LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 18/16
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.july18.16.htm
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Bible Quotations For Today
Paul and the Disciples in Tyre
Acts of the Apostles 21/01-14:"When we had parted from them and set sail, we
came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to
Patara. When we found a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board and set sail.
We came in sight of Cyprus; and leaving it on our left, we sailed to Syria and
landed at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. We looked up the
disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not
to go on to Jerusalem. When our days there were ended, we left and proceeded on
our journey; and all of them, with wives and children, escorted us outside the
city. There we knelt down on the beach and prayed and said farewell to one
another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home. When we had
finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and we greeted the
believers and stayed with them for one day. The next day we left and came to
Caesarea; and we went into the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven,
and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of
prophecy. While we were staying there for several days, a prophet named Agabus
came down from Judea. He came to us and took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and
hands with it, and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, "This is the way the Jews
in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and will hand him over to the
Gentiles." ’When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up
to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my
heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the
name of the Lord Jesus.’Since he would not be persuaded, we remained silent
except to say, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’"..
Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and
you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves."
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 23/13-15:"‘But woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom
of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you
stop them. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and
land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a
child of hell as yourselves."
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published on July 17-18/16
Running people over: From Hezbollah
to ISIS/Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/July 17/16
"Worthless Christians" Treated "Like Animals"/Muslim Persecution of Christians:
April 2016/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/July 17/16
How Serious Is Sweden's Fight against Islamic Terrorism and Extremism/Nima
Gholam Ali Pour/ Gatestone Institute/July 17/16
How to Shield the Middle East from the Strategic Zigzag in Washington/Samir
Altaqi/Esam Aziz/Middle East Briefing/July 17/16
Libya’s Slow Crawl to `Normal’ Continues/Samir Altaqi/Esam Aziz/Middle East
Briefing/July 17/16
Washington, Moscow, Tehran and Riyadh: The Coming Conflict over the Middle East/Samir
Altaqi/Esam Aziz/Middle East Briefing/July 17/16
Reflections on a failed coup d’état/Hisham Melhem/Al Arabiya/July 17/16
Turkey’s failed coup and its repercussions/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/July
17/16
No smoking gun: The 28-pages conspiracy is over/Andrew J. Bowen/Al Arabiya/July
17/16
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on
July 17-18/16
Stranded Lebanese Begin Arriving in
Beirut as Bassil Calls Turkey FM in Solidarity
Int'l 'Presidency Efforts' Resume as Parties Say Berri's Taef Remarks Aim to
Promote 'Package Deal'
Lebanese Army in Security, Military Operations in Arsal, Outskirts
Lebanese Supporters of Erdogan Take to Streets in North, Bekaa, Sidon
Khalil calls for national approach in oil file
Rahi: MPs deprive us of President, pave way for chaos
Newly appointed UNIFIL Commander-in-Chief, General Michael Perry arrives in
Beirut to replace Portolano as UNIFIL Chief Commander
Israeli maneuvers reverberate in a number of border areas
Israel launches flare bomb over Ras Naqoura
Moussawi: 90% of takfirist project reached deadlock
Geagea: Lebanon in good condition, Christians' fate is safe
Running people over: From Hezbollah to ISIS
Poll: Half of Brazilians want Michel Temer in power until 2018
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
July 17-18/16
Canada's Official Statement on air
strikes in Syria
Two IDF soldiers killed in Golan Heights grenade explosion
Major terrorist attack prevented in downtown Jerusalem
2 U.S. Police Killed, 5 Hurt in Louisiana Attack
Armenian Opposition Group Seizes Yerevan Police Building, Takes Hostages
Failed Turkey Coup 'Not Blank Check' for Erdogan, France Warns
Greece to examine Turkey coup soldiers’ asylum requests ‘quickly’
Don’t travel to Turkey: US warns citizens after coup attempt
Israel fires missiles at Syrian drone
Syrian army seizes only road into rebel-held Aleppo
Rebel-held areas of Syria’s Aleppo fully besieged
Two new arrests in France’s truck massacre case
Bahrain court dissolves main opposition bloc
Yemen talks resume in ‘last chance’ for peace
Pakistani police arrest brother of slain model Qandeel Baloch
Sudan’s Bashir defies the ICC, attending Rwanda summit
Canadian Minister Dion to welcome Igor Crnadak, Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Bosnia and Herzegovina
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee pass resolution on rights of PMOI
members in Camp Liberty
Mohammad Mohaddessin tells Al-Arabiya Iran regime incapable of reform
Rep. Robert Pittenger: Deal with Iran regime must be halted
Maryam Rajavi: Extremists are misusing the name of Islam
Links From Jihad Watch Site for
July 17-18/16
Bangladesh: Jihadis with machetes critically injure 3 elderly
Sufi Muslims
Confirmed: Top Saudi Officials Aided the 9/11 Jihad Plot
Idaho hospital refuses to release medical records of 5-year-old raped by Muslim
migrants
Hugh Fitzgerald: French Islamologues Play at Tweedledum and Tweedledee
California removes “Islamophobic” contents from syllabus
Poland’s interior minister: multiculturalism responsible for Nice jihad massacre
Nice jihad mass murderer has three family members who are jihadis
Kerry: “Desperate” jihad massacres show that the Islamic State is “on the run”
Germany: Muslim tries to kill fellow migrant for converting to Christianity
Sweden: “Wear a headscarf or be raped”
101 Muhammads Jailed by U.S. Anti-Terror Agencies Since 9/11
July 17-18/16
Stranded Lebanese Begin Arriving in
Beirut as Bassil Calls Turkey FM in Solidarity
Naharnet/July 17/16/A
number of Lebanese who had been stranded at Turkey's Ataturk airport arrived
Sunday in Beirut aboard Turkish and Lebanese planes as Lebanon's Middle East
Airlines said it will operate three flights on Sunday to bring Lebanese citizens
from Turkey, media reports said.
“The second MEA plane took off to Istanbul's Ataturk airport at 9:30 am to bring
a number of Lebanese citizens home and this was an additional flight that the
company's administration organized to contribute to facilitating the return of
the Lebanese who were stranded there,” Lebanon's National News Agency reported.
“The plane is scheduled to arrive in Beirut at 2:05 pm,” it said. Two other MEA
planes landed in Beirut at 1:05 pm and 2:00 pm, carrying 220 Lebanese citizens,
NNA said. The third plane is expected to arrive in Beirut at 10:15 pm. Four
Turkish Airlines planes had landed in Beirut overnight. Foreign Minister Jebran
Bassil had held a series of emergency contacts over the past hour to follow up
on the situations of the Lebanese who were stranded in Turkey during the failed
coup attempt that was staged by a group withing the Turkish army and involved
the use of warplanes, attack helicopters and tanks. According to the Turkish
government, 161 civilians and regular troops lost their lives when the
putschists sought to overthrow the authorities by seizing key strategic points
in Istanbul and Ankara. Over 100 coup plotters were also killed, the military
has said. Bassil instructed Lebanon's embassy in Ankara and the Lebanese
consulate general in Istanbul to “take all the necessary measures to help the
Lebanese who are stranded in Turkey.”Lebanon's consul general in Istanbul, Hani
Shmaitelli, headed in person to Istanbul's airport as soon as the security
situations allowed, where he met with the Lebanese citizens who were trapped at
the facility, media reports said. Bassil's talks involved phone contacts with
MEA chairman Mohammed al-Hout and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
During his talks with his Turkish counterpart, Bassil condemned “the coup
attempt that sought to overthrow the ruling authorities in Turkey and to
reconstitute authorities through the use of force.”The FM also expressed
“Lebanon's solidarity with Turkey and its people and government and its constant
keenness on the best ties of solidarity and cooperation with it, especially in
light of the major challenged that they are both facing, topped by the challenge
of takfiri terrorism and the refugee crisis.”
Int'l 'Presidency Efforts' Resume as Parties Say Berri's Taef Remarks Aim to
Promote 'Package Deal'
Naharnet/July 17/16/Regional and international consultations have resumed
regarding Lebanon's stalled presidential vote, while some domestic parties have
described Speaker Nabih Berri's latest remarks about adherence to the Taef
Accord as an attempt to promote his proposed “package deal,” a media report said
on Sunday. “Saudi, Iranian and U.S. efforts regarding the presidency have
emerged in recent days amid domestic preparations for the consecutive dialogue
sessions that will be held on August 2, 3 and 4,” the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper
reported. Noting that Berri was keen to announce his commitment to the Taef
Accord and rejection of a so-called constituent assembly prior to the talks, al-Anbaa
quoted sources suspicious of the proposed package deal as saying that “Berri's
remarks about the Taef Accord and the constituent assembly are aimed at
promoting this package deal.”“It is required to reassure all Lebanese, not only
Christians, regarding the presence of the State,” the sources added. Al-Mustaqbal
Movement sources meanwhile voiced acceptance of Berri's reassuring statement and
noted that the movement will await the outcome of the August dialogue sessions.
“Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadh Asiri has reiterated to Speaker Berri Saudi Arabia's
support for dialogue and understanding among the Lebanese,” the source said.
Mustaqbal bloc MP Ammar Houry meanwhile described Berri's stance as
“positive.”But his bloc colleague MP Nabil de Freij charged that “the proposed
package deal is aimed at blocking the presidential vote.”Lebanon has been
without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and
Hizbullah, the Free Patriotic Movement and some of their allies have been
boycotting the electoral sessions at parliament, stripping them of the needed
quorum. Mustaqbal leader ex-PM Saad Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia,
launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Marada Movement chief MP
Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations
from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah. The supporters
of Aoun's presidential bid argue that he is more eligible than Franjieh to
become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger
influence in the Christian community. Berri's proposed package deal involves
holding parliamentary elections under a new electoral law before electing a new
president and forming a new government. Should the parties fail to agree on a
new law, the parliament's current extended term would be curtailed and the
elections would be held under the 1960 law which is currently in effect, Berri
says. Berri has several times repeated his rejection of the 1960 law, urging an
electoral system based on proportional representation.
Lebanese Army in Security,
Military Operations in Arsal, Outskirts
Army intelligence agents have arrested a Syrian man in the restive northeastern
border town of Arsal on charges of belonging to the extremist Islamic State
group, state-run National News Agency said on Sunday. Army troops meanwhile
fired heavy artillery and rockets at suspicious movements by the militants of
the Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front in Wadi al-Kheil and Khirbet Younin in Arsal's
outskirts, NNA said. Several militants were wounded as a number of their
vehicles and heavy-caliber machineguns were destroyed and flames could be seen
engulfing one of the militant vehicles, the agency added. The sounds of shelling
were echoing across the northern Bekaa region, it said. The army has been
bombarding the militant groups in the outskirts of Arsal and the nearby towns of
al-Qaa and Ras Baalbek for several days now. Troops have been on high alert
since the unprecedented suicide bombings that hit the Christian border town of
al-Qaa in late June. Militants from IS and al-Nusra are entrenched in rugged
areas along the undemarcated Lebanese-Syrian border and the army regularly
shells their posts while Hizbullah and the Syrian army have engaged in clashes
with them on the Syrian side of the border. The two groups briefly overran the
town of Arsal in August 2014 before being ousted by the army after days of
deadly battles. The retreating militants abducted more than 30 troops and
policemen of whom four have been executed and nine remain in the captivity of
the IS group.
Lebanese Supporters of
Erdogan Take to Streets in North, Bekaa, Sidon
Naharnet/July 17/16/The northern city of Tripoli and the nearby areas of Beddawi
and Minieh have witnessed motorized demos in support of Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, hours after Erdogan's loyalists foiled a coup that was staged by
a group in the Turkish military. The biggest rally in Tripoli was organized by
the Jamaa Islamiya, which shares the Muslim Brotherhood ideology of Erdogan's
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The motorized demo headed from the
city's Abi Samra area to one of Jamaa Islamiya's offices in the Dam Wal Farz
region. The group's top official in Tripoli, Sheikh Mustafa Alloush, delivered a
speech at the location, condemning the attempted coup against Erdogan's
government. A similar demo was organized in Beddawi, where participators waved
Turkish flags and pictures of Erdogan. In Akkar, the municipality and
dignitaries of the town of al-Kawashra called for a rally of “solidarity with
Turkey's people, government and president.”A number of the town's residents,
especially those who have Turkmen roots, took part in the demo. Residents from
nearby towns also participated in the show of solidarity. The Bekaa town of
Majdal Anjar also witnessed a demo of solidarity with the Turkish people and
Erdogan during which Turkish flags and posters of Erdogan were carried.Majdal
Anjar municipal chief Saeed Hussein Dib Yassine, the town's imam Sheikh Mohammed
Abdul Rahman and a number of municipality members and mayors participated in the
rally. Yassine delivered a speech at the demo, hailing “the strength and resolve
of the Turkish people and the justice of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
which prompted the Turkish people to take to the streets to reject the botched
coup.” Meanwhile, a similar rally demo turned violent in the southern city of
Sidon. The clash which erupted at the al-Quds roundabout involved supporters of
the Jamaa Islamiya and bodyguards loyal to Sunni cleric Sheikh Maher Hammoud,
who is close to Hizbullah. Gunshots were fired in the air during the incident
which started with a verbal dispute. Security forces intervened quickly and
brought the situation under control. Sheikh Hussam al-Eilani, the imam of
Sidon's al-Ghofran Mosque, condemned the pro-Erdogan motorized demos, noting
that “Lebanon is not a Turkish province.”
Khalil calls for national
approach in oil file
Sun 17 Jul 2016/NNA - Finance Minister, Ali Hassan Khalil, called on Sunday for
a national approach to the country's oil file. Khalil's stance came during a
funeral ceremony in Kantra village. He added that Amal Movement had a national
approach to accelerate the operations for the exploitation and production of
oil. "This is a national priority and it will open new prospects on the economic
and political levels as well as in international relations," he noted. "Why did
the discussions of this issue take three years to reach an agreement?"
questioned the MP. He also stressed the need to have an international front to
counter terrorism, noting that takfirist terrorism includes in its battle
Zionist terrorism and constitutes a threat to Lebanon. "Despite the achievements
of the security and military institutions, terrorism remains a real risk,"
pointed out Khalil. "We are looking forward during this critical phase to an
interior unity to face state terrorism posed by Israel and takfirist terrorism
along the borders," the MP underscored. "This will only be possible if we
strengthen state institutions and we activate political institutions starting by
the election of a President and the activation of the government's work," he
concluded.
Rahi: MPs deprive us of
President, pave way for chaos
Sun 17 Jul 2016/NNA - Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Rahi, said on Sunday
that MPs have been depriving the Lebanese people from their right of having a
President, a thing which paves the way to chaos and corruption. The prelate gave
a homily before an audience of believers in his Sunday mass in Saint Maron -
Annaya on the occasion of Saint-Charbel celebration day. He deplored the fact
that this day was celebrated amid political and socio-economic crises in
Lebanon. "The MPs, who extended their mandate twice, contrary to the
Constitution, revealed their inability or even failure. They blocked the
legislative power and deprived the country of a president for two years and two
months," he said. He also talked about poverty pushing Lebanese people to
emigrate, while Syrian and Palestinian refugees invade the country. The
Patriarch expressed his grief towards ongoing wars in Syria, Iraq, and Palestine
and due to the expansion of terrorist organizations killing innocent people. He
called upon the international community and the United Nations to do their duty
in finding political solutions to the ongoing conflicts in several regional
countries and reinforce a just, comprehensive, and permanent peace while
ensuring the return of refugees to their country. The Patriarch condemned the
terrorist attack perpetrated recently in Nice, France, presenting his
condolences to relatives of the victims.
Newly appointed UNIFIL Commander-in-Chief, General Michael Perry arrives in
Beirut to replace Portolano as UNIFIL Chief Commander
Sun 17 Jul 2016/NNA - Newly appointed UNIFIL Commander-in-Chief, General Michael
Perry, arrived in Beirut on Sunday evening, coming from Paris, whereby he was
greeted at Beirut International Airport by a number of senior UNIFIL Officers.
