LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 16/16
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.april16.16.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to go to the LCCC Daily English/Arabic News Buletins Archieves Since 2006
Bible Quotations For Today
It is the spirit that gives
life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and
life
"Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 06/60-71:"When many of his
disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept
it?’But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to
them, ‘Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man
ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is
useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you
there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the
ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he
said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is
granted by the Father.’Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no
longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go
away?’Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of
eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of
God.’Jesus answered them, ‘Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a
devil.’He was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, for he, though one of the
twelve, was going to betray him."
I exhort the elders
among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the
oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it not
for sordid gain but eagerly.
"First Letter of Peter 05/01-14:"Now as an elder myself and a witness of the
sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I
exhort the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge,
exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have
you do it not for sordid gain but eagerly. Do not lord it over those in your
charge, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you
will win the crown of glory that never fades away. In the same way, you who are
younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you must clothe
yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for ‘God opposes the
proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves therefore under the
mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety
on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a
roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to
devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and
sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.And
after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called
you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen,
and establish you. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. Through
Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, I have written this short letter
to encourage you, and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast
in it.Your sister church in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you
greetings; and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace
to all of you who are in Christ."
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on April 16/16
Lebanese at war before and after
1975/Mohamed Chebarro/Al Arabia/April 15/16
Lebanese, ‘free your mind’ in municipal elections/Nayla Tueni/Al Arabia/April
15/16
The Christian electoral alliance/Myra Abdallah/Now Lebanon/April 15/16
Palestinians: We Will Not Accept a Jewish Israel/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute/April 15/16
Saudi Daily Slams International Community For Failing To Act Against
'Arch-Butcher' Assad, 'Whose Like Has Not Been Seen' Since Adolf Hitler/MEMRI/April
15/16/
We haven’t yet witnessed Iranian-Persian imperialism/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al
Arabia/April 15/16
On the demise of state and society/Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al Arabia/April 15/16
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on April 16/16
Islamic summit slams Hezbollah for
‘terrorism’
Muslim Summit Slams Hizbullah 'Terrorist Activities' in Arab States, Lauds
Lebanese Army
Salam Returns from Istanbul after Meeting Qatar, Turkey Leaders
Lebanese at war before and after 1975
Lebanese, ‘free your mind’ in municipal elections
The Christian electoral alliance
Myra Abdallah/Now Lebanon/April 15/16
Defected Syrian pilot detained in Lebanon
Bahrain's Foreign Minister: Hizbullah Continues to Threaten Our Security
Senior General Renews 'U.S. Commitment to Providing LAF with Top-Quality
Weapons'
Report: Nasrallah Meets al-Sadr to Reconcile him with al-Maliki
Sources: Riyadh Fails to Push for U.N. Resolution against Hizbullah
Report: Lebanon Crisis Discussed at Egyptian-Saudi Summit
Lebanese Army Arrests Lebanese in Arsal for Taking Part in Terror Acts against
Military
Geagea Blames Hizbullah for Lebanon's Status Quo
State Security Arrests Defected Syrian Pilot
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
April 16/16
Iraqi PM: political crisis could
hinder war on ISIS
Russia urges closing Turkey-Syria border to bar extremists
US expresses anger over Syria doctor killed in ‘targeted strike’
Syrian govt team joins Geneva talks amid Aleppo fighting'
Kerry demands Russia rein in Syrian forces
Yemeni forces seize city from Al-Qaeda
Elite Iranian general allegedly in Moscow for talks
Hamas beefs up Egypt border force to ease tensions
Egypt: Islamic Salafis Demolish Iconic Statue Because It’s an “Idol,” Says
Cleric
Obama in Fence-mending Trip to See Saudi King
Spanish Industry Minister Resigns after Panama Papers Revelations
Syria Army Fights on Two Fronts near Aleppo
HRW: 30,000 Flee Fighting between Jihadists, Rebels in North Syria
Egypt Police Disperse Protest against Saudi Island Deal
Newly Trained Yemeni Forces Rout al-Qaida from Southern City
EU 'Deeply Concerned' by New Phase of Israel Separation Wall
Saudis Back Embattled Malaysia PM on Huge Payment
Links From
Jihad Watch Site for
April 16/16
Citadel mulls changing uniform policy to allow Muslim cadet to
wear hijab.
Germany allows potential prosecution of comic for insulting Turkey’s Erdogan.
Brussels jihadi was star of documentary about successful integration of migrants.
Video: Robert Spencer on Islamic tolerance and contributions to civilization.
Pakistan’s ISI funded deadly attack on CIA camp in Afghanistan.
The Unknown: Islam’s 25 Scars On My Body.
Islamic State publishes hit list of Muslim Brotherhood-linked Muslim leaders.
Germany bans sexy women in ads after Cologne Muslim sex assaults.
Belgian minister equates jihad killers hiding in Brussels with Jews in World War
II.
Women and Children First
Islamic summit slams Hezbollah for
‘terrorism’
By Staff writer, Al Arabiya
English Friday, 15 April 2016/Most states in an Islamic summit on Friday
denounced Lebanon’s Shiite group Hezbollah for spreading “terrorism” and for
destabilizing the national security of its member countries: Syria, Yemen,
Bahrain and Kuwait. This week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted the
summit of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), comprised of 57 member
states. Over 30 leaders attended the summit, including the Saudi king and
Iranian president. OIC, however, did not officially blacklist Hezbollah nor
circulate its final communique when it condemned the Lebanese group. Hezbollah
has long been a key ally to Iran, who are key backers of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad. The statement comes after Saudi King Salman made important trips to
both Egypt and later Turkey to improve and consolidate the kingdom’s ties with
the two. King Salman visits to Ankara showed a visible improvement ties between
Turkey and Saudi Arabia since his inauguration as king in 2015. Salman Dosri, an
analyst, told Al Arabiya News Channel that it is “first time” that the summit
denounces an Iranian proxy of such sort. He said Turkey is further consolidating
its ties with Saudi since both “share the same outlook on Syria.” The host
Turkey saw the summit as a chance to shore up its prestige in the Islamic world
where Erdogan has made it his mission at the meeting to bring the world’s 1.7
billion Muslims closer together. He reaffirmed his call for unity at an official
dinner late Thursday in the Dolmabahce Palace by the Bosphorus, where the late
Ottoman Sultans ruled a decaying empire of Muslim lands that once stretched from
from the Balkans to Arabia. “At this summit, our biggest expectation is for
Islamic countries throughout the world to give a message of unity and
togetherness to all Muslims,” Erdogan told leaders beneath the dome of the vast
Muayede Salon, the ceremonial hall where the Sultan would receive visitors. “Our
aim is to give the whole Islamic family hope in the future. God willing, with
this summit, a new era will begin for all of us.”“Of course the problems in
front of us are big. We are going through a tough period. But we should never
lose hope,” he added. (With AFP)
Muslim Summit Slams Hizbullah
'Terrorist Activities' in Arab States, Lauds Lebanese Army
Naharnet/April 15/16/A two-day summit of leaders from the world's Muslim
countries on Friday condemned what it called Hizbullah “terrorist activities” in
some Arab countries while hailing the Lebanese army and security forces for
their role in the anti-terror fight. The conferees "condemned Hizbullah for
conducting terrorist activities in Syria, Bahrain, Kuwait and Yemen and for
supporting terrorist movements and groups undermining the security and stability
of OIC Member States," said the closing statement of the summit of the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul.
The statement also welcomed dialogue among the Lebanese political parties and
hailed “the sacrifices of the Lebanese army and security forces in the
anti-terror fight.”The conferees also condemned alleged Iranian "interference"
in the affairs of some member states. Several countries, including Lebanon,
voiced reservations over the accusations against Hizbullah in the closing
statement as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani boycotted the closing session in
protest at the clauses that mentioned Iran and Hizbullah. Lebanon expressed
reservations over the Hizbullah clause and stressed its "respect for the
principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries,"
Lebanon's National News Agency said. Lebanon also voiced reservations over a
clause addressing the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed
Nagorny Karabakh region and another clause related to Kosovo.
The meeting was marked by signs of a strong emerging alliance between Turkey and
fellow Sunni Muslim power Saudi Arabia, whose foreign ministers Thursday signed
a memorandum on creating a bilateral cooperation council. Both countries, along
with the tiny but gas-rich Gulf state of Qatar, back rebels fighting the regime
of President Bashar Assad in Syria.This pits them against Iran and also Russia
-- with whom Turkey is experiencing a crisis in relations after the downing of a
Russian warplane -- who are the last major remaining allies of Assad. Analysts
have warned Turkey needs to tread carefully in its alliance with Saudi Arabia,
so it is not seen as a sectarian union aimed at Iran. In a sign of Ankara's
desire to maintain a delicate balance, Rouhani is due to begin a bilateral visit
to Turkey immediately after the summit. Sunni regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia
earlier this year halted a grant to the Lebanese army in wake of virulent
criticism made by Hizbullah against Riyadh and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil's
abstention from voting in favor of Arab resolutions condemning attacks against
the Saudi embassy and consulate in Iran. The Saudi diplomatic missions were
attacked by protesters condemning Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shiite
dissident cleric – Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Riyadh also led the Arab League in
condemning alleged Hizbullah “acts of terror” in some countries and issued
travel advisories for its citizens, urging them against traveling to Lebanon.
The Gulf Cooperation Council has also adopted similar measures.
