LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 23/16
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.april23.16.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
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Bible Quotations For Today
Do not work for the food that
perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man
will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’"
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 06/22-27:"The next day the
crowd that had stayed on the other side of the lake saw that there had been only
one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his
disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Then some boats from
Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had
given thanks.
So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they
themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they
found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you
come here?’Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me,
not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not
work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set
his seal.’"
For God did not call us to
impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human
authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
First Letter to the Thessalonians 04/01-12:"Finally, brothers and sisters, we
ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to
live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and
more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For
this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication;
that each one of you knows how to control your own body in holiness and honour,
not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one
wrongs or exploits a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an
avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and
solemnly warned you. For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness.
Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also
gives his Holy Spirit to you. Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters,
you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught
by God to love one another; and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters
throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more, to
aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands,
as we directed you, so that you may behave properly towards outsiders and be
dependent on no one."
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on April 23/16
Sun of Stability/Ahmad El-Assaad/April
22/16
Israel and Hezbollah’s deterrence doctrine/Nicholas Blanford/Now Lebanon/April
22/16
The pangs of electing a president in Lebanon/Nayla Tueni/Al Arabiya/April 22/16
Geneva, Assad, and the numbers game in Syria/Mohamed Chebarro/Al Arabiya/April
22/16
A gathering of Kings/Zaid M. Belbagi/Al Arabiya/April 22/16
Breaking free from the vicious cycle/Khalid Abdulla-Janahii/Al Arabiya/April
22/16
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on April 23/16
Geagea on Armenian Genocide
Anniversary: Massacres of Past Remind us of Ones Committed Today
Berri Tasks Advisers to Contact Christian Parties on Parliament Reactivation
Army Arrests People Smugglers in Bekaa
Jumblat Urges Compromise to End Baabda Vacuum
Suspected Syrian Terrorist Informant Arrested
Report: 10 Poultry Farms in Bekaa Isolated over Bird Flu
Car Theft Ring Members Wounded in Police Chase
Iran calls US Supreme Court ruling on Beirut blast a ‘theft’
Lebanon Gets Ready to Celebrate Temer’s Nearing Brazilian Presidency
Judge Hammoud to NNA: Google Cache investigations concluded
Salam reminds from Paris of Lebanon ordeal due to refugees
Deputy Fadi Karam: We want to build strong state, combat corruption
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Boutros Rahi: Time for politicians to uncover reasons
behind president election failure
Abou Faour: Youssef tops list of corruption system in telecom
Environment Minister Muhammad Mashnouq on Earth Day: Every individual is
responsible for protecting this earth
MP Estphan Douaihy visits Rahi: We hope municipal harmony in Zgharta would
prevail over
Economy and Trade Minister Alain Hakim, Swiss State Secretary for Research
tackle economic situation
Sun of Stability
Israel and Hezbollah’s deterrence doctrine
Nicholas Blanford/Now Lebanon/April 22/16
The pangs of electing a president in Lebanon
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 23/16
Syria Peace Talks to Push on until
April 27
US to buy heavy water from Iran's nuclear program in $8.6m deal
Strikes on Syria's Aleppo Kill 14 Civilians
Yemen Peace Talks Resume in Kuwait
Three Soldiers Killed by Roadside Bomb in Turkey
Amnesty International prepares to rally over Regeni’s death in Egypt
Israeli Officials Denied Entry to Religious Compound at Passover
France to Hold May Meeting on Israel-Palestinian Peace Process
Netanyahu Meets Putin, Fears Weapons from Iran Falling in Hizbullah Hands
Riyadh-U.S. Summit Accuses Iran of Destabilizing Region, Supporting 'Terror
Groups' Like Hizbullah
Saudi Executes Pakistani Man for Drug Trafficking
U.N.-Backed Yemen Peace Talks Begin after Delay in Kuwait
Obama Blocks an Attempt to Link Saudi Arabia to September 11
Netanyahu, Putin met amid reports of aerial incidents over Syria
Links From
Jihad Watch Site for
April 23/16
U.S. soldier helps foil jihad plot to blow up school in Denmark
Mauritania: Appeals court upholds blogger’s death sentence for apostasy
Minnesota Muslims spoke about planning jihad massacres in the U.S. for the Islamic State
Independent: Islamic State jihadis “noticeably lacking” in knowledge of Islamic law
Video: Muslim migrants in London scream, “This is our country now, get out!”
Missouri: Youth pastor’s wife wearing hijab in “solidarity” with Muslims
Hugh Fitzgerald: Homo Kaplanensis: “Europe Was Defined By Islam. And Islam Is Redefining It Now.”
Robert Spencer in FrontPage: Saudi Influence in Washington Must End
Indian spiritual leader invites Islamic State to peace talks, they send him photo of beheaded man
Geagea on Armenian Genocide
Anniversary: Massacres of Past Remind us of Ones Committed Today
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea remarked on Friday that massacres of the
21st century would not have been committed had the Armenian genocide been
recognized. He said during an LF ceremony marking the genocide: “The massacres
of the past remind us of the ones being committed today and the international
community must intervene to thwart them.”“The East is not being slaughtered by
the butchers alone, but also by those who remain silent over injustice,” he
added. “We are living in a time when the butcher is allowed to commit his
massacres and get away with murder,” he said in an indirect reference to the
Syrian regime and the war in neighboring Syria. “If the Armenian genocide was
unacceptable at the turn of the century then it is even more unacceptable now
almost a hundred years since the genocide was first committed,” Geagea said. He
noted that at the beginning of the 20th century, the United Nations,
International Criminal Court, and human rights charter did not exist to defend
people.“Now despite their existence, they have not stopped massacres from being
committed,” lamented the F chief. What took place in the past against the
Armenian people is happening again today and will recur in the future, he
warned. “Achieving justice to the Armenian people will pave the way for justice
for people in the region. “We must combat this evil with courage through
remembrance and confronting current genocides. “Do we surrender to barbarism?
Never. The genocide pushes us to never surrender and our future is bound to be
bright and prosperous,” stressed Geagea. It is 101 years on Sunday since
Turkey's Ottoman government began arresting minority community leaders and
setting in motion a campaign of systematic slaughter that had left 1.5 million
Christian Armenians dead by the early 1920s. Some 20 countries have recognized
it as genocide as well as the European Parliament. But Turkey rejects the
claims, arguing that 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and as many Turks died in
civil strife when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with
invading Russian troops.
Berri
Tasks Advisers to Contact Christian Parties on Parliament Reactivation
Naharnet/April 22/16/ Speaker Nabih Berri has tasked his advisers to contact
Christian parties to bridge the gap on the initiative he launched at the
national dialogue table on “necessary legislation,” parliamentary sources close
to Ain el-Tineh said Friday. The sources told al-Liwaa daily that Berri urged
his advisers to bring views closer despite the rejection of some Christian
parties to discuss any issue if the electoral draft-law is not placed at the top
of the agenda of a parliamentary session. The speaker told the national dialogue
participants in Ain el-Tineh on Wednesday that he wanted to reactivate the
parliament. But several Christian parties stressed that they would boycott a
legislative session if the electoral draft-law was not iscussed. Parliamentary
sources expressed fear that the issue will be complicated rather than resolved
over the insistence of Berri, backed in principal by al-Mustaqbal Movement, the
Progressive Socialist Party, Hizbullah and other blocs, to swiftly hold a
session to approve accumulated draft-laws. The sources told An Nahar newspaper,
however, that three Christian parties – the Free Patriotic Movement, the
Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb – do not seem to be relinquishing their demand to
place the electoral draft-law at the top of the agenda.Economy Minister Alain
Hakim, who is a Kataeb official, stressed to al-Liwaa that his party’s stance is
non-negotiable. Change and Reform bloc MP Salim Salhab also downplayed Berri’s
initiative, hinting the FPM would change its stance if the speaker introduced
amendments to it.
Army Arrests People Smugglers in Bekaa
Naharnet/April 22/16/The Lebanese army said on Friday that it arrested a
Lebanese man and four Syrians involved in a human trafficking ring in the
eastern Bekaa Valley. An army unit raided the houses of Lebanese Moussa Rida
Shouman and Ahmed Khaled al-Sumaili in the West Bekaa town of al-Swairi after
receiving information that they have held Syrians captives and asked for ransom
from their families, the military said in a communique. Shuman and four Syrians
were arrested during the raids, it said.The military also seized two vehicles
used to smuggle the Syrians to Lebanon. Troops found 18 Syrians in the house of
al-Sumaili who has managed to escape, the communique said. It added that
soldiers found a hand grenade, detonators and an unregistered motorcycle in the
house.
Jumblat Urges Compromise to
End Baabda Vacuum
Naharnet/April 22/16/Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat has
called for a compromise to end Lebanon’s almost two-year presidential deadlock.