Perry has been assigned to replace outgoing Italian General Luciano Portolano as
the new leader of the international peace-keeping forces, as announced by United
Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last May. A statement by the International
Organization indicated that Perry has served in the Irish army since 1975,
participating in several external functions, namely in Afghanistan, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia and Uganda.
Israeli maneuvers reverberate in a number of border areas
Sun 17 Jul 2016/NNA - Citizens of borderline regions within the district of
Marjayoun, especially in the town of Addayseh and its surroundings, heard this
afternoon the sound of explosions caused by Israeli enemy forces' maneuvers
inside the occupied lands, NNA correspondent in Marjeyoun reported on Sunday.
Israel launches flare bomb over Ras Naqoura
Sun 17 Jul 2016/NNA - The Lebanese Army Command - Guidance Directorate issued on
Sunday the following Communiqué: "On Saturday, at 02.23 p.m. an Israeli enemy
military boat threw a flare bomb over the Lebanese territorial waters off Ras
Naqoura. On Sunday, an Israeli gunboat violated the Lebanese territorial waters
off Ras Naqoura to a distance of approximately 333 meters for three minutes. The
breach is being followed-up in coordination with the United Nations Interim
Force in Lebanon."
Moussawi: 90% of takfirist
project reached deadlock
Sun 17 Jul 2016/NNA - Loyalty to the Resistance MP, Nawwaf Moussawi, said on
Sunday that 90% of the takfirist project reached an impasse. Moussawi's words
came during a ceremony held in tribute to the fallen martyrs in the southern
town of Aitaroun. He added that the hostile project using Takfirism as a tool,
being planned and managed by Zionists and Saudi Arabia, was now futile. "We are
currently in the final period of confrontation with the universal plot which
constitutes an extension of 2006 war," he pointed out. Moussaoui concluded that
the solution to the presidential crisis started with the release of Future
Parliamentary Bloc from the Saudi control and veto.
Geagea: Lebanon in good condition, Christians' fate is safe
Sun 17 Jul 2016/NNA - Lebanese Forces chief, Samir Geagea, said on Sunday that
Lebanon was in good condition and Christians' fate was very good. Geagea's words
came during his meeting with a group of elderly people who came from Jezzine to
Maarab. LF leader talked about the situation of Christians in Lebanon,
noting that as long as they have strength, determination, and belief their fate
will be very good. "The LF is exerting efforts to fill the presidential vacuum,"
he added. Geagea stressed the importance of the agreement signed between the LF
and the FPM and its successful outcomes at all levels. He called for the need to
continue the fight to overcome this critical period, noting that despite the
situation in the region, Lebanon was safe.
Running people over: From Hezbollah
to ISIS
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/July 17/16
Regarding the treacherous terrorist attack in the city of Nice, France’s
president talked of “radical Islam.” But what does he really mean? Sunni and
Shiite terrorism are similar. With the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
claiming responsibility for carrying out the attack, which involved running over
people by using a truck, we must be aware that Hezbollah has used similar
tactics in the past. A Hezbollah leader once spoke about how extremists can use
vehicles to run over people and noted how the murderer would be smiling because
he was going to paradise. Terrorism goes beyond religion and sect – a murderer
is a murderer, whether he is sent by Baghdadi, to Bin Laden, Nasrallah or
Mughniyah.Terrorism is one entity where only proofs and arguments differ. The
late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden adopted Hezbollah’s method of blowing up
buildings and burning embassies in the 1980s, as well as assassinations with the
help of the late Imad Mughniyah, who was a senior Hezbollah figure. Terrorism
goes beyond religion and sect – a murderer is a murderer, whether he is sent by
Baghdadi, to Bin Laden, Nasrallah or Mughniyah
Solution
The main idea is to establish a moderate Islamic culture that rejects all these
groups. But this cannot be achieved only through international cooperation and
strong leadership in the war against terrorism. In Europe, where freedom to
express sometimes even allows dangerous extremist discourse, it can become a
breeding ground. So what can governments do to monitor them? It’s a tragedy and
a great catastrophe that this ugly attack was carried out with the help of a
vehicle but the tactic was first used by Hezbollah and copied perfectly by ISIS.
This article was first published in Okaz on July 17, 2016.
Poll: Half of Brazilians want Michel
Temer in power until 2018
Reuters Sunday, 17 July 2016/Half of Brazilians would like to see interim
President Michel Temer stay in the job until the next election in 2018, compared
with 32 percent who desire the return of suspended President Dilma Rousseff,
according to a Datafolha poll published Saturday on the Folha de S.Paulo
website. The poll, conducted on July 14 and 15, showed just three percent of
people are in favor of holding early elections. Rousseff is currently suspended
as her impeachment case is tried in the Senate. A verdict is expected toward the
end of August on whether she broke budget laws. READ ALSO: Who is Brazil's
interim President born to Lebanese parents? Despite half of Brazilians wanting
Temer to continue in the country's top job instead of having Rousseff return,
the interim president's approval rating is only 31 percent. The wide-ranging
poll also showed rising confidence in the economy. The Datafolha Index of
Confidence registered 98 points, the highest since the end of 2014 and 11 points
higher than the last poll in February.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 17-18/16
Canada's Official Statement on
air strikes in Syria
July 17, 2016 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable
Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie,
today issued the following statement following the air strikes yesterday in
Aleppo, Syria:
“Canada strongly condemns the continued targeting of health-care facilities and
personnel in the Syrian conflict. Hospitals and clinics are not and should never
be a target. Their patients and staff are protected under international
humanitarian law, and they must remain protected. All parties should respect
humanitarian principles and understand that medical care recognizes no sides,
just human suffering.
“The death and destruction is heartbreaking. On behalf of all Canadians, we are
deeply saddened by the loss of life and hope for a speedy recovery for those
injured.
“We call for an immediate end to attacks on civilians, bombings and siege
tactics.
“Canada calls on all parties to immediately adhere to the Terms for Cessation of
Hostilities in Syria agreement and to return to the negotiating table in good
faith. The people of Syria deserve a future that has hope and is free from
violence. It is up to the parties to work toward that.”
Contacts
Bernard Boutin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
343-203-5977
bernard.boutin@international.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
Follow us on Twitter: @CanadaFP, @CanadaDev
Follow Minister Dion on Twitter: @MinCanadaFA
Like us on Facebook: Canada’s foreign policy - Global Affairs Canada, Canada’s
international development - Global Affairs Canada
Two IDF soldiers killed in
Golan Heights grenade explosion
Jerusalem Post/July 17/16
Two IDF soldiers - including a lone soldier from the United States - were
killed, and three others were wounded when a grenade in the possession of a
driver of a light armored military vehicle went off on Mount Hermon.
The casualties have been named as 20-year-old Sgt. Shlomo Rindenow, a soldier in
the 401 Brigade, originally from New Jersey, and 24-year-old St.-Sgt. Husam
Tafash, of Beit Jann. OC Northern Command, Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, has appointed
a commission to investigate the incident.
The incident began on Sunday morning at the entrance to the Majdal Checkpoint,
which is the first entry point to the Hermon region. The soldiers, from the
IDF's Combat Engineering Brigade, were in the area to secure a border road.
A senior IDF source provided preliminary details of the incident. According to
the source's account, an IDF David light armored vehicle, carrying soldiers and
a commander from the 601 battalion - a part of the Combat Engineers Brigade -
pulled over near the Majdal checkpoint position. The jeep came to a stop a meter
away from the position's concrete wall.
"At this stage, a conversation began, and the driver exited the vehicle, holding
the grenade," the source said. The driver, a reservist from the northern Druse
village of Beit Jann, had previously served as a career military driver, and
recently returned to service. As the driver walked around the front of the
vehicle, holding the grenade, the lone soldier, who was part of the checkpoint
personnel, stood between the jeep and the wall.
"We do not understand the circumstances of this event yet," the source said.
"The commander of the David vehicle then opened his door. At this time, the
blast occurred."
The explosion killed the driver holding the grenade, and the lone soldier
standing between the jeep and the wall. The commander in the vehicle sustained
serious injuries. Two additional soldiers were lightly wounded by shrapnel.
"This is a grave and difficult incident," the source said.
The IDF assembled a committee to investigate the blast, headed by Col. Yoav
Yarom, the commander of the Third Reserves Brigade. Senior officers from
Northern Command, and the Ground Forces, will take part in the investigation.
While combat soldiers who take part in the clearing of border roads are armed
with grenades, drivers of military vehicles are not. "We have to understand why
he exited the vehicle holding the grenade," the source said. "This is something
the committee of experts will determine.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Two-IDF-soldiers-killed-in-Golan-Heights-training-accident-460608?utm_source=copy+of+newsletter+15-07-2016&utm_campaign=newsletter_17_7
Major terrorist attack prevented in downtown
Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post/July 17/16
A large-scale terrorist attack was averted in the heart of downtown Jerusalem
Sunday morning, when security guards prevented an Arab man from the West Bank
from boarding the light rail at Jaffa Center Station with three pipe bombs and
several knives in his bag.
Shortly before 9 a.m., police said security guards stationed in the densely
populated area observed the unidentified suspect, who carried a shoulder bag,
behaving suspiciously. Upon questioning the man, he informed police he was
carrying several explosives.
The suspect, who police described as in his 20s and from the village of Beit Ula,
near Hebron, was immediately detained and forced to lay flat on the ground at
gunpoint, as security personnel found at least three pipe bombs and knives in
the bag, police said.
Sappers arrived at the scene moments later, and within minutes, area store
workers and pedestrians were evacuated near the intersection of Jaffa and King
George Roads, down to the station stop, a few meters away.
Train service was halted for over one hour, as dozens of people waited anxiously
several hundred meters away outside the cordoned-off area.
During a hurried press conference, Jerusalem District Police Commander Yoram
Halevy said the suspect targeted the light rail, where he planned a “large
attack” by detonating the explosives after boarding the train.
“The plan was apparently to attack the light rail,” said Halevi, adding that
knives were also found in the man’s bag. “It appears that the terrorist planned
a mixed attack of explosions and stabbings.”
Joseph Spaniel, a man in his 60s with a long flowing beard, who lives across the
street from the train station, said he was walking to a nearby laundromat when
he saw the chaos unfold.
“At about 9 a.m. I saw a security guard with a gun holding it at someone lying
on the ground, and another guard came and took his trousers off and searched for
other explosives,” he said while watching police secure the area by Zion Square,
as a saxophonist played unencumbered nearby.
“I was rushed by police over here, and have been waiting to go home since.”
Chaya Ben Veniste, 18, who lives nearby, said she saw people fleeing to safety
as police secured the scene. “I had just left my apartment to use the light rail
and saw people running and scared a little before 9 a.m., and I ran back to my
apartment,” she said. “It was very frightening.”Nir Shuval, who owns a popular
candy shop across the street from the train station, watched the scene unfold a
few meters away.
“At around 9 a.m. I saw security guards holding their guns at some man lying on
the floor and then the police rushed over,” he said. “All the store workers on
the street were evacuated by police and we had to wait one hour to go
back.”Sarit Cohen, who owns a women’s evening gown store next to the light rail
stop, said she was forced to walk to work from the Central Bus Station, roughly
3 kilometers away, after the train was shut down.
“Of course I saw from my cell phone what was happening,” she said inside her
shop, moments after police reopened the area at approximately 10:30 a.m.
“It is a different event than the ones we became used to over the last few
months – it’s a major event, and it’s good that they were alert and stopped it.
There was a lot of luck.”
Asked if she feared for her life, Cohen held back tears. “I’m upset more than
nervous,” she said. “I’m actually desperate because there’s no future. There’s
no future. We’re in one of the worst times that we’ve ever had here, and my shop
was destroyed by a bomb in 2001.”
Cohen continued: “Thank God nothing happened this time, but what’s our
children’s future here? What?”Ronen Dahon, who works at a shoe store on Jaffa
Road a few meters from the train station, said he was prevented from entering
his shop when he arrived at the scene shortly after at 9 a.m., and watched
police and sappers continued to search the area at the intersection of King
George and Jaffa Roads.
“I knew what was happening because someone sent me a message on my phone saying
some Arab came with a bag of explosives,” he said. “The police closed off all
the area, so I had to wait over an hour to get to work.”Dahon added that he was
not surprised by the bomb scare, noting that daily security threats unfold in
the area.
“All the time this happens in this area on King George and Jaffa Roads – not
like this for one hour, but all the time people come here and have something
[suspicious] in their bag, and the police search them and do security checks,”
he said. Shiko Shakovitzky, a cashier at a cell phone shop across the street
from the scene of the prevented attack, said he had just opened the store when
the man was detained. “There was no train there at the time, and the security
guys were screaming at [the terrorist] and had him on the floor for about 10
minutes,” he said. “Then they took off his clothes and checked his bag and found
three bombs, and that’s when the police told me to leave the store, so I
did.”Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat praised the light rail guards, whose quick
actions prevented what could have been a disastrous attack.
“This morning, thanks to the vigilance of the Jerusalem Municipality guards of
the light rail, a major attack was prevented,” he said in a statement. “The
guards stationed at the light rail are part of the fabric of the human shield of
Jerusalem against the terrorists who are trying to sow terror and fear. Our
message to the public is to continue your routine, remain vigilant and never
give in to terrorism.” Barkat added that while police continue to “pursue
terrorists everywhere without compromise,” the city must continue to function
and develop.
*The JPost Staff contributed to this report.
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Police-arrest-Palestinian-suspected-of-carrying-explosive-device-460610?utm_source=copy+of+newsletter+15-07-2016&utm_campaign=newsletter_17_7
2 U.S. Police Killed, 5 Hurt
in Louisiana Attack
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 17/16/A gunman killed at least two police
officers and injured at least five more in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Sunday,
local media reported. Several of those injured were reported to be in critical
condition. "The scene seems to be contained right now," Baton Rouge police
spokesman Don Coppola told television station WAFB. The station aired video
footage of police responding to the scene in Baton Rouge. Multiple shots could
be heard as civilian cars quickly backed away. The shooting appeared to be
carried out by a lone gunman carrying an assault rifle, local media reported.
Police arrested more than 100 protesters taking part in a demonstration against
police brutality in Baton Rouge last week.
Armenian Opposition Group Seizes Yerevan Police
Building, Takes Hostages
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 17/16/A policemen was killed as an armed
Armenian group with links to a jailed opposition leader seized a police building
in Yerevan on Sunday and took hostages, demanding the president's resignation.
"A group of armed men entered the premises of a police regiment in Yerevan and
is holding hostages under the threat of violence," Armenia's National Security
Service said in a statement. "One policeman was killed and two others wounded.
Two hostages were freed," it said. One of the gunmen said on social media that
the hostages included the country's deputy police chief. Nikol Pashinyan, a
lawmaker in Armenia's parliament who met the hostage takers, told journalists
that the group had taken eight police hostage but then released a hostage who
was suffering from high blood pressure. "The Armenian state continues to operate
normally, police carry out their duties to protect public order and security,"
the security service said, dismissing rumors on social networks that a coup was
underway.Media reports said that the group was demanding the release of Zhirair
Sefilyan, an opposition politician who was arrested last month for alleged
procession of firearms. "We demand the release of Zhirair Sefilyan, we will only
obey his orders. Sarkisian must resign," one of the group members, Varuzhan
Avetisyan, wrote on Facebook, referring to Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian..
He said that two top police officers, Armenia's deputy police chief General
Major Vardan Egiazaryan and Yerevan deputy police chief Colonel Valeri Osipyan,
were being held hostage. One of the gunmen, named as Tatul Tamrazyan, has been
"seriously wounded," Avetisyan wrote. Sefilyan, the leader of a small opposition
group, the New Armenia Public Salvation Front, and six of his supporters were
arrested in June after the authorities said they were preparing a plot to seize
several government buildings and telecommunication facilities in Yerevan. A
fierce government critic, Sefilyan was arrested in 2006 over calls for "a
violent overthrow of the government" and jailed for 18 months. He was released
in 2008. Last year, Sefilyan and several of his supporters were arrested again
on suspicion of preparing a coup, but released shortly afterwards. A shrewd
former military officer, Sarkisian has been president of the tiny country of 2.9
million since winning a vote in 2008 that saw bloody clashes between police and
supporters of the defeated opposition candidate in which 10 people died.
