LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
December 21/16
Compiled
& Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The
Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.december21.16.htm
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Bible Quotations For Today
I told you
that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you
believe that I am he
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 08/21-24/:"Again
he said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die
in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.’Then the Jews
said, ‘Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying,
"Where I am going, you cannot come"?’ He said to them, ‘You are from
below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told
you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you
believe that I am he.’"
They desire a better country,
that is, a heavenly one
Letter to the Hebrews 11/11-16/:"By faith he received power of
procreation, even though he was too old and Sarah herself was barren because he
considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one person, and this
one as good as dead, descendants were born, ‘as many as the stars of heaven and
as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.’All
of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance
they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and
foreigners on the earth, for
people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If
they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have
had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is,
a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he
has prepared a city for them."
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 20-21/16
Lebanese Parties’ Followers Are Trumpets & Parrots/Elias Bejjani/December 20/16
If it wanted to, Israel could have stopped the massacre in Syria/Ronen Bergman/Ynetnews/December 20/16
Turkey’s permanent state of crisis/Soner Cagaptay//Washington Post/ December 20/16
Syria Will Likely Suffer as Russia Seeks Vengeance for Ambassador's Murder/Anna
Borshchevskaya/New York Daily News/December 20/16
The bane of Arab countries/Dr. Edy Cohen/Israel Hayom/December 20/16
We Are Not Weak': Does Jihadist's Claim Stand Up to Scrutiny?/Raymond
Ibrahim/PJ Media/December 16/16
Merkel Government Still in Denial/Vijeta Uniyal/Gatestone Institute/December 20/16
Turkey's Misdiagnosed Kurdish Problem/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/December 20/16
Syrian Opposition Worried By Reports That New Islamic Political Entity, Led By Jabhat Fath Al-Sham, Is Emerging
In Northern Syria/MEMRI/December 20/16
Back to the struggle over Iraq/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/December 20/16
Terror and anger spill blood in Ankara, Berlin and Zurich/Chris Doyle/Al Arabiya/December 20/16
Ambassador’s murder: Roots of the tragedy/Maria Dubovikova/Al
Arabiya/December 20/16
Between King Abdulaziz and Habib
Bourguiba/Turki Aldakhil/Al
Arabiya/December 20/16
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News
published on December 20-21/16
Lebanese Parties’ Followers Are Trumpets & Parrots
New Lebanon government vows to 'preserve stability'
Hariri Assumes Duties as Lebanon's Prime Minister
Aoun Slams Russia Envoy Killing, Urges 'Prosperous,
Terror-Free Future for Region'
Berri Says to Focus on Approving State Budget, New
Electoral Law
Hizbullah and Mustaqbal
Urge Govt. to Devise 'Modern Electoral Law'
Mustaqbal Says Clinging to Hybrid Electoral Law until
Removal of 'Militia Arms'
Lebanese among Wounded in Berlin Truck Attack
Foreign Ministry Denounces Assassination of Russian Diplomat in Ankara
UK Welcomes Cabinet Formation to Agree Framework for Elections
General Security Arrests Suspect Luring Youth into Terrorism
Security Council Hails Govt. Formation, Urges End to Involvement in Syrian
Crisis
Bassil partakes in Arab European ministerial meeting
in Cairo
Handover ceremony between Harb and Jarrah at telecom ministry
Qahwaji inspects Military School, calls for rejection
of sectarianism
Pharoun from Meerab says he
expected Ministry of Tourism
Shabib visits Beirut Mukhtars
Association: Serving capital, its inhabitants our responsibilities, priorities
Latest Lebanese Related News
published on on December 20-21/16
Lebanese Parties’ Followers Are Trumpets & Parrots
Elias Bejjani/December 20/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/12/20/elias-bejjani-lebanese-parties-followers-are-trumpets-parrots/
In case any one is eager and really interested to have an idea about the
Lebanese parties and about the education and quality of their followers, he
must visit both Face Book and Twitter.
He has to read and enjoy what these followers write and learn how they
communicate and on what level with those who oppose their parties’ owners and
dare to criticise the them..
Or let say the Gods that they worship and glorify no matter what they do, good
or bad.. or who they join
forces with or oppose.
Accordingly, when any sane Lebanese who respects himself and can differentiate
between what is right and what is wrong reads the kind of trash, disgusting and
humiliating rhetoric that is exchanged by certain parties’ followers will
definitely be shocked and nauseated.
The worst rhetoric wars are carried mainly between the Christian Lebanese parties followers.
In reality and according to western and democratic standards of political
parties, there are no actual political parties in occupied Lebanon, but
cheap culprits, Mafias, commercial companies and a bunch of thugs.
Practically the blind parties’ followers are mere puppets, trumpets &
parrots…
Sadly all parties’ sheep, the so called followers share the same childish
mentality and rhetoric wise are cut from the same rotten garment.
No difference at all between followers of one party or another.
No political education or ethical restraints.
They stupidly worship their parties’ owners, that are
falsely called politicians and leaders.
It is not a surprise that all those involved with Lebanese parties as followers
have no patriotic cause or any agenda except the worshipping of the parties’ owners.
Because of such derailed and pathetic followers we, in occupied Lebanon still
have the kind of corrupted parties and politicians that use the people as sole
merchandise and evilly control and run the country to their own personal gains
and benefits.
In summary, No one can change any body else unless there is will for change..
As the Lebanese proverb says: “God does not change what people are unless they
long for change and work hard to achieve it..
*Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political
commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
Web sites http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com & http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
Tweets on https://twitter.com/phoeniciaelias
Face Book https://www.facebook.com/groups/128479277182033 & https://www.facebook.com/elias.y.bejjani
New Lebanon government vows to
'preserve stability'
Associated Press /December 19, 2016/BEIRUT: A new 30-member national unity
cabinet headed by Prime minister Saad Hariri was
announced in Lebanon nearly two months after a new president was elected, and
the premier vowed that his top priority would be to protect the country from
the effects of the civil war in neighboring Syria.
The cabinet includes most of the country's political groups, including the
Shiite militant Hizbollah, which holds two seats. It
was to hold its first meeting on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters shortly after
the cabinet was announced, Hariri said his
government's priority would be to "preserve the stability that is
prevailing in Lebanon
amid fires that are spreading around the region."
He said his government would work to "isolate our country from the
negative effects of the Syrian war" and would seek international help in
dealing with the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled into Lebanon. Lebanon is home
to some 1.2 million Syrian refugees, or a quarter of the country's population.
The Syrian war has spilled over into Lebanon on several occasions over
the past five years, with clashes and bombings that killed scores. Lebanese are
sharply divided over Syria's
war. Hariri has been a harsh critic of President Bashar
Assad's government, while Hizbollah has sent
thousands of its fighters to back the Syrian leader. Hariri, who served as
prime minister for 14 months until early 2011, began working to form the new
cabinet in early November, days after the country's newly elected president,
Michel Aoun, asked him to do so. The new government
must still be approved by parliament. A Christian leader and strong ally of the
Shiite Hizbollah group, Aoun
was elected president by parliament on Oct.31, ending a 29-month presidential
vacuum in Lebanon.
His election was made possible after Hariri endorsed him for president, based
on an understanding that Aoun would then appoint him
as prime minister. According to Lebanon's
sectarian-based power-sharing system, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Muslim Sunni and
the parliament speaker a Shiite Muslim.
Hariri is the son of former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri, a billionaire businessman and influential politician who was
assassinated in 2005 in Beirut.
Several Hizbollah members are being tried in absentia
for the killing by a UN-backed tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.
Hariri Assumes Duties as Lebanon's Prime
Minister
Naharnet/December 20/16/Prime Minister Saad Hariri assumed his duties at the Grand Serail on Tuesday, two days after a new cabinet was lined-up.Hariri arrived at noon at the Grand Serail
and was welcomed by the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers Fouad Fleifel, and senior
government staff at the Grand Serail that lies in
downtown Beirut . Hariri was welcomed by staff members
and guards who saluted him as he walked into the building to officially assume
his post.
Aoun Slams Russia Envoy Killing, Urges 'Prosperous,
Terror-Free Future for Region'
Naharnet/December 20/16/President Michel Aoun on Tuesday condemned the assassination of Russia's
ambassador in Turkey and the truck attack that killed 12 people and wounded 50
others in Germany. “This terrorist act is totally against the principle of the
dialogue of civilizations which the late ambassador was promoting through his
visit to an art exhibition titled 'Russia through the Eyes of Turks',”
said Aoun in a cable of condolences he sent to
Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Lebanon, which has taken the decision to
fight terrorism and has paid a hefty price facing it, is counting on the
support of its brothers and friends, including Russia, and they must come
together to restore the hope of the region and the world in a prosperous,
bright future that would be free of the concept of terrorism and criminalism,” Aoun added. The
president also deplored the “brutal act that was aimed at undermining security
and stability in Germany”
in a cable that he sent to his German counterpart Joachim Gauck.
A Turkish policeman crying "Aleppo"
and "Allahu Akbar" shot dead Russia's ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov at an art exhibition in Ankara
on Monday, in what Moscow
branded a "terrorist act" that would be punished. Dramatic television
footage showed the attacker -- dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and tie --
shouting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is
greatest") and then talking about pledging allegiance to jihad in Arabic.
Switching to Turkish, he then says: "Don't forget about Syria, don't forget about Aleppo. All those who participate in this
tyranny will be held accountable."
Berri Says to Focus on Approving State Budget, New
Electoral Law
Naharnet/December 20/16/Speaker Nabih
Berri said on Tuesday that forming the cabinet
reflects well on the overall situation in the country and added that the
political parties must focus now on approving the state budget and devising a new
electoral law, al-Joumhouria daily reported Tuesday. Berri expressed content with lining up the cabinet, he told
the daily: “The country is the sole winner here. There are no winners or losers.”To a question on whether the March 8 or March 14
alliance have triumphed in the formation of the new cabinet, Berri remarked: “How many times do we have to say that
March 8 and March 14 no more exist. This is a government that must be embraced
by all. Everyone must provide the needed cooperation and strength to help it
carry out its duties.”Berri said it would be better
to hold the parliament's vote of confidence in the new cabinet between
Christmas and the next new year “to focus with the
beginning of the new year on the desired goals, that is the state budget and
devising a new electoral law.” The line-up of a 30-minister cabinet was
announced on Sunday at the Baabda Palace,
bringing together most of the political spectrum except for the Kataeb Party that refused to be represented by a state
minister. The cabinet was formed 45 days after the designation of Prime
Minister Saad Hariri for the task. The political
parties have to either amend the current law or agree on a new electoral law
ahead of the parliamentary elections that are scheduled for May 2017. They are bickering
over amending the current election law which divides seats among the different
religious sects. The current parliament has failed to amend the law, and has
extended its mandate twice amid criticism.
Hizbullah and Mustaqbal
Urge Govt. to Devise 'Modern Electoral Law'
Naharnet/December 20/16/Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal Movement on Tuesday called for devising a “modern
electoral law” in order to hold the 2017 parliamentary elections on time. “The
conferees congratulated the new government and described its formation as a
positive step,” the two parties said in a joint statement issued after their
38th dialogue session in Ain el-Tineh. They also
called on the government to be “quick in addressing the vital issues, topped by
devising a modern electoral law that paves the way for holding the
parliamentary polls on time.”Earlier in the day, al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc had stressed that it cannot
accept an electoral law fully based on the proportional representation system
as long as Hizbullah holds onto its controversial
arsenal of arms. Hizbullah has repeatedly called for
an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but other political
parties, especially Mustaqbal, have rejected the
proposal, arguing that the party's weapons would prevent serious competition in
regions where Hizbullah has clout. Mustaqbal, the Lebanese Forces and the Democratic Gathering
have meanwhile proposed a hybrid electoral law that mixes the proportional
representation and the winner-takes-all systems. Speaker Nabih
Berri has also proposed a hybrid law. The country has
not voted for a parliament since 2009, with the legislature instead twice
extending its own mandate. The 2009 polls were held under an amended version of
the 1960 electoral law and the next elections are scheduled for May 2017.