Salam Returns from Istanbul
after Meeting Qatar, Turkey Leaders
Naharnet/April 15/16/Prime Minister Tammam Salam returned to Beirut on Friday
after taking part in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Conference and
meeting on its sidelines with the leaders of Qatar and Turkey. “Salam and the
accompanying delegation returned to Beirut from Istanbul this afternoon,”
state-run National News Agency reported. In the presence of the Lebanese
delegation, Salam had met with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani,
NNA said. The Qatari leader “expressed his country's understanding of the
Lebanese situation and components” and stressed “the importance of consolidating
unity and electing a president,” the agency said. Salam also met with Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who hoped Lebanon will be able to overcome the
presidential vacuum crisis soon and noted that “Turkey and Lebanon share the
burden of hosting the Syrian refugees,” NNA added. On Thursday, Salam urged the
OIC to help Lebanon in shouldering the burden of Syrian refugees. He said during
a speech at the OIC summit: “We have warned that failure to provide the
necessary aid to the refugees and the Lebanese community will not only weaken
the already exhausted Lebanese economy, but it will create security
instability.”“Lebanon rejects all forms of naturalization of the Syrian refugees
and believes that their presence in Lebanon is temporary,” he stated. Salam had
held brief talks with Saudi King Salman and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed
al-Sabah on the sidelines of the summit. Lebanon voiced its reservations over a
clause in the summit's closing statement that condemned Hizbullah for alleged
“terrorist activities in Syria, Bahrain, Kuwait and Yemen and for supporting
terrorist movements and groups undermining the security and stability of OIC
Member States."Lebanon also voiced reservations over a clause addressing the
conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh
region and another clause related to Kosovo.
Lebanese at war before and
after 1975
Mohamed Chebarro/Al Arabia/April 15/16
May be it would be wise for the Lebanese people to stop commemorating the 13th
of April 1975, the day the Lebanese civil war, which started 41 years ago and
lasted for 15 years. Most newspapers in Lebanon called on the people to use the
occasion to “turn the page”. For once, the media prescription for this small
almost fractured country is right. The Lebanese people have failed to move
toward a post-war era while the state has failed to build national consensus
since the end of the war in 1990 and to uphold the basic rule of law for all
countrymen. The military in Lebanon came second to the influence of the Syrian
stabilization force, which turned into an occupation after the end of the war
that claimed more than a quarter million Lebanese lives. Since 2005 Hezbollah
militia won the upper hand over the Lebanese authorities under the guise of
fighting Israel, therefore tipping the balance of power in the country toward
one sectarian group that penetrated all aspects of decision making in the state.
Lebanon’s post-civil war situation was further tested when Hezbollah took the
country to war with Israel for 33 days hoping to release three Lebanese detained
in Israeli prisons. It dealt the country a further blow a decade later when
Hezbollah’s men crossed the border into Syria.
The organs of the state and its military failed to stop the flow of fighters and
arms across the border. Hezbollah played a vital role in keeping the regime of
Bashar al-Assad in power, reportedly following orders from the Iranian regime,
which amounts to breaking of all rules and international laws related to
interference in the affairs of neighboring countries. Even the 15-year civil war
did not prevent election of a president. The post of the president in Lebanon
remains vacant for the second year running. Its parliamentary elections have
been postponed indefinitely as various parties continue to squabble over the
laws to govern the polls in an attempt to design it in favor of one party or
religious sect. Even the Lebanese government which should – as per the
constitution’s basic interpretation – take over the executive when the post of
the president is vacant, the ministers in the government prevent any action no
matter how small unless it is agreed by all 30 ministers.
The garbage crisis
Away from politics, if such a thing is possible in Lebanon, residents of Beirut
have been suffering from a bad smell, from stacked rubbish the municipality and
the government have failed to clear for 10 months. An invasion of mosquitos has
made life miserable in the city and carries potential health repercussion never
witnessed before. The country already struggles with insufficient power
supplies, scarce water supplies, and a chaotic transport system. Then there is
the impact of more than one million Syrian refugees who decided to rise against
the Assad regime and had to flee from their villages and cities to Lebanon.
The Lebanese people have failed to move toward a post-war era while the state
has failed to build national consensus since the end of the war in 1990. Since
the inception of the state more than 70 years ago, the Lebanese people have had
the habit of blaming someone or the other for their miseries. They continue to
do so even now. Lebanon in its heydays was, in the eyes of the nationalist
romantics, the Switzerland of the Middle East. Today it could be better known as
the joke of the Middle East as it has been overtaken by business and destination
hubs such as Dubai.
Yes, Lebanon suffered from regional instability, a fervent Lebanese would
retort. Yes, the Palestinian Israeli question is one dimension that affected all
Arab states. Yes, that coupled with Nasserism, questions of Arabism divided its
people in the 50s and the 60s. Yes, the many movements of Palestinian resistance
have declared south Lebanon as an open front to liberate Palestine until 1982.
Yes, the Arab countries helped broker Taif agreement that ended the civil war in
1990, and some think that Taif gave the Syrian regime full control of Lebanon
until 2006. This was when Lebanese people rose up and pushed peacefully the
30,000 strong Syrian army inside Lebanon to return following the assassination
of prime minister Rafiq Hariri.
Withdrawal and polarization
It is the withdrawal that led to further polarization as Lebanese were divided
this time between anti and pro-Syria factions, and later between those who favor
an independent Arab Lebanese republic and those who were with Iran and its many
adventures in the region using sect as a tool to interfere in regional affairs.
Hezbollah fighters were caught fighting proxy wars from Damascus and Iraq to
Bahrain and Yemen all in the name of protecting Shiite Islam, or more accurately
doing Iran’s dirty work in the region and beyond. Insanity is not a pleasant
term but could be used to describe the Lebanese people’s perpetual failure to
end their many disputes. Insanity becomes the order of the day when someone
chooses to repeat mistake, expecting different results. The people of Lebanon
are not insane but they cannot keep commemorating the beginning of the war and
not its end. The war started in 1975 and ended officially in 1990. Yet the
country appears to have continued to be at war this time with itself, amid
failure by all to understand that nation building and unity is an occasion that
history offers people, and Lebanon’s people seem to be experts at committing
blunders. The country cannot continue to commit hara-kiri in the name of an idea
called Arabism, or solidarity with the Palestinian, or for creating a Christian
state, in the name of resisting Israel, or saving the Shiite in Damascus, Manama
or northern Yemen. On the 13 April of every year Lebanese must not celebrate the
end of the war but try to make it an occasion to reflect and look at their
country in a non-biased manner. They should try and understand why their country
continues to be known for insecurity, instability whose youth seek to leave the
country as soon as they are able to.
Lebanese, ‘free your mind’ in
municipal elections
Nayla Tueni/Al Arabia/April 15/16
Many people consider that the Lebanese parliamentary elections are mostly a
result of alliances and agreements. It seems the Lebanese people are working
toward making the municipal elections resemble those for parliament, as they are
handing themselves over to parties that agree on dividing shares among each
other. Some parties and influential figures do not allow people their freedom to
choose, so people get excited over a certain municipal list and elect it.
However, they end up regretting their choice when they realize their
representatives are inefficient, but by then their criticisms are too late.
Meanwhile, some people have lost hope and thus abstain from voting.
Roles
Parliamentary elections are different from municipal elections because MPs’ role
is not to perform daily services or follow up on paperwork in government
departments, but to legislate and monitor government performance, though
performing these tasks has been difficult lately. Municipal elections will soon
be held in Lebanon. It is a chance to begin achieving some sort of change and
liberating us from past mistakes. Municipality members are tasked with
developmental projects and looking after local services. What people need is a
developed vision regarding municipal life. Municipalities must submit to the
public their agendas and programs for the next six years. They must work to
support clubs and associations within their areas of work, and encourage them to
get involved in municipal work. They should also work with schools and
universities to raise awareness about their development work. Their work on the
commercial and educational levels must thus be accompanied by interacting with
society and closely working with it.
Change
Municipal elections will soon be held in Lebanon. It is a chance to begin
achieving some sort of change and liberating us from past mistakes. The “Free
Your Mind” campaign that an-Nahar newspaper launched does not aim to stage a
coup or revolution, or end sectarianism. It is a call for parties, sects and
families to nominate the most capable and creative figure from among them. Then
it will be possible to launch a process of change and development, and help
society progress without competing over insignificant and silly victories. The
priority is people’s interest, and it must be preserved.
The Christian electoral alliance
Myra Abdallah/Now
Lebanon/April 15/16
What will the joint lists of Lebanese Forces and Free Patriotic Movement
candidates for Lebanon’s municipal elections achieve?
In 2010, the last municipal elections were held in Lebanon, which also happened
to be the last official electoral activity organized in the country to date. In
2010, the political blocs in Lebanon were very different from the alliances
today. In the past six years in Lebanon has witnessed major political
transformations that affected almost all political parties, most notably the
Christian ones. When the last municipal elections took place, the Free Patriotic
Movement was supported by its Shiite ally, Hezbollah, against its Christian
rival, the Lebanese Forces, who in turn was backed by the Future Movement. Last
year, the ten-year-old political groupings of March 8 and March 14 started to
gradually fracture, which became painfully obvious after head of the Future
Movement Saad Hariri nominated March 8 member Sleiman Franjieh for the
presidency in December 2015. Following this nomination in January 2016, the two
most prominent Christian politicians and rivals – head of Free Patriotic
Movement Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea –reconciled after
nearly 30 years of conflict and communication breakdowns. The reconciliation,
described at the time as “historic,” is currently taking pragmatic effect as
Lebanon prepares to hold municipal elections in May of this year.