Failed Turkey Coup 'Not Blank Check' for Erdogan,
France Warns
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 17/16/France's foreign minister warned
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday against using his country's
failed coup as a "blank check" to silence his opponents. "It was important to
condemn the coup in Turkey. That is the least we can do," Jean-Marc Ayrault told
France 3 television. But he also warned Erdogan against using the abortive
putsch as a pretext for clamping down on his opponents. "We want the rule of law
to work properly in Turkey," Ayrault said, warning: "This is not a blank check
for Mr. Erdogan." This view was echoed by Ayrault's Austrian counterpart,
Sebastian Kurz, who said Erdogan should not "misuse" the coup as "a carte
blanche to do whatever he wants."Their remarks came as Turkish authorities
continued a crackdown over the coup, arresting over 6,000 people accused of
involvement in the putsch or of supporting the coup plotters. "There must not be
a purge. Those who dealt a blow to democracy must be be prosecuted within the
framework of the rule of law," Ayrault said. EU foreign ministers meeting Monday
in Brussels would drive home that point, he said. Questioned about Turkey's
reliability in the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group, Ayrault
described the NATO member as a "great country" and ally but said the events of
the past two days did "raise questions.""There's (the question of) reliability
on the one hand and, indeed, an element of suspicion on the other," he said. The
foreign ministry later insisted Ayrault had not meant to question Turkey's
dependability in the fight against IS, which has been blamed for several major
attacks in both Turkey and France in the past year.
Greece to examine Turkey coup
soldiers’ asylum requests ‘quickly’
Reuters Sunday, 17 July 2016/Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has told
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan the asylum requests of Turkish soldiers who
fled to Greece on Saturday would be examined "quickly," a Greek government
official said. Tsipras, who made the comments in a phone call with Erdogan late
on Saturday, said the procedure would be carried out "with absolute respect" to
what is stipulated by international law and human rights treaties, the official
added. The eight soldiers fled to Greece in a helicopter after a failed military
coup against the Turkish government and were arrested after landing in the
northern Greek city of Alexandroupolis.
Don’t travel to Turkey: US
warns citizens after coup attempt
AFP, Washington Sunday, 17 July 2016/The United States warned its citizens
against travel to Turkey on Saturday after authorities crushed a military coup
that claimed at least 265 lives. “The US Department of State warns US citizens
of increased threats from terrorist groups throughout Turkey and to avoid travel
to southeastern Turkey,” a statement read. “In light of the July 15 coup attempt
and its aftermath, we suggest US citizens reconsider travel to Turkey at this
time.”Turkish authorities blamed Fethullah Gulen, a US-based cleric who is
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s arch enemy, for the plot and lost no time in
rounding up 2,839 soldiers over alleged involvement, amid global alarm over the
extent of the retribution. The State Department said travel restrictions have
been imposed on US government personnel in southeastern Turkey. Watch soldiers
arrested by journalists, policemen inside Turkish TV channel. “US citizens are
reminded to review personal security plans and remain vigilant at all times,” it
added. “Foreign and US tourists have been explicitly targeted by international
and indigenous terrorist organizations.” The US government suspended all flights
to Turkey, and banned all airlines from flying to the United States from Turkey
due to uncertainty after Friday’s failed coup -- in line with many other
international carriers.
Israel fires missiles at
Syrian drone
Reuters, Jerusalem Sunday, 17 July 2016/Israel on Sunday fired missiles towards
an unmanned drone that entered Israeli-controlled airspace from Syria and it
turned back, the military said in a statement. “Two Patriot air defense missiles
were fired towards a drone which infiltrated Israeli airspace in the central
Golan Heights. The drone returned to Syria,” the Israeli army said. A military
spokeswoman said there were no known casualties. Israel has often responded to
errant mortar fire from the civil war in neighboring Syria on the
Israeli-controlled Golan Heights with tank and mortar shells and with air
strikes, but the use of Patriot anti-aircraft interceptor missiles is unusual. A
Syrian rebel source in the area said the Syrian army had launched a rare air
raid on al-Shajara village along the Jordanian border. The village, which is
also close to the Israeli frontier, is held by the Shuhada al-Yarmouk group, who
are thought to be ISIS affiliates. Though formally neutral on the civil war,
Israel has frequently pledged to prevent shipments of advanced weaponry to
Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah group, whose fighters have been allied with
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Two months ago, Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said Israel had launched dozens of strikes in Syria. The Golan Heights
is a strategic plateau that Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East,
and annexed in a move that has not won international recognition.
Syrian army seizes only road
into rebel-held Aleppo
Reuters, Amman Sunday, 17 July 2016/Syria’s army and allied militia fighters
seized the only road into the rebel-held part of Aleppo on Sunday, tightening a
siege around opposition areas of the northern city, which President Bashar
al-Assad has pledged to recapture. Aleppo has been a major battlefield of
Syria’s civil war since rebels swept into it in the summer of 2012, and an
opposition defeat there would mark their biggest setback in five years of
conflict. Around 300,000 people live in rebel-held eastern Aleppo and for months
their lifeline has been a highway leading north from the city known as the
Castello Road. Nearly two weeks ago, pro-government forces advanced to positions
overlooking the road, effectively cutting it off - although some trucks still
braved the hazardous route last week, an opposition official in Aleppo said.
Four rebel sources said that the army, backed by militias and fighters from
Lebanon’s Hezbollah, advanced to the road itself on Sunday. “They’ve reached the
road - it’s completely cut,” Zakaria Malahifji of the Aleppo-based rebel group
Fastaqim told Reuters. The other Aleppo-based rebel sources, including members
of the Levant Front and Nur Al Din Zinki armed groups, confirmed that
pro-government forces had reached the road. “It’s a disaster, but we’ll see how
the battle ends. I don’t know whether they will push them back or it will stay
like this,” Malahifji said. A local rebel command centre warned people not to
use the road after several residents trying to flee in minibuses and cars came
under fire from pro-government forces, rebels said. “All-out offensive”Sixteen
rebel fighters were killed in the clashes around the Castello Road and nearby
districts on Sunday, Syrian state media and the British-based Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights said. They did not give figures for losses on the government
side. Fighting continued through the day and one rebel group, Jaysh al-Nasr,
said the insurgents retook some territory. But another rebel commander said the
government had launched an “all-out offensive”, using heavy artillery, planes
and tanks, on the last rebel supply route, saying it marked the start of a
complete siege of the opposition in Aleppo. “We are now besieged and you don’t
have any tunnel or any strategic stockpile that lasts for long.. only for two or
three months to feed 300,000 people,” the commander, who asked not to be
identified, told Reuters. He predicted a lengthy blockade before an attack on
the main rebel districts. “After two or three months you will start getting
hungry and can no longer resist, and then they will storm the city,” he said.
Aleppo, Syria’s largest city and pre-war commercial hub, and the surrounding
area near the Turkish border, have comprised a major theatre in the war, divided
between areas of government and rebel control. Escalating fighting there helped
ruin a February cessation of hostilities agreement which had paved the way for
unsuccessful peace talks in Geneva. The war has greatly diminished Assad’s
control of Syria, with ISIS, an array of rebel groups, and a powerful Kurdish
militia capturing wide parts of the country. But a Russian air campaign, backed
by ground support from Iran and Hezbollah, has helped reverse losses since late
last year. Sunday’s fighting came a day after heavy air strikes on rebel-held
Aleppo neighbourhoods killed at least 28 people, including five children and
seven women, the Observatory said. A huge explosion shook the government-held
town of Safira, southeast of Aleppo, overnight and flames could seen from miles
away. Opposition activists and the monitoring group said explosives at a large
military base appeared to have blown up.
State media said the blast was caused by a technical fault and the fire had been
brought under control.
Rebel-held areas of Syria’s
Aleppo fully besieged
AFP, Aleppo Sunday, 17 July 2016/Opposition-controlled parts of Syria’s battered
northern city Aleppo are now completely besieged, a monitor and a rebel group
said Sunday, after government forces severed the last route out of the east.
Regime fighters are now on the Castello Road and have fully cut it, said Rami
Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
“The eastern neighborhoods are now completely besieged,” he told AFP. The army
had advanced on July 7 to within firing range of the key supply route but had
not reached the road itself. “Aleppo is now 100-percent besieged,” a rebel
fighter from the Aleppo Revolutionaries group told AFP. “The army has reached
the road and even arrested a group of civilians who were walking there,” the
fighter said. “They are now setting up sandbag barriers,” he said. AFP’s
correspondent in one eastern rebel-controlled neighborhood said the distant
sound of clashes could be heard. Watch: How Russia plans to attack Aleppo?
Two new arrests in France’s
truck massacre case
AFP, Paris Sunday, 17 July 2016/French police on Sunday arrested a man and a
woman with ties to the man behind a truck ramming attack claimed by ISIS, a
judicial source said.
Five other people are already in custody, including the estranged wife of
Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a Tunisian with no apparent links to extremism who is
said to have been radicalized very quickly. Bouhlel was shot dead by police
after he rammed a truck through a crowd celebrating France’s Bastille Day in the
resort city of Nice, leaving 84 dead and about 300 more injured.
Bahrain court dissolves main opposition bloc
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Sunday, 17 July 2016/A Bahraini court on Sunday
ordered the opposition group al-Wefaq to be dissolved after authorities accused
it of “harboring terrorism,” according to a report Bahrain News Agency. The
administrative court in Manama also ordered the movement’s funds to be seized by
the government. The court accused al-Wefaq of “inciting violence and encouraging
demonstrations and sit-ins which could lead to sectarian strife in the country,”
the statement on BNA read. It said that the bloc had “criticized the performance
of the state authorities -- executive, judicial, and legislative.”The court
suspended all of al-Wefaq’s activities on June 14, ordering its offices closed
and assets frozen.
Yemen talks resume in ‘last
chance’ for peace
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Sunday, 17 July 2016/UN-sponsored Yemen peace
talks resumed Saturday in Kuwait where a joint meeting was attended by
delegations of the warring sides. The second round of talks - chaired by the UN
envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, were opened with a statement
highlighting the responsibility of all parties involved to take decisive action
for peace. The UN envoy warned the delegations that this round of talks is the
last chance to make peace in accordance with the international terms of
reference agreed upon. Ahmed pointed out that decisions will be based mainly on
the Security Council Resolution 2216 which requires the rebels and their allies
to withdraw from areas they have occupied since 2014, including the capital
Sanaa, and hand over heavy weapons.
The talks were scheduled to resume after a 15-day suspension that coincided with
the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of Ramadan. Foreign Minister
Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi said the government had obtained a “written response to
our demands sufficient for the political leadership to decide (on) sending the
delegation back to Kuwait”. “The deal stipulates that the Kuwait talks will not
exceed two weeks, during which there will be a strict commitment to references,”
he wrote on Twitter. A well-defined timetable has been agreed that is limited to
“withdrawal, handover of arms, return of state institutions, release of
prisoners and lifting siege on cities” by the Iran-backed Houthi militias and
their allies, Mikhlafi said. The deal was struck after two days of talks with UN
special envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed in Riyadh, he said. It was also
agreed that the two-week duration will not be extended and no other issues will
be debated, he added. The rebel delegation of Houthis and representatives of
former president Ali Abdullah Saleh’s General People’s Congress party arrived in
Kuwait on Friday. More than two months of negotiations between President
Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi’s Saudi-backed government and the militants have failed
to make any headway.The government is calling for implementation of UN Security
Council Resolution 2216 which requires the rebels and their allies to withdraw
from areas they have occupied since 2014, including the capital Sanaa, and hand
over heavy weapons. Hadi on Sunday warned that his government would boycott the
talks if the UN envoy insisted on a roadmap stipulating a unity government that
included the insurgents. His government wants to re-establish its authority
across the entire country, much of which is rebel-controlled, and to restart a
political transition interrupted when the Houthis seized Sanaa. More than 6,400
people have been killed in Yemen since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in
support of Hadi’s government in March last year. Another 2.8 million people have
been displaced and more than 80 percent of the population urgently needs
humanitarian aid, according to UN figures. (With AFP)
Pakistani police arrest
brother of slain model Qandeel Baloch
By Ismaeel Naar/Al Arabiya English Sunday, 17 July 2016/Pakistani police say the
brother of slain model Qandeel Baloch has confessed to strangling her to death
for “family honor” because she posted “shameful” pictures on Facebook. Baloch
had stirred controversy by posting pictures online of herself with a prominent
Muslim cleric. She was found dead on Saturday at her family home in the central
city of Multan. Her brother, Waseem Azeem, was arrested Sunday. Multan police
chief Akram Azhar says authorities will charge Azeem with murder and seek the
“maximum punishment.” Murder carries a potential death sentence, but under
Pakistani law the family of the victim would be able to pardon him. Nearly 1,000
women are killed by close relatives in Pakistan each year in so-called “honor
killings” for violating conservative norms on love and marriage. READ ALSO:
Pakistani Oscar-nominated film sheds light on honor killings. ‘She was really
nice and kind’ “When I met Qandeel at my workplace, we had to send her back home
to change into more conservative clothing. She was absolutely fine and sweet
about it. She was really nice and met everyone with kindness,” Alia Chughtai, a
Pakistan-based journalist who met Baloch a few months ago, told Al Arabiya
English. Baloch, whose real name was Fauzia Azeem, first came to prominence when
she auditioned for Pakistan Idol and established a socialite-like status through
social media. The BBC, who profiled her a short while ago, even called her the
“Kim Kardashian of Pakistan.” The sad thing is people don’t know Fauzia Azeem’s
story, they just know Qandeel because that’s what she put out on social media
and that’s what she wanted us to know. What she went through, her rites of
passage and how she managed to make an income by becoming a social media star…
nobody knows these answers,” she said. Activists launched a nationwide campaign
to push Pakistani stakeholders to pass the Anti-Honor Killings Laws Bill 2014 in
the Parliament. The issue has come back to the forefront once again after
Pakistan won its second Oscar after filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy claimed it
for her documentary “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness.”“If we are
to curtail the spike in numbers we have to pass legislation and begin to make
examples of the murderers- sending a message that a woman's life is valuable and
that is anyone dares to kill- there will be serious consequences,” Obaid told Al
Arabiya English. But passing laws is not enough, Obaid-Chinoy admitted. “We have
to make sure that the media plays a vital role in sending a clear message that
there is no justification for honor killings and that apologists who think
otherwise are banned from being on television,” she said.
Sudan’s Bashir defies the
ICC, attending Rwanda summit
The Associated Press, Kigali, Rwanda Sunday, 17 July 2016/Sudan’s President Omar
al-Bashir arrived in Rwanda on Saturday to attend a summit of African leaders,
defying an international warrant for his arrest after public assurances from
Rwandan leaders that he would not be arrested. The African Union summit on
Sunday is expected to discuss the continent’s uneasy relationship with the
International Criminal Court, which some say unfairly targets Africans. Ahead of
the summit, some African countries renewed efforts to quit the ICC enmasse
despite the opposition of some countries like Botswana. Nigeria, Senegal and
Ivory Coast have been pushing back as well in recent days. Ugandan President
Yoweri Museveni has led growing criticism of the ICC, calling it “useless”
during his inauguration in May, an event that al-Bashir attended. Some countries
want a separate African court with jurisdiction over rights abuses. “Withdrawal
from ICC is entirely within the sovereignty of a particular state,” Joseph
Chilengi, an AU official, told reporters Saturday. Al-Bashir is wanted by the
ICC for alleged atrocities in the country’s Darfur region. He should be at the
ICC answering to charges that include genocide, “not persisting in this game of
cat-and-mouse with the court,” Elise Keppler of Human Rights Watch said Saturday
night. Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said this week that Rwanda
would not arrest al-Bashir. “Africa doesn’t support criminals, but when justice
is involved with a lot of politics we take a pause to separate the two,”
Mushikiwabo told reporters. The African Union summit also will discuss South
Sudan, where clashing army factions raised concerns of a return to civil war.
