LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 30/16
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.july30.16.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to go to the LCCC Daily English/Arabic News Buletins Archieves Since 2006
Bible Quotations For Today
I came to bring fire to the earth,
and how I wish it were already kindled
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12/49-53/:"‘I came to bring
fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with
which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you
think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather
division! From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two
and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against
father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law
against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’
Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads."
I asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The Lord answered, "I am Jesus whom you are
persecuting.
Acts of the Apostles 26,1-2a.6-10.12-19/.Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You have
permission to speak for yourself.’ Then Paul stretched out his hand and began to
defend himself: ‘I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King
Agrippa, I am to make my defence today against all the accusations of the
Jews,And now I stand here on trial on account of my hope in the promise made by
God to our ancestors, a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they
earnestly worship day and night. It is for this hope, your Excellency, that I am
accused by Jews! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the
dead? ‘Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the
name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority
received from the chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in
prison, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to
death. ‘With this in mind, I was travelling to Damascus with the authority and
commission of the chief priests, when at midday along the road, your Excellency,
I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my
companions. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me
in the Hebrew language, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to
kick against the goads." I asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The Lord answered, "I am
Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for I have
appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the
things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. I
will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you
to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the
power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place
among those who are sanctified by faith in me." ‘After that, King Agrippa, I was
not disobedient to the heavenly vision".
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published on July 29-30/16
In Lebanon, all are responsible for
the presidential vacuum/Nayla Tueni/Al ASrabiya/July 29/16
Terrorists in our backyard: the Hezbollah threat in Latin America/Emanuele/Ottolenghi/Foundation
for Defense of Democracies/The Cipher Brief/July 29/16
Marion Le Pen: 'Either We Kill Islamism or It Will Kill Us'/Raheem Kassam/Cross-posted
from Breitbart/July 29/16
Germany: "No Change to Open-Door Migration Policy"/Soeren Kern/Gatestone
Institute/July 29/16
Crushing Dissent in Turkey/Burak Bekdil/The Gatestone Institute/July 29/16
Three Years Later: Egyptian President Al-Sisi's Supporters Express
Disappointment, Call His Regime Tyrannical/MEMRI/July 29/16
The problem with globalism/Clifford D. May/ The Washington Times/July 29/16
Fact-checking Saudi and Iranian statements on terrorism/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al
Arabiya/July 29/16
Stop them before they wear suicide belts/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/July
29/16
The United Kingdom will not break up after Brexit/Dr. Azeem Ibrahim/Al Arabiya/July
29/16
Never the diplomat? Britain’s new foreign policy chief Boris Johnson/Chris
Doyle/Al Arabiya/July 29/16
Turkey's Intra-Islamist Struggle for Power/Burak Bekdil/Hürriyet Daily News/July
29/16
Question: "Is Jesus a myth? Is Jesus just a copy of the pagan gods of other
ancient religions?"
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on July 29-30/16
Nasrallah: Imperial Ambitions Have
Fallen Apart in Aleppo and Saudi Project Will be Defeated in Region
Hariri Hits Back at Nasrallah over Saudi, Slams Hizbullah as 'Iranian Tool'
In Lebanon, all are responsible for the presidential vacuum
Terrorists in our backyard: the Hezbollah threat in Latin America
MP Suleiman Franjieh Still in Presidential Race: Allies Won't Ask Me to Withdraw
Nomination
Geagea: Efforts Ongoing to Convince Hariri With Aoun's Election
MP, Nehme Tohmeh stresses need to rally around military institutions
Telecom Minister Boutros Harb says no indications to near solution in
presidential file
MP Ibrahim Kanaan to FPM partisans in Metn: To choose best candidate
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Rai met MP, Ahmad Fatfat
Deputy PM and Minister of National Defense, Samir Mokbe hold talks with British
Ambassador to Lebanon, Hugo Shorter
Report: Ain el-Hilweh Islamists Appease Fears Say 'No Terror Plots' in Lebanon
Report: Hariri to Approve Aoun as President in Forthcoming Weeks
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
July 29-30/16
Clinton vows to be president for
‘all Americans’
French PM ‘open’ to interim ban on foreign funding of mosques
Austria extradites pair thought to be linked to Paris attacks
Church Attacker Threatened France in New Video
IS Executes 24 Civilians after Seizing Syria Village
Calls Grow for Syria Regime to End Aleppo Siege
U.N.: Syrians Must Not be Forced Out of Aleppo
Casualties, Heavy Damage as Maternity Hospital Bombed in Syria's Idlib
U.S.-Led Coalition Raids Kill 15 Civilians in Syria
Netanyahu Says He Backs Egypt's Peace Push
Erdogan wants presidential control over army
Turkey’s Erdogan dismisses Western criticism of post-coup crackdown
Iran: 52 executions in 17 days
Ken Blackwell: U.S. Policy Should Work to Transform Iran
Louis Freeh: The Iran nuclear deal has not solved anything
Iran: Azeris stage demonstrations in major cities
Saudi FM: Iranian Regime Involved in Attack on Saudi Embassy in Iran
Sisi Warns against Dangers of Using Religion to Ignite Strife
Links From Jihad Watch Site for
July 29-30/16
North African team sent home after molesting girls in Sweden at
world youth football tournament
Mumbai police: Zakir Naik has been paying people to convert to Islam
General who issued groveling apology for alleged Qur’an desecration says Hillary
will beat ISIS
Father of slain Muslim soldier rebukes Trump at DNC
Pakistan: Muslims murder Hindu teen after tension over burnt Qur’an
Muslim who beheaded priest to France: “We are going to destroy your country”
French PM “open” to ban on foreign funding of mosques in France
France: Muslim who beheaded priest worked as airport baggage handler
Hungary’s PM Orban: The problem is “not in Mecca, but in Brussels”
Islamic State says London is next, UK churches put on terror
alert
July 29-30/16
Nasrallah: Imperial Ambitions Have
Fallen Apart in Aleppo and Saudi Project Will be Defeated in Region
Naharnet/July 29/16/Hizbullah
chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday lashed out anew at Saudi Arabia,
accusing it of rejecting dialogue in the region and stressing that its regional
“project” will be “defeated.”“Unfortunately, Saudi Arabia is insisting on
continuing the wars in all arenas and rejecting all the extended hands. Those
who have offered dialogue in Yemen have been asked to surrender, in Bahrain they
have been asked to eliminate themselves, while in Syria preconditions are being
demanded. The war is also continuing against Iran... seeing as Saudi Arabia is
only launching dialogue with the Israelis,” said Nasrallah in a televised speech
commemorating late Hizbullah official Ismail Zahri. “Meanwhile, Iran is everyday
calling for dialogue and negotiations, but the war and attacks in Yemen are
continuing... and in Syria the Saudi Wahhabist culture of Daesh (Islamic State
group), al-Qaida and al-Nusra (Front) is the same, even if the latter changes
its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. Reconciliation is not being given a chance,”
Nasrallah lamented. “The Saudi foreign minister has appointed himself as a
custodian and governor of the Syrian people and the proposal he made to Russia
by offering it a share in the region is laughable. We tell the Saudis that they
cannot win this war or impose their conditions,” he went on to say.
Turning to the latest developments in the key northern Syrian city of Aleppo,
Nasrallah cited the latest advances that regime forces and their allies have
made in and around the city. “What happened in Aleppo is highly important and
has an impact on the regional equations. Imperial ambitions have fallen apart in
Aleppo in the face of the perseverance of the resistance and the people,”
Hizbullah's chief boasted, suggesting that rebel forces there are backed by
Riyadh. Regime forces and allied militants have recently cut off the
opposition's last supply route into the northern city and residents have
reported food shortages and spiraling prices in rebel districts. Losing Aleppo
would be a major blow for the armed opposition and could signal a turning point
in Syria's five-year-old conflict, analysts say.
Continuing his verbal assault on Saudi Arabia, Nasrallah added: “Those who
slaughtered the priest in the (French) church belonged to Daesh but they carried
your culture. Those who carried out massacres in (France's) Nice and (Iraq's)
Karrada and those who slaughtered the Palestinian child (in Syria) believe in
this takfiri, Wahhabist ideology.” “Your project has no future and Saudi Arabia
and its rulers have a chance to contain the situation. The Yemenis, Bahrainis,
Syrians, Iranians and Iraqis are ready to negotiate. Do not be arrogant and do
not be blinded by malice. You should rather be partners in addressing the
situations in the region,” added Nasrallah. “If you insist on the continuation
of wars, you will be defeated. The project of the House of Saud will be defeated
and disgraced... All indications in all arenas suggest that the region is taking
this course,” he said. Turning to the Lebanese affairs, Nasrallah called on the
government to “take a stance over what is happening in the Ghajar village.”
“Israel is imposing its hegemony over a Lebanese town and no one is addressing
the issue. The Israelis admit that it is Lebanese territory and so does the
U.N.,” he said. An Israeli news website had recently revealed that Israeli
authorities have informed the residents of the Lebanese part of the occupied
village that Israeli construction laws would soon be imposed on the entire
village.
Hariri Hits Back at Nasrallah over
Saudi, Slams Hizbullah as 'Iranian Tool'
Al-Mustaqbal Movement
leader ex-PM Saad Hariri was quick to snap back on Friday at Hizbullah chief
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah over fierce anti-Saudi remarks. “There are individuals
who are experts in reversing facts and accusing others of their own involvement
in certain practices, wars and sectarian strife,” Hariri tweeted. “The Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia is a crown that is decorated with welfare and good deeds in the
Arab history and it is a voice that will not be defeated in its defense of the
causes of Arabs and Muslims,” he added. And noting that “the continued attacks
against the kingdom by some parties are a black mark in the history and present
of those who are seeking to spread the culture of strife and wars in the Arab
world,” Hariri pointed out that “those whose hands are smeared with Arab blood
in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait and Lebanon have no right to use podiums
to insult Saudi Arabia, its leadership and its people.” “He who allows his party
and militants to be an Iranian tool for sedition in the Arab societies will not
be able to acquit himself no matter how much he gets creative in political
falsification,” Hariri added. Earlier in the day, Nasrallah lashed out
anew at Saudi Arabia, accusing it of rejecting dialogue in the region and
stressing that its regional “project” will be “defeated.”“Your project has no
future and Saudi Arabia and its rulers have a chance to contain the situation.
The Yemenis, Bahrainis, Syrians, Iranians and Iraqis are ready to negotiate. Do
not be arrogant and do not be blinded by malice. You should rather be partners
in addressing the situations in the region,” added Nasrallah. “If you insist on
the continuation of wars, you will be defeated. The project of the House of Saud
will be defeated and disgraced... All indications in all arenas suggest that the
region is taking this course,” he said.
In Lebanon, all are responsible for the presidential vacuum
Nayla Tueni/Al ASrabiya/July
29/16
Lebanese Christian leader Amin Gemayel has said that Samir Geagea’s endorsement
of Michel Aoun for the presidency will only increase his stubbornness, since
Aoun’s obstruction of presidential elections is based on Christian help he has
never dreamed of. Geagea has provided Christian cover out of good intentions,
but has prolonged the presidential vacuum and given Aoun an excuse to cling to
his policy of “me or nobody else.”Aoun is not convinced that his chances of
becoming president have decreased, and that if he does become president it will
be at the expense of the state, its institutions and people. He is not yet
convinced that he will be unable to reform what he contributed to destroying and
corrupting by obstructing the election of a president for more than two years
now, and to restore soured relations between Lebanon and the world, particularly
the Arab world. MP Suleiman Franjieh is also nominated for the post, and he does
not make concessions unless according to a set of conditions. He insists on
remaining a candidate, thus obstructing a settlement on an alternative
candidate.
