LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 27/16
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.april27.16.htm
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Bible Quotations For Today
John exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the
Lamb of God!
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint John 01/35-42:"The next day John again was standing with two
of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is
the Lamb of God! ’The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking
for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you
staying?’He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was
staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the
afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew,
Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We
have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to
Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be
called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter)."
Christ will be exalted now as
always in my body, whether by life or by death."
Letter to the Philippians 01/12-20:"I want you to know, beloved, that what has
happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel, so that it has become
known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my
imprisonment is for Christ; and most of the brothers and sisters, having been
made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word with
greater boldness and without fear. Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry,
but others from goodwill. These proclaim Christ out of love, knowing that I have
been put here for the defence of the gospel; the others proclaim Christ out of
selfish ambition, not sincerely but intending to increase my suffering in my
imprisonment. What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every
way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I
will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of
the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will result in my deliverance. It is my eager
expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my
speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body,
whether by life or by death."
Pope Francis's Tweet For Today
Let us break open our sealed tombs to the Lord – each of us knows what they are – so that he may enter and grant us life
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on April 27/16
Why ex-minister
Michel Samaha's return to prison may ease Lebanon's political deadlock/Sami
Nader/Al-Monitor/April 26/16
Is Syria's 'fragile cease-fire' really a cease-fire at all/Tamer Osman/Al-Monitor/April
26/16
Did Netanyahu miss out on a 'Golan-Iran' deal/Ben Caspit/Al-Monitor/April 26/16
Obama’s double standard toward Netanyahu/Alan Dershowitz/Jerusalem Post/April
26/16
The Death of Free Speech: The West Veils Itself/Giulio Meotti/Gatestone
Institute/April 26/16
Palestinians: Insulting Religious Minorities/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute/April 26/16
Turkey: Container Cities, Uprooting Alevis, Fear of Infiltrating Jihadis/Uzay
Bulut/Gatestone Institute/April 26/16
Islamists: A large audience without wise leaders/Jamal Khashoggi/Al Arabiya/April
26/16
New developments offer hope for Syria diplomacy/Camelia Entekhabi-Fard/Al
Arabiya/April 26/16
How to understand Obama’s policies/Hassan Al Mustafa/Al Arabiya/April 26/16
Can Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince transform the country/Joyce Karam/Al
Arabiya/April 26/16
Analyzing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030/Patrick Ryan/Al Arabiya/April 26/16
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on April 27/16
Rahi Travels to Brussels, Says
Presidential Polls Solution to Problematic Issues
Fears over Parliament Failure to Convene after Berri's Stance
Mustaqbal Bloc on Beri's Stance on Legislation: Election of President Remains
Priority
Change and Reform Hails Berri's Stance on Legislation as Step in Right Direction
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault in Beirut Next Month with New Proposal
Hariri Announces List of Candidates for Beirut Municipal Elections
AUB Condemns Kataeb-SSNP Clash, Stressing 'Freedom of Speech for All'
Jumblat Hints Saniora behind Illegal Internet Network
Bkirki Denies Proposing Election of President for Transitional Period
Report: Qahwaji to Visit Moscow for Anti-terror Cooperation
Saudi Executes Syrian Murder Convict
Rahi from Brussels: For peaceful solutions to wars
Abu Faour: 35 food poisoning cases in Akkar
Elias Murr from Ain Tineh: Berri symbol of coexistence
Bou Saab discusses with UNICEF additional admission of displaced students to
schools
Mokbel leaves to Russia: Lebanon on first defense line to confront terrorism
Interior Ministry sets dates to present candidacy to municipal polls in North
Why ex-minister Michel Samaha's return to prison may ease Lebanon's political
deadlock
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 27/16
UN council voices alarm at Israeli
cities on Golan Heights
Obama: Putin ‘not persuaded’ by EU unity
Aleppo violence kills 30 people in past 24 hours
Deadly raid targets White Helmets center InSyrian Aleppo
Pro-Assad forces target Homs aid convoy: activists
Iran jails French-Iranian after visit to sick mother
UN urges flexibility in Yemen peace talks
Turkey to use US rocket system in fight against ISIS
Turkish official seeks religious constitution
Former Minister: Iran’s economy on verge of collapse
Iran regime sentences 4 reporters to 27 years in jail
Dowlat Nowrouzi: Execution rate rising in Iran under Rouhan
Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield, a former senior United States official.: Iran
regime has ‘legitimacy deficit’
6000 truck drivers go on strike in Iran
Bahrain, Morocco denounce Iranian regime’s terrorism
Egypt’s security forces disperse small protests against Sisi
Executed Canadian hostage John Ridsdel’s family ‘devastated’ by his death
Links From
Jihad Watch Site for
April 27/16
Netherlands: Muslims give out 15,000 free Qur’ans on King’s Day.
Rutgers displays “artwork” of Christ crucified on a dartboard, Christians
worldwide riot — no, wait…
Jihad Watch #9 among “The Top 10 Conservative Political Blogs Everyone Should
Know About”.
Philippines: Islamic State beheads Canadian hostage.
The Islamic State blows up Mosul’s iconic Clock Church.
Robert Spencer in PJ Media: You Need to Know About Tom Perez: Likely Hillary VP
Opposes First Amendment.
Bloomberg View: “To Defeat Islamic State, Treat Muslims Better”.
“Minnesota man” pleads guilty to aiding the Islamic State.
This week: Robert Spencer in Western Canada.
Raymond Ibrahim: How Islam Erased Christianity from History.
France: “Arabic-speaking man” slashes soldier in the face with a box cutter.
Latest Lebanese Related News published on April 27/16
Rahi Travels to Brussels, Says Presidential Polls Solution to Problematic Issues
Naharnet/April 26/16/Maronite
Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi hoped on Tuesday that the municipal polls, which are
set for May, would pave way for the election of a new president. The solution to
all issues is the presidency, al-Rahi said at Rafik Hariri International Airport
in Beirut before traveling to Brussels on a three-day visit.“Hopefully the
municipal elections would pave way for holding parliamentary polls,” he said.
Both elections should be held “because Lebanon's value lies in the transition of
power and the democratic system."Al-Rahi reiterated that Bkirki has not proposed
the election of Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun as president for a
two-year transitional period. He said: “This issue does not fall within our
work,” adding “the parliamentary blocs decide what they want.”Al-Rahi was
referring to a letter, which according to media reports, he has delivered to
French President Francois Hollande.During his stay in Brussels, the patriarch is
scheduled to meet with Belgian King Philippe, give a lecture at the European
Parliament and hold meeting with the Lebanese community there.
Fears over Parliament Failure
to Convene after Berri's Stance
Naharnet/April 26/16/A decision made by Speaker Nabih Berri for joint
parliamentary committees to discuss a raft of electoral draft laws threw the
already defunct parliament in disarray, lawmakers warned on Tuesday. “The
summary we derive from Speaker Berri's stance is that the parliament will not
convene in the first ordinary session that ends in May,” legislative sources
told An Nahar daily published on Tuesday. Parliament convenes twice a year in
two ordinary sessions -- the first starts mid-march until the end of May and the
second from the middle of October through the end of December. On Monday, Berri
backed off from calling for legislative sessions to approve what he terms as
urgent bills, and instead urged joint committees to mull the electoral
draft-laws. His stance came during a rare news conference he held at his Ain al-Tineh
residence after Christian partitives warned that they would boycott any session
which does not have the electoral draft-law as the first item on the agenda. His
decision also came after a ten-member committee, which includes MPs from the
March 8 and March 14 camps and independents, has failed to reach an agreement on
a unified electoral law. Berri said there are some 17 draft-laws that should be
addressed by the joint committees. “Once they are narrowed down to two or three,
we can meet at parliament and approve a law that can be adopted in the
elections,” explained Berri. But An Nahar's sources warned that it would be
impossible for the committees to discuss the draft-laws in the ordinary session.
They expressed fear that the parliament would not be able to convene by the end
of 2016 if the rival blocs failed to reach a compromise. Several lawmakers also
warned against throwing the ball back into the court of the committees.
“Returning the draft-laws into the joint committees will drown us in further
complications,” al-Mustaqbal bloc MP jean Oghassabian told Voice of Lebanon
radio (100.5). “The committees will fail tor each an understanding and the
ordinary session will end without any result,” he said. Kataeb MP Elie Marouni
also told VDL (100.5) that Berri should have called for a General Assembly to
vote on one of the electoral draft-laws. “How would 40 lawmakers from the joint
committees be able to study the draft-laws when a small committee failed to so?”
he asked.
Mustaqbal Bloc on Beri's
Stance on Legislation: Election of President Remains Priority
Naharnet/April 26/16/The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc noted on Tuesday that the
election of a president should remain a priority in Lebanon given Speaker Nabih
Berri's recent stance on holding a legislative session. It said after its weekly
meeting: “The election of a head of state will pave the way for restoring
normalcy at constitutional institutions.”It hoped that joint parliamentary
committees will reach an agreement on an electoral draft-law that would enjoy
the support of the majority of blocs. It also voiced its fears over the ongoing
paralysis of the parliament, warning of the danger such inactivity will have on
the people's daily lives. Berri on Monday called on the joint parliamentary
committees to convene to tackle some 17 electoral draft-laws. Once an agreement
is reached on “two or three laws”, they can be referred to parliament where they
will be addressed during a legislative session, explained the speaker.
Parliament convenes twice a year in two ordinary sessions -- the first starts
mid-march until the end of May and the second from the middle of October through
the end of December. But the absence of a president since the end of President
Michel Suleiman’s term in May 2014 has paralyzed the parliament and led to
wrangling among cabinet ministers. The Change and Reform and Lebanese Forces
bloc support holding a legislative whose first article on its agenda is the
electoral law. The Kataeb party meanwhile stresses that parliament should only
meet to elect a head of state.
Change and Reform Hails
Berri's Stance on Legislation as Step in Right Direction
Naharnet/April 26/16/The Change and Reform bloc welcomed on Tuesday the stand of
Speaker Nabih Berri on the contentious legislative session, saying it adheres to
the National Pact. MP Ibrahim Kanaan said after the bloc's weekly meeting: “The
position takes into consideration the stances of Christian blocs and is the
first step towards resolving the dispute over the parliamentary electoral law.”
Berri on Monday called on the joint parliamentary committees to convene to
tackle some 17 electoral draft-laws. Once an agreement is reached on “two or
three laws”, they can be referred to parliament where they will be addressed
during a legislative session, explained the speaker. Kanaan continued: “We
cannot elect a president without respecting the will of parliament and the
people.”Failure to elect a head of state has been caused by the failure to
respect the constitution and National Pact for several years, he noted. The
Change and Reform and Lebanese Forces bloc support holding a legislative whose
first article on its agenda is the electoral law. The Kataeb party meanwhile
stresses that parliament should only meet to elect a head of state. Berri said
on Monday however that “parliament is entitled to hold a legislative session
regardless of the conditions in the country.” Parliament convenes twice a year
in two ordinary sessions -- the first starts mid-march until the end of May and
the second from the middle of October through the end of December. But the
absence of a president since the end of President Michel Suleiman’s term in May
2014 has paralyzed the parliament and led to wrangling among cabinet ministers.
French Foreign Minister
Jean-Marc Ayrault in Beirut Next Month with New Proposal
Naharnet/April 26/16/French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault is expected to
visit Beirut next month in a renewed effort to resolve Lebanon's presidential
deadlock, As Safir daily reported on Tuesday. Ayrault will come to Lebanon on
May 27, bringing with him a proposal that also includes the election of a Senate
through the so-called Orthodox Gathering draft-law, said the report. According
to As Safir, the Senate's election was lately discussed by the ambassadors of
the International Support Group for Lebanon. One of the diplomats later took the
proposal to Paris. Ayrault's visit would come a month after French President
Francois Hollande made a two-day trip to Lebanon during which he urged Lebanese
politicians to elect a new president. "I want to come back to Lebanon to meet
the president. I don't have a solution for that but the answer is with you, the
Lebanese legislators," he said. Baabda Palace has been vacant since the term of
President Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014. More than 30 parliament sessions
have failed to elect a new president amid divisions between the country's
political groups.
Hariri Announces List of
Candidates for Beirut Municipal Elections
Naharnet/April 26/16/Mustaqbal Movement chief MP Saad Hariri unveiled on Tuesday
his list of candidates for the Beirut municipal elections that are scheduled for
May 8. He said during a ceremony: “This list brings together the people of
Beirut and we will head to the polls on May 8 and elect it to restore unity to
the city.”The candidates are headed by engineer Jamal Itani and is backed by the
Mustaqbal Movement. Engineer Elie Andrea, an Orthodox, was nominated as deputy
mayor. Ragheb Haddad and Matilda Khoury were nominated as council members.
Beirut's 24-seat municipal council is split equally between Muslims and
Christians. The four-stage municipal elections will start in Beirut and
Bekaa-al-Hermal districts on May 8, while the elections in Mount Lebanon will be
held on May 15. Elections in south Lebanon and Nabatieh are set for May 22 and
north Lebanon and Akkar for May 29. Two lists have emerged lately in Beirut to
contend that of Hariri's. A new secular group named Members of Citizens of which
former Labor Minister Charbel Nahas is a member and the Beirut Madinati
coalition.
AUB Condemns Kataeb-SSNP
Clash, Stressing 'Freedom of Speech for All'
Naharnet/April 26/16/The American University of Beirut slammed on Tuesday the
clash that erupted on Monday between students affiliated with the Kataeb Party
and others affiliated with the Syrian Social National Party. It underlined the
importance of freedom of expression for all sides, “strongly condemned” the
violence that broke out on Monday on and off campus. What started as a
traditional political and cultural student activity was exploited to practice
violence, which contradicts AUB's mission and values, said university President
Fadlo Khuri. AUB supports freedom of expression of all students and is committed
to providing an atmosphere that encourages different political and cultural
views and it has been doing so for generations, he added in a statement. He
thanked the students for exercising restraint out of consideration for their
colleagues and university. “The safety of the students, faculty, and staff is
our greatest priority,” he declared. The dispute started when the Kataeb
students were commemorating “President Bashir Gemayel Day” at the university
where they attempted to erect a poster of the slain official. They were then met
by taunts by the SSNP students, said a Kataeb statement on Monday. A scuffle
soon ensued, which prompted the intervention of security forces. No one was
injured in the incident.