With the new political alignments, it has become obvious that the two main
Christian political parties do not wish to be on opposite sides of major event
affecting Lebanon. “In the majority of regions, we are we are attempting to ally
with the FPM,” said head of LF media office Antoinette Geagea. “Every region and
town in Lebanon has its own characteristics and we are dealing with every town
taking into account its characteristics and requirements.” Geagea told NOW that
the alliance with Aoun and the FPM does not rule out the LF from working with
other political parties and that, depending on the setting of each municipal
district, alliances could be made with the Future Movement and with independent
politicians. However, both Christian parties are preparing to stand in the
municipal elections as a unified party. “We are preparing for the elections as
if we were a single party, despite some misunderstandings that might happen on a
small scale among supporters,” said Joseph Fahed, electoral coordinator for the
FPM in Kessrouan. “These problems can be easily solved as long as the
leaderships of the two parties are working together. This created a big
difference between 2010 elections and the current elections. We feel there is no
tension among supporters that would stimulate personal conflicts.”
Reports claim that the FPM-LF alliance in the municipal elections is an attempt
to create a powerful axis that will restore the two Christian parties to a
dominant position in Lebanese politics. “It has been falsely claimed by others
that alliance will take over 86% of the municipalities,” said political analyst
Charles Jabbour. “This prediction meant to prove that, at the end of the
municipal elections, the LF and the FPM would be successful in their goal to
represent the whole Lebanese Christian community. However, both parties know
that the electoral battle is not completely political but local family interests
in towns must be taken into consideration.”
Despite being the representatives of the majority of the Christians and running
a joint electoral battle might not only serve as a powerful political bloc
against other parties from other sects. It has become increasingly obvious that
FPM and LF are seeking to establish a long-term alliance that will make them
both powerful enough to win parliamentary and presidential elections against
other Christian rivals. “It’s all about forming an electoral base within every
town that is able to win over other political parties. Even if the latter were
able to gather support from local families and groups, they would not be able to
be as powerful as the two main parties.” said Jabbour. “These elections will
form a basis for future elections. If the LF-FPM alliance does well during the
municipal elections, they will be able to succeed in future elections.”
Concern has been raised over whether the municipal electoral battle in Lebanon
will turn into a sectarian one. Analysts whom NOW spoke with denied the fact
that the alliance between LF and FPM will affect their alliances with other
non-Christian parties. “In cities and towns that have religious diversity, we
are also allying with the Future Movement. Allying with a political party does
not mean enmity with other political parties or independent individuals and
families,” said Geagea.
“This alliance will not negatively affect the relation of these parties with
non-Christian parties. On the contrary, in towns with religious diversity, the
LF and FPM are acting as a bridge. For example, in Beirut, the LF is the link
between the FPM and the Future Movement to facilitate smooth electoral activity
and ensure that the FPM is fairly represented among the 12 seats the Christians
have in the municipality,” Jabbour told NOW. **Myra Abdallah tweets @myraabdallah
Defected Syrian pilot detained in
Lebanon
Now Lebanon/April 15/15/State Security arrested Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Khaled
al-Haloush in the northeastern Jdaideh-Al-Fakiha area.
BEIRUT – Lebanese security forces have arrested a defected pilot from Syria’s
armed forces, the latest detention of a Syrian opponent of the Bashar al-Assad
regime. Lebanon’s state National News Agency reported Friday that a State
Security patrol detained Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Khaled al-Haloush in the
northeastern Jdaideh-Al-Fakiha area, which lies near the Syrian border. During
his interrogation, Al-Haloush revealed that he had illegally entered the
country. The defected pilot was then transferred to the relevant judicial
authorities.Lebanese security forces in past years have controversially detained
a number of defected Syrian officers and activists. In mid-May 2015, Lebanese
army intelligence arrested Syrian army colonel Walid Ahmad Aydan in Labweh,
another northeastern border town, without issuing an official explanation for
his detention. ARA News cited corroborative human rights sources as saying that
Aydan was residing legally in Lebanon and had been on the way to Beirut to visit
family members when he was arrested. The sources told the Syrian outlet that all
of the defected colonel’s papers were “in order and issued by Lebanon’s General
Security.”“He was on his way from Arsal to Beirut to meet his children before
[leaving] Lebanon.”In turn, Syrian human rights activist Mohammed Wajdi told ARA
News he believed Aydan’s detention may have been no more than a routine
procedure.Meanwhile, the Lebanese Institute for Democracy and Human Rights
(LIFE) called on Lebanese army intelligence “to release Colonel Walid [Aydan]
and refrain from arresting defected Syrian officers.” “They are not wanted under
Lebanese judicial warrants and have committed no criminal or terrorist acts that
necessitate their prosecution.”Aydan’s arrest comes after Lebanese army
intelligence in late March briefly detained Maan Abdul Salam, a leading Syrian
dissident and intellectual who took refuge in Beirut following the outbreak of
the war in his country. In October 2014, State Security in the southern town of
Damour arrested a former officer on charges of “inciting against the Lebanese
army” on Facebook.
Bahrain's Foreign
Minister: Hizbullah Continues to Threaten Our Security
Naharnet/April 15/16/Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled Ahmed al-Khalifah
stated on Friday that Hizbullah continues to trigger incitement against his
country and endangers its security. “Lebanon is in our hearts. But there is a
threat against the Gulf Cooperation Council countries by Hizbullah which is
still inciting and threatening the security of Bahrain,” said the Minister in an
interview to al-Mustaqbal daily. “We adhere to the stance we have taken until
that party and Iran change their behavior towards us. We hope they would change
their conduct. But up until this moment all we hear are words without deeds.”
On the other hand, the Minister hailed the statement made by Prime Minister
Tammam Salam during the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Istanbul
saying: “It confirms the deep relations between the GCC and Lebanon.”On Monday,
the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain published a list of 68 Islamist groups it classified
as "terrorist".Hizbullah, already branded as "terrorist" by the Gulf Cooperation
Council and the Arab League, topped the list approved by Bahrain's cabinet. In
March, Bahrain's interior ministry announced the deportation of Lebanese
nationals over alleged links to Hizbullah.
Senior General Renews 'U.S. Commitment to Providing LAF with Top-Quality
Weapons'
Naharnet/April 15/16/U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Joseph L.
Votel visited Lebanon Friday as part of a multi-stop tour of the Middle East and
renewed the United States’ “sustained commitment” to providing the Lebanese army
with “top-quality weapons, equipment, and training,” the U.S. embassy
said.During his meetings with army officials, Votel reaffirmed “the
Lebanese-American partnership in countering the threat of terrorism and
reiterated the United States’ confidence in the capabilities of the LAF
(Lebanese Armed Forces) in its role as the defender of Lebanon,” the embassy
added in a statement. The U.S. assistance is aimed at enabling the Lebanese
state to “exercise its sovereign authority on the border and throughout the
country, in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701,”
the embassy quoted Votel as saying. The U.S. General met with Army Commander
General Jean Qahwagi and other key army officers. He also observed military
exercises at the Hamat Air Base. This is his first trip to the region since
assuming his role as CENTCOM Commander on March 30, 2016. Since 2004, the U.S.
has provided over $1.4 billion dollars in security assistance to the Lebanese
Armed Forces, including both training and equipment, according to the statement.
Report: Nasrallah Meets al-Sadr
to Reconcile him with al-Maliki
Naharnet/April 15/16/Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Hasrallah has met with
powerful Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Beirut in an effort to resolve
the inter-Shiite conflict in the Arab country, al-Mustaqbal daily reported on
Friday. The newspaper quoted informed sources in Beirut and Baghdad as saying
that al-Sadr, who arrived in the Lebanese capital two days ago, met with
Nasrallah in Beirut's southern suburbs. The discussions focused on Iraq's
political crisis, they said. According to the sources, Nasrallah is seeking a
reconciliation between Sadr and former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. An
emergency session of Iraq's parliament descended into chaos on Wednesday,
preventing a vote on a new cabinet amid a row over political blocs controlling
key government posts. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called in February for
change to the cabinet so that it includes technocrats. That kicked off the
latest chapter in a months-long saga of al-Abadi proposing various reforms that
parties and politicians with interests in the existing system, mainly al-Maliki's
supporters, have sought to delay or undermine. Al-Sadr later took up the demand
for a technocratic government, organizing a two-week sit-in that put al-Abadi
under pressure to act, but also supported the course of action he wanted to
take. Sadr relented after al-Abadi presented his first list of nominees at the
end of March, but has yet to react to the most recent developments in efforts to
replace the cabinet. Al-Sadr's visit to Beirut coincided with the visit of Jawad
al-Shahristani, the official representative of Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Orient Net Syrian channel quoted political sources in Beirut as saying that a
meeting is expected to be held between Nasrallah, al-Sadr, al-Shahristani, an
envoy from Maliki and other top officials to bridge the gap between Shiite
politicians in Iraq.The sources said Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei tasked Nasrallah with carrying out the reconciliation.
Sources: Riyadh Fails to Push
for U.N. Resolution against Hizbullah
Naharnet/April 15/16/Saudi Arabia has sought to push for the adoption of a U.N.
Security Council resolution to blacklist Hizbullah but its efforts were thwarted
by Russia and China, Gulf sources said. The U.S., which considers Hizbullah a
terrorist group, also “ignored” the resolution that was drafted by Saudi Arabia,
they told As Safir daily on Friday. Riyadh has more influence on the Gulf
Cooperation Council and the Arab League which last month considered Hizbullah a
terrorist organization. The blacklisting was preceded by a Saudi halt of deals
worth $4 billion aimed at equipping and supporting the Lebanese army and
security forces. The decision came after Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, a
Hizbullah ally, declined to support Saudi resolutions against Iran during two
meetings of Arab and Muslim foreign ministers.