Jumblat told LBCI’s Kalam al-Nass talk show late Thursday that Change and Reform
bloc leader MP Michel Aoun and Marada Movement chief lawmaker Suleiman Franjieh
should reach a compromise to facilitate the election of a new president. But the
PSP chief said that he would not drop his support for the candidacy of MP Henri
Helou “because I believe he has chances” to win the elections. The latest
rivalry between Aoun and Franjieh has stopped the bickering parties from
electing a new head of state. Franjieh rose to the forefront of the polls late
last year when al-Mustaqbal Movement chief ex-PM Saad Hariri backed him as his
candidate. Hariri’s announcement was followed by a reconciliation between Aoun
and his long-time rival Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, who withdrew from
the presidential race in favor of the MP. But the country’s top Christian post
at Baabda Palace has been vacant since the term of President Michel Suleiman
ended in May 2014. The rivalry between the different parliamentary blocs has
caused lack of quorum at sessions aimed at electing a president. Jumblat
reiterated in the interview that he would submit his resignation to Speaker
Nabih Berri as soon as the parliament convenes. “My resignation letter is ready
and I am waiting for the necessary legislation session in order to submit it,”
he said. Berri is seeking to reactivate the parliament, which has been paralyzed
as a result of the differences between the rival blocs in the absence of a
president.
Suspected Syrian Terrorist Informant Arrested
Naharnet/April 22/16/General Security arrested on Friday a Syrian who has
admitted to providing a leader of a terrorist group information about the
Lebanese Armed Forces. The suspect, who was identified by his initials as Aa.M.,
told investigators that he is a member of the terrorist network and has given
Abou Suhaib al-Talli, a leading figure in the group, with information on the
movement of the Lebanese army and the rest of the security agencies. The Syrian
also admitted to having the intention to join the ranks of the terrorist
organization on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal, said
General Security. The agency referred him to the judiciary and said it was
exerting efforts to arrest his accomplices.
Report: 10 Poultry Farms in
Bekaa Isolated over Bird Flu
Naharnet/April 22/16/The threat of an H5N1 bird flu virus that plagued a poultry
farm in al-Nabi Sheet in Baalbek has been contained and the necessary measures
to stop the spread of the virus were taken, media reports said on Friday. On
Thursday, Agriculture Ministers said that the virus has been detected in one of
the poultry farms and that the ministry has kicked off efforts to prevent
full-fledged epidemic. Reports said that an outbreak was detected in ten poultry
farms including al-Nabi Sheet and that the area was said to be declared an
infected zone. Some precautionary measures were taken including getting rid of
birds that could be infected with the virus. H5N1 is a type of influenza virus
that causes a highly infectious, severe respiratory disease in birds called
avian influenza. Human cases of H5N1 occur occasionally, but it is difficult to
transmit the infection from person to person. The ministry has also banned the
farmers from sending any of its poultry out of the town as a precautionary
measure to contain any potential spread of the virus. Related authorities will
carry out field inspection in villages neighboring al-Nabi Sheet including
Sareein, Hor Taala, al-Khodr and al-Khraybeh, reports said.
Car Theft Ring Members
Wounded in Police Chase
Naharnet/April 22/16/Two car theft gang members were injured on Friday in a
shootout with police in the northern Zgharta district, the state-run National
News Agency reported. NNA said members of the Internal Security Forces arrested
the two men after they were wounded in the exchange of fire during the chase in
the town of Ashash. However, the third member of the network managed to escape,
said the agency. It added that police are pursuing him.
Iran calls US Supreme Court ruling on Beirut blast a ‘theft’
AP, Tehran Thursday, 21 April 2016/Iran has rejected a ruling by
the US Supreme Court that clears the way for families of victims of the 1983
Marine barracks bombing in Beirut and other attacks linked to Iran to collect
nearly $2 billion in frozen Iranian funds. The state IRNA news agency quoted on
Thursday the spokesman of Iran’s foreign ministry, Hossein Jaberi Ansari, as
saying that “such a verdict is a theft of the assets and properties of the
Islamic Republic of Iran.” From the United Nations, Ansari spoke to IRNA and
said Wednesday’s ruling is “tantamount to a ridicule of justice and law.”The
ruling directly affects relatives of victims, including families of the 241 US
service members who died in the Beirut bombing. Iran denies any links to the
attack.
Lebanon Gets Ready to Celebrate Temer’s Nearing Brazilian Presidency
Paula Astih/Asharq Al Awsat/April
22/16
Beirut-Lebanese people are following with concern and pride every step taken by
the Lebanese Michel Temer to take over the Brazilian presidency next month after
impeaching the current President Dilma Rousseff, who has been accused of being
involved in corruption cases.
Yet, ironically, the Lebanese people are preparing to celebrate the victory of
the Lebanese Temer who will rule the fifth country in the world in terms of
space and population at the time when the Lebanese Cabinet is incapable of
electing a president due to political disputes among its politicians and
deputies from Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement, who refused to attend
the 38 sessions they have been called to over the past two years in order to
fill the Presidential vacancy.
After the Brazilian Parliament voted on Sunday to impeach the President Dilma
Rousseff, everyone is looking forward for the Senate’s final decision that is
supposed to be issued regarding trialing Rousseff for breaking Brazil’s budget
laws. If she is found guilty, Temer will fulfill the remainder of her term,
which runs through the end of 2018.
On the other hand, and since Temer becoming a president is almost settled, the
preparations have started in Lebanon to celebrate the occasion, and precisely in
his hometown Btaaboura in Koura District. A public park has also been
established and will be named after him in addition to the street that holds his
name and the memorial of his father there.Also, the Mayor Bassam Barbar confirmed that celebrations will take place in the
town the moment Temer becomes a president.
Barbar told Asharq Al-Awsat that he is following the updates and receiving
information from Temer’s Lebanese friends and his Brazilian Head of the office.
He also noted that the Brazilian TV will visit Btaaboura on Friday in order to
take a look on all the preparations, and it will cover the celebrations live
when Temer takes over the presidency.
Barbar said that people in his hometown are so proud and excited with one of
them becoming Brazil’s President.Temer holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the Law Faculty of the University of
São Paulo and a doctorate from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo.
He served as State prosecutor and twice as State Secretary for Public Security,
in both capacities working in São Paulo. He served for six consecutive terms as
Federal Deputy for the state of São Paulo in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies.
In 2015, Michel Temer presented a document with proposals for economic growth
drafted by his Brazilian Democratic Movement Party and was entitled “A Bridge to
the Future”.
The paper criticized the government for indulging in spending “excesses” in
recent years, which led to a “fiscal imbalance”. The “current deep recession”,
according to the authors, began in 2014 and should last into 2016. “Considering
the situation, we seem to be headed for a long period of stagnation, or even a
decline in per capita income.”In 2016, Temer announced the withdrawal of his party from supporting the
government, thus starting the journey of ousting Rousseff, who publicly accused
him of plotting against her in order to take over her post.
Judge Hammoud to NNA: Google Cache
investigations concluded
Fri 22 Apr 2016/NNA - State Prosecutor Judge Samir Hammoud, tasked with
following up on the illegal networks' dossier, on Friday told the NNA that he
has given the signal to conclude the investigations carried out by the ISF
Criminal Investigation Department on Google Cache cause. "The investigations
resulted in the arrest of two people," Hammoud told the NNA. Asked about the
procedures to be adopted, Hammoud said that there will be prosecutions and "we
will request permission to pursue employees". On the illegal networks' provision
from abroad, Hammoud said the investigations were being held under his
supervision. "The ISF's criminal investigation department will also examine how
the equipment used in providing illegal network entered Lebanon," Hammoud said.
He also pointed out that the seized tools have been confiscated because they
relate to the ongoing investigations.
Salam reminds from Paris of
Lebanon ordeal due to refugees
Fri 22 Apr 2016ظNNA - Prime Minister, Tammam Salam, told a ceremony to sign a
treaty on climate change in Paris on Friday, that Lebanon was in need of the
help of the international community to deal with over one million Syrian
refugees. But he pledged his country's commitment to joining the international
efforts to end poverty, improve education and public health, and develop
infra-structures and resources. "We have now three work plans that have been
achieved or in their way to, related to waste, transportation, and forests," he
said, while delivering Lebanon's word.
Deputy Fadi Karam: We want to
build strong state, combat corruption
Friday 22 April 22/ 2016/NNA - "Lebanese Forces" member, Deputy Fadi Karam
stressed on Friday the need "to build a strong state, rally around the security
apparatuses and fight corruption".He called on the Lebanese to agree and elect a
strong president "as Lebanon is based on consensual democracy", accusing
Hezbollah of impeding the presidential elections through its failure to attend
the presidential election sessions."Lebanese Forces pushes for a swift
presidential elections to end the ongoing void," the MP said while receiving at
his Kora residence the Australian delegation.