The chaos threatens a peace deal signed last August between President Salva Kiir
and rebel leader Riek Machar. United Nations Chief Ban Ki-moon, who is attending
the summit, has called for an arms embargo.
Canadian Minister Dion to welcome
Igor Crnadak, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
July 17, 2016 - Ottawa,
Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced today that
Igor Crnadak, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, will make an
official visit to Canada from July 17 to 20, 2016.
During their meeting, Minister Dion and Minister Crnadak will discuss Bosnia and
Herzegovina’s aspirations to join NATO, as well as such issues as regional
security, violent extremism and radicalization, and peaceful pluralism.
Minister Dion will host a luncheon during which both ministers will have the
opportunity to share their respective experiences of federalism.
This is the first visit to Canada by a Bosnian minister since 2011.
Quotes
“The possibility of bringing the Western Balkans more fully into our shared
community of values will lead to greater stability and prosperity. Canada is
highly supportive of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s efforts to develop into a
peaceful, prosperous and inclusive democratic country that is a strong partner
for Canada.”
- Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Associated links
Embassy of Canada to Hungary, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Contacts
Chantal Gagnon
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
343-203-1851
chantal.gagnon@international.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
Follow us on Twitter: @CanadaFP
Follow Minister Dion on Twitter: @MinCanadaFA
Like us on Facebook: Canada’s foreign policy - Global Affairs Canada
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations
Committee pass resolution on rights of PMOI members in Camp Liberty
NCRI/July 17/16/ The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
unanimously backed a resolution last week regarding the rights of members of the
main Iranian opposition group, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI
or MEK), in Camp Liberty in Iraq.
The text of the resolution was submitted to the Senate committee by Senator John
McCain (R-AZ).
The resolution was passed unanimously at a session of the Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations, chaired by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), on July 14, 2016.
At the session, the committee's Ranking Member, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), said
he supports the resolution also known as "S. CON. RES. 42".
Also at the meeting, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) requested to be added as a
co-sponsor of S-Con Res. 42, adding that she appreciates that the committee was
endorsing the text at this time.
Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) told the meeting: "I appreciate that we are moving
the Resolution calling on the Government of Iraq, the United Nations, and the
United States government to commit to expediting a workable resettlement process
for the people of Camp Liberty. We are reminded of the danger they face, just
this past 4th of July, when attacks were once again upon Camp Liberty, as a
reality of everyday life there.”
Senator Menendez was referring to a terrorist rocket attack on Camp Liberty on
July 4 by a militia affiliated to the Iranian regime in Iraq.
He added: “It is the United States, when we invaded Iraq that went to the MEK
and said that we want you to give up your weapons and in return we will
guarantee you your security. Well they did that and much more. They gave us
information about Iran’s nuclear program, they have continued to do so. And yet
we have not, from my perspective, done what is necessary to secure the guarantee
that we gave. I hope that this resolution moves it forward so that they could be
resettled safely outside of Iraq and continue to enjoy the freedoms of liberty."
The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on May 18, 2016
unanimously approved and referred to the House Floor a similar bipartisan
resolution calling for "safety and security" of the members of the main Iranian
opposition group People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK) living in
Camp Liberty, Iraq.
The following is the text of the Senate resolution:
114th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. CON. RES. 42
To express the sense of Congress regarding the safe and expeditious resettlement
to Albania of all residents of Camp Liberty.
________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 6, 2016
Mr. McCain submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Relations
________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To express the sense of Congress regarding the safe and expeditious resettlement
to Albania of all residents of Camp Liberty.
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),
SECTION 1. Sense of Congress on the safe resettlement of Camp Liberty residents.
It is the sense of Congress that the United States should—
(1) work with the Government of Iraq and the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) to ensure that all residents of Camp Liberty are safely and
expeditiously resettled in Albania;
(2) work with the Government of Iraq, the Government of Albania, and the UNHCR
to prevent the Government of Iran from intervening in the resettlement process
by abusing international organizations, including Interpol and other
organizations of which the United States is a member;
(3) urge the Government of Iraq to take prompt and appropriate steps in
accordance with international agreements to promote the physical security and
protection of residents of Camp Liberty during the resettlement process,
including steps to ensure that the personnel responsible for providing security
at Camp Liberty are adequately vetted to determine that they are not affiliated
with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Qods Force;
(4) urge the Government of Iraq to ensure continued and reliable access to food,
clean water, medical assistance, electricity and other energy needs, and any
other equipment and supplies necessary to sustain the residents during the
resettlement process;
(5) work with the Government of Iraq to make all reasonable efforts to
facilitate the sale of residents’ property and assets remaining at Camp Ashraf
and Camp Liberty for the purpose of funding their cost of living and
resettlement out of Iraq;
(6) work with the Government of Iraq and the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) to ensure that Camp Liberty residents may exercise full
control of all personal assets in Camp Liberty and the former Camp Ashraf as the
residents deem necessary;
(7) assist, and maintain close and regular communication with the UNHCR for the
purpose of expediting the ongoing resettlement of all residents of Camp Liberty,
without exception, to Albania;
(8) urge the Government of Albania, and the UNHCR to ensure the continued
recognition of the resettled residents as “persons of concern” entitled to
international protections according to principles and standards in the
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, done at Geneva July 28, 1951, and
the International Bill of Human Rights; and
(9) work with the Government of Albania and the UNHCR to facilitate and provide
suitable locations for housing of the remaining Camp Liberty residents in
Albania until such time when the residents become self-sufficient in meeting
their residential needs in Albania.
Mohammad Mohaddessin tells
Al-Arabiya Iran regime incapable of reform
Sunday, 17 July 2016/NCRI - Al-Arabiya television last week aired an interview
with Mohammad Mohaddessin, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the
National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), about the situation of the
Iranian opposition.
Al-Arabiya originally aired the interview in Arabic on July 15. Al-Arabiya
English has also broadcast the interview with English subtitles.
Mr. Mohaddessin said he believes that the mullahs' regime cannot be reformed as
it is based on the pillars of absolute repression and support for terrorism and
fundamentalism.
Click below to watch the 23-minute interview with English subtitles.
Rep. Robert Pittenger: Deal
with Iran regime must be halted
NCRI/Sunday, 17 July 2016/The Obama administration should refrain from issuing
export licenses for dual-use commercial-military aircraft being sold to the
Iranian regime, U.S. Congressman Robert Pittenger wrote on Sunday in the
Statesville Record and Landmark.
In a column for the paper, Rep. Pittenger wrote:
Do you think state sponsors of terrorism should be allowed to purchase
commercial aircraft that could be used for military purposes?
What if it was the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism? And what if it
was the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism which had a history of
using commercial aircraft for military purposes?
You might think like me, sales of commercial aircraft to such a country should
be blocked.
But President Obama doesn’t think so.
As a part of his nuclear deal with Iran, President Obama agreed to license
exports of dual-use commercial-military aircraft, even though Iran has used
similar aircraft to re-supply and support terrorists in the past.
Five years ago, the Obama Administration imposed sanctions on Iran Air for
multiple infractions including using passenger and cargo planes to transport
rockets and missiles to places such as Syria, and members of Iran's
Revolutionary Guard Corps taking control of flights carrying sensitive cargo.
The administration used a technicality to drop those penalties as part of last
year's nuclear deal.
Just last month, it was reported that Iran Air aircraft were spotted flying
along known weapon resupply routes in Syria. Moreover, Iran Air has previously
been accused of facilitating illegal weapon transfers between Iran and North
Korea, further bolstering North Korea’s illicit ballistic missile program.
This is the airline company President Obama wants to receive new planes.
But this week, I introduced a bill to stop Iran Air from procuring American-made
planes that could facilitate the trafficking of arms to terror organizations,
and was pleased when the House Financial Services Committee quickly took it up
and passed the bill through committee.
HR 5729, the Stop U.S. Support for State Sponsors of Terrorism Act, is simple –
it prohibits the Administration from allowing exports of dual-use
commercial-military aircraft to Iran.
If our government is truly serious in opposing terrorist groups and stopping the
flow of resources to groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, then we cannot support the
export of these aircraft to Iran.
LAST WEEK IN WASHINGTON
In light of the attacks in France, working with our allies to combat terrorism
is more important than ever. Last week the House of Representatives passed a
bill I sponsored increasing our anti-terrorism efforts abroad with our allies.
The Enhancing Treasury’s Anti-Terror Tools Act (H.R. 5607) requires the Treasury
Department to investigate how to incorporate our Embassies into
counter-terrorism financing efforts, including the possible expansion of
overseas personnel to share technical expertise with our allies in an effort to
better identify and intercept terrorist financing.
The issue of abortion is one of the most contentious issues in the public
debate, but there should be room to find common ground. We should all be able to
agree that under no circumstances should the government be able to use its power
to deny people their First Amendment conscience rights. That’s why this week we
passed the Conscience Protection Act, which ensures health care providers cannot
be punished for not participating in abortions. Freedom is a cornerstone of our
governing document – the Constitution. We must not lose respect for freedom and
conscience protections in health care.
Following up on previous action and new revelations, last week I sent a letter
cosigned by 14 Members of Congress, urging the Commerce, Treasury, and State
Departments to impose stiff penalties on a Chinese government-affiliated
company, ZTE Corporation, for blatantly violating Iran export control laws.
These laws are intended to restrict technologies which could be used to oppress
human rights.
*Rep. Robert Pittenger represents North Carolina's 9th District in the U.S.
Congress.
Maryam Rajavi: Extremists are
misusing the name of Islam
NCRI/Saturday, 16 July 2016 11:23
Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, earlier this week
wrote a commentary for Forbes exposing the un-Islamic nature of Islamic
fundamentalists who massacre innoncent people in the name of religion.
Mrs. Rajavi pointed out that last week, billions of Muslims around the world
celebrated Eid al-Fitr, which marks the joyous end of the holy month of Ramadan.
To practicing Muslims of all stripes, Ramadan is a season of compassion,
self-betterment and community, values wholly denigrated by the persistence of
terrorism and tyranny under the name of Islam.
She added that the spasms of violence in places such as Orlando, Istanbul,
Bangladesh and even Saudi Arabia are the deliberate outcomes of a frightening
and aggressive world outlook that offers a twisted image of Islam. Its foot
soldiers strip Quranic verses and the traditions of the Prophet of all context
in a vain–and illegitimate–attempt to justify murder, conquest and subjugation.
In the article, published on July 10, Mrs. Rajavi wrote:
This is not Islam.
From the outset, when Prophet Mohammad invited all to accept a single God, he
told people that this would bring them salvation. God said in the Holy Quran
that the Prophet had come to open the chains from people’s hands and feet. Prior
to this, Jesus had said, “Love one another just as the Lord loves you.” Before
him, Moses invited people to a religion that considers human beings as part of
one family, describing the various peoples, ethnicities and tribes as branches
that lead back to a single source.
So, all of us, as the children of Abraham, are brothers and sisters. What is
essential in relations among human beings is not retribution, tyranny and
exploitation, but freedom, compassion and unity.
Sadly, oppressive rulers and forces have interpreted Quranic verses over time in
accordance with the most reactionary schools of thought. In the course of this
conflict, two diametrically opposed versions of Islam have emerged. One is based
on tyranny. The other is based on freedom.
From the mullahs ruling in Tehran, to the Lebanese Hezbollah, to Boko Haram and
Daesh, all exhibit a twisted commitment to the oppressive and tyrannical
interpretation. But one need only look to the Quran to realize that they stand
in stark contrast against the truth of Islam.
The truth of Islam
What today’s extremists introduce as “Jihad” is nothing other than sheer
terrorism and brutality. The meaning of jihad in the Quran is to rise up against
injustice, something that has even been enshrined in the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights. The Quran gives permission for jihad only to those who face
injustices, are being murdered or forcibly exiled from their country.
Ironically, Muslims who oppose the rule of clerics or caliphs, as well as
non-Muslims who refuse to surrender to them, are the primary targets of this
falsely labeled “jihad.”
Extremists also espouse brutal inequality and violence against women, depriving
them of basic rights, barring them from leadership roles, and oppressing them as
second-class citizens. But Islam played a pioneering role in opening the path of
liberty and equality for women. From the earliest days, hundreds of women gained
prominence by swearing allegiance to the Prophet and assuming responsibilities
in political, social and military matters.
Another horrifying trait of extremists is their attempt to discredit moral,
humanitarian and Islamic principles as they grapple for power. Before becoming
the leader of Iran, Khomeini in his book titled The Islamic State deemed as
permissible mass killings in order to ensure the survival of the state or, as he
put it, in order to “uproot many of the corrupt races that are harmful to
society.”
Is it not true that monotheistic religions were revealed in order to imbue human
beings with moral codes and humanitarian principles? Were the Ten Commandments
of Moses or everything that Jesus and Mohammad said not intended to contain the
aggressive, greedy and oppressive tendencies of human beings in order to
inaugurate a path toward freedom?
It brings me deep sorrow that extremists of all stripes portray themselves as
defenders of Islamic and moral standards. In order to implement unjustified
violence, which they falsely describe as “Islamic punishments,” they have
amputated limbs, gouged out eyes and stoned women to death with indescribable
barbarity.
No one has trampled upon Islamic law more than this bunch. As the Quran says,
“And of men is he whose speech about the life of this world pleases thee, and he
calls Allah to witness as to that which is in his heart, yet he is the most
violent of adversaries. And when he holds authority, he makes effort in the land
to cause mischief in it and destroy tilth and offspring; and Allah loves not
mischief” (Quran 2:204-205).
The spirit of goodwill
It is critical for true followers of Islam to stand up against perversions of
our faith. And there are many groups who seek to do this, one of which is the
Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), the main component of the National Council of
Resistance of Iran (NCRI). Since its founding in 1965, the group has embarked on
a theoretical effort to understand the truth of Islam and wipe away dogmatic and
static readings of the Quran. The NCRI succeeded in promoting in Iranian society
the credible views of Islam on freedom, human rights, social justice, gender
equality and the rights of ethnic and religious minorities and other matters.
Muslims worldwide must come together to reject sectarianism and religious
conflicts. We must declare that the struggle is not between Shiites and Sunnis,
or Muslims and Christians, or the people and culture of the Middle East against
the people and culture of the West. Rather, the main struggle is between tyranny
and extremism on the one hand, and democracy and freedom on the other. And as
this month of Ramadan comes to an end, we must not allow the spirit of goodwill
to leave with it.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi is the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance
of Iran
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on
July 17-18/16
"Worthless Christians"
Treated "Like Animals"/Muslim Persecution of Christians: April 2016
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/July 17/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/07/17/raymond-ibrahimgatestone-institute-worthless-christians-treated-like-animalsmuslim-persecution-of-christians-april-2016/
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8451/christians-treated-like-animals
"Dr. Berhane Asmelash, a former prisoner and victim of torture, described
prisoners being tied up and hung from trees. One form of hanging is known as the
'Jesus Christ,' he said, because the victim looks as though they are on a
crucifix." — Eritrea.
Five Christian girls were kidnapped, forcibly converted to Islam, and forced to
marry their captors. — Pakistan.
"We expect the Swedish Government and the concerned authorities to immediately
make sure that these people are safe. A distinct asylum accommodation for
Christians and other asylum seekers is essential. We appeal to you to set off
such a place and give the word asylum back its true meaning of protection and
safety." — Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church.
In his response, the Director General of the Swedish Migration Board said that
separate housing for Christians and other vulnerable groups "would go against
principles and values that are central to Swedish society and our democracy."
United States: A pro-ISIS group called the United Cyber Caliphate defaced the
website of the Christian Reformed Church in Lamont, Michigan. A 15-year-old girl
discovered the vandalism, which consisted of an ISIS propaganda video and Arabic
text. The recruiter featured in the video says, "We will conquer your Rome,
break your crosses and enslave your women by the permission of Allah, the
Exalted. This is His promise to us, He is glorified and He does not fail in His
promise."