Mustaqbal Says Clinging to Hybrid Electoral Law until Removal
of 'Militia Arms'
Naharnet/December 20/16/Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary
bloc stressed Tuesday that it cannot accept an electoral law fully based on the
proportional representation system as long as Hizbullah
holds onto its controversial arsenal of arms. “The bloc reiterates its
insistence on the formula of the hybrid law that mixes the winner-takes-all and
proportional representation systems which it has submitted jointly with the
Lebanese Forces and the Democratic Gathering as a transitional and feasible
solution,” said the bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting. “A
system fully based on proportional representation can only be implemented after
the elimination of the clout and control of the militia arms that are
manipulating and tipping the balances in Lebanon,” the bloc added. Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully
based on proportional representation but other political parties, especially Mustaqbal, have rejected the proposal, arguing that the
party's weapons would prevent serious competition in regions where Hizbullah has clout. Mustaqbal,
the LF and the Democratic Gathering have meanwhile proposed a hybrid electoral
law that mixes the proportional representation and the winner-takes-all
systems. Speaker Nabih Berri
has also proposed a hybrid law. The country has not voted for a parliament
since 2009, with the legislature instead twice extending its own mandate. The
2009 polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the
next elections are scheduled for May 2017.
Lebanese among Wounded in Berlin Truck Attack
Naharnet/December 20/16/A Lebanese national was among
those wounded in the deadly truck attack at a Christmas market in Berlin on Monday, Lebanon's
embassy in Germany
said Tuesday. “The Lebanese embassy in Germany
has informed the Foreign Ministry that Lebanese national Mohammed Hassan Wehbe, 41, was among those injured in the terrorist attack
in Berlin
yesterday,” state-run National News Agency reported. The man is in a “stable
condition,” the agency added. Twelve people were killed and around 50 others
were injured, 18 of them critically, when a truck plowed
into a busy Berlin Christmas market late Monday, in what German Chancellor
Angela Merkel called a "terrorist attack."
Foreign Ministry Denounces Assassination of Russian Diplomat in Ankara
Naharnet/December 20/16/Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign
Affairs condemned on Tuesday the assassination of Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov,
in Ankara, the
state-run National News Agency reported. “This is a cowardly terrorist act that
we utterly deplore. Targeting diplomats to send desperate political messages
will not alter the means by which diplomatic nations resort to dialogue as the
sole means to resolve conflicts,” a statement by the ministry read. “This
dangerous terrorist crime aims at drawing a wedge between the recently renewed
relations between Russia and
Turkey,”
the statement added, also deeming this act a blow to efforts to resolve the
Syrian crisis. The statement concluded expressing “heartfelt condolences to the
Russian people, state, as well as the family of the deceased.”
UK Welcomes Cabinet Formation to Agree Framework for
Elections
Naharnet/December 20/16/British Minister for the
Middle East Tobias Ellwood welcomed on Tuesday the formation of Lebanon's new
cabinet reiterating the need to hold the parliamentary elections on time in
line with international standards. “I congratulate President Aoun and Prime Minister Hariri on the formation of Lebanon’s new
cabinet. This is another important step forward for Lebanon, and I hope
agreement of the cabinet further strengthens the trust and confidence of the
Lebanese in their country’s political process,” a press statement said Tuesday.
“The UK is a strong friend
and partner of Lebanon.
I look forward to this cabinet governing for the benefit of all Lebanese, and
making progress on vital security, economic, and development goals. I hope in
particular this new cabinet can agree the framework for next year’s national
elections, ensuring these take place on time and in line with international
standards,” added Ellwood.
General Security Arrests Suspect Luring
Youth into Terrorism
Naharnet/December 20/16/The General Security arrested
a Lebanese man suspected of having links to terror groups and of luring the
youths through social media to work in their favor,
LBCI reported Tuesday. The suspect, who was identified by his initials as T.Sh, was subject to interrogations where he confessed to
having ties to terror groups in Syria
and of providing them with financial and logistical support under the guise of
relief and humanitarian work, added LBCI. Furthermore, he also said he worked
with other sides to support the group through social media by publishing their
ideas through the internet and social networking sites in order to attract
young people and urged them to join. The suspect was referred to the relevant
authorities. Investigations continue to arrest other individuals involved.
Security Council Hails Govt. Formation,
Urges End to Involvement in Syrian Crisis
Naharnet/December 20/16/The members of the U.N.
Security Council welcomed the announcement of the formation of a national unity
government in Lebanon, and congratulated Prime Minister Saad
Hariri and his cabinet, a council statement said Tuesday. They encouraged all
of Lebanon’s political
leaders to build on this momentum of national unity and to ensure Lebanon’s
ability to address the pressing security, economic, social and humanitarian
challenges facing the country. The members of the Security Council stressed the
importance of the holding of parliamentary elections by May 2017, in accordance
with the constitution, in order to sustain Lebanon’s democratic tradition.
They reaffirmed that the preservation of Lebanon’s stability is essential to
regional stability and security. They underscored their previous calls on all
Lebanese parties to recommit to Lebanon’s
policy of dissociation and to cease any involvement in the Syrian crisis,
consistent with their commitment in the Baabda
declaration. They reaffirmed their strong support for the territorial integrity,sovereignty, and
political independence of Lebanon,
in accordance with resolutions 1701 (2006), 1680 (2006), and 1559 (2004). The
members also called on the international community,including international organizations, to ensure
continued support to Lebanon
in addressing the economic, security and humanitarian challenges facing the country.
They reiterated their appreciation for the International Support Group for Lebanon and their support to the United Nations
Special Coordinator for Lebanon
Bassil partakes in Arab European ministerial meeting in
Cairo
Tue 20 Dec 2016/NNA - Foreign Affairs Minister, Gibran Bassil,
on Tuesday participated in the Arab European ministerial meeting that was held
today at the headquarters of the Arab States League in Cairo under the
chairmanship of Tunisian Foreign Minister Khamis Al Jahinawi, in presence of EU's Federica Mogherini,
Secretary General of Arab States League Ahmad Abu Al Ghait
and others. The meeting discusses means of boosting the cooperation between
Arab and European countries.
Handover ceremony between Harb and Jarrah at telecom
ministry
Tue 20 Dec 2016/NNA - A handover ceremony took place on Tuesday at the Telecom
Ministry between outgoing Minister Boutros Harb and
newly appointed Minister Jamal Jarrah. Minister Harb gave a speech mentioning his accomplishments during
his ministerial period.
Jarrah, for his part, hailed the performance of Harb and promised of further accomplishments to reach a
high level of telecom services.
Qahwaji inspects Military School, calls for rejection of
sectarianism
Tue 20 Dec 2016/NNA - Army Commander, General Jean Qahwaji,
visited on Tuesday the Military
School in Fayadiyeh and inspected its various departments whereby he
was briefed on the training activities. Qahwaji
praised the efforts exerted by the military school officials and trainers to
develop education and training curricula for the upbringing of military
students and officers in accordance with the proper national and military
bases. He stressed that "belonging to the military institution requires
upholding the principles of this institution, at the forefront of which
discipline, ethics, willingness to sacrifice, rejection of sectarianism and staying
away from politics."Qahwaji also commended the
Army's major achievements amid the region's conflicts, mainly in the face of
terrorism.
Pharoun from Meerab says he
expected Ministry of Tourism
Tue 20 Dec 2016/NNA - State Minister for Planning Affairs, Michel Pharoun, said on Tuesday that he was surprised with the
announcement of the new cabinet line-up, adding that he had expected to assume
the Ministry of Tourism. The Minister's words came following a visit to Meerab for talks with Lebanese Forces Leader, Samir Geagea. "Coordination
with the LF leader is nothing new," the Minister said on emerging,
anticipating further cooperation with Geagea in the
forthcoming phase.
Shabib visits Beirut
Mukhtars Association: Serving capital, its
inhabitants our responsibilities, priorities
Tue 20 Dec 2016/NNA - Beirut Governor, Ziad Shabib visited on Tuesday Beirut Mukhtars
Association in Ras el Nabeh.
"My office is open to everyone and I will work hard to find solutions and
to address the problems of Beirut
neighborhoods, because we are in a position of
responsibility. Serving the capital, its sons and its inhabitants should be our
responsibilities and priorities," Shabib said
following the meeting.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on on December
20-21/16
IS Claims Berlin Truck
Attack, Suspect at Large
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/December 20/16/The Islamic State group on Tuesday
claimed responsibility for a truck rampage through a Berlin Christmas market
that killed 12 people, as German police hunted for the attacker. "A
soldier of the Islamic State carried out the Berlin operation in response to appeals to
target citizens of coalition countries," the IS-linked Amaq
news agency said, without identifying the perpetrator. The claim came shortly
after German prosecutors, saying they lacked evidence, released a Pakistani
asylum seeker who was the sole suspect in the case, sparking fears of a killer
at large. "We can't rule out that the perpetrator is on the run,"
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told broadcaster
ZDF, adding he was confident there would be "progress" in the
inquiry. The Pakistani was arrested late Monday after he was reportedly seen
jumping out of the truck and fleeing the scene. But officials had expressed
growing doubts over whether they had the right suspect in custody. Berlin's police chief Klaus Kandt earlier warned
that "we may have a dangerous criminal in the area", and announced
security would be boosted while urging "heightened vigilance".
Federal prosecutors said they had found nothing to link the Pakistani suspect
to Germany's
deadliest attack in recent memory. "The forensic tests carried out so far
did not provide evidence of the accused's presence
during the crimes in the cab of the lorry," the prosecutor's office said.
As attention switched to the manhunt, investigators asked the public to send
them any photos and video footage. Twelve people were killed when the truck
tore through the crowd, smashing wooden stalls and crushing victims, in scenes
reminiscent of July's deadly attack in the French Riviera city of Nice. Another 48 people
were injured, 24 of whom were released from hospital by late Tuesday. The
mangled truck came to a halt with its windscreen smashed, a trail of
destruction and screaming victims in its wake, with Christmas trees toppled on
their side.Chancellor Angela Merkel -- who visited
the scene of the carnage for a minute's silence and then joined a memorial
service in the adjacent Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church -- labeled
the deadly rampage a likely "terrorist" attack.
'Bodies everywhere'
The Polish-registered vehicle, which was loaded with steel beams, had cut
a bloody swathe of 60-80 meters (yards) into the market in the once-divided city's inner west. At least six of those killed were German
citizens, authorities said, while countries from Israel
to Spain
said their nationals were among those injured in the busy tourist spot. A
Polish man, killed with a gunshot, was found on the truck's passenger seat,
said de Maiziere. He was believed to be the vehicle's
registered driver. The Polish owner of the lorry, Ariel Zurawski,
confirmed Monday that the driver -- his 37-year-old cousin -- was missing,
telling AFP: "We don't know what happened to him... I've known him since I
was a kid. I can vouch for him." Survivors recounted harrowing stories of
near misses and carnage as festive partying turned to death and destruction in
seconds.
