LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 16/16

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

Bible Quotations For Today
The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 06/22-24: "‘The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! ‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

During all our distress and persecution we have been encouraged about you through your faith
First Letter to the Thessalonians 03/06-13: "But Timothy has just now come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love. He has told us also that you always remember us kindly and long to see us just as we long to see you. For this reason, brothers and sisters, during all our distress and persecution we have been encouraged about you through your faith. For we now live, if you continue to stand firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints."

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 16/16
Lebanon, the Maronites and the presidential vacuum/Mordechai Nisan/Jerusalem Post/February 15/16
A Memorial… and Memories/Ahmad El-Assaad/February 15/16
Russian PM Threatens Third World War/MEMRI/February 15/16/
Palestinians ramp up terror to gunfire. Israel Intelligence still at a loss/DEBKAfile/ February 15/16
Turkey threatens fragile Syria peace accord/Week in Review/Al-Monitor/February 15/16/
‘Scientific’ Claim: Christian Bible More ‘Bloodthirsty’ than Quran/Raymond Ibrahim/PJ Media/February 15/16
Egypt's "Security Threat": Churches/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/February 15/16
Is the American Era Over? Soft Power/Samir Atallah/Asharq Al Awsat/February 15/16
The Anniversary of Bahrain’s February Uprising/Salman Aldosary/Asharq Al Awsat/February 15/16/
Interpretations of terrorism and legends of globalization/Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al Arabiya/February 15/16
Is ISIS preparing to relocate to Libya/Dr. Azeem Ibrahim/Al Arabiya/February 15/16
Saudi Arabia's al-Janadriyah and years of intellectual debate/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/February 15/16
World Government Summit and the Arabs’ heartache/Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/February 15/16

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on February 16/16
Lebanon, the Maronites and the presidential vacuum
A Memorial… and Memories
Syria accuses U.S over attacks on MSF hospital that Washington condemns
Kurdish-backed forces edge closer to Turkish border
Damascus hopes Syria peace talks to resume on Feb. 25
Egypt says Italian student was not arrested before his death
U.S. Urges Russia, Turkey to Avoid 'Escalation' over Syria
Mustard Gas 'Used in Iraq Attacks in August'
Israel Probes Video of Police Pushing over Palestinian in Wheelchair
Turkey Air Force in Joint Exercises with Saudi Arabia
Bahrain Arrests Foreign Journalists, Likely American
Cameron Brings EU Arguments to France's Hollande
Turkey Renews Syria Shelling as Air Raids Hit MSF Hospital
Canada reaffirms commitment to human rights
Israeli Defense Minister Says Ready to Work With Arab Countries on Syria Strategy

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 16/16
Lebanon presidency deadlock persists as Hariri stands by Franjieh
Several Militants Killed as Army Destroys Vehicle in Arsal Outskirts
LF Holds onto March 14 but Supporters Criticize Mustaqbal
Hariri Meets Geagea in Maarab: March 14 Brings Us Together
Hariri Meets Salam, Top Officials: My Stay in Lebanon Will Be Longer this Time around
Mustaqbal Says Geagea is Friend of Long Patriotic Path
Reports: Hizbullah Radars Can Track Israeli Fighter Jets
Sources: Nasrallah to Change Speech after BIEL Ceremony
 Lebanon says EU refugee aid needed now, not in a year
U.N. peace envoy to meet Syrian foreign minister: Govt official

Links From Jihad Watch Site for February 16/16
UK: Islamic studies teacher accused of helping two Muslims join the Islamic State
Video: Mufti of Gaza explains how properly to beat your wife
Turkey: Article in pro-government daily says gorillas and chimps are cursed, mutated Jews
Hugh Fitzgerald: Was Trump Right that the Iraq War Was “A Big Fat Mistake”?
Raymond Ibrahim: Christian Bible More ‘Bloodthirsty’ than Quran, Claims ‘Scientific’ Study
Hating Valentine’s Day
Israel: Teen Muslimas screaming “Allah” stab Israeli security guard

Lebanon, the Maronites and the presidential vacuum
Mordechai Nisan/Jerusalem Post/February 15/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/02/15/mordechai-nisanjerusalem-post-lebanon-the-maronites-and-the-presidential-vacuum/
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Lebanon-the-Maronites-and-the-presidential-vacuum-445001
Twenty months have passed since Michel Suleiman completed his six-year term in Lebanon’s Ba’abda presidential palace. There has been no success in convening the requisite two-thirds quorum, 86 of 128 parliamentary members, required to elect a new president. On February 8, the thirty-fifth parliamentary session for the election was a barren exercise, and the traditional goal of finding a consensus president has eluded Lebanese politicos.Since the founding of modern Lebanon in 1920, and the formulation of the National Pact in 1943, the special configuration of politics assigns the office of president to a Maronite Christian, prime minister to a Sunni Muslim and speaker of parliament to a Shi’ite Muslim. These arrangements acknowledge the historical primacy of the Maronites as the more-than-equal elite founding community, recognize the intra-Muslim schism, formalize the link between state and religion, while promoting inter-sectarian cooperation for the interest of all groups.
Interestingly, inter-religious Christian-Muslim strife is not the essential political or social feature, or impediment, but rather intra-religious wrangling has been the hallmark and bane of Lebanese politics. A sweeping Lebanese identity encompasses all of the country’s groups, while acrimony tarnishes relations and sullies the atmosphere especially within the ranks of each group. It is from within the Maronite community that we can identify the ongoing paralytic presidential crisis. Paradoxically, without the Maronites there is no distinctive and authentic independent Lebanon with its remarkable spirit and talents; however, because of the Maronites, there is no stable, functioning and united Lebanon. The presidential brouhaha has elicited a number of candidates. A leading contender with uncontrolled ambition is Michel Aoun, former general and leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, who is allied – he the Maronite – with militant Shi’ite Hezbollah (“the Party of God”). Aoun and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, bound by an understanding in 2006, head the March 8 camp with its Syrian/Iranian orientation.
This Maronite-Shi’ite alliance, unfathomable to the inexperienced observer of Lebanon, exemplifies cross-sectarian Lebanese inter-group cooperation. Samir Geagea, heading the Lebanese Forces, who until recently constituted Aoun’s primary foe and former combatant, has now joined forces in a seeming reconciliation following their dreadful intra-Maronite war in 1990. But the real reason for Geagea’s about-face is not love and brotherhood. The proposed and rather recent candidacy of Suleiman Frangieh, leader of the Marada movement, and a member of parliament like Aoun catalyzed the Geagea- Aoun rapprochement. Frangieh, grandson of a former president whose namesake he brandishes, is also affiliated with the March 8 camp, and thus part of a coalition that includes Aoun and Nasrallah, decidedly oriented toward Syria. Geagea and Aoun have cunningly joined forces to block Frangieh.
That said, former Sunni prime minister Sa’ad Hariri, leading the Future Movement, announced his support for the Frangieh presidential bid, creating thereby the oddity of a March 14 personality promoting a March 8 candidate. Such are the confusing configurations and startling twists confounding Lebanese politics.
The political pacts involving these Maronite personalities and their Muslim allies demonstrate fractionalization in Maronite ranks, but inter-confessional cooperation as a standard Lebanese norm. This clearly refutes the contention that Muslim-Christian animosity is the source of Lebanon’s ills.
While other names have been bounced about in the presidential political banter, such as Amin Gemayel and Henri Hélou, there is no immediate prospect of their realistic success. Aside from the Maronite contenders for the presidential office, there are some significant personalities who can feasibly influence the final outcome. Three are of special note supporting, in fact, the Frangieh candidacy: Nabih Berri, Shi’ite parliamentary speaker, who adopts a position different from Hassan Nasrallah, his Shi’ite rival; Walid Junblatt, Druse leader of the Progressive Socialist Party and its “Democratic Gathering” parliamentary bloc; and Sa’ad Hariri whose Sunni constituency opposes Michel Aoun due to his alliance with Hezbollah. It is vintage Lebanese politics to assume that Hariri’s support for Frangieh as president is part of a political deal for his later appointment as prime minister.
Lebanese domestic politics are traditionally and inextricably enmeshed with regional actors. Iran as the strategic, financial, and religious patron of Hezbollah would accept the Aoun candidacy; Saudi Arabia, as the patron of the Sunnis and Sa’ad Hariri who has lived in long exile in Paris and also in Riyadh, would ipso facto reject Aoun, Nasrallah’s ally and Iran’s first choice. It has been said that the next president will arrive either on a Persian carpet or an Arab camel. Thus far, the Aoun “Change and Reform” bloc linked to Hezbollah has boycotted parliament to deny the requisite quorum needed for a presidential vote.
Aoun, touting the view that if he is not to be elected president then neither should anyone else, is determined to try and prevent Frangieh being chosen the next Maronite president of Lebanon. And by the way, despite the relative decline in Christian demographics as a whole and that of the Maronites themselves, the Maronite hold on the presidency is basically unchallenged – for now. The enigma of Lebanon rides on.
Rumors are afloat that the political system, which is based on Christian-Muslim parliamentary parity, may be reformed. Hezbollah would like to see it built on a new formula: a third Christian, a third Sunni, and a third Shi’ite. This would be a lethal political blow to the Christians, whose soul is embedded in the national narrative of the country, but as a capsized minority could be marginalized out of existence.
Another idea is to divide the country into cantons based on a federal formula. This would give the core of Mount Lebanon to Maronite stewardship, while destroying the political geography of a united Lebanon, as constituted nearly 100 years ago. Instead of serving as the responsible political leaders of Lebanon, and quietly working to fill the office of president with one of their own – and this no less with the assent and cooperation of the Muslim majority – Maronites have dithered miserably and descended into disastrous self-destructive political manipulations and maneuverings. They have been and were destined to be the conciliator between groups, but they have demoted themselves into being just another one of them. But despite the bad times for Maronites and Lebanon, don’t be misled: the nightclubs are swinging, the restaurants are full, the media vibrant, thoroughfares bustle, the arts and music flourish. All is not over for the miracle that is Lebanon.
**The author, a retired lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, authored The Conscience of Lebanon: A Political Biography of Etienne Sakr (Abu Arz) in 2003 and Politics and War in Lebanon: Unraveling the Enigma in 2015.

Lebanon presidency deadlock persists as Hariri stands by Franjieh
Reuters News | Feb 15, 2016/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Former Lebanese prime minister Saad al-Hariri said on Monday he was committed to backing his rival Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency, indicating an almost two-year deadlock over the job will not be resolved soon. There are two main candidates - Marada movement head Franjieh and former general Michel Aoun - for president, a post reserved for a Maronite Christian. Parliament has met at least 35 times without being able to agree on who should get the job. Hariri, the Sunni Muslim leader of the Future Movement party, returned to Beirut on Sunday to mark the 11th anniversary of the assassination of his father, former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri. He has been holding consultations with Lebanese politicians from his March 14 bloc and others. "We have a commitment and our commitment to Suleiman (Franjieh) is clear," he said after meeting his ally Sami Gemayel, head of the Kataeb Christian party. It was only Hariri's third visit to the country since the Hezbollah-dominated March 8 alliance toppled his government in 2011 and he left for exile in Saudi Arabia and France. Lebanon has been without a president for nearly two years and rival political blocs, backed respectively by rival regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran, have failed to reach an agreement on who should fill the vacuum. On Sunday, Hariri publicly confirmed for the first time that he put forward a proposal late last year for Franjieh, an ally of Hezbollah and friend of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to fill the post of president. Some of Hariri's March 14 allies disapproved of Franjieh being nominated. Last month, Christian politician Samir Geagea, a Hariri ally, declared his support for the 80-year-old Aoun. Hezbollah also says it is backing Aoun. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, is fighting in Syria alongside the Syrian army against insurgents who have received backing from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other states. (Writing by Mariam Karouny and; Lisa Barrington; Editing by Tom Heneghan)

A Memorial… and Memories
Ahmad El-Assaad/February 11, 2016
In a few days, the Lebanese people will commemorate the crime that target a great man, Rafik Hariri. This year, on February 14, the pain will not only come from the memory of this martyr, but also from the consequences of his martyrdom, which has turned in to mere… memories. It is with the sweetness of the fight, and the bitterness of the martyrdom of a great number of Lebanese personalities, that we shall remember that era with grief. It is sad that the political coalition that was born from the Cedar’s Revolution has come to this state of rivalry and contradiction, that it has stooped to that much concessions.
The current scene suggests that all of the sacrifices have evaporated, and gone in the wind. The past’s memories have become the present’s nightmare. Today, Lebanon is in the grip of the Iranian axis, more than ever before. Unfortunately, the political parties of 14 March have learned nothing from the mistakes of the past, which have brought the country to what it is today. This coalition has no vision, confrontation, or alternative plan whatsoever. It merely lies there, waiting some sort of change in the region, hoping for a positive reflection on Lebanon. But how, why, and what are the grounds laid by these parties that would enable them to reap the fruits of any change that might occur in the region? The answer given by 14 March is, “We don’t know.”Like a student preparing to sit for an exam, and pass it, these parties must face the Iranian axis with a clear vision, and a practical plan, in order to succeed at pulling Lebanon out of this axis. While we wait for a political force to bear this responsibility, Rafik Hariri’s martyrdom will go by like any other memory from the past, instead of being a lesson for the present and future.