Hezbollah
Meanwhile, Hezbollah insists on making March 14 parties accept its candidate
Aoun. Hezbollah asks the Future Movement why it rejects him for the presidency,
but it does not question its self-granted right to impose its will on others.
Hezbollah has never referred to the democracy that obliges the party to attend
parliament sessions to elect a president - any president who can garner the
majority of votes - especially since the competition is now limited to two
candidates who are both its allies. This means it does not want to facilitate
the election of a president because it benefits the most from an incapable
government and paralyzed parliament. Those in governance await signals from
foreign parties and put their interests above the country’s. The Future Movement
hangs on to the possibility of nominating Franjieh for the presidency to
sideline Aoun. This resembles Druze leader Walid Jumblatt’s plan to nominate MP
Henri Helou. It is within this context that the Future Movement and Jumblatt do
not spare a chance to hold democratic elections in parliament. Their relatively
weak argument contributes - even if in a small way - to delaying an agreement.
However, both parties are always present in parliament, and both are convinced
that they will not be able to get their candidates to the presidential palace.
Other parties do not have an answer to any of this, and have not taken any
stance. They just act according to whatever is planned for them, until the time
comes when a foreign agreement imposes a settlement on us. They thus confirm to
the Lebanese people that despite their loud rhetoric and threats, those in
governance await signals from foreign parties and put their interests above the
country’s. This article was first published in an-Nahar on July 25, 2016.
Terrorists in our backyard: the
Hezbollah threat in Latin America
Emanuele Ottolenghi/Foundation
for Defense of Democracies/The Cipher Brief/July 29/16
In Latin America, the combination of weak
governments, porous borders, widespread corruption, and the lack of adequate
legislative tools to combat terror finance creates an ideal environment for
transnational organized crime. Drug trafficking, trade-based money laundering,
and terror financing can no longer be treated as distinct phenomena. Terror
organizations help drug traffickers move merchandise, then launder revenues
through sales of consumer goods. Profits then return to the terrorists to fund
their activity. In Latin America, Hezbollah plays a central role in this new
landscape.
Hezbollah generates loyalty among local Shi’a communities by managing their
religious and educational structures. It then leverages that loyalty to solicit
funds to its own advantage – including, critically, to facilitate interactions
with organized crime.
The organization’s role as a nexus between terror finance and organized crime
thrives in the Tri-border Area (TBA) of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. In the
TBA, Hezbollah’s clerics and religious institutions along with its charitable
and educational programs, and supporters’ legal commercial activities overlap
with its illicit financial networks. Moreover, the absence of legislative tools
to combat terror finance in this region has limited the impact of U.S. measures
to counter it.
For example, the Galeria Pagé, a shopping center in Paraguay that was sanctioned
by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2006 due to its record of serving as a
Hezbollah finance center, merely changed its name to Galeria Uniamerica. Its
U.S.-sanctioned owner, Hamzi Ahmad Barakat, continued his activities until his
arrest in Brazil in 2013, not for terror finance but for fraud. And Mohsen Bilal
Wehbe, a Hezbollah cleric that Treasury designated in 2010, continues to operate
openly in Brazil.
Porous borders compound these problems. Trade-based money laundering in the TBA,
a key component of the narcotraffic-terrorism nexus, relies on commercial goods
not produced in Paraguay. Imported goods are re-exported through the border at
the southern end of a long lawless frontier infamous for drugs and weapons
trafficking.
A recently leaked investigation into tax fraud in Ciudad Del Este – one so large
that local authorities have dubbed it a “Mega-evasion” – brings all this
together. Authorities are investigating local accountants for allegedly issuing
false invoices on behalf of 285 companies registered in the TBA, evading an
estimated $270 million in taxes.
Authorities are focusing on a cluster of companies with alleged links to
Hezbollah through two shareholders, Jaafar Balhas and Walid Amine Sweid. It
remains to be seen whether Sweid and Balhas act as financiers of Hezbollah or
whether their companies will be convicted. Paraguay’s media have documented
Sweid’s close connections to politicians and customs officials, suggesting these
links ensure lax customs inspections. Import-export data for their companies
show merchandise deliveries from China arrive by air, with weekly Emirates cargo
flights via Dakar, Senegal.
For example, bills of lading detail air delivery of assorted merchandise to the
TBA business Ponto Com Megastore from Spaltec Electronics in Hong Kong. Sweid
owns both companies, as well as Global Logistics Solutions, the shipping
company. In short, Sweid owned every company involved in the transaction. Given
the false invoicing, it is plausible that this is a trade-based money-laundering
scheme involving false shipments.
This pattern is common to other companies under investigation, some of which use
LLCs incorporated in Miami as their transit point for merchandise and paperwork.
The Miami-based Centurion Air Cargo, for example, flies regularly into Ciudad
Del Este.
What can Washington do to counter these activities? Successive U.S.
administrations have squeezed Hezbollah’s sources of revenue and cut the group
off from the global financial system. Relying on congressional legislation
against Hezbollah’s terror financing, the Obama administration has recently
taken aim at Hezbollah’s finances in Lebanon. It should focus on Latin America
and target Hezbollah financiers by seeking new designations in the region. The
TBA offers a target-rich environment for new designations.
The U.S. should also encourage local authorities to be more proactive. Treasury
should also reach out directly to financial institutions, as it did in the past.
A senior Paraguayan official presented me figures that show most of the cash
flows out of that country and into the United States. If true, the U.S.
financial system is likely being used to launder revenue from illicit
trafficking. Applying significant consequences for being on the wrong side of
Treasury would help get local banks to look at what is happening in their own
backyards. The U.S. can also invest resources and political capital to ensure
more stringent controls and better monitoring of merchandise traveling to the
TBA.
Problematic shipments by air reach the TBA from two points of departure – Miami
International Airport and Dubai (via Dakar). The U.S. should institute stricter
controls over shipments from Miami, and perform more stringent and timely due
diligence on companies shipping to the TBA.
Washington should also ask authorities in Dubai and Dakar to exercise greater
scrutiny over merchandise and its recipients before planes leave. Stricter
controls could reduce illicit shipments and raise the costs for Hezbollah
middlemen in the TBA.
Transnational crime in Latin America is a serious obstacle to developing strong
institutions and robust economies in the region. As an accomplice to such crime,
Hezbollah poses an immediate threat to U.S. national interests in its own
backyard. In countering Hezbollah, Washington should thus prioritize Latin
America.
**Emanuele Ottolenghi is a Senior Fellow for the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies. Follow him on Twitter @eottolenghi.
MP Suleiman Franjieh Still in Presidential Race: Allies Won't Ask Me to Withdraw
Nomination
Naharnet/July 29/16/Marada
Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh stressed on Friday that his allies will not
ask him to draw back his nomination for the top state post and assured that his
candidacy for the presidential race is still valid. “My allies will not ask me
to withdraw my nomination and my candidacy for the presidency still stands,”
declared Franjieh after a meeting he held with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh.
Slamming media reports alleging that al-Mustaqbal Movement head ex-PM Saad
Hariri might reconsider his nomination for Franjieh, the latter said: “Hariri's
initiative with regard to the presidency still stands. Reports that my
nomination has been withdrawn are untrue.” Nevertheless, Franjieh assured that
he will not obstruct the election of any figure that garners national consensus,
he stated: “We will not stand in the face of anyone who garners national
consensus.”Reports claimed recently that Hariri will soon agree on electing
founder of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun instead of his initial
nominee Franjieh. Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative
in late 2015 to nominate 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. Lebanon has been without a
president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, MP
Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been
boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed
quorum.
Geagea: Efforts Ongoing to
Convince Hariri With Aoun's Election
Naharnet/July 29/16/Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea stated on Friday that the
presidential file is complicated and that contacts with al-Mustaqbal Movement
leader ex-PM Saad Hariri are ongoing to convince him to elect the Change and
Reform head MP Michel Aoun as president. “MP Walid Jumblat has realized the
actual situation and he prefers that a president is elected instead of the
prolonging vacuum. Since the majority of the Christians have agreed on the
election of Aoun, Jumblat has expressed readiness to vote for Aoun while
contacts are ongoing with Hariri in that regard,” said Geagea to a popular
delegation from the town of Tannourine. Geagea stressed that “Hizbullah is not
serious with the nomination of Aoun. The party cannot bear to lose its political
alliance with Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement but at the same time it does
not wish to have Aoun as president.”Pointing to the role of Iran in Lebanon,
Geagea said: “Hizbullah is a major part of the Iranian strategy in the region.
It has many concerns starting from Syria, Iraq and Yemen plus it is trying to
keep Lebanon's presidency on hold to trade it later on for keeping the Syrian
President Bashar Assad in Syria which is widely rejected by Gulf and Western
countries. He elaborated and said: “Hizbullah has two options: either have a
powerful (Lebanese) republic and a weak party or a strong party and a weak
republic. “Hizbullah prefers to keep the status quo so it would remain without
accountability, otherwise it goes for a president whom it is capable to control,
concluded Geagea.
MP, Nehme Tohmeh stresses
need to rally around military institutions
Fri 29 Jul 2016/NNA - "Democratic Gathering" member, Deputy Nehme Tohmeh
stressed the need on Friday in a statement "to rally around the military
institutions to ensure civil peace". The MP congratulated the Army chief,
officers and members on the occasion of Army Day, praising their achievements
and sacrifices.
Telecom Minister Boutros Harb
says no indications to near solution in presidential file
Fri 29 Jul 2016/NNA - The optimism of Interior and Municipalities Minister
Nouhad Machnouk regarding presidential election was opposed by the pessimism of
Telecom Minister Boutros Harb who said, "There are no data indicating any near
solution in the presidential election file." Harb's stance came Friday in the
context of an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio (100.3 - 100.5 Mhz FM). Harb
even expressed pessimism about the forthcoming dialogue sessions in August,
especially at the parliamentary elections law level, noting that the joint
parliamentary committees are stucking in the same vicious circle. He said,
"Solution to the presidential crisis cannot be through hopes and wishes but
through making concessions and rectifying matters." Turning to telecom file,
Harb said that in Thursday's cabinet session, he will do an introductory
intervention to counter all ministers who opposed his report with untrue items.
Harb had already submitted a report to the cabinet to defend his position in
light of said file.
MP Ibrahim Kanaan to FPM
partisans in Metn: To choose best candidate
Fri 29 Jul 2016/NNA - Change and Reform Bloc Secretary, MP Ibrahim Kanaan,
beseeched on Friday FPM partisans in northern Metn to choose the best candidate
during Sunday's democratic due date. MP Kenaan's fresh stance came during a
meeting at Saint Maroun College in Jdeidet El Metn. "We have a democratic due
date on Sunday so we should choose the right person," he said. "You support
partnership, diversity and dignity. On Sunday, you will vote for the future of
Metn and for the one who will realize your dreams," noted Kanaan.
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal
Beshara Rai met MP, Ahmad Fatfat
Fri 29 Jul 2016/NNA - Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Rai met on Friday at
Diman Deputy Ahmad Fatfat. Both sides tackled the general situation in Lebanon
as well as the dialogue table that will be held coming August for three
consecutive days. Rai hoped that the dialogue's attendees would approve a new
electoral law that would satisfy all sides and would end the presidential void.