'Free way of life'
German flags flew at half-mast and mourners placed flowers and candles at
the site. Berlin's
landmark Brandenburg Gate was lit in the German national colours in honour of
the victims. The government declared that the city's 60-odd Christmas markets
-- after a one-day voluntary stoppage out of respect for the victims -- should
continue because "we must not let our free way of life be taken from
us." Europe has been on high alert for most of 2016, with bloody jihadist
attacks striking Paris and Brussels. Germany
also suffered two attacks in July in the southern state of Bavaria committed by asylum seekers and
claimed by the Islamic State group. An ax rampage by
an Afghan or Pakistani man on a train wounded five people, and a suicide
bombing by Syrian asylum seeker left 15 people injured six days later. The
arrival of 890,000 refugees last year has polarized Germany, with critics calling the
influx a serious security threat. Merkel said earlier that if the attacker
turned out to be an asylum seeker, this would be "particularly sickening
in relation to the many, many Germans who are involved every day in helping refugees."Marcus Pretzell of
the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party labeled
the Christmas market victims "Merkel's dead." The attack in Berlin comes five months
after Tunisian Islamist extremist Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel plowed a truck into a
crowd on the Nice seafront, killing 86 people. Merkel
received calls of support from a string of foreign leaders, including French
President Francois Hollande, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan
and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, her
spokesman Steffen Seibert said. As well as sharing their condolences, they
"stressed the need for European solidarity in the fight against
terrorism," Seibert said. The White House said U.S. President Barack Obama
had offered Merkel assistance following "the horrific apparent terrorist
attack."
Turkey FM Says Ankara, Moscow Know Gulen Network
'behind' Envoy Murder
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/December
20/16/Russian investigators arrived in Turkey
on Tuesday to probe the assassination of Moscow's
ambassador as the Turkish government pointed the finger of blame at exiled
cleric Fethullah Gulen.
Veteran diplomat Andrei Karlov was shot nine times in
the back by off-duty Turkish policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas at the art gallery
opening of a show of Russian photography on Monday. The brazen killing stunned
Ankara and Moscow, which have rowed repeatedly over the Syria conflict but had
recently begun to cooperate closely on the evacuations from war-wrecked Aleppo.
An unprecedented three-way meeting on Syria
between the foreign ministers of Turkey,
Russia and Iran went ahead in Moscow Tuesday despite the assassination,
with the diplomats backing a widening of a truce. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, meanwhile,
pinned the assassination on Gulen's group, which Ankara says also
orchestrated an attempted coup in July, the state-run Anadolu
news agency said. In a conversation with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Cavusoglu said "Turkey
and Russia know that behind
the attack... there is FETO," it said, referring to Turkey's
acronym for Gulen's organization. The U.S.-based Gulen had earlier issued a statement to condemn the
assassination as a "terrorist act" that left him "shocked and
deeply saddened."
Six people have been detained over the Karlov
assassination, including the sister, mother, father and uncle of 22-year-old
man, Mevlut Mert Altintas, Turkish media said. Adding to the jitters, with Turkey already on high alert after a string of
deadly attacks, an individual also fired outside the U.S.
embassy in Ankara
overnight. The mission said in a statement that no one was hurt and the
individual was detained but the embassy and consulates in Istanbul
and Adana were
closed for normal operations.
'Waved through security'
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his secret services to boost
security at home and abroad, and to step up cooperation with foreign
intelligence services. A Russian investigative team visited the scene of the
attack at the Contemporary Arts Center
in central Ankara as part of a joint probe with Turkey. Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul
that he and Putin agreed in a phone call after the murder that "our
expanding areas of cooperation with Russia,
particularly on Syria,
will not be hampered by this attack." Dramatic footage of Monday's
assassination showed Karlov stumble and crash to the
ground on his back as Altintas brandished his
automatic pistol at terrified onlookers who cowered behind cocktail tables. The
lone gunman shouted "Allahu Akbar"
("God is greatest") and "Don't forget Aleppo",
vowing that those responsible for events in Syria would be held accountable. Altintas did not go through the metal detector security
check when he entered the exhibition and was warned by a security officer,
according to the Cankaya municipality where the
exhibition center is located. But after showing his police ID, he was allowed
to proceed, it said. The Hurriyet daily said Altintas, who had worked for Ankara's anti-riot police for the last
two-and-a-half years, had stayed at a nearby hotel to prepare for the attack,
shaving and putting on a smart suit. He was killed by police after a 15-minute standoff.Ankara mayor Melih Gokcek, known for his outspoken comments, became the first
senior official to link the killing with Gulen's
group. His suggestion was also repeated in the pro-government press, before
being amplified in the Anadolu report quoting Cavusoglu. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump had on Monday
condemned the envoy's assassination, calling the gunman a "radical Islamic
terrorist."
Orthodox rites
A Russian plane carrying the ambassador's body landed in Moscow, where it was met by Cavusoglu and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Turkey
gave the murdered envoy a full honor guard on his
departure from Ankara,
as an Orthodox Russian priest, watched by Karlov's
widow, read the last rites and swung incense over the coffin. Cavusoglu announced in Moscow
that the street where the embassy is located would be named after the
62-year-old envoy, a career diplomat who had notably served as ambassador to North Korea. The
killing came after days of protests in Turkey
over Russia's role in Syria, although Moscow
and Ankara are now working closely together to
evacuate citizens from the battered city of Aleppo. Turkey
and Russia stand on opposite
sides of the conflict, with Ankara backing
rebels trying to topple Moscow's
ally President Bashar Assad. But the rhetoric has
warmed considerably since a reconciliation deal was signed earlier this year
and the tripartite meeting Tuesday was just the latest in a series of contacts.
Russia, Iran and Turkey
agreed on Tuesday to guarantee Syria
peace talks and backed expanding a ceasefire in the war-torn country, Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after the
meeting.
Russia, Iran & Turkey reach Syria
peace deal
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Tuesday, 20 December
2016/Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said
Tuesday at a joint news conference that Russia, Iran and Turkey will help reach
a peace agreement between Syrian president Bashar
Assad and the opposition. Lavrov said Russia, Iran
and Turkey need to fight
terrorism in Syria,
not regime change. He disclosed that a declaration will be announced today
under the approval of Syria,
Turkey and Iran. Lavrov added that Russia,
Iran and Turkey are ready to support Syria peace talks, and that the evacuation from Syria's Aleppo
should end within a couple of days. During the news conference, Turkish Foreign
Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
said that support should be halted for all groups from abroad who go to Syria, saying
it was wrong to only point the figure at one side. He also said Turkey's military operation to push ISIS from the Syrian border was continuing around the
town of al-Bab and it did not have a secret agenda. UN to monitor Aleppo
evacuation. The Syrian government has authorized the United Nations to
send an additional 20 staff to east Aleppo,
where they will monitor the ongoing evacuation of thousands of people, a UN
spokesman said on Tuesday. The task is to monitor and observe the
evacuations," Jens Laerke told a news briefing
in Geneva . "We do not have independent UN access to the buses,
so we are not able to enter and access people; that does
not take away from the protection concerns that we do have and continue to
have," he added. Some 750 people have been evacuated from the two besieged
Syrian villages of Foua and Kefraya
so far, where 20 buses headed to early on Tuesday morning, Laerke
added.
[with Agencies]
More than 100,000 Iraqis displaced in
Mosul
AFP, Baghdad Tuesday, 20 December 2016/More than 100,000 people have been
displaced as a result of the massive operation to recapture Iraq’s second city
Mosul, the International Organization for Migration said on Sunday. Iraq launched the operation to retake Mosul -- the last Iraqi city held by the ISIS
group -- on October 17. Since the battle began, 103,872 people have been
displaced, the vast majority from Nineveh
province, of which Mosul
is the capital, the IOM said on its displacement tracking webpage. Iraqi
Displacement and Migration Minister Jassem Mohammed
al-Jaff told AFP that 118,000 people had been
displaced since the operation started, a figure that includes those who fled
the ISIS-held Hawijah area in another province. Aid
organizations had warned that a million or more people could be displaced by
the Mosul operation,
but those figures have yet to materialize. Forces from
Iraq’s elite
Counter-Terrorism Service have advanced deep into eastern Mosul, and nearly half of that side of the
city has been recaptured. But forces on the southern front have stalled south of
Mosul, and
those north of the city have also not entered it so
far. West of Mosul, Iraqi paramilitaries aim to retake Tal Afar, located
between the city and Syria,
but have yet to launch an assault on the town itself. ISIS overran large areas
north and west of Baghdad
in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained much of the territory they lost
that year.
Russia, Iran, Turkey Agree on Need to Widen Syria Truce
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/December
20/16/Russia, Iran and Turkey agreed on Tuesday to guarantee Syria peace
talks and backed expanding a ceasefire in the war-torn country, laying down
their claim as the main powerbrokers in the conflict. "Iran, Russia
and Turkey are ready to
assist in preparing the agreement in the making between the Syrian government
and the opposition and to become its guarantor," Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow, citing a joint statement. "The
ministers agree with the importance of widening the ceasefire, of free access
for humanitarian aid and movement of civilians on Syrian territory."Turkish
foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
said in comments translated into Russian that the ceasefire should cover the
entire Syrian territory but exclude the jihadist groups Islamic State and al-Nusra Front, the former name of ex-al-Qaida affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front. The foreign and defense
ministers from Russia, Iran and Turkey met in Moscow on Tuesday, the day after
Russia's envoy to Ankara was shot dead in the Turkish capital by a gunman
shouting about Syria and Aleppo. Russia
and Iran are on the opposite
side of the Syrian conflict from Turkey,
with Moscow and Tehran
backing President Bashar Assad and Ankara supporting those seeking to topple
him. But Turkey and Russia have recently started working closely
together to evacuate rebel fighters and civilians from war-battered Aleppo under a complex
deal. Lavrov praised the Turkey-Iran-Russia format on
Syria
as the "most effective" and added that the three have "confirmed
their readiness to fight the Islamic State group and al-Nusra
front and to separate them from the groups of armed opposition.""Our
cooperation has already allowed not just the evacuation of civilians but also
an organized moving out of most of the fighters of the armed opposition along
agreed routes," Lavrov said. "We agreed to
continue building further cooperation, based on the statement we agreed
today," he said. Pointedly absent from the discussion was the United
States and Lavrov took a swipe at Washington by
claiming that it had been unable to make good on previous deals reached in
Syria. The Red Cross on Tuesday said that at least 25,000 people have left the
eastern districts of Aleppo
since evacuations began last week, and Lavrov said
the process should be completed in two days at most. "Right now the evacuation
is wrapping up," he said. "We hope that this is a question of one or
a maximum of two days."
Syria Army Urges Remaining Rebels to Leave Aleppo
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/December
20/16/Syria's army on Tuesday urged the last remaining rebels and civilians to
leave the bombed-out eastern quarters of Aleppo,
a military source told AFP. "The army is expected to enter (Aleppo) to clean the area
after the fighters leave," the source said. He said soldiers "issued
a call over megaphones to the remaining fighters and civilians who want to
leave, to exit the eastern districts."Thousands
of people have been evacuated from Syria's
second city since a landmark deal -- brokered by Turkey
and Russia
-- was reached last week. The agreement for civilians and rebels to quit the
last sliver of opposition-controlled territory in the city paves the way for
the government to declare full control over Aleppo. Aleppo
was once Syria's
commercial and industrial hub, but it has been divided since 2012 between
government forces in the west and rebel control in the east. Government forces
launched an offensive in mid-November to capture the whole city, and had seized
more than 90 percent of the eastern half when the evacuation deal was struck.
More than 310,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March
2011, and millions more have been displaced.