Several Militants Killed as Army Destroys Vehicle in Arsal Outskirts
Naharnet/February 15/16/Several extremist militants were killed Monday when the army targeted their vehicle in the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal, state-run national News Agency reported. “The Lebanese army destroyed with a guided missile a vehicle for the terrorist militants in the Arsal outskirts area of Dahr al-Safa,” NNA said. It said the army fired the missile after the vehicle tried to advance towards its posts in the area. Such incidents have become frequent in that region in recent months. On Sunday, the army shelled positions of Islamic State militants in the Eastern Mountain Range on the Lebanese-Syrian border. And on Thursday, Hizbullah targeted a group of Qaida-linked Nusra Front militants in the Arsal outskirts area of Harf Wadi al-Kheil, killing three and wounding several others. Militants from al-Nusra and the IS are entrenched in mountainous regions in Arsal's outskirts and along the porous Lebanese-Syrian border. The militants clash with the army occasionally but a major confrontation erupted in August 2014 when the two groups overran Arsal in the wake of the arrest of a senior IS leader. Nineteen soldiers and around 60 militants were killed in the fighting. The jihadists of the two groups also abducted during the battle dozens of troops and policemen of which four were eventually executed. 

LF Holds onto March 14 but Supporters Criticize Mustaqbal
Naharnet/February 15/16/Lebanese Forces officials have stressed the party's strong membership in the March 14 alliance despite criticism that al-Mustaqbal Movement chief Saad Hariri is favoring the Kataeb Party. “We cannot but to be at the helm of the supporters of March 14,” the officials, who were not identified, told An Nahar and al-Joumhouria newspapers published on Monday. “If we want to build the Lebanese state, we cannot but become (part of) March 14,” they said. The sources said that Hariri threw the ball in the court of the March 8 coalition after saying at the rally, which was held in BIEL on the 11th anniversary of former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination, that March 14 is committed to ending the presidential vacuum. “Despite its different approaches to the presidency, March 14 will continue to play the democratic game,” they told the dailies. Hariri hasn't vetoed anyone, whether Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun, Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh, Aley lawmaker Henri Helou or any other candidate, the sources said. They also stressed that the reconciliation with Aoun is “strong and ongoing.”LF chief Samir Geagea withdrew from the presidential race last month and endorsed Aoun, who is a member of the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance, for the presidency. Despite the differences with Hariri over the presidential deadlock, Geagea and his wife MP Sethrida attended the rally on Sunday. The BIEL ceremony “gave back the March 14 alliance its spirit,” said the LF sources. Despite their remarks, there has been criticism by LF supporters on Hariri's attitude towards Geagea. They accused the Mustaqbal leader of intentionally standing between former President Amin Gemayel and his son Kataeb chief MP Sami Gemayel, while keeping Geagea next to Amin at the end of the ceremony. Hariri sought to send a message to Geagea that his ties with the Kataeb are better off, they said. 

Hariri Meets Geagea in Maarab: March 14 Brings Us Together
Naharnet/February 15/16/Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri held talks Monday evening in Maarab with Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, following a strain in relations between the two parties. The meeting between the two leaders was also attended by the LF chief's wife MP Sethrida Geagea and Hariri's advisers Hani Hammoud and Nader Hariri, state-run National News Agency reported. Geagea threw a dinner banquet in Hariri's honor after the talks. "Your speech was excellent yesterday," MTV quoted MP Geagea as telling Hariri upon his arrival in Maarab. "Your presence among us resolves the country's issues," the LF chief for his part told Hariri, according to the TV network. Hariri and Geagea later held a joint press conference and answered questions from reporters. “We are comrades of the same path and this visit was scheduled in advance and we reject to say that it is for apology,” said Geagea at the conference. Asked about Hariri's remarks at the BIEL rally, which have infuriated LF supporters, Geagea stressed that he did not consider the ex-PM's statement an insult to him. “I took it normally and I forgot for a moment that I was at a rally. For a moment I felt that we are home and that we are joking with each other like we normally do,” said Geagea. “Yesterday we marked the anniversary of Rafik Hariri's martyrdom, which has changed Lebanon's modern history, and we must not stop at petty issues. Rafik Hariri was assassinated for the sake of building a good country and this is what we must strive for,” the LF leader added.“Ex-PM Hariri also voiced decisive remarks yesterday, when he stressed that he will not boycott the (electoral) session,” Geagea went on to say, underlining that the March 8 camp “has no excuse not to attend the session and vote for a president.”
Hariri for his part emphasized during the press conference that the principles of March 14 bring him together with Geagea. "Dr. Geagea and I are both concerned about Lebanon and what's important is to head to parliament and elect a president,” he added, urging all MPs and candidates to attend the upcoming electoral session. The talks come a day after Hariri arrived in Lebanon to attend a rally marking the 11th anniversary of the assassination of his father, former premier Rafik Hariri. Remarks voiced by Hariri during the rally have stirred a wave of angry comments by LF officials and supporters, which prompted al-Mustaqbal to issue a clarifying statement. In his BIEL speech, Hariri said that his recent nomination of Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency has pushed the LF to reach “a historic reconciliation” with the Free Patriotic Movement, its long-time Christian rival. “We were the first to call for and welcome this reconciliation and if it only happened long ago, it would've spared Christians and Lebanon a lot of problems,” he added, addressing Geagea. Mustaqbal denied Monday that Hariri meant to hold Geagea responsible for the delay in the Christian reconciliation. “Geagea will remain the friend of a long patriotic path embodied in the Independence Revolution of March 14,” it said. Despite the differences with Hariri over the presidential deadlock, Geagea and his wife MP Sethrida attended the rally on Sunday. Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of successor and Hariri launched late in 2015 a controversial proposal to nominate Franjieh for the presidency. Geagea, Hariri's ally in the March 14 camp, was a presidential candidate at the time and some observers have said that the LF leader has recently nominated FPM founder MP Michel Aoun for the presidency as a “reaction” to Hariri's proposal, a claim Geagea has denied.

Hariri Meets Salam, Top Officials: My Stay in Lebanon Will Be Longer this Time around
Naharnet/February 15/16/Head of the Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri held talks on Monday with several officials on the second day of his return to Lebanon after nearly a yearlong absence. He met at the Grand Serail with Prime Minister Tammam Salam, telling reporters that “this time around my stay in the country will be longer than the last.”“My speech on Sunday was not directed against Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and we extend our hand to all sides,” he added. “We cannot continue with the obstruction tactics as the constitution forbids it,” he stressed. “The delay in electing a president is not justified, but some sides want the vacuum,” he added. “I emphasized to Salam the need to continue with the revitalization of government work in light of the presidential vacuum,” Hariri said. He then headed to the Saifi area in Beirut to hold talks with Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel. “We are living in a democratic country and we should all head to parliament and elect a president,” he declared from Saifi. “We made a commitment to MP Suleiman Franjieh and we must play the democratic game,” he stressed.
“We will be the first to congratulate MP Michel Aoun if he is elected president, but they should head to parliament to hold the polls,” he stated. On his ties with Gemayel and Geagea, Hariri told reporters: “I believe in the March 14 alliance and I know that Geagea believes in it too.” “We acknowledge that we have differences, but we will remain united over greater issues,” he remarked. “We have different opinions, but no one should attempt to question our ties,” he emphasized. For his part, Gemayel said: “Lebanon can only rise with moderation, which is reflected in the Mustaqbal Movement, and committing to the constitution and democracy.”“Moderation is key given the extremism we are witnessing in the region,” he explained.“The Mustaqbal Movement practiced the game of democracy even after it was no longer in a position of power. Winning and losing is part of this game,” he said. “Those who want to guarantee the results of the polls ahead of the actual elections are no longer practicing democracy. This is dictatorship,” he declared in an indirect reference to the March 8 alliance. Practicing democracy, respecting the constitution, and accepting electoral results are more important than the candidates themselves. “We cannot handover the country to people who do not practice democracy or respect the constitution,” he continued. Hizbullah, Aoun's key ally in the March 8 camp, declared two weeks ago that it would not head to the presidential elections without guarantees that its candidate, Aoun, will be elected head of state.
This announcement has incurred the criticism of the March 14 alliance and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat. Earlier, Hariri had held talks at the Center House with Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri, who highlighted the role slain former Premier Rafik Hariri played in bolstering coexistence and civil peace in Lebanon. His son is following in his footsteps and is reflecting his keenness on preserving the Lebanese state and its institutions, said the ambassador according to a statement issued by the lawmaker's press office. He hoped that the speech Saad Hariri made on Sunday would serve as “a first step towards holding dialogue and frank talks that would lead to desired solutions.” Hariri then held talks with U.S. Charge d'Affaires Richard Jones, who said that the MP's speech on Sunday delivered a message that said that “it is time to elect a president.”Lebanon has been suffering from a vacuum in the presidency since the term of President Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 without the election of successor. The U.S. has long sought to end the vacuum, stressed Jones. Asked if he believes that the elections will be held soon, he replied that this is up to the various political forces. Hariri also met with French Ambassador Emmanuel Bonne and later March 14 General Secretariat coordinator Fares Soaid and received telephone calls congratulating him on his return to Lebanon from Suleiman, Telecommunications Minister Butros Harb, former MP Michel al-Murr, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji. General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim, and Mount Lebanon Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Ali al-Jouzo. The MP had returned to Lebanon on Sunday to mark the commemoration of the eleventh anniversary of the assassination of his father. Rafik Hariri was killed in a major car bombing in Beirut on February 14, 2005. Saad Hariri stressed Sunday that the Mustaqbal Movement “does not fear” the election as president of any candidate who abides by the Taef Accord, noting that his latest proposal to nominate MP Suleiman Franjieh has stirred “the stagnant political waters” and led to a “historic reconciliation between the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement.”He pointed out that his step has “reshuffled the cards” and “forced everyone to consider ending the presidential vacuum.”He had last been in Lebanon to mark the tenth anniversary of his father's assassination. Prior to that, he had returned to Beirut in August 2014 to announce a Saudi grant to the army. He initially left Lebanon in 2011 over alleged security fears. 

Mustaqbal Says Geagea is Friend of Long Patriotic Path
Naharnet/February 15/16/Al-Mustaqbal denied on Monday that the movement's leader ex-PM Saad Hariri held the Lebanese Forces responsible for the delay in the reconciliation between Christian parties. Al-Mustaqbal “respects” LF chief Samir Geagea, the movement said in a statement. “Geagea will remain the friend of a long patriotic path embodied in the Independence Revolution of March 14,” it said. “Hariri's address to him (Geagea) at the Feb. 14 ceremony did not intend to hold the LF responsible for the delay in the Christian reconciliation,” said al-Mustaqbal, adding the former premier only expressed hope that the rapprochement had happened years ago. Hariri said in a speech on the 11th anniversary of former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination that his nomination of Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency has led the LF to reach “a historical reconciliation” with the Free Patriotic Movement. “We were the first to call for and welcome this reconciliation and if it only happened long ago, it would've spared Christians and Lebanon a lot of problems,” he added. Geagea endorsed FPM founder Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun last month after withdrawing from the presidential race. Hariri's support for Franjieh and Geagea's endorsement of Aoun created tension between the two March 14 officials.

Reports: Hizbullah Radars Can Track Israeli Fighter Jets
Naharnet/February 15/16/Hizbullah is using sophisticated radars to track Israeli fighter jets on reconnaissance flights over Lebanon, Israeli media, including the Hebrew Walla website, have reported. The new technology can identify all Israeli planes, according to sources within Israel's security establishment. By locking on to the jets as targets Hizbullah can then fire missiles at them, they said. In such an event, Israeli pilots can change the route of their jets, especially when they are simply on intelligence gathering missions, the reports added. According to the Israeli media, Hizbullah has acquired the radar technology since Russia's entry into the Syrian civil war. Syrian troops backed by Hizbullah have been advancing under cover of intense Russian airstrikes with the aim of besieging rebel-held parts of Aleppo, Syria's largest city, and cutting off their supply route to Turkey. "The connection between Hizbullah, Russia and Syria have greatly changed the rules of the game in the region," a security official was quoted as saying by Walla. "Hizbullah is indicating to Israel that it is ready for the next stage," the official added.