Separately, Rai met in the morning with the Pope's Assistant, Theodore II who
conveyed a verbal message from His Holiness the Pope to Patriarch Rai about the
preparations for the next General Assembly of the Churches of the Middle East.
Deputy PM and Minister of National Defense, Samir Mokbe hold talks with British
Ambassador to Lebanon, Hugo Shorter
Fri 29 Jul 2016/NNA - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense,
Samir Mokbel met on Friday noon at his office at the ministry, the British
Ambassador to Lebanon, Hugo Shorter. Discussions focused on the current domestic
and regional situation. According to a statement issued by the ministry "talks
touched on the aid provided by the British Cabinet to the Lebanese Army". Mokbel
thanked Shorter for the aid, for the training of military forces and the
establishment of watchtowers at the border areas of Arsal and Baalbek.
Report: Ain el-Hilweh
Islamists Appease Fears Say 'No Terror Plots' in Lebanon
Naharnet/July 29/16/Senior Muslim figures in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain
el-Hilweh received a pledge from extremist Islamic groups that there will be no
attempts to shake the stability in the camp or other Lebanese regions, the
Kuwaiti al-Rai daily reported on Friday.
“Muslim figures in Ain el-Hilweh managed to get a clear commitment from the
hardline Islamic groups, that support the ideology of the Islamic State group
and al-Nusra Front, of not taking any security action that could harm the
stability of the camps mainly Ain el-Hilweh or other Lebanese regions,”
Palestinian sources told the daily. “The Jihadi Islamist Movement, led by Sheikh
Jamal Khattab and the Osbat al-Ansar group represented by Sheikh Abou Tarek al-Saadi
and Abou Sharif Akl, has played a major role in communicating with the militant
groups and the Muslim youth which resulted in declaring a clear position that
there was no intention to carry out security operations that harm the camps or
other regions,” the Palestinian source added. Some reports that emerged lately
said that the army obtained information that a dangerous emir of the IS in Ain
el-Hilweh, Imad Yassine, has received orders from the IS foreign operations
chief Abou Khaled al-Iraqi to stage major Iraq-like bombings across Lebanon.
Reports have added that terrorist groups are also seeking to “create major
chaos, destruction and terror in the various Lebanese regions, especially in
Beirut and its southern suburbs, through targeting gatherings and
densely-populated areas.”By long-standing convention, the army does not enter
the twelve Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, leaving the Palestinian
factions themselves to handle security. That has created lawless areas in many
camps, and Ain el-Hilweh has gained notoriety as a refuge for extremists and
fugitives. But the camp is also home to more than 54,000 registered Palestinian
refugees who have been joined in recent years by thousands of Palestinians
fleeing the fighting in Syria. More than 450,000 Palestinians are registered in
Lebanon with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA. Most live in
squalid conditions in 12 official refugee camps and face a variety of legal
restrictions, including on their employment.
Report: Hariri to Approve
Aoun as President in Forthcoming Weeks
Naharnet/July 29/16/Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri will soon
agree on electing founder of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun for the
post of presidency, As Safir daily reported on Friday. “Ex-PM Hariri will in a
few weeks agree on electing Change and Reform head MP Michel Aoun as president
during the parliamentary meeting that follows the upcoming one,” a prominent
political source at Hariri's Center House told the daily. 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. Lebanon has been without a
president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, MP
Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been
boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed
quorum.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 29-30/16
Clinton vows to be president for
‘all Americans’
AFP, Philadelphia Friday,
29 July 2016/Hillary Clinton on Thursday accepted the Democratic Party’s White
House nomination, casting herself as a tireless champion of the people and
rejecting Donald Trump’s dark picture of America. Becoming the first woman to
win the nomination of a major political party, Clinton promised to be a
president for “all Americans”, whether they voted for her or not. Making a bold
play for the political centre ground in an election year that has seen the hard
right and the hard left become louder and more shrill, Clinton vowed to “be a
president for Democrats, Republicans, and Independents”.“For the struggling, the
striving and the successful. For those who vote for me and those who don’t. For
all Americans.”
Public image
Much of Clinton’s address to Democrats gathered in Philadelphia for their
party’s convention was focused on perhaps her biggest weakness come November - a
tough public image forged over decades of withering political trench warfare.
“Some people just don’t know what to make of me,” she said with a frankness that
is unusual in American politics. “The truth is, through all of these years of
public service, the service part has always come easier to me than the public
part.” But addressing her image of putting policy above politics, Clinton was
unrepentant. “It’s true,” she said. “I sweat the details,” be it the amount of
lead permissible in drinking water or the cost of prescription drugs. “It’s not
just a detail if it’s your kid, if it’s your family,” she said.
Trump ‘ wants to divide us’
Clinton also trained fire on Trump’s dystopian view of America. “He wants to
divide us from the rest of the world and from each other,” Clinton said, mocking
Trump’s claim that he alone can “fix” the country. “He’s taken the Republican
Party a long way from ‘Morning in America’ to midnight in America. He wants us
to fear the future and fear each other.” Clinton also offered an olive branch to
those who backed her rival Bernie Sanders, telling them their voice had been
heard, even as isolated voices of dissent echoed around the Philadelphia sports
arena. “I want to thank Bernie Sanders... And to all of your supporters here and
around the country, I want you to know I’ve heard you,” Clinton said.
“Your cause is our cause.”
French PM ‘open’ to interim ban on
foreign funding of mosques
AFP, Paris Friday, 29 July
2016/France’s prime minister said Friday he was "open" to a temporary ban on
foreign financing for mosque building, after a spate of attacks in the country
claimed by militants. Manuel Valls also admitted in an interview with the Le
Monde daily it was a "failure" that one of the militants who attacked a church
and killed a priest earlier this week had been released with an electronic tag
pending trial. Valls and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve have come under
fire for perceived security failings that have failed to prevent three major
terror attacks in France in 18 months. The fact that one of the church
attackers, 19-year-old Adel Kermiche, was awaiting trial on terror charges and
had been fitted with an electronic tag meant judges needed to take a "different,
case-by-case, approach," Valls said.
However, the prime minister stressed that the judges in this individual case
should not be held responsible for this "act of terrorism."And as the militant
killing of a priest at the altar of his church sparked fears of religious
tensions in secular France, Valls said the country needed to forge "a new
relationship" with Islam. "We need to reset and invent a new relationship with
Islam in France," Valls said. He added he was "open to the idea that -- for a
period yet to be determined -- there should be no financing from abroad for the
construction of mosques."
Valls also called for imams to be "trained in France, not elsewhere."
Austria extradites pair
thought to be linked to Paris attacks
Reuters, Vienna Friday, 29 July 2016/Two men thought to be connected to the
militants who carried out the Paris attacks in November have been extradited to
France from Austria, the prosecutors’ office in the city of Salzburg said on
Friday.The two men, an Algerian believed to be 29 and a Pakistani thought to be
35, were arrested last year at a shelter for refugees on suspicion of being
linked to the attacks in which 130 people were killed. “The two accused have
left federal territory,” the Salzburg prosecutors’ office said in a statement.
The French newspaper Le Monde has reported that the two men travelled together
from Syria to the Greek island of Leros with two Iraqi brothers who blew
themselves up near the Stade de France stadium outside Paris on Nov. 13. The two
men were first arrested on Leros during a passport check on Oct. 3, because one
of them spoke Arabic poorly and the other could not describe Aleppo, which was
cited as his birthplace on his passport, the newspaper Le Parisien has said.
Both men were released three weeks later and went to Austria, where they were
arrested again. The men’s transfer to France was carried out under a European
arrest warrant issued by France, the Austrian prosecutors’ office said.
“Considering the investigations being carried out by the French authorities the
Salzburg prosecutors’ office cannot provide further information on the content
(of the investigation),” it added.
Church Attacker Threatened France in
New Video
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 29/16/A jihadist involved in the brutal
killing of an elderly priest pledged to attack France in a newly released video,
as Catholic bishops called for a day of prayer in a nation shaken by the latest
assault. The assailant has been named as 19-year-old Abdel Malik Petitjean, who
was listed in June on France's "Fiche S" system of people posing a potential
threat to national security after he tried to reach Syria from Turkey. Petitjean
threatened France and directly addressed President Francois Hollande and Prime
Minister Manuel Valls in the footage released by the Islamic State-linked Amaq
news agency. Dressed in a striped t-shirt, Petitjean speaks mostly in French but
uses some Arabic phrases, and appears to be filming in a home. Petitjean, whose
face was disfigured when he was shot dead by police, had been harder to identify
than his accomplice Adel Kermiche, also 19. Investigators confirmed his identity
after a DNA match with his mother. The pair pledged allegiance to the Islamic
State group in a video made before they stormed a church in the Normandy town of
Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray on Tuesday and slit the throat of 86-year-old priest
Jacques Hamel at the altar. The president of the Conference of Bishops in France
Georges Pontier called on all Catholics in the country to observe a day of
national prayers and fasting Friday "for our country and for peace in the
world". "We have various sentiments at this time. We know well that the only
brotherhood, in our country, is the voice that leads to lasting peace. Let's
build it together," he said in a statement earlier this week. Hamel's funeral
will be held in the Gothic cathedral of nearby Rouen next Tuesday. - 'Government
guilty' -The church attack came as the government was already facing a firestorm
of criticism over alleged security failings after the Bastille Day truck
massacre in Nice that left 84 people dead two weeks ago.
A brief show of political unity at a mass attended by different faiths in Paris
on Wednesday quickly dissolved as Prime Minister Manuel Valls and Interior
Minister Bernard Cazeneuve faced fresh calls to resign. "Even if the government
is not responsible for the wave of terrorism, it is guilty of not having done
everything to stop it," Laurent Wauqiez, the deputy leader of the right-wing
Republicans party, said in an interview. Meanwhile, President Francois Hollande
responded to remarks by U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that
"France is no longer France" as a result of the attacks. "France will always be
France, because France will never yield and because France is always the bearer
of ideals, values and principles, for which we are recognised throughout the
world," he said. The French government has said that everything possible is
being done to protect citizens, while warning that more terror attacks are
inevitable, after three major strikes and several smaller attacks in the past 18
months. Hollande on Thursday confirmed plans to create a National Guard drawn
from existing reserves, after the government previously urged "patriots" to sign
up to become reservists. The president said he hopes the guard, made up of
volunteers from the police, paramilitary police and military, will be
operational by early autumn.
- Tough questions -The government has faced tough questions since it emerged
that both church attackers had been on the radar of intelligence services and
had tried to go to Syria. Sparking particular ire was the revelation that
Kermiche had been released from prison while awaiting trial on terror charges
after his second attempt to travel to Syria. He was fitted with an electronic
tag -- allowing him out of the house on weekday mornings -- despite calls from
the prosecutor for him not to be released. Petitjean, from France's eastern
Savoie region, had several part-time sales jobs and was described by his
incredulous mother as "gentle", insisting he "was not involved at all". Others
who knew him were equally shocked, describing him as normal and showing no signs
of radicalisation. The attack is the third in two weeks in France and Germany in
which jihadists have pledged allegiance to IS, increasing jitters in Europe over
young, often unstable men being lured by the group's propaganda and calls to
carry out attacks on home turf.