Iran forms joint military HQ with Russia in Syria
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Tuesday, 20 December
2016/The Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani revealed on Tuesday that Iran has established joint military headquarters
with Russia in Syria, without
specifying its location. Regarding the visit of the representative of the
Russian President Vladimir Putin to Tehran
and his meeting with some Iranian officials, Shamkhani
said: “We have initiated a joint work plan in cooperation with some countries
in the region to fight terrorism. It is a field and diplomatic work; it needs counseling to overcome some of the obstacles.”According
to ISNA, Shamkhani added: “the visit of Putin’s
representative was in this framework. We have established a joint military
headquarter with Russia in Syria with the
help of the Syrian army and the resistance forces and we have provided counseling services too.”The
Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council talked about the
military cooperation between his country, Russia
and Iraq saying: “We are
undertaking a joint military action in the axis formed by Iraq, Syria,
Iran and Russia to combat
terrorism. What we saw recently regarding the use of Russian aircrafts within
the Iranian air space falls in this context.”Regarding
the meetings of Putin’s representative with Iranian officials, Shamkhani said: “The Russian President’s representative has
made several proposals due to the new circumstances in the region. His
proposals were both on the military and political levels for the joint action
plan. He stressed that they are working hard to keep Syria a united country. “We talked
about the proposals and we reached a work agreement in this framework”, he
added. It is worth mentioning that Russia
and Iran
have played an influential role in defending the Assad regime, ever since the
eruption of the Syrian revolution. The Iranian regime started to support the
Assad regime on the intelligence level, and it sent its militias into Syria after the
progress made by the opposition forces. However, despite all the provided
Iranian support for the Syrian regime, the Syrian opposition was able to
achieve massive victories in 2014, thus urging Russia to intervene and save the
Assad regime from falling again. The Russian-Iranian cooperation in Aleppo reached its peak
when the Iranian militias and Russian aircrafts attacked the besieged areas
controlled by the opposition in the east of the city. The brutality of the
attack, the huge number of attackers and the massive death toll of civilians,
pushed the opposition to back off. The Russian interference in Syria had
started under the pretext of fighting terrorist groups, namely ISIS and Nusra. However, Russian aircrafts have mainly bombed
moderate opposition sites, including the Western-backed groups.
Jordanian forces clash with gunmen in Karak, 4 dead
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Tuesday, 20 December
2016/A Jordanian military source told Al Arabiya.net that four security men
were killed during clashes between gunmen and security forces in the Wesya area in the city of Karak. The sources
said that security forces carried out raids in the area, which resulted in an
exchange of fire between security forces and militants. A military source told
Al Arabiya.net one of the armed miliatants opened
fire during a security raid to capture the wanted men. Gunmen ambushed
Jordanian police in a series of attacks on Sunday, including at a Crusader
castle popular with tourists, killing ten officers, two local civilians and a
woman tourist from Canada.ISIS claimed responsibility
for shootout at the castle on Tuesday.
Will the US
take action against Qassem Soleimani’s
Aleppo visit?
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Tuesday, 20
December 2016/The US State Department said on Monday that top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani’s visit to Syria’s
besieged city of Aleppo this week violated UN
Security Council resolutions regarding the nuclear deal, but said the US
would not lay out steps to address the behavior. “We
do intend to consult with our partners on the security
council about how to address our concerns with this,” State Department
Spokesman John Kirby said during a press briefing. “We’ve long said that Iran needs to choose whether it’s going to play
a positive role in helping peacefully resolve conflicts, such as in Syria, or
whether it will choose to prolong them. And you’re absolutely right, his travel
was a violation. “He’s one of the designated individuals. No exemption to the
travel ban was sought, and so it does constitute a violation of UNSCR 2231. As
I said, we will – we fully anticipate bringing this up inside the council.”The visit by Soleimani,
who is head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, follows the mass evacuation of East Aleppo's residents, after a four-month siege by
regime forces backed by Iranian advisers and Tehran-backed militias. Rebel
fighters and civilians gather as they wait to be evacuated from a rebel-held
sector of eastern Aleppo, Syria December 16, 2016. (Reuters)
Arab League welcomes UN Aleppo resolution
AFP, Cairo Tuesday, 20 December 2016/Arab foreign ministers welcomed on Monday
the United Nations Security Council resolution to quickly deploy UN observers
to Aleppo, the Arab League said in a statement. All representative
of the 22 members of the Cairo-based Arab League voted in favor
except for Lebanon,
which said it did not support interfering in countries’ internal affairs. The
ministers’ resolution was issued following an emergency meeting in Cairo over Aleppo
late on Monday. Earlier on Monday, the security council
adopted a French-drafted resolution in the first show of unity in months among
world powers struggling to put an end to the five-year war that has left more
than 310,000 dead. Moscow,
which has carried out an air war in support of the Syrian regime since
September 2015, also voted in favor of the
resolution. The Arab League “asserts the importance of working fast to
establish a full cease-fire in Aleppo
in accordance with the security council resolution,”
it said. The ministers said in the resolution that civilians must be allowed to
leave Aleppo
with dignity, to freely choose their destination, and to be able to return once
the conflict is over. The League “expresses its deep concern for the evil
aggression launched by the Syrian regime and its allies against unarmed
civilians in Aleppo,”
the foreign ministers said in the resolution. Also read: Saudi: Egypt stance on
Syria resolution ‘painful’It also condemned
“terrorism in all its forms” and “crimes” committed against civilians by ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, and al-Qaeda’s
former Syrian affiliate, now known as Fateh al-Sham
Front. Actions of both the Syrian regime and other militant groups “may amount
to war crimes,” the ministers said. Only a political solution could end the
conflict, the ministers said. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said he planned to convene a new round of
negotiations on February 8 in Geneva,
saying in a statement that it was “vital to build on this initial momentum with
further steps.” The foreign and defense ministers of Russia, Turkey
and Iran are set to meet in Moscow today to discuss Syria.
Saudi Arabia condemns killing of Russian ambassador in Turkey
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Tuesday, 20 December
2016/An official source at the Saudi Foreign Ministry
expressed the kingdom’s strong condemnation of the killing of Russia's
ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov. The source added
that this action is contrary to the international laws, the principles of
protection of diplomats and international envoys and humanitarian principles
and ethics. The source concluded his statement offering condolences to the
family of the deceased and the Russian
Federation's government and people.
Iran closes consulates in Turkey
after ambassador killing
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Tuesday, 20 December
2016/Iran closed all of its consulates across Turkey
on Tuesday, the Iranian embassy in Ankara said,
following the killing of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey
Karlov by a gunman at an art gallery exhibition
opening in Ankara.
"All consular services in Iranian consulates in Istanbul,
Trabzon and Erzurum will be closed on Tuesday, December
20. We urge all Iranians to avoid visiting these locations," the embassy
said in a statement on its website. The attack came just a day before Turkish,
Russian and Iranian foreign ministers were due to meet in Moscow to discuss the Syrian conflict.
Putin reacts to Russian envoy
assassination
Reuters, Moscow Tuesday, 20 December 2016/President Vladimir Putin said on
Monday that the killing of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey was a provocation to
try to spoil Russia-Turkey ties and derail Moscow’s attempts to find, with Iran
and Turkey, a solution for the Syria crisis. In televised comments, Putin,
speaking at a special meeting in the Kremlin, ordered security at Russian
embassies around the world to be stepped up and said he wanted to know who had
“directed” the gunman’s hand.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on on
December 20-21/16
If it wanted to, Israel could have stopped the massacre in Syria
Ronen Bergman/Ynetnews/December 20/16
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4895689,00.html
Op-ed: Israel is the strongest power in the region and could have easily saved
the lives of tens of thousands of Syrians and spared the suffering of millions.
There are many reasons why it didn’t intervene, but they are the exact
arguments that stopped the Allies from intervening in favor
of the European Jewry.
The most important thing we learned about in school was the Holocaust. The
second most important thing, after learning about the Nazi horrors, was how the
rest of the world’s nations, including the West, including the future State of
Israel’s close friends, stood idly by and did nothing while Adolf Hitler
annihilated the European Jewry. One key case study stood out in this lesson—why
didn’t the Allies bomb the Auschwitz death
camp, even after learning what was going on there?
The Holocaust, the European nations that cooperated with the Nazis, and the
others that stood idly by, have been used as an argument for the lessons Israel
and its leaders live by, “to make sure that a second Holocaust never happens,”
“to only trust ourselves” and to use these as a frequent justification of the
use of massive force throughout its years of existence. Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, who uses the death camps’ bombing issue in his speeches, even said
that “the Allies argued that bombing Auschwitz would lead to a radicalization
of the Nazi regime and are now making similar claims about Iran.”
The question of whether the Allies could have even bombed Auschwitz’s railways and
furnaces is in a deep historical dispute, but let’s assume that everything we
learned in school in Israel is right and accurate—if that’s the case, then why
didn’t Israel stop the horrible massacre and the war crimes taking place beyond
the fence, in Syria, as early as five years ago?
Israel
is the strongest power in the region. It could have easily beaten Bashar al-Assad’s forces, which are shattered and scattered
throughout the country and have not posed any threat to the IDF for many years
now. Even if Israel
had imposed a no-fly zone on the Syrian Air Force, or defined an area for the
refugees, without a real military intervention, it could have saved the lives
of tens of thousands and spared the suffering of millions. It is very likely
that an Israeli intervention would have also prevented the Russian military
involvement in the region.
There are many reasons why Israel
did not intervene—because it had more important things to do, because there
were more relevant enemies to fight, because it did not want to appear as a
country meddling in the internal affairs of another country, because the many
casualties were not Jews. But these are the exact arguments which, according to
the Israeli ethos, stopped Britain
and the United States
from intervening in favor of the European Jewry.
And it’s not that there has been no Israeli military intervention in Syria. On the
contrary: Israel
has a routine of frequently striking deep within Syrian territory. But these
bombings are aimed solely at preventing the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah in
Lebanon.
Last week, Arab media outlets reported that Israel
had struck in Damascus.
When he first addressed the bombings in public, Defense
Minister Avigdor Lieberman clarified unequivocally
that “the State of Israel has no interest in intervening in the civil war in Syria.”
I wonder how such a declaration would have been interpreted in retrospect by
Netanyahu, had the American secretary of defense said
in 1944 that the US Air Force would not bomb Auschwitz so as not to intervene
in its affairs with Germany.
The daily average annihilation rate carried out by members of the Hutu tribe
against the Tutsi in Rwanda
was higher than the daily average death toll of European Jews during the
Holocaust. The US
later apologized for not intervening in the situation there, although it could
have intervened and although most of the dead were murdered by gangs of
civilians armed with machetes, which the US Air Force could have easily
stopped. The US will
apologize to Syria's
citizens, too.
Rwanda is far away from Israel, and Israel does not have the huge
international deployment that the US Army possesses. But Syria is just a
few minutes away from all Israeli Air Force bases. There have been days when
the annihilation rate over there was similar to that of the Holocaust.
The guilt of standing idly by during the genocide in Aleppo, Damascus
and the rest of that miserable country will forever weigh upon us, too.
Turkey’s permanent state of crisis
Soner Cagaptay//Washington
Post/ December 20/16
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the most powerful person in Turkey in almost a
century, rivaled only by Ataturk — the secular
founder of the republic. Erdogan first assumed power
as prime minister in 2003, and in 2014 he won elections to become president.
After already having controlled Turkey
for almost 14 years, Erdogan now wants to amend the
Turkish constitution so that he can become head of state, head of government
and head of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), amassing as much
power as Ataturk once held.
Ataturk, who liberated Turkey
at the end of World War I and then established a republic out of the ashes of
the Ottoman Empire, ran Turkey
with an iron grip between 1923 and 1938. A Jacobin politician, Ataturk shaped Turkey in his
image as a secular Western society. Importantly, Ataturk did not eliminate
religion. Rather, he created a secularist system that essentially controlled
religion and marginalized citizens who defined their identity first and
foremost through religion.
Erdogan has dismantled Ataturk’s secularism in just
over a decade and has done so with little mercy for his opponents. He has
flooded the country’s political and education systems with rigidly conservative
Islam. Following changes to Turkey’s
secular education system, a growing number of pupils have been forced to study
in publicly funded Islamic high schools. No one is spared — not even the
grandson of Turkey’s
chief rabbi. Students’ placements in Islamic schools are no longer by choice,
but rather by state mandate.