Sources: Nasrallah to Change Speech after BIEL Ceremony
Naharnet/February 15/16/Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is expected to introduce changes to his address during a ceremony that will be held in honor of the party's “martyred leaders” on Tuesday. Informed political sources said a speech that al-Mustaqbal Movement chief Saad Hariri gave in BIEL on Sunday will change the content of Nasrallah's address. The sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper published Monday that Nasrallah had been lately avoiding to give details on the stalled presidential elections. But Hariri said in his speech on the 11th anniversary of the assassination of his father ex-PM Rafik Hariri that his priority is the election of a new president to end the 21-month deadlock. He also implicitly voiced support for Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh for the country's top post. Hariri lashed out at Hizbullah, without naming it, over its involvement in Syria's war. Nasrallah, in his televised speech, is expected to snap back at Hariri and warn against the dangers of a Saudi-Turkish involvement in northern Syria. Turkey and Saudi Arabia -- leading supporters of the rebels battling to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad – have said they were open to sending ground troops into Syria to battle the Islamic State group. Turkey's foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, also said Saturday that Saudi Arabia is "ready to send both jets and troops" to Turkey's Incirlik air base.

 Lebanon says EU refugee aid needed now, not in a year
The Associated Press, Cyprus Monday, 15 February 2016/Lebanon’s defense minister is urging the European Union to speed up assistance for the huge number of refugees from war-ravaged Syria that his country is now harboring. Samir Moqbel says he has appealed to Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades to convey the message to other EU member states to speed up assistance because “we need the help now and not in one year.” Moqbel said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart Monday that Lebanon cannot provide for the refugees’ basic needs like medical care, education, electricity and food without help. Lebanon is home to more than 1 million refugees fleeing Syria’s civil war. Moqbel also asked that the EU hasten aid to Lebanon’s armed forces in order to help them fight “terrorists all around our border.”

U.N. peace envoy to meet Syrian foreign minister: Govt official
Reuters Monday, 15 February 2016/U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura will hold talks with Syria’s foreign minister on Tuesday during a surprise visit to Damascus, a Syrian government official told Reuters. The official said the talks were a follow-up to the Munich meeting in which world powers agreed to a cessation of hostilities that would let humanitarian aid be delivered in Syria. The talks will include discussion of the resumption of peace talks set for Geneva on Feb. 25, including “procedural issues”, the official said on condition of anonymity. 

Syria accuses U.S over attacks on MSF hospital that Washington condemns
Staff writer | Al Arabiya English Monday, 15 February 2016/The Syrian ambassador in Moscow said Monday in an interview with Rossiya 24 television that U.S. planes were behind air strikes on a hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders in Syria, which Washington also condemned and blamed Damascus and its allies as culprits. “It was destroyed by the American Air Force. The Russian Air Force has nothing to do it with,” said Ambassador Riad Haddad. Haddad said Damascus hoped peace talks would resume on Feb. 25 but that Turkey was interfering in the country to support Islamic State militants. Meanwhile, the State Department said “the Assad regime and its supporters would continue these attacks, without cause and without sufficient regard for international obligations to safeguard innocent lives, flies in the face of the unanimous calls by the ISSG, including in Munich, to avoid attacks on civilians and casts doubt on Russia’s willingness and/or ability to help bring to a stop the continued brutality of the Assad regime against its own people.” Missiles hit a hospital in the town of Marat Numan in Idlib province, in north western Syria, said the French president of the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) charity, which was supporting the hospital. “There were at least seven deaths among the personnel and the patients, and at least eight MSF personnel have disappeared, and we don’t know if they are alive,” Mego Terzian told Reuters on Monday. “The author of the strike is clearly ... either the government or Russia,” he said, adding that it was not the first time MSF facilities in Syria had been attacked. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks violence across the country, said one male nurse was killed and five female nurses, a doctor and one male nurse are believed to be under the rubble in the MSF hospital. Also in Marat Numan, another strike hit the National Hospital on the north edge of town, killing two nurses, the Observatory said. While Haddad accused the U.S., residents in two towns where hospitals were attacked blamed Russian strikes, saying the planes deployed were more numerous and the munitions more powerful than the Syrian military typically used. Rescue workers and rights groups say Russian bombing has killed scores of civilians at market places, hospitals, schools and residential areas in Syria. Western countries also say Russia has been attacking mostly Western-backed insurgent groups. But Moscow has said it is targeting “terrorist groups” and dismissed any suggestion it has killed civilians since beginning its air campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in September. Meanwhile, 14 people were killed in the town of Azaz near the Turkish border when missiles slammed into a school sheltering families fleeing the offensive and the children’s hospital, two residents and a medic said. Bombs also hit another refugee shelter south of the town and a convoy of trucks, another resident said. “We have been moving scores of screaming children from the hospital,” said medic Juma Rahal. At least two children were killed and scores of people injured, he said. Activists posted video online purporting to show the damaged hospital. Three crying babies lay in incubators in a ward littered with broken medical equipment. Reuters could not independently verify the video. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday also voiced alarm at reports of deadly attacks on Syrian schools and hospitals, including the MSF medical center, a U.N. spokesman said. “The secretary-general is deeply concerned by reports of missile attacks on at least five medical facilities and two schools in Aleppo and in Idlib, which killed close to 50 civilians, including children, and injuring many,” said U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq. (With Reuters) 

Kurdish-backed forces edge closer to Turkish border
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Monday, 15 February 2016/The Kurdish-backed Syria Democratic Forces have taken control of around 70 percent of Tal Rifaat, a town between Aleppo city and Azaz near the Turkish border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights conflict monitor said on Monday. A major offensive against Syrian rebels, supported by Russian bombing and Iranian-backed forces, has brought the Syrian army to within 25 km (15 miles) of Turkey's border and Kurdish-backed forces have exploited the situation, seizing ground from Syrian rebels to extend its presence along the frontier. As Moscow blasts Ankara’s “provocative” shelling of Kurds in Syria, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Monday that Turkey will not allow the Syrian town of Azaz just across from the Turkish border fall under the control of Syrian Kurdish fighters. “We will not let Azaz fall. The YPG (the People’s Protection Units, a Syrian Kurdish militia) will not be able to cross to the west of the Euphrates (River) and east of Afrin,” Davutoglu was quoted as saying by the private NTV television on his plane en route to an official visit to Ukraine. Davutoglu later Monday also accused Russia of acting as a “terrorist organization” in Syria and vowed to deliver a robust response. “If Russia continues behaving like a terrorist organization and forcing civilians to flee, we will deliver an extremely decisive response,” Davutoglu said through an official translator during a visit to Kiev. “Unfortunately, barbaric attacks on civilians are continuing in Syria and these attacks are being waged by both Russia and terrorist groups,” Davutoglu said. “Russia and other terrorist organizations -- first and foremost, the Islamist State in Syria -- are responsible for numerous crimes against humanity,” he added. In the same day, Russia described Turkey’s shelling of Kurdish and Syrian regime positions in the north of the country was a “provocative” action. “Moscow expresses its most serious concern about aggressive actions by Turkish authorities,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. It said Ankara was pursuing a “provocative line” that “is creating a threat to peace and security in the Middle East and beyond.” On Monday, seven Russian missiles struck a hospital in the northern Syrian town of Azaz, a Turkish security official said, adding the civilian death toll to rise above 14. Independent Doctors Association, a Syrian non-government organization that runs a hospital in Bab al Salama near the Turkish border, said at least 30 people were wounded in the attacks.
Russia accuses Turkey
Russia also accused Turkey on Monday of assisting “fresh jihadi groups and armed mercenaries” to penetrate Syria illegally to replenish the battle-battered detachments of ISIS and other terrorist organizations. “Moscow expresses its most serious concern about the aggressive actions by the Turkish authorities regarding the neighboring state,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
U.S. urges for calm
The United States on Monday urged Turkey and Russia to avoid any further escalation after the two traded verbal blows over their respective military actions in war-torn Syria. “It is important that the Russians and Turks speak directly, and take measures to prevent escalation,” a State Department spokesperson told AFP.
Turkey denies sending troops
The Turkish government denied claims that it had sent troops into northern Syria, where the regime backed by the Russian air force has launched a major campaign, state-run Anatolia news agency said on Monday, quoting the defence minister. “It is not true,” Ismet Yilmaz told parliament on Sunday night when asked whether Turkish soldiers had intervened in the fighting in the Syrian province of Aleppo. “The Turkish military has no intention of intervening in Syria.”The Syrian government claimed that on Saturday 12 pick-up trucks equipped with heavy machine guns and ammunition had crossed into Syria from Turkey via the Bab al-Salama border crossing. They “were accompanied by around 100 gunmen, some of them Turkish forces and Turkish mercenaries,” Syrian state news agency SANA quoted the foreign ministry as saying. Turkish artillery struck at targets of Kurdish militia at the weekend, with Ankara insisting that it was returning fire under the rules of engagement.The regime in Damascus has condemned Ankara over the shelling while urging the United Nations to act.
Turkish soldier killed
A Turkish soldier was killed near the Syrian border in a clash with a group of people who attempted to illegally cross into Turkey, the army said on Monday. The incident took place on Sunday near the border town of Yayladagi across from the northwestern Latakia region of Syria, the army said in a statement. Turkish forces at a border post intervened against the group’s attempt to illegally enter Turkey and “our hero comrade fell martyr at the scene,” the army said, without elaborating on the circumstances of the incident or the identity of the individuals. Turkey shares a 911-kilometre (566-mile) border with Syria and is under pressure from its Western allies to stem the flow of ISIS group militants. (With AFP and Reuters) 

Damascus hopes Syria peace talks to resume on Feb. 25
By Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Monday, 15 February 2016/The Syrian ambassador in Moscow Riad Haddad told Rossiya 24 television on Monday that Damascus hoped peace talks would resume on Feb.25 but Turkey was interfering in the country to support ISIS militants. Haddad made the statement after Russian-backed Syrian forces made advances against the country’s rebels. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have most recently used Russian air support to move ever closer to the rebel stronghold of Aleppo in northern Syria near the Turkish border. This has led to heighted tensions between Turkey and Russia. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday, meanwhile, further slammed the Syrian peace talks that were halted after only a few days this month in Geneva as “diplomatic theater” for which “the international community will ultimately bear responsibility.” A top Syrian opposition figure also criticized Russia on Sunday for continuing with its bombing in Syria, insisting that people in the country need to see action rather than words. The head of the Saudi-backed Syrian opposition’s High Negotiations Committee, former Prime Minister Riad Hijab, also stopped short of declaring a clear commitment to implement a planned temporary truce. “You ask me if I accept a ceasefire or a cessation of hostilities. I ask you: Why is the onus on the opposition and whether it has preconditions for negotiations?” Hijab said. “I would like to see a single day of a cessation of hostilities in order to give a chance for real political movement.”Diplomats from a group of countries that have interests in Syria’s five-year civil war, including the U.S., Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran, agreed on Friday to seek a temporary “cessation of hostilities” within a week. They also agreed to “accelerate and expand” deliveries of humanitarian aid to besieged Syrian communities beginning this week. (With Reuters and AP) 

Egypt says Italian student was not arrested before his death
The Associated Press, Cairo Monday, 15 February 2016/Egypt on Monday denied reports that an Italian doctoral student doing research in Cairo was arrested shortly before his death and said an investigation into Giulio Regeni’s killing is continuing with full Italian collaboration. The outcome of the ongoing investigation would be made public once there is “solid information,” according to a statement by the Interior Ministry, which oversees the police and security agencies. “The expanded investigating team tasked with uncovering the circumstances of the killing of the young Italian man continues its work round the clock, in full collaboration with the Italian side,” the ministry said. However, Italy’s foreign minister, Paolo Gentiloni, said Monday that Rome would evaluate the progress of Italian investigators in Cairo to verify that they have received the full cooperation Italy expects of its partner. “It is clear that we will not be satisfied with easy reconstructions and convenient truths,” he said. “It is also clear that the passage of time will not diminish our commitment to this question.” Regeni, 28, was living in Cairo to research Egyptian labor movements for his doctorate from Britain’s Cambridge University. His body was found on the side of a road west of Cairo on Feb. 3, nine days after he disappeared. His funeral was held on Friday in his hometown of Fiumicello in northeastern Italy. At the time, Italian state TV said Italian investigators have spoken to a witness who told them that two alleged plainclothes policemen stopped Regeni and escorted him away as he walked from his Cairo apartment to the subway station. Egyptian authorities initially blamed Regeni’s death on a road accident. A second autopsy, done in Italy, determined that he suffered a fatal fracture of a cervical vertebra, either from a strong blow to the neck or from forced twisting of the neck. There were multiple fractures in his hands, feet and elsewhere, and his face was heavily bruised, the autopsy found. Regeni disappeared on Jan. 25, the day Egypt marks the anniversary of the start of the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak. This year, Egyptian police and security agents were out in force on Cairo’s streets, determined to quash any protests marking the occasion. Egypt’s handling of the Regeni’s death partially mirrors its protracted probe and handling of the Oct. 31 crash of a Russian airliner over the Sinai Peninsula in which all 224 on board were killed. More than three months after the tragedy, Egypt is still investigating that incident and has only said that it’s premature to determine with any certainty the cause of the crash before a multinational investigation completes its work and publishes its findings.
Egypt’s Islamic State affiliate claimed responsibility for the downing of the Russian aircraft, saying it had placed a bomb aboard the plane inside a soda can. The head of Russia’s FSB security service, Alexander Bortnikov, said on Nov. 17 that the plane was brought down by a homemade bomb placed on board in a “terrorist” act. The plane crashed shortly taking off from Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. Imadeldeen Hussein, editor of the influential independent daily al-Shororuk, wrote Monday that if Egyptian security agents were behind Regeni’s killing - an assumption he labeled as “disastrous” - the government would be best served if it acts transparently and announces it rather than emulate its handling of the Russian plane’s tragedy. “If we have information, it is best if we announce it, no matter how painful it is, so we don’t pay double the price in the future,” he wrote. “Regardless of what happened, we must tell the truth and quickly announce it. Postponing or delaying that is a weapon against us.” Egypt and Italy have grown close in the past two years, with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi forging a friendship. The two countries are bound by close economic ties and have been coordinating efforts on how to handle the rise of Islamic militancy in Libya, Egypt’s neighbor and Italy’s former colony. But Regeni’s death may have injected a sour note in the relationship. “I again express condolences to Giulio’s family and I say that which we have told the Egyptians: ‘Friendship is a precious thing and it is possible only in truth,’“ Renzi said on Italy’s state radio on Friday. 