Jumblat Hints Saniora behind
Illegal Internet Network
Naharnet/April 26/16/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat hinted
on Tuesday that former Prime Minister Fouad Saniora was behind the illegal
internet network.He said via Twitter: “An ambassador of a major country asked me
why I opposed Lebanon's joining of the World Trade Organization, as did the the
European Union ambassador.”“My reply to both was clear in that the big fish eats
the small fish and I am in favor of protecting the local industry and
agriculture sectors,” he remarked. “My position will remain opposed to that of a
former prime minister, who used to heap praise on the benefits of free trade and
open markets,” he tweeted in an indirect reference to Saniora. “We do not want
the big fish that eats the small fish or hiding the truth behind the illegal
internet,” Jumblat said. “By the way, the big fish of the World Trade
Organization is the same one behind the illegal network.” The MP did not give
further evidence of this claim. Saniora served as premier from 2005 to 2009.
Telecommunications Minister Butros Harb revealed last month that around four
illegal internet stations have been proven to exist in the mountainous terrains
of al-Dinnieh, Ayoun al-Siman, Faqra and Zaarour. Suspects involved in the case
and believed to be associated with the state-owned OGERO were arrested on Monday
over possible links to the networks. Reports speculated that OGERO chief Abdul
Moneim Youssef was involved in the scandal. Early in March, the parliamentary
media committee unveiled what it described as a “mafia” that are taking
advantage of internet services by installing internet stations that are not
subject to the state control. The owners of these stations are buying
international internet bandwidth with nominal cost from Turkey and Cyprus which
they are selling back to Lebanese subscribers at reduced prices.
Bkirki Denies Proposing
Election of President for Transitional Period
Naharnet/April 26/16/Maronite Bishop Samir Mazloum denied on Tuesday reports
that Bkirki has proposed the election of a president for a transitional period
to resolve the country's political crisis. “Bkirki is not the source of a
proposal to elect a head of state for a two-year period,” Mazloum told As Safir
newspaper published on Tuesday. Former Speaker Hussein Husseini made the
proposal to elect a president for one year, he said. “But Maronite Patriarch
Beshara al-Rahi has not expressed his opinion on the matter because it is up to
lawmakers firstly to take a decision on such issues,” said Mazloum. “What
concerns Bkirki is the swift election of a president to come out of the vacuum,”
he told As Safir. But Mazloum said the seat of the Maronite church would “give
its blessing to an understanding” among the rival parties to elect Change and
Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun as president for a transitional stage if it was
impossible to elect a head of state for a six-year term. Reports have said
lately that there is a proposal to elect Aoun for the presidency for two years.
Aoun is one of the main contenders for the country's top Christian post. Baabda
Palace has been vacant since President Michel Suleiman six-year tenure ended in
May 2014.
Report: Qahwaji to Visit
Moscow for Anti-terror Cooperation
Naharnet/April 26/16/Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji is expected to visit Moscow
soon to consolidate the Lebanese military's anti-terrorism capabilities, al-Joumhouria
newspaper reported on Tuesday. A Russian technical military team is currently
visiting Beirut and conducting maintenance to Russian-made weaponry, it said.
Qahwaji's visit would come as Russia hosts a conference on international
security on April 27-28. The conference's main topic of discussion is fighting
terrorism, the situation in the Middle East, the traditional and new challenges
and threats to the international security. Al-Joumhouria quoted a high-ranking
Russian military source as saying that “the Lebanese army and Qahwaji are true
partners in combating terrorism worldwide.”The source praised their role in
stopping the Islamic State extremist group from expanding to the Mediterranean
shores. “Such a role would be marked in history,” he said. Qahwaji has warned
that the IS wanted to ignite civil war in Lebanon and create a passage to the
coastline in the North. The IS threat first came to Lebanon in August 2014, two
months after the group's summer blitz in which it seized large swaths of
territory in Iraq and Syria. In a surprise attack, the IS and al-Nusra Front
militants crossed over from Syria and overran the northeastern border town of
Arsal, hitting Lebanese army positions and killing nearly 20 soldiers.
Saudi Executes Syrian Murder
Convict
Agence France PresseNaharnet/April 26/16/Saudi Arabia executed a Syrian murder
convict on Tuesday, bringing to 87 the number of people put to death in the
conservative kingdom this year. Ahmed al-Ramadan was found guilty of stabbing
and strangling to death a Saudi as the victim was leaving his home for dawn
prayers, the interior ministry said, without specifying their relationship.
Authorities carried out the death sentence in the Qassim region, northwest of
Riyadh. 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. Murder and drug trafficking cases account for the majority of
Saudi executions. Amnesty International said Saudi Arabia had the third highest
number of people put to death 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.
Rahi from Brussels: For
peaceful solutions to wars
Tue 26 Apr 2016/NNA - Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rahi arrived
on Tuesday in Brussels via Paris, on a two-day visit at the invitation of the
European Union. Patriarch Rahi opened up his visit by having audience with
Belgian King Louis Philippe, where they held a tour d'horizon over current
developments in the region and the situation of the Lebanese community in
Belgium. In his delivered sermon, Rahi categorically deplored the terrorist
attacks on Brussels, expressing his deep condolences on the fallen innocent
victims. The Patriarch renewed call on the international community to find
peaceful solutions to the existing wars and the prevalence of peace, in addition
to the return of all the displaced people who forcibly had to leave their lands.
Rahi tackled in his sermon the current situation in Lebanon and the
repercussions of the regional situation on it, notably in terms of the impact of
refugees politically, economically and security wise. He also called on the
Lebanese officials to swiftly elect a new president of the republic, so that
Lebanon would regain its pioneering role in the world. Rahi met with the
Lebanese community members in the wake of his delivered sermon. The Patriarch is
due to visit tomorrow the European Parliament's headquarters, where he will meet
with European Parliament's President and lawmakers, and deliver a lecture on the
current situation of Christians in the Middle East.
Abu Faour: 35 food poisoning
cases in Akkar
Tue 26 Apr 2016/NNA - 35 cases of food poisoning were registered at the Islamic
philanthropic Dar-al-Aytam orphanage in Akkar, Public Health Minister, Wael Abu
Faour, indicated in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Elias Murr from Ain Tineh:
Berri symbol of coexistence
Tue 26 Apr 2016/NNA - Head of INTERPOL in Lebanon, Elias Murr, hailed House
Speaker Nabih Berri as a symbol of moderation and coexistence in the country.
Murr on Tuesday visited Berri in Ain Al Tineh, whereby he criticized looking for
a new parliamentary elections law amidst the absence of a president. He called
instead to shed light on the municipal elections in the meantime. Turning to the
presidential elections issue, Murr said that such matter could be resolved as
soon as the US presidential elections and the solutions to Yemeni and Syrian
crises would be concluded. However, the Lebanese presidential elections could be
accomplished regardless of the mentioned international considerations if
Lebanese politicians wanted that, according to him. Amongst Ain Al Tineh's
visitors had been Judge Jean Fahed, new Armenian Ambassador and head of Jbeil
Municipality Ziad Hawat.
Bou Saab discusses with
UNICEF additional admission of displaced students to schools
Tue 26 Apr 2016/NNA - Education and Higher Learning Minister, Elias Bou Saab, on
Tueday met with representative of UNICEF in Lebanon, Tania Chapuisat, over means
of apprehending additional number of displaced children in official schools. Bou
Saab also met with MP Ismail Sukkarieh over educational needs for schools in
Bekaa. The minister received at his office Bishop Michel Aoun and head of
Caritas, Priest Paul Karam, and discussed with Karam boosting the ties between
Caritas and the ministry.
Mokbel leaves to Russia:
Lebanon on first defense line to confront terrorism
Tue 26 Apr 2016/NNA - Vice Premier National Defense Minister , Samir Mokbel,
underscored on Tuesday that Lebanon occupies the first defense line in
confronting terrorism adding that Lebanon's fighting against terrorism serves
the country first, the region second and the European countries third. Mokbel's
words came before he left to Russia to take part in the international security
conference where he will hold a series of meetings. It is worth to note that
Russia's Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasepkin paid Mokbel farewell at the
airport. Responding to a question regarding the promises to equip the Lebanese
Army, Mokbel said "I will try to have an implementation promise because what we
need is execution not just promises," adding that he prepared-- after talks with
the military leadership-- a list of requests and needs to discuss in Russia. In
turn, Russian Ambassador said that the visit is to take part in the conference
to discuss with the international community common current issues. The
Ambassador added "Fighting terrorism has become an important issue for
everybody; thus, the common issues have become many among all the countries and
Lebanon's role is distinguished as it stands on the first defense line to fight
terrorism," saying that they seek to stop the spread of the terrorism.
Interior Ministry sets dates
to present candidacy to municipal polls in North
Tue 26 Apr 2016/NNA - The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities set on Tuesday
the dates to present candidacy to the imminent municipal and mayoral polls in
the North and Akkar. A statement by the Ministry indicated that the deadline
started as of April 26, and would end on April 23. More information is available
on www.interior.gov.lb
Why ex-minister
Michel Samaha's return to prison may ease Lebanon's political deadlock
Sami Nader/Al-Monitor/April 26/16
Michel Samaha, Lebanon's former information minister, is back in prison and even
his onetime supporters don't seem to mind much, as rival parties appear to be
making some progress on the political front. Samaha, known for his close ties
with the Syrian regime, was arrested Aug. 9, 2012, on charges of transporting
explosives from Syria to Lebanon in his own car and planning to assassinate
Lebanese political leaders. In the investigations, Samaha reportedly mentioned
that the targets were high-ranking figures. In February 2013, Military Judge
Riad Abu Ghida had even recommended the death penalty for Samaha and Syrian Maj.
Gen. Ali Mamlouk, one of the main pillars of the Syrian security regime. When
Samaha was finally sentenced last year, he received a 4½-year term. The decision
infuriated the Sunni community, as Samaha had been found guilty of planning to
execute a Syrian regime-orchestrated plot to trigger sectarian strife in
Lebanon. Amid sectarian tensions between Sunnis and Shiites that had reached a
peak in Lebanon and in the region, his sentence triggered a barrage of
objections, especially among the March 14 Alliance, a coalition of political
parties that opposes both the Syrian regime and the regime's Shiite ally,
Hezbollah.
A retrial was quickly ordered. Pending the do-over, the Military Court of
Cassation released Samaha on bail Jan. 14 — which of course did not go over
well, either. But by April 8, the court had rendered an irreversible sentence
totaling almost 10 years with hard labor and stripped Samaha of his civil
rights. (The official sentence was 13 years, but under Lebanese law, a prison
year only equals nine months.). It seems that the court's final decision might
have been intended to contain the Sunni fury caused by the decision to grant
Samaha bail. But why haven't Samaha's supporters objected to his sentence —
especially those who had shown solidarity with Samaha when he was first arrested
in 2012? Those supporters, led by Hezbollah, included parliament member Mohammad
Raad, the head of Hezbollah's Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc, who
praised the decision to release Samaha.
But the voices that once supported Samaha are muffled. Even Jamil al-Sayyed, one
of the most hard-line figures in the Axis of Resistance — the anti-West alliance
between Hezbollah, Iran and Syria — and within the ranks of the March 8
Alliance, has nothing good to say. Sayyed tweeted Jan. 15, a day after Samaha’s
release, “Michel Samaha betrayed my trust and erred against me when he
accompanied me from Damascus with him knowing what he was hiding in his car.”
Sayyed reaffirmed that stance in another Twitter posting April 8, the day the
court handed Samaha his prison term.
It appears that the irreversible decision came against the backdrop of
uninterrupted bilateral dialogue sessions between the Future Movement Party
(part of the March 14 Alliance) and Hezbollah (part of the March 8 Alliance)
that started in December 2014. The dialogue has been ongoing despite the
political sparring between Future Movement and Hezbollah over the war in Syria
and the emerging crisis with Saudi Arabia; the next session is scheduled for May
10. Two items on the agenda are easing sectarian tensions and finding a solution
to the two-year presidential vacuum.
One of the outcomes of this dialogue so far is Minister of Interior and
Municipalities Nouhad al-Machnouk's rejection of the Arab Interior Ministers'
decision March 2 to brand Hezbollah a terrorist organization.
An equally important outcome was the indirect call by head of the Future
Movement, Saad Hariri, for Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah to meet
him halfway on a political compromise. Hariri issued the call during a March 10
television interview on Kalam al-Nas, a live political talk show on the Lebanese
LBC satellite channel. Hariri's opening up to Hezbollah was reflected by his
nomination of Suleiman Franjieh — one of the leaders of the March 8 camp and a
close ally of Hezbollah — as Hariri's candidate for the Lebanese presidency.
Samaha's case has cast its shadow over the Future Movement and was one factor in
a sharp divergence of views among its poles. The most prominent display of this
disagreement was the Feb. 20 resignation of Minister of Justice Ashraf Rifi (who
objected to Samaha's release) over Hezbollah's increasing influence in the
government.
The Sunni public views Rifi as a leader rather than a minister, and his
resignation raised their ire, while Hariri posted on Twitter that the
resignation of Rifi does not represent his own position.
The divergence within the Future Movement ranks escalated to the point of
division. Ghattas Khoury, a Hariri adviser, said in an April 10 television
interview on the MTVLebanonNews channel, “There are currently no efforts for any
meeting between [Hariri] and [former] Minister Rifi.”
There is no doubt that the recent court decision lends credibility to Hariri’s
strategy of not resigning from the government and continuing the dialogue with
Hezbollah, which allowed him to obtain a fair judicial decision that shows no
leniency, contrary to the release decision, and avoid Hezbollah’s obstruction.
Michel Hajji Georgiou, a political activist and journalist at French-language
daily L’Orient Le Jour in Lebanon, spoke with Al-Monitor about Hezbollah’s
silence following the court's recent decision and the waning solidarity with
Samaha. “The main reason that pushed the Axis of Resistance, represented by
Hezbollah and its allies, to turn its back on Samaha is the embarrassment that
the latter has caused to the resistance in particular. This was the first time
[anyone] was caught red-handed moving explosives in his car from Syria to
Lebanon, and this is the first time that evidence has been revealed about the
involvement of Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk, which directly implicates the Syrian
regime.”
Although the court's recent sentence putting Samaha back behind bars may yet
defuse the Sunni anger, some contentious matters are much bigger, not the least
of which is Hezbollah’s fighting alongside the regime in Syria, its involvement
in the Yemeni war and its campaign against Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states.
Samaha’s return to prison could be a palliative to save the dialogue between the
Future Movement and Hezbollah, and to cut off the way to “hawks” such as Rifi.