Ethiopia: Muslims in the majority-Christian country started riots in the East
Shewa Zone to attack Christians whom they accused of converting Muslims. They
burned down 14 churches of different denominations and left more than 2,000
Christians without places for worship. One church cemetery was also vandalized.
A church leader said: "We have been worshipping outside and sitting on the bare
ground bearing the hot sun. We appeal to our brothers elsewhere to come and
assist us. The attackers poured petrol and were chanting 'Allahu Akbar' [Allah
is Greater] before setting the church building on fire."
Uganda: Around midnight on April 12, a mob of Muslims demolished a Christian
church. They were heard chanting: "We cannot live together with neighbors who
are infidels. We have to fight for the cause of Allah." Musical instruments,
more than 500 plastic chairs and other property were also destroyed. Two days
earlier, a group of Muslims shouted "Allah only is to be worshipped, and
Muhammad is his prophet" and slaughtered a church leader's pigs, a key source of
income. He had previously received a text message saying, "Let this be known to
your church members that pigs are extremely unholy and an abomination before
Allah, very outrageous and shameful. They are haram [forbidden] and unlawful as
our holy Quran does prohibit them." A church member also received a message that
read, "We are soon coming for the heads of your pigs." He soon found that eight
of his swine had been killed.
Iraq: The Islamic State blew up Mosul's iconic Clock Church, famed for its
soaring clock tower, with explosives. According to the Assyrian International
News Agency, "Militants cordoned off areas surrounding the church and looted the
building for profitable artifacts and antiquities before destroying the
remaining parts with explosives.... The Clock Church....became a target of ISIS
attacks last year, when its cross was removed." Although Mosul was once home to
about 45 churches, most have either been destroyed or converted into courts or
jailhouses since the Islamic State took over in June 2014.
Indonesia: An Islamist group vandalized a new church in Bekasi and demanded that
the local mayor cancel its permit. The Santa Clara Church had received its
permit in July 2015 and opened this year on March 7. The Islamic Forum Community
and other Muslim leaders accused church leaders of acquiring the permit through
false means. The mayor of Bekasi denied the allegation and refused to annul the
church's permit. He said it had fulfilled all the legal requirements necessary
for construction. "Despite this," explained the Asian Human Rights Commission,
"law enforcement agencies have failed to protect the Santa Clara Church
congregants; in fact, it seems the agencies have no will or policy to enforce
the law against vigilantes. As a result, the church congregation lives under
pressure and intimidation." The rights group further called upon the local
police to "take a strong stance" against the Islamic Forum Community and "ensure
that the government guarantees protection to the Santa Clara congregation to
practice their religion."
Algeria: "Churches in Algeria are facing intimidation and harassment, despite
constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of worship in the country," noted
World Watch Monitor on April 29. That week, authorities claimed that a church in
the Kabylie region was ordered to cease all religious activities on the grounds
that it was violating a 2006 law that regulated non-Muslim worship. Authorities
threatened to commence legal proceedings against the church if Christian worship
continued there. Last February, authorities issued a notice to the church in the
town of Aït Djima, also in Kabylie, citing the same law. Critics say the 2006
law, which is aimed at regulating all religious worship except Islamic worship,
is used as a tool of persecution by the authorities. According to Rev. Haddad,
pastor of a Protestant church in the city of Algiers: "It is an unjust law
against Christians, who were denied their right to worship and the opportunity
to share the Gospel freely.... the situation of Christians in Algeria will not
improve until the outright law, which is no longer justified, is repealed."
Turkey: Six churches were seized by the government this April. After ten months
of conflict in the nation's southeast, the government expropriated huge sections
of property in the region's largest city, Diyarbakir. "But to the dismay of the
city's handful of Christian congregations," notes a World Watch Monitor, "this
includes all its Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches. Unlike the
state-funded mosques, Turkey's ancient church buildings – some of which pre-date
Islam – have been managed, historically, by church foundations. The new decision
has effectively made the Diyarbakir churches – one 1,700 years old, another
built only in 2003 – state property of Turkey, an Islamic country of 75
million." Few Christian houses of worship remain in Turkey's southeast. Although
it is the ancestral homeland of Syrians and Armenians, well over a million of
these ethnic Christians were massacred and sent on death marches during the
final years of the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century.
Palestinian Territories: In Gaza City, authorities demolished a recently
discovered, 1,800-year-old Christian church and its treasured artifacts, despite
attempts by Palestinian Christians to save them. Protests failed to win the
attention of the international community, including United Nations agencies such
as UNESCO, whose mission is to secure the world's cultural and natural heritage.
The ancient church was found in an area where Hamas is planning to build a
shopping mall. "The dramatic discovery of the antiquities did not seem to leave
an impression on the construction workers, who removed artifacts and continued
with their work at the site... Bulldozers were used to destroy some of the
church artifacts -- a devastation that drew sharp criticism from Palestinian
Christians, some of whom rushed to accuse both Hamas and the Palestinian
Authority (PA) of copying ISIS tactics in demolishing historic sites," notes the
World Watch Monitor report. "For Palestinian Christians, the destruction of the
church... ruins is yet a further attempt by Palestinian Muslim leaders to efface
both Christian history and signs of any Christian presence in the Palestinian
territories."
Muslim Slaughter of Christians
Nigeria: Muslim Fulani herdsmen slaughtered approximately 40 people in a
Christian majority village and burned Christ Holy Church International to the
ground. Ten homes were razed by arson, cars and motorcycles were destroyed, and
animals randomly killed. From his hospital bed a survivor said, "I was coming
out from the house when I heard the community bell ringing. I was going with a
friend to know what the bell was all about, only to see about 40 Fulani herdsmen
armed with sophisticated guns and machetes. They pursued us, killed my friend
and shot at me several times but missed. They caught up with me and used
machetes on me until I lost consciousness."
Pakistan: After a Christian man warned local Muslim drug dealers to "stop
recruiting young Christians to participate in the sale and consumption of
drugs," two men assaulted him while he was working in the field and "sliced open
his throat." According to local pastor Alfred Azam, "This is not the first
incident of persecution of Christians in our village, local Muslims are always
creating problems for our Christian community. Before and after our church
services Muslim drug dealers swarm around our church trying to sell drugs to our
vulnerable youth..." Azam explained that drug pushers regularly beat young
Christians and force them to take drugs to try to get them addicted. "When our
older men tell these criminals to leave our young people alone they get killed."
As usual, police officials "refused to register a report for the crime or take
any action whatsoever."
Separately, Muslims lynched a Christian, 18-year-old Qaisar Masih, on the
accusation that he was romantically involved with a Muslim girl. He was "killed
by the girl's family in an attack led by her father, Mohammad Billa." They had
warned Qaisar not to have anything to do with her and threatened to kill him.
According to Qaisar's sister, he was hanged after being killed to make it look
like suicide: "My brother was innocent, he tried not to contact Mehwish [the
Muslim girl] but Mehwish said that she cannot live without him... We told her
sisters to ask Mehwish to avoid my brother because her father is a criminal and
he will kill my brother. But none of our efforts could save my brother."
Qaisar's mother, Rani Sardar, said: "We all know who killed my son, he was the
youngest, he was the apple of my eye and they killed him brutally and hanged him
in front of our house. I only demand justice."
Syria: ISIS militants slaughtered 21 Christian hostages, three of whom were
women, in the town of al-Qaryatain. This was discovered after the town was
retaken by Russian-backed Syrian forces in April. Some were reportedly killed
for violating the terms of their "dhimmi contract," Islam's discriminatory body
of rules that govern Christian minorities and others. Another five missing
Christians were believed to be dead, while many girls are believed to have been
sold into sex slavery.
Muslim Attacks on Christian Freedom
Uganda: A Muslim man beat and threatened to butcher his wife because of her
commitment to Christ. The 38-year-old woman had fled to another village with
their four children after he first beat her a year ago upon discovery of her
conversion. "My husband shouted, 'Allah Akbar,' then he took a blunt object and
hit me on my left hand," she said. "I cried for help, and neighbors arrived and
saved my life. I then slept at a neighbor's house with my four children that
very night." Last April she went back to visit her estranged husband to discuss
child support. It wasn't long before the man began again to harass the woman
again her faith:
"Again I answered him that Jesus is my Lord and Savior, and he took a panga
[machete 16 to 18 inches long], but I managed to get hold of him before he could
hit me, so the panga dropped, and he started strangling me. His younger brother
woke up and rescued me. I then managed to escape."
Before a judge, the Muslim man showed no regret. "I cannot live with the kafir
[infidel] in my house," he explained, "unless she returns back to my religion.
If not, I will not stop hunting for her life, because our Holy Koran allows us
to kill any apostate from Islam."
Kenya: After a Muslim man named Godana converted to Christianity, his life
changed for the worse. His troubles began last October, when his wife was
hospitalized and treated for an unspecified but deadly illness for three weeks
with no signs of recovery. "Soon thereafter," notes the Morningstar News, "they
received a visit from an Evangelist with the Evangelical Christian Church of
Africa (ECCA), who prayed for her. His wife was not completely healed, but she
was able to go about most of her daily activities, and a week later the couple
invited the Evangelist and two other church leaders to their home. The couple
decided to become followers of Jesus after talking and giving thanks with the
church leaders, and they began meeting at their home for Bible study and
prayer." Soon Muslim neighbors informed Godana's relatives that the couple had
left Islam for Christianity. The same report continues, "Godana's in-laws began
sending him threatening texts: 'You had a Muslim marriage, so it is against
Islam to change your faith,' one read. 'If you continue in the Christian faith,
we shall come and take our daughter.' Then, in February, Godana's in-laws took
his wife. A few weeks later, they came and seized his young children as well.
Turkey: An American Evangelist was detained and later released by
authorities—but only on the condition that he leave Turkey and never return.
David Byle was declared "a danger to public order," by authorities on April 6.
The grounds for the claim that Byle was a "danger to public order" were never
specified. Those close to Byle, 46, describe him as being "mild-mannered, polite
and calm" and believe that he was detained and ordered deported because of his
Evangelical activities. He was released on April 14 and given a "no-reentry
order." The arrest took place days before Byle was set to teach a class to a
group of Turks on how to tell people about the gospel.
Egypt: An Egyptian Christian, Bishoy Kameel Garas, was finally declared
"innocent"— but not before serving more than half of his six-year sentence.
Bishoy was jailed in September 2012 for his alleged defamation of Islam. The
charges were all connected to a fake Facebook account in his name. Bishoy was
imprisoned even though he had posted warnings on his own Facebook page regarding
about the false account and had alerted cyber police whose subsequent
investigation supported his innocence. According to the Barnabas Fund, "The
court was besieged by mobs demanding his punishment and even accusing his
defense lawyers of blasphemy for defending him." Although innocent of the
defamation charge, he lost his job as a teacher, which left his already
impoverished father to pay for his legal fees; and although he spent more than
three years of his life in prison, rights activists believe it is highly
unlikely he will receive any reparations from the state.
Europe: Muslim migrants who thought they were now free to quit Islam and convert
to Christianity continue to " fear murderous Islamic retaliation in Europe."
According to a Breitbart report:
Many migrants who are recent converts to Christianity fear retaliation from
Muslims and that converting may become a "death sentence." One of the more
surprising aspects of the migrant crisis has been the number of Muslims from
places like Syria and Afghanistan, that have been converting to Christianity in
Austrian churches. The Archdioceses of the Austrian capital in Vienna can hardly
keep up with the requests as they get five to ten per week. So far this year 83
percent of the recorded adult baptisms into the Catholic faith have been Muslims
compared to 2015 when they were only 33 percent, reports Kurier. Muslims who
convert and leave Islam face a very real potential for violence and even death.
A migrant to Austria who now calls himself Christopher told the Kurier, "this
could be my death sentence." Christopher came to Austria in 2012 and requested
that his new Christian name be used because he fears not only reprisal against
himself but his family as well.
Dhimmitude
Eritrea: Hundreds of Christians are currently believed to be in Eritrean jails,
while tens of thousands have fled the country. According to Christian Today ,
for more than a decade the regime has been persecuting Christians, who make up
roughly half of the population. Many churches have been closed and many
Christians have been tortured. Christians who fled from Eritrea and are
currently housed in an Ethiopia-based refugee camp revealed some of their
experiences:
Elsa fled after her sister was beaten to death by prison guards: "We were kept
in underground cells. Sometimes the guards put us both in a metal shipping
container to torture us. This became so hot during the day and then in the night
it became freezing cold. We didn't get much to eat and there was no medical
treatment. The guards offered to let us go, but only if we renounced our faith
in Jesus. We said no." One night the guards took turns beating Elsa and her
sister. Recalling that night, Elsa said, "I will never forget hearing the
screams of my sister. I never saw her again."
According to a refugee named Dawit, "When I was living in Eritrea I was arrested
because of my Christian faith. That's why I left. In Eritrea almost every
Christian faces imprisonment." He spent more than a month in prison, and later
in a hard labor camp. He was tortured and forced to sleep every night with his
hands and feet lashed together behind his back.
"Dr. Berhane Asmelash, a former prisoner and victim of torture, described
prisoners being tied up and hung from trees. One form of hanging is known as the
"Jesus Christ," he said, because the victim looks as though they are on a
crucifix."
Egypt: Another Christian child was kidnapped and later released for a staggering
ransom. Anthonius Farag, 13, was abducted from his school on April 5, in the
village of Mansheyyit Manbal. His kidnappers released a Muslim child after
identifying his religion by his name, but kept the Christian boy. According to
the parent of another Christian pupil who was also nearly kidnapped:
"My son, Kyrellos, was standing with both fellow pupils Anthonius and Mohamed
when one of the kidnappers approached them. [The kidnapper] inquired about their
names. They let go of Mohamed, but [because of their Christian names] gripped
hold of Kyrellos and Anthonius. My son managed to escape, while other boys
started screaming. One of the kidnappers shot rounds in the air to disperse the
crowd, as the others quickly pushed Anthonius into the car and fled."
Three days later, the kidnapped boy's father received a call demanding a ransom
of two million Egyptian Pounds—more than $225,000 USD—in return for his son. The
father, who received little help from police, eventually managed to get the
kidnappers to drop the ransom to 300,000 Egyptian Pounds ($34,000 US)—still more
than 300 times an agricultural worker's monthly wages. It was all that he, a
farmer, could raise, taking up a collection from Christians who earned more.
After he was released, Anthonius recalled his ordeal, which included beatings
and being kept in a dark room blindfolded. This latest case is not isolated.
According to records from the Upper Egyptian province of Qena alone, there have
been at least 72 cases of kidnappings, extortion and related violence against
Christians in the period from 2011 to 2014.
Separately, Dr. Yassir al-Burhami, Egypt's premier Salafi, was exposed in a
video inciting hate for and violence against the nation's Christians. He also
decried giving them their full human and civil rights: "When you cooperate with
a criminal, aggressive, oppressive, infidel minority, you attack the rights of
the majority [Muslims]."
Pakistan: Two Muslim men invaded the home of a Christian woman while her husband
was away serving in the army. After beating her, they tied her arms and legs
down to her bed and gang raped her while threatening to slaughter her 2-year-old
infant daughter if she did not comply. According to the victim, 30-year-old Asia
Mushtaq:
The men treated me like an animal, telling me I was a worthless Christian, but I
know my God is a great God. When I screamed they told me that they knew my
husband was away and that I was unprotected. They threatened to kill my child if
I did not comply with their perverse demands. They said Christian women are all
whores and they would come back and repeat their debauchery if I ever told
anyone. I feel so unclean now, but have done nothing wrong. I want these men to
be punished and hope the law will protect me.
Wilson Chowdhry, chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA),
said of the incident:
Another woman finds herself a target of the whims of brutal Muslim rapists in
Pakistan, in a society that targets its most vulnerable community: Christians.
Furthermore, this time a soldier, whose only desire was to serve and protect his
country, has found that the majority of his country do not feel the same way
about him. Moreover, the army he serves has offered little or no protection
despite threats being made against him and his family. It pains me to say this
but the complex acts of betrayal leave me feeling that Christians have no place
in Pakistan's theocratic society.