U.S. Urges Russia, Turkey to Avoid 'Escalation' over Syria
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 15/16/The United States on Monday urged Turkey and Russia to avoid any further escalation after the two traded verbal blows over their respective military actions in war-torn Syria. "It is important that the Russians and Turks speak directly, and take measures to prevent escalation," a State Department spokesperson told AFP. 

Mustard Gas 'Used in Iraq Attacks in August'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 15/16/Mustard gas was used in two attacks in Iraq near the Kurdish capital of Arbil in August last year, sources close to the world's chemical watchdog said on Monday. "The results of some sampling have confirmed the use of mustard gas," sources said, referring to an investigation by the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The revelation comes days after U.S. officials said that IS jihadist fighters had the capability to make small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas and had used it in war-torn Syria and Iraq. Iraqi Kurdish authorities last year said two attacks were carried out by Islamic State group fighters on August 11 on the towns of Gweyr and Makhmur southwest of Arbil, during which around 50 mortar rounds were launched. The peshmerga ministry said "37 of the rounds released a white dust and black liquid when they exploded. Thirty-five peshmerga fighters were exposed and some were taken for treatment". "The results of the tests on blood samples... reveal traces of mustard gas," the ministry said at the time. OPCW spokesman Malik Ellahi confirmed the watchdog had sent a team of experts to help Iraq in its investigation into possible chemical weapons. "The team completed its mission and the OPCW has shared the results of its technical work with the government of Iraq," Ellahi said in a statement. "The complete findings and conclusions can be expected to be issued by the government of Iraq together with the OPCW inputs," he said, declining to give further details. Mustard gas has also been dubbed Yperite because it was first used near the Belgian city of Ypres in July 1917 by the German army. An oily yellow almost liquid-like substance that smells like garlic or mustard, the gas causes the skin to break out in painful blisters, irritates eyes and causes eyelids to swell up, temporarily blinding its victims. Classified as a Category 1 substance, which means it's seldom used outside of chemical warfare, mustard gas was banned by the U.N. in 1993. IS fighters launched a lightning offensive in Iraq in 2014, allowing it to take control of swathes of territory north of Baghdad and in the Kurdistan region. 

Israel Probes Video of Police Pushing over Palestinian in Wheelchair
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 15/16/Israel said Monday it was examining an online video showing a border policeman push over a Palestinian in a wheelchair as tensions rose following an attempted stabbing in the West Bank. The video, filmed by a local activist, has stirred Palestinian anger. The video was said to have been taken on Sunday after a 20-year-old Palestinian woman was shot while trying to stab an Israeli policeman in the flashpoint city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Palestinians in the area attempted to approach the woman, who was left in critical condition, as Israeli border police tried to keep them back.  An officer is seen pushing the man in the wheelchair, which then tips over backwards. Some Palestinians then move forward toward the man in the wheelchair while another officer points his weapon at one of them, kicks him and orders him back, before firing a stun grenade. The man was not seriously hurt in the scuffle. One Palestinian online condemned "the savagery and cowardice of the occupation."A spokeswoman for the Israeli justice ministry said "the case is under investigation" by its police investigations department, declining to provide further details. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the incident occurred "a few minutes after a terrorist attack had taken place by a woman terrorist adjacent to that area.""A crowd gathered and attempted to get into the area where the attack had taken place," he said. "Border police dispersed the crowd and used non-lethal means. The man in the wheelchair was part of that crowd that had gathered." Tensions have been high since a wave of Palestinian gun, knife and car-ramming attacks erupted at the start of October. The violence has claimed the lives of 26 Israelis, as well as an American, a Sudanese and an Eritrean, according to an AFP count. At the same time, 172 Palestinians have been killed, most while carrying out attacks but others during clashes and demonstrations. 

Turkey Air Force in Joint Exercises with Saudi Arabia
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 15/16/Turkey's air force on Monday began five days of air defense exercises with Saudi Arabia, the Turkish military said, as the two countries forge an increasingly tight alliance on Syria. Six Saudi F-15 fighter jets will take part in the air defense training in the central Turkish region of Konya, the military said in a statement. The exercises are within the framework of cooperation and military training between the two countries and had been scheduled in advance, it added. They will last until Friday. But the start of the exercises comes just two days after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that Saudi jets would be based at Turkey's air base of Incirlik in Adana province to fight Islamic State (IS) militants. He also said that Turkey and Saudi could even launch a ground operation in Syria against IS, while emphasizing no decision had been taken. Saudi Arabia and Turkey both see the ousting of Syrian President Bashar Assad as essential for ending Syria's five-year civil war and are bitterly critical of Iran and Russia's support of the Syrian regime. The two overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim powers have in recent months moved to considerably tighten relations that had been damaged by Riyadh's role in the 2013 ousting of Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi, a close ally of Ankara. Turkey and Saudi back rebels who are seeking to oust Assad and both fear the West is losing its appetite to topple Assad on the assumption he is "the lesser of two evils" compared to the IS jihadists. 

Bahrain Arrests Foreign Journalists, Likely American
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 15/16/Bahraini authorities have arrested four foreigners, including journalists, during protests marking the fifth anniversary of a Shiite-led uprising in the kingdom, police said on Monday. The four are believed to be American. "We are aware of reports that U.S. citizens have been arrested (in Bahrain). We have no comment due to privacy considerations," a State Department spokesperson told AFP. ‎ A police statement published by the official Bahrain News Agency did not specify the identities or nationalities of those arrested, or who they work for. They were arrested in the Shiite town of Sitra on Sunday during clashes between security forces and protesters, the statement said. "One of them was masked and taking part with a group of saboteurs in Sitra in acts of rioting and sabotage and attacks on security officials. "The other three were arrested at a security checkpoint in the same area."The four entered Bahrain between February 11 and 12 and "provided false information to concerned authorities," claiming to be tourists, police said. However, "some of those arrested had carried out journalistic activities without permission from concerned authorities, in addition to carrying out illegal acts." Their case has been referred to the public prosecution. Home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, Bahrain was rocked by an Arab Spring-inspired uprising demanding reforms and a constitutional monarchy on February 14, 2011. Authorities crushed the protest movement one month later. But demonstrators still take to streets and clash with police in Shiite towns surrounding Manama. 

Cameron Brings EU Arguments to France's Hollande
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 15/16/Prime Minister David Cameron will meet French President Francois Hollande on Monday to discuss Britain's EU renegotiation ahead of a crunch summit this week, Downing Street said. The European Union is trying to broker a series of reforms to Britain's relationship with the bloc ahead of a looming "in-out" referendum that could be held as early as June this year. The talks will take place in Paris at 1800 GMT. British officials hope a deal can be nailed down at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.In London, Cameron's spokeswoman said: "We have made progress (on renegotiation) but there's details to be pinned down. "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed," she added. A deal could pave the way for a referendum on whether Britain should leave the 28-member EU or stay in. But some of Cameron's demands are proving problematic to his European partners. Analysts say France -- which with Germany is considered the EU's engine -- is likely to want to see changes in what is being proposed over economic governance. Cameron had wanted the European Union to recognize a series of principles including that countries outside the eurozone like Britain should not face discrimination or disadvantage. The British prime minister also spoke to European Union chief Donald Tusk on Monday. Tusk was first in the queue in Paris -- he met Hollande in the French capital before Cameron arrived.Asked if he thought a deal could be pushed through this week, Tusk said in Paris: "I hope so."
'Significant reforms'
Cameron's spokeswoman said Britain was seeking "significant and far-reaching reforms. "There are still details to be pinned down and what matters is that we get the substance right," she added. The ramifications of a British exit from the EU were underlined on Monday when the head of HSBC hinted that the global lender could shift its operations to Paris if Britain votes to leave the bloc. "We are lucky in the sense that we have a major bank in France," Douglas Flint told BBC radio. "So, if we were to leave and if there were to be restrictions, ultimately on the renegotiation of Britain's position, we have the ability to move activity and people between London and Paris," he said. If Britain becomes the first country to leave the EU, it would further exacerbate a series of problems so perilous that Tusk warned recently that the situation felt like "the day before World War I."  The EU is already facing questions about its future as it struggles with its biggest migration crisis in 70 years, and there are fresh fears about the health of the euro currency.British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond warned Sunday that the EU will "lurch very much in the wrong direction" if Britain votes to leave.  Hammond also predicted that negotiations at this week's summit "would go to the wire." 

Turkey Renews Syria Shelling as Air Raids Hit MSF Hospital
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 15/16/Turkey shelled Kurdish fighters in Syria for a third day Monday and a suspected Russian air strike on a hospital left several dead, as violence shook the country ahead of a hoped-for ceasefire. Ankara and Moscow also traded accusations over their respective roles in Syria, escalating a war of words that has dampened hopes that a proposed cessation of hostilities will take hold this week. The cross-border Turkish artillery fire, which began on Saturday, comes amid deep concern in Ankara over advances by Kurdish-led forces in Syria's Aleppo province. Turkey accuses the Kurdish forces of links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), an outlawed movement that waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state. Following similar fire on Saturday and Sunday, Turkish shelling again hit several parts of Aleppo province on Monday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group. An AFP journalist on the Turkish border said Turkish howitzers opened fire on Monday afternoon for around 20 minutes from the Akcabaglar region near a border crossing with Syria. The Observatory said the shelling hit areas including a road west of the town of Tal Rifaat, where the coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has launched an assault. The town, only 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Turkish border, is held by an alliance of mostly Islamist rebels and one of their few remaining bastions in the area. The shelling killed at least two children in the area on Monday, the Observatory said.
The SDF was advancing despite the shelling, it said, and there was heavy fighting inside the western limits of Tal Rifaat. The SDF has already seized the nearby Minnigh airbase from rebel forces, and severed the road between Tal Rifaat and the key rebel-held town of Azaz on the border with Turkey. Turkey fears the Kurds will be able to create a contiguous Kurdish territory just across the border in northern Syria. Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned Monday that Ankara "will not let Azaz fall" to the SDF, adding "the necessary intervention will be made". The situation is a major headache for Washington, which has backed the Kurds in their battles against the Islamic State group despite the discomfort of fellow NATO member Turkey. In recent days, Washington warned the Kurds not to "take advantage" of the situation in Aleppo to seize new territory.
Turkey is also a key member of the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS in Syria, and is allowing coalition planes to fly sorties from its Incerlik base. Ankara's shelling has prompted criticism from Damascus, which has urged the U.N. Security Council to take action. Turkey on Monday also denied claims it had sent troops into northern Syria and rejected reports it was planning a ground intervention. In northwestern Idlib province meanwhile, suspected Russian strikes hit an MSF-supported hospital, the Observatory said. MSF confirmed the hospital's destruction, without saying who was behind it, and reported at least seven people had been killed, with another eight staff members missing, presumed dead. It said the dead were five patients, a caretaker and a guard, and added that an unknown number of patients were also missing. Russia began strikes in support of ally President Bashar Assad in September. It says the strikes target the Islamic State group and other "terrorists," but rights groups accuse it of killing a disproportionate number of civilians. AFP photos of the hospital showed it had partially collapsed in the attack. The surrounding area was strewn with twisted metal, cinderblocks and detritus from the damaged building. "The destruction of the hospital leaves the local population of around 40,000 people without access to medical services in an active zone of conflict," said MSF Syria operations chief Massimiliano Rebaudengo. The Observatory also reported 10 civilians, including three children, were killed in suspected Russian strikes in Azaz and an area nearby. The strikes in Azaz hit by a hospital, the monitor said. The Russian strikes have allowed government troops to press a major operation in Aleppo that has virtually encircled rebels in the east of Aleppo city, as well as pushing them from much of the region north of the city. They have angered Turkey, with Davutoglu on Monday issuing Russia a stark warning. "If Russia continues behaving like a terrorist organization and forcing civilians to flee, we will deliver an extremely decisive response," he said. His comments escalated a war of words with Moscow, which earlier criticized Turkey's shelling in Syria as "provocative" and said it backed raising the issue at the U.N. Security Council. More than 260,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011.