Rifi decided to resign when the government did not approve to defer the Samaha
case to the Judicial Council (the highest court) after the Military Court
decided to release him. He accused Hezbollah, among many others, of obstructing
such a referral and consequently refused to stay in a government at the mercy of
Hezbollah. Samaha was politically and socially executed by both the rival March
8 and March 14 camps. Sending him back behind bars is a mere moral gain for the
Sunnis. Easing the sectarian tension between Sunnis and Shiites will require
much more.
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
April 27/16
UN council voices alarm at Israeli cities on Golan Heights
Reuters/Ynetnews/April 26/16/After Netanyahu
declaration Israel would never leave the Golan, UN Security Council stresses
that 'the status of the Golan remains unchanged' and Israeli annexation of the
plateau is 'null and void and without international legal effect.'
UNITED NATIONS - The
United Nations Security Council on Tuesday voiced alarm over Israeli cities and
towns about the Golan Heights on Syria's border with Israel, adding that its
status remains unchanged..
Earlier this month Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel would
never relinquish the Golan Heights, in a signal to Russia and the United States
that the strategic plateau should be excluded from any deal on Syria's future.
The declaration was condemned by the European Union, the United States, the Arab
League and Syria. "Council members expressed their deep concern over recent
Israeli statements about the Golan, and stressed that the status of the Golan
remains unchanged," China's UN Ambassador Liu Jieyi, president of the 15-nation
Security Council this month, told reporters after a closed-door meeting. He
added that council resolution 497 of 1981 made clear that Israel's decision at
the time to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the Golan was
"null and void and without international legal effect."Netanyahu's April 17
declaration came on the occasion of the first Israeli cabinet session on the
Golan since the area was captured from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed
in 1981. But Israel's annexation of the Golan has not won international
recognition. Past US-backed Israeli-Syrian peace efforts were predicated on a
return of the Golan, where some 23,000 Israelis now live alongside roughly the
same number of Druze Arabs loyal to Damascus. Liu said the council supported a
negotiated arrangement to settle the issue of the Golan. There is a UN
peacekeeping force deployed in the Golan called UNDOF. Established in 1974,
UNDOF monitors a ceasefire line that has separated Israelis from Syrians in the
Golan Heights since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The force has had to pull back from
a number of positions on the Golan due to fighting between militants and Syrian
government forces in the five-year-old Syrian civil war. Its peacekeepers have
been fired upon and captured by militants on several occasions.
Obama: Putin ‘not persuaded’
by EU unity
US President Barack Obama said his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is trying
to undermine European unity, which he sees as a threat. Speaking to CBS News in
an interview set to air Tuesday morning, Obama said Europe's migrant crisis is
also a problem for the United States. "But more importantly, more strategically,
is the strain it's putting on Europe's politics, the way that it advances
far-right nationalism, the degree to which it is encouraging a break-up of
European unity, that in some cases, is being exploited by somebody like Mr.
Putin," he said. Putin sees NATO, the European Union and transatlantic unity as
a threat, Obama added. "Now, I think he's mistaken about that," he said. "I've
indicated to him that, in fact, a strong, unified Europe working with a strong,
outward-looking Russia, that's the right recipe." "So far, he has not been
entirely persuaded."Obama was speaking at the end of a trip to the Middle East
and Europe, where he urged European leaders to show greater unity in the face of
lingering economic crisis, an Islamist terror threat and the huge flow of
migrants from the Middle East and elsewhere.
He also urged Britain not to vote to leave the European Union in a referendum in
June.
Aleppo violence kills 30
people in past 24 hours
Reuters Tuesday, 26 April 2016/Fighting in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo
has killed at least 30 people in the past 24 hours including at least eight
children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. The
bombardment - by both the Syrian government side and rebels - of many
neighborhoods inside the city also wounded dozens more, the British-based
monitoring group said. Fighting has intensified in Aleppo in recent days after
the near collapse of a partial truce brokered by Washington and Moscow in
February.
Deadly raid targets White
Helmets center InSyrian Aleppo
BEIRUT/Now Lebanon/26 April/16/ – Deadly airstrikes have targeted a center for
the Civil Defense Force operating in the opposition-held areas of Aleppo,
killing a number of the first responders commonly known as the White Helmets.
The midnight raid on Atareb killed five members of the Civil Defense, according
to the emergency response organization, which identified the victims as Ahmed
Tariq Abdallah, Khaled Bashar, Ahmad Mahmoud, Hamdo Hajj Ibrahim and Hussein
Ismail.“Mercy to the martyrs of humanity, patience and solace to their families
and curse and shame upon their killers,” the statement added. The White Helmets
also uploaded pictures of the damage to the center in Atareb—a town
approximately 30 kilometers west of Aleppo—on their Twitter account. According
to the first responders, the center was hit by “two airstrikes and a
missile.”The overnight raid comes amid a dramatic uptick in bombardment of
opposition-controlled sectors of Aleppo city as well as the surrounding
countryside. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that three
surface-to-surface missiles struck Aleppo on Tuesday morning, injuring two
children, while rebel factions continued to shell regime-held sectors of Syria’s
second city, injuring a number of residents.Meanwhile, the White Helmets said
that airstrikes Tuesday on Aleppo killed 10 people and injured 20 others. On
Monday, the Civil Defense Force issued a stark warning calling on “citizens not
to gather in public squares, parks, markets and schools because of the
indiscriminate bombing used by regime forces.”“We also [call] on brothers not to
gather in bombed locations for their own safety out of fears of duplicate
bombings,” the terse statement added. According to the Observatory, 60 civilians
have been killed since April 22 in back-and-forth bombardment in Aleppo: 45 by
regime airstrikes and 15 by rebel shelling.
Pro-Assad forces target Homs
aid convoy: activists
Now Lebanon/26 April/16/BEIRUT – A humanitarian aid convoy bound for a
rebel-held pocket of territory in the northern Homs country has come under fire
by pro-regime forces, according to activists in the besieged region.The Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights reported that a shell struck one of the Red Cross
convoy’s trucks in the vicinity of Teir Maaleh on Monday, injuring the driver
and two others. Local sources told the NGO tracking developments in war-torn
Syria that the projectile was fired from a nearby area under the control of
regime forces. A number of pro-rebel outlets covered the alleged incident, with
the activist Homs Media Center claiming that Shiite militiamen in the village of
Al-Kam—approximately 1 kilometer north of Teir Maaleh—had targeted the convoy
with a tank shell. The opposition council of Teir Maaleh also issued a statement
on the matter, saying that the humanitarian convoy slowed down en-route from
Teir Maaleh to Rastan by the poor conditions of the road, which was littered
with craters and earth mounts. A loader was brought to remove the barriers,
after white “Shiite militiamen in the easter side of Teir Maaleh in Al-Kam
targeted it with a guided missile, leading to serious material damage,” the
statement added. The International Committee for the Red Cross as well as the
local Syrian Arab Red Crescent have dispatched 100 trucks of humanitarian
assistance to northern Homs in the past week, the largest aid shipment so far in
the Syrian civil war. On Thursday, 65 trucks bearing food, medical equipment and
provisions for clean water arrived in Rastan, the first shipment to the besieged
town since 2012. Neither the ICRC or the SARC have made any comment on the
purported shelling of the second aid convoy on Tuesdya.
Iran jails French-Iranian after visit to sick mother
By Reuters Dubai Tuesday, 26 April 2016/A French-Iranian citizen who left Iran
in 2009 after facing espionage charges has been sentenced to six years in jail
following her return to the country to visit her critically ill mother, an
opposition website reported. Former French embassy employee Nazak Afshar, 58,
was arrested last month on arrival at Tehran airport, website Kaleme said late
on Sunday. She was freed on bail from Evin prison after sentencing, it said. The
Iranian judiciary has not commented on her case or made the charges against her
public. Meet the Iranian lawyer who reveals her country’s black record
Afshar, who had dual citizenship, was arrested and tried in 2009 on charges of
spying and acting against Iran’s national security. No verdict was issued and
she was freed following the intervention of the French government, leaving the
country the same year.
The potential opening up to the West after last year’s nuclear deal has alarmed
Iranian hardliners, and Afshar’s arrest appears to be part of a crackdown
against what some officials have portrayed as Western infiltration. Several
other dual-nationality citizens or expatriates have been arrested on returning
to visit Iran, and a spokesman for the Iranian judiciary said on Sunday that
four had recently been sentenced for their connections to foreign countries.
“Five people who were arrested recently for their connections outside the
country were put on trial... and four of them have received their sentences,”
Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency. Iran
does not recognize dual nationality. Iranian conservative media reported last
week that the presenter of a pro-opposition television channel was arrested as
he travelled to Iran in “the disguise of visiting relatives.” Sabri Hassanpour,
was host of the online network “Simay-e Rahayi” (Liberation TV) in the
Netherlands, and an outspoken critic of the Islamic Republic. Other dual
nationals Iran is holding include Iranian-Briton Kamal Foroughi, 76, who was
arrested in 2011 while working in Tehran as a business consultant. Iranian-US
citizens Siamak Namazi and his 80-year-old father, Baquer, are also in jail.
Iran’s judiciary spokesman said in January that most of the detained dual
nationals were facing espionage charges.
UN urges flexibility in Yemen peace talks
AFP, United Nations Tuesday, 26 April 2016/The UN Security Council on Monday
threw its weight behind fledgling Yemen peace talks in Kuwait, urging all sides
in the negotiations to be constructive. The 15-member council stressed the
importance of agreeing on a “roadmap” to implement security measures including
the withdrawal of heavy weapons. Envoys from the Saudi-backed government and the
Houthi militias began talks in Kuwait on Thursday to end a war that intensified
in March last year, when a Saudi-led coalition launched an air-strike campaign.
“The council reiterates its call to all parties to engage in peace talks in a
flexible and constructive manner without preconditions, and in good faith,” the
council statement said. Council members urged negotiators to agree on a
framework of “principles, mechanisms and processes” for reaching a comprehensive
peace deal that would “bring about a permanent end to the conflict.” The peace
talks got under way after a ceasefire entered into force on April 11 that the
United Nations says is largely holding despite some pockets of violence. The
negotiations represent the best hope in months for a settlement to the conflict,
which has killed more than 6,800 people, displaced 2.8 million and brought the
already-impoverished country to its knees. Yemen ranks among the world’s worst
humanitarian crises, according to the United Nations, with more than 80 percent
of the population in dire need of relief assistance.
EU: Turkey visa deal only once ‘all
criteria met’
AFP, Paris Tuesday, 26 April 2016/The EU’s top diplomat Federica Mogherini said
Tuesday that Turkey would only get visa-free travel to the bloc once it has met
all the required criteria. Turkey has demanded its citizens be allowed to enter
the European Union’s passport free Schengen zone without a visa by June, in
exchange for it taking back migrants from Europe. But the EU insists that Turkey
must meet 72 conditions before allowing visa-free travel, of which it is
believed to have fulfilled about half. “On free travel, this will be done only
once all the criteria are respected, as for all countries with which we
negotiate free travel for a limited period,” EU foreign policy chief Mogherini
said on France Inter radio.“It was the case with Georgia, it was the case with
Ukraine, it is a discussion we are having with Kosovo. There are very strict,
technical criteria that must be put in place, a very severe verification must be
carried out to apply this measure.” The EU struck the deal with Turkey to send
back all “irregular” migrants which arrive in Greece after March 20 in a bid to
halt mass migration which has created enormous strain in Europe.Two sets of
deportations expelling 325 migrants from Greece took place three weeks ago, but
there has been no movement since. The operation has been hampered by last minute
asylum applications and Turkey has also sounded the alarm several times against
the EU failing to keep its side of the bargain. The accord is awash with legal
and moral concerns, and critics have accused the EU of sacrificing its values
and overlooking Turkey’s growing crackdown on free speech in order to secure the
deal. The deal also promises to fast-track Turkey’s accession to the EU.
Mogherini said resuming talks on Turkey’s accession was “the only way we can
help Turkey modernize its state (and) respect fundamental rights including press
freedom ... and also hold a larger conversation for example on relaunching peace
talks with the Kurds.” European Council president Donald Tusk said last week
that “Europe must set clear limits to its concessions. We can negotiate money,
but never our values.” “Our powerlessness could lead to a temptation to
blackmail Europe,” he warned. The deal has already sharply reduced the number of
people crossing from Turkey to Greece, though the International Organization for
Migration has said the numbers are “once again ticking up”, possibly as
smugglers get more creative. If Ankara meets its side of the agreement, the
European Commission has promised to recommend next month that EU states approve
visa-free travel for Turks.
Turkey to use US rocket
system in fight against ISIS
AFP, Ankara Tuesday, 26
April 2016/Turkey has struck a deal with the United States to deploy American
light multiple rocket launchers on its border with Syria to combat ISIS,
according to the foreign ministry. The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
“will be deployed on the Turkish border in May as part of an agreement” with
Washginton, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview published
Tuesday. The system is being brought in “so we will be able to hit Daesh targets
more effectively,” he told the Haberturk newspaper, using an acronym for ISIS.
Turkey, a member of US-led coalition against ISIS, has increased its strikes in
Syria after a series of deadly attacks on its soil blamed on the extremists.
Ankara also allows US jets to use its air base in southern Turkey for air
bombardments on the extremist group. In recent weeks, the Turkish border town of
Kilis has come under frequent attack from rockets fired across the border,
prompting the army to respond with howitzer fire. Cavusoglu said HIMARS would
allow Turkey to hit ISIS positions within a 90-kilometer (56 mile) range, while
Turkish artillery has a more limited range of 40 kilometers. The aim is to gain
control of the so-called Manbij Gap, a backdoor border route favored by ISIS for
smuggling extremists into Syria. Turkey wants to establish a safe zone in the 98
kilometer stretch between Manbij and the border in which to shelter Syrian
refugees, the foreign minister said. Ankara has long pressed for the creation of
safe zones in the war-torn country. German Chancellor Angela Merkel this weekend
said the zones were “of the utmost immediate importance also in our negotiations
for a ceasefire” in Syria. But Washington is set against the idea, saying it
would require a no-fly zone, something that could lead to conflicts with Russian
planes flying over Syria.“As a practical matter, sadly, it is very difficult to
see how it would operate short of us essentially being willing to militarily
take over a big chunk of that country,” US President Barack Obama said during a
visit to Germany at the weekend.
Turkish official seeks
religious constitution
AFP, Istanbul Tuesday, 26 April 2016/Turkey should have a religious
constitution, parliament speaker Ismail Kahraman said Monday, in comments that
will likely add to concerns of creeping Islamization under the ruling AKP party.
