LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

April 19/16

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.april19.16.htm

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Bible Quotations For Today

Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 05/01-11:"Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God,he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction
First Letter to the Thessalonians 01/01-10:"Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of people we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place where your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
 

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 19/16

The Arab Parliament Labels Hezbollah Terrorist Organization, Demands Iran to Cease Interventions/Sawsan Abu-Husain/Asharq Al Awsat/April 18/16
A New 13 April Could Happen at Any Moment/Ahmad El-Assaad April 18/16

Toni Nissi Destroys Mother Jones Falsehood against Walid Phares/John Hajjar/April 18/16
The Lobby War on Walid Phares Shows Influence of Iran, Muslim Brotherhood in U.S. Politics/Tera Dahl/Breitbart News Network/18 April/20164
A Lebanon in the image of Siniora/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Now Lebanon/April 18/16
Syrian Druze protest against regime/Albin Szakola/Now Lebanon/April 18/16
Maryam Rajavi: The Iranian Regime Will Collapse Following Assad’s Leave from Power/Huda Al Husseini/Asharq Al Awsat/April 18/16
Iran’s anger over condemnation of terrorism/Turki Al-Dakhil/Al Arabiya/April 18/16
Is there an Arab world/Khaled Almaeena/Al Arabiya/April 18/16
Fixing the Obama doctrine in the Middle East/Dr. John C. Hulsman/Al Arabiya/April 18/16
Syria and Yemen, the war of negotiations/Mshari Al Thaydi/Al Arabiya/April 18/16
Obama’s visit: Cementing Gulf alliances and détente with Iran/Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/April 18/16
Questioning the wisdom of declaring now – ‘The Golan is Israel’s forever/Herb Keinon/Jerusalem Post/April 18/16
Iran – Why Has the Obama Gamble Failed/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/April 18/16
The Strategic Scope of Operation “Decisive Storm”/Rajih Khouri/Asharq Al Awsat/April 18/16
Christians who use the language of Jesus being uprooted by Islamic State/Hugh Naylor/The Washington Post/April 18, 2015
UNESCO says no Jewish history on Temple Mount; Hebron and Bethlehem 'Integral part of Palestine'/Noga Tranopolsky/The Media Line/J/Post/April 18/16

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on April 19/16

The Arab Parliament Labels Hezbollah Terrorist Organization, Demands Iran to Cease Interventions
Washington Post bias exposed between Washington and Beirut
A New 13 April Could Happen at Any Moment!
Lebanese Presidential Elections Postponed again, New Session Set for May
It noted that none of the heads of parliamentary blocs were on hand.
Jumblat Rushes to the Defense of Judicial Police
No Injuries as Lebanese Army Drone Crashes in Batroun
Trauma, Torture for Sex-Trafficked Syrians in Lebanon
Anti-Theft Bureau Arrests Man Wanted on 125 Warrants
Solution Looming on Horizon for State Security Crisis
Report: Mediator Awaits Message on Fate of Abducted Soldiers
Berri Leads ‘Battle against Corruption’
Cabinet session winds up, PM adamant to end State Security ordeal
Pharaon: Salam will follow up on State Security issue
Harb: Salam to hold contacts over State Security dossier
One killed, another injured in random gunfire in Baalbeck's Sharawneh
Adwan: Hezbollah did nothing to back Aoun
Kataeb: For 38th time disruptors demolishing state, institutions
Hajj Hassan: Neither Hezbollah, nor Manar will remain idle
Toni Nissi Destroys Mother Jones Falsehood against Walid Phares
The Lobby War on Walid Phares Shows Influence of Iran, Muslim Brotherhood in U.S. Politics
A Lebanon in the image of Siniora

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 19/16

Syria Rebels Vow Retaliation as Peace Talks under Threat
Jordan Says 50,000 Syrians Stranded on Border
Oil Prices Plunge after Doha Output Talks Fail
Brazil in Crisis after Rousseff Impeachment Vote
HRW Welcomes Saudi Move to Curb Religious Police Powers
Thousands Demonstrate at Baghdad's Green Zone
Swedish Minister Quits after Comparing Israel to Nazi Germany
European Union Cosies Up To Iran
Jordan recalls its Iran ambassador
NCRI’s Shahin Gobadi comments on Jordan’s decision to recall Iran envoy
7 prisoners hanged en masse in Iran
Syrians show their resentment for Iran regime’s support for Assad
Syrian Druze protest against regime
Maryam Rajavi: The Iranian Regime Will Collapse Following Assad’s Leave from Power

Links From Jihad Watch Site for April 19/16
“Massive diversity” among Islamic State jihadis, many have PhDs, master’s degrees, MBA’s.
Sweden: Flagship “integration” soccer tournament for Muslim migrant youths turns into riot.
Hugh Fitzgerald: Miroslav Volf of Yale, or Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani.
Jerusalem: Muslims bomb bus, injuring 20.
Ohio: Muslim who plotted to attack U.S. Capitol for the Islamic State ruled competent to stand trial.
Video: Robert Spencer on Is Islam a Religion of Peace?.
India: Muslim mob attacks Hindu procession with stones, burns shops and vehicles, three dead.
13-year-old Muslim boy from Germany caught on Turkish-Syrian border trying to join the Islamic State.
This is what Islamophobia looks like”: Muslim demands apology after being removed from plane.
Islamic Prayer as Intimidation — on The Glazov Gang.
Muhammad appeared in a dream, inspired me to kill Jews”.
US judge says convicted jihad murder plotter can’t be deported to Pakistan.
Palestinian” tried to stab Israelis so he could “marry virgins in Paradise”.
Unforgivable”: UK Muslim bites pork roll incorrectly labeled as cheese.

The Arab Parliament Labels Hezbollah Terrorist Organization, Demands Iran to Cease Interventions
Sawsan Abu-Husain/Asharq Al Awsat/April 18/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/04/18/the-arab-parliament-labels-hezbollah-terrorist-organization-demands-iran-to-cease-interventions/
Cairo- Concluding its activities at the Arab League H.Q. in Cairo, the Arab Parliament condemned direct and indirect Iranian incursions in the affairs of other Arab countries which have been fared by the Lebanon – based Hezbollah. The parliament refused any outside interference in any Arab country’s affairs, conducted in an approach which could possibly threaten the Arab national safety. In its conclusive statement, the Arab Parliament labeled the Lebanon-based Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Arab Parliament Speaker Ahmed al-Jarwan condemned “Hezbollah’s practices, which are aimed at undermining the security of many countries in the region.”“We hope Hezbollah directs its weapons against Israel, and that coordination to protect the Arab national security grows,” al-Jarwan said. Al-Jarwan pointed out that members of the Arab Parliament have decided to label Hezbollah a terrorist group, after reviewing legal data exhibited during the fourth session. The parliament’s spokesman demanded that the Iranian regime quits interfering in the affairs of other Arab countries and respects the principles of sustaining fellowship with neighboring countries.
Al-Jarwan requested Iran to end its occupation and respond to appeals of the United Arab Emirates concerning the group of islands comprising (the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa), resolving the issue either through negotiations or by presenting it before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) .
At the fourth session of the fourth convention of the Arab Parliament for legislative adjudging, al-Jarwan praised the sharp vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, describing their foresight as a leading example for strongly needed cooperation which helps in confronting all threats and challenges facing the Arab Nation.
Al-Jarwan, during his speech, laid out current developments in Yemen, Syria, Libya and Palestine. In context of the war-torn countries, he called out on all parliaments concerned with the refugee crisis to cooperate on forming a parliamentary representation, which could urge the international community to resolve the Syrian crisis and back a swift political solution for Syria. Al-Jarwan mentioned that a political solution for Syria should be endorsed based on resolutions reached at the first Geneva peace talks. A political solution would stop the Syrian refugee convoys, granting people the hope on returning to their country and constructing their homeland and future both safely and freely. The Arab Parliament Spokesman al-Jarwan demanded that the international community lifts the ban on arming the Libyan army, which is said to help in the protection of the people of Libya, fight against terrorism and the implementation of the law.
He further confirmed that the Arab Parliament supports the people of Iraq in view of the difficult times facing their country, as they are fighting terrorist organizations like ISIS and suffering besiegement. The Parliament especially supports civilians of Fallujah that are being subjected to injustice.

Washington Post bias exposed between Washington and Beirut
By Tom Harb/ April 18/16/In a report on the Christians of Iraq, including on the Assyrian claim for an autonomous region in Nineveh, Iraq, The Washington Post correspondent in Beirut ‪#‎HughNaylor‬ interviews Habib Afram, the head of the "Syriac League" of Lebanon and uses his quotes in the article. But few weeks ago ‪#‎ishaanTharoor‬ writes a smear piece in the Washington Post trashing Donald J. Trump's advisor Professor Walid Phares DC for having alledged "ties with a Christian militia in Lebanon, known as the Lebanese Forces LF." The Washington Post bias is abysmal as Walid Phares and Habib Afram - the latter interviewed by the Post in Lebanon- were colleagues, both representing their political groups (PSDC and Syriac League) in the LF political council. Both men had identical portfolios. They chaired their own political organizations, were not in the military, and represented diverse policies within a representative council. Why did the Washington Post smear Phares and elevated Afram? On the other hand, Tharoor of WaPo criticized Phares for his intellectual work, which was exactly about what the Post have been giving visibility to: the fate of minorities in the Middle East. Phares led NGOs to the UN and Brussels to call for protected zones. The Washington Post attacks Phares for doing so and praises Afram and other NGOs for calling for it, from Beirut. Why the extreme and so obvious bias?It is simple, the Washington Post is a backer of the Iran deal. It praises those who are calling for anything as long as they are backers of Iran's regime. And it sladers those who calls for the same goal, but are opposed to the Iran Deal. Unfortunately Washington's media sounds more like Tehran's regime press...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/bdcba514-cd8b-11e4-8730-4f…

A New 13 April Could Happen at Any Moment!
Ahmad El-Assaad April 18/16
41 years have passed since 13 April 1975; that sinister moment that was the spark of the Lebanese Civil War, which would last 15 years, filled with death, destruction and misery. In case some of us think that something has changed, they would be wrong, and certainly delusional. Today is no different than yesterday! If we were to compare Lebanon of today to the Lebanon of that era, we would clearly see the contrast. The political regime in Lebanon is still different, based on individual interests, feudalism and corruption. Those who control that regime use their sects’ protection as an excuse for these practices. In fact, those so-called leaders, are hiding behind their sects to protect their power. In the United States of America, for example, there are much more religious, ethnic and cultural sects than Lebanon. Still, there is one, patriotic, American identity that unites them all, that transcends all of these groups, coming from various backgrounds. The secret is that great Statesmen have taken power at a certain moment in time, and have laid the bases of a plural, multicultural nation, one governed by the Rule of Law. In Lebanon, we unfortunately rarely had such Statesmen in our history; and they are completely extinct nowadays.
As if the clock has stopped in 1975, in Lebanon. Nothing’s changed, even most of the political actors are still the same. Besides the corrupt, underdeveloped political institution which still stands, there are many other similarities:

In 1975, Lebanon was under the control of the Palestinian Liberation Front militia. And since the end of the 1990’s, another militia is controlling Lebanon, i.e. Hezbollah.
In the 1960’s and 70’s, a large part of the Lebanese people was angry at the hegemony of the PLO over Lebanon. And currently, there is also a large part of the Lebanese people is angry at the hegemony of Hezbollah over the country. we were in the midst of the cold war between the United Sates and the Soviet Union. That cold war translated into actual wars in several Third World countries. Each of the two great powers funded a belligerent camp, and armed it. Back then the Soviet Union, and all countries in its orbit, supported the PLO in Lebanon, while the US, and all countries under their umbrella, were fighting the PLO. Nowadays, a different cold war is taking place, between Iran and the Gulf countries. This cold war translated into civil wars in some countries of the region, especially in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, whereas each camp is backed by a party. So far, no civil war has erupted in Lebanon. Definitely not because of the wisdom of the Lebanese people, and certainly not because the Lebanese people have learned from the mistakes of the past! The only reason preventing a civil war in Lebanon so far, is because the Iranian camp is arming its agents in Lebanon, while the other camp is busy fighting a cold war on many fronts. So the decision has not yet been made to arm the Lebanese groups in its orbit. As we say, “one hand does not clap alone”; similarly, weapons from one party don’t make a war. So far, Hezbollah is the only armed militia in Lebanon, but this could change in the future. If so, then the civil war won’t be too far behind. Exactly as it happened in 1975, with the elemental difference that Hezbollah will be the target, as the PLO was 41 years ago.

Lebanese Presidential Elections Postponed again, New Session Set for May
Naharnet/ April 18/16/The 38th session to elect a president was postponed on Monday following a renewed lack of quorum at parliament. Speaker Nabih Berri scheduled the new electoral session for May 10. LBCI television said that 53 lawmakers were present at Monday's session, a drop from the previous one.

It noted that none of the heads of parliamentary blocs were on hand.
Telecommunications Minister Butros Harb, who was present at the session, slammed the “shameful” failure to elect a head of state, saying that he came to parliament because he has a “constitutional role to fulfill.”He reiterated his proposal for a constitutional amendment to tackle electoral sessions, saying that he is in the process of garnering the needed signatures to ratify it. The draft-law demands that MPs attend electoral sessions and those who fail to do so for three consecutive sessions will automatically have their right to vote for a president revoked. He clarified that the MP will not lose his seat in parliament. Another proposal in the draft-law calls for reducing the quorum during the third electoral session from two-thirds of MPs to a simple majority. Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of a successor. Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps have thwarted the polls that are being contested between Change and Reform bloc head MP Michel Aoun, Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh, and Democratic Gathering MP Henri Helou. The Loyalty to the Resistance bloc of Hizbullah announced earlier this year that it would boycott electoral sessions until it receives guarantees that its ally, Aoun, is elected head of state. Harb deemed such a stance as “shameful,” adding that it contradicts democracy.