IS Executes 24 Civilians after
Seizing Syria Village
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 29/16/The Islamic State jihadist group has
executed at least 24 civilians after seizing a village in northern Syria from a
U.S.-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance, a monitor said Friday. The Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights said IS executed 24 civilians "in the last 24 hours" after
taking Buyir from the Syrian Democratic Forces. The village is located some 10
kilometres (6 miles) northwest of Manbij, a key waypoint between the Turkish
border and the IS de facto capital of Raqa city. IS seized control of several
villages in the countryside northwest of Manbij since launching a "fierce
assault" on Thursday, according to the Observatory, which relies on sources
inside Syria for its information. The SDF, backed by air strikes from a U.S.-led
coalition, launched an offensive to retake Manbij from IS on May 31. The
alliance managed to enter the town but have since faced fierce opposition from
the jihadists who have fought back with suicide bombers and car bombs. More than
280,000 have been killed and millions displaced in Syria's five-year conflict.
Calls Grow for Syria Regime to End
Aleppo Siege
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 29/16/Aid agencies called Friday on Syria's
government to end its encirclement of rebel-held east Aleppo as a handful of
civilians managed to use humanitarian corridors to flee the ruined city. U.N.
Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, meanwhile, urged Russia to let the United
Nations take charge of the corridors. "Our suggestion is to Russia to actually
leave the corridors being established at their initiative to us," he said. "How
can you expect people to want to walk through a corridor, thousands of them,
while there is shelling, bombing fighting."France, meanwhile, said corridors out
of the city were not "a credible response to the situation" and residents should
be able to receive aid at home. Pro-regime forces have surrounded Aleppo's
eastern districts since July 17, leaving an estimated 250,000 trapped without
reliable access to food or medical aid. Russia, a key ally of President Bashar
Assad, on Thursday announced the opening of humanitarian passages for civilians
and surrendering fighters seeking to exit the city's rebel-held eastern
neighborhoods. The Red Cross welcomed the corridors but said Russia and
pro-government forces had an obligation to protect everyone in Aleppo, once
Syria's economic hub and a battleground city seen as key in its five-year-old
conflict. "Those who decide, for whatever reason, to stay in eastern Aleppo must
be protected, and all sides must allow humanitarian agencies to reach and assess
their well-being and needs," the International Committee of the Red Cross said.
Residents have reported food shortages and spiraling prices in rebel districts
since regime forces cut off the opposition's main supply route into the northern
city. The U.S.-based International Rescue Committee said those left behind in
east Aleppo risked starvation and called for a humanitarian pause in fighting.
"The people of Aleppo should not be forced to choose between fleeing their homes
and remaining under attack in a besieged area," said IRC's acting Middle East
director Zoe Daniels.Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has said three
humanitarian corridors were being opened "to aid civilians held hostage by
terrorists and for fighters wishing to lay down their arms."
- Residents holed indoors -
But only a few Aleppo residents were able to leave eastern neighborhoods through
the passages before rebels prevented them from fleeing, according to the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights. "Around 12 people managed to use the Bustan al-Qasr
corridor before rebel groups reinforced security measures and prevented families
from approaching the corridors," the monitoring group's head Rami Abdel Rahman
said. An AFP correspondent in east Aleppo said streets were empty on Friday
morning, with residents holed up indoors. Shops were shuttered and generators in
several neighborhoods had stopped after their fuel ran out. Ahmad Ramadan from
the opposition Syrian National Coalition accused Russia and the regime of
forcing civilians to flee through continued bombing raids. "What is happening
now is not battles, but the complete and systematic destruction of the city and
its residents, whether they are civilians or fighters," he said.Regime aircraft
bombed eastern areas of Aleppo overnight, the Britain-based Observatory said.
- 'Rebel-civilian dynamic' -
Analysts say that losing Aleppo would be a major blow for the armed opposition
and could signal a turning point in the conflict, which began in 2011 with the
brutal crackdown of anti-government protests. "In Aleppo, getting civilians to
leave would both serve its propaganda and its military objectives," said Emile
Hokayem, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
"The regime uses massive, indiscriminate force to brutalize civilians to force
them to kneel or reject the rebel groups," he said of regime tactics. More than
280,000 have been killed in Syria's devastating war that has seen the spread of
jihadist groups and dragged in world powers seeking to stem their growth. A
U.S.-led coalition is conducting an aerial campaign against the Islamic State
(IS) jihadist group, which despite battlefield losses still controls areas of
north and northeastern Syria. The Observatory said that the death toll from
coalition strikes Thursday on the IS-controlled town of Ghandoura had risen to
28 civilians, including children. The town is near Manbij, a strategic point on
the road between Turkey and the IS bastion of Raqa, and came after the coalition
opened a formal investigation to determine whether nearby air strikes last week
claimed dozens of civilian lives. IS, meanwhile, executed 24 civilians in a
village close to Manbij, after seizing Buyir from a Kurdish-Arab alliance, the
Observatory said. IS' main jihadist rival al-Nusra Front announced Thursday it
was splitting from its parent organization, al-Qaida.
U.N.: Syrians Must Not be Forced Out
of Aleppo
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 29/16/The U.N.'s aid chief warned Thursday
that humanitarian corridors proposed by Russia to help Syrians leave Aleppo must
be used voluntarily and that protection be guaranteed. Russia, which is backing
the Syrian regime in the five-year war, announced plans to set up four corridors
for civilians and fighters to leave Aleppo, which has been under heavy assault
for weeks. The proposal however raised concerns that the corridors could be used
to flush out Aleppo before a final push by the Syrian regime forces to take the
city. "No one can be forced to flee, by any specific route or to any particular
location," said Stephen O'Brien, the under-secretary general for humanitarian
affairs. "Protection must be guaranteed for all according to the principles of
neutrality and impartiality," he said in a statement. The Syrian opposition
condemned Russia's proposal, saying the exit corridors would be used to empty
the city. "If the corridors could be used to allow aid into Aleppo, then that
would be welcome," said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft. "But clearly the UN
and the rest of us cannot be complicit in anything else –- for instance, any
form of emptying of Aleppo, or preparing for an onslaught in Aleppo, or indeed
any continuation of this medieval siege of Aleppo which is going on." "The
single most important thing that can happen to improve the situation in Aleppo
is an end to the military bombing campaign of Aleppo being carried out by the
Assad regime and their backers," the ambassador told reporters. The U.N. aid
chief renewed his call for a 48-hour weekly humanitarian truce for Aleppo,
saying this "is what we as humanitarians require."Syrian regime forces seized
the last remaining supply route to Aleppo this month and all humanitarian and
commercial movements came to a halt on July 7. Government forces have surrounded
rebel-held districts in eastern Aleppo since July 17, sparking fears for at
least 200,000 people who live there.
Casualties, Heavy Damage as
Maternity Hospital Bombed in Syria's Idlib
Agence France Presse/Naharet/July 29/16/A maternity hospital supported by Save
the Children was bombed Friday in an air raid in Idlib province of northwest
Syria, causing casualties and heavy damage, the Britain-based charity said.
"Save the Children supported maternity hospital in #Idlib bombed, casualties
reported - numbers unconfirmed," it tweeted. The Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights also said that the hospital in the rebel-held town of Kafar Takharim was
heavily damaged and left barely operational. The monitoring group did not
specify if the raid was carried out by Syrian regime aircraft or warplanes of
its Russian allies. The bombing "hit the entrance to the hospital, which is the
biggest in the area, serving over 1300 women monthly and carrying out over 300
deliveries a month," Save the Children said in an email. "This is the only
hospital specializing in maternity and children in the northern western side of
rural Idlib." Last week, air raids struck four makeshift hospitals and a blood
bank over a 24-hour period in the regime-besieged eastern sector of the city of
Aleppo.
U.S.-Led Coalition Raids Kill 15
Civilians in Syria
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 29/16/At least 15 civilians were killed and
dozens wounded in air strikes by a U.S.-led coalition in Syria on Thursday, a
monitor said. The strikes hit a northern town controlled by the Islamic State
jihadist group, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "Airstrikes by
international coalition fighter jets after midnight (Thursday morning) on the
town of Ghandoura killed at least 15 civilians and wounded dozens," said the
monitoring group's head, Rami Abdel Rahman. The town lies 23 kilometers (14
miles) northwest of Manbij, a strategic waypoint between Turkey and the jihadist
stronghold of Raqa. The strikes came a day after the coalition opened a formal
investigation to determine whether its air strikes last week near Manbij claimed
civilian lives. The Observatory and local residents said strikes on July 19 had
killed dozens of civilians, including children. After examining "internal and
external information," the coalition determined that there was sufficient
credible evidence of civilian victims to open a formal inquiry, said spokesman
Colonel Chris Garver on Wednesday. Garver said last week that the jihadists had
been mounting exceptionally fierce resistance in Manbij, which is being besieged
by U.S.-backed Syrian forces. The main Syrian opposition group had urged the
U.S.-led coalition to suspend its bombardments following the strikes. Amnesty
International has called on the coalition to redouble its efforts to prevent
civilian deaths and to investigate possible violations of international
humanitarian law. According to an Observatory toll, around 600 Syrians including
136 children have been killed in coalition air strikes since September 2014.
Netanyahu Says He Backs Egypt's
Peace Push
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 29/16/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu reaffirmed his support for Egypt’s efforts to mediate peace with the
Palestinians Thursday, in a further sign of improving relations with Cairo.
Speaking at an event hosted by Cairo's envoy near Tel Aviv to celebrate Egypt's
national day, Netanyahu thanked President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for his
commitment to the peace process. "We welcome the efforts to advance peace by
President Sisi and we welcome the effort to incorporate other Arab states in
this larger effort of a broader peace," he said. "Through storms, turbulence,
earthquakes, (Israel and Egypt) have remained at peace and we shall remain at
peace."Egyptian ambassador Hazem Khairat said that Egyptian relations with
Israel "could certainly be warmer if we can solve the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict."Cairo remains committed to implementing the Arab Peace Initiative, a
2002 Saudi-led peace proposal for Gulf states to recognize Israel in exchange
for Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab territories, he said. Netanyahu and
Khairat also held private talks. Egypt and Israel have been bound by a peace
treaty since 1979 but relations have been formally cold over Israel's policies
toward the Palestinians. Ties further soured after the June 2012 election of
Islamist president Mohamed Morsi but improved after his ouster the following
year by then army chief Sisi. Also speaking at the event, Israeli President
Reuven Rivlin said his country stood "shoulder to shoulder with Egypt in its
struggle against terror."
Erdogan wants presidential
control over army
By Ece Toksabay and Daren Butler Reuters Friday, 29 July 2016/Turkish President
Tayyip Erdogan wants the armed forces and national intelligence agency brought
under the control of the presidency, a parliamentary official said on Thursday,
part of a major overhaul of the military after a failed coup. Erdogan's comments
came after a five-hour meeting of Turkey's Supreme Military Council (YAS) -
chaired by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and including the top brass - and the
dishonorable discharge of nearly 1,700 military personnel over their alleged
role in the abortive putsch on July 15-16. After the meeting, Erdogan approved
the council's decisions to keep armed forces chief Hulusi Akar and the army,
navy and air force commanders in their posts, making few changes to the top
brass, Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters. Erdogan, who narrowly
escaped capture and possible death on the night of the coup, told Reuters in an
interview last week that the military, NATO'S second biggest, needed "fresh
blood". The dishonorable discharges included around 40 percent of Turkey's
admirals and generals. Turkey accuses US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen of
masterminding the coup and has suspended or placed under investigation tens of
thousands of his suspected followers, including soldiers, judges and academics.