“As a Muslim country, why should we be in a situation where we are in retreat
from religion?” state-run news agency Anatolia quoted him as saying. “We are a
Muslim country. As a consequence, we must have a religious constitution,” the
AKP lawmaker told a conference in Istanbul. “Secularism cannot feature in the
new constitution.”Critics accuse President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted
AKP of eroding the secular values laid by modern Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk since it took power in 2002. Over the past two years, the government has
lifted bans on women and girls wearing headscarves in schools and civil service.
It also limited alcohol sales and made efforts to ban mixed-sex dorms at state
universities. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of Turkey’s main CHP opposition
party, slammed the speaker’s comments. “The chaos that reigns in the Middle East
is the product of ways of thinking that, like you, make religion an instrument
of politics,” Kilicdaroglu wrote on Twitter. “Secularism exists so everyone can
practice their religion freely, Mr Kahraman!” Since the AKP’s re-election in
November, the government has said it wants to prioritize replacing Turkey’s
constitution, inherited from a military junta after a coup in 1980. Several
rounds of negotiations have failed - most recently in February - with the
opposition rejecting the increasingly powerful role of the presidency under
Erdogan.
Kahraman on Monday backed a “presidential system” for Turkey, and rejected
claims that this would push the country towards authoritarianism. “Some people
say that (a strengthened presidency) means dictatorship,” he said. “Where is
this link? Is (US President Barack) Obama a dictator?”
Former Minister: Iran’s
economy on verge of collapse
Tuesday, 26 April 2016/NCRI - The Iranian regime’s former Minister of Education
announced that the country’s economy is on the verge of collapse and that not
all problems related to the dire economic situation were the byproduct of
international sanctions. The Fars News Agency, affiliated with the regime’s
Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), reported on Thursday, April 21, that Hamidreza
Haji-Babai noted in his speech in Arak, central Iran, that the “country’s
economy is on the verge of a stroke. We are facing stagnation, and we are not in
good shape.”Haji-BabaI, who in addition to being a minister was a legislator of
the regime for 20 years, made the following assessment of the regime’s economy:
“We should note that not all the problems are related to the sanctions. Just 30
percent of our problems are due to sanctions and the remaining 70 percent have
to do with management.”In an editorial on April 18, 2016, The New York Times
pointed out that the Iranian regime should primarily blame itself for its
economic problems due to a corrupt financial system and support for
terrorism.The New York Times added: “Most American sanctions remain in place
because of Iran’s involvement in terrorism and human rights abuses and its
testing of ballistic missiles. Iran knew that lifting all American sanctions was
never part of the nuclear deal. This means American companies are still banned
from doing business in Iran, except for trade in civil aviation, carpets and
agricultural products.”
Iran regime sentences 4
reporters to 27 years in jail
uesday, 26 April 2016/NCRI - Iran's fundamentalist regime has sentenced four
journalists to a combined total of 27 years of jail, their lawyer announced on
Tuesday.Afarin Chitsaz was sentenced to 10 years behind bars for gathering and
colluding to disrupt national security and having ties to foreign governments,
her lawyer Mahmoud Alizadeh-Tabatabaee told the state-run Tasnim news agency.
Ehsan Mazandarani was given a seven year sentence for propaganda against the
regime and gathering and colluding to disrupt national security,
Alizadeh-Tabatabaee said. Davood Assadi and Ehsan (Saman) Safarzaie were each
handed down a five year sentence for gathering and colluding to disrupt national
security.The four detained journalists previously wrote for state-run media in
Iran. They were arrested on November 2, 2015 in raids on their homes by
intelligence agents of the Revolutionary Guards who accused them of spying for
the governments of the United Kingdom and United States.
Dowlat Nowrouzi: Execution rate rising in Iran under Rouhani
Tuesday, 26 April 2016/NCRI - Dowlat Nowrouzi, the representative of the
National Council of Resistance of Iran in the United Kingdom, says the rate of
executions in Iran are rising during Hassan Rouhani's presidency. In an
interview with ncr-iran.org on Tuesday, Ms. Nowrouzi said that recent trips by
European officials to Iran have not led to an improvement of the human rights
situation by the mullahs' regime. Earlier this month while the head of European
Union diplomacy Ms. Federica Mogherini visited Tehran, 10 people, including two
women, were executed, Ms. Nowrouzi pointed out. "The recent trips not only did
not help the terrible human rights situation in Iran; they only aggravated it,”
she said. She added that according to the United Nations the execution rate in
Iran hit a record last year. “In reality and based on the reports by the UN
Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran only last year 966 people had been
executed in Iran, while we know that the real figure is much higher,” Ms.
Nowrouzi said. “In the aftermath of the nuclear deal the human rights situation
has not improved for the better; rather, it is getting much worse.” The National
Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said in a statement on April 13 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. Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, was in Tehran on April 16 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.” Amnesty International in its April 6 annual Death Penalty report
covering the 2015 period wrote: "Iran put at least 977 people to death in 2015,
compared to at least 743 the year before.""Iran alone accounted for 82% of all
executions recorded" in the Middle East and North Africa, the human rights group
said. There have been more than 2,300 executions during Hassan Rouhani’s tenure
as President. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights
situation in Iran in March announced that the number of executions in Iran in
2015 was greater than any year in the last 25 years. Rouhani has explicitly
endorsed the executions as examples of “God’s commandments” and “laws of the
parliament that belong to the people.”
Ambassador Lincoln
Bloomfield, a former senior United States official.: Iran regime has ‘legitimacy
deficit’
Tuesday, 26 April 2016/NCRI – Iran’s regime has a “legitimacy deficit” and fears
any challenges to its rule and as such is “jailing and executing people who pose
a political challenge,” said Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield, a former senior
United States official. In an interview on Iran News Update's YouTube page, Amb.
Bloomfield criticized the Obama administration for not considering Iran’s human
rights violations as a factor in the nuclear agreement made with the mullahs’
regime in 2015. “This raises the question of whether the United States has been
ignoring one of the most egregious violators of human rights in the world, and
ignoring the plight of the individuals who are being detained and jailed and
tortured and executed in Iran,” said Amb. Bloomfield who previously served as
Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs in the U.S. State
Department from 2001 until 2005. “I do think that there is a refocusing that is
needed as to what should be the appropriate approach to the behavior of the
ruling regime in Iran.”Amb. Bloomfield said he does not believe that
international trade deals would encourage the regime to reduce the number of
executions in carries out annually.
“Most of the major contracts that European leaders are signing with the regime
are certainly with Iranian entities where profits will flow to the clerics, and
to the foundations they control,” he said. “President Rouhani came into office
in mid-2013 talking about reform. He brought in the Foreign Minister Zarif; both
these men speak good English and they engaged in social media campaigns in
English to charm the West. But at the same time his Justice Minister is guilty
of crimes against humanity from 1988, and so it was, it seems to me they are
putting up two faces to the public.” “I think there is one acid test that could
be posed for those who claim to be advancing 'reform' inside Iran. And that is,
it has to do with the key point in the Constitution that Ayatollah Khomeini
introduced in 1979, when he combined religious devotion and political
legitimacy, for the first time in hundreds of years; the same thing that ISIS is
going to try to do. Which is to say, the Caliphate which is the element that
makes the Supreme Leader essentially the embodiment of the twelfth Imam of the
descendent of the prophet; this needs to be changed. And if someone in Iran is
willing to say 'I am a reformer, and I propose to remove this from the
constitution, and no longer give the Supreme Leader and the Assembly of experts
– the Guardian Council – over-riding power, that could be proof that they’re
willing to move Iran back into the modern age.”“I will tell you that I've been a
political appointee in the United States, and if you are being granted a
position by a political party they investigate very carefully to make sure that
you will not bring embarrassment to the President of the White House; but in
Iran everyone who wants to run for office is investigated by the Basij, who puts
together a folder and brings it the Guardian Council to review, to see if this
person is loyal enough to the Supreme Leader, or has shown any kind of
deviationist tendencies. So they really are imposing a severe loyalty test to
the Supreme Leader before anyone is allowed to run.” Amb. Bloomfield suggested
that the mullahs’ regime is in a weak state. “I interpret most of their behavior
as a reaction to the weakness of their legitimacy; and mostly defensive in
nature, and which makes them very dangerous.”“They're trying both through
coercion and charm to buy time because, as I just said, most of the leaders have
nowhere else to go. If they were not behind the shield of power they could not
survive as free citizens in the world given the crimes on their personal
dossier. They would not be able to walk as free men.”
6000 truck drivers go on
strike in Iran
Tuesday, 26 April 2016/NCRI - At least half a dozen strikes and protests were
held on Sunday, April 24, in Tehran, Bandar Abbas (southern Iran), and Iran’s
western cities against the against the repressive policies of Hassan Rouhani's
government and the looting of workers’ salaries by officials of the mullahs’
regime. Bandar Abbas – A major strike by Iranian truck drivers continued with at
least 6000 drivers refusing to work. This protest was against the regime’s
agents, including syndicate officials and those in charge of shipping terminals,
over their policy of extortion under various guises. Congestion caused by the
protesters’ trucks and cars have closed off all roads to Baba-Gholam Highway.
Tehran, Yaft Abad District, 9:00 AM (local time) - The market traders of the
furniture industry went on strike against extortions by government agents. They
had gathered to strike in front of the customs representative in one of the
entrances to the bazaar. They protested the staggering increase in import tax
rates. The regime’s customs announced that import tax rates are being raised
since in the current difficult economic climate, imports in the furniture
industry are not necessary.
One of the furniture producers stated: "Imports and exports in this business
continued during the time of sanctions and since this business generated a large
amount of profit, nobody stopped it. Now they allege that our circumstances have
supposedly changed. The border areas got sensitive to expanding export and
import in this business. Therefore, the tax rate was increased in order to be
profitable enough for the customs." Tehran, Mowlavi Street, 9.30AM -
Predominantly young people protested and defied the regime’s suppressive
security forces. The repressive police clamped down on homeless people in
Herandi Park under the pretext of clearing out drug addicts. They beat up and
attempted to arrest working children, including those rummaging through garbage
cans. In order to disperse eye-witnesses who protested this action, the
suppressive forces fired tear gas into the crowd. They also prevented people
from taking any photographs or filming the incident. Nazgol Oil Cooking Factory,
Mahi-Dasht - A group of workers of Nazgol Factory gathered 10 kilometers into
the Kermanshah-Islamabad Road to protest the non-payment of three months of
their salaries and long overtime wages. Kopoli Tissue producing industry,
Mahi-Dasht, Kermanshah - A group of workers and employees of the tissue
producing company, Kopoli, protested in the industrial town of Mahi-Dasht
against non-payment of six months of their salaries and overtime wages. Iran
Khodro Industrial Group Representatives, Gomrok Street, Kermanshah - A group of
repairmen and workers of Iran Khodro’s local representation (Mir Abdolbaghi
representative group) protested against their overdue insurance money and four
months of unpaid salaries.
Bahrain, Morocco denounce
Iranian regime’s terrorism
Tuesday, 26 April 2016/NCRI - The leaders of Bahrain and Morocco on Monday
condemned the Iranian regime's support for international terrorism. Bahrain's
King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa hosted King Mohammed VI of Morocco in the Al-Sakhir
Palace on his official visit to Bahrain. The state-run Bahrain News Agency
reported that the two kings "slammed [the] blatant Iranian interference which
subverts the security and stability of Bahrain, GCC states and Arab countries,
by meddling in their internal affairs and supporting terrorism which is strongly
condemned by the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League and Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation."Bahrain's foreign minister earlier this month said that
Gulf Arab states were prepared to confront Iran's regime over its foreign policy
and that Tehran should drop its support for Middle East factions. Bahrain cut
diplomatic relations with Iran's regime in January, one day after Saudi Arabia
severed ties with the mullahs’ regime following attacks by demonstrators on its
diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. "We send a message to Iran and to all
its followers. We are now serious about confronting it and we have no hesitation
to defend our people, states, interests and brothers in the region because this
is a vital issue for us," Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said in an
interview with the Dubai-based al-Arabiya channel. Bahrain accuses the mullahs'
regime in Iran of fomenting unrest in the country and of supplying weapons to
Shi'ite militants behind several bomb attacks on security forces. Sheikh Khaled
said the Iranian regime “must completely change its foreign policy towards the
countries of the region."This included the Iranian regime dropping its support
for the Lebanese Hezbollah organization and other groups, he added.
Egypt’s security forces disperse small
protests against Sisi
Al Arabiya English/ Reuters Tuesday, 26 April 2016/Egyptian
security forces fired tear gas and arrested scores of people to disperse small
protests against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday, deterring what
activists had hoped would be large demonstrations, witnesses and security
sources said. Earlier this month, thousands angered by Sisi's decision to hand
over two islands to Saudi Arabia called for his government to fall in the
largest demonstration since the former army general took office in 2014.
Security forces moved on Monday to prevent a repeat scenario, blocking roads in
Cairo leading to a central meeting point and dispersing a march in the Dokki
neighbourhood with tear gas, a witness said. Protesters said the marches were a
sign of growing dissent. "There is a different kind of momentum that wasn't
there for the past two years," said activist Mona Seif, adding that the
dispersal of protests was reminiscent of the early days of the 2011 uprising
which toppled President Hosni Mubarak. "People were waving at us from the
balcony," she said. Videos and pictures posted on social media showed teargas
being used at a small protest drawing dozens in the Imbaba district. Some
chanted "The people want the fall of the regime" - a slogan from the 2011
uprising. Aircraft and helicopters circled over Cairo. Police in recent days
have arrested more than 90 people across eight governorates, according to the
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, a Cairo-based human rights group.
On Monday, scores were arrested both in Cairo and outside of the capital,
including six in the northern port city of Damietta and 12 in the Nile Delta
industrial town of El-Mahalla El-Kubra, security sources said. The Interior
Ministry said it could not provide an immediate count for how many protesters
had been detained. The protests coincided with a national holiday celebrating
the final Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai peninsula in 1982. Amnesty
International said in a statement on Tuesday it has received information from
local activists that at least 238 people, including foreign nationals, activists
and journalists, were arrested on 25 April across Egypt. “The Egyptian
authorities appear to have orchestrated a heavy-handed and ruthlessly efficient
campaign to squash this protest before it even began. Mass arrests, road blocks
and huge deployments of security forces made it impossible for peaceful
demonstrations to take place,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, Amnesty International’s
interim Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, in a statement
obtained by Al Arabiya English. About 2000 Sisi supporters turned out for
official celebrations at Abdeen Palace with families holding placards adorned
with the president's face and the words "We trust you". There are no signs that
Sisi's rule is under immediate threat.