Canada reaffirms commitment to human rights
February 15, 2016 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today took concrete steps to reaffirm Canada’s commitment to human rights at a meeting with Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. It is the first visit of a UN high commissioner for human rights since 2006.
Minister Dion took this opportunity to assert the Government of Canada’s commitment to support the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) through a contribution of $15 million over the next three years in new core funding. The commitment represents a significant increase in funding by the Government of Canada and will help the OHCHR to deliver on its mandate to help populations whose human rights are at risk of being violated or abused. Furthermore, as a priority for the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau‎, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, development projects funded by Canada will also ensure the promotion and protection of the human rights of populations in need.
Together with the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Minister Dion also affirmed that the Government of Canada opposes the use of the death penalty in all cases, everywhere, ending the selective approach followed since 2007. As of today, the government will undertake clemency intervention in all cases of Canadians facing execution. This change in policy is rooted in the Government of Canada’s opposition to the death penalty as well as its commitment to providing the highest standard of consular assistance. In short, Canadian officials will now seek to determine how and when to undertake clemency intervention, and not whether clemency intervention should be undertaken.
Minister Dion and High Commissioner Al Hussein also discussed approaches and strategies aimed at strengthening the international human rights system, a priority for the Prime Minister and a central pillar of the mandate across Global Affairs Canada. They exchanged views on how Canada can work with the United Nations and with other countries to encourage respect for human rights, diversity, inclusive and accountable governance and peaceful pluralism.
Minister Dion will also travel to Geneva, Switzerland, on February 29, 2016, to address the High-Level Segment of the 31st Session of the Human Rights Council.
Quotes
“Canada is fully committed to supporting the United Nations human rights system and harnessing its great potential. Simply put, we cannot have the peace, stability and prosperity we seek if human rights are not respected. There is still much to be improved in the field of human rights—at home and abroad—and Canada will be there in a meaningful way to promote positive change.
“If the Government of Canada does not ask for clemency for every Canadian facing the death penalty, how can we be credible when we ask for clemency in selective cases or countries? We must end this incoherent double standard. Canada opposes the death penalty and will ask for clemency in each and every case, no exceptions.”
- Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Quick facts
In 1993, at the World Conference on Human Rights, in Vienna, Austria, the nations of the world came together to affirm the equal importance of all human rights, declaring them to be universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated, and to find more effective ways of working together to put the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into practice.
As the principal United Nations office mandated to promote and protect human rights for all, the OHCHR speaks out objectively in the face of human rights violations worldwide. It provides assistance to governments and civil society organizations to help implement international human rights standards on the ground and helps individuals to realize their rights.
The United Nations Human Rights Council is the most important global platform for debate and discussion—and plays an important role in promoting cooperation—to ensure respect for human rights. Its objective is to help UN member states meet their human rights obligations through dialogue, capacity building and technical assistance.
Canada works to promote and protect human rights at the United Nations, the International Organisation of La Francophonie, the Organization of American States and in the Commonwealth, among other organizations.
More recently, Canadians facing the death penalty abroad were required to formally apply for and receive Governor in Council approval before the Government of Canada could undertake any form of clemency intervention. Clemency intervention is defined as any diplomatic effort, at any stage of the process after an individual is detained, aimed at avoiding imposition of the death penalty or the sentence being carried out.
Associated links
Human rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
How Canada works with the United Nations
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Contacts
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Israeli Defense Minister Says Ready to Work With Arab Countries on Syria Strategy
algemeiner/February 14, 2016/Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said Israel was ready for the possibility of developing a joint strategy with Arab countries to address the situation in Syria, Israel Radio reported on Sunday. Addressing a security conference in Munich, where the defense minister also met on the sidelines with Jordanian King Abdullah II for the first time publicly in over a year, Ya’alon said Israel’s official position in Syria was non-involvement, other than for humanitarian reasons. Still, Israel would respond if its sovereignty was threatened, he said. Israel has previously asserted that its red line in Syria includes weapons transfers to Hezbollah, and Israel has reportedly carried out several air strikes in Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011. Speaking in English, Ya’alon also noted joint interests with countries in the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, but said open relations with these countries was not possible. Responding to Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, who asked the defense minister how Israel planned to forge open relations with Arab countries while the conflict with the Palestinians continues, Ya’alon said it was the Palestinians who rejected recent attempts to restart the peace process, and added that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was disconnected from the larger conflicts in the Middle East.

Russian PM Threatens Third World War
MEMRI/February 15/16/In recent days, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Russian media outlets warned that, if Turkey and/or Arab states send ground troops into Syria, the conflict may escalate into a regional war or even a new world war.
In a February 11, 2016 interview with the German paper Handelsblatt, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned that if Arab countries sent ground forces into Syria, this could spark a new world war.[1] According to an English report about the interview published on February 12, he said that “all ground operations, as a rule, lead to permanent wars," and added: "The Americans must consider – both the U.S. president and our Arab partners – whether or not they want a permanent war... We must make everyone sit down at the negotiating table… rather than start yet another world war.”[2]
The Russian RBC news agency reported that, at the February 13, 2016 Munich Security Conference, Medvedev stated that the world has slid into a new cold war, when it actually needs cooperation, not confrontation and a "third world shake-up."[3]
The Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda quoted military expert Mikhail Timoshenko as saying that, if Turkey and Saudi Arabia invaded Syria, "it would not be an easy situation for the Russian aviation group." He explained: "It's one thing to bomb terrorist groups, [but] Moscow could hardly target American or British troops, or the Turkish or Saudi armies. That would effectively mean a third world war." Timoshenko expressed hope that "the U.S. will prevent Turkey from invading, because [U.S.] President Obama hardly wants to be remembered as the leader who started World War III."[4]
In an article on the Russian online paper Gazeta.ru, journalist Igor Kryuchkov quoted Dmitry Danilov, head of the European Security Department at the Europe Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as saying: "If, under the pressure of [Syrian] government troops, Syrian rebels move from the Aleppo area towards the Turkish border, this will require quick decisions from Turkey. First, what to do about the rebels. Support them with [Turkish] army forces? [Second,] if an invasion [is in order, should it be] carried out with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states?..." Kryuchkov concluded that "Turkey has to find the answers to these questions very soon. The situation in the Aleppo area can provoke Turkey to nervous action that can turn the Syrian crisis from a local conflict into a regional war."[5]
[1] Handelsblatt.com, February 11, 2016.
[2] Global.handelsblatt.com, February 12, 2016. It should be mentioned that, according to a Russian transcript of the interview published on the Russian government's official website, Medvedev did not speak of "another world war", but only warned about starting "another war in the world." Government.ru, February 11, 2016.
[3] Rbc.ru, February 13, 2016.
[4] Kp.ru/daily, February 12, 2016.
[5] Gazeta.ru , February 9, 2016.

Palestinians ramp up terror to gunfire. Israel Intelligence still at a loss
DEBKAfile Special Report February 15/16
Sunday, Feb. 14, will go down as a landmark day in the terror campaign the Palestinians have been waging against Israel for five months. It marked the latest, deliberately ramped up phase. After advancing from rocks, stabbings, car rammings and teen attacks, through the stage of loners to gangs of two and three, it moved up this week to shooting and explosive devices. Four Palestinian shooting attacks took place in 12 hours, most using knock-off Carl Gustav submachine guns turned out by illegal foundries in Nablus.
The latest attacks were deliberately planned to maximize casualties amomg Israeli police officers and soldiers. In Jenin it started with an ambush: Two 15-year old boys threw rocks at a group of Israeli reservists, who gave chase. One of the fleeing boys then pulled out a submachine gun, turned round and sprayed the pursuers, who returned the fire, killing the boys.
Using another tactic, at almost the same time, a Palestinian drew a submarine during a search at a checkpoint between the Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa and Bethlehem. Before the Border Guards police manning the checkpoint were harmed, they shot the gunman dead.
That evening, gunfire from the Palestinian village of Jilazon struck buildings at the Jewish community of Beit El near Ramallah. Miraculously, no one was hurt.
This new terror trend played out shortly before midnight Sunday at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. A 20-year old Palestinian approached a group of Border Guards as they were changing shifts, He carried a suspicious looking bag. When ordered to halt for a search, he pulled a Karl Gustav submarine gun out of the bag and started shooting. The police were faster and shot him dead. But during the melee, a second Palestinian positioned unnoticeably 100 meters away opened fire on the police He too was shot dead before causing harm.
He was later discovered to be a Palestinian policeman, a member of the Palestinian Authority’s security apparatus. He was the third Palestinian cop known to have taken part in a terrorist operation.
For the past three weeks, ever since the combined shooting and explosives attack on Jan. 25 in Beit Horon next to Route 443, in which Shlomit Kirgman was murdered, it has been clear that the Palestinians have shifted from loners to teams of two or three terrorists and upgraded their weapons from knives to guns and explosives.
The current stage holds even greater menace because, even though a guiding hand is evident, Israel’s intelligence and security services are still unable to provide an advance alert of imminent attacks.
The IDF chief of staff, Lieut. Gen. Gady Eisenkot, admitted on Jan. 19 that the intelligence networks had not provided a single advance warning of any attack. On Feb. 9, he offered an explanation: “The situation today is very complex with no central direction. Terrorists don’t have to depend on accomplices and don’t need an organizer, a planner or a laboratory for making explosives. All they need to do is snatch a knife from their kitchen.
Five days later, it is obvious that this theory no longer washes. Not every Palestinian can pick up a Karl Gustav in his kitchen. Someone is handing them out with ammo to specific addresses. The recipients are also undergoing some sort of training in their use. In that case, how are the preparations for imminent attacks being missed by the Shin Bet?
The announcement last week of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s choice of Nadav Argaman as the next Shin Bet Director after Yoram Cohen raised some eyebrows among leading lights in intelligence and the defense community, debkafile’s intelligence sources report. This is not because he was not qualified or suitable for the post, or even undeserving of the lavish praise heaped upon him with the announcement, but because some doubted that he possessed the right set of qualities to meet the special needs of this particularly difficult time.
While Argaman, currently the Shin Bet’s Dep. Director, is one of the intelligence community’s top operations experts, he is no “Arabist.” The first director who is not fluent in Arabic, he is not at home in the ins and outs of dealing with Palestinians.
The former Shin Bet Deputy Director, Roni Alsheikh has just those attributes. But he was recently moved out of line by being appointed Police Commissioner. In the view of security insiders, the roles should ideally have been reversed. The right man for the prime task of beating Palestinian terror would have been Alsheikh at the helm of the Shin Bet, with Argaman serving as police chief.