Jumblat Rushes to the Defense of Judicial Police
Naharnet/ April 18/16/Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat has accused an adviser to Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq of leading a campaign against Judicial Police. Jumblat told As Safir daily published on Monday that the advisor, a retired Internal Security Forces Brig. Gen., has been launching an “organized campaign against Judicial Police led by Brig. Gen. Naji al-Masri.” Al-Masri is from the Druze sect similar to Jumblat. The Judicial Police is carrying out its security duties despite the campaign and despite being deprived of its needs, said Jumblat. As part of the “siege” laid on the agency, only 20 new members out of 900 who have recently graduated were admitted to Judicial Police although it requires all the support it needs, he told the newspaper. Among other signs of noose tightening, is the failure to refer the case of the sex trafficking network, which has been recently discovered, to the agency for investigation, he said, adding that legally the issue should fall under its jurisdiction. An ISF officer has taken charge of the probe in violation of the norms, Jumblat added. The PSP chief stressed that the campaign targeting the Judicial Police comes as part of a political battle to replace its current leader with an officer who is loyal to other political personalities. As for the embezzlement scandal at the ISF, Jumblat said that several officers were arrested but were later released with a bond, raising question marks on who is shielding them. He added that all those involved in the case should be held accountable.

No Injuries as Lebanese Army Drone Crashes in Batroun
Naharnet/ April 18/16/An army drone crashed on Monday in a garden in the region of Batroun, north of Beirut, reported the National News Agency. It said that the drone crashed in the garden of the residence of Tony Moneim in the town of Ajdabra. No one was injured in the incident. A military patrol has since arrived at the scene to retrieve the drone.

Trauma, Torture for Sex-Trafficked Syrians in Lebanon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/ April 18/16/The iron-gated doors and blacked-out windows keep the room dark at all hours of the day. Lingerie is splayed across the floor and a whip hangs over the bed. This nightmarish setting north of the Lebanese capital is where Soha, a 26-year-old Syrian woman, was trapped for eight years with dozens of other Syrian victims of sex trafficking.In an interview with AFP in southern Lebanon, Soha -- a pseudonym for the soft-spoken brunette with black-polished nails -- recounts her traumatic experience. "We had to sleep with 15 to 20 men every day, sometimes 40 if we had a lot of 'work'," she says, taking deep breaths to steady her shaking voice. "We weren't allowed to leave. The guards would bring us clothes, makeup and food." Four months ago, Soha managed to escape from her captors and tried to get legal help. Then in early April, security forces stormed the building where they were being held, breaking up the largest known sex trafficking ring in recent years. At least 75 women -- mostly Syrian -- were freed. More and more Syrians made vulnerable by war are becoming victims of sexual exploitation, including in Lebanon and Jordan, police and international organizations say. People in Lebanon were shocked by the women's horrifying ordeal, as well as by accusations that the "moral police" were complicit and that a gynecologist had carried out at least 200 abortions on the trapped women.
Originally from southern Syria, Soha was tricked into coming to Lebanon in 2008. She was told she would be working as a waitress, but was terrified to find she had been "sold" to the head of a powerful sex trafficking ring. "When I refused to be a sex worker, he beat me," she says. The gang leader who had imprisoned Soha and so many other women was a former officer in Syria's notorious air force intelligence service. Security sources say the man -- identified only by the initials I.R. -- fled to Syria after his operation was broken up. For years, he had managed Chez Maurice and Silver, two of the most infamous brothels in Maameltein, a town known as Lebanon's red light district. Prostitution is illegal in Lebanon, and police shuttered both locations earlier this month. Wringing her hands and chain-smoking cigarettes, Soha says she and other women were tortured at Chez Maurice.
"They could do anything to us. If we refused anal or oral sex, or sex without a condom, or if a client wasn't satisfied, they would whip us until the morning," she says. I.R. would tie the girls to tables, throw cold water on them and hit them with whips or plastic piping -- often in front of other women to serve as a warning. One girl was so badly beaten that she was bedridden for a month, Soha says. "The only time a girl was allowed to leave was when I.R. would bring her to his house for the night to 'test' her as if she was merchandise," she says."During those eight years, I felt filthy, like trash... I couldn't feel my body. It belonged to my torturers, my clients."Since the war in neighboring Syria broke out in 2011, increasing numbers of women fleeing the conflict have been trafficked in Lebanon. Joseph Mousallem, press officer for Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, says traffickers intentionally target orphans or "girls from vulnerable families". "As soon as they arrived in Lebanon, the girls were imprisoned and their papers and cell phones were confiscated," Mousallem tells AFP. The girls had nowhere to turn to in Lebanon, he says, and some try to commit suicide.
Traffickers often lie to young Syrian girls, offering them jobs or promising they will be engaged when they arrive in Lebanon, according to Maya Ammar from KAFA (Enough!). KAFA is one of several NGOs that manages safe houses for trafficked women and offers medical, psychological and legal support to help them rebuild their lives. "Many girls are raped on the first day to force them to obey," Ammar says. Some girls were indefinitely tied to a specific trafficking ring, while others would be "lent out" for months at a time to different gangs, Soha says. Forced abortions were common "either at the doctor's clinic or at the brothel by swallowing pills", she recounts.
"The fetuses would be buried in the back yard at Chez Maurice," she alleges. Abortion is illegal in Lebanon, but a gynecologist who regularly saw the trafficked girls and carried out more than 200 abortions on them was only briefly detained before being freed. Lebanese institutions are rife with corruption, and the Chez Maurice case has sparked accusations of officials turning a blind eye to trafficking and prostitution. Nearby residents had alerted the police to screams coming from the building, but gang leaders were somehow tipped off before the authorities showed up. Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt has even accused "high-level officials in the moral police" of being "complicit" in the operations. KAFA's Ammar criticized segments of Lebanese society for being shocked at the "headlines" of sex trafficking when many brothels in Maameltein are an open secret. She says "artistes' visas" issued by the authorities are often covers for eastern European women to work as prostitutes. While prostitutes can be charged and imprisoned under one Lebanese law, a second decree from 2012 says victims of sexual trafficking should be treated as victims. The 2012 law specifies a prison sentence of between five and 15 years for traffickers, Ammar says. The Syrian women freed recently will not be charged, but will remain haunted by their experience. Soha says she is furious that her tormentors are still on the loose as she tries to piece herself back together. "They destroyed our lives."

Anti-Theft Bureau Arrests Man Wanted on 125 Warrants
Naharnet/ April 18/16/Police arrested in the eastern Bekaa town of Brital a man wanted on 125 arrest warrants, the state-run National News Agency reported on Monday. The Internal Security Forces International Anti-Thefts Bureau arrested on Monday at dawn Hussein Hassan Bou Mehsen after raiding his home in the town, NNA said. Bou Mehsen is wanted on numerous arrest warrants that include forming a gang for the purpose of carrying out murder, theft, promotion of narcotics, counterfeit currency and car theft. Hussein was taken to Beirut for interrogation and for the implementation of the necessary measures against him.

Solution Looming on Horizon for State Security Crisis
Naharnet/ April 18/16/The government is expected to agree on Monday on a solution to the controversial issue of the State Security agency, ministerial sources said.The sources told An Nahar daily that the government will likely approve the allocation of funds to State Security, which tops the agenda of the cabinet session. The move will facilitate the discussion of other urgent matters following weeks of wrangling among ministers on the matter. The sources said that the government will likely approve the funds for State Security and form a committee to discuss ways to organize its leadership structure. Christian ministers have been accusing the rest of the cabinet members of sidelining the security apparatus by not providing it with enough funds to operate and allowing the deputy leader, a Shiite, of marginalizing the role of the Catholic director-general.Despite the optimism expressed by An Nahar’s source, another ministerial source said that the controversial issue has not been resolved yet.“There won’t be any settlement the Lebanese way, unless the law is enforced,” the source told al-Joumhouria newspaper. “The situation will remain the same until all sides are convinced of the enforcement of the law on the establishment of a general directorate for State Security” with a clear division of tasks, the source added.

Report: Mediator Awaits Message on Fate of Abducted Soldiers
Naharnet/ April 18/16/The fate of the Lebanese soldiers held captive by the Islamic State group could see a glimpse of light after reports that the kidnappers might accept a deal to open a channel of negotiations with the Lebanese state, al-Akhbar daily reported on Monday. The mediator negotiating the file of the soldiers was informed that the military Emir of the IS in the Syrian al-Qalamoun region bordering Lebanon, Mwafaq Abu el-Sous, sent a message to the “capital of the caliphate in al-Reqqa” promising a positive outcome with regard to the fate of the soldiers, the daily said. The message expressed readiness to open a channel of negotiations with the Lebanese state. In August 2014, more than 25 soldiers were taken hostage by Islamic State and al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front during clashes with the Lebanese army in the northeastern border town of Arsal. The IS beheaded two soldiers while al-Nusra executed another two. Late in 2015, al-Nusra released 16 servicemen through a Qatari-mediated deal that also included a prisoner swap to release a number of Islamists from Lebanese jails. Nine hostages are still in the captivity of the IS and their families do not know much about their fate.

Berri Leads ‘Battle against Corruption’
Naharnet/ April 18/16/Speaker Nabih Berri has vowed to take action against alleged parties trying to cover up several scandals of corruption that have recently rocked the country. “All those coming under pressure, whether judges or others, should inform me and leave the rest to me,” Berri said in remarks published in several local dailies on Monday. “The battle against corruption in the internet and Internal Security Forces files will continue till the end,” he said. “No one, whether a civilian or a military figure, will be shielded,” Berri added. Several scandals have recently shocked Lebanon, including the discovery of illegal internet networks and a sex trafficking ring, and embezzlement in the ISF.
There have been claims that influential people have shielded and enabled such acts.

Cabinet session winds up, PM adamant to end State Security ordeal
Mon 18 Apr 2016/NNA - The Cabinet convened in ordinary session at the Grand Serail on Monday, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Tammam Salam. Reading out the Cabinet decisions, Minister of Information, Ramzi Jreij, indicated that Salam would be following up on the dossier of the State Security agency. He added that the Cabinet agreed on a draft law allowing the government to join a treaty on establishing the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Ministers also agreed to renew the mandate of Fouad Flaifel for three months, as Mount Lebanon governor. Moreover, around 18 million L.L. were earmarked to cover the cost of establishing facilities to generate energy from gas emanating from Nehme landfill.

Pharaon: Salam will follow up on State Security issue
Mon 18 Apr 2016/NNA - Minister of Tourism, Michel Pharaon, told reporters at the Grand Serail that Prime Minister Tammam Salam would follow up on the issue of the State Security agency, adding that talks highlighted the necessity to differentiate the command from the apparatus, National News Agency correspondent reported on Monday.

Harb: Salam to hold contacts over State Security dossier
Mon 18 Apr 2016/NNA - Minister of Telecommunication, Boutros Harb, indicated while leaving the Grand Serail, that Prime Minister Tammam Salam would hold necessary contacts to solve the issue of the State Security agency, within a short period of time, National News Agency correspondent reported on Monday.

One killed, another injured in random gunfire in Baalbeck's Sharawneh
Mon 18 Apr 2016/NNA - A Syrian national got killed and another injured in random shooting due to a family row in Baalbeck's Sharawneh neighborhood, NNA reporter said on Monday. They were both transferred to the local "al-Rayan" Hosiptal.

Adwan: Hezbollah did nothing to back Aoun
Mon 18 Apr 2016/NNA - Lebanese Forces MP Georges Adwan on Monday said that Hezbollah has done nothing to support his candidate MP Michel Aoun. "Hezbollah and MP Michel Aoun are the ones responsible for the obstruction," Adwan said. Also, the MP said he asked MP Siniora to announce commitment to the law signed with Future movement. "The law that may have the largest support is the mixed law, because absolute proportionality is rejected by allies," he said. "We will stand by MP Michel Aoun till the last minute," he said.

Kataeb: For 38th time disruptors demolishing state, institutions
Mon 18 Apr 2016/NNA - Kataeb party criticized the ongoing failure to elect a president for the country, saying, "For the 38th time disruptors are going on with demolishing the state and its institutions." Kataeb's stance came Monday in the context of its regular weekly meeting. The party saw in Francois Hollande's not visiting the Presidential Palace in Baabda as a proof of the frailty of the situation. Kataeb called for releasing the cover off anyone suspected to be involved in any scandal, whether a big or small one, and to unveil the whole truth behind each scandal via the judicial authority. It also called for safeguarding the process of municipal elections.

Hajj Hassan: Neither Hezbollah, nor Manar will remain idle
Mon 18 Apr 2016/NNA - Trade and Economy Minister, Hussein Hajj Hassan, delivered a word on Monday in which he pledged that neither Hezbollah, nor Manar T.V. shall remain idle before flaring terror accusations. "Accusing Hezbollah of being terrorist, and attempts to silence Al-Manar T.V. have been supported by Saudi pressure and money," the Minister said in a Hezbollah commemoration ceremony marking the martyrdom of Al-Manar T.V. reporter, Hamza Hajj Hassan. "They have been threatening to cut relations and stop pumping fuel, as well as to halt investments in Lebanon and to stop the job contracts of Lebanese nationals in KSA. They have also promised other countries huge amounts of money to place Hezbollah on the terrorist list," Hajj Hassan said. "However, we strongly cleave to the project of unity between Muslims and Christians, and we still insist to resist Israel and Takfiris and to abolish plans to make Syria fall in the grips of Saudi Arabia," he added.
 