Executed Canadian
hostage John Ridsdel’s family ‘devastated’ by his death
By Adam Frisk and Kevin Nielsen Global News/26 April/16
Extremists have beheaded one of two Canadian men who have been held hostage in
the Philippines after a ransom deadline passed.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that John Ridsdel was executed by
Abu Sayyaf militants after being held hostage for six months.
Risdel’s family release a statement saying they were “devastated” by the news of
his death.
“Our family is devastated at loss of our father and brother John Ridsdel whose
life was tragically cut short by this senseless act of violence despite use
doing everything within our power to bring him home,” the statement read. “He
was loved by all his friends and adored by his daughters, sister, and extended
family. He will be sorely missed in the days to come.”The prime minister condemned the act, placing blame on Abu Sayyaf militants.
“Canada condemns without reservation the brutality of the hostage takers in this
unnecessary death,” Trudeau said. “This was an act of cold-blooded murder and
responsibility rests squarely with the terrorist group who took him hostage.”Calling it a “heinous act,” the prime minister said the government is working
with the Philippines and international partners to bring the hostage-takers to
justice.
“On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I would like to
express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Ridsdel,”
Trudeau said. “They have endured a terrible ordeal and this is a devastating
moment for all of them.”
According to Reuters, the Philippine army found a severed head on a remote
island, some five hours after the ransom deadline set by militants of the Abu
Sayyaf terror group.
Rona Ambrose, Interim Leader of the Conservative Party, called the execution of
Ridsdel at the hands of terrorists “shocking and saddening.”
“All Canadians held out hope that all the innocent civilians that have been
taken hostage would be returned safely,” Ambrose said in a statement. “We
continue to hope for a resolution to this situation where all other hostages
will return safely home to their families.
“Incidents like this should remind all of us that the threat of terrorism
remains very real. We must stand with our allies in solidarity against
terrorism, which remains the greatest challenge that the world faces today,”
Ambrose said.
Earlier on Monday the Associated Press reported the Philippine army launched a
rescue mission to free the Canadians, Robert Hall and Ridsdel, a Norwegian man
and a Filipino woman, who were kidnapped at gunpoint from a marina on southern
Samal Island last September.
The kidnappers had reportedly demanded 300 million pesos ($8.1 million) for each
of the foreigners, and set a deadline of Monday at 3 p.m. local time to deliver
the ransom or the militants would behead one of their captives.
Earlier on Monday, Global Affairs Canada said it would not comment on the rescue
mission led by Philippines military.
“The Government of Canada will not comment or release any information which may
compromise ongoing efforts or endanger the safety of Canadian citizens,”
spokesperson Rachna Mishra said in an email statement. “The Government of
Canada’s first priority is the safety and security of its citizens.”Reuters reported residents found a severed head in the centre of Jolo town, and
Tan said two men on a motorcycle were seen dropping a plastic bag containing the
head. The military spokesperson also said the army received intelligence that
Abu Sayyaf had carried out an execution.
The terror group had previously demanded more than $100 million in ransom to
release the four captives.
In a video posted online in November, Hall – under duress – said he was being
held for “one billion pesos” or C$28 million. It’s the same demand for each of
the other hostages.
Before entering into the mining industry, Ridsdel worked for the CBC in Calgary
as well as the Calgary Herald in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
As a business reporter with the Herald, he spent a few years alongside Ron
Nowell.
“I was quite shocked when I heard about him being taken hostage,” Nowell said.
Nowell, who retired from the paper in 2010, said Ridsdel was an “excellent
reporter” and that he was “very sad to hear the news this morning of his
demise.”
Ridsdel left the paper to take a job with Petro-Canada, where he worked for
several years before eventually becoming an executive with Calgary-based mining
company TVI Pacific.
TVI Pacific released a statement to Global News about their former senior vice
president, chief operating officer Monday.
“The TVI team is completely devastated to learn of John’s passing,” the
statement read. “We are in profound shock, disbelief and sorrow to have lost our
former colleague and close friend.
“John was a remarkable man and his gregariousness, warmth and wit will be sorely
missed. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family at this
heartbreaking time.”
–with files from Nick Logan and Reid Feist
© 2016 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on April 27/16
Is Syria's 'fragile
cease-fire' really a cease-fire at all?
Tamer Osman/Al-Monitor/April 26/16
ALEPPO, Syria — Syrian regime fighter jets stepped up their attacks on
residential neighborhoods in Aleppo over the weekend, killing 42 people,
including women and children, and wounding scores of other civilians. The
warplanes targeted buildings in numerous opposition-controlled neighborhoods,
including a market in Sakhur. The regime, which had resumed shelling April 11,
has intensified its efforts since then. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
has documented the air force's shelling of numerous neighborhoods in the city.
“The shelling was very heavy on Friday, Saturday and Sunday," Khaled Khatib,
media officer for the Syrian Civil Defense, told Al-Monitor. "The regime’s
warplanes targeted vital areas in Aleppo, including 11 residential neighborhoods
almost inside the city. The civil defense units saved an entire family that was
stuck under the rubble of their own home that was shelled in Tarik al-Bab
neighborhood on Saturday, April 23. "The civil defense also pulled out the
dismembered body parts of five people who died in the shelling of a public
garden [market] in the Sakhur neighborhood. …The airstrikes killed 40 people,
while a large number of people were badly injured,” Khatib added.
In light of the worsening shelling in Aleppo, the city's Directorate of
Education suspended classes April 24-25.
“During the past few days, the death toll among children has risen tremendously
due to airstrikes on the city. We fear for the children and teachers’ lives
during school hours; this is why we decided to suspend classes," Mohammed
Mustafa Abu al-Hassan, head of the directorate, told Al-Monitor. "We still do
not know if we should resume classes on Tuesday [April 26]. It all depends on
the developments on the ground." Before the renewal of airstrikes, relative calm
and security prevailed over Aleppo. Its citizens did not fear walking down the
streets or allowing their children to play in public gardens with the onset of
good weather. The markets were revived and shop owners kept their stores open
late. Abu Mohammed, who lives in al-Qatarji neighborhood, also told Al-Monitor,
“We had witnessed a period of calm. Aleppo is one of the cities most affected by
bombardment of all kinds, which forced most of its less fortunate citizens to
migrate either to Turkey, Europe or Turkish camps. I have been here since the
beginning of shelling in the summer of 2012.”
He added, “The cessation of hostilities was the quietest period in the city in
more than three years. Today, the shelling has been resumed with missiles and
mortars. We are tired of destruction and the news of our relatives’ and
neighbors’ deaths. Aleppo has been reduced to rubble; it was one of the most
significant cities in Syria. Unfortunately, there is no one in the entire world
who could stop the criminal [President] Bashar al-Assad from killing the people
and destroying the country."Activists in Aleppo said Bashar resumed shelling to
send a message to the world that he is not concerned about reaching a political
solution to end the war that has been raging for five years. “I believe the
regime’s mindset does not allow it to stop killing those who oppose it. Since
the very first day of the revolution, the regime has been keen on killing and
shedding the blood of Syrians. Innocent people have died in the shelling, people
whose only fault is that they happen to live in the opposition-held areas,"
Yaman al-Khatib, a journalist and media activist from Aleppo, told Al-Monitor.
“I do not deny the fact that the regime was relatively committed to the truce
under international pressure, especially by its Russian ally. Yet, it did not
take it too long to resume the killing of Syrians." Buoyed by international
militias and heavy military support from Russia, the regime forces have been
conducting an offensive on the countryside south and north of Aleppo, seeking to
advance toward the Handarat Camp in the north to take control of the Castelo
road, the only humanitarian corridor connecting the city to its rural areas in
the north and west. Bombardments have partially closed the road. Shaaban Omar
Badawi, a civil defense member, was killed while his team was pulling out the
wounded in that area. Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi said April 10,
following a meeting with a Russian parliamentary delegation in Damascus, “The
Syrian regime is preparing to retake Aleppo in northern Syria, backed by the
Russian air forces.” The regime managed to take over several areas inside the
opposition-controlled western Aleppo neighborhood of Salahuddin. On April 19,
the opposition retaliated with a sudden attack on the regime’s sites. To the
south, violent clashes and fighting are raging without any advance by either
side.
Fatah Halab (Conquest of Aleppo) on April 23 gave the international community 24
hours to pressure the regime to halt the airstrikes on the city’s neighborhoods,
threatening to dissolve the cease-fire agreement between the rebels and the
regime forces should the shelling continue after the deadline. There has been no
word on the outcome.
Did Netanyahu miss out on a
'Golan-Iran' deal?
Ben Caspit/Al-Monitor/April 26/16
Roughly 10 days have passed since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his
ministers held a festive Cabinet meeting in the Golan Heights on April 17,
declaring that Israel would never give up the area and would remain there for
eternity. Words galore in many languages have been written since that dramatic
move, which marked the launch of an orchestrated campaign by Netanyahu in a bid
to convince top world leaders of the new reality: that there is no alternative
but to cement Israel’s control of the Golan Heights. Netanyahu contends that
while Syria is being torn asunder by various jihadi factions and chaos reigns
supreme, demanding that Israel return the Golan to the Damascus regime is
unreal. The prime minister made several phone calls to several world leaders,
including US Secretary of State John Kerry. On April 21, Netanyahu even traveled
to Moscow to present his position to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The
Golan is Israel’s ‘red line,’” he asserted in all those talks, noting that those
demanding Israel return it to Syria are ignoring reality.
But it turns out that the only person who was ignoring reality was none other
than the Israeli premier himself. Within 48 hours, almost all of those world
leaders declared the Golan Heights to be occupied territory. The United States,
Germany, Russia, the European Union and others all stated that they did not
recognize Israel’s control of the Golan Heights and the only recognized border
was the Green Line. The international community has rejected Israel’s attempt to
take advantage of the current situation in order to annex territories it seized
during the 1967 Six-Day War.
Quite a few Cabinet members as well as Foreign Ministry and defense
establishment officials believe that Netanyahu recently missed a historic
opportunity that will never happen again to improve Israel’s strategic position
with respect to the Golan Heights. Adapting what the late Israeli Foreign
Minister Abba Eban once said about the Palestinians, "The Arabs never miss an
opportunity to miss an opportunity," a Jerusalem-based Israeli diplomat told
Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that “Netanyahu never misses an opportunity
to miss an opportunity.” This opinion is shared by at least two Cabinet
ministers (if not more) and quite a few defense establishment officials as well.
According to that version, Netanyahu was presented with such an opportunity
following the signing of the nuclear deal in July of last year between the world
powers and Iran in Vienna. In May 2015, Al-Monitor revealed that the Americans
proposed to Netanyahu to stop his campaign against the nuclear agreement and
enter negotiations with them for an upgraded and very generous “compensation
package” that would allow Israel to maintain its qualitative edge and strategic
position in the region. The Americans explained — to yours truly as well — that
what they would be willing to offer Netanyahu would be much more if he buried
the hatchet instead of continuing his pointless struggle.
Yet Netanyahu chose to discount the American offer, bluntly refusing to enter
negotiations with the Obama administration. Instead, he continued to fight the
nuclear deal until the bottom of the last inning, believing that he stood a
chance of beating the US president in Congress. “I have no intention of letting
the Americans buy my soul for beads. I have no intention of compromising my
principles,” Netanyahu told an official who tried to convince him to look at
reality with a fresh viewpoint, according to a senior diplomatic source who
spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.
As the story goes, Netanyahu could have obtained from President Barack Obama a
vague American recognition of the prevailing situation in the Golan Heights “in
view of the events on the ground” or “the new reality,” a diplomatic source told
Al-Monitor. This would have been along the lines of the letters President George
W. Bush gave Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in April 2004, which included
some sort of an American recognition of the Israeli settlement blocs in the
territories.
“There was an auspicious moment in Washington,” a senior Israeli diplomatic
official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “We could have mended fences
with Obama and reached a formula we could all agree on. It also would have made
sense,” he added. “After all, everyone was clear on the fact that the nuclear
deal exacerbated the risks to Israel on the northern front. It would not have
been unreasonable, therefore, for the Americans to understand that at that point
Israel could not be expected to withdraw from the strategic Golan Heights.” But
Netanyahu would not hear any of it. He insisted on pursuing his hopeless fight
against the agreement so as not to go down in history as the person who said
“aye” to the evil agreement.
Today, he finds himself in a desperate situation. The defense aid agreement
between Israel and the United States for the next 10 years is bogged down. The
administration is offering to give less than what Israel is asking for. As for
the Golan Heights, no one is willing to either listen to or understand the
Israeli position. “I must admit that [at the time] I thought Netanyahu was
right,” one of the Cabinet members told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.
“Today I’m inclined to understand it was a mistake. Although it sounds like I'm
a Monday morning quarterback, the fact remains that the nuclear deal most
probably could not have been averted, whereas Israel’s strategic position could
very well have been improved.”We need to bear in mind that despite his resolute
statements concerning the Golan Heights about 10 days ago, Netanyahu actually
negotiated with the Syrians, on two occasions, for an Israeli withdrawal in
return for peace. The first instance occurred during Netanyahu’s first term
(1996-1999) when his envoy, the billionaire Ron Lauder, held talks with the late
Syrian President Hafez al-Assad.
Netanyahu did not forsake the idea, resuming negotiations with the Syrians when
he returned to power in 2009. Back then the broker was the American envoy Fred
Hof, who was assisted by Dennis Ross, a senior White House adviser. Shuttling
between Damascus and Jerusalem, Hof held at least one long meeting with
President Bashar al-Assad. Again, Netanyahu expressed his agreement to pull out
of the Golan Heights.
Although the border itself was not finalized, the principle was. Netanyahu’s
team started working on the maps and historic archives, while also carefully
studying the previous negotiations held between former Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert and the Syrian president. But then the Syrian revolt broke out and
Netanyahu seized the opportunity to cut the talks. By the skin of his teeth, he
was spared from having to sign a historic agreement with Assad before Syria was
torn to pieces and engulfed in flames. The little Netanyahu can do right now is
to pursue the current Israeli policy that has prudently kept the Golan out of
the heat of battle. Israel has already made clear that it would not take lying
down an arrangement in Syria that would compromise its strategic or security
interests. “We won’t come to terms with a situation whereby Iran or Hezbollah
will turn the Golan into a second front against Israel,” a security official
quoting Defense Minister Moshe (Bogie) Ya’alon told Al-Monitor on condition of
anonymity. What will happen if this is exactly what transpires soon? What will
Israel do then? That question he left unanswered.