Maronite Patriarch Beshara
Boutros Rahi: Time for politicians to uncover reasons behind president election
failure
Fri 22 Apr 2016/NNA - Maronite Patriarch Beshara Boutros Rahi underlined on
Friday that it was time for the political forces to uncover the real reasons
behind the failure to elect a president of the republic. "We have reached an
unacceptable phase in Lebanon; we are witnessing dislocation of the state, as if
it is programmed," he noted, in reference to the presidential vacuum, the
disruption of the Parliament, and the stumbling activity of the government, "not
to mention the ailing economic situation, the risk of refugee settlement, the
exacerbation of corruption, and the condition of "It is time for the concerned
political forces to uncover, boldly and responsibly, the real reasons behind the
failure to elect a president," he said. "The Lebanese bear this responsibility
in the first place," he concluded. Rahi made these remarks during an event at
Antonine Sisters School in Roumieh.
Abou Faour: Youssef tops list
of corruption system in telecom
Fri 22 Apr 2016 at 19:59/NNA - Health Minister Wael Abou Faour confirmed on
Friday that "the Director-General for Telecommunications Abdel Monem Youssef is
the tops list of corruption system in telecom".The minister hailed yesterday's
important judicial development regarding the illegal internet dossier through
the investigation with Monem, who was released on bail. "This step indicates a
serious judicial path," he asserted. His remarks came during the inauguration of
ambulant clinics in the Bekaa. Abou Faour asked the concerned authorities to
investigate with more officials involved in this file to offer a clear message
to the international community that "Lebanon is not a failed state, but holds
corruptors Abou Faour stressed that PSP would always fight corruption at all
levels.
Environment Minister Muhammad
Mashnouq on Earth Day: Every individual is responsible for protecting this earth
Fri 22 Apr 2016/NNA - Environment Minister Muhammad Mashnouq addressed the
Lebanese on Earth Day, urging them to preserve the land, the soil, the air, the
rivers and various other water resources from pollution that is ravaging the
planet. Mashnouq stressed the need to limit deforestation caused by random
quarries and urban sprawl. "We call it Mother Earth for a reason. Let us
celebrate its Day the same way we celebrate Mother's Day. Let us exert every
possible effort to protect the earth and not to exhaust its resources," the
Minister said, noting that Lebanon's official stance is being uttered today via
Premier Tammam Salam by signing on the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in New
York. However, every Lebanese citizen is asked to show commitment to this earth,
by putting the planet's sustainable development among his priorities," Mashnouq
said.
MP Estphan Douaihy visits
Rahi: We hope municipal harmony in Zgharta would prevail over Lebanon
Fri 22 Apr 2016/NNA - Maronite Patriarch, Mar Bechara Boutros Rahi received on
Friday at the Bkirki Patriarchate MP Estphan Douaihy with talks touching on the
latest developments at the local scene. "We are here to brief the Patriarch on
the preparations for the municipal elections in Zgharta and the prevailing
agreement over this issue," Douaihy said in the wake of the meeting, hoping that
this image of reconciliation would reign in all the Lebanese villages so as to
conduct peaceful municipal ballots leading to the election of a president of the
republic and the conduction of parliamentary polls."Lebanon should not keep the
door open to vacuum, amid the blazing regional situation," he said, shedding
light on the dreadful economic and social situation in the country. "Let us go
back to our conscience and agree on a president, so as to revive the country and
put an end to the expanding state of corruption," Douaihy concluded.
Economy and Trade Minister
Alain Hakim, Swiss State Secretary for Research tackle economic situation
Fri 22 Apr 2016 at 13:25/NNA - Economy and Trade Minister Alain Hakim convened
on Friday with the Swiss State Secretary for Education Research and Innovation
Mauro Dell'Ambrogio, accompanied with the Swiss Ambassador François Barras.
Talks touched on the economic situation in Lebanon and on the Syrian crisis'
impacts. Both men also discussed means to boost bilateral economic ties as well
as the cooperation to activate the works of the small and medium enterprises.
Sun of Stability
Ahmad El-Assaad/April 22/16
It comes as no surprise that the Iranian regime’s very own Supreme Leader has
described Hezbollah as “shining like the sun and a source of honor for the
Muslim world”. This is truly a token of appreciation given by the said regime,
to a part that is forever loyal to it, never hesitating to execute the missions
it is given, from Syria to Yemen, through Bahrain, Iraq, and of course… Lebanon.
The Hezb is a “shining sun” in the eyes of the regime that created it, because
it works relentlessly to spread the darkness of wars in all corners of this
Islamic world. It infiltrates into a country under the shadow of the night, in
order to wreak havoc and spread conflict and strife. The Hezb is a “shining sun”
in the eyes of the regime that provides for it, because it implements the
Iranian agenda with utter dedication, until his own people is destroyed! The
Hezb sends the Lebanese youth, particularly Shiites, to the battlefields of
death. It summons security perils, political adversity, and undesirable measures
from the Arab and Islamic world, which takes no pride in it whatsoever! If the
Iranian regime wishes for the governments that condemn Hezbollah to “go to
hell”, then Hezbollah, in fact, makes Lebanon go through hell on a daily basis.
It paralyzed its institutions and economy, all to make the desires of the regime
come true. Thanks to this “shining sun”, the Lebanese people are put under the
microscope. They’ve become usual suspects all over the world, especially… the
Islamic world!
The Lebanese people have grown tired of this sun that is burning their lives and
their country. They thirst to bask in the sun of stability and true government.
They will not rest before they achieve this goal.
*LOP General Chancellor.
Israel and Hezbollah’s deterrence
doctrine
Nicholas Blanford/Now Lebanon/April 22/16
By warning of the widespread destruction expected in any future conflict, both
parties have managed to maintain the relatively peaceful status quo.
It was Israel’s turn on Wednesday to issue dire threats against Lebanon, the
latest verbal salvo in a tit-for-tat strategy of deterrence between the Jewish
state and Hezbollah which has helped to keep the peace for the past 10 years.
Major General Yair Golan, the Israeli army’s deputy chief of staff, told a group
of international correspondents that any future war with Hezbollah would unleash
“devastating damage to Lebanon”. He said that Hezbollah’s arsenal included more
than 100,000 rockets and missiles and that the organization represented an
“unprecedented” threat to Israel.
“In any future crisis, they are not going to see a small war in Lebanon. It’s
going to be decisive. It’s going to be a full-scale war,” he said. Golan added
“There is no other way to take out this threat without… creating large damage to
the Lebanese infrastructure, to Lebanese houses and to other civilian
facilities.”
Golan’s comments were an update of an Israeli deterrence strategy that has been
in play since 2008 when the then head of the Israeli army’s Northern Command
first articulated what has become known as the “Dahiyeh doctrine”. Major General
Gabi Eisenkot conceded that it was impractical to chase after every Hezbollah
rocket launcher in a time of war. Instead, Israel had to bring its might to bear
against civilian areas and cause so much destruction – similar to what happened
to Beirut’s southern suburbs, “Dahiyeh” in the 2006 war – that Hezbollah would
retreat chastened and not bother Israel again.
“This isn’t a suggestion. This is a plan that has already been authorized,”
Eisenkot said in 2008. Israel has embarked on “punishment” campaigns against
Lebanese infrastructure before, most notably the seven-day Operation
Accountability in July 1993 and the 16-day Grapes of Wrath operation in April
1996. But the purpose of the “Dahiyeh doctrine” is essentially one of
deterrence, to dissuade Hezbollah from embarking on risky adventures along
Lebanon’s northern borders that could trigger a war. If deterrence fails and a
war breaks out, the “Dahiyeh doctrine” not only will fail to cow Hezbollah, it
could backfire on Israel. The international community usually grants Israel
around a week to rampage in Lebanon before the inevitable escalating toll of
Lebanese civilian casualties spurs calls for a negotiated ceasefire. If, at the
immediate onset of war, Israel was to “wield disproportionate power”, in
Eisenkot’s words, against civilian areas of Lebanon, the casualty toll is likely
to be very high in a short space of time, thus hastening a diplomatic
intervention from an international community that slowly but inexorably is
becoming less sympathetic toward Israel.
As for Hezbollah, in some ways the “Dahiyeh doctrine” would play into its hands.
Hezbollah will not stop firing rockets into Israel because Lebanese villages,
roads, bridges, airports, electricity plants etc. are being flattened. Hezbollah
knows from past experience that during a war with Israel time is on its side.
Hezbollah’s focus will be to maintain the flow of rockets into Israel and wait
for the international community to intervene.
Furthermore, if Golan’s prediction that the next conflict will be a “full-scale
war”, then an aerial “Dahiyeh doctrine” bombing campaign alone will be
insufficient and Israeli troops will have to be sent into Lebanon. The Israeli
army has spent the past decade training for a future ground war with Hezbollah.
But the next war will not be confined to northern Israel and southern Lebanon as
in the past. Hezbollah is believed to have rockets with sufficient range to hit
Tel Aviv if fired from the northern Bekaa Valley. Its military facilities run
from Bint Jbeil in the south to Hermel in the north. Next time, the territories
of both countries will become a war zone.