Report: Lebanon Crisis
Discussed at Egyptian-Saudi Summit
Naharnet/April 15/16/The political deadlock in Lebanon and assistance to
Lebanese security forces were among the issues discussed by Saudi King Salman
and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during the monarch's recent visit to Cairo,
An Nahar daily reported Friday. It said Cairo called for helping Lebanon
overcome its crisis by electing a new president and urged support for the
Lebanese army and police. According to An Nahar, Egyptian officials will hold
contacts with several countries to resolve Lebanon's deadlock. Lebanon has been
without a president since May 2014 when the term of President Michel Suleiman
ended. The vacuum at Baabda Palace caused the paralysis of the parliament and
put hindrances to the government's work. Last month, Saudi Arabia halted $4
billion of aid to the Lebanese army and security forces. Its move was followed
by a Gulf Cooperation Council and Arab League blacklisting of Hizbullah. King
Salman on Monday wrapped up a landmark five-day visit to Egypt marked by lavish
praise and multi-billion-dollar investment deals, in a clear sign of support for
al-Sisi's regime.
Lebanese Army Arrests
Lebanese in Arsal for Taking Part in Terror Acts against Military
Naharnet/April 15/16/The army announced on Friday the arrest of Hussein Mohammed
al-Hujairi for his links to terrorist acts, said the military in a communique.
It said that he is suspected of taking part in terrorist attacks against the
army and Internal Security Forces in the northeastern border town of Arsal.
He was detained in the Wadi Hmeid-Arsal region as he was attempting to smuggle
around 75 kilograms of a chemical substance and around 100 liters of diesel
fuel. He was trying to smuggle the material from Arsal to its outskirts. The
army frequently shells the positions of extremists linked to the conflict in
Syria that are holed up along the porous Lebanese-Syrian border, most notably
the outskirts of Arsal and Ras Baalbek. In August 2014, extremists from the
Islamic State and al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front overran Arsal and engaged
in battles with the army and security forces.
Geagea Blames Hizbullah for
Lebanon's Status Quo
Naharnet/April 15/16/Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea blamed Hizbullah on
Friday for the country's situation and assured that efforts are ongoing to get
out of this situation. “The status-quo that we are witnessing will prolong
because Hizbullah has other regional interests that it believes are more
important that Lebanon,” said Geagea. “Lebanon's economy and development are the
least of Hizbullah's concern. It only cares about the Umma from its own
perspective where the Iranian Republic is at its core. It only carries out what
suits it even if it means sending our youth to die in Syria and Yemen,” added
the LF chief.
“If the Umma sees it better to attack Saudi Arabia, the party carries that out
knowing that the Kingdom has never done anything detrimental to Lebanon,” he
emphasized. “We are working day and night in order to get out of this situation.
We made a substantial step when we reconciled with the Free Patriotic Movement
and we will try to follow with more steps to come.” On the municipal elections,
Geagea stressed that a municipal chief must be “young and motivated and in
constant search for budgets to carry out developmental projects.”
State Security Arrests
Defected Syrian Pilot
Naharnet/April 15/16/The State Security arrested a defected Syrian pilot in the
Baalbek town of Jdeidet al-Fakha in eastern Lebanon, the state-run National News
Agency reported on Friday. Defected Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Khaled al-Haloush
was arrested where investigations have shown that he had entered Lebanese soil
illegally. He was also residing in Lebanon in an illegal manner. The pilot was
referred to the related authorities for further measures.
Iraqi PM: political crisis
could hinder war on ISIS
Reuters, Baghdad Friday, 15 April 2016/Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has
warned that a political crisis engulfing his country over anti-graft reforms
could hamper the war against ISIS militants. The crisis escalated this week with
the cancellation of two voting sessions in parliament over a planned cabinet
reshuffle sought by Abadi as part of his anti-corruption drive. Tussles between
lawmakers broke out on Wednesday, a day after the first attempted vote. After a
second cancellation of the vote on Thursday dozens of lawmakers held a mock
session where they removed the speaker. “The conflict has crippled parliament
... and could obstruct the work of the government, impacting the heroic
operations to free our cities and villages (from ISIS),” Abadi said in a
statement issued late on Thursday. Iraq, a major OPEC exporter which sits on one
of the world's largest oil reserves, ranks 161th out of 168 countries on
Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index. Corruption became a
major issue after global oil prices collapsed two years ago, shrinking the state
budget at a time when it needed additional income to wage war against Islamic
State, the ultra-hardline Sunni group that controls swathes of northern and
western Iraq, including the city of Mosul. Abadi announced a government overhaul
in February under pressure from the clergy of Iraq’s Shiite majority. He
initially proposed independent technocrats as candidates to try to free the
ministries from the grip of a political class that built its wealth and
influence on a patronage system put in place after the overthrow of Saddam
Hussein in 2003. Abadi then modified his list to include candidates nominated by
the dominant political groups, prompting protests inside parliament by lawmakers
who say it will again result in corruption.
Russia urges closing
Turkey-Syria border to bar extremists
The Associated Press, United Nations Friday, 15 April 2016/Russia called
Thursday for the closing of the Turkey-Syrian border to prevent ISIS and the Al-Nusra
Front extremist groups from receiving foreign fighters and weapons into Syria —
and from exporting oil, artifacts and other goods.
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told a Security Council meeting on
“countering terrorism” that members should also think about imposing a complete
trade and economic embargo against ISIS. Churkin said in a recent letter to the
council that Turkey is the main supplier of weapons and ammunition to ISIS
fighters and that $1.9 million worth of explosives and industrial chemicals were
smuggled across Turkey’s border to extremist groups. Turkey’s UN Mission
rejected the allegations as “baseless.” Churkin accused Turkey on Thursday of
“complacency or inaction” in allowing fighters and weapons to cross into Syria
and the bulk of ISIS oil to be exported along with cultural artifacts. “If
Turkey feels that it is doing everything necessary to curtail the flows of
supplies to terrorists, this could be corroborated by independent monitors,” he
said. Churkin called on the Turkish government “on a voluntary basis” to invite
international observers to its borders with Syria and the port of Ceyhan.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council that more than 30,000
people from all over the world have joined ISIS campaigns in Iraq and Syria. He
urged member states “to take more concrete steps to stop fundraising through the
smuggling of oil and gas, the illicit trade of cultural artifacts, kidnapping
for ransom and donations from abroad.”Russia and China introduced a draft UN
resolution Wednesday aimed at preventing “terrorists” from preparing or using
chemical weapons in Syria. Churkin told the council Thursday that fighters from
various radical groups have used “toxic poisonous substances” this year,
singling out a known case of ISIS using mustard gas in Deir el-Zour. He said the
draft resolution fills a gap in council resolutions and expressed hope for its
speedy adoption. The draft resolution would require countries — especially
Syria’s neighbors Turkey and Iraq — to immediately report any actions by
extremist groups to transfer, develop or acquire chemical weapons to the
Security Council and to an international body charged with establishing who is
responsible for chemical attacks in Syria. The draft would also require that
body — the Joint Investigative Mechanism or JIM — to monitor any alleged
activities and report monthly to the Security Council. A Security Council
diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions about the draft
resolution were private, questioned any monitoring by the JIM, which has a very
small staff. The diplomat suggested Russia might be trying to divert the JIM
from determining responsibility for seven alleged chemical attacks by a
September deadline, noting that the Syrian government, Moscow’s close ally, has
been accused in several cases.
US expresses anger over Syria
doctor killed in ‘targeted strike’
AFP, Washington Friday, 15 April 2016/The United States expressed outrage
Thursday over the death of a leading Syrian doctor in what officials said
appeared to be a targeted air strike. State Department spokesman John Kirby said
Doctor Hassan al-Araj had been a respected community leader and health
professional in the northern town of Hama. “The early indications are this
doctor was deliberately targeted and killed, and all he was trying to do was
save lives,” he said. Kirby did not say who was behind the “alleged air strike”
but when asked who operates warplanes in the area said: “Well, the Russians do.
The Russians do.” British-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
said Araj died in an air strike near a hospital outside near Hama. Reports
identify Araj as a renowned cardiologist in his 40s who operated a hospital and
field clinics in an area around Hama held by anti-regime rebels. Kirby said
“initial indications” showed the apparent strike hit the doctor “in a car, by
himself, on a road in a remote area, nobody else around.”“He was a widely
respected and beloved medical professional,” the US spokesman said, praising the
doctor for setting up clinics to treat war victims. “Attacks against civilians,
particularly medical professionals, are just abhorrent,” he said. “And we
continue to call on everybody – particularly the regime – to respect the right
of medical professionals to do their jobs and to save lives.” Syria’s five-year
civil war has dropped in intensity since a shaky ceasefire began in February and
UN-mediated peace talks got under way in Geneva. But the truce is violated daily
and US officials say the most attacks are launched by Russian-backed regime
forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Syrian govt team joins Geneva
talks amid Aleppo fighting
The Associated Press, Beirut Friday, 15 April 2016/A Syrian government
delegation arrived in Geneva on Friday to join a new round of UN-mediated peace
talks underway with an umbrella opposition group that seeks to find a resolution
to the country’s five-year civil war. The arrival of the Damascus team, led by
Syria’s UN Ambassador Bashar Jaafari, comes amid escalating fighting between
government forces and insurgents in northern Aleppo province that has killed 34
fighters on both sides over the past 24 hours. The Britain-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said of those killed, 14 were pro-government
fighters and 20 were militants, including members of Syria’s al-Qaeda affiliate
known as the Nusra Front. The al-Qaeda branch and its more powerful rival, the
ISIS group, are not part of a ceasefire that went into effect at the end of
February. The US and Russia-backed truce has held in most of Syria, except in
the north, where it has practically collapsed. The Nusra Front is deeply rooted
in the areas in northern Syria controlled by opposition forces, complicating the
oversight of the truce. ISIS militants have clashed with both rival insurgents
and pro-government forces in Aleppo, making a wide advance on opposition-held
territory along the Turkish border, the Observatory said Thursday. The New
York-based Human Rights Watch said Turkish border guards fired on hundreds of
Syrian civilians fleeing the ISIS onslaught on Thursday and heading for a wall
at the border. The rights group urged Ankara to allow thousands of Syrians
fleeing to cross into Turkey to seek protection. "As civilians flee ISIS
fighters, Turkey is responding with live ammunition instead of compassion," said
Gerry Simpson, senior refugee researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The whole world
is talking about fighting ISIS, and yet those most at risk of becoming victims
of its horrific abuses are trapped on the wrong side of a concrete wall," he
added. Turkish officials say they were aware of the report but had no immediate
response. There was no information whether any of the civilians were hurt in the
shooting. The latest ISIS advance has displaced 30,000 already-displaced
civilians north of Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, the provincial capital. The
Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee, which is negotiating in Geneva,
has accused the Syrian government of over 2,000 breaches of the cease-fire in
deadly attacks on opposition areas. UN Special Envoy Steffan De Mistura has said
he hopes for a substantive round of "proximity talks" on a transitional
government to end the war. The two warring Syrian sides do not actually talk to
one another in Geneva but the UN envoy shuttles between them. The most obvious
public difference between the two sides revolves around the fate of President
Bashar Assad. Opposition representatives have insisted that Assad be removed
from power as part of any peace deal, while government officials have declared
Assad to be a red line. This round of talks began Wednesday in Geneva but the
government said it was delayed because of parliament elections that were held
this week in government-controlled areas of Syria. The opposition has dismissed
the balloting as a sham and said it could further undermine the peace talks.