In the aftermath of the coup, media outlets, schools and universities have also
been closed down. "The president said that ... he would discuss with opposition
parties bringing the General Staff and the MIT (intelligence agency) under the
control of the presidency," the parliamentary official said. Such a change would
require a constitutional amendment, so Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party would
require the support of opposition parties in parliament, Turkish media said.
Both the General Staff and MIT currently report to the prime minister's office.
Putting them under the president's overall direction would be in line with
Erdogan's push for a new constitution centered on a strong executive presidency.
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag repeated Ankara's request to the United States to
swiftly extradite Gulen, once a powerful ally of Erdogan. He cited intelligence
reports suggesting that the 75-year-old preacher might flee his residence in
rural Pennsylvania.Gulen has condemned the coup and denies any involvement.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said more than 300 personnel in his
ministry had links to Gulen and that it had dismissed 88 employees. Separately,
Turkey's biggest petrochemicals company Petkim said its chief executive had
resigned and the state-run news agency Anadolu said he had been detained in
connection with the failed coup. Anadolu also said Ankara prosecutors requested
the seizure of the assets of 3,049 judges and prosecutors detained as part of
the investigation into the coup attempt.
Western concerns
Western governments and human rights groups have condemned the coup, in which at
least 246 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured. But they have also
expressed disquiet over the scale and depth of the purges, fearing that Erdogan
may be using them to get rid of opponents and tighten his grip on power. The
government said on Wednesday it had ordered the closure of three news agencies,
16 television channels, 45 newspapers, 15 magazines and 29 publishers. This
announcement followed the shutting down of other media outlets and detention of
journalists with suspected Gulenist ties.
In Washington, State Department spokesman John Kirby said the United States was
"deeply concerned" about the latest reports of Turkish closure of news media
outlets and was seeking clarification from the government about the action.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel became the latest Western leader on Thursday to
urge restraint, while underlining Turkey's need to take action against the
rebels. "In a constitutional state - and this is what worries me and what I am
following closely - the principle of proportionality must be ensured by all,"
she told a news conference in Berlin. Cavusoglu told broadcaster CNN Turk that
some prosecutors with links to Gulen had fled to Germany and he urged Berlin to
extradite them. He also said he saw "positive change" in the attitude of the
United States towards Ankara's request to extradite Gulen to Turkey.
Even before the failed coup, Turkey was struggling with major security
challenges including attacks by Kurdish militants and Islamic State, a grim
reality underscored by tourism data on Thursday showing a 40 percent fall in
foreign visitors in June.
Turmoil in Turkey's armed forces raises questions about its ability to contain
the Islamic State militant threat in neighboring Syria and the renewed Kurdish
insurgency in its southeast, military analysts say.
The AK Party, founded by Erdogan and in power since 2002, has long had testy
relations with the military, which for decades saw itself as the ultimate
guardian of Turkey's secular order and legacy of the nation's founder Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk. The military has ousted four governments in the past 60 years.
However, Erdogan says the armed forces have been infiltrated in recent years by
Gulen's supporters. "The army has to stop being the army of the Fethullah Gulen
terrorist organization," Justice Minister Bozdag said.
Turkey’s Erdogan dismisses
Western criticism of post-coup crackdown
By Reuters Istanbul Friday, 29 July 2016/Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on
Friday dismissed Western criticism of mass detentions after a failed coup and
said countries that should be praising Turkey for putting down the attempted
putsch were instead. standing “by the plotters”. Erdogan and the government
blamed US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen for orchestrating the coup
attempt. Tens of thousands of his suspected followers in the military, police,
judiciary, academia, civil service and other institutions have been suspended,
detained or put under investigation. Erdogan said the numbers of people detained
would rise if more were found to have been supporting the plot.
Iran: 52 executions in 17 days
Thursday, 28 July 2016/NCRI Iran News/Nine prisoners were hanged on July 27,
2016, in prisons of Orumiyeh, Mashhad, Yazd and Tehran. Six of them were hanged
together in the Central Prison of Orumiyeh. On July 20, another nine prisoners
were executed in Gohardasht and Central prisons of Karaj, and on July 23, three
prisoners were executed in the Central Prison of Rasht. Another prisoner was
hanged in public in the city of Songhor (in the western province of Kermanshah).
With 30 executions taking place from July 11 to July 17, the number of those
executed amounts to 52 in just 17 days. Beset by numerous internal and
international crises, the Iranian regime is incapable of responding to the most
basic demands of the people of Iran. Fearing another upheaval by a restive
populace, the regime resorts to wave of executions in cities across the country.
The Iranian Resistance calls on the nation and particularly the youths of Iran
to voice their protest to the mullahs' pervasive repression.
The Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
Ken Blackwell: U.S. Policy Should
Work to Transform Iran
Friday, 29 July 2016/In the run-up to the U.S. Presidential elections, Iran and
Islamic extremism have become the main foreign policy challenges, argues Ken
Blackwell, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights
Commission. Writing in the American Thinker on Friday, July 29, 2016, Amb.
Blackwell said: In around 100 days America will be witnessing a crucial
election. In the meantime, much will be done on both sides of the national
divide, and this year we may see more than the usual political maneuvering in
the run-up to this election. Regardless of the outcome, the next president will
face the same unique national security challenges. The Middle East is in a
greater crisis than ever before and according to various analysts, it is heading
toward anarchy. The scenes of defenseless people getting killed in Syria have
only grown more painful over the past year, even as they have become less
prevalent on our TV screens. Islamic extremism and the resulting terrorism is
now targeting Western Europe, America, and the Middle East with unprecedented
barbarity, and there is no easy response to it. The issue of Islamic extremism
brings to mind one of our main foreign policy challenges: Iran.
This is a country ruled by a theocracy that plays an active and destructive role
in all major wars in the Middle East, from Syria to Iraq to Yemen. Tehran is
known as the main state sponsor of terrorism across the globe, as well as being
one of the originators of modern extremist Islam. And despite the nuclear
agreement with the international community, Iran continues its provocative
gestures toward the Western world, for instance by test-firing its ballistic
missiles.
In considering future U.S. policy toward such a totalitarian regime, it is
imperative to consider whether there exists an alternative -- a serious and
credible opposition to the existing government. The answer, in the case of Iran,
is clearly “yes.”
On July 9th in Paris the Iranian opposition coalition, the National Council of
Resistance of Iran (NCRI), held a massive rally in which around 100,000 people
from all over the globe took part. An unprecedented bipartisan American group of
senior dignitaries and former military commanders attended the gathering, as did
hundreds of European dignitaries. And perhaps the most significant part of this
rally was the presence of Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal, who stood before the
Iranian opposition and endorsed its call for a regime change for the first time
this year.
Turki’s speech conveyed a strong message of regional unity. The message of the
rally as a whole was that this unity can help Iran to achieve freedom through
regime change by the Iranian people and their organized resistance. Insofar as
the rally demonstrated international consensus regarding the legitimacy of the
NCRI’s cause, it also showed that there is indeed a domestically organized and
globally recognized force for change within Iran.
The seriousness of this resistance movement was made more obvious by the Iranian
regime’s hysterical response to the NCRI rally. Immediately after the “Free
Iran” gathering, a large number of Iranian officials including the first vice
president, foreign minister, judiciary chief and to the spokesman for the
Revolutionary Guard lashed out at France for hosting the event, at Western
politicians for supporting it, and at the Saudi government for apparently
raising the banner of regime change.
In the past, the Iranian regime has attempted to dismiss the resistance movement
as insignificant. But if Tehran has no concerns about its opposition and the
opposition has no impact in Iran, then what has motivated Tehran’s aggressive
response to a peaceful meeting held many thousands of kilometers away?
The truth is that this movement has roots deep inside Iran. About 120,000
members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK), men and
women, and all Muslims, were executed as they refused to succumb in the face of
the ayatollahs' Islamic extremism, and as they persisted in defending human
rights and democracy. Subsequently, the effort to destroy the opposition came to
involve a campaign of demonization and the systematic spread of lies about the
group.
The PMOI is the main constituent of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
which is headed by Maryam Rajavi, a Muslim woman with deep anti-fundamentalist
beliefs. Mrs. Rajavi is an effective leader in coordinating pro-democracy
Iranians, especially the youth and women, in campaigns against the religious
fascism ruling Iran. Iranians demand change. And Tehran’s reaction to calls for
such change demonstrates that the ayatollahs understand how near at hand it is.
A democratic and non-extremist Iran is the guarantor of peace and stability in
the entire region, promising good economic relations and the region’s
achievement of its maximum potential. It will improve development, growth, and
cooperation with the West. And once this has been achieved, we in the West can
focus our regional efforts on investments and transactions, instead of the
impossible task of trying to stabilize the region through short-sighted military
interventions. Let us hope our next president is willing to adopt a new approach
to Iran and support an era of domestically-fostered stability. More than ever
before, both Iran and America are eagerly awaiting a change in policy. And with
adequate coordination between the next administration and the existing Iranian
resistance, both nations can achieve what they desire.
**Ken Blackwell, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights
Commission, is the senior fellow for Human Rights and Constitutional Governance
at the Family Research Council, in Washington, D.C. He is also a former
Republican Secretary of State of Ohio and mayor of Cincinnati.
Louis Freeh: The Iran nuclear deal
has not solved anything
Friday, 29 July 2016/NCRI - A Former FBI director spoke out against the Iranian
regime in an interview with the Alliance for Public Awareness - Iranian
Communities in Europe. Louis Freeh, who attended the Free Iran rally in Paris
earlier this month, criticized the decisions by US Presidents in recent history
to appease the Iranian regime, rather than confront them; to remove American
troops from the Middle East, rather than having them fight back. He expressed
concern over the idea that the Iranian problem would eventually sort itself out.
Freeh said that the regime would not self-modulate and it was dangerous to
assume that it could, because even though it may disappear at some point there’s
no telling what damage it could do along the way. Freeh said: “If the [nuclear
deal] was going to solve the crisis, I’d support it, but it hasn’t.” He cited
intelligence out of Germany which said that the Iranian regime is still
purchasing the materials needed for their banned nuclear program, a whole year
after the deal was made. He expressed his support for the Saudi Prince Turki
al-Faisal for not only calling the Iranian regime a “terrorist” entity but also
the prince’s endorsement of Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Resistance, as
the alternative to the regime.
Iran: Azeris stage demonstrations in
major cities
Friday, 29 July 2016/National Council of Resistance of Iran/
Regime officials call for stepped-up suppression of Turks in Azerbaijan
Thursday, July 28, 2016, thousands of Iranian Turks in various cities including
Tehran, Tabriz, Orumiyeh, Zanjan, Ahar, Khoy and Ardebil staged demonstrations
to protest denigration of Azeris by the state media.
The demonstration in Tehran took place in Toopkhaneh Square. In Orumiyeh,
thousands of angry protesters took to Ata'ii and Sardaran cross-sections to
express their protest where they were attacked by SSF anti-riot units who shot
plastic bullets to the crowd. Young men clashed with SSF troops and engaged in
hit and run. In Tabriz, a large number of people marched in the main avenues,
expressing their abhorrence at the clerical regime's repressive policies which
have repeatedly insulted Iran's Turks. SSF agents and anti-riot units attacked
the demonstrators to scatter the crowd, beating and injuring many.