Hezbollah, of course, has been implementing its own deterrence strategy,
particularly since 2010. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, has
delivered a number of tit-for-tat speeches designed to establish a sense of
martial reciprocity with Israel. If Israel bombs Beirut, Hezbollah will bomb Tel
Aviv. If Israel blockades Lebanon’s sea ports, Hezbollah will blockade Israel’s
ports with its anti-ship missiles. In February, it was reported in Israel that
Hezbollah had been locking anti-aircraft missile radars onto Israeli jets flying
in Lebanese airspace. Earlier this month, the German Bild newspaper claimed that
Hezbollah has acquired the SA-17 “Grizzly” medium-range anti-aircraft missile
system.
In February, Nasrallah warned Israel that he could achieve an “atomic bomb”
effect by firing rockets at the ammonia storage facilities in Haifa. That the
mutual deterrence continues to hold is due in part to a realization on both
sides that the next war will be of a magnitude many times greater than the 2006
conflict. Furthermore, both Hezbollah and Israel understand the risks of
miscalculation. That is why Hezbollah has not resumed since 2006 what it calls
its “reminder operations” against Israeli troops occupying the Shebaa Farms.
Only four attacks have been carried out by Hezbollah in the Farms since 2006
(compared to 23 in the previous six years) and they were all direct retaliation
for actions carried out by Israel (three assassinations and an air strike on
Lebanese soil). The Israelis have pushed the envelope a bit more than Hezbollah,
staging several assassinations of top Hezbollah commanders as well as an Iranian
general on the Golan Heights last year and carrying out multiple air strikes in
Syria against arms shipments believed to be destined to Hezbollah.
One question that has been raised repeatedly in the past three years is whether
Israel will go a step further and take advantage of Hezbollah’s preoccupation
with Syria by launching a pre-emptive unilateral attack against Hezbollah in
Lebanon. Unless there is a serious provocation by Hezbollah, the answer almost
certainly is no. However much Israeli generals may dream of having another crack
against Hezbollah, the cold reality is that no Israeli politician is going give
the order for a unilateral war against Lebanon that will result in sub-ballistic
guided missiles carrying 500 kilogram warheads smashing into Tel Aviv.
Although an unspoken modus vivendi is in operation along the United
Nations-delineated Blue Line on Lebanon’s southern border, the place to watch in
the coming months and years is the Golan Heights. Hezbollah has a small presence
in the Hadar area of the northern Golan and has staged, directly or indirectly
using proxies, a few deniable small-scale operations against Israeli forces here
in the past two years. It is understood that Hezbollah would like to turn the
Golan into a new arena of confrontation with Israel, similar to the role played
by the Blue Line between 2000 and 2006. The circumstances are not suitable at
present as much of the Golan opposite Israeli lines is controlled by Syrian
rebel groups and Hezbollah has more pressing matters in Syria than to needle the
Israelis with occasional attacks.
In recent days, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that
the Golan Heights will remain under the sovereignty of the Jewish state and he
told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the security of the occupied plateau
is a “red line”. If the situation in the Golan changes in favor of President
Bashar al-Assad’s regime and Hezbollah begins to consolidate a military presence
there, the risk of a miscalculation occurring between Hezbollah and Israel will
likely rise.
**Nicholas Blanford is Beirut correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor
and Nonresident Senior Fellow of the Middle East Peace and Security Initiative
at the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security.
The pangs of electing a president in Lebanon
Nayla Tueni/Al Arabiya/April 22/16
Lebanon’s parliament convened on Monday to elect a president, but the session
was postponed until May due to lack of a quorum. Lebanon has been without a
president since May 2014, and Monday’s session was the 38th set for electing one
in the past two years.
No country in the world has been without a president for this long. Even in
countries that experience coups, a president is immediately named.
Monday simply marked a new date in the ongoing vacuum, and in the scandal of the
constitution’s inability to provide a solution to the crisis and oblige MPs to
perform their duties.
Not attending parliament sessions or committee meetings would be a right if it
did not obstruct state institutions and harm the national interest, which is
treason.
Unfortunately, March 14 parties have become convinced of the idea - or perhaps
submitted to it - that electing any president is better than the current vacuum.
Political manoeuvring
The March 8 coalition, which rotates in the Iranian-Syrian orbit, has pushed
Lebanon to the edge of the abyss, obstructing quorums and preventing the
election of a president. It has also made threats in an attempt to impose one.
It obstructed the process of electing one even when March 14 parties accepted to
nominate candidates from the March 8 coalition!
This has exposed the truth of the Iranian-Syrian axis and its Lebanese tools,
particularly Hezbollah, and showed that they do not want to elect a president as
they are comfortable turning Lebanon into a bargaining chip that serves their
blackmail purposes.
Unfortunately, March 14 parties have become convinced of the idea - or perhaps
submitted to it - that electing any president is better than the current vacuum.
Accepting more concessions may jeopardize Lebanon’s identity.
Syria Peace Talks to Push on
until April 27
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 22/16/U.N.-brokered talks aimed at ending
Syria's brutal conflict will push ahead until April 27, despite the departure of
the main opposition group, a negotiator in the talks said Friday. Syria's main
opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) earlier this week halted its formal
participation in the round of talks that began in Geneva on April 13 in
frustration over surging violence on the ground. But another opposition group
close to Moscow, which is deemed more acceptable by the Syrian government, said
it would remain in the Swiss city through next Wednesday and expected to meet
with U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura after the weekend. "We will continue the
talks until April 27, according to the initial invitation we received from de
Mistura," Qadri Jamil, co-president of the so-called Moscow Group and Syria's
former deputy premier, told AFP. "We are continuing to communicate with the U.N.
and we will meet Mr de Mistura at the beginning of next week to continue
discussing our vision with him," he said, speaking in Arabic. He said there was
no reason to halt the talks over the departure of the HNC, an umbrella group
comprising the main Syrian opposition and rebel factions that came together in
Riyadh in December. "The Riyadh delegation is one of the delegations
participating in Geneva, and the idea that this delegation is the chief one
participating... should be erased."The regime's chief representative in Geneva
Bashar al-Jaafari also said Friday the talks would continue after the weekend.
"We will meet with Mr. de Mistura for a fifth time on Monday at 11:00 am (0900
GMT)," he told reporters following a meeting with the U.N. envoy, speaking
through a translator. A source close to the government delegation told AFP on
condition of anonymity that the delegation would "stay in Geneva until Wednesday
at least." De Mistura was meanwhile pushing ahead with his marathon of meetings.
He was set later Friday to meet the so-called internal opposition, which is
based inside Syria and tolerated by the government and which is not opposed to
Syrian President Bashar Assad remaining in power. The U.N. envoy hinted to Swiss
public radio late Thursday that the HNC's departure was a bid to apply pressure
to the process."There is a lot of what we call political gesticulation, and that
is normal," he said.
US to buy heavy water from Iran's
nuclear program in $8.6m deal
Reuters/J.Post/April 22/16/ The United States will buy heavy water from Iran's
nuclear program, and expects it to be delivered within weeks, US officials said
on Friday, a move that was quickly criticized by Republican lawmakers. The US
Department of Energy will buy 32 metric tons of heavy water from Iran's nuclear
program worth $8.6 million, a department spokeswoman said. Heavy water is an
important component in the development of nuclear weapons. "The United States
will not be Iran's customer forever," the spokeswoman said. The department
expects to resell the purchased heavy water to domestic commercial and research
buyers, including a national lab. Iran's compliance with last year's landmark
nuclear agreement with the United States and other world powers meant that the
heavy water had already been removed from Iran, ensuring that it would not be
used to support the development of a nuclear weapon, State Department spokesman
John Kirby said. "Our purchase of the heavy water means that it will instead be
used for critically important research and non-nuclear industrial requirements,"
Kirby added. The purchase, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, was
slammed by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, a Republican. He said in a statement
it appeared to be part of the Democratic administration's efforts to sweeten the
nuclear deal with Iran and would "directly subsidize Iran's nuclear program."
Strikes on Syria's Aleppo
Kill 14 Civilians
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 22/16/Air strikes on rebel-held
neighborhoods in Syria's second city Aleppo on Friday killed at least 14
civilians and wounded more than a dozen others, the local civil defense told AFP.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said regime warplanes carried out the
air strikes and gave a toll of 10 dead. An AFP correspondent in the
opposition-held eastern part said several neighborhoods were targeted and that
the wail of ambulances could be heard throughout the morning. In Bustan al-Qasr,
one of the most heavily-populated neighborhoods, a strike hit a five-storey
apartment building, shearing off part of an entire floor. Civil defence
volunteers were climbing into the building to search for families trapped in the
rubble, according to the AFP journalist. Seven civilians were killed and 10
wounded there, a civil defense member said. Two other people were killed and
eight wounded in Al-Mashad district, the source said. And in the opposition-held
Salhin neighborhood, a strike killed five civilians, he added. The Britain-based
Observatory said the air strikes targeted Bustan al-Qasr and other Aleppo
neighborhoods, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens more. "The number
of martyrs is expected to rise because many of those wounded are in critical
condition," said the monitor, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria
for its reports. Once Syria's commercial hub, Aleppo has been divided between
rebel control in the east and government forces in the west since 2012. Nearly
all warring parties in Syria -- the regime, rebels, jihadists, and Kurds -- have
carved out zones of control in war-torn Aleppo province. A ceasefire took effect
in Syria at the end of February but the country has been rocked by fighting in
recent weeks, particularly around Aleppo. On Sunday, at least six civilians were
killed in government strikes on eastern parts of the city, and another 16 were
killed by rocket fire by Islamist rebels. Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011
with anti-government protests, but has since spiraled into a multi-front war
that has left more than 270,000 people dead.