Toni Nissi Destroys Mother Jones Falsehood against Walid Phares
John Hajjar/April 18/2016
In a devastating letter addressed to Mother Jones' headquarters in San Francisco, the main source used by the publication in 2011 to smear Dr. Walid Phares, Toni Nissi torched the radical magazine's credibility, leaving its ashes smoldering on the ground. Nissi, a Lebanese human rights activist who was contacted by Mother Jones' Adam Serwer, now working at BuzzFeed, claims the journalist and his publication were unethical and "sought only to smear a man who dedicated his life to defend freedom and justice."
Mother Jones published the scathing attack against the American-Lebanese author in October of 2011, just after U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney appointed Professor Phares as one of his national security advisors. The hit piece quoted Toni Nissi extensively and selected specific sentences to mold paragraphs to produce a very different sense of the man than described by Nissi. The unethical and unprofessional handling of the interview with Nissi painted Phares with very negative strokes. The piece was an attempt at identity theft by portraying the academic's life in his 20's as some sort of dark warlord advisor in Lebanon before he immigrated to the United States.
Serwer and Mother Jones' evil plans did not work, as they failed to find any source that would corroborate their false narrative. Even at the age of 23, Walid Phares had already published a book on pluralism. In his twenties, he published more books, more articles and offered more lectures than anyone his age. He also formed a workers' union, a students' group, and a minorities' coalition. He even launched a small social democratic party within the besieged Christian community of Lebanon.
But Serwer and Mother Jones ignored who that young man was and constructed a history that never happened. They asserted he was a "warlord advisor," a promoter of sectarian fights, and a member of a violent militia, all proven false, including by the central source from whom the radical publication extracted quotes. Ironically, Phares was a victim of political suppression and a leading force in an attempt to democratize his community. He left his mother country precisely because freedom disappeared in 1990.
Toni Nissi was a young student who joined Phares' social democratic group just one year before Phares left Lebanon in 1990. Over the subsequent years, they barely sent greetings to one another. More than a decade later, Nissi joined an NGO which was part of an international federation of democracy NGOs advised by Professor Phares. The federation called for the liberation of Lebanon from the Iranian-backed Syrian occupation of the country and to support democracy in the Middle East.
Nissi visited the United States several times and participated in events in Congress and with think tanks. He knew Phares' work in his adopted country, but Nissi had only heard about the man's public activities during Phares' 20s in Lebanon. Serwer wanted to quote someone who knew Phares and whom he could fool and use quotes from. Instead of interviewing people who knew the scholar when he lived in Lebanon, Mother Jones resorted to tricks.
As Nissi unveiled in his explosive letter to Mother Jones, Serwer misquoted him and built a story unfounded in reality. But the radical publication's fabricated story and Nissi's letter will have a negative impact on all the other radical media and those in the mainstream media who copied it without fact checking. They are all culprits in this journalistic malpractice. Accusing an intellectual, an author of 14 books and coach for many NGOs representing endangered communities of extremism and links to violent groups, is outrageous.
But the interests Mother Jones, et al, were serving are not journalistic. These entities are serving the interests of a bloody oppressive regime in Iran and a nebulous cloud of Jihadi entities, all fueled by Petrodollars.
Here is the Toni Nissi letter:
Memo to Mother Jones
Publisher: Steven Katz skatz@motherjones.com
Editor in Chief: Clara Jeffery cjeffery@motherjones.com
Co-Editor Monika Bauerlein: MBauerlein@motherjones.com

CC: Legal Council for Mother Jones
222 Sutter St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94108.

From: Toni Nissi
Beirut Lebanon
Dear Sirs / Madams
In a recent article on March 21, 2016 by Max Rosenthal entitled "Trump Foreign Policy Adviser has ties to Brutal Lebanese Militia", Mother Jones has once more degraded itself by desperately selecting out of context sentences and utilizing selective phrases out of a very long interview held in October 2011 with Adam Serwer (published Oct 27 2011) under false pretenses aiming only at twisting the Truth in an attempt to smear and slander Professor Walid Phares (the recently appointed foreign affairs advisor to Donald Trump).
Rosenthal states in his article "As Mother Jones reported in 2011, Phares was a major player in the Lebanese Forces, one of the Christian militias that fought in Lebanon's brutal 15-year civil war. According to Toni Nissi, a colleague of Phares' at the time, Phares helped the group's leader, Samir Geagea, steep its fighters in religious ideology..." Nissi said. "Walid Phares was responsible for training the lead officers in the ideology of the Lebanese Forces."
Out of an act of sheer desperation, the magazine is quoting itself five years ago!
Back in 2011, I got a call from Adam Serwer requesting an interview which was supposed to be a part of a "documentary" to make the whole free world learn from our resisting experience in defending Lebanon sovereignty during the phases of the war on Lebanon. Regrettably Mother Jones selected three sentences from an almost four hours full conversation with Serwer about the Lebanese resistance against Syrian occupation. Serwer maliciously distorted the form and core of what was discussed in a cheap and repulsive attempt to attack Professor Walid Phares and create an absurd and ludicrous connection between Professor Phares academic, political and intellectual roles and contribution to educate the high cadres of the Lebanese Christian resistance with the deplorable and inacceptable Sabra and Shatila massacres that neither Professor Phares nor even Dr. Samir Geagea the commander of the LF as of 1986 were in any way or form implicated in their exactions and which occurred almost four years before Phares had any public role in the Lebanese Forces...
Furthermore, it is important to clarify what I said for the benefit of the good intentioned reader of the Mother Jones article:
a) In the Interview of 2011, I stated that Dr. Samir Geagea, was transforming the militia to a "Christian Army," explaining that this was executed in the context of applying strict conduct and leadership criteria amongst the officers and reorganizing the defensive efforts of the community to help continue protecting the only remaining unoccupied territory in Lebanon by the Syrian Army. The rest of the quote is Serwer's own confabulations and allegations.
b) Upon being directly asked about "any role" of Professor Walid Phares in the Sabra and Shatila massacres in September 1982, I responded clearly and unequivocally that "Phares had absolutely nothing to do with any violence, military activities, or massacres. He never shot one bullet..."
How can an author of many books on democracy and pluralism over two decades be accused without any justification, as a militia actor involved in violence?
c) During the conversation with Serwer I explained that the legal institutions of the Lebanese Government and the Lebanese Army started to collapse in 1975 and that the civil communities were forced to create "the Lebanese Front" as a political council representing all political parties, to manage, organize and lead the only remaining unoccupied area of the country. The platform of this organization was based on cultural pluralism, democracy and independence from foreign occupation. Based on this background, I discussed with Mr. Serwer about the public role of Walid Phares who started in 1986 to represent the Social Democratic Party, as its secretary general, in the council of representatives alongside other political parties. I reiterated that Walid Phares was educating and lecturing to the Cadres about the ideology of Lebanese Christian resistance based on the project of a pluralist, sovereign and democratic Lebanon. As a lecturer, Phares was educating and encouraging openness, understanding and pluralism, concepts very clear in his books published since 1979 including in "Pluralism in Lebanon," and "Democratic Dialogue," books ignored by Serwer.
I am appalled and totally disgusted that Mother Jones' Adam Serwer twisted few words, out of an another subject unpublished long interview, in the purpose of attacking Professor Walid Phares, with the goal of tarnishing his image during a Presidential campaign in the US. I also denounce Mother Jones for continuing to fan and perpetuate these false accusations against Phares and referring them to me. I demand a full retraction and apology from Mrs. Rosenthal, Serwer and from Mother Jones as well as a full removal of my name and quotes from the above shady articles in the print and online editions. Furthermore I hereby ask Mother Jones to publish my letter fully, under US laws.
Toni Nissi
Beirut, Lebanon
**John Hajjar is a member of the American Middle East Coalition for Democracy

The Lobby War on Walid Phares Shows Influence of Iran, Muslim Brotherhood in U.S. Politics
Tera Dahl/Breitbart News Network/18 April/20164
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump recently announced his national security advisory team, naming scholar and terrorism expert Dr. Walid Phares as one of his top advisors for national security and foreign policy.
Dr. Phares immigrated to the United States 26 years ago and is an expert on national security and foreign policy. He has written numerous books on terrorism over the years, has served as an advisor to the Anti-Terrorism Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, testified before Congress, briefs Members of Congress, and is a leading national security expert on major news networks both in the U.S. and internationally.
After the announcement of Dr. Phares to the Trump campaign, a wave of negative and unsubstantiated attacks came against the scholar, which was an evident sign that Trump had made the right decision in choosing him as his foreign policy advisor.
The attacks against Dr. Phares started in October 2011, when Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney selected him to join his national security and foreign policy advising team. The attacks first started from the Hamas-affiliated organization CAIR that accused Phares of being “tied to a Lebanese Christian militia” in the past, an accusation without any substantiation. The far left magazine Mother Jones published an article stating that Phares was “a high ranking political official in a sectarian militia responsible for massacres during Lebanon’s brutal, 15-year civil war.” These ridiculous charges were already debased in 2011. Phares was never in any military organization; he led a small social democratic group and was a publisher and an author. He represented his left-of-center party within a coalition of parties that over saw the local Government of the Christian community when it was surrounded by the Syrian army and the terror groups between 1986 and 1988.
The article quoted Toni Nissi, who they state was “Phares’ former associate.” Nissi was affiliated with a democracy NGO advised by Phares in Lebanon during the 1980’s. Nissi is quoted in the article saying that Phares was “an advisor to a warlord” that “disseminated a Christian ideology,” which may have impacted events in Lebanon. Nissi stated in the article that Phares was never a fighter, saying “I can assure to you [Phares] never shot one bullet in his life”… “He was an ideological man; he was a thinker.”
Recent information has come out that discredits the Mother Jones article and the negative attacks against Phares. Toni Nissi recently sent a letter to Mother Jones accusing them of writing false and misleading information from the interview they had with him about Dr. Phares in 2011. In the letter to Mother Jones, Nissi explains that Mother Jones called him in 2011 and talked him into an interview about a “documentary” on Lebanon and started to ask him questions about Dr. Walid Phares’ years in Lebanon, when Phares was in his 20s. Mother Jones “twisted my words, selected half sentences and kept trying to make me say negative things about Professor Phares,” said Nissi.
Phares is being attacked because he is on the right side of the issues and is fearless in speaking out for truth. A quick research on the bloggers who are engaged in the smear campaign against Phares show some are backers of the Iran Deal, which Phares had opposed and criticized in American, Western, and Arab media. The personal attacks reached the point of being ridiculous as pro-Hamas and Hezbollah. The Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) labeled Phares as a “war criminal,” a smear for which one could be liable in court at the highest levels. That could not be farther from the reality of who Phares is. He has worked tirelessly in speaking out for Muslim civil societies, including in Egypt, Tunisia, Iran and the region as well as protection of minorities in the Middle East, leading NGOs to the United Nations with the goal of protecting their minority communities from ethnic cleansing.
Walid Phares, a courageous and prolific author, has paid the price for five years; his name muddied by the pro Iran regime and Muslim Brotherhood lobbies accusing him with false information. He is being attacked by the two largest Jihadi forces in the Middle East simultaneously. The Muslim Brotherhood blames him for bringing awareness to the US public about the Islamist Salafi threat and the Iranian regime resents him for opposing the Iran deal. The smear campaign against Phares is part of a much wider coordinated slander effort against national security experts, lawmakers and NGO leaders at the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood and pro-Iran regime fronts, as researched by liberal writer Issam Abdallah.
Both Mitt Romney in 2011 and now Donald Trump in 2016 did well to select Dr. Phares as his national security advisor. He has been a prophetic voice that has been proven to be accurate and true leading up to the Arab Spring and in the war against terrorism.
**Tera Dahl is Executive Director of the Council on Global Security.

A Lebanon in the image of Siniora
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Now Lebanon/April 18/16
There is a reason why Hezbollah hates former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora the most. The man represents everything the party stands against. Siniora is a statesman whose governing style is informed by the Lebanese constitution and whose policies are devised according to economic data and trends. Hezbollah, for its part, is a militia that undermines the state and has replaced the constitution with a so-called “ministerial statement.”At 72, Siniora has accumulated vast experience ever since he became Minister of State for Financial Affairs in 1992. At the time, Siniora ranked thirty-third, in terms of protocol, in a cabinet of 33 ministers. Yet when it came to decision-making, Siniora was near the top. Together with late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the two formed a formidable team. Hariri handled politics. Siniora took care of policies. Insulated from the public mood, Siniora helped draft and execute Hariri’s plan that reintegrated Lebanon into the world system after 15 years of civil war.Meanwhile, Hariri’s enemies — Assad and his Lebanese allies who suckled on state resources but blamed Hariri for national debt and corruption — found in Siniora a soft target and went after him, especially after Emile Lahoud became president in 1998.
Siniora eventually weathered the storm, and between 1998 and 2000, engineered Hariri’s “opposition” politics. Hariri returned to power triumphantly in the 2000 elections and kept Siniora as his closest confidant until his assassination in 2005.
Last week, Siniora visited America where he delivered two speeches and held several meetings in Washington. In his roundtable with journalists, his engaging personality was noticeable.
Like Rafik Hariri, Siniora maintains his composure even when challenged. He never uses hate speech. During the roundtable, he never uttered the word Sunni, even though everyone looked at him as the moderate Sunni who is the antidote to the Sunni madness in the Levant. Siniora said the word Shiites only once, and that was in his defense of Lebanon’s Shiites. Siniora’s message to Americans was this: If your policy is to take on Hezbollah, spare Lebanon’s economy and do not target the Shiites. The former prime minister said that keeping Bashar al-Assad as president in post-civil war Syria is akin to assigning a CEO, who had bankrupted his company, to oversee pulling the company out of bankruptcy. He told American officials that patches cannot solve the region’s problems, and that the Middle East requires fundamental solutions. According to Siniora, Washington is on hold until the White House gets its new resident.
When a journalist expressed outrage over how the Lebanese Forces (LF) endorsed the presidential candidacy of Hezbollah’s ally, lawmaker Michel Aoun, Siniora was fair in his response. “And we too (Hariri’s parliamentary bloc) have endorsed another one of Hezbollah’s allies, Sleiman Franjieh,” he said.
Siniora then said that LF’s Samir Geagea was Hariri’s first choice. “We went to 34 parliamentary sessions to elect Geagea and failed,” he said, adding that it was time to try something different. “Geagea approved of three other Maronite candidates, other than himself, and we picked one of those three,” Siniora shrewdly remarked. In his speeches, meetings and private conversations, Siniora stood out as being exceptionally knowledgeable. Unlike most of Washington’s visitors, he refrained from badmouthing rivals, and remained focused on what he believes ails the region and how America can help.
The decades-old slander campaign against Siniora is unfair and often focuses on unsubstantiated allegations of corruption. Siniora has been accused of embezzlement of public funds and nepotism. He was taken to court in 1999, and was cleared. Until he is proven guilty (his enemies have been tirelessly searching for evidence), any allegations against Siniora should fall in the gossip column. Lebanon did see tax hikes and defunding of social programs on Siniora’s watch, but the country’s most famous treasury minister was only implementing policies to avoid budget deficits, because unlike some argue, even if corruption in Lebanon was completely eradicated, recovered money would not be enough to balance the budget. Siniora belongs to the class of Lebanon’s legendary statesmen, the likes of Fouad Ammoun and Fouad Boutros. Rafik Hariri, a superb judge of character, recognized Siniora’s talents, recruited him, and kept him by his side.Those who think that Hariri was a great national asset might appreciate what Siniora still has to offer. It is unfortunate, however, that as long as Hezbollah is calling the shots in Lebanon, Siniora will never become prime minister again. Getting rid of both Hariri and Siniora is not something Hezbollah wants to see reversed.
**Hussain Abdul-Hussain is the Washington Bureau Chief of Kuwaiti newspaper Alrai. He tweets @hahussain