A number of people were arrested in the demonstrations in the cities of Orumiyeh,
Tabriz, Zanjan and Maragheh. There is still no information available on the
fates of those arrested in other demonstrations on Tuesday in Orumiyeh and
Tabriz.
Orumiyeh's Governor said the demonstrations were illegal and ordered security
forces to deal decisively against the people of Azerbaijan. Systematic
discrimination and double oppression of ethnic and religious minorities have
become more extensive with the aggravation of the regime's various economic and
political crises as it is not capable of responding to any of the just demands
of the populace. The abysmal conditions in Iran could be ended only with the
overthrow of the religious fascism ruling Iran. The Iranian Resistance calls on
the nation and its valiant youths to express their solidarity with the people of
Azerbaijan and protest the anti-popular policies of the ruling regime against
ethnic and religious minorities. Secretariat of the National Council of
Resistance of Iran July 28, 2016
Saudi FM: Iranian Regime Involved in
Attack on Saudi Embassy in Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 29/16/Riyadh–Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed al-Jubeir said
that Iranian news over the investigations into the attacks on the Saudi Embassy
in Tehran and Consulate in Mashhad reveal that the Iranian authorities will not
issue tough sentences on the culprits. Jubeir’s statement came after his meeting
with Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamlov in his office in Riyadh. Jubeir did
not express surprise to a possible Iranian decision not to issue tough verdicts
on the perpetrators, saying: “That’s not strange as more than 12 embassies have
been stormed by mobs in Iran over the last 25 years.”
Jubeir welcomed Minister Kamlov, lauding the relations between the two
countries. He said that during the meeting bilateral relations between the two
countries were discussed as well as means to enhance them. The Saudi FM added at
the press conference that the discussions also tackled the forthcoming
ministerial level meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
scheduled to take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. When asked about results of
investigations into the attack on the embassy and consulate, Jubeir said the
news indicate that no tough punishment awaits the culprits who committed the
crime. “I don’t think, as far as I know, that any of those who committed those
criminal acts over the last 25 years were punished. So, I don’t rule out that
this act of hostility would go the same way,” he added. “So, this is a clear
evidence that this operation is an organized plot supported by the Iranian
regime,” Jubeir concluded. For his part, the Uzbek FM said that Saudi Arabia was
among the first states to recognize his country following its independence. He
added that diplomatic relations between the two countries are strong in all
matters. FM Kamlov told reporters that the issue of the forthcoming OIC
ministerial meeting to be held in October in Tashkent was on the agenda of the
talks with his counterpart. He also welcomed Saudi Arabia’s participation in
this meeting. The meeting was attended by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister for
Bilateral Relation Khalid al-Jindan, Chairman of the Media Department at the
Foreign Ministry Ambassador Osama Naqli, Uzbek Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Kadirov Alisher Kadirovich, and other senior officials.
Sisi Warns against Dangers of
Using Religion to Ignite Strife
Asharq Al Awsat/Cairo-President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has warned against the
dangers of using religion as a tool to cause disunity, in what were seen as
strongly-worded remarks by Egyptian authorities against those using religion to
ignite sectarian strife between Muslims and Christians.
During his meeting with the Coptic Orthodox Church’s Pope Tawadros II at the
Ettehadiya Presidential Palace on Thursday, Sisi urged Egyptians to steer clear
of efforts to cause a divide among Egyptians. The meeting was attended by
several officials from the Coptic Church.
A church source said that the talks were aimed at containing several crises that
have recently taken a sectarian twist. Church spokesperson Boulos Halim said
that during the meeting, Sisi referred to “the challenges that Egypt currently
faces,” adding that solving these problems will require a lot of patience and
effort. Tawadros in return, Halim said, reiterated the church’s commitment to
achieving national unity. Thursday’s meeting came several days after
controversial remarks were made by Pope Tawadros, during which he said: “Until
now the church has been able to pacify Copts … but it won’t be able to control
their anger for long.”Egypt witnessed one of the worst sectarian violence in
2013 when 46 churches in different governorates, 66 percent of which are located
in Minya, were burned. Minya also recently witnessed repeated sectarian tension,
which has left many casualties, prompting Copts to accuse the Egyptian
authorities of resorting to religious costums and not seeking to settle any
confessional crisis legally. The church source said that Christians in Egypt are
making attempts to swiftly find a solution to sectarian strife and prepare a
draft-law that criminalizes discrimination in accordance to the constitution.
The source stated the church has recently received a report on sectarian
attacks, saying 37 incidents have taken place in Minya alone since 2013, in an
average of one attack per month. Halim also said that during Thursday’s meeting,
the church delegation thanked Sisi for his intervention to achieve consensus on
regulating the building of churches.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on
July 29-30/16
Marion Le Pen: 'Either We
Kill Islamism or It Will Kill Us'
Raheem Kassam/Cross-posted from Breitbart/July 29/16
Originally published under the title "Marion Le Pen: Christians Must Stand Up to
Islam; Young Patriots Should Join the Military Like Me."
French MP Marion Le Pen, the niece of France's Front National leader Marine Le
Pen, has been a relentless critic of Islamism.
Marion Maréchal Le Pen, the 26-year-old niece of France's Front National leader
Marine Le Pen has urged her fellow countrymen to join the military in a series
of tweets following the beheading of a priest in Normandy this morning.
Reacting to the incident, Ms. Le Pen took to her Twitter account to double down
on her message from just a few days before, and just after the attacks in Nice.
She said on Sunday: "Either we kill Islamism or it will kill us again and again.
You are with us and against Islamism, or you are against us and for Islamism...
Those who choose the status quo become complicit with our enemies."
Her comments today herald yet another ramping up of her party's action against
Islamism and the threat faced by ordinary French people.
She said: "Faced with the threat that weighs on the France, I decided to join
the military reserve. I invite all the young patriots to do the same," followed
by: "In the West as in the East, Christians must stand up to resist Islam!"
She added: "They kill our children, murdering our policemen and slaughter our
priests. Wake up!"
Marine Le Pen's approval ratings rose after the Nice attacks, though the media
chose instead to focus on how the current President who faces an election next
year, Francois Hollande, remained popular.
Marion Le Pen, who is a deputy (or Member of Parliament) in the Vaucluse region,
has become an increasingly important figure in her party and in French politics
lately.
In an interview with the Telegraph, she said radical Islam is implacably opposed
to the French secular way of life, stating: "We have a heritage of faith linked
to secularity, and I would always defend that. It's quite opposite to the
radical Islamic faith, which seeks to impose itself more and more on public
life."
'Free movement of goods and people is a way of feeding terrorism,' says Le Pen.
She continued: "The attacks that took place in France at the Bataclan [in Paris
last November] were carried out by terrorists who infiltrated their way into the
flood of immigrants arriving from Greece. "Free movement of goods and people is
a way of feeding terrorism. France's migration policy has contributed to the
explosion of radical Islam here and to the genesis of those terrorists who are
born in France."
A devout Catholic, she defends comments made some time ago in which she said
that "Islam should not have the same public space as Catholicism. "We have
traditions, cultural influences that are Christian. France is not an Islamic
country, and Islam should not have the same place in public life."
But she draws a distinction between the secular world of French politics and
personal religion, insisting: "I make a big distinction between my political
combat and my faith. I never mix the two."
This morning an elderly priest was murdered in a hostage situation in a church
south of Rouen, Normandy, northern France by Islamist attackers.
France's Le Figaro reported the eye-witness account of a nun who managed to
escape the Normandy church this morning while it was under attack by Islamist
killers in order to raise an alarm.
The paper states that one of the "executioners" gave "an Arabic sermon from the
altar," and that deceased Father Jacques Hamel was forced to kneel before the
men went for his throat with a knife.
*Raheem Kassam is a Shillman-Ginsburg fellow at the Middle East Forum and
editor-in-chief of Breitbart London.
Germany: "No Change to
Open-Door Migration Policy"
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/July 29/16
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8591/germany-open-door-migration
Chancellor Merkel said she knows that Germans are worried about their personal
safety: "We are doing everything humanly possible to ensure security in
Germany," she noted, but added, "Anxiety and fear cannot guide our political
decisions."
"The chancellor remains committed to her current course of action. A classic
Merkel refrain follows: 'There must be a thorough analysis.'" — Thomas Vitzthum,
political editor of Die Welt.
"The country is split, its citizens deeply insecure? 'We can do it!' Sexual
assaults on women in swimming pools and at festivals? 'We can do it!' Terrorist
attacks by Islamists in Germany? 'We can do it!' Growing frustration and rising
political apathy among the population? 'We can do it!' But who are the 'we'? ...
Not a word to the citizens who for a year have had to deal with the consequences
of the asylum onslaught. Not a word to the local communities that are unable to
cope with the financial and burdens of accommodating asylum seekers." —
Editorial in the newspaper, Junge Freiheit.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has rejected criticism of her decision to allow
more than a million mostly Muslim migrants to enter Germany last year.
Speaking at an annual summer press conference in Berlin on July 28, a defiant
Merkel ignored critics of her refugee policies and insisted there would be no
change to her open-door migration stance. She also said she bears no
responsibility for a recent spate of violent attacks in Germany.
Germany has been rattled by an axe attack on a train in Würzburg, a mass
shooting in Munich, a machete attack in Reutlingen and a suicide bomb in Ansbach
— all within a week.
The attacks, which left 13 dead, were all carried out by Muslims: Three of the
attacks were carried out by asylum seekers and one by a German-Iranian who
harbored a hatred of Arabs and Turks.
Merkel, who interrupted her summer holiday to attend the 90-minute press
conference, which was pushed forward by a month, reiterated her credo: "We can
do it!" ("Wir schaffen das!"). She has repeated the phrase over and over since
Germany's migration crisis exploded on September 4, 2015, when she opened up the
German border to tens of thousands of migrants stranded in Hungary. She said:
"We decided to fulfill our humanitarian obligations. I did not say it would be
easy. I said back then, and I will say it again now, that we can manage our
historic task — and this is a historic test in times of globalization — just as
we have managed so much already, we can do it. Germany is a strong country."
Merkel said the goal of jihadists was to "divide our unity and undermine our way
of life. They want to prevent our openness to welcoming people. They want to sow
hate and fear between cultures and also among religions."
The chancellor said she knows that Germans are worried about their personal
safety: "We are doing everything humanly possible to ensure security in
Germany," she noted, but added, "Anxiety and fear cannot guide our political
decisions."
Merkel also outlined a nine-point plan to increase security in Germany: 1) an
early-warning system to identify radicalization among migrants; 2) an increase
in staff at Germany's intelligence agencies; 3) an information technology office
to focus on tracking internet communications between jihadists; 4) regular joint
exercises with the police and the military to practice counter-terrorism
measures; 5) expanding research on Islamic terrorism and radicalization; 6)
improving European cooperation on intelligence sharing; 7) restricting the sale
of weapons online; 8) a national registry to monitor people entering and leaving
the country; and 9) making it easier to deport asylum seekers who break the law.
Merkel concluded by refusing to budge an inch: "For me it is clear: we stick to
our principles. We will give those who are politically persecuted refuge and
protection under the Geneva Convention." She added: "I cannot promise you that
we will never have to take in another mass wave of refugees."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) rejects criticism of her decision to
allow more than a million mostly Muslim migrants to enter Germany last year. "We
can manage our historic task... we can do it. ... Anxiety and fear cannot guide
our political decisions," she said at a July 28 press conference, adding, "I
cannot promise you that we will never have to take in another mass wave of
refugees."