Kerry demands Russia rein in
Syrian forces
AFP, Beirut Friday, 15 April 2016/US Secretary of State John Kerry called his
Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday to demand that
Moscow press its Syrian allies to respect a crumbling ceasefire. “Secretary
Kerry said the United States expected Russia to urge the regime to comply with
the cessation and that we would work with the opposition to do the same,” US
spokesman John Kirby said. Kerry’s call came as a new round of fierce fighting
around the northern city of Aleppo overshadowed peace talks aimed at ending
Syria's five-year-old civil war. According to Kirby, Kerry told Lavrov of
Washington’s “serious concerns over the ongoing threats to the cessation of
hostilities in Syria and the urgent need for the Assad regime to stop its
violations of the cessation.” US officials have complained that Russian jets
appear to be flying in support of Syrian forces attacking rebel positions in
Aleppo, despite having signed on to efforts to promote a political settlement. A
monitoring group said on Friday that at least 210 combatants in Syria’s civil
war have died in a surge in violence around the second city of Aleppo this week,
a monitoring group. Among those killed were 82 army troops and pro-regime
militiamen, 94 members of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front and allied
rebel groups, and 34 ISIS militants, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
said. On Friday, Syrian regime forces battled ISIS group militants near Aleppo
city as they clashed with a local Al-Qaeda affiliate and allied rebels nearby, a
monitoring group said. The upsurge in fighting, which the United States says is
straining a fragile truce, came as a new round of peace talks got under way in
Geneva. “Fierce fighting raged between regime troops and loyalist militia
against ISIS... to the east of Khanasser” southeast of Aleppo city, the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said. The army is trying to recapture several areas
seized by ISIS on Thursday near Khanasser, the Britain-based monitor said.
Meanwhile, troops and militia loyal to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime
battled Al-Nusra Front and allied rebels on a northern front in the battered
province, the group said. At least 14 troops and pro-regime militiamen as well
as 20 rebels and Al-Nusra militants have been killed in the past 24 hours around
the flashpoint area of Handarat north of Aleppo city, it said. The latest
violence came a day after a senior official in Washington told AFP that the
United States was “very concerned” about reports of a Russian-backed Syrian
government offensive near Aleppo. Even though the fight against ISIS and Al-Nusra
is excluded from the truce, violence around Aleppo has sparked concerns that the
ceasefire may not last, partly because rebels are involved in the battles there
too. “Aleppo is the key to war and peace in Syria,” Observatory director Rami
Abdel Rahman told AFP. “Every side in the war has a stake in Aleppo.”Syria’s
conflict began in 2011 as a peaceful revolt, with protests across the country
that spread in 2012 to Aleppo province, which borders Turkey. Meanwhile,
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry
discussed the Syria crisis settlement in a phone talk on Friday, Russia’s
ministry said in a statement. Lavrov and Kerry also discussed the
Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine conflicts, it added. On Friday, a Syrian government
delegation arrived in Geneva to join a new round of UN-mediated peace talks
underway with an umbrella opposition group that seeks to find a resolution to
the country’s five-year civil war.(With Reuters)
Yemeni forces seize city from
Al-Qaeda
Reuters, Aden Friday, 15 April 2016/Yemeni forces backed by Apache helicopters
from a Saudi-led coalition wrested the city of Houta from Al-Qaeda militants
after a gun battle on Friday morning, a local military official said. Hours
later, a car bomb detonated outside the foreign ministry building in the
southern Yemeni city of Aden, causing no casualties, another local official
said. The recapture of Houta, regional capital of southern Lahj province which
has been held by the militants since last summer, is one of the embattled Yemeni
government’s most important inroads yet against Al-Qaeda forces who have taken
advantage of more than a year of war to seize territory. Government troops began
their attack at daybreak and succeeded after several hours of air strikes and
heavy combat, the military official told Reuters. “The campaign to control Houta
has been completed and it has been cleansed of Al-Qaeda and extremist elements,”
he said. Several people were killed and injured on both sides and 48 militants
were captured, he added. Saudi Arabia and its mostly Gulf Arab allies entered
Yemen’s civil war on March 26 last year in support of Yemen’s internationally
recognized government after it had been pushed into exile by the Iran-allied
Houthi group. Amid impoverished Yemen’s security chaos, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula (AQAP) seized the port city of Mukalla and extended its area of
control and influence about 600 km (370 miles) along Yemen’s southern coast
toward the government seat at Aden. Forces loyal to President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour
Hadi have been repeatedly attacked by Al-Qaeda and ISIS militants as the
embattled administration struggles to secure Aden and the southern provinces
where the fighters thrive. A Reuters investigation this month revealed that the
group earns up to $2 million every day by taxing imports of basic goods and
fuel. Until the attack on Houta, AQAP has suffered few territorial losses
despite a stepped-up American campaign of air strikes and drone attacks on its
bases. In a related story, Houthis and their allied militia forces belonging to
deposed former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh have continued their
violations of a truce announced five days ago, Al Arabiya News Channel reported
Friday. The truce will pave the way for UN-sponsored peace talks in Kuwait on
April 18. Violent clashes took place west of Taiz, specifically in the area
around the government’s Brigade 35 that the militias are trying to control.
Elite Iranian general
allegedly in Moscow for talks
Reuters Friday, 15 April 2016/Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani has
allegedly flown to Moscow on Friday for talks with Russia’s military and
political leadership, according to three Reuters sources with knowledge of his
trip. “General Soleimani traveled to Moscow last night to discuss issues
including the delivery of S-300s and further military cooperation,” one senior
Iranian security official told Reuters, referring to an air defense system
Russia is supplying Iran. One Moscow-based Western diplomat said he understood
Soleimani would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister
Sergei Shoigu. A Kremlin spokesman said a meeting with Soleimani was not on
Putin’s schedule. Soleimani, the commander of foreign operations for Iran’s
elite Revolutionary Guards, flew to Moscow in July last year to help Russia
plans its military intervention in Syria and forge an Iranian-Russian alliance
to support Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad. He has been subject to an
international travel ban and asset freeze by the UN Security Council since 2007.
Washington designated the Quds Force, the unit of the Revolutionary Guards which
Soleimani leads, as a supporter of terrorism that same year. UN member states
such as Russia are required to deny entry to blacklisted individuals and senior
US officials expressed serious concern last year when it was first reported that
Soleimani had visited Moscow.
Hamas beefs up Egypt border
force to ease tensions
AFP, Gaza City Friday, 15 April 2016/Hamas began deploying additional forces on
the Gaza border with Egypt on Thursday, the interior ministry said, in an
apparent effort to ease Cairo’s concerns about security. “National security
forces started today to increase the number of its troops and double the
security bases along all the southern border with Egypt to be able to control
the border better,” spokesman Iyad al-Bazm told AFP. He said they had
established three new bases immediately. “This is a message that we are
concerned with border security and stability,” Bazm said, adding nobody would be
allowed “to touch the security of Egypt.”Security forces were seen setting up
about 10 temporary buildings along the border. Bulldozers flattened the land
near the frontier in apparent preparation for more temporary structures. A
Palestinian security officer called the measures “important new security
arrangements to reassure the brothers in Egypt the border is secure”.
Palestinians stand behind a metal door as they wait for their turn to enter the
Rafah border crossing with Egypt. (AP) A delegation headed by Hamas political
bureau member Mousa Abu Marzook held talks in Egypt last month aimed at
normalizing relations that have been strained since the overthrow of Islamist
president Mohammed Morsi in 2013. Morsi had good relations with Hamas, the
Islamist rulers of the Gaza Strip, but President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has
cracked down on his Muslim Brotherhood movement. Cairo regularly accuses Hamas
of supporting attacks in Egypt and has largely kept its border with Gaza closed
since 2013. It has also destroyed hundreds of Palestinian tunnels used to
smuggle commercial goods, cash, people and, allegedly, weapons. The Hamas
interior ministry said 2015 was the worst year for the Rafah border crossing in
recent years, saying it was open for just 21 days in total.