Syria Rebels Vow Retaliation as Peace Talks under Threat
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/ April 18/16/Key Syrian rebel groups vowed on Monday to strike back against alleged regime ceasefire violations, casting doubt on the future of fragile peace talks due to resume in Geneva. A truce agreed in February dramatically curtailed violence across much of Syria, but fighting has surged in recent days around second city Aleppo, causing tens of thousands to flee. "After the increase of violations by regime forces that included targeting displaced people and continuous bombing of residential neighbourhoods, we declare the start of the battle in response," said a statement signed by 10 armed rebel groups. In Geneva, where regime and opposition delegations were set to restart indirect negotiations, Syria's main rebel delegation warned that renewed fighting could scupper peace talks. "We might suspend (our participation in) the talks if things carry on this way, and then there will be no prospect for any political solution," HNC member Abdulhakim Bashar told AFP. The landmark ceasefire agreed between the United States and Russia took effect on February 27, raising hopes that a lasting deal could be struck in Geneva to end Syria's five-year civil war. But fighting has spread in the last week around Aleppo, leading the HNC to question President Bashar al-Assad's commitment to a political solution to a conflict that has displaced half of the population and killed more than 270,000 people. "The humanitarian situation is continually deteriorating, the issue of the detainees has not seen any progress, the ceasefire has almost collapsed, and now there is an attack on Aleppo from three sides," Bashar said in Switzerland. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said 22 civilians were killed over the weekend in Aleppo city -- one of the highest single tolls since the truce began. At least six civilians were killed and eight wounded in regime air strikes on rebel-held eastern parts of the city on Saturday. A barrage of rockets and sniper fire by opposition groups onto government-controlled western districts killed 16 civilians, including 10 children and two women. And rebel groups fired more rockets at western areas of Aleppo city late Sunday, but there was no immediate information on new casualties.
- 'Strike them everywhere' -"There's a clear escalation. This was the bloodiest incident in Aleppo and its province" since the ceasefire began, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. "This escalation directly threatens the truce."
Among the armed groups who signed the Monday statement is Jaish al-Islam, the most important opposition faction in East Ghouta, a key rebel-held town east of Damascus. Mohammed Alloush, the HNC's chief negotiator in Geneva, is a senior member of Jaish al-Islam who on Sunday called on rebel groups to "strike" regime positions. "Don't trust the regime and don't wait for their pity," he posted on Twitter. "Strike them at their necks (kill them). Strike them everywhere." A fellow opposition figure said Alloush's hawkish statement did not represent the HNC's position and Alloush clarified that he was calling on rebels to defend themselves from attacks. Areas controlled by the Islamic State group, Al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate Al-Nusra Front, and other jihadists are exempt from the ceasefire, but renewed Aleppo clashes are straining the truce as other rebel groups are dragged into the fighting. IS has seized fresh territory from rebel groups in the north, threatening the key opposition town of Azaz, just eight kilometres (five miles) south of the Turkish border. The jihadist onslaught has forced 30,000 Syrians to flee, and tens of thousands more are at risk of displacement. - Assad's fate 'red line' -In addition to Jaish al-Islam, the rebel statement was signed by the powerful Islamist Ahrar al-Sham faction, which is allied to Al-Nusra and fights alongside it around Aleppo and in neighbouring Idlib province. UN mediator Staffan de Mistura is expected to sit down with the Damascus government in Geneva before meeting the opposition delegation later Monday. The fate of Assad remains a major bone of contention, with Syria's opposition clinging onto its call for his ouster since the conflict began in 2011. Alloush said there could be "no compromise" on Assad's removal but the regime has called that a "red line". The peace plan outlined by De Mistura and backed by world powers envisions a political transition, a new constitution, and presidential and parliamentary elections by September 2017. But Syria's government hosted its own parliamentary elections last week only in government-held areas, which Assad's ruling Baath party easily won. The opposition denounced the election as a "farce".

Jordan Says 50,000 Syrians Stranded on Border
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/ April 18/16/Around 50,000 Syrians are stranded in no-man's land along the border with Jordan, a three-fold increase since January because of increased security checks, state news agency Petra reported Monday. The agency, quoting government spokesman Mohamed Momani, said the estimated 50,000 refugees were massed around the desert border posts of Hadalat and Rokban. In January, Jordan had estimated their number of 16,000 and appealed for assistance from international relief agencies."Because of the security situation, Jordan has to tightly control the Syrian refugees before allowing them to enter, giving priority to the elderly, women and children," it said. Momani said 75 relief workers paid daily visits to the refugee camps under the supervision of different aid organizations. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi said at the start of the year that he fully understands the security concerns which have led Jordan to limit the flow of refugees entering from war-torn Syria. Jordan has insisted it must screen newcomers to ensure they are genuine refugees and not jihadists seeking to infiltrate the country. The kingdom is now only allowing in a few dozen refugees each day after the screening process. Jordan already hosts more than 630,000 Syrian refugees, according to the UNHCR. Its government gives a much higher estimate of 1.4 million refugees, because many of them are unregistered.

Oil Prices Plunge after Doha Output Talks Fail
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/ April 18/16/Oil plunged Monday a day after top producers failed to reach a deal in Doha to cap output, fanning fresh fears over a supply glut that has plagued the market. Prices had rebounded last week on hopes the OPEC exporters' club and other major players, including Russia, would agree to freeze output levels at Sunday's meeting. However, discussions in the Qatari capital floundered and a deal to curb abundant global oil supplies failed to materialise, sending the market reeling once again. At around 1045 GMT, U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in May sank $1.13 to $39.23 per barrel. Brent crude for June delivery lost $1.23 to $41.87. The Doha failure "has raised the fear that the current glut and oversupply issue is never going to be solved", GKFX analyst James Hughes told Agence France Presse. "It has also brought into question the relevance of the OPEC cartel, if the most powerful voice in the group cannot affect change." The long-running oil glut sparked a vicious collapse from above $100 in mid-2014 to 13-year lows of around $27 in February. Kingpin Saudi Arabia insisted it would not agree to freeze production without the participation of fellow cartel member Iran -- which boycotted the talks. - 'Politics trumped economics' -"The much-awaited meeting exposed the political rift between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and (this) ultimately doomed the agreement," said Barclays oil analyst Miswin Mahesh in a research note. "Though Iran initially planned to send their OPEC minister, his participation was cancelled when the Qataris insisted that all attendees would also be signatories to any deal. "The political tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran trumped the economics for agreeing to a deal." In both June and December last year, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries -- which pumps about 40 percent of the world's oil -- refused to cut output. The Saudi-backed policy is aimed at pushing the market lower to hurt less-competitive players, including U.S. shale producers, and maintain precious market share. Major exporters from Nigeria to Venezuela, and even Saudi Arabia, have suffered billions of dollars in lost revenue as prices have collapsed. Iran -- which only recently returned to world oil markets after the lifting of nuclear-linked Western sanctions in January -- has ruled out capping its own production. "Iran are more likely to increase their output, after years of sanctions, and this is the issue," added Hughes. "Iran are in no place to start to cut their output and abide by an OPEC rule after already stating they want to increase output to pre-sanction levels, levels they are nowhere near currently." Opinion had been split over whether a deal on Sunday would be enough to tackle the global oversupply, which is also due to slowing demand in major consumer China and burgeoning U.S. shale production. - 'Sustained depression' for prices? -Rebecca O'Keeffe, head of investment at online broker Interactive Investor, cautioned Monday that global oil supply was being constrained by industrial action in Kuwait and Saturday's deadly earthquake in Ecuador. "While there are a number of factors that might curb oil supply in the short-term -- including a strike in Kuwait and the earthquake in Ecuador -- OPEC’s main problem is the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran and this problem is not going to go away," O'Keeffe told AFP. "Indeed, Saudi Arabia may move to increase supply in response to higher Iranian output in an effort to maintain their market share. "This impasse could see a sustained medium-term depression in oil prices." A walkout by thousands of Kuwaiti oil workers entered its second day on Monday, slashing production by over 60 percent as the government looks abroad to recruit foreign employees.

Brazil in Crisis after Rousseff Impeachment Vote
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/ April 18/16/Brazil woke Monday to deep political crisis after lawmakers authorized impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff, sparking claims that democracy was under threat in Latin America's biggest country. Opposition deputies in the lower house of Congress needed 342 of the 513 votes, or a two thirds majority, to send Rousseff to the Senate, which will now decide whether to open a trial. They got there near midnight on Sunday after five hours of voting.Wild cheering and a burst of confetti erupted from opposition ranks at the 342nd vote, countered by furious jeering from Rousseff allies in a snapshot of the bitter mood consuming Brazil just four months before Rio de Janeiro hosts the Olympics. Presidential chief of staff Jacques Wagner accused deputies of voting for impeachment without proving that the leftist president, who is accused of illegally manipulating budget figures, had committed a serious crime. "In this way, the Chamber of Deputies is threatening to interrupt 30 years of democracy in the country," he said, referring to the end of a military dictatorship in 1985. "It was a coup against democracy," Rousseff's attorney general, Jose Eduardo Cardozo, said. Cardozo said that Rousseff -- who was imprisoned and tortured under military rule in the 1970s -- would give her first public reaction on Monday. There was expected to be a euphoric reaction from the financial markets which have been betting heavily on a Rousseff exit and the advent of a more business-friendly government to kickstart Brazil's flailing economy.
Temer eyes presidency
Outside Congress, where tens of thousands of people were watching giant TV screens, the split was echoed on a mass scale -- with opposition supporters partying and Rousseff loyalists in despair. "I am happy, happy, happy. I spent a year demonstrating in hope that Dilma would be brought down," said retiree Maristela de Melo, 63. But Rousseff supporter Mariana Santos, 23, burst into tears, saying the vote was "a disgrace for our country." Several thousand police stood by and the rival camps were separated by a long metal wall. If, as many expect, the Senate goes on to impeach the leftist president, Vice President Michel Temer -- who abandoned Rousseff to become a key opponent -- will assume power. Temer ally Eduardo Cunha, the lower house speaker who engineered the successful impeachment vote, said Rousseff's days as president were numbered. "Now Brazil needs to climb out of the bottom of the well and we have to resolve the situation as quickly as possible," he said. "The Senate should move rapidly."But opposition celebrations could be short lived, analysts say. Temer would inherit a country wallowing in its deepest recession in decades and a dysfunctional political scene where Rousseff's Workers' Party vows revenge. "It will not be easy" for Temer, said Andre Cesar, an independent political analyst. "It will be a nightmare."
Rousseff to 'fight'
Rousseff, 68, is accused of illegal accounting maneuvers to mask government shortfalls during her 2014 reelection. Many Brazilians also hold her responsible for the economic mess and a massive corruption scandal centered on state oil company Petrobras, a toxic record that has left her government with 10 percent approval ratings. Now the decision by the lower house moves the matter to the Senate, which is expected to vote in May on whether to open a trial. In case of a green light there -- which experts consider almost certain -- Rousseff would step down for up to 180 days while the trial got under way. If the Senate then voted by a two-thirds majority for impeachment, Rousseff would be ousted. Temer would stay on until elections in 2018. But a senior Rousseff ally said there would be no surrender. "The coup plotters have won here in the house," said Jose Guimaraes, leader of the Workers' Party in the lower house of Congress. "President Dilma (Rousseff's) government recognizes this temporary defeat but that does not mean that the war is over," Guimaraes said. "The fight will continue in the streets and in the Senate."Cardozo described Rousseff as "very strong" and able "to fight a good fight."
Protests to continue
Huge opposition rallies involving hundreds of thousands of people over the last months have played a big role in turning pressure against Rousseff into an unstoppable avalanche. Anger on the streets could again play a role as the crisis enters ever higher stakes. Sylvio Costa, who heads the specialist politics website Congresso en Foco, told AFP that Brazil's troubles are only starting. "Whoever loses will keep protesting in the streets," he said. "What's certain is that the crisis will not end today."However, on Sunday the crowds were peaceful so far. In Brasilia, about 53,000 pro-impeachment demonstrators massed outside Congress, according to a police count. About 26,000 turned out on the pro-Rousseff side of the metal fence, police said. In Rio de Janeiro about 3,000 people each from the two sides demonstrated at separate time slots next to Copacabana beach. The atmosphere even became festive, with a funk band singing in Rio and protesters blowing trumpets and vuvuzelas, as if at a football game, in Brasilia. In Sao Paulo, the financial center, thousands of pro-impeachment supporters thronged the central Paulista Avenue, many of them in the country's green and yellow national football shirts.

HRW Welcomes Saudi Move to Curb Religious Police Powers
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/ April 18/16/Human Rights Watch on Monday hailed Saudi Arabia's decision to strip its frequently criticized religious police of many of their powers, urging the kingdom to also ease sex segregation rules. Under changes approved by the Saudi cabinet last week, religious officers will no longer be allowed to detain people and instead must report violators to police or drug squad officers. "This is a positive move for Saudi citizens and residents who have suffered years of harassment and abuse by the religious police," said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW's Middle East director. Members of the religious police, formally known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and informally as Mutawaa, can no longer stop or arrest or chase people or ask for their IDs or follow them, under the new regulations. They should instead "carry out the duties of encouraging virtue and forbidding vice by advising kindly and gently", the official Saudi Press Agency reported. The religious police enforce Saudi Arabia's strict interpretation of Islam including segregation of the sexes and ensuring that women cover themselves from head-to-toe when in public. They also patrol shops to make sure they are shuttered during Muslim prayers five times daily. "The authorities should go further and strip the religious police of the power to enforce sex segregation rules," said Whitson. The commission's tactics have regularly been the subject of controversy, most recently in February when members were arrested for allegedly assaulting a young woman outside a Riyadh shopping mall, local media said at the time. A five-member advisory committee will in future make suggestions to the Mutawaa president -- appointed by King Salman -- on holding officers to account for any violations or abuse. "Saudi Arabia has taken a step that could rein in longstanding religious police abuses, but authorities must enforce the new regulations for them to have any meaning," Whitson said.

