in Spanish public schools can be found in Article 27.3 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978, which establishes that although Spain is non-confessional (meaning that it does not recognize an official state religion), "the State guarantees parents the right for their children to obtain a religious and moral education which conforms to their own convictions." Muslims (and Roman Catholics) have long understood this to mean that children are entitled to religious education in public schools.
On November 10, 1992, the Socialist government of Felipe González — seeking to end the monopoly of the Roman Catholic Church over Spanish education — negotiated a "Cooperation Agreement between the Government of Spain and the Islamic Commission of Spain" (Comisión Islámica de España, CIE). That agreement, codified in Law 26/1992, recognized Islam as a minority religion in Spain and guaranteed that "Muslim students ... receive Islamic religious education in public schools."
(Also on November 10, 1992, the Spanish government approved the "Cooperation Agreement between the Government of Spain and the Federation of Evangelical Christian Entities in Spain." That agreement was codified in Law 24/1992. In June 1993, the Spanish government published guidelines for the teaching of evangelical Christianity in public schools.)
In recent years, Muslim leaders in Spain have complained that the Spanish government has failed to implement the 1992 agreement. According to the CIE, 90% of Muslims students in Spain lack access to Islamic studies in public schools. The new guidelines appear to signal the current government's commitment to follow through on the promises of past governments.
The guidelines were drafted by CIE president Riaÿ Tatary, a Syrian who has lived in Spain for more than 45 years. Tatary, a medical doctor who is also the imam of the Abu-Bakr Mosque, the second-largest mosque in Madrid, is often portrayed as the epitome of Muslim integration and moderation.
Tatary is the chief interlocutor between Spain's Muslim community and the Spanish government and has received a civilian merit award from the Ministry of Justice for his work on Spain's law on religious liberty.
But Spanish counterterrorism analysts (here and here) have long suspected that Tatary is closely linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is highly critical of Western concepts of justice and democracy. The Brotherhood's motto is: "Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Koran is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope."
The Spanish government's curriculum guidelines for public school Islamic studies were drafted by Riaÿ Tatary, imam of the Abu-Bakr Mosque. Spanish counterterrorism analysts have long suspected that Tatary is closely linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Tatary denies the charges, although members of his mosque have, in fact, been tied to al-Qaeda.
Ahead of municipal elections in May 2015, Tatary admonished Muslims in Spain not to vote for any candidate who "hinders or impedes the establishment of mosques for our faithful, and cemeteries for our dead." He also said that Muslim voters should not vote for anyone who "hinders or prevents the children of Muslim citizens from receiving Islamic religion courses in public or private schools."
Spanish political analysts said Tatary's attempt to enforce the Spanish Muslim vote was alarming:
"At first glance, it does not seem objectionable that a group, whatever its nature, defends the rights of its members. However, when it comes to an entity that appeals to religion to impose a massive discipline of the faithful in the political arena, we cannot but be alarmed. Especially when that religion is engaged in relentless war within itself and with the rest of the civilized world."
It seems unlikely, however, that parents and imams will accept many of Tatary's politically correct non-literal interpretations of the Koran, which apparently are aimed at securing the government's approval of the guidelines. The challenge of reform-minded Muslims is to convince the majority of Muslims that the Koran and the Hadiths do not actually mean what they say.
In the end, the new guidelines may end up achieving a completely undesired objective: serving as gateway to radical Islam for tens of thousands of young Muslims in Spain.
**Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute. He is also Senior Fellow for European Politics at the Madrid-based Grupo de Estudios Estratégicos / Strategic Studies Group. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter. His first book, Global Fire, will be out in 2016.
 

Why global ‘terror database’ is the need of the hour
Raed Omari/Al Arabiya/April 02/16
In early 2013, I was detained by the police cell of an airport “somewhere” for 13 hours. Although my name was not in their “wanted” list, authorities informed me that my surname bears great similarity to someone wanted. Of course all my attempts to prove that I am not the person they were looking for failed. After all, the wanted man was classified as “terrorist."I was released after it became clear that I was not the person they wanted. Although I missed my flight and had to wait at the airport until next afternoon, I was not that angry. I remained calm and understood the country’s security concerns. Or may be it was because of the coffee and tea served by a polite policemen. The story, which had somehow disappeared from my memory, came back strongly following the deadly explosions that rocked Brussels recently. The two brothers who allegedly carried out these attacks were Ibrahim El Bakraoui, who blew himself up at the Brussels airport, and Khalid El Bakraoui, who carried out suicide bombing at the Maelbeek Metro station, near the European Union headquarters. Interestingly, they were both said to be on a US counterterrorism watch-list before the November attacks in Paris. In other words, the brothers were not just two young men who were radicalized recently, and were difficult to monitor, but were already classified as potential terrorists. Yet they succeeded in carrying out attacks on two sensitive facilities inside a European capital, which is said to be the place where last November’s Paris carnage was plotted.
If the Belgian authorities were informed about those watch-listed by the US and other countries, they may not have let Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui move around that freely. Brussels may have detained them or stopped them from moving in or around the capital. News reports also charged that Ibrahim El Bakraoui, 30, was expelled last year by Turkey and flagged as a suspected terrorist. If Brussels was aware of this, would he have been in a position to attack the airport?