Egypt: Islamic Salafis
Demolish Iconic Statue Because It’s an “Idol,” Says Cleric
Raymond Ibrahim/Coptic
Solidarity/April 15/16/While the world watches as the Islamic State wantonly
destroys the ancient heritage of Mesopotamia—including by destroying “pagan”
statues and other antiquities—lesser known is that lesser Islamic groups are
destroying lesser statues around the Muslim world. Most recently, the people of
Alexandria, Egypt were surprised to wake up and find that the Keeper of Secrets
statue had disappeared from downtown. The official explanation is that the
statue, which had long stood in the Latin neighborhood of the historical city,
collapsed due to erosion and weathering. However, on the following day, Egyptian
cleric Muhammad Abdullah Nasr lashed out at the nation’s Islamic Salafi
party—specifically naming its vice president, Dr. Yassir al-Burhami—accusing
them of demolishing the Keeper of Secrets. Nasr made his accusations on Sah Al
Nawm, a live satellite program, on April 4. “Why did they demolish it?” he
rhetorically asked: “Because to these Wahhabis, it is an idol!”—the same reason
that ISIS, the Taliban, etc., all cite. The Keeper of Secrets was an iconic
statue made by early 20th century sculptor Mahmoud Mokhtar.
Obama in Fence-mending Trip
to See Saudi King
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 15/16/U.S. President Barack Obama will visit
King Salman and the Saudi royal court in Riyadh next week in a bid to mend
increasingly frayed ties between the allies.Before his election, Obama famously
dismissed Saudi Arabia as America's "so-called ally" and relations have remained
tense through both his two terms. Although Wednesday's visit will be his fourth
to the kingdom, the Saudis were dismayed by his outreach to Iran and support for
some Arab Spring revolts. The countries work together in the fight against the
Islamic State group but the kingdom feels Obama could have been tougher on
Syria's Bashar al-Assad. And eyebrows were raised last year when King Salman
decided not to join a summit of Gulf leaders hosted by Obama at his Camp David
country residence. But senior Obama adviser Rob Malley said that since then,
there has been real progress in the relationship. "On the security front, over
the last 12 months, there have been countless meetings at all levels," he said.
After Wednesday's royal audience, Obama and Salman will meet leaders of the Gulf
Cooperation Council, the powerful Saudi-dominated regional grouping. "There has
been much deeper cooperation between us and the GCC," Malley argued, citing
efforts to stabilize regional conflicts in Libya and Yemen.
"There is still much more work to be done. But in Yemen, the situation is far
better than it was a year ago," he said, citing a ceasefire that began Sunday.
"Likewise in Syria, there is a fragile cessation of hostilities but it has held
so far for seven weeks," he said, admitting: "Much more needs to be done."Obama
will leave Riyadh on Thursday night and fly on to Britain and then to Germany.
Spanish Industry Minister
Resigns after Panama Papers Revelations
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 15/16/Spain's industry minister resigned
Friday after he was named in the Panama Papers and other media revelations that
claimed he had links to offshore firms, the latest political victim from the
global scandal. Jose Manuel Soria said in a statement that he had tendered his
resignation "in light of the succession of mistakes committed along the past few
days, relating to my explanations over my business activities... and considering
the obvious harm that this situation is doing to the Spanish government."Soria's
troubles began on Monday when Spanish online daily El Confidencial, which has
had access to the Panama Papers -- files leaked from law firm Mossack Fonseca --
said he had was an administrator of an offshore firm for two months in 1992.
Soria called a news conference to deny any link to any Panamanian company, but
as the week went by, more allegations emerged from other media outlets,
revealing further alleged connections to offshore havens. It is unclear as yet
whether any of his alleged actions were illegal. Soria is the latest political
victim of the Panama Papers, which resulted from what the law firm blamed on a
computer hack launched from abroad, and revealed how the world's wealthy stashed
assets in offshore companies. Iceland's Prime Minister Sigmundur David
Gunnlaugsson was also forced to resign over the leaks.
Syria Army Fights on Two
Fronts near Aleppo
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 15/16/Syrian regime forces on Friday battled
Islamic State group jihadists near Aleppo city as they clashed with a local
al-Qaida affiliate and allied rebels nearby, a monitoring group said. The
upsurge in fighting, which the United States says is straining a fragile truce,
came as a new round of peace talks got under way in Geneva. "Fierce fighting
raged between regime troops and loyalist militia against IS... to the east of
Khanasser" southeast of Aleppo city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
said. The army is trying to recapture several areas seized by IS on Thursday
near Khanasser, the Britain-based monitor said. Meanwhile, troops and militia
loyal to President Bashar Assad's regime battled Syria's al-Qaida affiliate Al-Nusra
Front and allied rebels on a northern front in the battered province, the group
said. At least 14 troops and pro-regime militiamen as well as 20 rebels and Al-Nusra
jihadists have been killed in the past 24 hours around the flashpoint area of
Handarat north of Aleppo city, it said. The latest violence came a day after a
senior official in Washington told Agence France Presse that the United States
was "very concerned" about reports of a Russian-backed Syrian government
offensive near Aleppo. Even though the fight against IS and Al-Nusra is excluded
from the truce, violence around Aleppo has sparked concerns that the ceasefire
may not last, partly because rebels are involved in the battles there too.
"Aleppo is the key to war and peace in Syria," Observatory director Rami Abdel
Rahman told AFP. "Every side in the war has a stake in Aleppo." Syria's conflict
began in 2011 as a peaceful revolt, with protests across the country that spread
in 2012 to Aleppo province, which borders Turkey.
HRW: 30,000 Flee Fighting
between Jihadists, Rebels in North Syria
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 15/16/At least 30,000 civilians have fled
fighting between jihadists and rebels in northern Syria in the past 48 hours,
Human Rights Watch said, calling on Turkey to open its border to them. The
watchdog accused Turkish border guards of shooting at some of those displaced in
Aleppo province by fighting between the Islamic State (IS) group and rebels as
they approached the frontier. "As civilians flee ISIS fighters, Turkey is
responding with live ammunition instead of compassion," said HRW researcher
Gerry Simpson, using another acronym for the jihadists. "The whole world is
talking about fighting ISIS, and yet those most at risk of becoming victims of
its horrific abuses are trapped on the wrong side of a concrete wall."HRW said
many of those who fled were residents of emergency camps set up along the border
who headed for other camps or nearby towns and villages even though they were
still unsafe. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
meanwhile estimated that up to around 23,000 displaced people had fled the IS
offensive in northern Syria. It said many displaced were now "in close proximity
to frontlines and therefore extremely vulnerable to further escalations". It
comes as escalating fighting between Russian-backed regime fighters and rebels
around the provincial capital Aleppo further south threatens a nearly seven-week
ceasefire that had seen violence drop significantly for the first time in the
five-year conflict. IS and other jihadist groups are excluded from the truce.
Representatives of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime are expected in Geneva
on Friday for the latest round of talks aimed at ending the war, which has
killed more than 270,000 people and displaced half the population.
Egypt Police Disperse Protest
against Saudi Island Deal
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 15/16/Egyptian police fired tear gas at
dozens of protesters in Cairo on Friday who rallied against a controversial deal
to hand two islands in the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia, a security official said. A
police official said officers fired tear gas and made arrests at one of the
protests in the Cairo neighborhood of Mohandessin. The deal to hand over two
islands in the Straits of Tiran, signed during a visit by Saudi King Salman to
Cairo last week, has provoked a storm of criticism against Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egyptian police had warned Egyptians on Thursday not to
hold demonstrations after activists called for rallies across Cairo after the
Friday Muslim prayers, held at noon. Sisi, a former army chief who overthrew
Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, led a crackdown on Islamists that
killed hundreds of protests. Demonstrations not approved by the police have been
banned. The calls for the protests were made by secular and Islamist activists
who accuse Sisi of "selling" the islands in return for Saudi investments. The
Egyptian government says the islands were Saudi to begin with, and were leased
to Egypt in 1950.
Newly Trained Yemeni Forces
Rout al-Qaida from Southern City
Associated Press/Naharnet/April 15/16/Yemeni military officials say troops
trained by the Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen's Shiite rebels have routed
al-Qaida militants from a city in the country's south. The officials say that
the city of Houta, the capital of the province of Lahj, is now under government
control.
The coalition-trained troops, which are loyal to Yemen's internationally
recognized government, were based in the southern Al-Anad base from where they
launched the fight to retake Houta. The officials said the militants fled on
Friday from Houta to nearby towns and farmland. They spoke on condition of
anonymity because they aren't authorized to speak to journalists. The coalition
launched an air campaign against Shiite Houthi rebels in March last year to
reinstate Yemen's government after the Houthis expelled it from the capital,
Sanaa.
EU 'Deeply Concerned' by New
Phase of Israel Separation Wall
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 15/16/The European Union said on Friday it
was "deeply concerned" by Israel's construction of a new part of its
controversial separation barrier in the occupied West Bank. Cranes last week
began erecting the fence in the Cremisan valley near the Palestinian town of
Beit Jala south of Jerusalem after a legal battle. The EU said in a statement it
was "deeply concerned at the relaunch of works for the construction of the
separation barrier in the Cremisan valley.""Once built, the barrier will
severely restrict access of almost 60 Palestinian families to their agricultural
land and profoundly affect their livelihoods."Residents of Beit Jala fear the
construction may lead to the expansion of the nearby Israeli settlements of Gilo
and Har Gilo. They have sought to campaign against it, but after a nine-year
legal battle Israel's high court ruled in July 2015 that the wall was legitimate
and allowed construction to resume. Israel began building the barrier of walls
and fences inside the occupied West Bank in 2002 at the height of the second
Palestinian intifada (uprising), saying it was crucial for security. The
Palestinians see it as a land grab aimed at stealing part of their future state.
In a non-binding decision, the International Court of Justice ruled in 2004 that
construction of the barrier was illegal and, like the UN General Assembly,
demanded it be dismantled.
Saudis Back Embattled
Malaysia PM on Huge Payment
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 15/16/Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has
become the first official from the country to verify the Malaysian premier's
claim that a $681 million payment he received was a "donation" from the kingdom.