Thousands Demonstrate at Baghdad's Green Zone
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/ April 18/16/Thousands of people protested for reforms on Monday at the Iraqi capital's heavily-fortified Green Zone, where the government is headquartered, for the second time in less than a month. The call to rally at the Green Zone, where the U.S. and British embassies are also located, went out over a loudspeaker at a sit-in at Baghdad's Tahrir Square, an AFP journalist said. The demonstrators set out running from the sit-in site, crossed Jumhuriyah Bridge and gathered at the Green Zone entrance near parliament. Powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr organized a two-week sit-in at the Green Zone in March, calling for a technocratic government and threatening to have his supporters storm the area. Sadr, the scion of a powerful clerical family, called off the protest after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi presented a list of cabinet nominees to parliament. But efforts to replace the current party-affiliated ministers have faced serious opposition from powerful parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds. Iraqi political blocs presented their own nominees and most of Abadi's candidates were replaced on a second list. Cabinet reform efforts were then overshadowed by days of chaos in parliament, including an overnight sit-in, a brawl between lawmakers and an attempt to sack the speaker. Demonstrators began the sit-in at Tahrir Square on Saturday, after a parliamentary session aimed at selecting replacements for speaker Salim al-Juburi and his deputies failed to reach a quorum.

Swedish Minister Quits after Comparing Israel to Nazi Germany
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/ April 18/16/A Swedish cabinet minister of Turkish origin who compared Israel to Nazi Germany and was photographed with Turkish ultra-nationalists resigned on Monday, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven announced. "Mehmet Kaplan has submitted his resignation and I have accepted it," Lofven told reporters, nonetheless praising the outgoing housing minister's "humanistic and democratic values." Kaplan, a member of the junior coalition partner Green Party, told reporters he was opposed to "all forms of extremism" and stressed his dedication to "human rights, democracy and dialogue."The 44-year-old had been in hot water since the weekend when media published old video footage of him making controversial remarks about Israel's politics towards Palestinians. During a March 2009 debate on Islamophobia organized by a Somali organization, Kaplan, who was a member of parliament at the time, said there were "similarities" between the persecution of Jews by Nazi Germany during the 1930s and the everyday lives of Palestinians. Israel's ambassador to Sweden, Isaac Bachman, branded the remarks as "deeply anti-Semitic.""I have on several occasions criticized the actions of the state of Israel severely, but I am clearly not anti-Semitic... My criticism of Israel does not make me less critical of the anti-Semitism that exists in Sweden," Kaplan wrote in a comment published on the website of daily Expressen after his resignation was announced. Last week, media had published photos of Kaplan attending a July 2015 dinner in Sweden with Turkish ultra-nationalists, which sparked strong reactions from the opposition, media, and the public. Among those attending the dinner was Ilhan Senturk, the Swedish head of the ultra-national "Grey Wolves" organization known for political violence in the 1970s and 1980s. Also present was Barbaros Leyani, the former vice-president of the Turkish National Association of Sweden who was forced to resign after calling for the murder of "Armenian dogs" during a demonstration in Stockholm in April. Kaplan, who was born in Turkey and moved to Sweden when he was eight, also came under fire from media and political opponents for his ties to Islamic organizations, especially Milli Gorus which is suspected of promoting religious fundamentalism. He acknowledged those ties, but "that doesn't mean I agree with them on everything," he told Swedish television. Opposition leader Anna Kinberg Batra of the conservative Moderates criticized Prime Minister Lofven, a Social Democrat, for "being passive and slow" to react to the controversy.

European Union Cosies Up To Iran
ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty/Breitbart London/18 Apr 201682/The Wall Street Journal reports: TEHRAN, Iran—The European Union’s top foreign policy official pledged Saturday the bloc would do what it can to get large regional banks working with Iran in a bid to ease tensions between Tehran and Washington over the benefits of last year’s nuclear agreement. Federica Mogherini was in Tehran on Saturday at the head of the largest delegation of EU officials to visit Iran in years. The two sides announced a string of joint projects—from the energy sector to migration and joint research work—in a bid to broaden a bilateral relationship that was long restricted by the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program. Ms. Mogherini, who chaired the negotiations which produced last July’s nuclear agreement, said in a press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif the bloc was trying to “reassure” major European banks that they should start engaging again in Iran. “The main message that I have delivered here is the fact that we Europeans have as much as an interest as the Iranians that this issue is solved,” she said in a sit-down with a small group of reporters later. “We have an economic interest also in coming back here as the first trading partner…In order to do that we need our banks to be present here.

Syrians show their resentment for Iran regime’s support for Assad
Monday, 18 April 2016/NCRI - Residents of the Syrian towns of Kafr Zita and al-Lataminah, north-west of Hama, have contributed to an online campaign over the weekend exposing and condemning the Iranian regime's support for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in the massacre of the people of Syria.
Syrians of all ages have held placards in particular pointing out that the Iranian regime’s meddling in Syria has increased since Hassan Rouhani took office as President in 2013. Many of the placards had messages directed at the European Union’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini who visited Iran over the weekend to hold trade discussions with the mullahs’ regime. Some also criticized Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi for meeting with the Iranian regime’s officials in Tehran last week.
Mogherini’s trip was condemned by Mohammad Mohaddessin, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
Some of the banners from Hama, Kafr Zita and al-Lataminah read:
#No2Rouhani Dear Federica Mogherini: These diplomatic visits mean that you do agree on Iran interferences in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. Do you??! - Syria – Keferzaita
Since Rouhani came to office their interferences in Syria have increased. #No2Rouhani - Kefer Zaita - Syria
He [Rouhani] is responsible for all the crimes committed by the Iranian regime in Syria during past 2 years. Kefer Zaita - Syria
Dear Federica Mogherini, to solve the refugee crisis in Europe, ask Rouhani to withdraw his troops from Syria, Iraq & Yemen. #No2Rouhani - Syria - Hama
The danger of Rouhani’s government’s interference in Syria, Iraq & Yemen is 1000 times more dangerous than the nuclear program. #No2Rouhani - Kefer Zaita - Syria
Since Rouhani came to office their interferences in Syria have increased. #No2Rouhani - Latamena - Syria
Iranian regime is dying to keep Bashar Al Assad in power, knowing that his fall would lead to its fall in Tehran. #No2Rouhani. Latamema – Syria
#No2Rouhani. Dear Matteo Renzi, These diplomatic visits mean that you do agree on Iran interferences in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. Do you?! #No2Rouhani. Latamena - Syria

Jordan recalls its Iran ambassador
Monday, 18 April 2016/NCRI - Jordan recalled its ambassador from Iran in protest to the Iranian regime's interferences in Arab countries' affairs, Jordan's official state news agency Petra reported on Monday. The report quoted the Jordanian government's spokesman and State Minister for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani as saying that the diplomat had been called back for "consultations." Momani said in a statement that following the Iranian regime's nuclear deal with the major world powers, Tehran's positions were against the high interests of Jordan and that during this time the Iranian regime had been blatantly meddling in the internal affairs of Arab countries. The mullahs' regime has not respected the basic principles of good neighborliness and had added to the crisis and instability in the region, the statement said. "On the eve of the blatant attack against Saudi Embassy in Tehran and its General Consulate in Mashhad, Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs summoned the Iranian ambassador to Jordan and informed him the Kingdom’s strong condemnation of assault," it added. "Jordan stressed that attacks on the Saudi embassy and consulate constituted a flagrant violation of international conventions, mainly the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and asked Iran to completely stop interfering in Arab affairs," Momani explained. The Iranian government did not respond to Jordan's demands and to the statements of the Council of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and its policy continued without change, the minister added. As a result, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh has instructed the Jordanian ambassador in Iran to return to Amman, the statement concluded. Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Bahrain, Somalia and Djibouti severed ties with Iran’s regime in January after crowds of protesters attacked two Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran. Qatar recalled its ambassador to Iran, while the United Arab Emirates also downgraded its diplomatic presence in Iran in January, saying Tehran’s meddling in the affairs of its Gulf neighbors had reached an “unprecedented” level.

NCRI’s Shahin Gobadi comments on Jordan’s decision to recall Iran envoy
Monday, 18 April 2016ظNCRI - Following the Jordanian government's decision to recall its envoy to Iran, Shahin Gobadi of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) made the following remarks: “We welcome the decision of the Jordanian government to recall its ambassador from Iran. It is time for all countries in the region to sever all ties to the clerical regime, which is the godfather of export of Islamic extremism and terrorism. Meddling in the affairs of other countries and fomenting Islamic fundamentalism has been a pillar of the clerical regime since its inception, and there is no difference between various factions of the regime towards this objective. But the new reality is that the regime is facing an unprecedented rejection of its policies at home and in the region, as reflected in the recent statement by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).”

7 prisoners hanged en masse in Iran
Sunday, 17 April 2016/NCRI - According to reports from inside Iran, the mullahs' regime on Thursday hanged five men and two women in a prison in Birjand, north-east Iran. Two of the victims were identified as Mohammad Niazi and Moheb Rahmati. The names of the other prisoners were not given. They were accused of drugs-related offences. The hangings bring to at least 24 the number of people executed in Iran in the past week alone, while European officials have been paying visits to Tehran. Three of those executed were women. Iran's fundamentalist regime on Saturday hanged three prisoners in a jail in Rasht, northern Iran, as the European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini was in Tehran to build greater trade ties between the EU and the regime. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said in a statement on Wednesday that the increasing trend of executions “aimed at intensifying the climate of terror to rein in expanding protests by various strata of the society, especially at a time of visits by high-ranking European officials, demonstrates that the claim of moderation is nothing but an illusion for this medieval regime.”Ms. Mogherini, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, arrived in Tehran on Saturday along with seven EU commissioners for discussions with the regime’s officials on trade and other areas of cooperation. Her trip was strongly criticized by Mohammad Mohaddessin, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NCRI who said: “This trip which takes place in the midst of mass executions, brutal human rights violations and the regime's unbridled warmongering in the region tramples on the values upon which the EU has been founded and which Ms. Mogherini should be defending and propagating.”

Syrian Druze protest against regime
Albin Szakola/Now Lebanon/April 18/16
BEIRUT – Protesters have gathered in Syria’s Suweida to protest against the regime in the Druze-populated province, the latest demonstration to rock the southern region. On Sunday morning, dozens of demonstrators rallied in the provincial capital’s main square to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the French mandate over Syria. The protest, which was organized by the newly-formed “You Broke Us” (حطمتونا#) movement, quickly took a politicized turn, with participants chanting against the Bashar al-Assad regime. “You Broke Us,” for their part, termed the protest a “revolutionized sit-in” against “all forms of new colonization” in their call for action, the newest demonstration organized by the student-led group since the beginning of March. In one video of the protest publicized by the “You Broke Us” campaign, youths raised a picture of Sultan Pasha al-Atrash, a Druze figure famous for leading the 1925-1927 Syrian rebellion against France. They spray painted “Square of Dignity” over a pedestal in the officially named “Hafez al-Assad Square,” which once hosted a statue of the former Syrian ruler that an angry crowd toppled over following the September 4, 2015 assassination of Sheikhs of Dignity Movement leader Sheikh Waheed al-Balaous.
One of the crowd’s chants captured their independent bent, with protesters taking potshots against staunch regime allies as well as jihadist groups. “Syria is free, Iran get out! Syria is free, Russia get out! Syria is free, ISIS get out! Syria is free, Nusra get out!” the crowd shouted.
In another video allegedly showing the rally, the protesters chanted “long live Syria, and fall Bashar al-Assad,” one of the most direct challenges issued against Damascus in a demonstration held in the Suweida province. “Sons of Jabal [Druze] stomping ISIS and Assad,” the rally participants also shouted.
Despite the tone of the protest, regime forces did not attempt to quell the rally in a heavy-handed manner as was their practice elsewhere in the country during the early days of the current uprising. The local Swaida Khabar website cited activists as saying that the protest came to a peaceful end, with regime security forces not intervening.
Another protest was held Sunday in the town of Mazraa, approximately 6 kilometers northwest of Suweida, according to the outlet. The demonstrators in the town also called for the toppling of the regime, while hanging aloft pictures of heroes of Syria’s independence movement against French occupation.
Sunday’s protests come after residents of the town of Suweida town of Shahba gathered Thursday to denounce the arrest of two human rights activists from the Druze-populated province. The same day as Shahba residents took to the streets, the “You Broke Us” campaign protested in Suweida city, the eighth protest organized by the movement making a raft of social and economic demands that implicitly blame the government with mismanaging the province. “You Broke Us” announced its public presence on March 13 in an opening statement in which it vowed to organize a “long-term protest” until its demands to help “build a better future for the province” were met. The organization’s manifesto is not overtly political and does not take any firm stance on the regime’s presence in Suweida, similar to a previous grassroots movement that briefly held a series of protests in the fall of 2015. Instead, “You Broke Us” lists eight main problems it says are blighting the lives of the province’s residents: rampant corruption, poor electrical services, declining provision of fuel and heating gas, the firing of state employees who refuse military service, the fixed salary of state employees amid the inflation wracking the country, high prices for basic commodities, increased lawlessness, and poor healthcare. Up until the latest rallies, the student-led civil society movement’s protests have focused on the dismissal of public teachers who refused to sign-up for state military reserve service, a heavy-handed regime move that ran contrary to Suweida residents’ long-running opposition to conscription in the Syrian army to potentially fight in far-off battlefronts.
*Amin Nasr translated Arabic-language material.

Maryam Rajavi: The Iranian Regime Will Collapse Following Assad’s Leave from Power
Huda Al Husseini/Asharq Al Awsat/April 18/16
Paris-Maryam Rajavi, President of the “People’s Mujahedin of Iran” party, said that the Iranian regime is founded on three main pillars for it to prevail. The three principals are assembling a nuclear deterrent, absolute oppression of the interior and the export of terrorism and extremism to the outside.
Rajavi, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, said believes that Tehran’s strategy is established on the extent of interference it manages in affairs of other countries, the incitement of war and the exporting of terrorism; however, all the regime’s plots have failed after the Decisive Storm.
“The Iranian regime can be defeated once and for all in Bahrain if it was confronted with a decisive alliance formed by regional countries,” Rajavi said. She mentioned that the Iranian regime is close to drowned in the swamps of the Syrian civil war.
Rajavi clarified the connection entailing that the Iranian regime would collapse consequentially should Syrian President Bashar al-Assad be toppled, which is why Iran has been stretching out an arm’s length for keeping Assad in rule.
“If Assad falls out of authority in Damascus, then the Iranian regime will evidently follow and collapse in Tehran,”Rajavi said.
“It’s dying,” Rajavi used to express the current state-of-affairs on the Iranian regime; “It has faced defeat in Yemen. Fronts in Syria and Iraq are in effective escalation, the regime has sent 60 thousand Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) soldiers and affiliated militia to fight in Syria,” Rajavi added.
When asked about nuclear danger looming in the horizon, Rajavi explained that the Iranian regime has only “temporarily” lost its ability on manufacturing a nuclear arsenal and will soon resume what it had long planned for.
“The Iranian regime is skilled with the art of keeping to its confidentiality and vagueness of its activities. It hasn’t revealed all its cards, and one must say that the international community was not firm enough, because the international community could have taken away everything from the regime,” Rajavi said.
On the topic of the recent ballistic missile activities and violations, Rajavi clarified that all corners to the Iranian governing system are the same, seeking internal oppression of the people and terrorizing regional nations.
The missile program, according to Rajavi, is an attempt for establishing missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, as a part of a plan on frightening the region and raising the morals of its supporters.