Put in simple terms, just as Ataturk engineered Turkey’s sociopolitical
landscape, Erdogan, too, wants to transform Turkey
top-down, but as a deeply Muslim society. The end product is that Turkey
discriminates against citizens who do not affix their identity to the
conservative Sunni Islam that Erdogan practices.
However, Erdogan has a problem: Whereas Ataturk came
to power as a military general, Erdogan
has a democratic mandate to govern. Ataturk’s Turkey was rural and only 10
percent of the country was literate at the time, with most educated people
supporting his agenda. Erdogan’s Turkey is 80
percent urban and nearly 100 percent literate, and many well-educated Turks
oppose his agenda.
Even more important, whereas half of the country adores Erdogan,
the other half loathes him. Erdogan has repeatedly
won democratic elections through the AKP, but meanwhile has also built a cult
of personality as an authoritarian underdog, portraying himself as a victim who
is forced to crack down harshly on those whose “conspiracies” undermine his
authority.
Erdogan has intimidated the media and the business
community through politically motivated tax audits and by jailing dissidents,
scholars and journalists, and his police have made a habit of cracking down on
peaceful opposition rallies. Erdogan’s electoral
strategy has escalated polarization in Turkey. His conservative base,
constituting nearly half of the country, has zealously banded around him in his
defense, but the other half of the country —
including leftists, social democrats, liberals, secularists, Alevis (who are liberal Muslims) and Kurds — holds a
profound resentment for him. Increasingly, there is little common ground
between these constituencies.
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Herein lies the permanent crisis into which Erdogan’s agenda has thrown Turkey. As Erdogan
moves forward to make himself executive-style president, half of the country
will never embrace his agenda. Even more worrisome in this crisis, the country
is torn, with the pro- and anti-Erdogan blocs’ hatred
for each other overshadowing their fear of terrorist attacks by the Islamic
State or the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Each new PKK and Islamic State attack drives a wedge deeper into Turkish
society. When the PKK attacks, the pro-government bloc blames the opposition;
when the Islamic State attacks, the opposition blames the government. For
instance, after a PKK attack on off-duty soldiers, which
killed 14 people in the central Anatolian city of Kayseri, pro-government mobs firebombed
branches of the pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) all over
the country. Similarly, in the wake of the July 2015 Islamic State attack in Suruc, which killed 32 people, protesters blamed the
government for failing to stop it. The Islamic State and the PKK, whose
affiliate Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) claimed responsibility for the twin
bombing in Istanbul
on Dec. 10 that killed at least 29 people, will only further exploit
this crisis.
The war in Syria will spill
into Turkey, as evidenced by
the politically charged assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey on Monday by an off-duty police officer
who screamed “Don’t forget Aleppo!
Don’t forget Syria!”
The country faces a toxic cocktail of political polarization and threats of
violence that could erupt into a catastrophe. I have generally been an optimist
about Turkey,
but these days, I’m worried.
I believe that Erdogan wants to make Turkey a great
power. Ataturk’s answer to loss of Ottoman greatness was authoritarian
secularism: He made Turkey
more European than Europe itself in order to
cast his country as a resilient nation. Erdogan’s
answer has been to use Islam and authoritarianism, a strategy that threatens to
break modern Turkey.
Nevertheless, by providing economic growth and bringing Turkish incomes within
reach of Europe’s, Erdogan
has come closer to Ataturk’s dream than any other Turkish leader. If he can
temper his political agenda, Erdogan will go down in
history as one of Turkey’s
most memorable and influential leaders. If not, he will be remembered as the
Turkish leader who drove his country into the ground. The choice is Erdogan’s to make.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2016/12/20/turkeys-permanent-state-of-crisis/
Syria Will Likely Suffer as Russia
Seeks Vengeance for Ambassador's Murder
Anna Borshchevskaya/New York Daily News/December
20/16
Far from sparking World War III, the Ankara
assassination will probably spur a Russian escalation against 'terrorists' in Syria and exacerbate internal divisions in Turkey.
Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov died Monday after a gunman fatally wounded him
during a speech at a photo exhibition in Ankara.
The gunman shouted in Turkish: "Don't forget Aleppo! Don't forget Syria! As long
as our brothers are not safe, you will not enjoy safety." Karlov's murder comes a day before a major Syria meeting in Moscow with Russian, Turkish, and Iranian
officials.
It may be tempting to conclude that the assassination of the Russian
ambassador may escalate into a world conflict. But this is unlikely. Russian
President Vladimir Putin instead is more likely to escalate in Syria, while Turkey may face growing domestic
challenges. Both Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan quickly made it
clear they see "terrorism" as the enemy, rather than each other.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova
said that Russia
considers the murder an act of terrorism, as reported by RIA Novosti. She added that there will be a careful
investigation, the guilty will be punished, and Russia will raise this
"issue" at the UN Security Council.
Other senior Russian officials too rushed to describe the murder as an
act of terrorism, and some directly linked it to Syria. "Our answer is the
destruction of terrorists in Syria,"
said Russian senator Vladimir Dzabarov, according to Parlamentskaya Gazeta, the
official parliament newspaper.
He added that Russia
is the only country truly fighting terrorism right now, unlike Western nations.
Turkey, in Dzabarov's view, failed to protect the Russian diplomat,
but Turkey
itself is a victim of terrorism, and therefore it too needs protection.
Another Russian parliamentarian -- Irina Yarovaya,
leader of Putin's United Russia party and co-author of a recent Soviet-style
anti-terrorism surveillance law -- said that it is Russia that "understood and
understands" the dangers of terrorism and called on the world to
"consolidate in the fight against terrorism." Chairman of the Duma (parliament) committee on foreign affairs Leonid Slutskiy suggested the attack could have been a
"provocation" carried out by someone who wishes to disrupt the
newly-restored Russia-Turkish ties. Erdogan himself
said as much Monday.
In this context it is difficult to see how this situation is likely to
escalate into World War III. Instead, comments from Russian officials suggest Syria is likely
going to be the victim of this tragedy. But Turkey will face tough times. The
country expected three million Russian tourists in 2017. This is unlikely to
happen now, and the Turkish economy, already in decline, will continue to
suffer.
Erdogan, for his part, may have won Putin over,
but Karlov's murder shows that the Turkish people are
not as easily convinced. There is much we don't yet know -- and the man who
murdered Karlov can no longer speak, but his last
words suggest he may have been motivated by anger over Putin's murder of Sunni
civilians in Syria,
and by Erdogan's collusion with Putin.
If so, this tragic event underscores the divisions within Turkish
society, as did the recent coup in Turkey. Putin for his part may also
use this situation to gain further leverage over Turkey
to push it even closer to Russia's
position on Syria.
Murders of Russia
diplomats are rare, but they have happened before, and the Kremlin is bound to
retaliate. To give one example, Hezbollah murdered one Soviet diplomat and
kidnapped several in Beirut
in 1986. In response, the KGB castrated a relative of a Hezbollah leader
involved and sent him his relative's body parts. We don't yet know what Putin's
response will be, but we can expect a strong one. And Syria, in the
meantime, will continue burning.
**Anna Borshchevskaya is the Ira Weiner Fellow
at The Washington Institute.
The bane of Arab countries
Dr. Edy Cohen/Israel Hayom/December 20/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/12/20/dr-edy-cohenisrael-hayomthe-bane-of-arab-countries/
Several years have passed since the Arab Spring began,
and most of the Arab world is still in complete chaos. The internal conflicts
and wars between radical and moderate Islam, nationalists and liberals, not to
mention the ethnic conflicts between Sunnis and Shiites, make it impossible to
live in peace and prosperity in most Arab countries. Moreover, the prospect of
de-escalation is absent from the horizon, especially in Syria, Egypt,
Libya, Iraq and Yemen. In other words, the entire
Arab world is burning. And yet some leaders are sure the reason for all of
these problems is Israel,
all the while refusing to accept responsibility for their own actions.
The current chaos in the Arab world has several causes. The first is the
widespread corruption among Arab leaders that allows them and their associates
to stick their hands in state coffers. As a result, money meant to be invested
in education and infrastructure goes into the pockets of these corrupt leaders
and their associates, whose ties get them appointed senior officials and
ministers, despite not having the skills to lead.
The second reason is also connected to corruption, but indirectly: The lack of
participation of women in the decision making process and their absence in key
positions in the Arab world. Much research shows that women, for the most part,
do not take part in corruption, and act in the interest of the nation. This
stands as opposed to male leaders, who are guided by their masculine ego. The
Arab world has unfortunately not yet internalized this. They continue excluding
women and keeping them, in the best case scenario, in schools and educational
systems, and leaving them in the kitchen worst case scenario.
The third reason, whose negative impact is felt on the economies of Arab
countries, is the brain drain of young Arabs from their home countries,
especially those of various minorities. They do anything in their power to
leave their countries to find a career in the West, as they are not valued
enough or discriminated against because of their faith or ethnicity in their
home countries. These youths see a much brighter future in the countries that
host them.
Another reason whose negative impact is felt on these countries' economies is
the absorption, or more correctly, the lack of absorption of Palestinian
refugees, who arrived in Arab countries en mass over the 20th century. These
refugees did not contribute to the economy. They drained it. Because of them,
the average salary went down by dozens of percentage points and unemployment
rose. These same eternal refugees settled in refugee camps in the heart of
these countries' capital cities, like in Damascus
and Beirut.
These camps brought with them diseases and many problems, becoming a hub of
widespread crime and illegal weapons.
Arab countries did not give the Palestinians citizenship, social rights or
human rights, and to this day they live in the margins of society and impede on
economic development. There is a good reason why the Persian Gulf states
refused to accept refugees from Syria.
Notably, at least one country was damaged by Palestinian refugees: Iraq. The same Iraq that
expelled its Jews over the previous century received instead tens of thousands
of Palestinians, peasants with no education.
These Palestinian refugees were unable to fill the void left by the Jews, who
were employed in commerce, as senior officials, lawyers, doctors, economists
and scientists. Economically and academically, note the amount of Nobel Prize
laureates from Israel
compared to the amount from Arab countries: In 69 years, Israel has won
12 Nobel prizes, among the most per capita. On the other hand, the
exponentially larger Arab world has won less. This figure reflects a lack of
priorities in the Arab world. There are insufficient rewards and incentives for
education. This is the bane of Arab countries in the modern age, when
development and progress are based on these pillars. It turns out that in an
era when information and technology are principle commodities, here they are
lacking.
**Dr. Edy Cohen is a research fellow at Bar-Ilan
University.
We Are Not Weak': Does Jihadist's Claim
Stand Up to Scrutiny?
Raymond Ibrahim/PJ Media/December 16/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/12/20/raymond-ibrahimpj-media-we-are-not-weak-does-jihadists-claim-stand-up-to-scrutiny/
Abdul Razak Ali Artan -- an
18-year-old Muslim refugee from Somalia, who was receiving aid from Catholic
charities -- recently rammed his car into a building at The Ohio State
University. He then got out and stabbed people with a butcher knife, sending 13
people to the hospital before he was gunned down by police.
In a Facebook post that Artan
wrote -- and which the media cited to portray his violence as a product of
“Muslim Grievances” -- the young Somali made an interesting statement:
America
stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah. We are not weak. We are not weak, remember that.
Is this true? Is the Muslim world “not weak,” but a force to be reckoned with?
Something we all should “remember”?
Watching the behavior of Western politicians who kowtow
before everything Islamic, one can see why Artan and
many others -- including in the West -- believe that America had better watch its step
lest the Ummah arise in wrath.
Sponsored
Ironically, that’s how the White House responded to Artan’s attack itself. It warned Americans not to be
critical of Muslims -- the apologist’s way of conflating criticism of Islam (an
idea) with criticism of Muslims (people) -- because “we are more likely going
to contribute to acts of violence than we are to prevent them.”