Merkel has come under increasing criticism for her handling of the migration
crisis. The anti-immigration party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), noted:
"Given the mounting, extremely serious incidents, the AfD calls on the
government urgently to fulfill its duty and stabilize the security situation in
Germany through effective border controls. Other steps such as the immediate and
consistent deportation of offenders must necessarily follow."
The newspaper, Bayernkurier, a publication run by the Christian Social Union
(CSU), the Bavarian sister-party to Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU),
wrote:
"Not only have Angela Merkel's policies been a stimulus package for right-wing
populists, the security risks that the chancellor has created with her open
borders are also abundantly clear."
The newspaper, Die Welt, said Merkel's repetition of the words "We can do it!"
amounted to a "provocation" and criticized her nine-point plan as "vague." In a
scathing attack, the paper's political editor, Thomas Vitzthum, wrote:
"Angela Merkel maintains her entire position. She defends her actions last year.
No admission of error can be heard. Nor should anyone expect to see repentance
in the future. The chancellor remains committed to her current course of action.
Today is not the time to discuss what additional new measures should be taken,
she says. A classic Merkel refrain follows: 'There must be a thorough
analysis.'"
In an editorial, the right-leaning newspaper, Junge Freiheit, wrote that Merkel
does not care about the consequences of her policies:
"The country is split, its citizens deeply insecure? 'We can do it!' Sexual
assaults on women in swimming pools and at festivals? 'We can do it!' Terrorist
attacks by Islamists in Germany? 'We can do it!' Growing frustration and rising
political apathy among the population? 'We can do it!'
"But who are the 'we'? Not a word from Merkel. Not a word about the women who
are victims of sexual assault in Cologne and elsewhere — the victims of those
who Merkel brought into the country with her open-border policy and friendly
face.
"Not a word to the citizens who for a year have had to deal with the
consequences of the asylum onslaught. Not a word to the local communities that
are unable to cope with the financing and burdens of accommodating asylum
seekers. Not a word for the police, who have reached their limits thanks to
unbridled immigration. Not a word for the food pantries that need to ration the
distribution of food due to distribution battles. Not a word about the split in
society that Merkel's refugee policy has caused — not just a split country, but
also splits among families and groups of friends. Not a word that her decisions
have reduced Germany's influence in Europe."
The newspaper, Bild, wrote:
"Things can only go well if the problems are really solved! In particular, the
deportations of rejected asylum seekers are a major problem. For months, the
government has pledged to speed up repatriations, but little headway has been
made. And also for the nine-point plan to combat terrorism: let us see action
rather than just waiting and talking! Because by next summer, Germans will judge
Merkel on what she really has done."
A recent poll found that two-thirds of Germans oppose a fourth term for Merkel.
Only 36% of respondents said they wanted Merkel and her CDU to lead the
government after federal elections in 2017.
**Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute. He
is also Senior Fellow for European Politics at the Madrid-based Grupo de
Estudios Estratégicos / Strategic Studies Group. Follow him on Facebook and on
Twitter. His first book, Global Fire, will be out in 2016.
© 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.
Crushing Dissent in Turkey
Burak Bekdil/The Gatestone Institute/July 29/16
Originally published under the title "Turkey: Good News, Bad News."
Before July 15, civil liberties in Turkey were de facto in the deep freeze. Now
they are de jure in the deep freeze.
In 1853, John Russell quoted Tsar Nicholas I of Russia as saying that the
Ottoman Empire was "a sick man -- a very sick man," in reference to the ailing
empire's fall into a state of decrepitude. Some 163 years after that, the modern
Turkish state follows in the Ottoman steps.
Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's rule, was staggering between a
hybrid democracy and bitter authoritarianism. After the failed putsch of July
15, it is being dragged into worse darkness. The silly attempt gives Erdogan
what he wanted: a pretext to go after every dissident Turk. A witch-hunt is
badly shattering the democratic foundations of the country.
Taking advantage of the putsch attempt, the Turkish government declared a state
of emergency that will run for a period of three months, with an option to
extend it for another quarter of a year. Erdogan, declaring the state of
emergency, promised to "clean out the cancer viruses like metastasis" in the
body called Turkey. With the move for a state of emergency, Turkey also
suspended the European Convention on Human Rights, citing Article 15 of the
Convention, which stipulates:
In time of war or other public emergencies threatening the life of the nation,
any High Contracting Party may take measures derogating from its obligations
under this Convention to the extent strictly required by the exigencies of the
situation, provided that such measures are not inconsistent with its other
obligations under international law.
Before July 15, civil liberties in Turkey were de facto in the deep freeze. Now
they are de jure in the deep freeze.
On July 27, the Turkish military purged 1,684 officers, including 149 generals,
on suspicion that they had links with Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Muslim
cleric who once was Erdogan's staunchest political ally but is now his biggest
nemesis and the suspected mastermind of the coup attempt. On the same day, the
government closed down three news agencies, 16 television stations, 23 radio
stations, 45 newspapers, 15 magazines and 29 publishers on the same charges. Two
days before those actions, warrants were issued for 42 journalists, as a part of
an investigation against members of the "Fethullah [Gulen] terrorist
organization."
Surrendered Turkish soldiers who were involved in the coup are beaten by
pro-government activists on a bridge over the Bosphorus river.
Under the state of emergency, it is dangerous in Turkey even to question whether
July 15 was a fake coup orchestrated or tolerated by Erdogan for longer-term
political gains. Turkish prosecutors are investigating people who allege on
social media that the coup attempt was in fact a hoax. Justice Minister Bekir
Bozdag said that: "Anyone who suggests the coup attempt was staged 'likely had a
role' in the insurrection." But there is more.
In a massive purge, the government sacked more than 60,000 civil servants from
the military, judiciary, police, schools and academia, including 1,577 faculty
deans who were suspended. More than 10,000 people have been arrested, and there
are serious allegations of torture. Witnesses told Amnesty International that
captured military officers were raped by police, hundreds of soldiers were
beaten, and some detainees were denied food, water and access to lawyers for
days. Turkish authorities also arrested 62 children and accused them of treason.
The youngsters, aged 14 to 17, were from Kuleli Military School in Istanbul. The
students have reportedly been thrown in jail and are not allowed to speak to
their parents.
Sadly, Turks had to choose between military dictatorship and elected
dictatorship.
The witch-hunt is not in the governmental sector only. Several Turkish companies
have fired hundreds of personnel suspected of having links with Gulen. Turkish
Airlines, Turkey's national airline, fired 211 employees, including a
vice-general manager and a number of cabin crew members.
Sadly, Turks had to choose between two unpleasant options: military dictatorship
and elected dictatorship. The good news is that the coup attempt failed and
Turkey is not a third-world dictatorship run by an unpredictable military
general who loves to crush dissent. The bad news is that Turkey is run by an
unpredictable, elected president who loves to crush dissent.
**Burak Bekdil is an Ankara-based columnist for the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet
Daily News and a fellow at the Middle East Forum.
Three Years Later: Egyptian
President Al-Sisi's Supporters Express Disappointment, Call His Regime
Tyrannical
MEMRI/July 29/16
July 29, 2016 Special Dispatch No.6549
Following the ouster, in late June/early July 2013, of Egyptian president
Muhammad Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) regime in Egypt after mass
protests and military intervention led by then-defense minister 'Abd Al-Fattah
Al-Sisi, Al-Sisi himself became president. His regime, often called the June 30
or July 3 regime,[1] was initially based on a wide coalition of elements,
ranging from liberal revolutionaries to members of the pre-Morsi regime of
President Hosni Mubarak, the Coptic church, and Salafis from the Al-Nur Party;
what they all had in common was opposition to the MB regime.[2]
As time went on, Al-Sisi's regime emerged as more authoritarian and less liberal
than many in this coalition had hoped. While in the early days an atmosphere of
shared goals prevailed among supporters of the June 30 Revolution (i.e.,
supporters of Morsi's ouster), cracks began to emerge among its various
components, and its liberal elements turned critical, expressing disappointment
with Al-Sisi. Though their criticism is less harsh than that of Al-Sisi's
political opponents – such as the MB, the April 6 [Youth] Movement, which have
both been banned under the Al-Sisi regime – it is nonetheless highly
significant, and, since it comes from within his own camp, perhaps even more
significant than that of Al-Sisi's opponents.
This criticism of Al-Sisi centers on several issues and trends that have
prevailed in Egypt since 2013: the curbing of civil society, including by
arresting members of the political opposition and human rights activists, even
those who participated in the June 30 Revolution; the passage of a law
restricting protests; police brutality against civilians; regime reliance on
security apparatuses; the gradual return of members of the old Mubarak regime,
including in key government posts, and recently the restriction of press freedom
and an ongoing crisis between the Interior Ministry and the Journalists' Union
following a security forces raid on the union building which sparked widespread
criticism.[3]
This report will present excerpts of articles by supporters of the June 30
Revolution criticizing Al-Sisi and his regime.
Egyptian Journalist: Many Of Your Supporters Are Disappointed; If You Go On Like
This, You Will Jeopardize Your Political Status
In October 2015, Egyptian journalist Suleiman Gouda wrote, under the headline
"The President Is In Danger!" that support for Al-Sisi among supporters of the
June 30 Revolution was dropping because they felt marginalized by the regime. He
warned that if Al-Sisi continued to run the presidency like an army general, his
political future was at risk: "The Egyptians remember well that President Al-Sisi
always said during his presidential run that he would absolutely not build the
country alone, as that is beyond his capabilities or [the capabilities] of any
one person... In every meeting with the public, Al-Sisi would say that he needed
the efforts of every Egyptian [citizen] alongside him, and that Egypt could not
be rebuilt without [the help] of all its sons – all of them, not some of them...
The [presidential] candidate Al-Sisi stressed this and reiterated it again and
again, so much so that this concept became one of his [trademark] attributes and
commitments, and led millions to support him.
"Now, 16 months after he became president, some Egyptians feel that things are
not as he promised, and that he has probably forgotten what he specifically said
on this issue – because he is rebuilding Egypt on his own, yes, on his own. This
is the feeling of many whom I meet everywhere, [a feeling] that I only want to
convey sincerely to the president and to his loyalists who surround him, so they
may be aware of the prevailing climate among a not insignificant group, and
maybe they will act based on this information.
"One of these people stopped me [in the street] some two weeks ago and told me
something I cannot put in writing. [This was] a citizen who voted for the
president and who still supports him, but who as a citizen is concerned and
feels that what he was told during the elections has no basis at all. If such a
sentiment has so firmly established itself in the mind [of a person like this,
who supported Al-Sisi], then all those concerned need to wake up... fast!
"If anyone asks me the reason for my concern, I would say that the president
announced, and launched, some great national projects, without considering any
other opinions. For instance, when I follow what [agriculture expert] Dr.
Mahmoud Emara, [professor of management at American University] Dr. Sabry Al-Shabrawy,
and [physician and writer] Dr. Mohamed Makhzangi said about the '1.5 Million
Feddan' [reclamation] project, the investment in Egyptian [citizens]... and the
Al-Daba'a [nuclear project],[4] I find that nothing that they have been saying
for weeks, and months, has prompted anyone in the country to stop [and listen] –
as though all their efforts are in vain. I am not claiming that these three
doctors have a monopoly on the truth, but someone should respond to them and to
those like them, saying that what has been said about such and such a topic is
wrong and that the country's path is the right one, for this or that reason.