Suicide Bomber Kills Eight at
Iraq Shiite Mosque
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 22/16/A suicide bomber targeted Shiite
worshipers at a Baghdad mosque after Friday prayers, killing at least eight
people, security and medical officials said. The attack in southwest Baghdad
also wounded at least 31 people, the officials said. There was no immediate
claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State jihadist group
carries out frequent suicide bombings targeting Shiites, whom it considers
heretics. IS overran swathes of territory north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but
Iraqi forces backed by U.S.-led strikes have since regained significant ground.
Bombings in Baghdad have decreased since mid-2014, with the jihadists occupied
by fighting in other areas. But IS still controls a large part of the country's
west, and is able to carry out frequent bombings in government-held areas.
Yemen Peace Talks Resume in
Kuwait
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 22/16/ Delayed peace talks aimed at ending
13 months of conflict in Yemen resumed on Friday, a day after U.N. mediators
finally managed to get warring sides to the table. The United Nations hopes
negotiations -- which were originally due to begin on Monday -- will put a stop
to fighting across Yemen that has killed more than 6,800 people and driven 2.8
million from their homes since March last year. The talks resumed on Friday
afternoon, Charbel Raji, spokesman for U.N. envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told
AFP. Two delegations, each of seven members, representing the government, and
the rebels and their allies, joined Ould Cheikh Ahmed at the meeting, a delegate
said. The envoy appealed to both government and rebel delegations to seize the
opportunity of the talks in Kuwait, saying Yemen was "closer to peace than any
time before". The rebel delegation -- consisting of representatives of the
Shiite Huthi militia and allied forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah
Saleh -- arrived in Kuwait late on Thursday after receiving assurances from the
U.N. that a ceasefire -- in place since April 11 -- would be respected.
Delegates representing the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi had
threatened to pull out of talks altogether if the rebels were not around the
table by Thursday evening. A first session was eventually held and lasted less
than two hours, a delegate told AFP. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled
Al-Sabah hailed the talks as "a historic opportunity" to end the bloodshed.
"War will only lead to more devastation, losses and displacement of people," he
said. Yemen has been riven by fighting since a Saudi-led coalition launched a
military intervention last year against Iran-backed Huthi rebels, who had seized
the capital and much of the rest of the country.
The violence has allowed Al-Qaida and its jihadist rival the Islamic State group
to make headway, overrunning swathes of southern Yemen and establishing a
toehold around second city Aden -- where the Saudi-backed government is based.
The conflict has stoked tensions between Sunni heavyweight Saudi Arabia and its
Shiite rival Iran, which has been accused of smuggling weapons to the rebels.
Previous U.N.-sponsored peace efforts failed to make any headway, and the last
ceasefire in December was repeatedly violated and eventually abandoned by the
Arab coalition on January 2. But the U.N. envoy said the latest truce and
negotiations offered a unique chance to end the violence. "Today, you have one
of two options -- a secure nation that guarantees an honorable life or the ruins
of a nation," he told delegates.
The rebel delegation met Ould Cheikh Ahmed after the opening session, their news
agency reported late Thursday, and stressed the "need to secure the
ceasefire."The delegation said the "key to reaching a solution is agreeing on a
transitional authority," Sabanews.net reported. Diplomats say the rebels are
demanding an end to the coalition's air campaign and naval blockade, as well as
its ground operations. They also want U.N. sanctions against some of their
leaders, including Saleh, to be lifted. U.N. Security Council Resolution 2216,
which is seen as a basis for any peace plan, states that the rebels must
withdraw from seized territories and disarm before talks can progress. But
diplomatic sources have said the rebels are demanding a change to the U.N.
initiative, preferring to first agree on a political leadership for Yemen before
making military concessions on the ground. At the opening session Thursday, Ould
Cheikh Ahmed said the U.N. process "will not necessarily follow a particular
sequence.""Instead, discussions will happen in parallel through working
committees that will look into implementation mechanisms of each element, for
the sake of reaching one comprehensive agreement that paves the way for a
peaceful and orderly transition."The Huthis, who had waged an on-off rebellion
for a decade, swept from their stronghold in the northern mountains to take
Sanaa unopposed in September 2014, before storming south and forcing Hadi into
exile in March last year. With the support of coalition troops and air power,
Hadi's loyalists have managed to oust the rebels from Aden and neighboring
southern provinces as well as some districts on the Saudi border. But the rebels
and their allies remain in control of the capital and much of the northern and
central highlands, as well as the Red Sea coast. Despite the nominal ceasefire,
fighting has continued, particularly around the battleground third city of Taez,
where loyalist forces have been under rebel siege for months, and in Jawf
province on the Saudi border, military sources said.
Three Soldiers Killed by
Roadside Bomb in Turkey
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 22/16/Three Turkish soldiers were killed and
others wounded Friday by a roadside bomb in the Kurdish majority southeast of
the country, medical and military sources told AFP. The explosion was caused by
a home-made bomb on the side of a road between Tunceli and Elazig in a region
caught up in bloody reprisals between the army and rebels from the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The attack prompted a swift response from the
Turkish army, with helicopters dropping bombs on the rebels' escape routes in
the region, an AFP journalist at the scene reported. Security forces blocked the
road to traffic. Fierce clashes between the Turkish state and the PKK resumed in
late July, upending a two-year ceasefire that had nurtured hopes of an end to a
three-decade insurgency which has claimed tens of thousands of lives. The PKK
took up arms in 1984 with the aim of establishing an independent state for
Turkey's Kurdish minority, although in recent years its demands have focused on
greater autonomy and cultural rights. Turkey has waged an offensive against the
PKK after the collapse of the fragile truce. The renewed conflict has also
struck at the heart of the country, with two attacks that killed dozens of
people in the capital Ankara claimed by Kurdish A radical PKK splinter group,
the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), claimed responsibility for the two suicide
car bombings in
Ankara on February 17 and March 13.
Amnesty International
prepares to rally over Regeni’s death in Egypt
Staff writer, Al Arabiya EnglishFriday, 22 April 2016/Amnesty International UK
is staging a rally and photo-call in Cambridge, UK, on Friday afternoon for
Guilio Regeni, the Italian student who was killed in Egypt earlier this year,
allegedly after being abducted and tortured. Regeni, a 28-year-old PhD student
at Cambridge University was in Egypt researching trade unions at the time of his
disappearance in Cairo on Jan. 25. His body was found badly-mutilated and in a
ditch on the outskirts of Cairo on Feb. 3. Friday’s protest is being organized
by Cambridge University and Cambridge City Amnesty groups, and is supported by
the Egypt Solidarity Initiative.British politicians are expected to attend the
rally, including Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner. “What happened to Giulio Regeni
was truly appalling and we’re deeply worried that the Egyptian authorities are
attempting to cover up his death,” Amnesty International’s Cambridge City chair
Liesbeth Ten Ham said. “We need to see a full investigation that leaves no stone
unturned,” she added. It was reported that the Italian student had been detained
by police and then transferred to a compound run by Homeland Security the day he
vanished, according to intelligence and police sources. The claims contradict
the official Egyptian account that security services had not arrested him. The
absence of an official Egyptian statement about the cause of Regeni's death
prompted different scenarios speculating the reason behind the young man’s
death. Authorities initially blamed Regeni’s death on a road accident. A second
autopsy, done in Italy, determined that he suffered a fatal fracture of a
cervical vertebra, either from a strong blow to the neck or from forced twisting
of the neck. Earlier this month, Cairo investigators have suggested that Regeni
was kidnapped and killed by a criminal gang specialized in abducting foreigners,
while posing as policemen. All five members of the group were killed during what
Egyptian authorities described as a shootout after the so-called criminals
allegedly fired at a police checkpoint. Three of the slain alleged criminals
appeared to be members of the same family. Police also said they have found
Regeni’s passport in the house of a relative of the alleged criminals. Speaking
to CNN, family member Rasha Tarek – who lost her husband, father and brother in
the shootout – denied her kin were behind the kidnapping and killing of Regeni.