Despite the White House’s weakness, the truth is that the Muslim world is
incredibly weak.
If the West saw and treated the Muslim world the way the Muslim world has
always seen, and when possible, always treated the West, there would likely be
no Muslim world to speak about today.
This reflects the dichotomy between Islam and the West -- a dichotomy
reflective of the will and the way. The West has the way -- including the
military and economic might -- to utterly neutralize Islam, one way or the
other. Yet it doesn’t even have the will to preserve itself, as evidenced by
all the recent terror attacks and rapes committed by Muslim refugees in the
West.
Were European nations and America
to ban or severely curtail Islam from their borders -- which is doable, as Hungary has
proven, not to mention justified -- Islamic terrorism on Western soil would
cease. It’s that simple.
Conversely, Islam most certainly has the will to eliminate the West, though it
currently doesn’t have the way (minus those ways the West gives it).
Historically, for over one millennium, whenever Islam had the way, it always
went on the offensive.
From day one of Islam to today, mainstream, orthodox Muslim understanding
divides the world into two perpetually warring halves: the “abode of peace,”
where Islamic law reigns, must -- when possible -- wage jihad on the “abode of
war,” where non-Muslims rule. And that’s precisely what Muslims did for over
one millennium.
The result is that the overwhelming majority of lands that today make up the
heart of the “Muslim world” -- Egypt, all of North Africa, Syria, Iraq, Turkey,
Iran, Pakistan, etc. -- were once non-Muslim, and were taken by great violence
and bloodshed over the course of centuries.
Back then, when much of the world was limited to fighting with swords and
spears, arrows and fire -- back when Islam was on an even footing with its neighbors -- untold millions of non-Muslims were
slaughtered, enslaved, or converted to Islam.
Western military technology eventually progressed to the point that Islam was
left in the dust. Its will to dominate went dormant, but remained intact.
Put differently, if Islam was the one to have developed sophisticated armaments
and weapons of mass destruction, while the West was still using swords and
spears, there would be no West to speak of today. Faced before Islam’s three
choices -- conversion, enslavement, or annihilation -- the West would have gone
the way of the dodo, like many civilizations before it.
Yet here is the free and mighty West, refusing to use its powers -- even in the
name of self-preservation -- while empowering an Islam that openly vows to, and
will, subjugate the West once the way to do so becomes available.
Listen to Winston Churchill, who knew the dangers of waiting while one’s
ideological enemy grows in power:
[I]f you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without
bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too
costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the
odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a
worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it
is better to perish than to live as slaves.
Merkel Government Still in Denial
Vijeta Uniyal/Gatestone
Institute/December 20/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/12/20/vijeta-uniyalgatestone-institute-merkel-government-still-in-denial/
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9608/merkel-germany-denial
Islamic State took responsibility for the December 19 Berlin truck-ramming
attack that killed 12 people, similar to the July 14 attack in the French city
of Nice, and countless car-rammings in Israel. Now
Europeans feel what Israelis live with every day.
This month, the police union in the German state of Thuringia
issued an open letter to the state's Interior Minister, describing the
crumbling law-and-order situation amid the rising migrant crime: "[You]
are abandoning us completely helpless to a superior force... But what changes? Nothing. One instead gets a sense of uninterest."
Meanwhile, representatives of Arab community were reported telling the police
in Ruhr, "The police will not win a war
with us because we are too many."
Chancellor Merkel, Germany's ruling elites and the media can continue putting a
happy face on uncontrolled mass-migration from Arab and Muslim lands, or suppress
news reporting on rising migrant crime, but they cannot wish away the country's
deteriorating law and order situation.
It should be evident to even a casual observer that her government still does
not care about the victims of its own failed "refugee" policy.
Monday's terrorist attack on a Berlin Christmas market killed at least 12
people and injured 50 others. Islamic State took responsibility for the
truck-ramming attack, as recommend by the al-Qaeda magazine, Inspire, and
similar to the July 14 attack in the French city of Nice,
and countless car-rammings in Israel. Now
Europeans feel what Israelis live with every day.
Police confer at the site of the December 19 car-ramming attack at a Christmas
market in Berlin.
(Image source: RT video screenshot)
Earlier this year, Germany
was hit by a series of ISIS-inspired attacks and failed terror plots. Despite
that almost all the perpetrators were recent Syrian or Afghan migrants, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel, in the middle of a re-election bid, has stuck to her
claim that there is "no connection" between terror attacks in the
country and uncontrolled mass migration from Arab and Muslim lands.
Ahead of an election year, Merkel and her coalition partners also want to avoid
another mass sexual attack -- in Cologne.
Adding insult to injury, the Mayor of Cologne, Henriette
Reker, is planning to put on a big show this coming
New Year's Eve in the city's main square. After an elaborate year-long cover
up, the city will be lighting up the crime scene as part of a multi-media show.
"The City of Cologne has announced plans for a spectacular multi-media
show in the area immediately surrounding the famous Gothic cathedral, close to
the main train station," state-run broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported.
"Cologne
will send good images to the world," says the city's mayor. The
taxpayer-funded spectacle has been named "Time Drifts Cologne." The
"light artist" running the show, Philipp Geist,
considers last year's crime scene "a fantastic place for an art
installation."
Of an estimated two thousand exclusively Muslim men who raped, assaulted and
robbed more than 1200 women, almost all the attackers have managed to walk
free. Ralf Jäger, Interior Minister of North
Rhine-Westphalia, admitted recently that "most of the cases will remain
unsolved."
An estimated 1,800 police officers will be on duty in Cologne on New Year's Eve, compared to just
140 last year. Barricades have been erected in the city center to check the
flow of the crowd. The city's historic cathedral and adjoining area have been
placed under a crush barrier. Police will man observation posts and fly
helicopters to monitor the crowd, and deploy mounted police and six armoured
vehicles for riot-control. "No expense will be spared," assured the
mayor. In an important election year, the government wants to defend the city
to the last taxpayer dime.
Even before it can face any real onslaught, however, Merkel's fortification is
showing some serious cracks.
Just days ahead of the News Year's Eve, the police union in the eastern German
state of Thuringia has issued an open letter
describing the crumbling law-and-order situation amid the rising migrant crime.
"[You] are abandoning us completely helpless to a superior force,"
says the desperate note addressed to the Interior Minister of Thuringia.
The union claims that politicians have been repeatedly briefed on the
deteriorating conditions under which police have been working. "But what
changes? Nothing. One instead gets a sense of uninterest."
Unwilling to acknowledge the breakdown of law and order in face of the rising
migrant crime wave, the German media and politicians are going after the
messenger.
Their latest target is the head of German Police Union, Rainer Wendt. Wendt's
crime, after a series of rape crimes this December, was to speak the obvious
truth. "The criminals are using open borders," he said.
Ralf Stegner, deputy leader of Social Democratic
Party (SPD) and a fervent supporter of Merkel's "Refugees Welcome"
policy, denounced Wendt's statement as "politically disgusting and stupid
as one can get."
Wendt has also been attacked for questioning the customary kid-glove treatment
given to violent and criminal "refugees" by German courts. Sven Rebehn, Chairman of the German Association of Judges,
called Wendt, "the Donald Trump of domestic politics" -- apparently
the biggest insult a German liberal can come up with these days.
The Merkel government can turn the center of Cologne into an impenetrable fortress for a
day or two, but the threat is not going away. The problem lies in the Ruhr
region that encircles Cologne.
"Have foreign clans turned Ruhr region
into a No-Go-Area?" asks the leading German newspaper, Die Welt, just days
ahead of News Year's Eve.
Meanwhile, representatives of Arab community were reported telling the police
in Ruhr, "The police will not win a war
with us because we are too many."
Chancellor Merkel, Germany's
ruling elites and the media can continue putting a happy face on uncontrolled
mass-migration from Arab and Muslim lands, or suppress news reporting on rising
migrant crime, as much as they want, but they cannot wish away the country's
deteriorating law-and-order situation.
As the desperate plea of the police union shows, the Merkel government has
decided to ignore the plight of law enforcement, at least for now. It should be
evident to even a casual observer that her government still does not care about
the victims of its own failed "refugee" policy: Germany appears
to be heading toward another rough year.
**Vijeta Uniyal is an
Indian current affairs analyst based in Europe.
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The
articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of
Gatestone Institute. 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's Misdiagnosed Kurdish Problem
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone
Institute/December 20/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/12/20/burak-bekdilgatestone-institute-turkeys-misdiagnosed-kurdish-problem/
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9596/turkey-kurdish-problem
Turkey's Kurdish problem is not a military one. On the contrary, the military
aspect of the problem is the consequence, not the root cause. Turkey's Kurds
have been demanding a homeland since the 19th century -- long before the modern
Turkish state was born in 1923.
It is time that Ankara
rethinks its diagnosis about the Kurdish dispute. The Turks can start by asking
themselves why their Kurdish compatriots choose to live in mountainous
hideouts, fight, kill or be killed.
In this year's Rule of Law Index, released by the World Justice Project, Turkey ranked 99th out of 113 countries, scoring
worse than Nigeria and Myanmar.
Turkey
can sometimes look like a bad joke. Turkey sits in the lowest ranks of
any credible index measuring press freedoms and the rule of law.
Reporters Without Borders, for instance, in its 2016
report, put Turkey into the
151st place out of a list of 180 countries -- ranked below Pakistan, Russia
and Tajikistan.
In this year's Rule of Law Index, released by the World Justice Project, Turkey ranked 99th out of 113 countries, scoring
worse than Nigeria and Myanmar.
Turkey's leaders,
nevertheless, recently condemned the state of press freedoms in Europe and the United States.
An official statement claimed that press freedoms had a problematic and
restrictive state in "Western democracies such as, France, Germany,
England, Sweden, Spain,
Netherlands and the USA."
But not all Turkish news is equally amusing. On Dec. 10, a twin bomb in Istanbul killed 44 people
and injured more than 150. The perpetrators were an urban branch of the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting for a Kurdish homeland
since 1984. The conflict has already taken nearly 40,000 lives.
The aftermath of one of the two December 10 bombs in Istanbul. The
attacks killed 44 people and injured more than 150. (Image source: CCTV America
video screenshot)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan himself announced the more recent bloody
picture. Calling for a "national mobilization against all terrorist
organizations," Erdogan said that 1,178 people
have been killed since July 2015 in Turkey's fight with the PKK. Bomb
attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed another 330 lives. Those numbers
exclude 248 people who died during the bloody coup attempt of July 15, as well
as 9,500 apparent PKK members who were killed by Turkish security forces. Turkey also claims that it killed 1,800 ISIS members since July 2015.
These numbers put the total death toll at 13,056 in a span of less than 17
months.
This is not a winning war for any party. From the point of view of asymmetrical
warfare, Erdogan's struggle looks futile. If, in Erdogan's numbers, Turkey
has killed 9,500 PKK fighters in 17 months and the organization is still
capable of striking the heart of Turkey's
biggest city, Turkey's
security and intelligence officials might wish to rethink their warfare
strategy. More importantly, politically, Turkey's diagnosis is problematic. Erdogan claims that terror keeps taking lives in Turkey merely because "dark external forces
were acting against Turkey's
interests."
In Erdogan's laughable narrative, the entire world of
major powers has united to conspire against Turkey, solely with the aim of
stopping the rise of this Muslim nation where per capita GDP is less than
$10,000. The goal of this allegation is to keep a majority of Turks united
behind their beloved leader. But it has not, and will not, solve Turkey's
decades-long dispute with its Kurdish minority.