"We are aware of the donation and it is a genuine donation with nothing expected
in return," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Istanbul on
the sidelines of a Muslim summit on Thursday. The comments were confirmed by
Agence France Presse via a video of Jubeir's remarks distributed by the
Malaysian government to reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. Malaysian Prime
Minister Najib Razak has for months battled allegations that billions were
looted from an investment company he founded, and the stunning revelation last
year that he received a mysterious overseas payment of $681 million into his
personal bank accounts. Najib, who strongly denies any wrongdoing, initially
vehemently denied receiving any money, but his government has since admitted the
payment was made, and in January said it was a "personal donation" from the
Saudi royal family. The Malaysian government has subsequently claimed it was
Saudi financial backing for Najib's promotion of "moderate Islam", denying it
was looted from the Najib-linked state fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad
(1MDB). That alibi has been widely questioned in Muslim-majority Malaysia,
especially as weeks went by with no official Saudi endorsement. "As far as we
are concerned, the matter is closed," said Jubeir, who spoke as Malaysian
Foreign Minister Anifah Aman looked on. The big payment was revealed last July
by the Wall Street Journal, which subsequently published investigative reports
claiming that Malaysian documents showed Najib may have received hundreds of
millions more. Malaysia has been seized by allegations that 1MDB was bled of
billions of dollars in a series of complex international transactions.
A Malaysian parliamentary report released last week said 1MDB made more than $3
billion in unexplained overseas payments. Authorities in several countries
including Switzerland, the United States, and Singapore are investigating
possible wrongdoing in the huge fund flows.
Palestinians:
We Will Not Accept a Jewish Israel
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/April 15/16
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7849/palestinians-accept-jewish-israel
The obsession with
settlements is certain to divert attention from core issues, such as Palestinian
recognition of a Jewish Israel. Many Palestinians continue to regard Israel as
one big settlement that needs to be removed from the Middle East.
Even those who say they have accepted the two-state solution are not prepared to
recognize any Jewish link to or history in the land.
In the view of Al-Husseini, Palestinians refuse to acknowledge a Jewish state
because they believe this would grant legitimacy to "Jews' rights to the land of
Palestine" and undermine the Palestinian demand for the "right of return" for
millions of refugees into Israel.
Israeli Arab leaders are betraying their constituencies by privileging the
perceived interests of Palestinian Arabs, while Palestinian Arab leaders are
betraying their constituencies by denying any link between Jews and the land.
This stance makes peace a non-starter.
Israel as a Jewish state remains anathema to the Palestinian community. This is
a top-down attitude, communicated on a constant basis by Palestinian Authority
(PA) President Mahmoud Abbas.
The Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state is based on the
argument that such a move would mean giving up the "right of return" for
millions of "refugees" into Israel. This refusal is also based on the continued
denial of any historic Jewish connection to the land.
In recent weeks, the PA president has once again reiterated his strong
opposition to recognizing Israel as a Jewish state.
The Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state is one of the main
obstacles to peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Settlement construction complaints are nothing more than a Palestinian Authority
smokescreen.
There is much talk these days about the Palestinian Authority's intention to ask
the United Nations Security Council to issue a resolution condemning Israel for
construction in the settlements. It is not yet clear whether the PA will carry
out its threat. What is clear, however, is that this obsession with the
settlements is certain to divert attention from core issues, such as Palestinian
recognition of a Jewish Israel. Many Palestinians continue to regard Israel as
one big settlement that needs to be removed from the Middle East.
Why, in fact, do the Palestinians refuse to accept Israel as a Jewish state?
Abbas has consistently failed to state his reasons for his total rejection of
Israel as a Jewish state. In January 2014, the PA president declared:
"The Palestinians won't recognize the Jewishness of the State of Israel and
won't accept it. The Israelis say that if we don't recognize the Jewishness of
Israel there would be no solution. And we say that we won't recognize or accept
the Jewishness of Israel and we have many reasons for this rejection."
On another occasion that same year, Abbas stated: "No one can force us to
recognize Israel as Jewish state. If they [Israel] want, they can go to the UN
and ask to change their name to whatever they want -- even if they want to be
called The Jewish Zionist State." Again, Abbas failed to explain the vehement
Palestinian opposition to this demand.
The Palestinian Authority's chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, has shed some light
on the matter. "We have already recognized Israel's existence on the 1948
borders of Occupied Palestine," Erekat explained. He added that he made it clear
to former Israeli Foreign Minister Tipi Livni during a meeting in Munich that
the Palestinians "won't change their history and religion and culture by
recognizing Israel as a Jewish state."
While Palestinian leaders have been rather reluctant to elaborate on the reasons
behind their rejectionism, other Palestinians have been more generous about the
issue.
One of these is Palestinian political scientist Dr. Saniyeh Al-Husseini, who
recently published an article titled, "Why Palestinians Refuse to Accept the
Jewishness of the State of Israel." The article was reprinted by the Palestinian
Authority's official news agency, WAFA -- a definite sign that the Palestinian
leadership endorses her views.
In her article, Al-Husseini points out that the U.S. supports the Israeli
condition, which she described as a "crippling demand."
The article warns that "accepting the Jewishness of Israel means relinquishing
all the Palestinian rights to the Palestinian lands, including the lands that
were occupied in 1967." According to Al-Husseini, there are two main reasons
that Palestinians are opposed to this demand. The first has to do with the
"right of return" for Palestinian refugees to their former villages and homes
inside Israel; the second is related to the status of Israel's Arab citizens.
Referring to the first of these, Al-Husseini writes:
"Palestinian acceptance of the Israeli narrative would deny any Palestinian
right on the land of Palestine and give justification to Israel's wars against
the Palestinians. Palestinian recognition of the Jewishness of Israel means
accepting the Israeli narrative regarding the Jews' right to the land of
Palestine and exempts Israel from bearing responsibility for the moral and legal
consequences of all its crimes against the Palestinians."
In the view of Al-Husseini, then, Palestinians refuse to acknowledge a Jewish
state because they believe that this would grant legitimacy to "Jews' rights to
the land of Palestine" and undermine the Palestinian demand for the "right of
return" for millions of refugees into Israel.
Let us take a moment to clarify this: the Palestinian Authority wants a
Palestinian state next to Israel while at the same time flooding Israel with
millions of refugees. That, of course, is something to which no Israeli
government could ever agree. Even more crucial is the Palestinian refusal to
recognize a Jewish right to the land. Such denial is a longstanding pillar of
the official Palestinian narrative. Even those who say they have accepted the
two-state solution are not prepared to recognize any Jewish link to or history
in the land.
The second reason, that which concerns the Arab citizens of Israel, is similarly
telling. According to Al-Husseini, Israel's ultimate goal, as "betrayed" by this
demand, is to rid itself of its Arab citizens.
There is indeed a betrayal going on, but it is not being perpetrated by Israel.
First, by reprinting Al-Husseini's article, the PA has "betrayed" the fact that
it has appointed itself custodian of the Arab citizens of Israel.
As Israel is a democracy -- unlike the dictatorial Palestinian regimes --
Israel's Arab citizens have their own leaders and representatives in Israel's
Knesset. The last thing they need is for the Palestinian Authority or Hamas or
any other Palestinian faction to meddle in their internal affairs.
But the betrayal continues. The Arab citizens of Israel are represented by
leaders, including some Knesset members, who are so preoccupied with the
Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that they have forgotten who
their real constituents are.
Just consider MK Zouheir Bahloul, who spends valuable time re-defining the word
"terrorist." Bahloul, a member of the Labor Party, seems to be enjoying the
public outcry he created recently when he declared that a Palestinian who tried
to stab IDF soldiers in Hebron last month is not a terrorist.
It is as if Bahloul and the other Arab Knesset members have solved all the
problems of the Arab community inside Israel and all that is left is to make
sure that no one calls a Palestinian stabber a terrorist. Needless to say, this
issue does not top the agenda of the Arab citizens of Israel.
The betrayal thus runs wide and deep. Israeli Arab leaders are betraying their
constituencies by privileging the perceived interests of Palestinian Arabs,
while Palestinian Arab leaders are betraying their constituencies by continuing
to deny any link between Jews and the land. This is a stance that makes peace a
non-starter in the Middle East. When the international community is presented
with settlement complaints and the like, it might wish to ponder these small but
critical points.
**Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist, is based in Jerusalem.
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. No part of the Gatestone
website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without
the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Saudi Daily Slams International
Community For Failing To Act Against 'Arch-Butcher' Assad, 'Whose Like Has Not
Been Seen' Since Adolf Hitler
MEMRI/April 15/16/Special Dispatch No.6388
With the Syrian war approaching its sixth year, the Saudi government daily Al-Iqtisadiyya
published a scathing editorial against the Syrian regime, comparing Bashar
Al-Assad to Adolf Hitler. The daily stated that Assad was in fact worse than
Hitler, since the latter never butchered and deported his own people. It also
slammed the international community, and especially the U.S., for failing to act
against the Syrian regime even after it attacked its own citizens with chemical
weapons. The editorial claimed that "President's Obama's passivity is
outrageous" and that Assad has become a mark of shame upon the brow of the
entire world.
The following are excerpts:[1]
"It is difficult to decide what punishment the arch-butcher of Syria, Bashar
Al-Assad, should rightly receive for the crimes he has perpetrated against his
people and against the international community. Some even hold the international
community itself accountable for its horrible failure to act against this
arch-butcher, whose like has not been seen since the fall of Nazi Germany under
the rule of Adolf Hitler. This is not surprising, when the U.N. itself confirms
that the number of fatalities in Assad's war against the Syrians, and that the
number of refugees and displaced persons, is larger than anything that has been
seen since the Second World War. It should be noted that [even] the criminal
Hitler did not kill the Germans, deport them or turn them into displaced
persons. On the contrary, he started his stupid war because he regarded the
German people unique and noble.