In a separate incident in April, five Christian girls were kidnapped, converted
to Islam, and forced to marry their captors.
Sweden: Christians to be persecuted by Muslims in asylums. One Christian was
threatened with "slaughter" -- having his throat cut -- by a self-proclaimed
Jihadi. According to the same report by Christian Today, "A Pakistani Christian
couple moved into a church when the husband's name was sprayed on a wall near
their room calling for his death. A separate group of asylum seekers were forced
to leave their accommodation when their harassment escalated." Patriarch
Ignatius Aphrem II, head of the Syriac Orthodox Church, called on Swedish
authorities to get involved in the crisis. "This situation does not reflect the
culture of the peaceful and loving Swedish people," he wrote, adding:
Christians do not live in refugee camps in the Middle East, because, there too,
they are persecuted by Muslim extremists... To witness that they are once more
being persecuted at Swedish asylum accommodations make[s] us very sad. We expect
the Swedish Government and the concerned authorities to immediately make sure
that these people are safe. A distinct asylum accommodation for Christians and
other asylum seekers is essential. We appeal to you to set off such a place and
give the word asylum back its true meaning of protection and safety.
In his response, the Director General of the Swedish Migration Board, Anders
Danielsson, said that separate housing for Christians and other vulnerable
groups "would go against principles and values that are central to Swedish
society and our democracy. It would be considered a great failure having to
resort to segregation as a measure."
Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II (left) of the Syriac Orthodox Church requested that
Sweden's government ensure the safety of Christian refugees in Sweden, by moving
them out of asylum seekers' housing where Muslim residents are persecuting them.
Anders Danielsson (right), Director General of the Swedish Migration Board,
replied that separate housing for Christians and other vulnerable groups "would
go against principles and values that are central to Swedish society and our
democracy."
Sudan: An Egyptian-born Christian monk serving in the African nation was
kidnapped. Rev. Ghabrial al-Antony was working on his brother's farm in Sudan's
Darfur region when three men appeared, tied up his brother, and abducted
al-Antony. "We don't know who they are or why they kidnapped him."
About this Series
While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of Christians by
Muslims is growing.
The report posits that such Muslim persecution is not random but rather
systematic, and takes place in all languages, ethnicities, and locations.
**Raymond Ibrahim is the author of Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War on
Christians (published by Regnery with Gatestone Institute, April 2013).
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
How Serious Is Sweden's Fight
against Islamic Terrorism and Extremism?
Nima Gholam Ali Pour/ Gatestone Institute/July 17/16
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8444/sweden-islamic-terrorism
Jihadists who come to Sweden know that there are many liberal politicians
looking for invisible "right-wing extremists", and feminists who think what is
really important is using "gender perspective" in the fight against extremism
and terrorism.
Perhaps the Swedish government has a secret plan to convince jihadists to become
feminists? As usual, Swedish politicians have chosen to politicize the fight
against extremism and terrorism, and address the issue as if it were about
parental leave instead of Sweden's security.
"As soon as these people... say 'Asylum', the gates of heaven open." — Inspector
Leif Fransson, Swedish border police.
Experts in Sweden's security apparatus have clearly expressed that violent
Islamism is a clear and present danger to the security of Sweden, but the
politicized debate about Islamic terrorism and extremism does not seem capable
of absorbing this warning.
Like all other European countries, Sweden is trying to fight against jihadists
and terrorists, but it often seems as if the key players in Sweden have no
understanding of what the threats are or how to deal with them.
In 2014, for instance, the Swedish government decided to set up a post called
the "National Coordinator Against Violent Extremism." But instead of appointing
an expert as the national coordinator, the government appointed the former party
leader of the Social Democrats, Mona Sahlin. Apart from Sahlin having a high
school degree, she is mostly known for a corruption scandal. As a party leader
of the Social Democrats, she lost the 2010 election, and as a minister in
several Socialist governments, she has not managed to distinguish herself in any
significant way. Göran Persson, who was Prime Minister of Sweden from 1996 to
2006, described Mona Sahlin this way:
"People believe she has a greater political capacity than she has. What comes
across her lips is not so remarkable. Her strength is not thinking, but to
convey messages."
With such a background, it was no surprise that she was ineffective as National
Coordinator Against Violent Extremism. But the fact that she used her high
government agency to help her friends came as a shock to the Swedish public.
Sahlin had hired her former bodyguard for a position at her agency and signed a
false certificate that he earned $14,000 dollars monthly, so that he could
receive financing to purchase a $1.2-million-dollar home.
Sahlin also gave the man's relative an internship, even though the application
had been declined. Before Sahlin resigned in May 2016, she said, "I help many of
my friends."
Despite the fact that Sweden has a Ministry of Justice responsible for issues
that would seem far more related to violent extremism, Sweden has, for some
reason, placed the agency to combat violent extremism under the Ministry of
Culture.
While the U.S sees the fight against Islamic extremism as a security issue,
Sweden evidently believes that combating violent extremism should be placed in a
ministry responsible for issues such as media, democracy, human rights and
national minorities. With such a delegation of responsibility, the government
seems either to be trying to hamper efforts to combat violent extremism, or it
does not understand the nature of the threat.
The lack of understanding of violent extremism, combined with politicizing the
problem, has been evident, for instance, in Malmö, Sweden's third largest city.
After the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, the city councilor
responsible for safety and security in Malmö, Andreas Schönström, said that
European right-wing extremism is a bigger threat than violent Islamism. And on
June 5, 2016, Jonas Hult, Malmö's security manager, wrote: "The right-wing
forces in Malmö are the biggest threat."
With such statements, one would think that perhaps Malmö is a city filled with
neo-Nazi gangs. Not so. Malmö is a city that usually ends up in the news because
of Islamic anti-Semitism or extremist activists working to destroy Israel. There
have been no reports of any neo-Nazi movements in Malmö in the recent past.
When supporters of Pegida (an anti-Islamic migration political movement in
Europe) came to Malmö, they had to be protected by the police due to thousands
of extremist activists and Muslims protesting the presence of Pegida. Of Malmö's
residents, 43.2% were either born abroad or their parents were.
Further, the Social Democrat politicians have held local municipal power in
Malmö since 1919. To say that Malmö is somehow a place where right-wing
extremism is a threat is simply not based on facts. Instead of seriously
combating violent extremism, many in Sweden have chosen -- possibly imagining it
easier -- to politicize the problem.
Sweden also has not yet reached the point where the authorities distance
themselves from violent extremism. The association Kontrakultur (a cultural and
social association in Malmö), receives about $37,000 annually from the municipal
cultural committee of Malmö. On its website, Kontrakultur writes that it
cooperates with an organization called Förbundet Allt åt alla ("The Association
Everything for Everyone"). This organization, in turn, according to the National
Coordinator Against Violent Extremism, consists of violent extremist activists.
The idea that municipal funds should in no way go to organizations that
cooperate with violent extremists is something not yet rooted in Sweden. In June
2016, for example, a 46-year-old Islamic State jihadi arrived in Malmö. He was
taken into custody by the police for speedy deportation. But when he applied for
asylum, the Swedish Migration Agency took over the matter to examine his asylum
application, and ordered the deportation stopped. Inspector Leif Fransson of the
border police described the situation:
"As soon as these people throw out their trump card and say 'Asylum', the gates
of heaven open."
In August 2015, the Swedish government submitted a document to Parliament
outlining the Swedish strategy against terrorism. Among other things, the
document stated:
"It is important that there is a gender perspective in efforts to prevent
violent extremism and terrorism."
Under the headline "Gender Perspective" in a committee directive from the
Swedish government on the mission of the National Coordinator Against Violent
Extremism you can observe:
"The violent extremist environments consist mainly of men, and in the extremist
movements there are individuals who oppose gender equality and women's rights.
It is therefore important that there is a gender perspective in efforts to
prevent violent extremism, and that norms that interact and contribute to the
emergence of violent environments are effectively counteracted."
Perhaps the Swedish government has a secret plan to convince jihadists to become
feminists? But as usual, Swedish politicians have chosen to politicize the fight
against extremism and terrorism, and address the issue as if it were about
parental leave instead of Sweden's security.
Mona Sahlin, who was Sweden's "National Coordinator Against Violent Extremism,"
until she resigned in May amid corruption allegations, is shown posing with
Swedish soldiers in Afghanistan in July 2010. The Swedish government's
directives to her agency stressed that it is "important that there is a gender
perspective in efforts to prevent violent extremism." (Image source: Social
Democratic Party)
There is no evidence that "gender perspective" is relevant or useful in the
fight against extremism and terrorism, yet we see that the Swedish government,
in several documents related to terrorism and extremism, evidently believes that
"gender perspective" is what should be used in the fight against those threats.
This gives just some idea of how strenuously Sweden wants to disregard the
problem, or even ask experts for help.
One might argue that this is because Sweden has never been exposed to Islamic
terrorism or that extremism is not something that concerns the nation. Sweden
has, however, had experience in facing Islamic terrorism. On December 11, 2010,
a jihadist blew himself up in central Stockholm. Taimour Abdulwahab did not
manage to hurt anyone, but Sweden got a taste of Islamic terrorism and has every
reason to want to defend itself against more of it.
Islamic extremism is, unfortunately, becoming more widespread, especially in
Sweden's major cities. Gothenburg, for example, has been having major problems
with it. In November 2015, there were reports that 40% of the 300 Swedish
jihadists in Syria and Iraq came from Gothenburg. The only country that has, per
capita, more of its citizens as jihadists in Iraq and Syria than Sweden, is
Belgium.
As facts accumulate, there is much information indicating that Sweden has huge
problems dealing with Islamic extremism and jihadism. The Swedish Security
Service (Säpo), in the beginning of 2015, published a press release using the
words "historic challenge" to describe the threat from violent Islamism. Already
in May 2015 the head of Säpo, Anders Thornberg, expressed doubts that the agency
could handle the situation if the recruitment of jihadists in Sweden continued
or increased.
Experts in Sweden's security apparatus have clearly expressed that violent
Islamism is a clear and present danger to the security of Sweden, but the
politicized debate about Islamic terrorism and extremism does not seem capable
of absorbing this warning.
This general politicization, combined with the failure to prioritize the fight
against terrorism and extremism, is the reason Sweden is, and continues to be, a
magnet for extremists and terrorists. Jihadists who come to Sweden know that
there are many liberal politicians looking for invisible "right-wing
extremists", and that there are feminists who think what is really important is
using "gender perspective" in the fight against extremism and terrorism.
Jihadists also know that there are large gaps in the Swedish bureaucracy and
legislation that can be exploited. These are the policies that have been created
by Swedish politicians. One can therefore only question if Sweden seriously
wants to fight the threats of terrorism and extremism.
**Nima Gholam Ali Pour is a member of the board of education in the Swedish city
of Malmö and is engaged in several Swedish think tanks concerned with the Middle
East. He is also editor for the social conservative website Situation Malmö.
Gholam Ali Pour is the author of the Swedish book "Därför är mångkultur
förtryck"("Why multiculturalism is oppression").
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
How to Shield the Middle East from the Strategic Zigzag in Washington
Samir Altaqi/Esam Aziz/Middle East Briefing/July 17/16
Nostalgia should not be allowed to turn into a strategy. Isolationism is
impossible and the echoes of the fiery speeches of Charles Lindbergh and the
pamphlets of America First of the 30’s will sound ridiculous if returned from
the past to shape the US future strategy in the world.
But while isolationism should be considered “out of context” of the present
“small world”, over-emphasis on military intervention as a tool of foreign
policy proved counterproductive if not harmful. The US is the most powerful
nation on earth today. It has global interests. This mix can be dangerous, to
the US as to the world, as it can be constructive.
The oscillation between excessive use of military power and abrasive global
policies on the one hand, and passivity, withdrawal and indifference on the
other hand has been remarkable. As shown repeatedly since the Second World War,
it has always been difficult to formulate concept that balances national
interests and global responsibilities. What makes such a concept more difficult
to grasp is also that it should encompass some permanently changing variables.
The world is changing, the US limits are functions of its own changing abilities
and the nature of both interests and threats keep morphing all the time.
Furthermore, the role of a super power does not come with catalogue. It is a
unique position. Even historical presidencies are not that helpful as the world
is not the same and old global powers did not enjoy the decisive edge the US has
in today’s world over all other powers.
A super power in today’s world has two sets of distinctive responsibilities: to
preserve and further its national interests as any “normal” country does, and to
perform its role as the world’s most powerful nation. It is this second role
that should still be debated on theoretical bases. The relation between national
interests in the one hand and the global responsibilities on the other is
problematic, to say the least. What if a certain global responsibility, says in
Bosnia or Syria, does not match national interests or serve them in any direct
way? And what are those responsibilities exactly? Why not leave them to the
United Nations for example?
We have seen a varying dosage of the two components, national interests and
global responsibilities, during the last 50 years or so. Seen from the outside
world, the zigzag was at times difficult to understand. Failure to achieve any
results on both tracks through heavy military intervention led to isolationism.
Isolationism, or a degree of it, led to few years of over acting to be followed
by remembering Lindbergh and America First.
When a country is that powerful and relevant, it becomes problematic to see
these shifts in mood and policies. Understandably, they happen as a chain of
temporary actions and reactions, but those “temporary” shifts have become the
norm. The US is becoming more and more unpredictable.
While this requires a serious debate on the mechanisms of formulating a national
strategy and introducing the properly measured modifications to its spectrum
according to variable US and global changes, it is important to anchor the
overall US approach to the world in alliances like NATO, providing that it is a
matter of principles that such alliances would be respected at all the times and
not brushed aside like what happened in 2003.
As a relation necessitates two sides, it may at times go through differences. It
was not heart-warming to hear Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier
say during the recent Warsaw NATO conference that the alliance’s military
exercises in Poland and the Baltic States were “saber-rattling and war cries”.
The alternative to a collective policy based on multiple views, where everyone
has to give some to take some, is 2003.
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen was closer to expressing Germany’s
policy when she warned of a “more aggressive and unpredictable Russia”. The
moment Europe defenses become lax are the moment when the count-down for
escalation starts. Aggression should not be encouraged. And the way to prevent
it is to enforce a visible retaliatory arrangement.
In the Middle East, which seems to be the theatre for multiple crises, there is
an urgent need for a collective security framework based on contributions by the
region’s states and assisted by NATO and the US. There will be no need for harsh
comments like that of Mr. Steinmeier as the proposed regional alliance will not
be directed against any particular country. It should be based on a set of clear
principles which combined serves the security of each and every state in the
region.
We detect an escalation brewing, even more, between Saudi Arabia and Iran. This
should be the focus of all parties globally and regionally or else it will be
too late. When the heat rises that much, chances of accidental fires become
higher. A regional war is the last thing needed in a region filled with open
wounds.
The additional military deployment in the Balkan region and east Europe is
reduced to 4000 soldiers. It is not clear why Steinmeier was that alerted. We
cannot detect anywhere a provocative voice that threatens Russia. All what is
required from Moscow is to implement the Minsk agreement that it signed. Ukraine
shows that there is a valid reason to adopt a vigilant defensive policy based on
Chapter 5 of the Alliance Charter. A defensive policy is absolutely legitimate
in the post-Ukraine era.
The same applies to the Middle East. To de-escalate the current dangerous
tension, a defensive structure should be established in visible fashion. Does
that mean aggressing anyone, Saudis or Iranians or otherwise? It should not. It
ought to be based on a clear set of principles and opened to both Iranians and
Saudis as much as all other regional actors.
If indeed Russia is open for dialogue as its officials say to their counterparts
in Western capitals, why wouldn’t it then implement the Minsk agreement as
President Obama said in Warsaw? The same applies for Tehran. It the Ayatollahs
are open for dialogue as they tell everyone willing to listen, why wouldn’t they
commit to abandoning the policy of exporting the revolution and sending the
Revolutionary Guards’ agents to every neighboring country?
Such an arrangement in the Middle East, which-again-should be principle-based
without any prior exclusion of any country, should be opened to the UN and
global partners as observers, and should be based on forming a regional rapid
deployment force in cooperation with NATO.