Obama’s double
standard toward Netanyahu
Alan Dershowitz/Jerusalem Post/April 26/16
The US president owes the American people, and Benjamin Netanyahu, an
explanation for his apparent hypocrisy and inconsistency .
As US President Barack Obama winds up his farewell tour of Europe, it is
appropriate to consider the broader implications of the brouhaha he created in
Great Britain. At a joint press conference with Britain Prime Minister, David
Cameron, President Obama defended his intrusion into British politics in taking
sides on the controversial and divisive Brexit debate. In an op-ed, Obama came
down squarely on the side of Britain remaining in the European Union – a
decision I tend to agree with on its merits. But he was much criticized by the
British media and British politicians for intruding into a debate about the
future of Europe and Britain’s role in it.
Obama defended his actions by suggesting that in a democracy, friends should be
able to speak their minds, even when they are visiting another country: “If one
of our best friends is in an organization that enhances their influence and
enhances their power and enhances their economy, then I want them to stay in. Or
at least I want to be able to tell them ‘I think this makes you guys bigger
players.’” Nor did he stop at merely giving the British voters unsolicited
advice, he also issued a not so veiled threat. He said that “The UK is going to
be in the back of the queue” on trade agreements if they exit the EU.
President Obama must either have a short memory or must adhere to Emerson’s
dictum that “foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” Recall how
outraged the same President Obama was when the Prime Minister of a friendly
country, Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke his mind about the Iran Deal.
There are, of course, differences: first, Israel has a far greater stake in the
Iran deal than the United States has in whatever decision the British voters
make about Brexit: and second, Benjamin Netanyahu was representing the nearly
unanimous view of his countrymen, whereas there is little evidence of whether
Americans favor or oppose Brexit in large numbers.
Another difference, of course, is that Obama was invited to speak by Cameron,
whereas, Netanyahu was essentially disinvited by Obama. But under our tripartite
system of government – which is different than Britain’s Unitary Parliamentary
system -- that fact is monumentally irrelevant. Netanyahu was invited by a
co-equal branch of the government, namely Congress, which has equal authority
over foreign policy with the president and equal authority to invite a friendly
leader. Moreover, not only are the British voters divided over Brexit, but the
conservative party itself is deeply divided. Indeed, the leading political
figure in opposition to Britain remaining in the European Union is a potential
successor to Cameron as leader of the Conservative party. So these differences
certainly don’t explain the inconsistency between Obama’s interference in
British affairs and his criticism of Netanyahu for accepting an invitation from
Congress to express his country’s views on an issue directly affecting its
national security.
So what is it Mr. President? Should friends speak their minds about
controversial issues when visiting another country, or should they keep their
views to themselves? Or is your answer that friends should speak their minds
only when they agree with other friends, but not when they disagree? Such a view
would skew the market place of ideas beyond recognition. If friends should speak
about such issues, it is even more important to do so when they disagree. A wit
once observed that “hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue.” It is also the
currency of diplomacy and politics. That doesn’t make it right.
The president owes the American people, and Benjamin Netanyahu, an explanation
for his apparent hypocrisy and inconsistency. Let there be one rule that covers
all friends – not one for those with whom you agree and another for those with
whom you disagree. For me the better rule is open dialogue among friends on all
issues of mutual importance. Under this rule, which President Obama now seems to
accept, he should have welcomed Prime Minister Netanyahu’s advocacy before
Congress, instead of condemning it. He owes Prime Minister Netanyahu an apology,
and so do those Democratic members of Congress who rudely stayed away from
Netanyahu’s informative address to Congress.
A shorter version of this op-ed was published on Fox online.
The Death of
Free Speech: The West Veils Itself
Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/April 26/16
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7915/the-death-of-free-speech-the-west-veils-itself
The West has
capitulated on freedom of expression. Nobody in the West launched the motto "Je
Suis Avijit Roy," the name of the first of the several bloggers butchered,
flogged or jailed last year for criticizing Islam.
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, sided with the Turks. She condemned the
German comedian's poem, called it a "deliberate insult," then approved the
filing of criminal charges against him for insulting the Turkish president.
The West is veiling its freedom of speech in the confrontation with the Islamic
world: this is the story of Salman Rushdie, of the Danish cartoons, of Theo van
Gogh, of Charlie Hebdo.
Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, just released an interview with Italy's
largest newspaper, Il Corriere della Sera, where he suggested a kind of grand
bargain: We Iranians will discuss with you our human rights situation if you
Europeans suppress freedom of expression on Islam.
Last week, Nazimuddin Samad sat at his computer at home and penned a few
critical lines against the Islamist drift of his country, Bangladesh. The day
after, Samad was approached by four men shouting "Allahu Akbar!" ("Allah is
great!") and hacked him to death with machetes.
These killings have become routine in Bangladesh, where many bloggers,
journalists and publishers are being killed in broad daylight because of their
criticism of Islam. There is a hit list with 84 names of "satanic bloggers." A
wave of terrorism against journalists reminiscent of that in Algeria, where 60
journalists were killed by Islamist armed groups between 1993 and 1997.
But these shocking
killings have not been worth of a single line in Europe's newspapers. Is it
because these bloggers are less famous than the cartoonists murdered at Charlie
Hebdo? Is it because their stories did not come from the City of Light, Paris,
but from one of the poorest and darkest cities in the world, Dhaka? No, it is
because the West has capitulated on freedom of expression. Nobody in the West
launched the motto "Je Suis Avijit Roy," the name of the first of these bloggers
butchered last year. From Bangladesh, we now receive photos of writers in pools
of blood, laptops seized by police looking for "evidence" and keyboards burned
by the Islamists. We receive images reminiscent of the riots in Bradford,
England, over Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses in 1989, ten years after the
Ayatollah Khomeini had revolutionized Iran into a stronghold of Islamic
extremism. Yet the stories of these bloggers from outside Europe remain shrouded
by a ghastly transparency, as if their death has been only virtual, as if the
internet had become their grave, as if these fallen bloggers did not deserve the
virality of social networks.
There is also the case of Raif Badawi, in Saudi Arabia, sentenced to 1,000
lashes, ten years in jail and a fine of $270,000 for blogging thoughts such as ,
"My commitment is...to reject any repression in the name of religion...a goal
that we will reach in a peaceful and law-abiding way." The lashing order added
that he should be "lashed very severely." In addition to that, Badawi's human
rights lawyer, Walid Abu al-Khayr, was sentenced on July 6, 2014, to 10 years in
prison. He was accused of: "inciting public opinion," "disobedience in matters
of the sovereign," "lack of respect in dealings with the authorities," "offense
of the judicial system," "inciting international organizations against the Saudi
kingdom" and, finally, for having founded illegally, or without authorization,
his association "Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia." He was also forbidden
to travel for fifteen years after his release, and fined 200,000 riyals
($53,000) according to Abdullah al-Shihri of the Associated Press.
Also in Saudi Arabia, in a clear violation of international law, according to
Amnesty International, on March 24, the journalist Alaa Brinji was sentenced to
five years in prison, an eight year travel ban and a fine of $13,000 for a few
tweets allegedly "insulting the rulers," inciting public opinion," and "accusing
security officers of killing protestors in Awamiyya," the kingdom's eastern
province where the oil fields and the Shiites are. Unfortunately, Western
governments never raise Badawi's case when they visit Saudi Arabia's rulers, and
turn a blind eye to the way this country treats its own citizens.
Look also at what happened not in the poor and Islamic Bangladesh, but in the
wealthy and secularized Germany, where a comedian named Jan Böhmermann mocked
and insulted Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on a television show. The
prosecutor of Mainz just opened a case against Böhmermann under paragraph 103 of
the German Penal Code, which provides up to years of jail for insulting a
foreign head of state. Chancellor Angela Merkel sided with the Turks. She
condemned the comedian's poem, called it a "deliberate insult," then approved
the prosecution against him.
Meanwhile, the German public television station, Zdf, removed the video from
their website, and Böhmermann raised the white flag by suspending his show. The
comedian, after Islamist death threats, got police protection.
The West is veiling its freedom of speech in the confrontation with the Islamic
world: this is the story of Salman Rushdie, of the Danish cartoons, of Theo van
Gogh, of Charlie Hebdo.
Theo van Gogh (left) was murdered by an Islamist because he made a film critical
of Islam. Salman Rushdie (right) was lucky to stay alive, spending many years in
hiding, under police protection, after Iran's Supreme Leader ordered his murder
because he considered Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses "blasphemous."A few
weeks ago, at Rome's Capitoline Museum, a famous repository of Western
antiquities, the government of Italy called for "respect" for the sensibilities
of Iran's Rouhani and placed large boxes over nude sculptures. Iran's foreign
minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif, just released an interview with Italy's largest
newspaper, Il Corriere della Sera, where he suggested a kind of grand bargain:
We Iranians will discuss with you our human rights' situation if you Europeans
suppress freedom of expression on Islam: "Human rights are reason for concern
for everyone," Zarif said. "We are ready to dialogue. We shall make our
observations on alienation of the Muslim communities in many European societies,
or how freedom of expression is abused to desecrate the symbols of Islam." And
that is exactly what is happening right now -- of course with no mention of how
freedom of speech or human rights are abused in "many Muslim societies." Or how
violent repression there "is abused to desecrate the symbols of the free world."
The Iranian ayatollahs recently added to the bounty over the head of Salman
Rushdie. And as it happened with Saudi Arabia's or Bangladesh's bloggers, nobody
in Europe protested and Mrs. Merkel has been willing to abandon the German
comedian to the authocratic Islamist Turks.
In Pakistan, a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, is now fighting for her life in
prison, where, condemned to death for "blashemy," she is waiting to know her own
fate. European public opinion, which is always generous in rallying against "the
persecution of minorities," did not fill the streets and the squares to protest
Asia Bibi's imprisonment. Further, for Europe's journalists and writers, it has
become increasingly difficult to find publishers. This is true of, for instance,
Caroline Fourest, author of the French book "Eloge du blasphème." "The treatment
of her work by the publishing industry shows how much has been lost" wrote the
British journalist, Nick Cohen. "No Anglo-Saxon publisher would touch it, and
only fear can explain the rejection letters."
"No American or British publisher has been willing to publish the book" Mrs.
Fourest told this author. "'There is no market for this book', I was repeatedly
told, to justify their desire not to touch something explosive. It was an
important project which Salman Rushdie tried to sponsor with his own publishing
houses. It is alarming because more and more I see that my colleagues behave as
useful idiots." Europe is also suppressing freedom of expression for the very
few moderate Islamic voices. On January 31, 2016, an Algerian writer named Kamel
Daoud published an article in the French newspaper Le Monde on the events in
Cologne. What Cologne showed, says Daoud, is how sex is "the greatest misery in
the world of Allah." A few days later, Le Monde ran a response by sociologists,
historians and anthropologists who accused Daoud of of being an "Islamophobe,"
Jeanne Favret-Saada, an orientalist at the Ecole pratique des hautes études,
wrote that Daoud "spoke as the European far right." Daoud has been defended only
by a few other Arab writers exiled in Europe.
The affair is the mirror of Europe's forsakening freedom of expression: a great
Arab writer expresses precious truths and the mainstream European media and
intellectualism, instead of protecting Daoud while Islamists threatened him with
death, press the novelist to choose silence.
**Giulio Meotti, Cultural Editor for Il Foglio, is an Italian journalist and
author.
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. No part of the Gatestone
website or any
Palestinians: Insulting
Religious Minorities
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute/April 26/16
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7924/palestinians-samaritans
The Samaritan incident reveals as well how the Palestinian Authority (PA) treats
religious minorities in the Palestinian territories. The tiny community of
Samaritans in the West Bank now faces a tough choice: continue living with the
Palestinian Authority and accept its intimidation, or relocate to a safer
locale.
In yet another blow to Palestinian Christians, the PA recently rejected demands
to consider Easter an official holiday.
The PA has had a long-standing policy of combating "normalization" with
Israelis, and this is but one unpleasant example. Yet this campaign is directed
not only against Jewish settlers, but also against Jews who live inside Israel
proper.
Showing their true colors, the activists do not hesitate to attack even Jews who
are supportive of the Palestinians. Thugs assaulted people indiscriminately,
including film crews, European activists and even Palestinian participants.
What happens if you arrive at a religious ceremony and discover that your Jewish
neighbors are also on the guest list?
Well, if you are a representative of the Palestinian Authority (PA), you get up
and leave. No matter if such a move insults your hosts: the main thing is not to
sit with Jews, especially if they are from the settlements.
This embarrassing incident took place last week near the Palestinian city of
Nablus, where members of the tiny Samaritan community gathered to celebrate
their own Passover. The Samaritans are an ethnoreligious group in the Levant,
originating from the Israelites of the ancient Near East.
Pictured above: Samaritans near Nablus celebrate their Passover holiday in April
2014.
Things went well for about two minutes on Mount Gerizim, one of the two
mountains in the immediate vicinity of Nablus. That was how long it took for the
Palestinian guests to walk out in protest at the presence of representatives of
the Jewish settler community and IDF officers.
The Palestinian Authority Governor of Nablus, General Akram Rajoub, was an
honored guest, as were Nablus Mayor Adli Yaish and dozens of Palestinians.
Rajoub later explained his decision to "vote with his feet":
"Yes, we withdrew from the ceremony. We respect and appreciate the Samaritan
community and have been regularly sharing with them in joyous and sad events. We
consider them part of the Palestinian people. But we can't accept the presence
of settlers at the ceremony. Even worse, these settlers were given the privilege
to speak at the ceremony, which is why we had to boycott the official event and
leave the hall. We're not prepared to talk to Jewish settlers because we don't
accept their presence among us."
Shortly thereafter, PA President Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah faction in the
West Bank issued a statement strongly condemning the invitation of Jewish
settler leaders to the Samaritan ceremony:
"This is a dangerous precedent that must not be allowed to recur. This is
something unusual for the Samaritan community to do. We consider them to be part
of the Palestinian people and we hope that this invitation does not represent
the will of our Samaritan people. They need to fix this and prevent it from ever
happening again."
Raed Dib'i, a senior Fatah official in the West Bank, praised the Palestinian
delegation's decision to boycott the ceremony. He said that the move reflected
the Palestinians' rejection of any form of "normalization with the occupiers and
the settler gangs."
This is non-normalization in action. The Palestinian Authority has had a
long-standing policy of combating "normalization" with Israelis, and this is but
one unpleasant example. Yet this campaign is directed not only against Jewish
settlers, but also against Jews who live inside Israel proper.