Turkey threatens fragile Syria peace accord
Week in Review/Al-Monitor/February 15/16/Turkish military attacks on US-aligned Syrian Kurdish groups and the possibility of Turkish and Saudi ground troops entering Syria could upend the fragile peace accord worked out by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) last week. The introduction of Turkish and Saudi ground forces would further risk a major escalation in the war and a whole new round of misery for the Syrian people.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Feb. 13 that Saudi Arabia was sending fighter jets to Incirlik Air Base and that both countries would consider potential ground operations in Syria. “This is something that could be desired but there is no plan. Saudi Arabia is sending planes and they said, 'If the necessary time comes for a ground operation, then we could send soldiers,'" Cavusoglu said. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, perhaps in response to a US request, clarified Feb. 14, "The kingdom's readiness to provide special forces to any ground operations in Syria is linked to a decision to have a ground component to this coalition against Daesh [Islamic State] in Syria — this US-led coalition — so the timing is not up to us."
US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has expressed frustration at the disappointing contributions of some of the US regional allies, including Turkey, to the US-led anti-IS coalition. Carter reportedly secured a commitment from Saudi Arabia on Feb. 11 to step up its contributions to the air campaign against IS, in addition to discussions of possible training and ground forces.
This column would support more substantial contributions of Saudi Arabia and Turkey to the air campaign against IS, but Turkish and Saudi intentions in Syria are not so neatly aligned with those of the United States in defeating the terrorist group, which US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper characterized in a Feb. 9 testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as “the pre-eminent terrorist threat because of its self-described caliphate in Syria and Iraq, its branches and emerging branches in other countries, and its increasing ability to direct and inspire attacks against a wide range of targets around the world,”
Turkey’s priority in Syria is not the defeat of IS, however, but rather that of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, the People’s Protection Units (YPG). Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan considers the PYD and YPG to be extensions of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), with which his government is fighting a bloody civil war in southeastern Turkey. The United States does not share Erdogan’s assessment of the PYD and YPG as terrorists and instead considers the Syrian Kurdish forces as among the most effective of the Syrian armed groups battling IS and not connected with al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra; as this column described last week, some of the anti-Assad groups backed by Turkey and Saudi Arabia do have ties with Jabhat al-Nusra.
Metin Gurcan describes how pro-government Turkish media have been hyping a possible military intervention in Syria to prevent Syrian Kurdish forces from moving west of the Euphrates. This is the true intent of Turkey’s threats of intervention in Syria. Turkey has over the past few days been shelling Syrian Kurdish strongholds in northern Syria and demanding the YPG withdraw from the areas it has taken as a result of the intensified fighting around Aleppo.
Gurcan describes the Turkish government public relations campaign as a “surreal journey in trying to persuade the public that Turkey is winning, not losing, in Syria.” Despite the jingoism of the Turkish media hawks, the consequences of a Turkish intervention could best be described as both desperate and potentially catastrophic for Turkey, Syria and the region. Russia has already made clear that it would enforce a no-fly zone, so Turkey could face a confrontation with Russia. Other risks include the consequences of any intervention in Turkey’s own civil war with the PKK; the likelihood of taking on both the Syrian government and Syrian Kurdish forces; and potential clashes with the United States, which, along with Russia, coordinates military operations with the PYD and YPG.
Kadri Gursel explains that despite the bravado of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, the Turkish military may resist sending forces into Syria. Erdogan has implied that a military intervention might be the means to redress the free fall in Turkey’s Syria policy, saying, “We don’t want to repeat the Iraq mistake in Syria,” referring to the Turkish parliament’s rejection of a government authorization to send military forces into Iraq in 2003.
Gursel explained, “Having cornered himself in Syria, Erdogan again wants to use force to break free. And the only force he has at his disposal is the TSK [Turkish Armed Forces], which seems reluctant to be exploited for that purpose. In short, the resistance the TSK puts up to Erdogan is the only mainstay that Turkey presently has to avoid an adventure doomed to drag it into a catastrophe.”
One can only commend the restraint of US diplomats in managing Turkey’s increasingly disruptive approach to Syria policy, although the time may be coming when US policymakers may have to recognize Turkey’s role as an outlier in the efforts to end the war in Syria. Erdogan taunted the United States on Feb. 10, saying Washington was responsible for a “sea of blood” by backing the PYD and asking, “Are you with us or with this terrorist organization?" Erdogan then criticized the visit of Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the anti-IS coalition, with PYD officials in Kobani. "How can we trust you [the United States]? Who is your partner — the terrorists in Kobani or me?” This prompted what Cengiz Candar characterized as “one of the most powerful rebuffs American authorities have ever unleashed at a Turkish president” when State Department spokesman John Kirby said, “We do not see them as a terrorist organization and will continue supporting them.”
​With regard to Saudi Arabia, its stepped-up commitment to the defeat of IS comes with a catch. Jubeir, speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 12, reaffirmed that Saudi Arabia believes defeating IS is directly connected to removing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Jubeir said that Assad is the “single most effective magnet for extremists and terrorists” in the Middle East and overthrowing him is “our objective and we will achieve it.”
Jubeir’s statement should be a warning about the caveats and consequences of a possible Saudi military intervention in Syria. His assertion about the connection between Assad and IS seems, to put it politely, strained, and out of step with the assessment of the US intelligence community that IS is the “pre-eminent terrorist threat” in the world. Is Assad the “single most effective magnet” for IS’ occupation of Iraqi territory? Is Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, a Shiite, also a “magnet” for IS fighters? Is Assad the “magnet” for IS’ expansion into Libya, or the group’s threats of further terrorist operations in the West? Why would a secular, nonsectarian post-Assad government be any less a “magnet” for IS?
On Feb. 12, Russian Foreign Miniser Sergey Lavrov called out “Jaish al-Islam,” which is backed by Saudi Arabia, in defense of Russian support for Syrian military operations in Aleppo: “The leader of Jaish al-Islam who has been eliminated, [Zahran] Alloush, made quite clear statements about the ideology of this movement. … He said that all the Levant should be cleared of dirt — meaning Alawites directly, who, as he said, are even more disloyal than Christians and Jews. And he said that his brothers are Jabhat al-Nusra fighters who he's fighting with against common enemies. So these are the guys who are now around Aleppo, at least on the western part. On the eastern part, with our help, the government forces have already unblocked this city and according to our data those who are fleeing this area are fighters who are just trying to escape. And let us not forget that all those who are now around Aleppo — that is, Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam and other more moderate groups — are being supplied using the same route from one place in the territory of Turkey. So this factor should also be reckoned with, since the UN Security Council resolution that was adopted before Resolution 2254 prohibits any supplies that support terrorist groups.”
Ali Mamouri provided probably the most complete assessment of Alloush’s hate-filled ideology in Al-Monitor last month.
The increased focus of the threat from Jabhat al-Nusra was a positive outcome of the ISSG deliberations last week. In addition, the assessment of the US intelligence community that “al-Qaeda's affiliates have proven resilient and are positioned to make gains in 2016” should be a catalyst for more intensive military coordination with Russia against Jabhat al-Nusra. Asaad Hanna reports on the establishment of Sharia courts in Idlib and other areas outside of Syrian government control. This column has warned for more than two years of the mainstreaming of radical jihadist groups in Syria. It should be increasingly indefensible to engage in any form of relationship with al-Qaeda, even one or two steps removed.
Vitaly Naumkin writes, “The Kremlin does not believe that a successful campaign against IS — or any other terrorist group in Syria — or a cease-fire are possible without closing the Syrian-Turkish border. A river of foreign jihadis, arms and merchandise is flowing into Syria, with contraband oil traveling in the opposite direction. … Russia sees no reason why it should not target the positions of Jabhat al-Nusra, which is part of al-Qaeda and is using as a front an alliance with those whose ideological views can be considered moderate. Jabhat al-Nusra, just like IS, is among the main targets of the Russian air force. At the same time, Moscow confirms that it stands ready to reach an agreement with moderate opposition groups, but still has differences with the Western and regional ISSG partners over who can or cannot be categorized as terrorists.”
A trend to watch may be the increasing isolation of Saudi Arabia and Turkey in US and Russian efforts to end the war in Syria. The Wall Street Journal’s Jay Solomon reported this week that Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan are in regular contact with Russia about its military operations in Syria. This is not to say that these countries are “on board” with all of Russia’s aims and objectives, but is yet another sign that Saudi Arabia and Turkey may be shifting to being outliers in a fragile and tentative effort to bringing the war to a close.

‘Scientific’ Claim: Christian Bible More ‘Bloodthirsty’ than Quran
Raymond Ibrahim/PJ Media/February 15/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/02/15/raymond-ibrahim-scientific-claim-christian-bible-more-bloodthirsty-than-quran/
A new data-based study published on Yahoo News, Huffington Post, and many other media, purports to have proven that the Bible—including the New Testament—is more violent than the Quran.
From Tom McKay’s article about the study: “Fifty-eight percent of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Islam” thanks to a “laundry list of misinformation about the faith’s holy text, the Quran.” He continues:
But a recent project by data analyst and research marketer Tom Anderson turns one common misconception on its head: that the Quran is more consumed by blood thirst than the Christian Bible.… Of the three books [Old Testament, New Testament, Quran], the project found, the Old Testament is the most violent, with approximately 5.3% of the text referring to “destruction and killing” — the Quran clocked in at just 2.1%, with the New Testament slightly higher at 2.8%…. According to Anderson, the findings challenge the popular notion among Westerners that Muslims subscribe to a particularly violent faith. Indeed, he concluded, “of the three texts, the content in the Old Testament appears to be the most violent.”
So this study proves what Islam’s apologists have long claimed: that the Bible contains more violence and bloodshed than the Quran. Even so, the intelligence and/or sincerity of anyone—including supposed scholars and “thinkers”—who cites this fact as proof that the Quran cannot incite more violence than the Bible must be highly doubted.
For starters, this argument fundamentally ignores the contexts of all three scriptures. Comparing violence in the Bible—old or new testaments—with violence in the Quran conflates history with doctrine. The majority of violence in the Bible is recorded as history; a description of events. Conversely, the overwhelming majority of violence in the Quran is doctrinally significant. In other words, the Bible has about as much capacity to incite its readers to violence as a history textbook. On the other hand, the Quran uses open ended language to call on believers to commit acts of violence against non-Muslims. (See “Are Judaism and Christianity as Violent as Islam?” for my most comprehensive and documented treatment of this tiresome apologia.)
This study also fails to consider who is behind the violence. It just appears to count the number of times words like “kill” appear. Due to this, New Testament descriptions of Christians—including Christ—being persecuted and killed are supposedly equal at inciting Christians to violence as Allah’s commandments for Muslims to “slay the idolaters wherever you find them—seize them, besiege them, and make ready to ambush them!” (Quran 9:5). This study sees no difference between the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7-8) and Allah’s words: “I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip” (Quran 8:12).
Even the claim behind this study—that “Fifty-eight percent of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Islam” apparently because of “misinformation about the faith’s holy text, the Quran”—is a strawman argument. “Islamophobia” is based less on what Americans think about the Quran and more on the violence, terrorism, and atrocities they see and hear Muslims commit in the name of Islam on a daily basis. (Ironically, the whole point of appealing to a strawman argument is that the argument itself is ironclad, even if it doesn’t address the real issue. As seen here, however, even the straw argument itself—that the Bible has more potential to incite violence than the Quran—is full of holes.)
This is to say nothing of the fact that Islamic teaching is hardly limited to the Quran; volumes of canonical (sahih) Hadith (words and deeds of Muhammad) equally inform Muslim actions. As one Muslim cleric put it, “Much of Islam will remain mere abstract concepts without Hadith. We would never know how to pray, fast, pay zakah, or make pilgrimage without the illustration found in Hadith…” And as it happens, calls to anti-infidel violence in the Hadith outnumber the Quran’s.
Finally, this study doesn’t seem to take into consideration that the Bible is roughly ten times longer than the Quran. Pound for pound, then, the Quran contains more than three times the violence found in the Bible.
Due to its many shortcomings, even Anderson admits that his “analysis is superficial and the findings are by no means intended to be conclusive.” So why are several media outlets highlighting the conclusion of a study which readily admits it does not prove what its champions claim?
Because the politically correct conclusion—that Islam cannot be any worse than Judaism and Christianity—is all that matters here, gaping holes in methodology be damned.

Egypt's "Security Threat": Churches
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/February 15, 2016
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/02/15/raymond-ibrahimgatestone-institute-egypts-security-threat-churches/
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7433/egypt-churches
Whenever Christians attempt to repair, renovate, or build a church -- all of which contradict Islamic law -- the same chain of events follows. Local Muslims riot and rampage, and local (Muslim) officials conclude that the only way to prevent "angry youths" from acts of violence is to ban the church, which is then declared a "threat" to security.
Repeatedly, Christian leaders accuse local officials of inciting Muslim violence against churches. Muslim leaders then point to this violence to deny the church a permit on the grounds that it has attracted violence.
On February 1, Tharwat Bukhit, a Coptic Christian member of Egypt's parliament, announced "there are approximately 50 churches in Egypt closed for reasons of security."
When the "Arab Spring" broke out in 2011, Egypt's Christians compiled a list of 43 churches that had been shut down by local authorities over the years. This list was given to the prime minister of Egypt at the time, Dr. Essam Sharaf, who said that the churches would be opened as soon as possible. Yet since then, according to Bukhit, "Today, the number of closed churches has grown to almost 50."
Why are Christian churches being "closed for reasons of security"? Whenever Christians attempt to repair, renovate, or build a church -- all of which contradict Islamic law[1] -- the same chain of events follows. Local Muslims riot and rampage, and local (Muslim) officials conclude that the only way to prevent "angry youths" from acts of violence is to ban the church, which is then declared a "threat" to security.
Such events have occurred repeatedly throughout Egypt. For instance, Abdel Fattah Sisi, Egypt's president, agreed to build a memorial church in the village of Al-Our, which was home to 13 of the 21 Christians beheaded in February 2015 by the Islamic State in Libya. The families of the victims still live there. After Islamic prayers on Friday, April 3, 2015, Muslim mobs from Al-Our village violently protested Sisi's decision. They yelled that they would never allow a church to be built. They chanted, "Egypt is Islamic!" and then attacked a Coptic church with Molotov cocktails and stones. Cars were set on fire, including one belonging to the family of a Christian beheaded by the Islamic State. Several people were seriously hurt.
In Sohag City, a similar chain of events took place. After waiting 44 years, the Christians of Nag Shenouda were issued the necessary permits to build a church. According to a 2015 report, local Muslims rioted and burned down the temporary worship tent. When a Christian tried to hold a religious service in his home, a Muslim mob attacked it. Denied a place to worship, the Christians of Nag Shenouda celebrated Easter 2015 in the street.
The Christians of Nag Shenouda, Egypt celebrated Easter 2015 in the street after local Muslims rioted and burned down their temporary worship tent, and attacked their religious service at a home.
In a separate incident, also after waiting years, the Christians of Gala' village finally received formal approval to begin restoring their dilapidated church (see pictures here). Soon after, on April 4, 2015, Muslims rioted, hurling stones at Christian homes, businesses and persons. Christian-owned wheat farms were destroyed and their potato crops uprooted. The usual Islamic slogans were shouted: "Islamic! Islamic!" and "There is no God but Allah!"
In July 2015, Muslims suspended prayer in a church in the village of Arab Asnabt. They called for the church to be demolished as part of an effort "to prevent Coptic Christians from practicing their religious rites."
Repeatedly, Christian leaders accuse local officials of inciting Muslim violence against churches. Muslim leaders then point to this violence to deny the church a permit on the grounds that it has attracted violence.
More recently, a church under construction in the village of Swada was attacked by a mob of at least 400 Muslims, possibly incited by local officials. After the attack, the church was closed by the same officials who had previously granted the necessary permits required for its construction. The 3,000 Coptic Christians in Swada, who make up approximately 35% of the population, do not have even one Coptic Orthodox Church to serve them.
This year, on February 1, the same day as Coptic Christian MP Tharwat Bukhit said nearly 50 churches had been shut down, the priest of St. Rewis Church described how, on the first day Christians met to worship in a fellow Christian's home that he had transformed into a church, "Muslims prevented them so that the church was closed on the very day it was opened."
On February 2, Father Lucas Helmi, an official of the Franciscan Order in Egypt, explained how "the closure of St. George's Church in the village of Hijazah in Qous [shuttered 25 years earlier] goes back to tensions between Coptic and Muslim families in the village, especially the Muslim neighbors around the old church, which is still unfinished because they refused to allow it to be rebuilt after it was demolished."
During a 25-minute interview on Arabic satellite TV, Bishop Agathon revealed[2] how, after an official council meeting with government leaders on the possibility of building a church, one of the authorities contacted the Islamic sheikhs of the village. The official asked the sheikhs if they stood "with the Coptic church or with the State?"
The sheikhs apparently told the Muslim households to each send one family member to protest the building of the church. Security officials could then point to the "rioting mob" and, as usual, on grounds of security, ban the church.
Raymond Ibrahim, author of Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War in Christians (a Gatestone Publication, published by Regnery, April 2013), is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and Judith Friedman Rosen Writing Fellow at the Middle East Forum
[1] According to the Conditions of Omar, a Medieval Muslim text that delineates the debilitations Christians must accept in order not to be killed by an Islamic state, Christians are commanded "Not to build a church in our city—nor a monastery, convent, or monk's cell in the surrounding areas—and not to repair those that fall in ruins or are in Muslim quarters; Not to clang our cymbals except lightly and from the innermost recesses of our churches; Not to display a cross on them [churches], nor raise our voices during prayer or readings in our churches anywhere near Muslims..." See Crucified Again, pgs. 24-30
[2] In his May 2015 interview, Bishop Agathon made many remarks accusing the Egyptian government of being behind the persecution of Christians in Egypt—including the rampant kidnapping of Christian children. A translation of his remarks can be read here.