The only way to reduce US strategic oscillation, either towards the Middle East
or towards any other part of the world is to base Washington’s ties globally on
regional security alliances capable of sharing the Burdon. If US officials
believe that local friendly forces in countries like Syria and Iraq can be
assisted to fight a threat like that of ISIL, magnifying this same concept can
help reduce the American zigzag and create trust worthy stable alliances that
can enhance global peace.
It was the right step for the US to handle the command of the Initial
Operational Capability of the missile defense system in Europe to NATO. This
will minimize the possibility of future blame and the temptation of unilateral
actions.
Similar to the differences in Europe, there are also differences in the Middle
East on the issue of collective defense and security. In both cases, those
differences could be solved in a way that preserves the essence of the mission:
deterrence of aggression and spread of stability and security.
No one wants, or should want, to isolate Russia or Iran. The idea is to help
them resist any sudden urge to make a foolish mistake.
Libya’s Slow Crawl to
`Normal’ Continues
Samir Altaqi/Esam Aziz/Middle East Briefing/July 17/16
On July 11, the Prime Minister-designate of the Libyan Government of National
Accord (GNA), Fayez Serraj, moved from the Bu Sitta naval base into the official
ministry building in Tripoli. After 103 days at the secured naval facility, the
move by members of the Presidency Council into the formal government
headquarters in Tripoli was more than a symbolic gesture. It reflected the
painfully slow progress in bringing some measure of security to Libya, after
five years of war and civil strife, following the ouster of Muammar Qaddafi in
late 2011.
Four recent developments highlight the uneven path towards greater stability in
Libya.
First, the war against the Islamic State (ISIL) has resumed following the end of
the Ramadan holiday, with GNA-backed militia forces from Misurata resuming
shelling in the center of the vital city of Sirte, where a small number of ISIL
forces remain holed up. While precise estimates are impossible, it appears that
a large number of the 5,000 Islamic State fighters who originally seized control
over Sirte have been either killed or have fled south, where they are
regrouping, with the assistance of the other major regional ISIL affiliate, Boko
Haram. If and when ISIL is totally driven out of Sirte, they are expected to
follow the same pattern recently seen in Iraq: launch dramatic urban terrorist
attacks to demonstrate that they are still powerful and to revive recruitment.
The Western governments that are backing the GNA and are attempting to forge a
unified military force loyal to Prime Minister-designate Sarraj are worried that
a clear victory in Sirte by the Misurata militias could lead them to place
demands on the PC/GNA that result in a deepening of the factional warfare among
rival tribal-based militias and the still-intransigent House of Representatives,
based in Tobruk.
Second, a merger was announced July 3 between the two rival branches of the
Libyan National Oil Company, headquartered in Tripoli and Tobruk. Four days
after the merger was announced, Ibrahim Jadhran, the commander of the Petroleum
Facilities Guards announced that oil exports would begin at two vital ports
under his control at As Sidra and Ras Lanuf. Jadhran has allied his militia in
recent months with the Misurata forces in a pincer attack against the ISIL
forces in Sirte. The announced merger is merely a first step. Damage to the oil
port facilities will have to be repaired (first Libyan Dawn and later ISIL
carried out assaults on the two ports, and months of work will be required to
fully restore services); and the Tobruk faction has made the final
implementation of the merger conditional on the opening of a National Oil
Company headquarters in Benghazi in the east of the country.
General Khalifa Haftar, the head of the National Libyan Army, affiliated with
the Tobruk-based House of Representatives, has maintained hands off policy
towards the oil facilities near Tobruk, allowing limited oil exports from those
facilities, despite the conflicts with rival militia factions that have been
uninterrupted since the ouster of Qaddafi.
As of January 2016, oil exports from Libya were capped at 300,000 barrels per
day. That figure can rapidly double, if the merger deal goes through and the
down-stream oil fields and pipelines can be secured from attack by ISIL and
other militias. Prior to Qaddafi’s ouster, oil exports were in the range of 1.5
million barrels per day.
Third, in late June, Gen. Haftar arrived in Moscow for a series of high-level
meetings with government officials. He met with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov,
Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and with the Secretary of the Security Council,
Nikolai Patrushev. The Patrushev meeting was considered to be the most
significant, given that the Secretary is extremely close to President Vladimir
Putin.
Late in 2015, as part of a reorganization of the Russian Foreign Ministry,
Mikhail Bogdanov, the senior diplomat for Middle East affairs, was put in charge
of the Libya file, in a clear sign that Putin has upgraded Russia’s role in
Libya, as a gateway into North Africa. Russia has formally endorsed the United
Nations reconciliation plan, which created the GNA, but has also maintained
recognition of the House of Representatives, based in Tobruk, which won the last
elections. Tobruk and Gen. Khalifa have maintained a hard-line stance against
all of the jihadist factions in Libya, and this policy is in accord with
Russia’s own position. The fact that Russian President Putin has forged a close
relationship with Egyptian President El-Sisi has added to the alignment.
While Gen. Haftar may have been in Moscow seeking military assistance, the
Russian orientation is to avoid publicly taking sides in the internal Libyan
conflict, and to work with the other countries backing the UN efforts to build
up the PC/GNA as an eventual credible government over all of Libya. The Obama
Administration has looked generally favorably on the increasing Russian role.
The US itself has been providing both overt and covert support to the militias
fighting against the Islamic State in the Sirte area, while at the same time
providing material support to Gen. Haftar’s forces in the east of Libya, as they
battle jihadists in the Benghazi and Derna areas.
Fourth, on July 6, Karim Khan, the attorney for the son of deposed Libyan
dictator Muammar Qaddafi, Saif Al-Islam, announced that his client had been
granted amnesty on April 12 by Prime Minister-designate Sarraj “in accordance
with [Libyan] law.” Saif Al-Islam Qaddafi was released from prison in Zintan,
where he was actually held under house arrest/protective custody, after being
sentenced to death by the Tripoli government, then-controlled by the Libyan Dawn
coalition. Zintan tribes have been aligned with former Qaddafi loyalists from
the Beni Walid and Warshefani tribes in the fight against Libyan Dawn, since the
start of the civil strife in late 2011.
In February 2011, Saif Al-Islam, who spent much of his time outside of Libya in
Britain and elsewhere, cultivating relations with leading Western political
figures, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, delivered a
prescient speech: “There will be civil war in Libya… we will kill one another in
the streets and all of Libya will be destroyed. We will need 40 years to reach
an agreement on how to run the country, because today, everyone will want to be
president, or emir, and everybody will want to run the country.”
On July 18, US Secretary of State John Kerry will be meeting with officials from
Saudi Arabia, and other countries with a vital stake in the future of Libya, to
discuss possible broader international involvement in the gradual move to
stability.
Washington, Moscow, Tehran and Riyadh: The Coming Conflict over the Middle East
Samir Altaqi/Esam Aziz/Middle East Briefing/July 17/16
There are, at the present moment, four game plans colliding with each other in a
terrain filled with hidden mines. The sum of the collusion will be totally
different than the objectives of each of the players. Worst, no one has the
ability to predict the outcome, not even the players themselves.
Let us examine briefly each game plan as seen by each player before addressing,
in general, the potential paths of this dangerous game.
Saudi Arabia:
From the Saudi perspective, Iran has gone too far. Ideologically, Tehran
enshrined the export of its revolution into its constitution. Practically, it
has the Quds Force of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) to make sure that
this principle is implemented. Furthermore, it achieved progress through
infiltrating Iraq after the US-UK ill-advised invasion and it moved and it is
actively present in Damascus now. This came after successfully creating
Hezbollah in Lebanon and was followed by the Houthi rebellion in Yemen and the
control over Sana’a. The Shia Crescent developed into a full moon.
Signs of additional progress of pro-Iranian forces in the Arab World are
scattered here and there to threaten even more of the same. Terrorist attacks by
these forces are becoming more and more a normal occurrence in many Gulf Arab
countries. Bahraini Shias were encouraged to revolt. And Tehran broke free of
its isolation after harvesting all possible profits of its illegal nuclear
activities.
All the while, the US, which used to be the guarantor of the regional security
order, showed signs of changing directions. Washington pursued what it deemed
its interests by opening channels with Tehran, pulling its forces from Iraq
prematurely, zigzagging in Syria before it finally offers to work with Moscow to
preserve Assad and letting down some of its loyal rulers in a moment of need.
The US zigzag on Syria and the Iranian successful offensive in Iraq made the
Saudis nervous. Allowing this trend of Iranian expansion was obviously promising
to put the Kingdom under siege and deprive it of any strategic depth in the Near
East.
This compelled the Saudis to either surrender to the mounting Iranian
intervention or take the initiative, regardless of what its traditional allies
in Washington do, to what it has to do stop the Iranian wave.
Iran:
During the years of sanctions and isolation, Tehran regarded intervention in
Iraq and Lebanon as a national security priority. Ideology in revolutionary-Iran
is not reduced to superficial rhetoric. It is a tool to mobilize the Shias in
and out of Iran. It also gives the IRGC substantial powers and profits.
Furthermore, it is useable as a national interest tool. It is wrong to assume
that Iranian or IRGC leaders act or pretend when they are talking about their
regional cause. They sincerely believe their own rhetoric so long as there is
nothing, in worldly interests, that compels them to question its validity. It
does not only sound self-righteous, it is also profitable.
IRGC leaders and a good portion of Iran’s “establishment” and clergy, believes
they have a responsibility towards “the oppressed” (mostazafin) in the Islamic
World. They believe that most Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are
reactionary, pro-West, perpetually conspiring against their Islamic revolution,
supporters of terrorism, oppressive of their Shia minorities, weakening Muslims
and therefore should be toppled.
Of all these accusations, some stand in the forefront. Those are the ones that
directly hinder the Iranian game plane. For example, Tehran believes that the US
presence in the region is both threatening and an obstacle to regaining what
Tehran believes its right to become a regional major power.
Iran adapts its message in Arab countries according the peculiarities of each
situation. The Quds Force plays an Arab nationalist card in Lebanon through
Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah and in Syria through Bashar al-Assad, but it plays
a sectarian card in Iraq through Nouri al –Maliki and the some factions in the
Popular Mobilization Force (PMF). In Yemen, they play an “independence” card and
in other countries they play a “democratic” card.
The game plan of Tehran is based on a self-justified intervention in its western
neighbors. Ideology and national interests come hand in hand to provide the base
of this strategy.
Russia:
There are two conflicting views when it comes to understanding Moscow’s game
plan in the Middle East. The first view looks at Russian policies as a reaction
to a long-standing Western strategy to minimize Russia’s influence and hurt its
national interests. Moreover, this view sees that President Putin’s intentions
in the region and beyond stem from his desire to make the world recognize Russia
as a major player and deal with it in respect and parity.
The other view looks at Russia’s assertive role and its occasional use or threat
of military actions as an attempt to turn the global order upside down and as
violation of international treaties. Russia is viewed, from this standpoint, as
a global force which is systematically ready to use subversion and military
action to further its global agenda. As such, it should be treated as a hostile
power from the point of view of the existing global order.
In the Middle East, Russia helped Assad through direct military intervention, an
act that furthered the Iranian game plan. It played an important role in
reaching the nuclear deal with Tehran, which led to ending Iranian global
isolation. And it is currently eyeing some important energy projects,
particularly in Central and South Asia with Tehran. Furthermore, Moscow is
monitoring how the political map in the Middle East will evolve, and how this
will impact potential natural gas routs to the Mediterranean and from there to
West Europe in the future. Clearly, Moscow has a genuine interest in shaping the
outcome in a way
Moscow is using its role in the region as a bargaining chip in dealing with the
major global powers. This classical game is yielding some positive results as we
saw in the Obama administration recent offer to Moscow in regard to Syria. It
also used its role there to gain favor with the Europeans while under pressure
from the so called refugee crisis.
Russia is inviting GCC investment to the North Caucasus region in an attempt to
stem the growth of religious radicalism through improvements in the region’s
economic conditions. One essential reason for Moscow’s involvement in the Middle
East is to stop the spread of Jihadists from the source. But the way they play
their hands there may bring about some opposite results.
The US:
We have covered US Middle East policies extensively in previous issues of MEB.
We see this policy as utter failure to adapt to contingent circumstances
stemming either from limits on US abilities or the rapid roller coaster in the
region. From the Arabs standpoint, the structure of US interests has shifted the
moment the nuclear deal was signed. The temptation of wining Iran back as an
ally was blinding US officials.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was the recent offer made by the US to
cooperate with Russia to defeat a dangerous group of the Syrian opposition,
freeze the issue of transition in Syria, accept Assad for the time being and
focus on reducing violence and humanitarian assistance.
This offer enraged the relevant Arab capitals. It is considered a retreat from
previous commitments and a reward to Assad and Iran. It alerted the Arab
countries to the possibility that president Obama may be moving to bind the next
administration with a policy favorable to Tehran.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir hat an unscheduled meeting with Secretary
John Kerry on July 7 to inform him, according to State Department official
statement, that Riyadh is ready to send ground troops to Syria. Al-Jubeir,
however, explained the Saudi opposition to any deal between Moscow and
Washington that endangers the roadmap agreed upon in Geneva. Even taking the
Department’s statement at face value shown the degree of contrast between two
allies, one talking about a deal to bomb the Syrian opposition and preserve
Assad, and the other talking about sending troops to support the opposition and
topple Assad.
The meeting was between Jubeir and Kerry was followed by a fiery speech given by
former chief of Saudi Intelligence Prince Turki al-Faisal to tens of thousands
of Mujahedeen Khalq in the “Free Iran” conference in Paris July 9. During the
speech, the Saudi former official responded to thousands chanting “down with the
regime” by saying: “me too, I want this regime down”. He also promised the
opponents of the Ayatollahs with “a certain victory”.
When Saudis wave again the possibility of sending ground troops and take a
visible stand in support of Iranian opposition, this means they are indeed
running out of patience and ready to escalate.
This game is going on while the region is going through general transformation
based on mounting popular discontent. The strategic competition, explained
above, generates a tide of sectarian polarization. When Sectarian incitement is
intensively projected on societies searching for channels to gather and direct
their discontent, it threatens to deviate any popular movement to a
confrontation based on sectarian perspectives. This will further tear the region
apart and prevent it from progressing in a constructive manner.
We are inching towards a general regional escalation in the Middle East. The
four game planes currently colliding in that region are going each in its path
based on separate calculations. We do not have a global superpower that is
willing or able to see the risks and intervene rapidly to create an area of
compromise. None of the four parties will achieve a clean win. For in those
cases there is no such thing as a clear win. But so far, the inertia seems to be
unstoppable.
Reflections on a failed coup
d’état
Hisham Melhem/Al Arabiya/July 17/16
The botched coup attempt in Turkey will go down in history as the first military
mutiny in a modern state to fail in part because of globalization, and the
proliferation of social media. This was a coup that was essentially streamed
live at some of its crucial moments. The demise of the coup was foretold early
on when the plotters were unable to capture or kill the senior leadership they
were rebelling against, or to establish control over the mass communication
networks and shutting down the internet.
This was a primitive 1960’s style coup in the 21st century. The last time the
Turkish military staged a classic (i.e. tanks in the streets) successful coup
was in 1980, a world that all but disappeared; Turkey has changed radically,
politically, culturally and demographically, and the Cold War is no more.
The tide began to turn against the coup plotters, the moment a glum but
determined President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the nation from an
undisclosed location speaking on his smartphone’s FaceTime app through CNN Türk
and calling on his supporters to take to the streets to challenge the coup.
If there was an iconic moment that distilled the power of the new media – in
this case the smartphone – in the hand of a smart and cunning political leader
to mobilize his formidable popular base to engage in muscular politics, it was
that moment. The most consequential leader in the history of the Turkish
Republic since its founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk maybe on his way to eclipse the
man from Thessaloniki, aka “Father of the Turks” and not necessarily in a
positive way.
Watching some of these remarkable scenes, one could only admire the tenacity of
the people in their rejection of a military coup – a rejection that was shared
by non-Islamist groups, including those who are strong opponents of Erdogan
American-Turkish falling out?