Turkey's
Kurdish problem is not a military one. On the contrary, the military aspect of
the problem is the consequence, not the root cause. Turkey's Kurds have been demanding
a homeland since the 19th century -- long before the modern Turkish state was
born in 1923. Both the Ottoman and Turkish states, however, have viewed the
Kurdish problem as a military matter that should have a military solution. They
have been wrong. It is time that Ankara
rethinks its diagnosis about the Kurdish dispute. The Turks can start by asking
themselves why their Kurdish compatriots choose to live in mountainous
hideouts, fight, kill or be killed. They have a sentimental, romantic longing
for a homeland.
Erdogan's theory, that the evil West is trying to
stop Turkey's rise, fails to
explain any of the several Kurdish uprisings during a failing Ottoman
Empire and a newborn, poor republic.
Turkey's
Kurdish problem is a political one. It can only be solved through political
means, most notably through peaceful negotiations. Otherwise, many more days of
national mourning will be awaiting Turks and Kurds.
*Burak Bekdil, based in Ankara, is a Turkish
columnist for the Hürriyet Daily and a Fellow at the
Middle East Forum.
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The
articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of
Gatestone Institute. 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.
Syrian Opposition Worried By Reports
That New Islamic Political Entity, Led By Jabhat Fath Al-Sham, Is Emerging In Northern Syria
MEMRI/December 20/16
Following Aleppo's fall to the Syrian regime and the realization that the
opposition's defeat there was caused, at least in part, by the divisions among
the various fighting factions, the Arab press and Arab social media have in
recent days featured numerous reports that some of the main fighting factions
in northern Syria aim to declare a military-political entity, to be called the
Syrian Islamic Commission. This entity will control all the territory that
remains in opposition hands, especially in Idlib
province – the last remaining opposition stronghold and the destination of
opposition fighters leaving regions where reconciliation agreements expelling
them were signed with the regime. This initiative, most likely conceived by Abu
Muhammad Al-Joulani, the leader of Jabhat Fath Al-Sham (formerly Jabhat Al-Nusra), could, if
actualized, complete the Islamization of the Syrian
revolution and its takeover by Salafi-jihadis.
This paper will review the reports about the emerging new entity and reactions
to these reports.
According to reports, in the past week Al-Joulani
initiated meetings in Idlib province with the leaders
of 12 to 15 military factions, some of them Islamist and some of them part of
the Free Syrian Army (FSA). Among them were: Ahrar
Al-Sham, Harakat Nour
Al-Din Al-Zinki, Jaysh
Al-Islam, Jund Al-Aqsa, Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyya, Jaysh Al-Mujahideen, and Sawt Al-Haq. The factions had
reportedly arrived at understandings about uniting to form a single
military-political state-like entity, with an estimated 100,000 fighters.[1]
In this emerging state, the powers are divided among the leaders of the main
factions, with Al-Joulani as military commander and
main decision-maker, while the entity itself is to be headed by Ahrar Al-Sham commander Abu 'Ammar
Al-Omar. The Shura Council is to be headed by Harakat Nour Al-Din Al-Zinki leader Tawfiq Shihab Al-Din.
Also according to reports, the factions are, under these understandings, to
announce their dissolution and their full incorporation into the new body
within a week at most. The faction commanders will relinquish their status and
roles, the faction flags will be burned, and the use of the names of the
faction will be banned.
The entity will have a legislative branch, the Shura
Council, comprising the various faction leaders, and will draw up a shari'a-compliant constitution. It will have an executive
branch that includes a judiciary in charge of all courts and tribunals, a police
force, a Ministry of Religious Endowments, and a Ministry of Defense. It will also establish TV and radio networks.[2]
These reports were accompanied by announcements by some faction leaders that
they would be merging. Thus, Jaysh Al-Mujahideen commander Abu Bakr
tweeted: "Stand by for joyous news from us regarding a coming union that
will gladden you and sadden your enemies – a national program that represents
the people's revolution..."[3]
The new entity was reportedly set to be declared December 18, but at the time
of this writing this had not yet happened, indicating that preparations are
still underway. Also according to reports, some factions are examining the
possibility of a unified operations room overseeing the various battlefronts,
as well as the creation of a united military apparatus for operations leading
up to the establishment of the united military-political entity.[4]
Syria's Moderate Opposition Fears Islamization Of
Syrian Revolution
The Syrian moderate opposition was divided on this emerging new entity. Its
supporters included Abu Muhammad Al-'Asmi, of the
Free Syrian Army's leadership council, who called it "a rescue plan for
the Syrian revolution" and said: "This plan includes the merger of
the factions under a single leadership, distant from any ideology. This is
despite the Islamic nature of most of the Syrian factions, including the FSA
factions." The entity, he added, will be "a purely Syrian faction.
Non-Syrian elements, if they exist, will not take leadership positions."[5]
Al-'Asmi, however, appears to be in the minority;
most of the moderate military and political opposition factions are against the
new entity, fearing that it is an attempt by Al-Joulani
to take over the other factions and fully Islamize the Syrian revolution. Thus,
it was reported that several opposition factions, some part of the FSA and some
of them Islamists who oppose the entity and refuse to accept Al-Joulani as leader, were discussing their own merger, but
have yet to reach understandings on what its nature would be and whether it
would be solely military or political as well.[6]
Samir Al-Nashar, a former
member of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary Opposition Forces,
said that he feared that this Islamic entity would turn Idlib
into "Kandahar 2."[7] He said he had sent a clear message to the
factions that reportedly intended to join Al-Joulani
telling them they had been fooled and that "they will face a holocaust
with no one to protect them... All the factions that are forced into joining Jabhat Fath Al-Sham will suffer
an unprecedented holocaust in terms of victims and losses... It is not only
countries that will oppose this entity, but the Syrian people as well, which
rejects such trends."[8]
Other oppositionists warned that the merger "will provide a pretext for
Russia and the regime to bomb and destroy Idlib and
its rural areas, just as they did in Aleppo on the pretext of combating
terrorism."[9]
Arab supporters of the Syrian opposition also fear the merger, and its takeover
by Jabhat Fath Al-Sham. The
London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat cited 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Hajj, an expert on extremist organizations, who
said that the emergence of such an entity is "the emergence of the fourth
generation of Al-Qaeda," and called it "a warning bell for the
international community, because [this entity] is pushing in the direction of a
global extremist stream and will eliminate [any possibility of] control in
northern Syria." It also cited sources comparing the merger to
"putting all the factions into the uniform of those who are condemned to
death internationally" which would "eliminate the Syrians' dream of a
revolution."[10]
[1] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), December 19,
2016.
[2] Al-Sharq Al_Awsat (London), December 18,
2016.
[3] Twitter.com/BBakr70, December 18, 2016.
[4] Zamanalwsl.net, December 19, 2016.
[5] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), December 18,
2016.
[6] Orient-news.net, December 19, 2016.
[7] A reference to the Taliban's takeover of Kandahar, Afghanistan,
in the 1990s and its transformation into the Taliban capital.
[8] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), December 18,
2016.
[9] Elaph.com, December 18, 2016.
[10] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), December 19,
2016.
Back to the struggle over Iraq
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/December 20/16
The major aim of the battles in the region during the years which followed the
collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime has been Iraq, the strategic country
located in the middle of the paths where Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey
regionally intersect. Iraq
is also a global oil reservoir, similar to Saudi Arabia. Washington
was concerned the most about Iraq
from the point of view of expanding its influence following the end of the Cold
War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Late
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein hastened this process. Months before invading Kuwait he had
said that end of the Soviet empire had left a vacuum in the region and one of
the regional powers must fill it.
Saddam’s analysis was right but he was wrong at calculating who the competent
party to carry out this role is and what are the limits of
this activity. Accordingly, he invaded Kuwait and this act reflected his
simple understanding of international relations and major interests in the
region. Kuwait is an
important country that has 10 percent of the world’s oil reserves and the world
would not leave it under Saddam’s rule and allow him to threaten Saudi Arabia’s
security from it. He was therefore defeated and besieged for 12 years. Changing
the regime in Baghdad
became a goal regardless of the excuses made.
The Americans succeeded at changing the regime but failed to manage Iraq and its
crises. Then, the Barack Obama administration came to power and adopted a
different vision: cooperate with the enemy, i.e. Iran,
in Iraq
and the region in general to solidify American interests and achieve stability.
Now Obama administration realizes that Iran used the nuclear agreement and
American leniency to expand and threaten the region’s security as well as
American interests.
Iraq will probably be the
test of Trump administration’s seriousness when it comes to dealing with Iran
Complicated situation in Iraq
This short review is necessary to understand the complicated Iraqi situation.
The struggle in Syria is in
fact based on struggles in Iraq
and on attempts to dominate it. The region – the Gulf countries and Turkey – are aware of these attempts and have
tried to prevent Iran
from expanding but they have so far failed. The war is ongoing in Syria while the struggle in Iraq is still
on.
Russians tried to infiltrate Iraq
through oil and military deals but this won’t last long considering the US views Iraq
as a country that is important for its interests in the region and is much more
important than Syria.
It’s probable that Iraq will
be the focus of US
upcoming political, economic and perhaps military battle. The Republican
Party’s victory in US presidential elections and control of the majority of the
two chambers of the Congress is likely to bring attention back to Iraq on many issues, such as confronting Iranian
influence over the governance of Baghdad.
This has increased as a result of the US withdrawal during Obama’s term.
Governance has deteriorated due to ethnic and sectarian struggles and
addressing of regional relations linked to Iraq as a result of its strategic
location which I highlighted at the beginning of this article. All this harms
American interests in particular and western interests in general particularly
on the level of enhancing regional security, fighting terrorism and confronting
Kremlin’s ambitions in vital areas across the world.
Worsening military disputes?
Will the expected American concern in Iraq increase tensions and perhaps
even worsen military disputes? It may, unless Iran
accepts the fact that it will not be allowed to expand and dominate Iraq and the Gulf and unless the administration
of the newly-elected US
president shows its intentions to confront Iran. Among Donald Trump’s new
commanders are men who believe that Tehran’s regime has been the source of
crises and wars in the region, including in Afghanistan, Pakistan and of course
the Gulf, since the early 1980’s and that it is more dangerous than North
Korea’s regime. Iraq will
probably be the test of Trump administration’s seriousness when it comes to
dealing with Iran.
This does not mean the American administration will have to directly intervene
on the military level. There are many parties that oppose Iran in Iraq
and they include Shiite powers or parties that are allied with Washington, such as the
Kurds. It’s possible to resist Iranian interferences by working through the
political system which the Americans built in the wake of the invasion and
without having to establish opposing armed groups.
What about the division which has been reported recently? I don’t think it is a
proposed option as despite its crises, Iraq is still intact and it has not
slipped into the abyss of civil war. Countries in the region, including Iran, Turkey
and the Gulf, may politically disagree over Iraq but they all agree on its
geographic unity and understand that dividing a huge country is a dangerous
move. Regional and international powers will have to compete by working through
the political system in Baghdad and decreasing Iran’s
domination over it.
Terror and anger spill blood in Ankara, Berlin and Zurich
Chris Doyle/Al Arabiya/December 20/16
Remember 19th December 2016. Shocking events unfolded on this day which, in
many ways, encapsulated the horror of 2016 in barely a few hours, not the least
with regard to the Middle East. An
assassination aimed at the heart of the Middle East’s most dynamic burgeoning
alliance motivated by the horrors of Aleppo; a mindless act of mass terror
against civilians in Berlin reportedly by an asylum seeker reminiscent of the
Nice attacks on 14 July and a gun attack on Muslims at prayer in a mosque in
Zurich (largely ignored by the media as so many anti-Muslim attacks are). All
this was interspersed with the full and final confirmation of Donald J. Trump
as President-Elect of the United
States.
All the ingredients are there – terrorism, civilians as victims, refugees, Islamophobia, the far right, the dangers of proxy wars and
alliances, Syrian disaster and Turkey’s
insecurity. Such events usually spark monumental and feverish speculation, even
when facts are few.