During the past few years, Palestinian political activists, including many
belonging to Abbas's Fatah faction, have been waging a fierce campaign against
meetings between Jews and Arabs.
Showing their true colors, the activists do not hesitate to attack even Jews who
are supportive of the Palestinians. In one incident last year, Fatah activists
foiled a joint Palestinian-Israeli event called Jerusalem Hug near the Old
City's Damascus Gate. Thugs assaulted people indiscriminately, including film
crews, European activists and even Palestinian participants. Needless to say,
none of the Jewish participants in this "peaceful" event was a Jewish settler.
The Samaritan incident reveals as well how the Palestinian Authority treats
religious minorities in the Palestinian territories.
By walking out of the ceremony, the PA leaders conveyed to the Samaritans that
they are not, as it were, the ones who make up the guest list for their own
party -- especially if the guests are Jews living in nearby settlements, or IDF
officers. The message here is clear: Follow our rules or face a boycott.
That is quite a slap in the face for the Samaritan community. And the slap came
at a religious feast, not a political rally.
Time will tell, and it probably will not be long, whether the PA and its Fatah
activists will strike the Samaritan community with more than a slap.
The Palestinian Authority has already "punished" the Samaritans by passing a law
that cancels the only seat the community has in the Palestinian parliament, the
Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The only Samaritan member of parliament,
Saloum Cohen, was elected in 1996. He died in 2004. Since then the community has
had no representation in the PLC. Yet lack of representation in parliament is
not a top concern for the Samaritans these days. Instead, the community worries
how they will be treated by the PA, now that it seems to look at them as
"traitors" rather than friends. Samaritans are beginning to ask themselves
whether their fate will be the same as that of the Christian minority in the
Palestinian territories.
Earlier this month, Palestinian Christians accused the Palestinian Authority and
Hamas of working toward erasing Christian history. The allegations came after
the discovery of an ancient Byzantine church in Gaza City. Despite the important
historical discovery, bulldozers were used to destroy the church artifacts in
order to build a shopping mall on the site. In yet another blow to the
Christians, the PA government recently rejected demands to consider Easter an
official holiday. The decision angered many Palestinian Christians. Their
leaders wrote a strong letter to PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, in which they
stated that they wouldn't have been surprised if such a decision had been taken
by the government of Saudi Arabia, Qatar or Malaysia.
The Samaritans are now facing a tough choice: continue living with the
Palestinian Authority and accept its intimidation, or relocate to a safer
locale. If they choose the former, they had better make their peace with having
no peace with their Jewish neighbors.
*Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist, is based Jerusalem.
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. No part of the Gatestone
website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without
the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Turkey: Container Cities,
Uprooting Alevis, Fear of Infiltrating Jihadis
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/April 26/16
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7922/turkey-container-cities
"This is a policy of
forcing Alevis to immigration and dissolving the Alevi population," said Gani
Kaplan, the head of the Pir Sultan Abdal Alevi Cultural Association. "We are not
against immigrants but it is impossible for us to live alongside jihadists in
the same village."
The province of Sivas is also a terrible choice by the government to build
another container city for "refugees": Alevis in Sivas have already been exposed
to a deadly attack there at the hands of Islamists.
"After the attempt to build a refugee camp in the middle of the Alevi
villages... where the [1978] massacre happened -- is it a coincidence that you
are building yet another refugee camp in the predominantly Alevi town of Divrigi
in Sivas -- where the [1993] massacre... took place? What is the objective of
all of that?" — Zeynep Altiok, an MP from the Republican People's Party (CHP).
The denial of the Alevi faith seems to be an effective way of assimilating
Alevis into the Islamic culture or making them "invisible." There are also other
methods -- such as trying to change the demographic character of the
predominantly Alevi places by building "mysterious" container cities in the
middle of Alevi villages.
Since late February, locals from the predominantly-Alevi populated villages in
the province of Kahramanmaras, or Maras, have been protesting government plans
to build a "container city" (housing made from used shipping containers) in
their villages supposedly for the Syrian "refugees."
There are 16 Alevi villages in the region where the container city for "27
thousand refugees" is being built by the Prime Ministry's Disaster and Emergency
Management Authority (AFAD).
The villagers are deeply concerned that militants might infiltrate, and that the
container city "could be turned into a human resources department of jihadists
such as ISIS and al-Nusra."
The Alevis in Turkey are a persecuted religious minority who have been exposed
to several massacres and deadly attacks - both in the Ottoman Empire and
republican Turkey.
The Alevis in Maras say that they are afraid of being exposed to yet another
massacre or forced displacement – this time at the hands of foreign jihadists.
When the plans for building a container city for Syrians first came up, the
Alevis sought help from the governor.
When their complaints were mostly met with silence or indifference, the
villagers started peaceful protests in which they set up tents and read
statements to the press to express their opposition to the camp being built.
On April 3, however, the gendarmerie forces attacked the villagers with
pressurized water and gas cartridges, and detained six.
Affected by the police's tear gas, Mor Ali Kabayel, 82, was taken to hospital
where he lost his life.
According to the journalist Gulsen Iseri, the villagers are "scared of being
exposed to a new 1915 [genocide] in which Armenians were deported."
Hasan Huseyin Degirmenci, an Alevi from Maras, said:
"The real project here is to carry out another 1915. Just like Armenians were
deported from here, they want to deport us in the same way. I lived through 1978
Maras [massacre]. I was 24 years old back then. I had to go abroad afterwards."
As for the container camp and the 27,000 potential incomers, Degirmenci said:
"The camp that is being built is 360 square meters. They say it will be
all-inclusive. But it will not be able to take 27,000 people. Those people will
disperse to villages and cities. The local people here will then have to leave
behind their homes and become refugees elsewhere. We are scared of living
through another 1915. Of course, we are uneasy."
In protest, Alevis have staged demonstrations across Turkey and Europe.
On April 10, when hundreds of Alevis in Ankara wanted to march protesting the
container city in Maras, the police attacked them with plastic bullets, gas
bombs and pressurized water, and detained 10 people. [1]
"We are not against refugees," said Salman Akdeniz, the head of the Maras branch
of the Pir Sultan Abdal Alevi Cultural Association. "We have no problem with the
oppressed peoples that have been persecuted in the war and forcibly displaced
from their lands. Alevi Kurds in these lands know very well what it means to be
a refugee. We have become refugees in other countries for years. We just think
this choice of a place is wrong."
A researcher, Turan Eser, told the newspaper Birgun that,
"there will be some dire consequences for the establishment of the camps in
Maras. The demographic character of the region will be changed. The
publicly-owned, fertile lands will be destroyed. Damage to the co-existence of
Alevis could pave the way to forced emigration [of Alevis]. There are also
assessments that industrial enterprises will use those in refugee camps as cheap
labor.
"The reports about what is going on inside refugee camps in Turkey have also
jogged people's memories. That there are Salafis or families of ISIS members as
well as the cadres of the [Syrian] Train and Equip Program in those camps and
that the ID cards of AFAD [The Prime Ministry's Disaster and Emergency
Management Authority] have been given to ISIS members steer people's perceptions
of the camps to different directions. Naturally, people get uneasy when AFAD
camps are mentioned."
Syrian refugees will also be settled in Alevi villages in the province of Sivas.
The district governors in the city have reportedly asked the local authorities
in those villages to provide them with the list of the empty houses in the
villages as well as with the winter and summer populations there.
"This is a policy of forcing Alevis to immigration and dissolving the Alevi
population," Gani Kaplan, the head of the Pir Sultan Abdal Alevi Cultural
Association, told the Dicle News Agency (DIHA). "We are not against immigrants
but it is impossible for us to live alongside jihadists in the same village."
Kaplan added that in the 1980s, Afghans were settled in the Alevi villages in
the province of Tokat. "Today there is not an Alevi population there. The state
policy towards Alevis does not change."
The province of Sivas is also a terrible choice by the government to build
another container city for "refugees": Alevis in Sivas were already exposed to a
deadly attack there at the hands of Islamists in 1993.[2]
Zeynep Altiok, an MP from the Republican People's Party (CHP), whose father lost
his life in the Sivas massacre in 1993, asked in a parliamentary motion to Prime
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu:
"After the attempt to build a refugee camp in the middle of the Alevi
villages... -- where the [1978] massacre happened -- is it a coincidence that
you are building yet another refugee camp in the predominantly Alevi town of
Divrigi in Sivas -- where the [1993] massacre... took place? What is the
objective of all of that?""The immigration of Syrian refugees whose population
is almost 10 times higher than the Alevi community in those villages," Altiok
noted, "especially after the reports about the camps and about what is going on
in those camps came out – is extremely disturbing for the Alevis."
Unfortunately, the government has not taken any steps to relieve the tension in
the region or eliminate the fears of Alevis. So the protests continue, as well
as establishing the camps.
Alevis are the second largest religious community in Turkey, although no
official statistics are available.
Though systematically denied by the Turkish regime, the Alevi faith is a genuine
and distinct religious faith. The state tries to portray the Alevi faith as just
an Islamic sect or an interpretation of Islam, but objective scholars as well as
Alevis who have the courage to challenge the state official ideology, contradict
that:
"Islam has a dynamic based on conquest and booty," wrote the sociologist Ismail
Besikci.
"A country is conquered; its people are invited to Islam; if they do not accept
Islam, their women, children, and properties all become booty. The properties
[even] of those who accept Islam are also seized. They are only able to escape
death. Are these things existent in Alevism? Does Alevism require conquering
here and there, inviting people to the Alevi faith, murdering those who do not
accept the faith, and plundering their properties, women and children?"
Alevism places love for the whole of humanity, peaceful coexistence and reason
in its center, so such crimes in Alevism do not exist. Alevis also reject ethnic
and religious discrimination.
"Salah [Islamic prayer], fasting [during the month of Ramadan], hajj [Islamic
pilgrimage to Mecca], zakat [Islamic religious tax], and shadada [Islamic
declaration of faith] are the basic forms of worship in Islam. There are no such
rules in Alevi worship," Besikci noted as well.
Kemal Bulbul, the former President of the Pir Sultan Abdal Alevi Cultural
Association, also emphasizes that Alevism is a faith in its own right:
"Alevi faith has been influenced by Islam but Alevism is Alevism. And Alevism
respects all other faiths.
"The religious centre of Sunnism is the mosque. They carry out the requirements
of the Sunni faith and do salat (Islamic prayer, five times a day) at mosques.
The centre of Alevism is the cem house. They carry out [the religious ritual
called] cem. This is where the difference between the two begins. Their
religious rituals are completely different.
"Alevism is not 'Anatolian Islam'. To call Alevism as such is the
Turkish-Islamic view of the state." 'Anatolian Islam' is a perspective that the
official ideology of the state tries to promote.
"If Alevis were 'Anatolian Muslims', why have Alevis been denied in this
country? If Alevism is 'Anatolian Islam', why have those who call themselves
Muslims opposed this faith, its practice of cem and its cem houses? That is a
heavy contradiction."
Apparently, carrying out massacres is just one way the Turkish state uses to
exterminate the Alevis. For when you deny Alevism, there is no need officially
to recognize Alevis in your constitution, build cem houses for them or prepare
school courses where Alevism is also taught extensively. The denial of the faith
seems to be an effective way of assimilating Alevis into the Islamic culture or
making them "invisible."
There are also other methods – such as trying to change the demographic
character of the predominantly Alevi places by building "mysterious" container
cities in the middle of Alevi villages, especially where the locals have already
been exposed to appalling mass killings and social pressures.
Alevis have justifiable reasons for opposing these container cities. They, as
everyone else, already see the growing jihadist presence in Turkey. And they
have seen as well that forced displacements and deportations of non-Muslim
communities have always been common practices in Turkey: If you can't kill them
all off outright, terrorize them to the point that they will eventually have to
flee for their lives.
Uzay Bulut is a Turkish journalist born and raised as a Muslim in Turkey. She is
presently based in Washington D.C.
[1] Maras, where the "refugee camps" are being built, was the scene of a
massacre by radical Muslims and Turkish nationalists in 1978. In a series of
attacks in December, 1978 in Maras that lasted a week, 111 people were killed
and hundreds more wounded. The victims were mostly Alevi Kurds.
The author Aziz Tunc who wrote a book on the massacre said that on the day of
the attack, members of the Turkish Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) incited
people to violence by making it a religious war.
"They shouted slogans like 'today is the day of jihad', 'if you kill an Alevi,
you will go to heaven', 'today is the last day of Alevis' and 'there is a
Kurdish wedding today'. By 'Kurdish wedding', they meant a Kurdish massacre,"
Tunc said.
"After those announcements, the fascists started a massacre that is too hard to
verbalize," said Kemal Bulbul, the former President of the Pir Sultan Abdal
Alevi Cultural Association. "They burned people to death, cut them to pieces and
slaughtered even children, elderly people and pregnant women."
The massacre scared many people who packed up and left their homes forever and
settled elsewhere in Turkey or Europe.
(More about the 1978 Maras massacre, please read: "Deadly 1978 Maras Attack
Still Fresh in Minds of Survivors", By Uzay Bulut, Rudaw, December 29, 2013.)
[2] On July 2, 1993, a group of Islamic fundamentalists surrounded the Madimak
Hotel in which many intellectuals were staying for the Pir Sultan Abdal
Festival.
The novelist Aziz Nesin, who had got Salman Rushdie's book The Satanic Verses
translated and published and who criticized Islam, was one of the participants
of the event. The demonstrations to protest his appearance turned violent; the
fundamentalist crowd set fire to the Madimak Hotel.
Nesin was able to escape, but 33 others, mostly intellectuals and Alevis, who
stayed inside the hotel, were murdered. Security forces and state officials did
not stop the massacre on time.
(More about the massacre: "2 July 1993: How Turkish Islamists Publicly Massacred
Alevi Intellectuals", by Uzay Bulut, Jerusalem Online, July 30, 2015)
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. No part of the Gatestone
website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without
the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Islamists: A large audience without
wise leaders
Jamal Khashoggi/Al Arabiya/April 26/16
The shutting down of the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Amman by Jordanian
authorities is a further blow to the movement following their loss of power in
Egypt after decades of patience and struggle. This has led to self-criticism and
calls for the accountability of Brotherhood leaders in Jordan. Ahmed Farajallah,
secretary of the Islamic Action Front (IAF) - the Brotherhood’s political wing
in Jordan - published an article accusing the movement’s leaders of denying the
existence of a serious internal crisis. He also warned them they could
experience a crackdown in Jordan similar to that in Egypt.