Is the American Era Over? Soft Power
 Samir Atallah/Asharq Al Awsat/February 15/16
India has a population of 1.2 billion people, i.e. four times that of the United States and it is likely that it will exceed the population of China in 2025. Some Indians believe that by the middle of the current century, the three major powers in the world will be the United States, China and India. However, population alone is not a sufficient indicator of influence and human resources must also be developed. So far India has lagged significantly behind China in science and economics. India has a remarkable military force composed of one hundred nuclear warheads, 1.3 million men and has $50 billion at its disposal. In terms of soft power, it has established an effective democratic system and a huge cultural movement. Immigrants have money and a reputation and it has a film industry that rivals Hollywood. At the same time however, India remains an underdeveloped country comprising of millions of illiterate people living in poverty and one-third of the population lives in horrendous poverty. The national income of the country is $ 3.3 trillion; a third of China’s $ 8 trillion income and 20 per cent of US national income. The per capita income is $2900; half of China’s per capita income and 15 per cent of America’s. What is more surprising is that 95 per cent of the Chinese population is educated compared to 63 per cent of Indians. Twice the amount of engineers graduate from India’s universities than they do in the US but The Economist says that only 5 of these graduates earn a suitable salary for their employment. This reality is reflected in the fact that not a single Indian university is listed in the world’s top one hundred universities. In addition to this, its technical exports amount to 5 per cent compared to China’s that amount to 30 per cent. If we look at the major Latin American countries, we find that Brazil has the 7th largest economy despite the fact that its per capita income is still ranked 59th. Brazil has an area three times the size of India and its rate of literacy is 90 per cent of the population which is 200 million. The gross national product is $2.5 trillion which is the same as Russia while the per capita income is US $12,000, which is three times what it is in India. Brazil is also characterized by its huge amount of natural resources especially oil after discoveries in 2007. Its world military power is not important and it does not have nuclear weapons. As for its soft powers, they are carnivals and football. However, Brazil faces a huge number of problems including bureaucracy, the struggling judiciary and high rates of corruption and crime. It is ranked 72 out of 175 countries in the Transparency Index compared to China which is ranked at 80, India at 94 and Russia at 127.

The Anniversary of Bahrain’s February Uprising
Salman Aldosary/Asharq Al Awsat/February 15/16/Bahraini protesters mark the fifth anniversary of the country’s Arab spring-inspired uprising
Sunday, February 14, marked the fifth anniversary for Bahrain’s uprising as thousands of citizens were protesting and calling for political change in the tiny island kingdom lying at the banks of the Gulf Arab states, thus repeating the “Arab Spring” experience after five years.
Back then in 2011, Egypt and Tunisia’s regimes fell and the enthusiasm to drop the regimes was at its peak. Protestors thought the trend of toppling regimes was ripe for action. As long as it happened in Egypt or Tunisia, what would prevent its recurrence in Manama?
Protests, which were characterized by sectarian trait, arose with protesters demanding political reforms then quickly turning into calls to overthrow the regime. However, that was not surprising as it was previously planned for. The disaster lied in the associations, known for their great political work, demanding to topple the regime that they voted for at the national charter and have worked for it. Most Bahrainis felt that they were backstabbed by those they once trusted and were elected as a mere part of the reform project. Today, all this has become a miserable past and the forces forging negative change couldn’t affect the whole society. With time, Bahrain regained its peaceful ambiance after only hundreds, who used to be thousands, protested in the name of the largest Bahraini opposition political society, “al-Wefaq”. Bahrain returned to what it was, yet the Bahrainis have changed. We won’t be exaggerating if we say that Bahrain has suffered a lot since February 2011 that was an unprecedented historical blow, of which it was able to recover without affecting the regime’s structure or the country’s institutions. The crisis revealed Bahrain’s true friends and enemies as it watched friend states line with its opponents. Amidst all that, the real blow was actually losing the trust and the increase of sectarian discord among its citizens. After Bahrain was known for reducing sectarianism to its lowest, the sectarian rift has increased as it never did in a century. Although Iran had played, and is still playing, the major role in its project to topple the regime, yet it wouldn’t have been able to do so without its supporters in Bahrain, who, unfortunately, were Bahrainis. What happened in Bahrain cannot be excluded from what happened in other Arab countries, and we cannot say that only these protestors had this desire. I don’t only mean Iran or its allies in the region, but I mean that there are people from the Gulf and other Arab states who supported these protests in a way or another; TV channels, intellects, academics, journalists, activists, and tweeters with documented and monitored stances, just like those who want to jump so fast from a boat into the sea without taking any consequences into consideration. Bahrain was able to survive with minimal losses unlike those who wanted change as they corrupted much more than they reformed, and they set back the political process. Bahrain, which was heading its counterparts, is unable to proceed with its project today before rebuilding trust among its citizens. Day after day, Bahrain is becoming stronger and whoever chose destruction instead of construction is losing. Their popularity decreased, their argument weakened and their way out narrowed. They had bet on protests but they failed, they had waited investors to flee away but they didn’t, they had sought the country’s collapse, but it was stronger than they could ever imagine. They were left with only one choice… to try to return to their homeland. I really hope they will. 

A message to those who spy and set people up
Turki Al-Dakhil/Al Arabiya/February 15/16/It appears that all societal values have been violated. Go ahead and spy on people, disgrace what God has sheltered and make false accusations against others! Spy on others and monitor them at their homes! You deceive yourself into believing you are serving Islam! Spy on people and chase them! Don't shelter people but enter their houses! Houses have no sanctities and citizens have no rights! Yes, the truth is that hundreds of people wish they can spy on others. The problem has never been in the lack of advice, teachings and texts that set proper values. Hatred is as hungry as a burning fire that can never be extinguished. The biggest obstacle is related to conformity. Arab societies are one of most who listen to sermons and circulating them on our phones. But where do people who contribute to making false accusations against others and seek to disgrace them via spreading lies, come from? These people are also a product of our society. In other words, we have a problem applying these sermons which we circulate to our family and friends. However, all these texts which call for respecting basic values of not spying on others evaporate as fast as a click on a button. The Islamic Shariah includes clear texts against spying on others, and the way of life during the era of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him, and during the eras of caliphs that came after him, was based on these texts. After false accusations were recently made against Saudi television host Ali al-Alyani, many have spoken out demanding condemnation and hope those who made the accusations will be convicted. A message to these spies: Extinguish the flames of your vendetta. Hatred is as hungry as a burning fire that can never be extinguished. 

Interpretations of terrorism and legends of globalization
Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al Arabiya/February 15/16/Terrorism has not only dominated our reality but it has also prompted several studies to research its roots and search for the energy that has helped it survive for the centuries Muslims have lived through. Terrorism gained its vitality by riding the wave of modernity for 30 years now and found its way into leftist and resistance movements as their goals intersected. As discussions on globalization surged, the political interpretation of terrorism also expanded and turned into a global manifestation. Among these interpretations is the correlation between a solution to the Palestinian conflict and an end to terrorism. However, the thesis linking terrorism and globalization was the most common in some ideological studies about violence and terrorism. The globalized interpretation of terrorism was tempting to Islamists. They thought it was a cognitive breakthrough to free them of responsibility and hold the U.S. and the West accountable for al-Qaeda’s emergence as a result of what happened in Afghanistan, Hamas’s emergence as a result of not resolving the Palestinian cause, and Hezbollah’s emergence as a resistance movement that protects civilians from Israel. This is how Islam has been interpreted on radical websites for 20 years now. Some Western thinkers and philosophers' analyses intersect with these interpretations. For example, we can take what Paul Di Michele said in the book "Islam, Globalization and Terrorism" which he co-authored, where he warned that one cannot understand the current wave of terrorism and violence without linking them to globalization. In the same book, Olivier Mongin discusses the concept of conflicting identities and globalization. He says that the notion that they led to a wave of violence only enhanced the concept of a "war of cultures." This imposed itself after the Gulf War during the 1990s. Mongin added that this notion suggests that threats are always perceived as being from a foreign source.
A third world problem?
All these theories about the globalized interpretation of terrorism are no longer of any value or use because not taking the ideological attachment to terrorism into consideration is a waste of time. It is also an attempt to practice ideological reprimand by generalizing the economic and political analysis of terrorism and evoking civil disputes, resistance movements and demands for liberation in the Middle East and other third world countries. French professor Olivier Roy thinks that terrorism is a case of globalization, and is originally a "third world phenomenon."
Terrorism is the weapon of criminals, and it's not the product of an empire or an economic party but the product of the teachings available at hand. In May 2007, Algerian scholar and thinker Mohammad Arkoun delivered a lecture on Islam and its confrontation of European challenges. He analyzed violence by referring to globalization. He said: "Violence, unlike what the Western media claims, does not only stem from extremists and fundamentalists, but also from the West and its allies. The violence of Western globalization is the strongest, considering the West's tyrannical power." Although Arkoun is an exceptional historian in the modern history of Muslims as he's brave when it comes to condemning the guarded energies which terrorism attains support from, he practiced his favorite hobby of critique and launched "a war on all fronts."
Arkoun cannot consider globalization to be the driving force behind terrorism and the base of religious violence because he'd be denying his other major research and work in Applied Islamology. Author Ali Harb has engaged in this debate as in his recently-published book "Terrorism and its makers," he condemns the globalized interpretation of terrorism. He says that he disagrees with Olivier Roy "who thinks that the jihadist organizations are a result of globalization and not a result of political Islam." He adds that the belief that jihadist organizations are a result of globalization "is an opinion based on overlooking the ideological base of the jihadist project which is a translation of the fundamental ideas which Islamist movements planted in people's minds." He has thus responded to Roy's book "The failure of political Islam." With the emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the same analyses re-emerged. The Muslim Brotherhood's interpretation of ISIS’s emergence revolves around the "government suppression" of the Arab Spring and state “conspiracies” against the MB running for elections. Others however consider that ISIS is a product of the technological revolution. Some analysts believe that ISIS is part of a Western conspiracy, while others think it's a Baathist conspiracy. At the end of the day, religious lectures and fatwas (religious edicts) dissect these organizations better than any other interpretations. If experts continue to try to solve mysteries, understand vague root causes and looking into secret intelligence documents on the emergence of terrorist organizations, then Muslim societies - which failed to confront certain organizations in the past - will also fail to confront any other organization later. Terrorism is not the weapon of the powerful as American philosopher Noam Chomsky puts it. Terrorism is the weapon of criminals, and it's not the product of an empire or an economic party but the product of the teachings available at hand. It has been rearranged in a repugnant, bloody manner which has now backfired on Muslims all over again. 