Who ultimately is responsible for Ankara, Berlin and Zurich
is yet to be determined but in this social media age, the arrows of abuse and
accusation have to be shot early. Donald Trump has become the master of
conclusion jumping, no facts or intelligence briefing needed it seems, a worrying trend for the future most powerful man on
earth. Within hours he had determined that the Berlin
massacre was the work of ISIS. German police
are rightly far more cautious. In Trumpworld you do
not wait to find those responsible, ISIS has
to be “eradicated from the face of the earth.” It is a sordid calculation that
the political bonus of being right, if this was ISIS
inspired, is much greater than any political damage if it transpires that it
was not. Similarly, German opponents of Chancellor Angela Merkel were all quick
to blame her policies for the killings. The year 2016 has exposed a world in
which insecurity and uncertainty is going to be a feature of life for some
time. Political hatred is on the rise and people are increasingly prepared to
use violence to express it
Rumour mill running overtime
But Trump was not alone. Within minutes of the news of the assassination of the
Russian ambassador in Ankara,
the rumour mill was in full swing. The key determination will be whether the
killer acted alone or was aided, abetted and inspired by an external actor.
It is clear that for President Erdogan the most
convenient guilty party must be the Gulenists. If he
persuades the Russians this is the case, Erdogan
preserves and even cements his ties with Moscow,
and gets their assistance in the latest brutal crackdown on Turkish opponents
launched since the 15 July attempted coup. It will not suit Erdogan
if it is determined that a Syrian of extremist group was behind the killing. Russia will blame Turkey
for having backed Syrian opponents of Assad, and for having done too little
against the extremists operating in Syria. The worst case scenario for
the Turkish supremo will be if one of his inner circle was involved in the operation.
Yet it seems clear that Erdogan and Putin want to
strengthen their alliance amid the speculation that there was a gruesome deal
over Aleppo whereby Turkey
agreed to Russia
and the Syrian regime capturing the city in return for assistance in thwarting
Kurdish aspirations.
The Russia-Turkey deal on a ceasefire and evacuations had incensed Iranian
leaders hence the obstacles and shootings that delayed and protracted the
process of getting civilians out of eastern Aleppo. The Syrian opposition feels largely
betrayed by Erdogan even if they do not utter this in
public. It was Turkey after
all that pushed Syrian fighters to go into Aleppo all the way back in 2012. It was Turkey last year who compelled Syrian fighters
not to accept the Aleppo
freeze deal that the UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura was touting. Plenty of actors in the region will
not want to see this Russian-Turkish alliance bear fruit so expect the
conspiracy theories to get out of control.
Putin’s resolve
Many Syrian opponents of the Syrian regime celebrated,
the raw emotional feeling that at least somebody is making the Russians pay a
little bit for Aleppo.
But the more rational Syrians are well aware that ultimately it may be Syrians
who pay for this and that it may harden Putin’s resolve. Yet Russian officials
may also pause to consider the costs of remaining sucked into the Syrian
conflict. Putin seems to be searching for an exit strategy and will probably
not want to foot the bill for Syria’s
reconstruction. The assassination is a reminder that Russia
will be forever associated with the ashes and rubble of Aleppo, and many may choose to seek revenge.
The fact remains that the year 2016 has exposed a world in which insecurity and
uncertainty is going to be a feature of life for some time. Political hatred is
on the rise and people are increasingly prepared to use violence to express it.
No place is safe even a Christmas market or a mosque. No person is safe, even
an Ambassador of a superpower. Above all murdering civilians has become the
default mode of expressing this anger and hatred as they bear the burden of the
international community’s political failures. Instead of electing leaders who
can bring calm and reason to global affairs, electorates are increasingly
opting not for those who have solutions but for those who channel their anger
the most effectively.
Ambassador’s murder: Roots of the tragedy
Maria Dubovikova/Al Arabiya/December
20/16
It was a mean shot in the back. Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, was shot dead while he was inaugurating a photo
exhibition “Russia through
the eyes of Turks” in Ankara’s
local art gallery. The exhibition was meant to build bridges between the two
countries. As per reports, the killer, in his early 20s, was an officer in
Special Force Department of the Turkish police. He was later shot down in a crossfire with his colleagues. The dramatic events point
to a destructive phase in Turkey,
the region, and the world. The purge that has been conducted in Turkey since
the failed coup attempt seems to have weakened the country’s political and
governance system and public anger forms a dangerous layer of instability in
the society.
This streak can be potentially even more explosive if one considers people who
resent the regime retain their offices and sympathize with their colleagues. Erdogan, it seems, has not been able to strengthen security
to the extent that it prevents drastic spread of extremism.
The assassination raises a lot of questions on the Turkish security forces.
Since the heinous act was carried out by a police officer, can any ambassador
or official figure feel safe in Turkey?
Not to mention civilians who are always the least protected.
Motivated by Aleppo
This young terrorist was apparently motivated by Aleppo and the Syria war. He said that whoever has
a hand in this oppression [Aleppo and Syria] shall
account for it. This somehow takes us to the possible roots of the tragedy and
the forces behind the attack.
The most convenient option for the Turkish government is to accuse Gulen supporters for what has happened. It is easier than
admitting that Turkey is
losing its fight against extremism and against extremists crossing the border
with Syria
and setting up terrorist cells in the heart of the country. These threats are
extreme, dangerous and visible considering the devastating war taking place
next door. To admit the infiltration of extremists inside the law enforcement
bodies is like admitting the country is practically a failed state.
Assassination of Ambassador Karlov is also a strong
reminder that some forces are opposed to the Russia-Turkey rapprochement and
cooperation. In this sense the attack can be seen as a provocation. Even if one
admits that the failed coup was mastered by Gulenists
it does not deny the fact that at least some of those who lost their jobs for
supporting the coup would not be brainwashed into becoming al-Nusra or ISIS supporters.
The media should get its share of the blame for brainwashing and sometimes
making blind propaganda. When the media caters to emotions instead of reason
and does not give responsible analysis, things are bound to go out of control.
Some worrying reactions praising the murderer and depicting him as a hero – as
if he took revenge against Russia
for its crimes in Syria
– also shows how strongly the media has influenced understanding of the
situation.
If one were to assume that this is the right approach, the logic suggests that
all US
ambassadors should be killed for wherever the country has intervened. This
rather dangerous logic suggests the extent of brainwashing that lead to
miserable events such as these.
Provoking Russia-Turkey relations?
Assassination of Ambassador Karlov is also a strong
reminder that some forces in and outside the region are opposed to the
Russia-Turkey rapprochement and cooperation. In this sense the attack can be
seen as a provocation as if it was an attempt to repeat the scenario of downed
Russian jet that resulted in a seven-month paralysis in bilateral relations.
However, in the current circumstances, even if this were supposed to be a
provocation, the expected outcome was miscalculated. Russia
and Turkey
are not interested in spoiling bilateral ties as now, more than ever, they need them to be strong. This has already been
soundly articulated by their leaders. Erdogan called
Putin to inform him about the circumstances of the assassination and the two
agreed that this was a provocation. Putin later met Turkish foreign minister
who arrived in Moscow for talks between Russian,
Turkish and Iranian foreign and defense ministers
over Syria.
It is noteworthy that the attack on the Russian ambassador has happened on the
eve of the meeting and this gives us ground to assume that some forces are
against Russia-Iran-Turkey cooperation over Syria.
United against terror
Whatever their intentions, the terrorists have failed.
History of Russia
suggests that tragedies make the country stronger and its people more united. Turkey and Russia
will most likely stand more united and Russia will put more pressure on Erdogan. Russia’s
position will not change as long as it believes that strong resistance on the
path you take means you have taken the right approach. The stronger the
resistance, the closer you are to your goals. The consequence of the attack is
more dramatic for Turkey
than for Russia.
Assassination of an ambassador is a strong signal for any country, especially
if you have enemies within and beyond your borders. Taking right decisions and
focusing on bringing terrorists to justice is the only way forward.
Between King Abdulaziz
and Habib Bourguiba
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/December 20/16
Visiting Tunisia means taking a look at history and the future at the same
time. The country’s geographic location has granted it the ability to receive
the new and the different, comprehend new concepts and stay abreast of the most
modern aspects which Europe has produced.
The solid foundations laid down by Habib Bourguiba enabled Tunisia to stay intact amid crises
and difficult problems. Even when the revolution erupted there few years ago, Tunisia did not
witness turmoil. It grappled with ordinary security problems and quickly
restored its strong Bourguiba legacy. It is as if his
spirit appears in state institutions and during popular movements and directs
people, advises them as guide for an entire society. As a result, the Tunisian
National Dialogue Quartet won the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2015.
This enthroned Bourguiba’s legacy which cannot be
forgotten as he greatly improved the level of education,
raised secular social awareness and took it upon himself to gradually correct
religious understanding which requires hundreds of years.
When I sat down with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi to interview him
recently, he spoke about the historical relation between Bourguiba
and late Saudi King Abdulaziz. Bourguiba
visited Saudi Arabia in
1951, i.e. before Tunisia’s
independence, and he said the king financially helped him to achieve
independence from French colonization.
During their meeting, King Abdulaziz told Bourguiba: “Walk in a slow speed toward independence. Don’t
fall into what Arabs got involved in, from rushing things to clashing and
struggling among each other. All’s well that ends well.”
Bourguiba stayed the course on what was beneficial
for that era and did not adopt the approach of neutralizing everything which is
usually the case with excessively emotional people. He adopted the rule of
reason
The King’s advise
Essebsi said that this was a political meeting par
excellence, adding that Bourguiba followed the king’s
advice until Tunisia
entered a golden age following the establishment of the state following
colonization. Bourguiba stayed the course on what was
beneficial for that era and did not adopt the approach of neutralizing
everything which is usually the case with excessively emotional people. He
adopted the rule of reason. During the famous Le Palmarium
speech, Bourguiba sat next to late Libyan leader
Muammar Qaddafi. The latter raised his index finger before the entire world,
before the colonizer, the American and the imperialist – like he usually did
most of the time during his empty emotional speeches. When Bourguiba
spoke though, he delivered an immortal lesson in political work.
As Bourguiba put it, it’s not about delivering
speeches against America but
about building minds and to be able to develop technology as, for instance, we
oppose Israel,
there’s nothing wrong with that, but the latter has taken from global and
western civilizations to develop its capabilities. Israel develops every day but we
cannot resolve our ordinary matters. He gave an example about a defect in the
heater in the castle and said only the French were able to fix it as the spare
parts and the method to fix it were both delivered from France. This is
where we must begin from. This speech showed Qaddafi’s low level of awareness
compared to an intellectual and a thinker and a politician such as Habib Bourguiba.
Political institutions
In his book “A journey during Bourguiba’s era”, which
he wrote in 2012, Tunisian author Hassouna Mosbahi discussed Bourguiba’s
characteristics.
“Tunisia and the Tunisians owe a lot to Bourguiba on
the level of establishing the moderate state, which included reforming
education and making it mandatory, and issuing laws that grant women liberty
and address birth control, and on the level of foreign policy via establishing
relations with all countries on the basis of a moderate policy that’s far from
extremism and tensions which distinguished Arabs’ policies during his era, such
as the case was with late Egyptian leader Gamal Abdelnasser and Baathist leaders
in Syria and Iraq,” Mosbahi wrote.
This is the whole point. The policy which Bourguiba
adopted, urbanization via phases and establishing work on the basis of
independence, enabled Tunisia to tackle the major problems it faced in a critical
region.
The country quickly overcame challenges thanks to the political expansion and
setting up of institutions. Despite the coup against Bourguiba,
his legacy was not absolutely abandoned because the model he established is the
most capable.
Bourguiba belongs to the league of prominent
historical characters whose legacies live for long through different eras.