Iran’s anger over condemnation of terrorism
Turki Al-Dakhil/Al Arabiya/April 18/16
Iran was shocked by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) final summit communiqué lambasting Tehran’s interference in the region and Hezbollah’s terrorism. Iranian officials sharply criticized the OIC and claimed that the organization has been hijacked by certain countries.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign affairs minister reminded Islamic countries – which had approved the communiqué – of the fate of Saddam Hussein and Tariq Aziz. Iran routinely responds to attempts to condemn violence and terrorism by making threats. Several Iranian figures from the foreign ministry echoed: “You will regret!”
Inciting statements
The OIC also rejected “Iran’s inciting statements regarding the execution of judicial decisions made against perpetrators of terrorist crimes in Saudi Arabia and considered those statements as flagrant interference in Saudi Arabia’s internal affairs and a contravention of the United Nations Charter, the OIC Charter and all international conventions.”Most Islamic countries have a strong desire to fight terrorism. Fighting violence and eliminating militias have topped the agenda during Saudi King Salman’s meetings with Arab and Islamic leaders. Most Islamic countries have a strong desire to fight terrorism. Fighting violence and terrorism and eliminating militias have topped the agenda during Saudi King Salman’s meetings with Arab and Islamic leaders and presidents. Iran, however, was upset because terrorists who blow up buildings, embassies and consulates were condemned. We are faced with two parallel projects that never intersect: the project of the state, moderation and tolerance led by Saudi Arabia and the project of violence, terrorism and establishing militias led by Iran. The world must choose: life or death.

Is there an Arab world?
Khaled Almaeena/Al Arabiya/April 18/16
Is there an Arab world? That was the question posed by an American college professor as we sat across a table in an Egyptian seaside resort. My mind traversed the history books I have read, the events I have witnessed and the predicament we are going through across the Middle East.
From the Ottoman Empire to the Sykes-Picot agreement 100 years ago to the wave of Arab nationalism in the 1950s and 60, the desire for a pan-Arab world existed in the ethos of the Arab people. However, between desire and fulfillment there existed a great gap. Some flickers of hope were lit when the Arab League was founded in 1945. However, no collective action could be undertaken as huge events and political upheavals took place right from the start. The creation of Israel by a unilateral decision, displacement of hundreds of thousands of refugees, coups d’etat and bloody revolutions in the newly formed Arab states whose border demarcations were mostly deformed — all were the ingredients that led to the present day regional predicament. Adventurism by certain Arab leaders, the Iraq-Iran war, the invasion of Kuwait, and the tyranny of the powerful all added to the woes of the Arabs The lack of continued uncertainty, dabbling in ideologies, lack of statesmanship and relegation of people’s interest created chaos. To add fuel to the fire, adventurism by certain Arab leaders, the Iraq-Iran war, the invasion of Kuwait, and the tyranny of the powerful all added to the woes of the Arabs who basically like any other people wanted a life of dignity, progress and peace. However, that was not meant to be. No civil institutions were set up by dictators, in whispered tones across many Arab lands people talked about Zawaar Al-Lail or the “night visitors” alluding to the dreaded mabahith or secret police. Thousands disappeared in Syria, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere.
Intra-Arab relations
To compound the miseries of the Arab world, intra-Arab relations were mostly based on personal relations between Arab leaders. Woe betide the nationals of their countries if the leaders fell out. The whole population would be castigated and the propaganda machines of the respective countries would blare out.
A subservient media would exchange abuses. The fragmentation process continued with the barbaric attack on Iraq in 2003, its deliberate disintegration, the Libyan attack, the Syrian conflict and the mismanagement of the Arab Spring. So the question arises: Is there still an Arab world? We cannot afford but to remain optimistic. The GCC countries are an example of continued cooperation and unity while maintaining their national identities. This has brought a sense of order to the Gulf region. Other Arab states in the Maghreb and the Levant can do well by following this example.
And that is what the Arab people want — a house in order.

Fixing the Obama doctrine in the Middle East
Dr. John C. Hulsman/Al Arabiya/April 18/16
As this column has consistently argued, at the highest Olympian strategic level, there is absolutely nothing wrong the with Obama administration’s general foreign policy strategy for dealing with our new multipolar world. The US must do more in Asia, as that is where most of the future economic growth—as well as much of the coming geostrategic risk – comes from. It must accept that the Europeans must do more on their own in their own regional backyard, from Ukraine to Libya to the refugee crisis, and take charge of more of their own security. And finally, in the Middle East, the US must avoid being drawn into another unwinnable ground war, where Washington ends up failing, unwittingly destroying the fabric of fragile states at great cost, leaving them vulnerable to the likes of ISIS. In general, with the notable and important exception of Asia, the President is also broadly correct in that the US should do less and do it better in a multipolar world, where structurally it remains by far the greatest power, but with others gaining on it in relative terms, if from a long way back.
Still somehow wrong
But if the President is broadly right about exhibiting a new restraint in American foreign policy, as well as highlighting Asia at the relative expense of Europe and the Middle East, foreign policy – like love and dancing – is all about timing and degree. Yes, beginning to transition America into playing more of an off-shore balancing role in the Middle East – where it functions as a life insurance policy if the region truly blows up again, but leaves the day-to-day regional balance of power there to sort most things out (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and Israel) – is wise.
That does mean bringing the Iranians in from the cold, as the administration duly did with the recently concluded nuclear deal with Tehran. It does mean trying to keep an autocratic and mercurial President Erdogan of Turkey on the reservation, frustrating as that often is. But the further we descend from Mt. Olympus to the tactical policy level, the more Obama’s general foreign policy precepts are placed in peril. It is alright to bring enemies into the regional system, as well as to keep straying allies within it. But long-standing partners, who are still far more likely to practically help the United States across a range of issues, cannot be ignored. And, to a large extent, in terms of the countries that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), that is precisely what the White House has done. The President’s upcoming trip to the GCC meeting in Riyadh on April 21st could not come at a better time to fix the Obama doctrine.
Policy grist for the strategy mill
The good news is that this micro-level of policy making confirms the broader strategic adage that, at present, the GCC countries – across a range of issues – remain far more likely to practically work with the Americans than do old enemies such as Iran, recently brought back into the regional fold. The GCC meeting is designed to focus on developing a common strategy for defeating ISIS, as well as enhancing defense and security cooperation in general between the Gulf states and America. These are fruitful policy issues to be working on, precisely if the overall goal is to shore up alliances that America has neglected. The beauty of ISIS is that everyone hates them. There is not a single recognised state in the Middle East that supports the horrors the caliphate is perpetrating. The GCC meeting is designed to focus on developing a common strategy for defeating ISIS as well as enhancing defense and security cooperation between the Gulf states and America. The problem remains that the states in the region—as well as America—may not hate them enough, making removing Raqqa enough of a priority. But this is an issue where the GCC states and the White House broadly see eye to eye, and where enhanced cooperation on both sides makes eminent sense. It is also an excellent real world example of practically why the GCC countries and America still need each other strategically.
Over the vaguely worded defence and security cooperation issue, there is even more grounds to be hopeful. In a region on fire, defence sales are bound to expand, and America by a long way makes the best military equipment in the world. There is a natural policy synergy between relatively rich states looking to arm themselves in a time a strategic uncertainty and the world’s most advanced weapons supplier. Again, in practical terms the US and the GCC still need each other. Finally, the President must spell out privately to the GCC countries that the US is morphing into an off-shore balancer, not an isolationist country.
If longstanding allies in the GCC were threatened by any external force, the Obama administration, particularly in the wake of the Iran deal, must make it plain that such a scenario is precisely what would compel America as off-shore balancer to act with alacrity, and come to its allies’ defence.
Again, the US would do so based on its own longstanding national interests. Again, when it comes down to practical policy issues, the two sides still very much need each other.
Fixing things with allies. So away with the theology of the Obama doctrine. Instead the way forward to fix things with America’s allies is to concentrate on the practical policy issues that still draw the GCC countries and America together. The more the President can focus on this micro-strategy in Riyadh, the better for the future of the Gulf Arab alliance with America.

Syria and Yemen, the war of negotiations
Mshari Al Thaydi/Al Arabiya/April 18/16
There were moments of tension witnessed this week over negotiations between warring parties in Yemen and Syria. There is a regional and international “season” to launch a political path to address crises, which have escalated into wars. While analyzing Syria and Yemen’s crises, and the indicators of optimism and pessimism, one sometimes becomes a “pessoptimist,” as late Palestinian author Emile Habibi puts it. The Kuwait peace talks on Yemen are supposed to succeed at renewing political dialogue after more than a year of war. The Houthis realized that they cannot impose their revolutionary Zaidi “regime” with that Khomeini touch after the international community rejected that and after the Arabs, led by Saudi Arabia, rejected that plan and responded to it via an international authorization and through the Decisive Storm Operation. The Houthis’ language changed during the Kuwait peace talks as Mohammad Abdelsalam, its spokesman and head of the negotiating delegation to Kuwait, attacked Iran and commended Saudi Arabia via statements made to the press.
While analyzing Syria and Yemen’s crises, and the indicators of optimism and pessimism, one sometimes becomes a “pessoptimist,” as late Palestinian author Emile Habibi puts it Yemen’s Foreign Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdel Malek al-Mekhlafi said: “If the Houthis hand over their weapons, they will be partners with us in the political process in the country.” Abdelsalam agreed to that and specified agreeing to hand over of heavy weapons. Of course Houthi militias are committing military and security violations in Yemen, particularly in Taiz. However forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh are committing even more violations sometimes.
Language of politics
The Houthis may be maneuvering politically but this is not important when it comes to the realistic language of politics. Results on the ground and not intentions are what matter. The situation calls for remaining vigilant and providing guarantees.Perhaps these changes are what made United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed recently say, before the UN Security Council, that Yemen is today closer to peace than any time ever. On Syria, Special Envoy to the country, Staffan De Mistura, is fighting to build common grounds for negotiations between Assad regime and the opposition. This common ground is originally available through the UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The Assad regime refuses to respond to its content to aid citizens and liberate prisoners, particularly women and children. The regime is stalling via Bashar al-Jaafari’s verbal artillery.
The major problem during the Geneva negotiations is the fate of Bashar al-Assad and his regime. The opposition and its supporters insist that departure of Assad is the minimum condition for the start of discussions on Syria’s future. Meanwhile, Assad and Russia continue to create confusion on this point by resorting to the trick of “leaving this matter to the Syrian people so they can freely decide”.
Verbal wars are sometimes more difficult than wars of the artillery.