Relations between Ankara and Washington have been strained in recent years, a
downturn that damaged the once warm relations between Obama and Erdogan.
Differences over Syria, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Erdogan’s repression
of dissent and mostly Gulen’s presence in Pennsylvania deepened Erdogan’s doubts
about America’s true intentions in the Middle East, and his paranoia led him to
believe that Turkey’s problems are made by outsiders; Americans and Jews.
Watching Erdogan lashing out at Gulen on the night of the coup (I was tempted to
write: the night of the bungling Generals) I tweeted: “Erdogan’s next fight will
be with his former friend Obama over Gulen. Echoes of Khomeini’s fight with
Carter over the Shah”. The fight over Gulen has just begun, although no one
expects a repeat of the fallout between the US and Iran.
The coup has created some outlandish conspiracy theories even when it was still
in its first few hours. The pro-Erdogan’s outrageous claim was that the US was
somehow involved in the coup. The anti-Erdogan outrageous counter claim was that
the Turkish President did in fact stage the coup to consolidate his power. It
was remarkable that when Secretary of State John Kerry spoke on the phone with
his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu he had to tell him “that public
insinuations or claims about any role by the United States in the failed coup
attempt are utterly false and harmful to our bilateral relations”.
Expecting a request for extraditing Gulen, Kerry said the US was willing to
consider such request. “Obviously, we would invite the government of Turkey, as
we always do, to present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands
scrutiny,” Kerry said. “And the United States will accept that and look at it
and make judgments about it appropriately.” But short of a Turkish smoking gun
regarding Gulen’s involvement in the coup, it will be next to impossible to
deport Gulen to Turkey to face Erdogan’s wrath.
An impatient Erdogan sought to send a quick and blunt message to Obama that he
is willing to play hardball; he closed air operations at Incirlik Air Base, in
South-East Turkey, a critical hub for US fighter jets and drones striking ISIS
targets in northern Iraq and Syria. Later, there were reports that electricity
and water supplies were cut off from the base.
Cooperation between the US and Turkish militaries against ISIS are crucial to
both sides, and to the NATO alliance, and one would expect that American air
operations would resume soon from Incirlik, but the ill feelings will linger on
maybe even after the end of President Obama’s tenure.
Turkey’s choice
In the few hours after the coup attempt began I took to twitter for some quick
preliminary reflections. I thought that Turkey was facing an impossible choice.
If the coup is successful, it would lead to uncertainty, maybe chaos and
probably civil strife, for whatever one thinks of President Erdogan – and I
agree with those who view him as an autocratic populist, vindictive, paranoid
and prone to megalomania – he is popular with a large strata of people, not only
religious conservatives in rural areas, but also in cities like Istanbul, where
he served as mayor.
He is admired particularly among those who were empowered by Turkey’s remarkable
economic growth during the Erdogan era; the owners of small businesses, and
among the youths and low income city dwellers to whom Muslim identity is central
in their lives.
In those first uncertain hours I thought that if the coup is to fail, Erdogan
will be emboldened and “will wreak vengeance and polarization”. Now that the
bloody coup has failed, Erdogan is taunting his former ally turned his enemy,
the cleric Fethullah Gulen to return from his exile in Pennsylvania in the
United States to get his comeuppance.
“I have a message for Pennsylvania. (Gulen) You have engaged in enough treason
against this nation” Erdogan said. “If you dare, come back to your country”. In
fact Erdogan saw the coup attempt as giving him some sort of a divine mandate to
rule Turkey. Upon arriving in Istanbul he told his supporters that the coup is
“a gift from God … because this will help us claim our military from these
members of this gang” in reference to the Gulenists.
In fact the new putsch against Erdogan’s real and imagined enemies in the
Gulenist movement began the moment the coup collapsed. Almost 3000 military
personnel were arrested, but what was more unnerving was the resumption of the
war on the judicial system, when the Anadolu news agency announced that 2,745
judges have been summarily dismissed because of their perceived closeness or
loyalty to the Gulen movement which Erdogan had accused of supporting terrorism.
Erdogan’s vengeful tone and actions alarmed the Obama administration which urged
all parties “to act within the rule of law and to avoid actions that would lead
to further violence or instability”. Erdogan and his Justice and Development
Party (AKP) have been gradually and methodically dismantling aspects of the
Kemalist state and pushing state and society towards a more pronounced Islamic
polity.
A corollary of this approach was his growing autocracy particularly in recent
years and tendencies to undermine the rule of law and to silence peaceful
dissent and free expression, and to wallow along with his family and cronies in
corruption.
Erdogan arrested journalists and closed down newspapers critical of his
autocracy, and staged trials to punish senior military officers on flimsy
charges. In 2013 Turkey had the distinction, according to The Committee to
Protect Journalists (CPJ), of being the country that jailed most Journalists in
the world, ahead of notorious jailors of journalists such as Iran and China.
The struggle for Turkey’s soul
The coup plotters should be condemned not only because a successful coup could
have undermined what’s left of Turkey’s democratic gains, but also because the
failed coup could only embolden Erdogan and entrench him deeper into autocracy.
This outcome – like a successful military coup – will only lead to deeper
political and cultural polarizations, uncertainty and probably civil strife.
Even before the coup some Turkish analysts were warning of civil strife, giving
the spillover from the Syrian wars, the destructive terror of the so-called
Islamic State ISIS – a phenomenon that was aided and abated by Erdogan’s winks
and nods, and the continuing tug of war between the AKP and the Islamists and
the opposition “secularist’ parties over Turkey’s political orientation and its
very identity.
The Erdogan era has heightened the political and cultural debates within Turkish
polity and society about Turkey’s place in the region and the world. Modern
Turkey kept its gazing eyes on the West, and yearned for acceptance in the
European family, but Europe kept its drawbridges shut tight, not wanting a
majority Muslim state as part of the gated community.
To this end Turkish governments and elites were pushed by Europe and pushed
themselves to “assimilate” in the hope of eventually being stamped as a bona
fide member of the European Union (EU): Capital punishment and torture in jails
were banned, guaranteeing basic rights such as freedom of expression and
assembly, and political parties were allowed to organize and – music to
Erdogan’s ears- the military should be under civilian control.
Erdogan and the AKP initially kept knocking on the EU door to no avail. Then
they discovered their neighbors to the South and East, with whom they shared a
lot – a strange brew of good, bad and ugly- in the past. A decade ago Turkey was
reaping the economic and political gains from its new policy of “zero problems”
with neighbors.
But the season of Arab uprisings, the tumult in Iraq, growing tension between
Turkey and Israel over Palestinian rights, coupled with blunders by Erdogan,
Israeli and Arab leaders, led to the gradual collapse of this new Turkish
construct. And until recently, Turkey had problems, some very serious, with all
of its neighbors.
Given the deep polarization in Turkey, with half the population pushing for
greater integration with the EU and the separation of state and Mosque, and the
other half wanting to maintain the status quo and deepen their Muslim identity
the country is poised for another convulsion about its political orientation and
its identity as if a large country that emerged from the once mighty Ottoman
Empire (which was for centuries a European/ Balkan power) that straddles the
Middle East and Europe physically and culturally, can settle such complex issues
in a neat and simple way.
I remember a time when thoughtful Turkish, Arab, Iranian and Israeli analysts
were watching Turkey’s economic growth and political openness during the
beginning of the Erdogan era and hoping to finally see a majority Muslim country
develop as a full democracy and turn into a genuine modern and moderate state.
But that was not meant to be. Autocratic political cultures don’t die easy and
some have nine lives. When they are interrupted by cataclysmic or unforeseen
events they regenerate themselves in remarkable ways; Stalin gave way to Putin,
Saddam gave way to Maliki and Ataturk gave way to Erdogan.
Erdogan and the AKP loved those elections that gave them comfortable majorities,
but as we know from many places and different times in the last century
illiberal and autocratic characters like Erdogan were routinely elected. They
like elections that give them majoritarian rule, but certainly they are not
democrats, and they abjure the constraints of democratic governance.
Whither Turkey? And what should be its political orientation and how to define
its regional role? These are questions only the Turks can and should grapple
with. Beneath the political hyperbole and the pressing urgent, but transient
problems facing Turkey today, there is a deeper struggle going on over the very
soul of this pivotal country. One could only wish that the Turks would take
another stock of their neighborhoods and learn from the costly blunders of their
neighbors and reconcile their competing visions peacefully.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T
One final observation; it was breathtaking to watch angry civilians challenging
the military in the streets, with some blocking the movement of tanks by their
bodies. And even when some civilians roughed up soldiers, no orders were given
to the soldiers to shoot and kill civilians in the streets. Watching some of
these remarkable scenes, one could only admire the tenacity of the people in
their rejection of a military coup – a rejection that was shared by non-Islamist
groups, including those who are strong opponents of Erdogan – and how the
military refrained from using force gratuitously.
I grew up watching Arab armies and police forces shooting at unarmed civilians
demonstrating peacefully in the streets. I have seen it too many times, and in
recent decades Arab armies, many of them designed and structured as praetorian
guards, fired on their peoples in bloodied the streets and avenues of many Arab
capitals and cities.
We have seen butchery perpetrated by armed Arabs against civilian Arabs during
the season of Arab uprisings, and in places like Libya, Yemen and especially
Syria, the non-stop killings of civilians turned them into insurgents and civil
wars descended and engulfed the blood soaked lands.
Regardless of whether those Turks demonstrating in the streets are true
democrats or mostly – as I suspect – loyal to a strong, albeit elected autocrat,
it was important to see that with few exceptions the military and the civilians
did not engage in wanton violence.
And to those Turks, who went to the streets, to defend what was left of Turkey’s
democratic gains, to prevent the return of military rule, and who still believe
that the best way of dispatching Erdogan to early retirement is through the
ballot box, and the hard work of instilling democratic values, my boundless
admiration and respect.
Turkey’s failed coup and its
repercussions
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/July 17/16
In the past 60 years, there have been 457 coup attempts in the world, of which
230 failed. Most happened in third-world countries, and those with totalitarian
regimes such as Russia. The stability of the political regime is the difference
between developed and developing countries.
The recent coup attempt by a military faction in Turkey has caused great worry.
It was a surprise because the political regime there has come a long way toward
solidifying its pillars. The coup attempt can be viewed as a problem in the
regime’s structure and the state’s safety. Many think the coup failed due to
Turks’ mobilization on the streets against it. This is partially true, but the
major reason is the army, most of which did not back the rebellion.
The army is so big and widely present that it can seize governance. The
possibility that an officer can drive a tank in any country and threaten the
regime, state stability and public safety is very dangerous. If you want to know
the difference between an ancient democracy such as Britain and a modern one
such as Turkey, it is enough to compare two historic events that are two days
apart.
British Prime Minister David Cameron willingly resigned, while Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan confronted an attempt to topple him by force. Cameron
resigned after most Britons voted to leave the EU against his will. He did so
even though he still had around three years left of his term. All MPs rose in
respect and applauded him. However, in Turkey tanks entered the capital and
Istanbul to topple Erdogan.
The coup attempt was an important test for the Turkish regime, and it passed.
Nonetheless, its repercussions will affect the future of the state.
Possible scenarios
The coup attempt was an important test for the Turkish regime, and it passed.
Nonetheless, the attempt worries those concerned with the struggle inside
Turkey. Its repercussions will affect the future of the state. It may speed up
the project of Erdogan, who wants to transform Turkey from its current
parliamentary system, which is like France’s, to a presidential system such as
in the United States.
Following his survival and success, it has become appropriate to propose this.
The president will thus have full jurisdiction, and the plurality of
presidencies will come to an end. This is positive. The negative is that the
coup attempt may deepen wounds among Turkish political powers, and result in
vendettas at a time when the country is experiencing a dangerous phase.
Turkey is fighting simultaneous wars with Kurdish separatists who have taken up
arms and are supported by Iran’s allies, and with the Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria (ISIS), whose terror operations threaten tourism and state stability.
There are also the continuous threats of the war in Syria and its disputes over
southern Turkey, and the sabotaging of relations between components of Turkish
society.
We do not know how the coup attempt will influence Erdogan’s vision of the world
around him, and particularly of Syria. There is one view that he may choose to
focus on confronting internal threats against him, and thus reconcile with the
Syrian regime and its allies Iran and Russia. If so, the coup attempt will have
failed to topple Erdogan but succeeded in changing his policy. Or he may choose
to escalate confrontation in Syria to enhance his regional and domestic
positions.
This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on July 17, 2016.
No smoking gun: The 28-pages
conspiracy is over
Andrew J. Bowen/Al Arabiya/July 17/16
After over a decade of legal pressure, the White House moved to declassify the
remaining 28 pages of the 9/11 Report. These pages were released amid the
turmoil of Turkey’s aborted coup, the ISIS-linked attack in Nice, and the
unveiling of Trump’s Veep pick
The pages detail a number of non-investigated leads that the Commission examined
in the process of investigating the planning and execution of the 9/11 attacks.
At the time of the release of the report, President Bush made the conclusion
that these pages released at that time could harm the relations between the US
and Saudi Arabia, a key counterterrorism partner. The Commission also concluded
that these potential leads weren’t covered under the purview of the Commission’s
mandate.
A conspiratorial mystique
While such a move was prudent at the time, it created a conspiratorial mystique
that these missing pages legitimated the simplified myth that Saudi Arabia is a
duplicitous and dangerous ally that Washington to its own detriment has kept
close. It also created the sense that Washington wasn’t being fully truthful to
the countless families who lost loved ones in the worst terrorist attack on US
soil.
In the fourteen year-long legal and public fight by members of Congress and
families of the 9/11 families, the refusal to declassify these pages was seen as
a potential “smoking gun” for Saudi Arabia’s role in the attacks considering the
number of hijackers holding Saudi passports and Osama Bin Laden’s long personal
history.
The legislation passed by the Senate (which President Obama threatened to veto)
opened the possibility of 9/11 victims’ families to sue Saudi Arabia. The
impending declassification further alit the possibility that these pages could
give strong evidence for such future lawsuits.
Hopefully, the release will give a sense of closure after a painful decade
long-struggle to make sense of this horrible terrorist attack
There’s no “there” there
The White House noted on Friday, the FBI and the US intelligence community
thoroughly and exhaustively investigated these leads. President Obama’s
administration concluded that there was no evidence to substantiate any link
between the Saudi government and the 9/11 plot. Their investigations also found
many of the leads noted in the pages to be spurious.
While the pages noted how low-level Saudi government officials and other Saudis
may have had contact with the hijackers and provided degrees of support for
various reasons, there was no evidence to credibly show that the Saudi
government aided and abetted al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks or condoned or tolerated
such attacks. In other words, the road to 9/11 didn’t run through Riyadh.
A partner not an opponent
In the wake of the release of these pages, the focus shouldn’t be on whether or
not the leads weren’t investigated thoroughly enough, but how the US and Saudi
Arabia can deepen their counter-terrorism cooperation to prevent another such
attack. Hopefully, the release will give a sense of closure after a painful
decade long-struggle to make sense of this horrible terrorist attack.
Both Washington and Riyadh face a deepening challenge posed not only by al-Qaeda
and its affiliates, but also ISIS at home and abroad. The terrorist attacks this
month across Saudi Arabia, in Iraq, Turkey, Bangladesh, and France illustrate
the global challenge that extremist groups pose. The collapse of Syria and Yemen
and the fragmentation of Iraq have given ground for these groups to exploit this
anarchy and attract a global following.
While efforts have been made to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation
(notably Riyadh’s anti-ISIS coalition), more work needs to be done. More actions
need to be taken to address Syria’s grinding civil war, Yemen’s collapse, and
Iraq’s fragmentation. It would be a mistake to pass the buck to a new
administration. More efforts also need to be taken at home to effectively
address the threat this extremism poses.
At a time of critical challenges, it would be a mistake to allow these 28 pages
to strain a strong partnership between the US and Saudi Arabia at a time of
growing global challenges.
The time is ripe for cooperation not divisiveness that unfortunately the current
US presidential campaign trail only feeds.