"Assad has become a mark of shame [upon the brow] of the entire world since the
very first day of the sweeping popular revolution against him. Why? Because the
world, and particularly the superpowers, left the defenseless Syrian people to
their fate in the face of a regime that scorns humaneness, [a regime that] has
proved that it is willing to sign a pact with the devil in order to spend one
more day clinging to the power that it does not deserve. The world deliberately
disclaimed any ability to do anything to help what was left of the Syrian
people. Though in the course of the Syrian war, there were several opportunities
to intervene and seal the fate of this murderous, sectarian and barbaric regime,
[the world], and especially the U.S., rushed to miss [these opportunities], for
instance when it was proved that [the regime] had used chemical weapons against
civilians, women and children, in the Ghouta of Damascus [in August 2013].
"Assad found his path clear, especially thanks to the aid of every kind [that he
has received] from the Iranian regime since the start of the events in Syria and
to this day. [The Iranian regime] dreams of taking over yet another Arab country
after it has managed to take over the national decision-making positions in Iraq
and in Lebanon.[2] Later, Russia [also] joined [Assad's helpers], finding the
arena open to it, empty of any [rival] international superpower. It took
advantage of the outrageous passivity of American President Barack Obama on this
issue. Nobody wants to become entangled in a war of any kind, but [in this case]
there is no choice, because the crimes perpetrated by Assad and his allies
obligate the international community to intervene, not only in order to defend
the Syrian people but in order to defend humanity [at large]. Since the
beginning, the issue was not [merely] a local one, and everyone knows this.
"There is not a single weapon that arch-butcher of Syria has not used against
the Syrians, on land, in the sea and in the air. He has used chemical weapons,
barrel bombs, starvation, siege, executions, torture, expulsion and ethnic
cleansing. He has turned half the Syrian people into huge bands of refugees and
displaced persons, and has killed, wounded and crippled a quarter of [the Syrian
people]. He has caused hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of damage, not
only in Syria but also in the neighboring countries, and in most European
countries as well. Syrian refugees have reached even Malaysia, China and Sudan!
In the face of these crimes, what punishment [does Assad deserve]? Execution,
which he surely deserves, is not enough, in the opinion of any Syrian who was
tortured, expelled, deported, starved, arrested or held under siege.
"Even so, the only solution left [for the Syrian crisis] is to end this barbaric
sectarian Alawite regime, which is supported by the governments of heretic
countries and by gangs of mercenaries..."
Endnotes:
[1] Al-Iqtisadiyya (Saudi Arabia), February 24, 2016.
[2] An allusion to the positions recently taken by Lebanon and Iraq in Arab
forums, when they refused to join decisions supporting Saudi Arabia and
condemning Iran – especially the decision to condemn Iran for the attack on the
Saudi embassy in Tehran and the decision of the Arab interior ministers to
designate Hizbullah a terror organization. On this, see MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis
No.1232, Lebanon's Failure To Support Saudi Arabia In Struggle With Iran Sparks
Crisis Between Lebanon And Saudi-Led Gulf, March 7, 2016.
We haven’t yet witnessed
Iranian-Persian imperialism
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabia/April 15/16
Iran’s major state-owned newspaper, Keyhan, whose editor-in-chief is the
representative of the supreme leader Khamenei, proudly outlined on its first
page that Iran received the first delivery of the formerly-forbidden advanced
missile defense system, the S-300 system, from Russia this week. The Islamic
Republic also blatantly rejected a proposal by OPEC members including Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela to join and freeze oil output in order to address a
global surplus. Defiant Iran will not accept such proposals meant to help
rebound of oil prices anytime soon. In fact, according to oil minister Bijan
Zangeneh, Iran has the total potential to ramp up oil export to 4 million
barrels a day. This will have a significant negative impact on oil prices, not
only impacting the regional countries’ revenues, but also the global market. But
for Iran, the cash is flowing. The country’s oil revenue has currently increased
approximately 90 percent, in only a few months after sanctions were lifted, from
$12 billion a year to $21 billion per year. This revenue is despite the current
low prices of oil, and the country selling roughly 1.7 million a barrels a day.
Approximately 29 percent of Iran’s crude oil is being exported to European
countries including Spain, Greece, and France. The export to European nations
will definitely increase as Iran expands its output. This means that, even at
the current low oil prices, Iran’s oil revenues will be around $50 billion a
year, almost 500 percent of the country’s oil revenue of pre-sanctions.
Cash and Western support
Unshackled from the United Nations Security Council sanctions, Iran is only
warming up to fully exert its influence in the region and change the political
chessboard of the Middle East further in its favor. For over three decades, the
Islamic Republic preferred to employ soft power rather than hard power, in order
to insert its influence in other Sunni Arab nations. Over the three decades,
Iran reportedly infiltrated almost every Middle Eastern country by building
alliances with the Shiite communities, or by arming, training, financing and
giving birth to Shiite militias or opposition groups. From the perspectives of
the Iranian leaders, it does not make sense anymore to geopolitically and
ideologically employ soft power rather than hard power. Iran’s foreign policy
has been unique in that regard; Iranian leaders’ geopolitical, ideological and
regional hegemonic ambitions have been consistent since the establishment of the
Islamic Republic.
Nevertheless, being alienated regionally and globally as well as being chained
with the shackles of international sanctions, Iran’s ruling clerics did not have
any option other than to hide their imperialistic intentions, pursue the use of
soft power and deny any intervention in other nations.
Liberation and imperialism
Through the nuclear deal, once Iran is liberated from the confining bars of
international sanctions, there is no need for its leaders to hide their
intentions anymore. This is due to the notion that the nuclear deal not only
meant the liberation of Iran’s ruling clerics, but also the confinement of the
US and Western powers to re-punish Iran. As the Persian saying goes: “We tied
their hands and feet together.”As a result, it is not Iran that is chained
anymore by its nuclear program, but it is the US that is being handcuffed with
the nuclear deal. From the perspectives of the Iranian leaders, it does not make
sense anymore to geopolitically and ideologically employ soft power rather than
hard power. The Islamic Republic is cognizant of the fact that, first of all;
Tehran has the West off its back – because the West want to do business with
Iran (mainly oil and gas), fight the Islamic State through Iran, and the West
knows that it cannot any more reverse the nuclear deal due to Russia and China’s
veto power in the United Nations Security Council. Secondly, the cash is flowing
in Tehran and Iran is aware that it enjoys the support of two major global
powers, Russia and China. Third, Tehran is aware that its children, the Shiite
militia across the region, are being empowered day by day, and they are
absolutely loyal to the ideological principles of the Islamic Republic, and that
they will fight for Iran to the end, in any country including Syria, Iraq,
Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, etc. Analysis made by the supreme leader, Ayatollah
Khamenei, and the senior cadre of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),
indicates that it is totally in their interest to show the region Iran’s
military capabilities, such as Quds force, on the ground in other Arab
countries. For the ruling Iranian politicians, it is currently in their
interests to shift tactics and publicly launch ballistic missiles, in violation
of the UN resolution, to publicly support Bashar al-Assad who has killed tens of
thousands of his own citizens, and to publicly acknowledge the IRGC role in
Iraq, Yemen, and other countries. Being cognizant of all the aforementioned
assets, Iranian politicians view it in their parochial interests to publicly
pursue Persian imperialistic ambitions, regional hegemonic and ideological
objectives by ostentatiously and overtly attempting to tip the regional balance
of power in its favor, by publicly provoking other countries in the region, and
by challenging other nations.
On the demise of state and
society
Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al Arabia/April 15/16
It is shocking to see how Iraq has changed since the 2003 US invasion. The state
has collapsed and been replaced by isolated entities or statelets. Meanwhile, US
President Barack Obama recently spoke of his mistakes in Libya, where he
intervened but failed to prepare for the aftermath of ousting former leader
Moammar Qaddafi. A few days ago, Ash-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported that
there had been contacts between Beirut airport employees and terror groups.
These developments reflect the fall of Arab countries into the clutches of
militancy. A society that is managed by statelets ends up turning into groups of
mercenaries, with no laws nor institutions to organize people’s lives, and where
agreements are not respected. These failed countries - their fall expedited by
invasion or revolution - cause deep concern for those researching the nature of
relations between society and law.
Law of the jungle
The demise of the state is accompanied by the collapse of relations among
individuals in society, between society and the law, and between institutions.
This takes us back to the state of nature - before societies existed - with all
its brutality. Individuals in a failed state are always at war. Even if some do
not possess arms, there is a craving for division and a willingness to fight and
attack. It does not matter how intellectual or developed the society was in the
past. This happened during European civil wars. Individuals in a failed state
are always at war. Even if some do not possess arms, there is a craving for
division and a willingness to fight and attack. Thomas Hobbes, who wrote the
history of the British civil war, said: “If man is in the state of nature, he is
in that condition which is called war, and in such a war all men are each
other’s enemies. Everyone is governed by his own reason, and there is nothing he
can make use of that may not be a help unto him in preserving his life against
his enemies. As a result, in the state of nature we each have a right to all
things, even to one another’s body.”This state of war and chaos can be seen in
Lebanon, Syria, Libya and many other countries, where it is easy to shed blood,
displace people and resort to militias. Even peace among sects, tribes or
factions does not reflect the formation of the state. For example, the phase in
Lebanon following the Taif Agreement, which ended the civil war, is merely a
long truce. English poet William Butler Yeats witnessed the Irish civil war in
1916, in which many of his friends were killed. In his poem “The Second Coming,”
he wrote: “Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, the blood-dimmed tide is
loosed, and everywhere, the ceremony of innocence is drowned.”