Obama’s visit: Cementing Gulf alliances and détente with Iran
Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/April 18/16
President Barack Obama will not bring a new US policy with him to the summit with the Gulf nations next week in Riyadh, a policy that would otherwise depart from his doctrine in the Middle East and Gulf region. He will not force his successor in the White House to adhere to any new surprising policies either.
The US president, who is set to leave the Oval Office in nine months, is instead carrying a push to re-fasten the strategic bonds between the US and the Gulf nations, but as part of the vision based on diversifying US strategic relations with the major players in the region in the context of the broader balance of power there. President Obama’s fixed opinion is that he has done well by turning the page on the hostility with the Islamic Republic of Iran. In his view, this is advantageous to both US and Middle Eastern interests. Yet he does not want to end his term with the impression that he has spoiled US relations with traditional allies in the GCC led by Saudi Arabia in order to appease Iran.
For this reason, he wants to mend US-Gulf ties, but without apologizing or backtracking. He wants to revive strategic US-Egyptian relations, meanwhile, but without ignoring the actions of the Egyptian government against its civil society, the freedom of speech, political dissent, and Islamists at large.
And according to leaked information, Obama may be inclined to support a UN Security Council resolution endorsing the foundations of consensus reached by Palestinian-Israeli negotiations without having culminated with an agreement. These themes could well be the features of the final page of Barack Obama’s relationship with the Middle East, and intersect with the movements made by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz last week, most notably his visits to Egypt and Turkey.
In Cairo, King Salman’s visit cemented a Gulf-Egyptian alliance that reinforces Egypt’s weight along with the Gulf’s weight in the regional balance of power, which includes actors like Iran, Turkey, and Israel. This alliance has a huge weight, first of all in the decisions of the Arab League and their international dimensions, well beyond the Arab region. It also has a major economic and political impact on Egypt.
One of the dimensions of this alliance extends to US-Egyptian relations and European-Egyptian relations, bearing in mind that these ties have been strained by Egyptian policies, which the West sees as arbitrary and heavy-handed against dissent, free speech and Egyptian NGOs.
A veteran Gulf source said King Salman was like a judge who secured Egypt’s divorce from Nasserism, and that Egyptian diplomacy is no longer a socialist ideology seeking regional dominance, but rather is now closer to Gulf policies opposed to ideologies and radical governments.
However, this does not hide the fact that there are differences between Egypt and the Gulf over Turkey, bearing in mind that Saudi Arabia is developing strategic ties with Turkey, while Egypt continues to see it as hostile to the government in Cairo and that Turkey wants to revive Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt.
The Iran factor
The differences also include the issue of relations with Iran. For example, Egypt does not agree with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain over the designation of the Iranian threat as an existential one. Egypt also diverges with the Gulf over Syria: Cairo does not endorse the policy based on the centrality of Assad stepping down, and does not focus a lot of its energy on the Syrian issue. Rather, Cairo’s focus is on Libya, where in turn, the Gulf interest is less compared to Egypt’s. In the Yemeni issue, misunderstanding and miscalculation has weakened mutual trust.
The Gulf’s message to Egypt over relations with the US is that US-Gulf relations are enduring and are about to be strengthened, and that Egypt is no alternative to the strategic relationship between the Gulf and the US.
Gulf-US policies converge in considering Egypt a key partner against terrorism and extremism. Gulf states may be more understanding of Egyptian stringent security measures even if they differ on some issues, but the US and European nations are strongly critical of the iron fist being deployed by the army and police in running the country, without showing any tolerance or transparency.
The Western powers believe President el-Sisi of Egypt is unable to make the key decisions to induce radical change in Egypt towards economic and political openness, and therefore, they are not willing to invest in Egypt. To them, the Egyptian military leadership is autocratic and unsustainable in the long run, because its current path is self-destructive.
However, the Egyptian-Israeli relationship is softening the US stance, because, according to a well-informed US source, this relationship is currently at an unprecedented peak, and one reason is the cooperation against terror groups like IS, and the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.
Regarding relations between Egypt and Turkey, there is nothing yet to suggest they can be mended at this juncture. Neither the Turks want accord with the Egyptian government, nor do the Egyptians want reconciliation with the Turkish leadership.
Regarding the US condoning Iran’s tampering with regional stability, the GCC states are intent to clarify their rejection of this policy, and to reserve the right to diverge from Washington to preserve their vital interests
The Saudi king’s visit to the capitals of the two countries came upon a prior conviction that there is no way yet to break the ice between Cairo and Ankara, and that it would be best to separate the relationship with Egypt from that with Turkey. In Riyadh’s opinion, Ankara is crucial for its influence on Syria and Iran, and in the Islamic alliance against terrorism, compared to which Egypt’s role is secondary.
The Gulf-Turkish clout in leading the Islamic alliance is different from the Gulf-Egyptian clout in the regional balance of power, as the thinking goes in the Gulf region. Furthermore, Turkey is able to play a deeper and broader role with Iran compared to Egypt.
The US administration seems comfortable with this thinking, and thus is backing cooperation with Egypt and Turkey as part of the Islamic military alliance against ISIS and also in the framework of influencing Gulf-Iranian relations.
Tension and distrust
But the consultative summit meeting between the US president and leaders of the GCC will probably not tackle these details, however, and will focus on repairing US-Gulf cooperation, at least on two levels: Tension and distrust vis-à-vis the US following the latter’s courtship of Tehran while utterly exempting it from its regional entanglements including direct and proxy intervention in Syria, through groups like Hezbollah. And the level of US-Gulf security relations.
Regarding bilateral security ties, strategic cooperation will be at the top of the agenda of mending relations, and will not be a difficult issue. Indeed, the US view is that there is no contradiction between courting Iran and turning the page on hostility with Tehran, and having strategic relations with the Gulf Arab states, despite the fact that the Obama doctrine upended the previous Carter Doctrine focused on solid strategic alliance with the Gulf states.
Since the Gulf states are prepared to accept reassurances in this regard, mending the relationship will not be difficult, especially since the security relationship entails arms purchases.
Regarding the US condoning Iran’s tampering with regional stability, the GCC states are intent to clarify their rejection of this policy, and to reserve the right to diverge from Washington to preserve their vital interests. These states will emphasize the principle of non-interference in the affairs of others, and will highlight Tehran’s admission of sending troops to Syria as a glaring example of the divergence with Washington, which has chosen to overlook these violations.
The Gulf states will tell the US president that his legacy, represented in the nuclear deal and détente with Iran, is not binding for them if the goal is to sanction Iranian dominance over the Arab region.
The differences are profound. The Obama administration believes Arab autocracies are the source of the scourge and that the US must resist the rule of strongmen in the Arab region, in the words of the US ambassador to the UN Samantha Power. Yet the US administration has refused to criticize Iran’s theocracy and strongmen. The Obama administration has sought to punish Arab autocrats and remove them from power, while at the same time exempting Iran’s autocratic theocrats from accountability.
The room for accord here is not broad. The Obama administration began its term championing grand values, and is leaving the White House with a record stained by the deliberate overlooking of values and atrocities in places like Syria. The US no longer has the right to claim the moral high ground because of the US policy on Syria pursued by President Obama, who embraced US popular priorities such as: We should not be involved in others’ wars and the massacres against civilians in faraway places are no business of ours.
Perhaps President Obama had wished to leave the White House with a different legacy, one that does not confine him to having to court Iran, despite its violations, obstructionism, subversion, and alliance with Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah.
Some want him to seek a major breakthrough in the Palestinian-Iranian dossier, which he had adopted upon entering the Oval Office, promising a historic achievement and deeming the resolution of this conflict to be at the heart of US national interests. Thus, there is some bid in US administration circles supporting a UN Security Council resolution on the two-state solution, affirming the principle.
The talk revolves around developing the famous resolution issued in the aftermath of the Arab-Israeli war of 1967, number 242, which became the basis for subsequent negotiations, provided that no binding mechanism through sanctions is included nor a timeframe.
Resolution 242 was the basis of Egyptian-Israeli and Jordanian-Israeli negotiations and subsequent peace treaties. The idea is upgrading this resolution to include Palestine, and to be the basis of a Palestinian-Israeli treaty when the time comes, a year from now or many years later. Thus, in the opinion of the proponents of such a resolution, which would be a precedent, the next US president can act on the basis of a clear reference frame based on having a Palestinian state and a Jewish state, one that enjoys international support.
But most likely, both the Palestinian and Israeli sides will object to such a resolution, because it would force them both to make concessions. Perhaps President Obama does not want to end his tenure with a defeat, and would thus not press the matter. But perhaps he will find these ideas to be a way to end his term with a resolution that crowns the efforts of his Secretary of State John Kerry, one that would allow him to say he ultimately delivered on what he had promised.
Every American president at the end of his term scrambles to achieve something on Palestine/Israel. President Obama prefers to appear as a cold, cautious, and calculating leader. This is what he will do in his meetings with the Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia, and with the subsequent decisions he makes as he prepares to leave the White House.

Questioning the wisdom of declaring now – ‘The Golan is Israel’s forever’
Herb Keinon/Jerusalem Post/April 18/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/04/18/herb-keinonjerusalem-post-questioning-the-wisdom-of-declaring-now-the-golan-is-israels-forever/
Some 49 years after Israel won control of the Golan Heights in the Six Day War, and 35 years after Jerusalem extended Israeli law over the region, the cabinet on Sunday held its first ever meeting on the Heights to send a message that Israel would never relinquish the area.
“The Golan Heights will forever remain in Israel’s hands,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Israel will never come down from the Golan Heights.”
Netanyahu’s unequivocal comments about the future of the Golan, which he stressed housed a Jewish presence in antiquity, are especially telling since he twice held secret negotiations with Damascus over the future of the area: once during his first term in 1998, and then again during his second stint as premier in 2010. Both efforts proved futile, and the premier’s comments on Sunday were designed to send a message to the world – just as talks were taking place in Geneva over the future of Syria – that there will not be a third time. Which raises two key questions: why now, and how wise was this type of declaration at this time? As to the question of timing, the prime minister’s comments were meant to signal to the world – first and foremost to the US and Russia – that even though Israel may not have a seat around the table in the Geneva talks, it too has key interests regarding the future of its northern neighbor.
Netanyahu reflected the conventional wisdom in Jerusalem when he said on Sunday that he told US Secretary of State John Kerry in a conversation Saturday night that he is very doubtful – an obvious understatement – that Syria would ever return to be what it once was: a unitary state.
Rather, the sense in Jerusalem is that at the end of the day, Syria will be divided into different areas of control: the Kurds in the north, an area under Assad and Alawite control near Damascus and the west, and Islamic State and Nusra Front having various areas of influence elsewhere.
In this reality, it is absurd – in Netanyahu’s thinking – to talk, as is apparently being done in Geneva, of inserting a demand in any final document that Israel must return the Golan Heights to Syria.
What Syria? What part of Syria? To whose area of influence in Syria? Setting down an Israeli marker now, therefore, makes sense. Put Washington, Moscow and others on notice that the Syrian reality has changed fundamentally, and – as such – what was once on the table, is no longer the case.
But then the question is how to achieve this goal, how best to lay down that marker? Was it necessary to helicopter the entire cabinet to Ma’aleh Gamla and make a very loud statement, that may perplex friends and unify foes? Or would it have been possible to quietly let Washington and Moscow know that in the current reality, and for the foreseeable future, there is no room to talk about relinquishing the Golan? Former ambassador to the US Itamar Rabinovich, who was involved in the 1990s in negotiations with the Syrians, said in an Israel Radio interview that by taking the cabinet to the Golan and making his statements there, the premier did something that he successfully avoided doing for the duration of the five year Syrian civil war: insert Israel into the heart of the conflict.
Granted, Israel has acted upon occasion when necessary inside Syria – as Netanyahu acknowledged last week – to keep Hezbollah from attaining game-changing weapons, and it acted selectively when Iran was seen as moving too close to the border or mortars were fired across the northern border. But all-in-all Netanyahu has, until now, managed to keep Israel out of the Syrian mess. Rabinovich pointed out that one achievement of this policy was to deflate the myth that all of the Mideast troubles were a result of the Arab-Israeli conflict. With Israel way out of the Syrian morass, it was clear to reasonable people that Syria was not Israel’s issue, problem, or fault. But now Netanyahu goes to the Golan, makes his declaration, and – in countless headlines around the world – there will now be an Israeli angle to the Syrian story. Moreover, there will be an Israeli chip in the negotiations, and it will not be too long until someone out there will blame the slow pace of the negotiations, or even a breakdown in the talks, on Israel’s insistence to hold on to the Golan. Netanyahu speaks regularly to Kerry, he is going on Thursday to Moscow to see Russian President Vladimir Putin, he could have relayed his message quietly.
The Golan has been off the international community’s agenda for years, but Netanyahu put it squarely back there on Sunday. What is not immediately clear is what Israel gained by doing so.

Iran – Why Has the Obama Gamble Failed?
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/April 18/16
In the next few days President Barack Obama will have to sign a new Executive Order extending the suspension of some sanctions against Iran in the context of an unsigned, implicit, accord aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program.
Washington says Iran has fulfilled its end of the bargain within the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). However, because this is neither a treaty nor a binding agreement, Obama cannot simply lift the sanctions. All he can do is suspend them for periods of between 90 and 180 days.
Beginning in 1995, Congress passed a series of laws authorizing sanctions but giving the president discretion in how to put them into place. Presidents Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama all signed executive orders ramping up those sanctions but were unable to simply lift them.
Obama administration officials have stressed, however, that those other U.S. sanctions against Iran will remain in place. “We will continue to target sanctionable activities … including those related to Iran’s support for terrorism, regional destabilization, human rights abuses, and ballistic missile development,” Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said last January.
Obama’s eight-page executive order suspended four previous executive orders and amended a fifth. But eight other executive orders imposing other sanctions on Iran remained in effect.
This has landed Iran into a peculiar situation with the Damoclean sword of snapped-back sanctions hanging above its head for at least 25 more years according to the terms of the JCPOA. As a result few would be ready to invest in Iran, not knowing when and how we could be back to the full resumption of sanctions. Worse still, since neither the US nor any of its P5+1 partners are legally bound by the CJPOA, it is not at all certain that the verbal accord might not be cancelled by the next occupant of the White House or change of policy by European governments. In fact, all candidates for the US presidency this year have either openly said or more than indicated they would cancel a “deal” that binds only Obama.
And, yet, the full lifting of sanctions is precisely what Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and his team, known as “The New York Boys” promised.
Last July Rouhani declared that Iran wouldn’t sign anything unless “all sanctions are lifted on the same day.” Whether he fell victim to his illusions or was given false promises by the Americans is beside the point. In the end no sanctions were lifted and Iran didn’t sign anything either.
Instead, the Obama administration and the Rafsanjani faction of which Rouhani is a member decided to fudge the issue by inventing the so-called “non-paper” agreement, a document of 179 pages of paper but still regarded as “non-paper” because no one signed it.
Rouhani declared the move as “the greatest diplomatic victory in the history of Islam.”
Obama was equally hyperbolic in praise of the “chance in a lifetime accord”.
The mullahs called CJPOA with its Persian acronym of Barjam. Almost four months later it seems that Rouhani may have seen Barjam as a series of moves on a range of issues rather than a single event focused on the nuclear dispute.This is why he started talking of Barjam II, Barjam III and so on. But what does he mean? Because mullahs never speak straight, one could only speculate about the answer.He may have hoped that the “non-paper” deal will help him launch his Barjam II in the form of a concerted effort to win control of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) , the ersatz parliament and the Assembly of Experts which can choose and dismiss the “Supreme Guide”. It is clear that Obama gambled on that hope and did what he could to help the Rafsanjani faction.
Obama released $1.7 billion of Iran’s frozen assets close to the Iranian New Year to help Rouhani pay end-of-the-year bonuses and the unpaid salaries of some civil servants almost on the eve of the elections.
Unfortunately for Obama, although the Rafsanjani faction did well in Tehran elections, it failed to win either of the two crucial assemblies. Thus the scenario according to which the “moderates” would close the chapter of revolution and transform Iran into an ordinary nation-state hit a big hurdle.
Yet, Rouhani’s Barjam III was supposed to come in the shape of a turnaround in Iran’s economy which has been on life-support since 2012, partly because of falling oil prices. Iran’s “frozen” assets are estimated at between $50 and $150 billion which, if made available, could help revive the moribund economy. However, that, too, didn’t happen.
Obama was less than sincere in helping the Rafsanjani faction in a way that would tip the balance in its favor in the power struggle in Tehran. The method that Obama used resembled a financial version of water-boarding, the torture in which a prisoner’s head is pushed under water and kept there right up to the point he is about to choke. Then the prisoner’s head is pulled out of water and he is allowed to take a few breaths before his head is once again pushed under water. Thus, Obama released Iran’s frozen assets in tranches, allowing Rouhani to lift his head from under water and take a few breaths but not enough for his faction to produce a real economic turnaround. The tranches released were mostly absorbed by a 21 per cent increase in Iran’s military budget plus the expenses of the Syrian war and paying the salaries of Hezbollah and kindred fighters.
Some countries like China and India, owing Iran a total of $28 billion offered to pay back in goods and services, effectively inviting Iran to barter trade. But the bulk of the money, held in Western banks, could not be instantly unfrozen because it required complicated measures from Washington and the cooperation of American and European banks.
According to the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif last February, the US Secretary of State John Kerry had promised to “work hard to remove final hurdles” so that Iran could access its assets. Some analysts believe that Washington dragged its feet on the subject waiting for the results of the Iranian elections in March. Because the Rafsanjani faction didn’t secure the victory it had promised, there was no reason Washington should speed up Iran’s access to funds that could be used by the radical faction in Tehran to further its revolutionary ambitions.
Barjam III was also designed to diversify Iran’s trade relations, especially with the European Union. The mullahs know that EU nations are in a deep recession and thirsty for juicy contracts. Rouhnai was prepared to oblige.
In a series of visits to European capitals plus hosting a range of European leaders in Tehran he signed contract after contract. By my count, in no way exhaustive, he has signed a total of 85 contracts worth almost $100 billion with 15 countries. His Oil Minister Bizhan Zangeneh has prepared plans that require over $300 billion in investment in Iranian oil and gas resources. Call it signaturitis, or the disease of just signing contracts, if you like, but the fact is that Iran doesn’t have that kind of money. Islamic Transport Minister Abbas Akhundi, apparently a level-headed man, says Iran will buy the things it has signed contracts for only if the sellers provide the funds needed. In other words, Iran may soon find itself in the global capital market looking for massive loans.
The European and other nations that sign the contracts know that Iran has no money. But they also know that Iran has collateral in the shape of vast oil and gas and many other natural resources, a population of 78 million, a rather comfortable middle class, and plenty of scope for agricultural and industrial development. It may be a long shot, but it’s a shot, after all. To sum up, Iran needs to become a debtor nation on a large scale in order to join the global system, the strategy adopted by Boris Yeltsin in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Empire. Once in the debt up to its neck, Iran might think twice before spending vast sums on helping Bashar Al-Assad kill Syrians. But it is precisely now that the “Supreme Guide” launches his “Resistance Economy” of self-reliance and reduction of foreign trade. We are back to square one. Iran cannot change course on any issue until it has settled its domestic power struggle at the center of which is one question: “Does Iran want to be a nation or a revolution?”