UK response
A petition calling for the UK Government to press the case for a full
investigation into Regeni’s death has passed 10,000 signatures, requiring the
government to respond to the initiative. The British government has previously
called for a “full and transparent investigation” into Regeni’s murder, but has
not yet responded to the petition. “Where’s the outrage from the UK Government
over this shocking killing?” Ham asked. “Giulio was a student at one of the UK’s
best-known universities - it’s only right that the UK Government steps up its
call for truth and justice in this case.”Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner said:
“There is a profound sense of shock and sadness in Cambridge at the tragic death
of Giulio Regeni. I pay tribute to the work of local campaigners especially
Amnesty International, to Cambridge University and the academics who organized
the open letter. However, I am increasingly frustrated with the Government’s
weak response.”
Israeli Officials Denied
Entry to Religious Compound at Passover
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 22/16/Israeli MPs and ministers have been
banned from entering a key religious compound in Jerusalem "for security
reasons" during the Jewish Passover festival which begins on Friday, police
confirmed. The compound, known to Muslims as the Al-Aqsa mosque but to Jews as
the Temple Mount, is holy to both religions. Visits by Israeli officials during
Jewish holidays are considered provocations by many Palestinians, who fear
Israel wants to take control of the third holiest site in Islam. The Temple
Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. "The ban on ministers and MPs was decided
for security reasons" during the eight-day Passover festival, police spokesman
Micky Rosenfeld said, without giving further details. "However, the visits of
tourists and Jewish visitors can continue normally," he said. Under the current
arrangement, Jews are allowed to visit the compound but not pray. Three "young
Jews" who were planning to sacrifice a sheep on the Temple Mount during Passover
were arrested on Friday, police announced, saying they "threatened to undermine
the peace."Rosenfeld added that police reinforcements had boosted their presence
in Jerusalem during the festival, with a total of 3,500 police on patrol. He
declined to say how many of these forces were new. "These forces are patrolling
in all public places, bus stations, shopping malls, tram stations," he said.
During Passover tens of thousands of Jews flock to the Old City of Jerusalem.
Last year 50,000 Jewish worshipers attended a ceremony held in front of the
Wailing Wall, which will be held on Sunday this year. The site is venerated by
Jews as a remnant of a wall supporting the Second Temple complex, which was
destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. The wall is located below the mosque compound
in the Old City in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem. Israel has also closed off
all crossing points between the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip to Israeli
territory for Friday and Saturday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced
last week Israel would deploy reinforcements around the Temple Mount during
Passover to prevent "riots". "As Passover approaches, all sorts of extremists
will spread lies about our policy concerning the Temple Mount," he said.
Tensions are high in Israel following a wave of violence that has killed 201
Palestinians and 28 Israelis since October. Most of the Palestinians killed were
carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli
authorities. Palestinians argue that Israel is seeking to change the arrangement
at the Temple Mount, claims Netanyahu and other ministers have repeatedly
denied. Passover celebrates the escape of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
France to Hold May Meeting on Israel-Palestinian Peace Process
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 22/16/France will host a meeting of
ministers from 20 countries on May 30 to try to relaunch the Israel-Palestinian
peace process, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced on Thursday. In an
interview with four newspapers including Israel's Haaretz and pan-Arab daily Al
Quds Al-Arabi, the minister said however that Israel and the Palestinians would
not be invited to the meeting in Paris.Ayrault said the aim was to prepare an
international summit which would be held in the second half of 2016, which would
include the Israeli and Palestinian leaders. "The two sides are further apart
than ever," Ayrault admitted. But he added: "There is no other solution to the
conflict than establishing two states, one Israeli and the other Palestinian,
living side by side in peace and safety with Jerusalem as a shared capital. "We
cannot do nothing," Ayrault told the newspapers. "We have to act before it's too
late."He said the discussions would be based on the 2002 peace initiative, which
was rejected by Israel.
Netanyahu Meets Putin, Fears
Weapons from Iran Falling in Hizbullah Hands
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 22/16/ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Thursday over fears the
Kremlin's involvement in Syria and weapons deliveries to Iran could bolster the
Jewish state's fiercest opponents. "Israel has obvious and evident red lines
connected to our security," Netanyahu told Putin at the start of the meeting.
"Firstly, we are doing everything that depends on us to stop the most hi-tech
weaponry from Syria and Iran from falling into the hands of Hizbullah," he said.
"Secondly, we are doing everything in order to prevent an additional terrorist
front opening up against us in the Golan Heights."Russia is currently flying a
bombing campaign in support of forces loyal to President Bashar Assad in Syria.
Iran and its ally Hizbullah are also battling on the side of the regime in
Damascus -- making the trio de facto allies on the ground. Israel fears that the
chaos in Syria could help strengthen its arch-enemy Hizbullah and Netanyahu
admitted for the first time this month that Israel had attacked dozens of
convoys there which were transporting weapons to the group. It was the first
clear public acknowledgment that Israel had carried out attacks in neighboring
Syria with which it is still officially at war. Russia has also stirred Israeli
ire by pushing ahead with the long-awaited delivery of the S-300 air defense
system to Tehran. Iran used its annual Army Day parade last week to showcase
parts of the systems -- ordered from Moscow in 2007 but not delivered until now
due to U.N. Security Council resolutions relating to Tehran's nuclear program.
Netanyahu last visited Moscow in September when he and Putin agreed to set up a
"hotline" between the two sides to avoid accidental clashes between Russian and
Israeli forces in Syria.
Riyadh-U.S. Summit Accuses
Iran of Destabilizing Region, Supporting 'Terror Groups' Like Hizbullah
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 22/16/The United States and leaders of the
Gulf Cooperation Council concluded on Thursday a summit in the Saudi capital
Riyadh during which they accused Iran of “destabilizing the region.”The Islamic
Republic is destabilizing the region and “supporting terrorist groups, including
Hizbullah,” said the leaders of the GCC in their concluding statement. The
summit was also attended by U.S. President Barack Obama, who remarked that
neither the United States nor Arab Gulf nations had an interest in conflict with
Iran. "Even with the nuclear deal we recognize collectively that we continue to
have serious concerns about Iranian behavior", Obama added. U.S. Defense
Secretary Ashton Carter stated on Wednesday that Hizbullah is a perfect example
of “Iran's malicious activity in the region.” Gulf states are concerned about
what they see as Obama's moves towards closer ties with their Shiite arch-rival,
fearing that Tehran will be emboldened to seek a bigger regional role after the
lifting of sanctions under its landmark nuclear deal with major powers led by
the United States. Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbors accuse Iran of widespread
interference throughout the region, where they support opposite sides in
conflicts in Yemen and Syria.
Saudi Executes Pakistani Man
for Drug Trafficking
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 22/16/Saudi Arabia executed a Pakistani
national on Thursday for smuggling drugs, taking to 86 the number of people the
ultra-conservative kingdom has put to death this year. Shah Zaman Khan Sayyed
had been found guilty of attempting to smuggle heroin and amphetamines into the
kingdom, the interior ministry said. The sentence was carried out in the Riyadh
region. Most people put to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded with a sword. The
executions so far this year include 47 for "terrorism" carried out in a single
day on January 2. Amnesty International said Saudi Arabia had the third highest
number of executions last year, at least 158. That was far behind Pakistan,
which put to death 326 people, and Saudi Arabia's regional rival Iran, which
executed at least 977, said Amnesty, whose figures exclude secretive China. The
kingdom's latest execution occurred just hours before U.S. President Barack
Obama arrived on an official visit. The British human rights organization
Reprieve urged Obama to raise the case of three young men on death row who were
minors at the time of their arrests. Among them is Ali al-Nimr, nephew of Shiite
cleric Nimr al-Nimr, who was among the 47 people executed in January.
U.N.-Backed Yemen Peace Talks
Begin after Delay in Kuwait
Arafat Madabesh and Nayef al Rasheed/Asharq Al Awsat/April 22/16
Picture taken bu Kuna for the session that was held in Kuwait between the Yemeni
government and the Houthi Rebels on Thursday Riyadh, Kuwait- Amidst tensed
ambiance, talks between the Yemeni government and the rebels (Houthis and Saleh),
have kicked off on Thursday in Kuwait after a three-day delay as warring parties
traded accusations over truce breaches; thus, forcing the UN to intervene and
put pressure on them to attend these talks that were supposed to begin on
Monday, 18 April. The delegation of Houthi representatives and their allies flew
out of Sanaa and arrived to Kuwait yesterday late. Acting Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah confirmed on the opening
session that the UN-brokered Yemen’s peace negotiations are a “historical
chance” to end the country’s conflict and stopping the bloodshed. “We hope that
Yemen’s disputed parties would be wise enough, and put the interest of Yemen and
its people ahead of anything else during these negotiations in order to resolve
the crisis,” Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled added. He urged all parties to take into
consideration suffering of their brothers and sisters, and to try to avoid
further destruction and displacement. He called on the parties to contribute
positively to the peace negotiations so as to reach a comprehensive solution
aiming to save the country and maintain the region’s stability and security.