Collective action
The 28-member EU has been criticized for its inability to keep collective track of home-grown extremists and fighters returning from Syria or planning to go there. EU officials even described the Brussels and Paris attacks as “no surprise”. The EU’s established principles of democracy and the large influx of refugees are among the major reasons behind its swiftness to crack down on terror. Yet an international “terrorist database” could make a major difference in achieving this objective. With the trans-border threat posed by terrorism, one wonders why one single international database of known terrorists haven’t been made and why more intelligence is not being shared to tackle terrorism. Apparently, each country has its own database and tracks possible extremists to protect itself from being the target of deadly attacks. Brussels attacks have really come as a surprise for world leaders who vowed to tackle terror collectively, collaboratively and inclusively. With the threat posed by terrorism, one wonders why one single international database of terrorists haven’t been made and why more intelligence is not being shared to tackle the challenge . There is no disputing the fact that security breach is a possibility once in a while especially in the Middle East and nowadays in Europe, particularly if someone is determined to blow himself up. The Middle East, Europe, and the US – and may be also some other regions of the world – must be ready to face more small-scale terrorist attacks carried out for ideological, religious, social and economic reasons.
Yet, there is hope that international anti-terror efforts would ensure that no large-scale attacks, such as Brussels and Paris, do not happen again. As a security procedure, an international database of radical fighters returning from Syria must be built urgently and shared with countries around the world, especially those hosting refugees and receiving more on a daily basis. As far as concerns over home-grown extremism is concerned, a society-based approach to tackle poverty, employment and marginalization would be of great help. A reporting tour on countering violent extremism, organized by the US Department of State in September 2105, made it clear to me how fruitful is it to engage and integrate underprivileged African Muslims into societies of Christian majorities using community-based partnerships with civic leaders. In Jordan, I have witnessed how students, especially from Russia and Chechnya, at the University of Jordan, have been rewardingly engaged in daily seminars, lectures and brainstorming sessions by their “moderate” professors. It is their way to prevent radicalization of the young minds.

Iran’s asymmetrical warfare: The cyberattack capabilities
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya/April 02/16
Although, when it comes to cyberattack capabilities, some the most advanced (the top three countries) are reported to be the United States, China, and Russia, however, the Islamic Republic of Iran is also considered one of the top countries in conducting cyberattacks and utilizing cyber technology.
The speedy advancement of Iran’s cyber program is crucial, as it only began few years ago. The Islamic Republic began heavily investing on its social media, Internet and cyber welfare capabilities after the protests which erupted in the 2009 contested election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iranian leaders became cognizant of the significance of social media in galvanizing people and advancing political interests. Outlets such as Halal Internet, national Internet, mehr (used instead of Youtube), and surveillance programs were increased. Reportedly, Iran obtained advanced surveillance software to monitor the population, mainly from China. The Islamic Republic invested more than $1 billion in cyber infrastructure and technology, as well as recruiting more than 100,000 personnel. Soon after, in 2012, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the establishment of the Supreme Council on Cyberspace in order to form cyber policies. This Council became an indispensable pillar of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Cops and Iran’s foreign and domestic policies.
Offensive or defensive?
Iran’s cyber program was designed, from the outset, to be offensive and proactive in nature. Iranian leaders are aware that they would not be successful when it comes to military confrontation with some powerful regional and international nation-states. The alternative to a physical war is a virtual one where it is almost impossible to hold Iranian leaders accountable. As Abdollah Araqi, deputy commander of ground forces in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pointed out, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), “We have armed ourselves with new tools, because a cyber war is more dangerous than a physical war.” A few years after initiation, Iran’s cyber capabilities became the world’s fourth biggest cyber army according to an official of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Even Israeli major think-tanks acknowledged Iran as a major cyber power.
Iran’s cyber warfare capabilities have not reached those of China, the US or Russia yet. But it is advancing at a pace that needs to be addressed adequately by regional and global powers. The Israeli-based Institute for National Security Studies stated that “IRGC clearly makes the country one of the best and most advanced nation when it comes to cyberwarfare. In a case of escalation between Iran and the West, Iran will likely aim to launch a cyberattack against critical infrastructures in the United States and its allies, including energy infrastructure, financial institutions, transportation systems, and other.”
In 2013, the United States banking systems were attacked at an unprecedented level. The online banking sites of institutions such as Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup were affected. US officials stated that the level of sophistication pointed to the Iranian government. In addition, US intelligence pointed out that the Islamic Republic was behind the “Shamoon” virus which targeted computers of Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil corporation. And more recently, last week, the Justice Department indicted seven Iranian citizens for distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks in against 46 companies mainly in the banking and financial sector. Iran also began reportedly exporting its cyber capabilities to its proxies and allies such as the Syrian government in order to suppress the opposition and popular uprising.
Iran’s objectives and intentions
Iran’s cyber warfare capabilities have not reached those of China, the US or Russia yet. But it is advancing at a pace that needs to be addressed adequately by regional and global powers. From Khamenei’s perspective, the future of Iran’s cyber program is a matter of national security. Iranian leaders can accomplish several objectives by advancing their cyber welfare capabilities. First of all, domestically speaking, IRGC leaders can more easily control the opposition and dissidents. Secondly, as an offensive tool, Iran can advance its ideological, geopolitical, and strategic ambitions by sending a strong message to other nations about their vulnerabilities vis-à-vis Iran. Tehran can also warn its rivals by inflicting damage on their major state institutions and infrastructures. Finally, Iran needs the advanced cyber program in order to protect its nuclear sites in case of foreign cyberattacks.
In the new age of globalization, the Islamic Republic is adapting fast to the modern cyber technology in order to complement its IRGC military prowess in order to achieve its regional hegemonic and ideological ambitions.