The Strategic Scope of Operation “Decisive Storm”
Rajih Khouri/Asharq Al Awsat/April 18/16
When Recep Tayyip Erdogan greeted the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques by saying that “Turkey considers King Salman’s policy a safety valve and a cause of stability in the region”, it seemed that the important, strategic and political bridge that was agreed upon during the Saudi Arabian king’s historic visit to Egypt was extended to Turkey even though Turkish – Egyptian relations need special attention from Saudi Arabia. While the Saudi – Turkish summit, the third in six months, began, the Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had completed an important visit to Jordan at the invitation of King Abdullah II, and then immediately travelled to Abu Dhabi where he held a meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. It is clear that the two visits are part of active political dynamics to implement King Salman’s decision to correct the imbalance at regional and international levels.
It is on this basis that Erdogan said that King Salman’s policy is a safety valve for the region. It is also on this basis that one can say that the Saudi monarch did not only agree to build a bridge between Saudi Arabia and Egypt during his historic visit to Egypt, but that he also agreed to build a bridge that would support the Arab region. On the 26th of March last year, King Salman launched operation “Decisive Storm” in response to the request of the legitimate Yemeni government to eradicate the chaos caused by Houthi rebels in Yemen. Almost a year after the decision to support legitimacy in Yemen in the face of the Houthis and their sponsors, it became clear that Salman’s storm is raging in many ways. If it raged militarily by means of the Gulf alliance and restored legitimacy to the doors of Sana’a which forced the rebels to bow and accept the negotiations in Kuwait on the basis of Resolution 2216, then it is raging politically at different levels in order to establish wide ranging strategic alliances. Operation “Decisive Storm” is a policy and a strategy to end the imbalance in the region which made Iran interfere and create problems in almost all countries in the region. Iran does not hesitate to negotiate nuclear deals with America and the west as though it is the pivotal force that is dominant in the region! Therefore it was natural that Saudi Arabia and Jordan announce their rejection of Iran’s policy of interference in the region, inciting discord and developing terrorism after King Abdullah II and Prince Mohammed bin Salman held talks. They also warned Tehran against continuing with its current approach which is deepening the disputes and conflicts in the region and targets stability. When King Salman ended his historic visit to Egypt by flying straight to Ankara to hold a summit with Recep Tayyip Erdogan before the two leaders travelled to Istanbul to participate in the OIC summit, and the Turkish president said that King Salman’s policy is considered the safety valve for the region, should we assume that Turkey also believes that it is necessary to follow in the footsteps of operation “Decisive Storm”?
King Salman’s speech addressing the Egyptian parliament outlined a bridge for strong Islamic and Arab strategy to face the escalating challenges targeting the region from within it and outside it.

Christians who use the language of Jesus being uprooted by Islamic State
Hugh Naylor/The Washington Post/April 18, 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/christians-who-speak-the-language-of-jesus-being-uprooted-by-islamic-state/2015/04/14/bdcba514-cd8b-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html
BEIRUT — Suhail Gabriel was in bed when Islamic State militants stormed his village in eastern Syria, firing machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Gabriel rushed his wife and daughter onto his motorcycle and sped through the early-morning darkness, he later recalled.
“We left in our pajamas,” Gabriel said. “We didn’t even have time to put on clothes.”He was among the thousands of people from an ancient community of Christians, known as Assyrians, who fled 35 farming villages in Syria’s Khabur River area in February because of attacks by the extremist Sunni Muslim group. The militants desecrated churches and religious symbols during the offensive and kidnapped about 250 of the Assyrians, including women and children. Over the past decade, Assyrians have joined waves of Christians who have fled Syria and Iraq because of war and persecution by extremist Muslims. But the latest attacks have added to concerns that this unique Mesopotamian people are in danger of disappearing from the region.
Assyrians in Iraq and Syria belong to the last communities of significant size to speak the language of Jesus: Aramaic. Many of Assyrians are being forced to move outside the Middle East, where it becomes less likely that the tongue will be maintained, said Eden Naby, a Middle East historian and expert on Assyrian culture. Aramaic is the oldest continuously written and spoken language in the Middle East, she said. It was once also used by other religious communities, including Jews. “Assyrians remain the last Aramaic-speaking of people of the world. So the disappearance and displacement of these people pretty much spells the closing chapter of Aramaic use in the world,” Naby said. Assyrians, also referred to as Chaldeans or Syriacs, consider themselves ethnically distinct from Arabs and Kurds, tracing their roots in the region to 6,500 years ago. They speak a modern dialect of what was the lingua franca of the Assyrian Empire.
Assyrians were among the earliest people to convert to Christianity, and they mostly belong to four Eastern Rite churches, whose founders are said to have included the 1st-century apostles Thomas, Thaddeus and Bartholomew. Although groups of Assyrians are scattered around Lebanon and Turkey, the core of their community has lived in Iraq and Syria. The number of Assyrians in Iraq has plunged from about 1.4 million in the late 1980s to an estimated 400,000, with many migrating abroad because of the upheaval produced by the U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
In Syria, Assyrians are estimated to total fewer than 40,000. Many have been forced by the Islamic State to flee to Kurdish-controlled areas in the eastern part of the country.
“What we have faced is atrocity after atrocity,” said Habib Afram, head of the Syriac League in Lebanon, which represents regional Assyrian issues. He referred to attacks perpetrated against Assyrians in recent years, including the murder of an archbishop in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in 2008; the bombing of an Assyrian church in Baghdad in 2010 that killed nearly 60 people; and the kidnapping of two bishops in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. “They don’t want to just take your land or kick you out of your villages; they want to erase your past, your heritage,” he said. When the Islamic State swept into northern Iraq in June, thousands of Assyrians were pushed out of Mosul and other areas. Long before Syria’s civil war and the rise of the Islamic State, Assyrians faced persecution. At least half a million Assyrians perished during the slaughter by Ottoman Turks of Armenians and other minorities during World War I, a massacre that many historians consider a genocide.
Today, more than two-thirds of Assyrians are believed to be living in countries including the United States, Sweden and Australia. Few schools teach Aramaic in these places, contributing to the language’s disappearance, said Naby, the expert on Assyrian culture. She noted that a similar loss of Aramaic happened when thousands of Jews left northern Iraq around the time of Israel’s creation in 1948. Many of them moved to Israel, where Hebrew became their language. Many Assyrians who recently fled their homes in Syria are hoping to rebuild their lives abroad. “None of us will ever be able to return to Syria. We know that, and so we know that our lives will have to built in other countries,” said Gabriel, 47, an English teacher who came to Lebanon with his family and dozens of other Assyrians shortly after the attacks. He fled his village of Tal Jomaa as Islamic State militants were battling Kurdish forces in the area.
Gabriel and many other new arrivals from the Khabur River villages attend Mass at St. George Cathedral of the Assyrian Church in Beirut. They share news about loved ones who emigrated or discuss those who were not so lucky, such as people taken prisoner by Islamic State militants. On a recent Sunday at the church, Samir Khizan, 49, who came to Beirut from Syria more than a year ago, said that the militants agreed not to kidnap her 70-year-old brother when they attacked the family’s village of Abu Tireh in February. But they forced him to destroy the crosses and shrines to the Virgin Mary at his home, she said.
“They told him to crush them with his feet, so he closed his eyes and quietly asked God for forgiveness before he did,” she said.
Andre Hermes, 60, said he has not heard from his brother, Awiyeh, since the February attacks. Awiyeh, he said, refused to leave his property, where he farmed cotton, wheat and tomatoes. “He loved that home,” said Hermes, who thinks his brother was among the 250 people taken by the Islamic State from the Khabur River area. He suspects that the militants want to exchange the captives for their own fighters, who are being held as prisoners by Kurdish militias in the area. There are also rumors that the militants want hefty ransoms for their captives. For their part, families fear that loved ones could be killed as many other Islamic State captives have been. “They treat us like we’re animals,” said Hermes, who left his village more than a year ago to try to move to Sweden. He has stayed in Beirut since then, receiving support from the local Assyrian community until he can emigrate.
Nuri Kino, founder of A Demand For Action, a group raising awareness of persecuted minorities in Iraq and Syria, said that despite their mass displacement, Assyrians still maintain cultural cohesiveness in some countries, including Sweden, which has taken in as many as 150,000 of them. But he expressed doubt they will continue using Aramaic as they did in the Middle East.

UNESCO says no Jewish history on Temple Mount; Hebron and Bethlehem 'Integral part of Palestine'
Noga Tranopolsky/The Media Line/J/Post/April 18/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/04/18/noga-tranopolskythe-media-linejpost-unesco-says-no-jewish-history-on-temple-mount-hebron-and-bethlehem-integral-part-of-palestine/
UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Association, announced a number of resolutions just before the weekend started. One, submitted by the Russian Federation, called for defining UNESCO’s role in safeguarding and preserving Palmyra and other Syrian World Heritage sites. Another was about “Enhancing UNESCO’s contributions to promote a culture of mutual respect and tolerance.” A third was simply entitled “Occupied Palestine” and addressed the Jerusalem Old City hotspot that Jews refer to as the Temple Mount and Muslims call Haram Al-Sharif, the Noble Sanctuary. Except that the Jewish link to the site, considered the holiest place for Jews, went unmentioned. In the context of Jerusalem’s Old City, the document refers to Israel solely as “the occupying power” and refers to the site itself, the world famous esplanade flanked by the Western Wall - considered by many experts to be the last existing retaining wall of the mount that once held the ancient Jewish temples - only by its Islamic moniker. The decision refers to the plaza fronting the Western Wall only in quotation marks, except when using one of its Arabic names, Al-Buraq, a reference to the Prophet Mohammed’s ascent to heaven.
The Israeli government responded with fury.
“This is yet another absurd UN decision,” an incandescent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement released late on Saturday. “UNESCO ignores the unique historic connection of Judaism to the Temple Mount, where the two temples stood for a thousand years and to which every Jew in the world has prayed for thousands of years. The UN is rewriting a basic part of human history and has again proven that there is no low to which it will not stoop.” Carmel Shama Hacohen, Israel’s representative to UNESCO, that has its seat in Paris, issued a press release declaring that “even if UNESCO passes dozens of resolutions, and decides to continue passing thousands more, Jerusalem will always remain as part of the capital of Israel and the Jewish people.” On Saturday night, addressing Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, and Sudan, the nations which presented the resolution, Shama Hacohen averred that, “As you continue on this path of incitement, lies and terror you will be sending UNESCO down a path towards irrelevance.”
The Jordan Times reveled: “Jordan triumphant in ‘diplomatic showdown’ over Jerusalem at UNESCO.”
Jews are permitted to visit the site at pre-arranged times, but under international agreements signed in 1967, when Israel captured the area from Jordan in the 1967 war, Jewish worship is banned. Without citing specifics, the resolution also condemned Israel for “planting fake Jewish graves in other spaces of the Muslim cemeteries” and for “the continued conversion of many Islamic and Byzantine remains into the so-called Jewish ritual baths or into Jewish prayer places.” Among the states supporting the decision were Argentina, France, Spain, Slovenia, Sweden, India and Russia, several of which enjoys ostensibly warm relations Israel. A UNESCO spokesman declined to comment on the decision. The Israeli government also declined to comment beyond the statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The resolution, considered a victory for anti-Israel hard-liners, also affirms that Hebron, a city that according to a most histories has a 3000-year history of Jewish life, and Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, are “are an integral part of Palestine.”Referencing “ongoing Israeli illegal excavations, works, construction of private roads for settlers and a separation wall inside the Old City of Al-Khalīl/Hebron, that harmfully affect the integrity of the site, and the subsequent denial of freedom of movement and freedom of access to places of worship,” UNESCO also urged “Israel, the occupying Power, to end these violations in compliance with provisions of relevant UNESCO conventions, resolutions and decisions.”
This resolution is not the first attempt to designate anew holy sites in what may be the most contested spot in the Middle East. In October, 2015, facing the rejection of Russia, China and even Cuba, that usually joins anti-Israel initiatives, the Palestinian delegation to UNESCO withdrew a proposed resolution that would have defined the Western Wall itself as an “integral part” of the compound holy to Muslims. Anwar Ben Badis, a professor of Arabic and Aramaic at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at Al-Quds University, who often leads tours of the esplanade, said the decision was “unequivocally political, not legal or binding in any way, but at attempt to support and further the Palestinian struggle.” Speaking with The Media Line, Ben Badis said he believes “that every decision provides international support to everything the Palestinians are doing to free Al-Aqsa and all of Palestine.”