“Kuwait, which has been standing side by side with its brothers since decades,
welcomes your purposeful efforts to end the conflict,” he said, expressing hope
that the negotiations would succeed to reach peace, which will restore stability
and security to Yemen, and will maintain its territorial integrity. Sheikh Sabah
Al-Khaled also expressed his gratitude to the role of the UN in backing these
negotiations, represented in its envoy Ismael Ould Cheikh Ahmed. He stressed the
importance of cooperation with GCC member states in accordance. with the
resolution issued during the 36th round of the summit, which called for holding
an international conference for rebuilding Yemen in collaboration with the
international community in order to “turn war into peace and destruction into
development.”“We realize the huge responsibility upon you to resolve the
conflict and we are aware of your keenness on the interest of your country and
its people through effective contributions to these negotiations,” he told the
parties. The minister conveyed greetings of HH Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah to all participants, voicing hope the Emir got towards achieving the
goals of the negotiations. “The choice today is one of two options: a safe
homeland that ensures security for all of its citizens… or remnants of a land
whose sons die every day,” the U.N. Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh
Ahmed said in an opening speech. The talks are expected to focus on creating a
more inclusive government and restoring state authority over the country, which
is now divided between the Houthis and Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi’s administration.
“The war has caused a major humanitarian crisis in Yemen as more than 6,200 were
killed, some 35,000 people have been wounded and more than 2.5 million people
have been displaced,” he explained. “The consultations should provide a strong
foundation for a new political consensus, to help Yemen achieve the stability
and security that its people deserve and its future requires,” Ould Cheikh
added. “The path to peace may be difficult but I believe that it is clearly in
reach if all parties engage in good faith.”He also said that in order to provide
a suitable environment for the talks and enable expanded humanitarian
assistance, a cessation of hostilities came into force at midnight on 10 April,
and despite some serious violations in various areas, reports indicate that
there has been a noticeable improvement in the security situation.Praising the
constant work of the De-escalation and Coordination Committee (DCC) and the
Local De-escalation Committees, he urged the delegations to work together to
overcome their differences and to develop compromise solutions based on the
framework of Security Council resolution 2216, which calls for the Houthis to
withdraw from areas they seized since 2014 and hand heavy weapons back to the
government. “Differences in opinion are permissible but there are always middle
grounds,” he said. “Gaps are plentiful but constructive ideas can address them.
Challenges may hinder us but solutions are available. Divisions exist but they
can be overcome. Most regimes in the world are built upon the diversity of their
political spectrum which is turned into a positive force.” “It is impossible to
turn the clock backwards and change the past but we can look forward to the
future and improve the present,” he stressed. “Peace is a choice, make it your
choice,” he added. On the other hand, Turkey announced on Thursday it had frozen
assets of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, in line with a decision by
the U.N. Security Council. All assets belonging to Saleh and his son Ahmed Ali
Abdullah Saleh in Turkish banks and other financial institutions “are frozen
until February 26, 2017″, according to an announcement in the government
gazette.
**Arafat Madabesh and Nayef al Rasheed
Obama Blocks an Attempt to
Link Saudi Arabia to September 11
Asharq Al Awsat/April 22/16/The US President is in Riyadh today to hold talks
with King Salman. US President Barack Obama will begin an official visit to
Saudi Arabia today during which he will meet the Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. He will also participate in the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) summit which will be held in Riyadh. The White House
said that talks during President Obama’s visit to Saudi Arabia will focus on
counter-terrorism issues, the situation in Syria and confronting Iran’s
activities in the region. President Obama confirmed during a television
interview with the American network CBS News on Monday night that he will veto
any bill passed in Congress that links Saudi Arabia to the events of the 11th of
September 2001. Obama said he was opposed to this tendency as it would expose
the United States of America to lawsuits made by citizens of other countries. A
group of US lawmakers have brought up the possibility of passing a bill to allow
Americans to sue foreign governments and lift diplomatic immunity if they are
found to be responsible for attacks on US territory. Meanwhile, the Saudi Deputy
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who is also the Second Deputy Prime Minister
and the Minister of Defence held a meeting with the US Secretary of Defense
Ashton Carter in Riyadh yesterday. The two sides discussed areas of military
cooperation between the two countries and the latest developments in the Middle
East. The defence ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will meet
their US counterpart today to discuss ways of enhancing joint US – Gulf action
with regards to fighting terrorism and extremism.
Netanyahu, Putin met amid reports of
aerial incidents over Syria
Yoav Zitun, Reuters/Ynetnews/Latest Update:04.22.16 / Israel News
Russian fighter jets have reportedly fired at Israeli aircraft at least twice,
while in recent days a Russian jet was scrambled to intercept an IAF plane;
Kremlin denies reports.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with Russia's President Vladimir
Putin on Thursday was held amid reporters that Russian fighter jets fired at
Israel Air Force aircraft on at least two occasions, which were denied by
Moscow.
The issues was reportedly raised during Israeli President Reuven Rivlin's visit
to Moscow, when Putin claimed this was the first he had heard of it.
Then a few days ago, a Russian fighter jet was scrambled to intercept an Israeli
aircraft for an unknown reason. There was no contact made between the planes,
and the Israeli plane carried on its way.
Asked about the alleged incidents, however, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
said: "In this case, Israeli press reports are far from reality."
But Netanyahu, in remarks published by Israeli reporters whom he briefed by
phone, said "there have been problems" regarding Israeli military freedom of
operation in Syria.
He gave no details, but said: "If you don't deal with the friction, it could
develop into something more serious."
"I came here with one main goal – to strengthen the security coordination
between us so as to avoid mishaps, misunderstandings and unnecessary
confrontations," Netanyahu said ahead of the three-hour meeting with Putin,
which focused on the situation in Syria and particularly on its border with
Israel.
Putin told Netanyahu that he was happy the two countries were having regular
contacts at the highest ranks, and noted the security cooperation between Moscow
and Jerusalem was necessary because of the complex situation in the region.
"During the meeting, it was agreed that GOC Air Force Maj.-Gen. Amir Eshel and
my Military Secretary, Brig.-Gen. Eliezer Toledano, will hold a special meeting
with the Russian Defense Minister and several other generals. They will meet and
discuss – in a detailed and efficient manner – the coordination between our
militaries and several other issues that have recently arisen," he said
following the meeting.
"I think that this is vital because we must maintain freedom of action for the
IDF and the air force in places that are important to us vis-à-vis our security,
and I think that this was achieved," the prime minister added.
Netanyahu also raised the issue of Israel's northern border with Syria and the
Golan Heights, stressing that "we will not go back to the days when they fired
at our communities and at our children from atop the Heights. Therefore, with or
without an agreement, the Golan Heights will remain under Israeli sovereignty."
The prime minister went on to describe Israel's red lines regarding the Golan.
"First, we are working to the best of our ability to prevent the transfer of
advanced weaponry from Iran and Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Second, we are
working to prevent the establishment of an additional terror front against us on
the Golan Heights. These are red lines and we will continue to maintain them,"
Netanyahu told Putin ahead of the meeting.
The two leaders also discussed the issue of pensions for Russian immigrants to
Israel, which Netanyahu described as "a very painful and important issue for
tens of thousands of Israelis who have no pensions."
"We agreed that this issue will be finally signed during my visit here to Moscow
on June 7, when we mark 25 years of relations between our two countries,"
Netanyahu said.
**Shimon Shiffer and Yair Navot contributed to this report.
Geneva, Assad, and the numbers game in Syria
Mohamed Chebarro/Al Arabiya/April 22/16
It is not about Syrian President Bashar al-Assad staying on for six months or
six years. The Geneva talks, we were told, was a forum to try and end the
killing in Syria based on UN resolution 2254. The Assad regime and its close
associates should depart as soon as possible, if what is left of Syria stands
any chance of being stabilized and reconstructed.
Leaving Assad in his palace means no transition or power-sharing will be
feasible. Having him even nominally in power means the defeat of the Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) will be delayed indefinitely.
For months, we have been led to believe that a deal had been brokered by
Washington and Moscow. This deal, if implemented, will see the formation of a
transitional Syrian authority, followed by constitutional amendments, then free
and fair elections to be held within 18 months - all this hopefully with Assad
leaving Syria as a precondition.
For optimists, this is a classic UN recipe that could rescue the Syrians and the
region. For cynics, the road to peace is paved with very good intentions but
also many handicaps.
Assad’s fate could be one of many hurdles. When meeting the Syrian opposition,
UN envoy Staffan de Mistura expresses certainty that a successful deal starts
with Assad’s departure. When he meets Russian officials, he is leaned on to
remove discussion about Assad’s future from the agenda.
The Geneva talks will continue to scratch the surface of the Syrian problem as
long as there is no consensus on Assad’s departure
De Mistura discreetly raises the issue when meeting US officials. When meeting
leaders of countries that back the Syrian opposition, such as Saudi Arabia and
Turkey, the future of Assad is high on the agenda. When meeting Syrian regime
officials, De Mistura focuses on the fight against terror and ways to alleviate
humanitarian suffering caused by ISIS.
Scratching the surface
The Geneva talks will continue to scratch the surface of the Syrian problem as
long as there is no consensus on Assad’s departure. Hundreds of thousands of
Syrians have been killed in the five years since the start of the uprising
against his rule. We could be looking at a higher death toll this time next
year.