Regardless of whether political Islam is right or wrong, and whether chaotic
Arab societies need it, there is a large audience that still believes in its
ideas, sees it as a saviour, and is ready to vote for it in elections. However,
while political Islam cannot be excluded or ignored, in some Arab countries it
is under bad management. Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdogan, Moroccan Prime
Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, and Rached Ghannouchi - co-founder of the Ennahda
movement in Tunisia - are exceptions to the rule.
Causes of failure
Why is political Islam excelling outside the Brotherhood but failing inside it?
After studying the case of the Brotherhood, and meeting and interviewing its
members and leaders for a quarter of a century, I think the main reason is that
it gave priority to its first generation of leaders, who were able to patiently
face detention, temptations and pressure.Political Islam is successful in Turkey
because all political leaders - secular or Islamist - work within the democratic
structures of a civil state that is dominant and consistent throughout the
country. However, giving them priority over leaders who were efficient on the
ground and close to the ruling circles has always had devastating consequences,
as in Egypt in 2013 and Jordan in 2016.Another reason is that the Brotherhood’s
ideas and theories are full of speeches, memories and poems about patience,
prisons and trials. It needs a wakeup call. Its concept of “either everything or
prison” is used as an excuse and an escape from responsibility and concessions.
The third reason is the culture of obedience, and loyalty over competence. This
culture expels reformists and qualified politicians from the movement, and keeps
the narrow-minded who are always ready to listen and obey.
Models to follow
Political Islam is successful in Turkey because all political leaders - secular
or Islamist - work within the democratic structures of a civil state that is
dominant and consistent throughout the country. Erdogan and many others were
successful first in their own towns and villages by working professionally
within civil structures, with budgets and important projects. They did not get
success through preaching. This gave Erdogan the opportunity to appear as a
national leader, not a group leader. Ennahda in Tunisia is forward-looking
compared to similar movements in the Middle East. In Morocco, Benkirane did not
rail against his political opponents from outside his Justice and Development
Party, but against conservative sheikhs inside the Islamist movement. He
presented himself first as a politician and second as an Islamist, acknowledging
the legitimacy of the king and the state, and thus being able to gain a wide
audience of Muslim youths looking for better opportunities in life. It is time
to tell the Brotherhood that reform will only happen when it dismisses the first
generation of its leaders living in denial, and replaces them with qualified
politicians who are aware of reality.
New developments offer hope
for Syria diplomacy
Camelia Entekhabi-Fard/Al Arabiya/April 26/16
The Syrian conflict has not only ruined the country, killed hundreds of
thousands and displaced millions, but also fueled regional sectarian and ethnic
tensions to unprecedented levels.It would be difficult for peace talks to
succeed without the backing of Saudi Arabia and Iran, yet there are no
diplomatic relations between the two countries, which are involved in the Syrian
conflict. Meanwhile, last week US President Barack Obama visited Saudi Arabia to
meet with Gulf leaders, and Secretary of State John Kerry met with Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in New York during a UN climate-change
summit.
Iran has complained of difficulties regarding implementation of the nuclear deal
and access to the international banking system to encourage foreign
investors.“We do not stand in the way of foreign banks engaging with Iranian
banks and companies,” Kerry said on Friday. After Obama’s meeting with Gulf
leaders last week, it is now possible for Iran and Saudi Arabia “to sit down at
the table” and break the iceIf his statement helps Iran’s economy, that may help
in finding a solution to the Syrian conflict and the future of President Bashar
al-Assad.
Assad’s fate
On Saturday, Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said Tehran had offered
Assad’s family asylum in Iran, but Assad “declined,” saying his family “is like
the rest of Syrian families and will remain in Damascus.”This offer signifies
important political changes in Iran and Syria, and that the Geneva talks can
continue. The Syrian opposition participated in the talks reluctantly, and based
on their consultations with Turkey and Saudi Arabia. If Obama’s visit last week
satisfied his Gulf allies, Assad’s inclusion in a transitional government should
not be a problem. Obama told the BBC on Saturday that with just nine months left
of his presidency he did not think the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
would be defeated. However, he said the international community must continue to
pressure all parties - including Russia, Iran and moderate opposition groups -
“to sit down at the table and try to broker a transition.”After Obama’s meeting
with Gulf leaders last week, it is now possible for Iran and Saudi Arabia “to
sit down at the table” and break the ice.
How to understand Obama’s
policies
Hassan Al Mustafa/Al Arabiya/April 26/16
US President Barack Obama’s visit to Riyadh coincided with several events in the
region, among them ongoing negotiations between Yemeni parties in Kuwait,
increased tension between Iran and Arab Gulf states, and extremist groups
exploiting central governments’ weaknesses to gain influence and spread turmoil.
These events were at the heart of talks between Gulf leaders and Obama, who
disagree on several issues, including the Iran nuclear deal and Tehran’s
regional role. He sees the deal as a means to curb Iranian influence, push
Tehran toward moderation, return it to the international community, restore
peace and stability, and include it in the war on terror. To this end, Obama
used economic and political sanctions as a weapon, restricting Iran’s economy
and thereby forcing it to sign the nuclear deal. This would benefit its
citizens, especially those who uphold the principles of tolerance and
liberalism, and long to modernize their way of living away from ideologies and
religion. Washington only partially lifted sanctions. It maintains some over the
development of ballistic missiles, considered by Washington as a way to support
terrorist groups in the Middle East. Obama has a vision, and it is important for
Saudi Arabia to understand it if we want to protect our interests and national
security. Washington maintains a tepid position toward Iran, based on
socioeconomic and security interests. In this scope, the United States sees
common ground with Iran on which it can build to find solutions to other issues.
Misunderstood
Obama has resorted to all available options to implement his pragmatic policy
toward Iran, except military power. The latter would be the last option for him.
Accordingly, and contrary to what others think, Obama seeks to realize the
interests and national security of his country, but not to defend Iran. He has
never been reluctant, ignorant or incapable, as many think. He has a vision, and
it is important for Saudi Arabia to understand it if we want to protect our
interests and national security. Therefore, differences between Washington and
Riyadh over the nuclear deal and other regional issues must not be a source of
provocation for us, but rather prompt us to adopt wise, effective and long-term
policies that focus on establishing a regional security network that promotes
consensus and consolidates economic and developmental systems for the coming
decades. Saudi Arabia is capable of achieving that.
Can Saudi Arabia’s Deputy
Crown Prince transform the country?
Joyce Karam/Al Arabiya/April 26/16
For Saudi watchers, the new plan “Vision 2030” is the most radical economic news
coming from the country since the establishment of Aramco in 1933. However, its
trajectory reverses the old economic pillars of the oil boom days, promising to
rid the country of the petroleum dependency, while cutting subsidies and
boosting the middle class. Spearheading the plan and Saudi’s ambitious
transformation is its youngest Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who
since assuming his responsibilities in January 2015 has surprised policymakers
in regional and Western capitals. Foreign diplomats in Riyadh call him “Mr
Everything” because of his large portfolio that includes the ministry of defense,
the royal court and as chairman of the Council for Economic and Development
affairs. Those who know and have worked with Prince Salman, describe him as "a
bold thinker, a strong conversationalist and a very meticulous leader”.Even
before becoming the first of the Grandsons to assume the third most powerful
position in the country, the 31-year-old has been a crucial aide to his father
King Salman. He accompanied the King since age 17, and helped in both getting
the family and the government priorities in order, angering and clashing at
times with traditionalists and big spenders.
Ambitious and workaholic
Other than his young age, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince’s approach to governance and
openness to the media signal a break with the more cautious style of his
predecessors. In the last six months alone, Prince Salman granted two lengthy
interviews to The Economist and Bloomberg, and he gave an unprecedented 48
minutes televised interview to Al-Arabiya. Those who follow Saudi politics
closely will pick up immediately on the more open and direct tone by the Deputy
Crown Prince in speaking to both the Saudi public and the West. In the three
interviews, Prince Salman comes across as a detail-oriented planner who exhibits
the knowledge and understanding of the economic changes, albeit unpopular, that
Saudi Arabia should undertake. His 16-hour working regimen, and surrounding
himself with top tier economic experts and advisers who include the Secretary
General of Public Investment Fund, Abdul Rahman Al-Mufdhi, are driving a sense
of optimism in his agenda inside the country. A US visitor who met the Prince in
Riyadh recently, described him as “great conversationalist, very smart and with
a strong work ethic.” Those who know and have worked with Prince Salman describe
him as "a bold thinker, a strong conversationalist and a very meticulous leader”
In his Al-Arabiya interview, there is an embrace of big ideas that challenge
economic old taboos in Saudi Arabia. A primary example is in Prince Salman’s
pledge for transparency in the process of converting Saudi Aramco into a holding
company, guaranteeing that all the financial information will be disclosed and
that the new board will be elected. “In this day and age, no country can afford
to not be transparent”, Prince Salman (also known as MBS) told Al-Arabiya while
decrying the “oil addiction” that Saudi has developed over the last century.
MBS’ message also takes note of the demographic changes in Saudi Arabia, with
almost 51 percent of the population under the age of 25. Creating job
opportunities and reforming the subsidies system, while leveling the field for
women are echoed in his Bloomberg interview. Coming on the heels of a cabinet
decision to reform and outline the powers of religious police, this new plan
points in the direction of incremental changes in the country.
Pragmatic on foreign policy
In his meetings with US officials and Arab dignitaries in the last year, there
is a strong impression that the Saudi deputy Crown Prince is “a good listener”,
and not wed to ideological thinking or dogma in the foreign policy discussions.
He has a close working relationship with the United Arab Emirates, and has
prioritized strategic long-term interest over current differences, as seen in
his latest visit to Sochi where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a
more regional context, the new Saudi leadership has shown more signs of
pragmatism in approaching the Muslim Brotherhood for example than the former
leadership, while displaying a more hawkish stance against Iran. Saudi officials
see the war in Yemen as a direct response to a national security threat from
Iran on their country’s border. In Syria as well, Riyadh is focused on the
growing Iranian influence in the conflict. Over the course of his 16 months in
office, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Salman has attempted to restructure Riyadh’s
foreign spending. There is a new pivot to Africa, peeling off Sudan from the
Iranian axis, and drawing plans to open a military base in Djibouti. This is
paralleled by scrapping funds to Lebanon and applying more political and
economic pressure on Hezbollah. Saudi’s 2030 vision and Prince Salman’s big
ideas come at a critical juncture for Saudi Arabia. His success could turn him
into Saudi’s Deng Xiaoping, the former Chinese leader who transformed his
country’s economy in the eighties, and helped turn China into the global giant
that it is today.
Analyzing Saudi Arabia’s
Vision 2030
Patrick Ryan/Al Arabiya/April 26/16
It may be a case of, “Gentlemen, we have run out of money; it’s time to start
thinking,” variously attributed to Winston Churchill and physicist Ernest
Rutherford, but the need to reform Saudi Arabia’s oil-dependent economy has
actually been the subject of “thinking” for decades. Thirty years ago the Fourth
five-year development plan started the emphasis on boosting private sector
growth and industrial sector efficiency. Twenty years later the Eighth plan
added emphasis on foreign investment and renewed attention on Saudi human
capital. While economic reforms in that era yielded results the current
circumstances call for new, bolder action. A December report from McKinsey, a
leading consultancy to the government, noted the economy was at an “inflection
point” following a decade of oil fueled prosperity. “We see a real opportunity
for the country to inject new dynamism into its economy through a productivity
and investment-led transformation that could help ensure future growth,
employment, and prosperity.”The formal announcement of Saudi Vision 2030
heralded a dramatic retooling of the Saudi government’s objectives not only in
the economy but also in social circles. The plan, approved at Monday’s Cabinet
meeting, chaired by King Salman, will be implemented by the Council of Economic
Development Affairs (CEDA), headed by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The size and scope of the “Saudi Arabia Vision 2030” will require more study and
feedback from those sectors directly affected by its provisions but one can
expect there will be no shortage of strong opinions
Prince Mohammed has signaled elements of the Saudi Vision 2030 for months
including expansive high profile interviews with The Economist and Bloomberg
earlier this year and a first-ever television appearance with Al Arabiya News
Channel on the occasion of the announcement. In the interview he said, “The
‘Vision’ doesn’t require high-spending but restructuring.”A roadmap called the
National Transformation Plan, a component of the “Vision 2030” is expected for
release in coming weeks with more details on the initial phase.
New approach
The restructuring, as described by Prince Mohammed, will include privatization
of state assets – most notably an IPO for as much as 5 percent of Saudi Aramco,
expansion of the Public Investment Fund to a goal of $2 trillion to serve as a
holding company, slowing and in some cases redirecting subsidies, liberalization
to attract foreign investors, improving economic efficiencies and attacking
wasteful spending, and spurring expansion of the private sector. The Vision 2030
is more than a roadmap for economic transformation as were earlier plans for
commercial activities. In addition to marquee plans like the $2 trillion
investment fund and multi-sector privatization like the Saudi Aramco IPO, the
goals include broad social targets. The Vision notes, “Our goal is to promote
and reinvigorate social development in order to build a strong and productive
society.” It addresses a wide swath such as education, healthcare, urban
development, pride in Saudi “identity” and focus on Islamic roots, tourism,
culture and entertainment, healthy lifestyles, promotion of family life and
children’s character, modernized social welfare, spurring SME capabilities,
empowering women, rehabilitating economic cities and more.
Supportive population
The vision includes both generalized objectives and specific goals. The comments
on women’s empowerment is indistinct, saying only that the “Vision” will “enable
them to strengthen their future and contribute to the development of our society
and economy.” The 2030 goals in other areas get very specific, for example, in
the area of leisure activities: “To increase the ratio of individuals exercising
at least once a week from 13 percent of population to 40 percent.”In addition to
the wider range of goals the “Vision 2030” offers a new approach in that CEDA
will head the implementation rather than individual ministries each with a
narrower focus. It also comes at a time when a wider segment of the population
is supportive of transformation as the country faces a confluence of challenges.
However, there will be resistance from conservative quarters. The size and scope
of the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 will require more study and feedback from those
sectors directly affected by its provisions but one can expect there will be no
shortage of strong opinions given the expansiveness of its provisions. There
will be both support and acrimony expressed by differing communities. Some will
see it as timely and a necessary action by the government to address economic
and social needs, as well as pushback from those whose core interests will be
impacted by liberalization and modernization. The Saudi Vision 2030 offers a
roadmap that may not be new thinking in terms of the need for transformation but
its extraordinary and wide-ranging objectives provide reform initiatives on a
much grander scale than anything before and foretells a different future for
Saudi Arabia.