Is ISIS preparing to relocate to Libya?
Dr. Azeem Ibrahim/Al Arabiya/February 15/16/I have already written that ISIS seems to be preparing for defeat in Syria and Iraq. I wrote that Assad is being bolstered by Russia, the Kurds are being bolstered by the West and Shiite Iraq is supported by Iran. All these alliances are progressively beating back ISIS. I suggested that the likely outcome is that from now on ISIS will simply be eroded with a long war of attrition until the group can no longer recruit enough fighters to sustain its gains. I concluded that this would mean that ISIS would give up territorial ambitions and would revert to Al-Qaeda tactics of having a non-territory based structure whose goals would be to carry out terrorist attacks, which would destabilize nation-states in the region and weaken Western state actors, perhaps paving the way for it to re-emerge at a later date. But it seems that this diagnostic may have been premature. Even if the territory they occupy now in Syria and Iraq is regained by those states, it does not necessarily mean that ISIS needs to go underground. There are still plenty of failed states left in the Muslim world where ISIS could re-establish their territorial “caliphate”. And it seems that the new designated location might be Libya. ISIS has made its presence felt in Libya for over a year now and it has consolidated in Sirte, the former hometown of Muammar Qaddafi. Sirte lies on the Mediterranean coast half-way between Tripoli and Benghazi, the respective capitals of the two main factions in the ongoing Libyan civil war. Following the same template as in Syria, they have established a foothold in-between the two main combatants in a civil war and have proceeded to try and recruit as many of the Islamist militias running around the place as they could.
Sirte-bound?
In the last few days, reports have emerged that senior ISIS figures from Syria may have arrived in Sirte and taken to re-organising the local chapter with the usual flourishes of theatrical violence. This may be a sign that the ISIS hierarchy are preparing for a slow re-allocation of assets, and eventually maybe even relocating the core of the organization there. Relocating to Libya would make a great deal of sense. ISIS has certainly lost the military momentum in Syria and Iraq – they are surrounded by much stronger enemies on all sides, and even when they do take non-Sunni territory, they cannot hold it for long. There are still plenty of failed states left in the Muslim world where ISIS could re-establish their territorial “caliphate” But in their game, this kind of momentum is one of their main propaganda assets. If they remain stagnant, their recruitment rates will plummet and their organization will collapse soon after. In this, they have to keep running to stay still. Which is why ISIS always has and always will seek to open up new fronts when it is ground down to a halt in its current engagements. But it also helps that Libya looks like wide open territory at the moment. There are two dominant groups claiming to be the legitimate government of the state, meaning that Western intervention will be hampered by questions of sovereignty and legality in the face of international law.
But underneath those two dominant groups, there are also a huge number of sectarian, political and tribal fault lines which can be tactically exploited as the groups seeks to expand its influence and territorial reach. These are still early days for ISIS in Libya, but thankfully, it seems that our governments are already awake to the dangers and, for once, are looking to engage with the situation pro-actively. Hopefully, this time we will manage to close down this front before it really opens up, and in the process, also make up for the responsibilities we have abandoned towards Libya in the years since we have helped them overthrow Gaddafi.  

Saudi Arabia's al-Janadriyah and years of intellectual debate
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/February 15/16/Some people expected the Al-Janadriyah cultural and heritage festival – which marks its 30th year this year – to come to an end, particularly following the death of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. However, the festival has become so well-entrenched now that it is being held under the auspices of King Salman. So why is Al-Janadriyah important? It is important because it is part of our modern cultural history. This Saudi multicultural forum gives us a glimpse of the last three decades during which different political and cultural events have unfolded. It is not an exaggeration to say that during these 30 years, the forum has played a significant role in producing different ideas in the conservative Saudi kingdom and thus provided material for discussions and seminars during the forum. Of course, sometimes the festival have not been able to keep up with intellectual debates, which implied that there is controversy surrounding the forum and the society itself. This is normal considering the times during which these controversies have surfaced. Most of the Al-Janadriyah festivals have been distinguished for being an arena for ideological and political discussions held in an atmosphere of openness  Most of the Al-Janadriyah festivals have been distinguished for being an arena for ideological and political discussions held in an atmosphere of openness. They have opened the door for others to voice their views. Over the years, the festival has witnessed several rounds of ideological discussions, attended by intellectuals. These participants often included those who are prohibited from entering the kingdom such as communists and extremist Islamists. These figures have also included westerners, Russians, Iranians or Arabs who are politically opposed to the Saudi state. No topics have been off limits as Sahwa movements, modernity, end of history, relations with others and modern political and doctrinal controversies have often come up for discussion. As a result of this, many figures have come into spotlight during the festivals’ events. Some of these figures were prohibited from entering the country; however, exceptions have been made to host them.
Cultural bridge
Al-Janadriyah has played an important role in shaping the relations of the Saudi elite, and those who are interested in its culture, with other figures. It has facilitated exchange of ideas. They have influenced others and got influenced in the process. The festival may have given the impression of being a propaganda project in the beginning but has over the years turned into a significant platform for political and cultural activities. Since some people were not used to the dose of bravery the festival offered, they sought to restrain it. However, this bravery has gone on. Some tried to limit the festival to entertainment and folkloric activities but its programs continued to include different ideas. Al-Janadriyah is more than an annual forum and festival as it has played a significant role in bridging the gap. Now that it has marked its 30th year, it deserves to turn into a permanent institution that holds different events taking into account the changes taking place in the kingdom and the region. Saudi Arabia needs to become a center of dialog and intellectual development. This is what the Arab Peninsula was known for and this is what has distinguished its history. It is not possible to achieve development without having space for discussion of ideas and holding of dialog with people from across the world. Al-Janadriyah has created a real opportunity to celebrate the heritage of the kingdom’s citizens. It has become a museum where millions of citizens visit to recall their history, which is otherwise about to be forgotten due to the fast pace of life.

World Government Summit and the Arabs’ heartache
Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/February 15/16
It was remarkable to read the front-page headlines of Emirati newspapers during the World Government Summit (WGS) held in Dubai to discuss the future of governance among other things. It was equally remarkable to compare them with the headlines of other Arab newspapers like Al-Hayat, which focused on the plight of hundreds of thousands of Syrians trapped in Aleppo or fleeing to Turkey, with heartbreaking images of afflicted children. In the city that has hogged the limelight in the last few decades, practical plans were being laid down for the future. Some of the breathtaking advancements being envisaged have already arrived in Dubai. Meanwhile in the ancient city, that was the cradle of Arab culture for many centuries, people were barely able to breathe as the Syrian government and its allies cut off the only road connecting rebel-held Aleppo to the outside world, trapping nearly 300,000 people. International NGOs have warned that more than a million Syrians are now living under siege as the five-year-old conflict rages on, causing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster as a consequence of the decisions made by the Syrian government.
This goes on even as the world powers continue to discuss the same-old diplomatic initiatives seen over the past five years, from the Geneva Communiqué to the Vienna Process. As the veteran duo – Russia’s Lavrov and Kerry of the U.S. – furrow their brows and smile alternatively, as if to suggest they have differences at times. They have found a new formula to overcome the difficulties facing the political process to resolve the Syrian war deliberately kept away from the U.S. and Russian cities. This week’s meeting took place in Munich on the sidelines of a security conference there. The talks focused on confidence-building measures toward a conditional partial ceasefire. In the Arab region, the ruler of Dubai and vice president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, announced to his 10 million followers on Twitter that his government will create two new ministries, the Ministry of Happiness and Tolerance, and the Ministry of Youth. The latter ministry was assigned to a 22-year-old woman, while five other women were given the portfolios of social development, tolerance and happiness, international cooperation, and the federal national council. The WGS, and the new ministries, were remarkable developments amid a restive regional climate haunted by the scourge of terrorism. Some critics see this as a bubble and likens it to burying one’s head in the sand away from a reality marred by war and mass displacement by focusing on the promises of the future and its technological challenges. Realists, however, maintain that fixation with destruction and terrorism without any plan for confronting reality, except through military means, serves the purpose of those who want the Arab region to forever remain in a cycle of decline and devastation.
Different worlds
In a poll conducted by Ruya TV on the sidelines of the Summit, participants said innovative ideas to fight misguided views can defeat extremism and that educating the youth culturally, morally, and socially, using innovative non-traditional methods, can rein in radical ideologies. The respondents also said governments must leave no stone unturned to ensure jobs and decent livelihood and end poverty and unemployment as they make youth susceptible to extremism. One can only feel sad for the generations living under authoritarian regimes and obscure destructive terrorist ideologies. These youth are denied the right to dream as they risk their lives as they flee from a bloody and deadly reality. On the other hand, one can only feel happy for those who have been given the opportunity to realize dreams even as the rights to happiness, social development, and tolerance are institutionalized. Fortunate are the youth whose governments tell them they have the right to participate in decision-making and whose governments empower them, invest in their skills, and encourage them to innovate. It is almost as though headlines such as “vision” and “citizenships to leadership: you are happiness” come from another world, not from the Arab region, where citizens usually curse leaders who often times oppress them in the name of religion and others in the name of national security. The headlines of Lebanon’s newspapers wander between presidential vacuum, garbage crises, corruption, and maneuvers of Lebanese politicians. A country, which has had the reputation of being creative and free thinking intellect, is seeing its government, leaders, and political parties holding it back. A government’s performance is not just a mere slogan, it determines whether countries are built or destroyed
People wonder: will we have a president? Will the Syrian war be brought to an end? Lebanese youths are asking: Shall I get married or the economic deterioration will continue preventing me from raising a family?The headlines of Emirati newspapers speak of how the UAE is the world leader in attracting talent, in renewable and sustainable energy, and in plans for local and regional integration, innovation, and development. Emirati youths are proud that they will be able to keep pace with the future comfortably. A government’s performance is not just a mere slogan, it determines whether countries are built or destroyed. This is today’s reality and it is the reality of the future. Governments will be crucial now and will be crucial in the era of the domination of robots on labor markets beginning with the end of this decade. Indeed, governments will have to decide what to offer to human workers in light of the coming automation revolution, and there is no choice but to explore pathways for economic development as influenced by government policies. According to the latest report by the A.T. Kearney’s Global Business Policy Council, published in conjunction with the WGS, the Middle East and North Africa region is poised to achieve high economic growth rates by 2020. However, this growth will be directly affected by government policies in the next five years. The Summit sought to alert governments about the huge responsibilities they must shoulder in the future. Klaus Schwab, founder and CEO of the World Economic Forum, raised the question of whether the fourth industrial revolution has begun. He explained how a technological and innovation revolution is coming to the world like a tsunami, pointing out that the Arab region must prepare itself to join in boldly. Jim al-Khalili, Iraqi-British Professor of Theoretical Physics and Chair in the Public Engagement in Science at the University of Surrey, took 3,000 participants in the summit on a tour of the Arab Golden Age - When the World Spoke Arabic: The Forgotten Legacy of Arabic Science. He reminded us that in the past, we excelled, and we can do it again.
Eye on the future
The Summit’s agenda alerted people to the changes of the future that will alter life as we know it, challenging their imaginations. For example, Professor Sugata Mitra explained how the next generation of schools will be “cloud schools”. Doctor Peter Diamandis, co-founder of Singularity University, explained what form future universities will take in a rapidly developing world. The day is not far when a child will teach himself and choose his specialty. Children will soon ask what the words “I know” mean. Indeed, knowledge and information will become so instantaneous that the quest will not be for knowledge but will be around curiosity and asking the right questions. In other sessions, interesting questions were raised such as what the world will look like more than 20 years from now. Will robots take over the world? Are robots the solution? Will we be printing human organs? Will the new retirement age be 100? What will governments do to adapt to this?
Another speaker asked, what if we soon celebrate our 200th birthday? What would happen to marriages, which usually last 30 to 50 years? Will couples be able to live together for a hundred years? What about jobs? Will longevity cause boredom and people would start thinking about changing careers several times in a lifetime? A fascinating world is coming in the 21st century, and Arab youths can be part of it like their peers around the world, if governments govern and understand the future well. However, it was disheartening to listen to Egyptian Prime Minister Sharif Ismail. He said only 15 percent of Egyptian villages are covered by the sewage network project, which is expected to cover 50 percent of Egyptian villages in the next three years. It was also painful to hear the Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah say that his country will be happy once more as it had the flavor of fantasy. It was hard to enjoy the tour of the future amid the news coming to today’s city, Dubai, from yesterday’s city, Aleppo. It is hard to disconnect in the time of constant communication. Between breathtaking advancements and breath-stifling policies, there is a mind boggling distance.