In the past year, a million refugees arrived in Europe - next year, this number
could double, with or without the EU-Turkey deal. With a lack of progress in
Geneva, ISIS is likely to breed more violence in Syria, Iraq and beyond, as we
saw in Istanbul, Saudi Arabia, Belgium and France.
Vague diplomatic language used in Geneva has plagued the talks, and Washington
is unable to push Moscow for a clear commitment on Assad’s departure. Moscow is
biding its time to see what concessions it can win from the West regarding
Ukraine, sanctions on Russia, and U.S. missile defense edging east toward former
satellite states.Even if Russia signs a deal, there are no guarantees that Iran will play ball
and desert its plans to disrupt Arab countries and control as many Arab capitals
as possible. Tehran is always ready to deploy its militias, and recently its
army units, to achieve that goal.
Origins and outlook
Removing Assad should be the first step if the Geneva talks are to mature into a
working deal. Playing the numbers game that Assad might be removed in six, 18 or
36 months is only fanning the flames of the crisis.
All talk in Geneva seems irrelevant with Assad around. Syria’s crisis was never
about power-sharing. It was never a civil war. It was a regime using extreme
force to subdue a peaceful Syrian population fed up of dictatorship. Syria is
not Iraq or Afghanistan, but it has started to resemble those broken states due
to the slow intervention of the West, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, compared
with a fully committed Iran and Russia in supporting Assad to the end.
Given the Baath- and clan-led system of his regime, even if a transition is
achieved, and Assad and his entourage end up living in Tehran, Moscow or Havana,
Syria will suffer from his ghosts that will prove difficult to get rid of for
several decades. This will be a recipe for discord, further stalemate and
governmental failure.
Syria was tailored as a mafia outfit in a shell called a state. The proposals to
save the state are a fallacy we keep hearing in Western and UN circles, as this
state that Western powers are so keen to preserve may prove a hollow
construction once Assad and his cronies have been removed.
A gathering of Kings
Zaid M. Belbagi/Al Arabiya/April 22/16
As the international media mostly paid attention to the US-GCC summit – held in
Riyadh on Thursday – many didn’t notice the “other summit” which was equally, if
not more, important. As the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders gathered
alongside the Moroccan delegation to Riyadh, led by King Mohamed VI, the
similarities between the allies must be noted.
Perched a few kilometres south of Europe at the meeting point of the Atlantic
Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, Morocco has always heralded its identity as the
westernmost bastion of the Arabs. The first country to recognize the
Independence of the United States and the United Kingdom’s oldest Muslim and
Arab ally, Morocco will always be of immense strategic importance to both East
and West.
In 1631 the people of the desert oasis of Tafilalt in Morocco invited Sharif Ibn
Ali, whose family hailed from Taif in the Hejaz, to be their Prince. His
successors, similar to Morocco’s Sharifian leaders since the year 788, went on
to rule the Sultanate, now Kingdom, of Morocco. A great number of Morocco’s Arab
population have similar such links to the Arabian Peninsula, a bond that has
prevailed to this day through a shared history, language and religion.
Politically the Moroccan case is similarly pertinent to the GCC, the longevity
of the Kingdom has fascinated political scientists for decades.
With the Islamic world in a state of crisis and Iran calling the shots in three
Arab capitals, Arab powers must close ranks to see through current difficulties.
Militarily, the argument is clear. In 2011, GCC Secretary General Abdullatif
Zayani noted that the organization “had opted for expansion” so as to
incorporate the Kingdoms of Morocco and Jordan. This is all the more necessary
given how the region has since destabilised further.
A formal Jordanian, Moroccan and GCC Joint Command would have significant
military implications, amounting to an addition of 285,000 active personnel
under the GCC umbrella. This would put the organizational total at 634,000.
Though the calculation of military strength is more complex, this influx of
manpower demonstrates one of the advantages of expansion.
Jordan and Morocco have experienced and disciplined armed forces and would
supply much-needed human resources to the GCC states whose mission capability
and deterrent value are under development.
Political similarities
Politically the Moroccan case is similarly pertinent to the GCC, the longevity
of the Kingdom has fascinated political scientists for decades. As a
conservative, Islamic, yet ever adapting political model, Morocco has
illustrated a marked ability to shift with times.
This alongside perfectly preserving its traditions and customs alongside
expanding the country’s place in the world. Faced with the stark
post-revolutionary environments in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia, Arab monarchies
have a choice to guide their societies to prosperity as others succumb to
destabilising forces.
Given the surge in Islamic movements, the Arab monarchies are faced with an
opportunity not a dilemma. They must not be undermined by the Islamic movements,
but rather lead the way in preserving their own conservative identity and that
of their societies. What underscores such a policy is ideology. The conservatism
of the Islam is not without parallel amongst the values of the Arab monarchies.
In this regard, the Moroccan path toward development whilst retaining tradition
and conservatism is a model to be embraced. The rapid globalization of the Gulf
states in the last three decades has transformed local dynamics. It is therefore
crucial that rulers lead the forces of tradition and conservatism especially in
the face of extremists whose model is incompatible with development and building
societies based on respect.
Essentially, Arab monarchies have an opportunity to harness the youthful energy
that has swept the region. In the interests of survival, these monarchies, all
led by Muslim rulers, have an opportunity to pacify fundamentalist political
forces. Through pressing the Islamists to renounce extremist ideals and
terrorism they can seek to build cohesive societies in a region plagued with
instability.
The Moroccan case provides a working example of such a model, the old Kingdom is
characterized by tolerance, especially given its multi-confessional and
ethnically diverse population. The crown and the Moroccan nation are partners,
which work together to preserve the dynamics of this very unique of Kingdoms.
Breaking free from the vicious cycle
Khalid Abdulla-Janahii/Al Arabiya/April 22/16
The Middle East region is, tragically, in a state of denial and, until we have
the courage to face up to reality, we will not be able to break from the vicious
cycle we are trapped in and catch up with the rest of the world.
This state of denial is reflected almost anywhere you look in our region and is,
perhaps, the most challenging hurdle we must overcome before we can embrace
modernity. Ironically, it is the most challenging simply because it is the least
apparent – we don’t recognize what we don’t see – and this represents the
all-important first step forward: we must acknowledge, before we can address,
our weaknesses.
To break free from the vicious cycle we are trapped in and catch up with the
rest of the world, we must embrace modernity. This is simple, and very obvious.
To do so, however, we need to develop the necessary intellectual capacity to
embrace modernity. In turn, to develop our intellect, we need to first evolve
from subjects into citizens with rights and duties.
This is where things become tricky for us in the region – and we continue to
hide behind religion to justify maintaining the status quo. This is really
dangerous and, to be honest, no longer sustainable.
Religion has, since time immemorial, been used to control the masses, enslaving
them into quiet submission – despite the fact that, by definition, religion is a
very private, deeply intimate relationship been man and his creator.
In our region, religion is a defining component of our culture and our
civilization and its importance and significance cannot be overstated – but we
cannot continue to use it as a blanket excuse against moving forward.
The key prerequisites to breaking from our vicious cycle – modernity, intellect
and citizenry – are, unfortunately, often misrepresented simply to reinforce the
arguments against change.
Modernity, for example, is not about how short skirts can get, what
architectural style we use or which brands we buy. Rather, it is about where we
are, as a civilization, relative to the rest of the world. How developed we are
– in both our thoughts and in our actions – relative to the modern world.
Part of this modernity is the ability to take a critical look at ourselves, to
self-examine and to self-reflect before we look at others. To criticize
ourselves before we criticize others.
On the same token, intellect is not about how much we can read, what academic
degrees we have or which countries we visit. Rather, it is about how capable we
are of processing new thoughts, ideas and opinions. How we respect thoughts that
contradict ours, how we handle ideas that are not like ours, and how we react to
opinions we don’t agree with.
The same kind of differences separate subjects from citizens and, by extension,
rulers from leaders – but, unfortunately, many in the region continue to live in
a state of denial.
Across the region, we see people leaving our countries. In some cases, this is
creating modern-day ghost buildings, even towns – but, instead of noticing this
phenomena and trying to understand and address it, we choose to pretend it isn’t
happening. This is an example of the state of denial we choose to live in.
This state of denial leaves us treating anyone who does not completely agree
with us as the enemy and effectively cripples us from seeing another’s point of
view. This, in turn, denies us the opportunity to allow ourselves the very basic
freedom of expression and robs us of any real chance of development, let alone
modernity.
As a result, we continue to perpetuate our vicious cycle and stay where we are
while the rest of the world continues to move forward. We need to stop using
religion to hide, or whatever other excuse we use, and allow a complete cultural
shock to happen to the way we think and deal with others.
Ironically, Omar bin Khatab, one of the most powerful and influential Muslim
caliphs in history – who once famously said “since when did you enslave the
people though they were born from their mothers in freedom,” – was a lot more
modern in the mid-600s than we are today in the twenty-first century.