That is only logical and natural.
"We are not arguing with the president over matters of security, since he is
well versed in them, as are his experts... and he also has undeniable
achievements in this area. But we are talking [here] about critical economic and
political issues concerning the country's direction, and we sense that in this
context, the president treats us, day after day, as if he is a military
commander who must be answered, the moment he calls, with a Yes sir!, and whose
orders must be answered with an Alright, Sir! – when the situation regarding
these issues is absolutely not alright, sir!
"Mr. President, the abovementioned individuals have supported you since day one,
and among [those who have done so] is the author of these lines. But [this]
support is not absolute – nor should it be. Furthermore, if things continue as
they do now, then you, and the country, face political danger. So it is [my]
duty to mention this..."[5]
Al-Ahram Center Analyst: Many Hoped Al-Sisi Would Espouse Democracy And Freedom
Of Speech – But Were Disappointed; More Regime Supporters Than MB Supporters Are
In Prison
In May 2016, Dr. Amr Hashem Rabie, political analyst and deputy director of the
Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, wrote under the headline
"Is the July 3 Regime Abandoning Its Supporters?" in which he stated that the
Al-Sisi regime was using the same repressive tactics as the Mubarak regime had,
and that this infringes on freedom of speech: "When the July 3 regime gained the
people's support, its legitimacy was based on ousting the MB regime. Some
believed that the [new] regime would quickly establish a foundation for its
legitimacy – [but] this never happened.
"Naturally, it was hoped that the [regime's] legitimacy following the removal of
the MB would be based on support for the values of democracy and freedom of
thought and speech. A close examination of the crisis of the Mubarak regime
before it was removed would have made any wise decision-maker do the following:
preserve human rights and citizens' dignity; protect equality and fight
corruption; base the regime on experts and on the principles of true political
accountability; and gather associates from among opponents before [drawing them
from] supporters. But most of these [principles] were not realized, despite the
good intentions that were manifested by the drafting of a new constitution.
"In recent months, [these principles] have begun to crumble, one by one, and the
Journalists' Union[6] events are only one link in a chain of administrative
measures aimed at harming freedom of thought and speech – taking [the new
regime] in the direction of the Mubarak regime in its last decade. The sights of
July 3 [2013] are fading – the supporters [of the revolution] are no longer
politically active. Some have been intentionally expelled and banished, and the
rest refrained from continuing [their activity] after they saw a massive return
[to power] by supporters of the previous [i.e. Mubarak] regime... Instead of
bringing back [regime supporters who had stopped being politically active, the
regime] turned to its associates. The previous prime minister [Hisham Qandil],
who was popular, was removed simply for being popular and the political parties
were disregarded... [The regime] deliberately tarnishes journalists'
[reputations], claiming that they seek to be above the law, and entrenches
itself behind a wall of cheerleaders who are also from the Mubarak school of
thought. There is also much to say about the [regime's failure] to manage
crises, as illustrated by the Egyptian lira crisis; the surprise of
relinquishing the two islands[7] ... the crisis of the [murder of the] young
Italian national;[8] the disasters [caused] by police; and more. During [this
time], parliamentary elections were held in order to form a trained parliament.
As for the civil society [focusing on] human rights, [its members] are harassed
and accused of treason by security elements.
"The important thing is that all this is happening in conflict with the press,
media, and protestors, while it is they who brought the [Al-Sisi] regime to
power... As a result, there are more regime supporters than MB supporters in
prison. We expect the regime that rescued Egypt from a fate like that of Syria
and Libya, and which still has achievements, to chart a new course: Utilize
experts [but] a political prime minister [rather than a technocrat] and
political advisors, and an apparatus for accountability that will not go easy on
anyone; free the young people from the prisons; and [ensure that] the police
maintain safety for the country, not for the regime. I believe we can do this –
and if we cannot, the MB will successfully discourage us because of what we do,
not because of what they do..."[9]
Egyptian Writer: I Supported Him When He Was Elected, But Am Disappointed With
His Policy, Which Has In Some Cases Led To Disaster
Essam Al-Obaidi, a writer for the website of the Egyptian Al-Wafd Party, wrote
in an article titled "Have I Become An Opponent Of The President?" that he did
and still does support Al-Sisi but has criticism of him on many issues and is
disappointed with his policies: "Following a recent increase in my criticism of
the [Al-Sisi] regime, I have asked myself, and others have asked me, whether I
have become an opponent of President Al-Sisi. [People assumed that this was the
case,] so much so that several producers from the state satellite and TV
channels were apprehensive about hosting me, as if I vehemently opposed the
president.
"In truth, I was one of the biggest supporters of the president; furthermore, I
was among the first to call on him to run [for president] in order to finish the
job of eliminating the terrorist Satanic Brotherhood [i.e. the MB] that was
about to swallow up the homeland and change its identity. After the president
began his term, we helped him with all our might, and lionized his successes in
a number of areas and the massive projects that were actualized in the first two
years of his rule...
"In that case, why has my criticism of regime increased lately, so much so that
many believe I am among the opposition? ... I believe that the president's
intentions and love for his homeland are sincere – but none of this stops us
from disagreeing with him when we feel he has strayed from the straight path.
[In such a case,] it is our duty to him to stop and warn him that the ship of
the homeland is heading straight for an iceberg... and that if he does not pay
attention and avoid it, [Egypt] will sink...
"From the start I disagreed with... how the president ran things, especially how
he dealt with those who had robbed the country, those who had stolen land, and
businessmen who exploit the crises [experienced] by the people – all he did was
urge them [to rectify the situation], as if that were the only weapon he had [at
his disposal]. [That is,] he urges them to return what they stole and urges them
to donate to the 'Long Live Egypt' fund, and, recently, urged merchants to take
pity on the people – an endless stream of urging, as though the president has no
[other means for dealing with such things] – when the president has far more
serious and powerful weapons to deal with such thieves – [that is,] the sword of
the law. Only he can restore [the enforcement of] state laws, stop those who
violate them, and deter the thieves and those who trade in the people's food.
Moreover, the negative results of this 'policy of pleading' have impacted even
the president's foreign policy, and this has become clear regarding Ethiopia's
Al-Nahda Dam [the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam]. He treated the Ethiopians
with the respect due a brother, and they exploited it in the worst possible way,
[and nevertheless] received [Egyptian] legitimacy for the dam without giving us
any water rights. This is a disastrous result for the agreement of principles
signed by the three presidents [of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan] in Khartoum [in
December 2015].
"Thus, I do not count myself among the president's opponents, unless he strays
from the truth or from the interests of the citizens – that is, I am not one of
his chronic opponents who object to every one of his policies and attack all of
his orders or statements. I do not oppose Al-Sisi as a president – I oppose the
policy he sometimes adopts, which we think are not in the country's or people's
Former Culture Minister: Many People Are Withdrawing Their Support For The
President – And That Should Be Causing Concern
In an interview with an Egyptian magazine, former culture minister Dr. Gaber
Asfour criticized the regime's security apparatuses, which he said imprison
people and make them disappear, and added that President Al-Sisi should fear for
his popularity among the Egyptian public: "Some are apprehensive that Egypt
could once again become a police state, and that police have reverted to how
they were during the era of president Hosni Mubarak, primarily with regards to
making people suddenly disappear..."
Asked about the difference between the Interior Ministry today as opposed to in
the Mubarak era, he said: "In my opinion, there is no difference. Arrests and
disappearances continue, as does the improper handling of union protests, such
as in the case of the Journalists' Union, and of the Doctors' [Union] before
that. [Yet] we are surprised, time and again, that most of these unions, as well
as many [others], are taking a stand against the president and withdrawing their
support for him, [which should be ] causing concern... Essentially, they do
support him, but they are being pushed to oppose him instead...
"Honestly, the president should fear for his public popularity. I say this for
the first time – this is the sense of those who completely believe [in the
president], because I believe in President Al-Sisi [myself], and if not for my
faith in him, I would have never agreed to become a minister. Even after I left
the [Culture] Ministry, I still believe in the president and his patriotism, and
I support him.
"However, because I love him and support him, it is my duty to tell him candidly
that he should beware of many things that are happening around him that he is
not noticing. For example, in the matter of the Journalists' Union, the Interior
Ministry has no right to storm the union [headquarters]. If there are two
criminals in the union headquarters, the ministry [security forces] should wait
until they leave [the building] and head home [to apprehend them], or speak to
the head of the Journalists' Union. But storming the union [headquarters] like
that is a great threat to the constitution and the law..."[10]
Writer Alaa Al-Aswany: "There Is Unjust Oppression In Egypt"; "Anyone With A
Dissenting Opinion Is Charged With Treason"
One prominent example of a June 30 Revolution supporter who has become a harsh
critic of Al-Sisi and his regime is the well-known writer Alaa Al-Aswany, author
of the novel The Yacoubian Building. Al-Awsany, a dentist by profession, was a
member of the Egyptian Kefaya movement, which was formed in 2004 and opposed a
fifth term of office for Mubarak and the apparent grooming of Gamal Mubarak to
succeed his father as president.
Following the June 30 Revolution, Al-Aswany praised Al-Sisi, even calling him a
"national hero" who had saved Egypt from civil war and stating that he was
entitled to run for president.[11] His attitude towards the regime gradually
shifted, however, and he became a harsh critic of it, expressing this in
articles and via his Twitter account.
In an interview by the Egyptian daily Al-Shurouq marking the fourth anniversary
of Egypt's January 25, 2011 revolution, Al-Aswany explained what had motivated
him to oppose Al-Sisi mere months after he took office. He accused the regime of
attempting to eliminate any real opposition by fabricating charges against, and
arresting, anyone disagreeing with it, by using mouthpieces in the media, and by
thwarting opposition party attempts to enter parliament. In the interview, Al-Aswany
said:
"My current opposition to Al-Sisi is based on two things: One is that the old,
rotten, corrupt, and tyrannical Mubarak regime is trying to hijack the June 30
wave... just as the MB did to the January 25 revolution, with the help of the
Supreme Council of the Armed Forces [SCAF]. The second thing is my opposition to
[Egypt's] security policy. In my opinion, Egypt is dealing with armed terrorism,
and we must align with the army and police. But we must also learn from history,
since it is not logical that we should repeat the same mistakes. Terrorism is
eliminated by means of justice, not oppression, and today there is unjust
oppression in Egypt... For example, one form of oppression is how easily people
are tried by the military... The anti-demonstrations law is an oppressive law,
and the claim that the sections [of this law] are in all laws regarding
demonstrations around the world is a lie... and when international organizations
claim that this law restricts freedoms, then [the regime] calls this is a
plot...
"Any person interested in public activity today has two options: Support all
previous and future decisions by President Al-Sisi, and the media will praise
them and their nationalism. Or, say 'I respect President Al-Sisi and see him as
reliable, but he is wrong on this or that,' and they will endanger themselves
and their families and risk being arrested and becoming collaborators. There is
no respect for an oppositionist...
"The current regime aims to eliminate any real opposition... [Mohamed] ElBaradei,
for instance, was called an agent, even though he was vice president of the
republic. Didn't they know then that he was an agent? Such talk is disgraceful.
We have gone from the stage of accusations of apostasy to the stage of
accusations of treason... Anyone with a dissenting opinion is charged with
treason, and cursed...
"Some sectors of the regime and security apparatuses see the young people of the
revolution as enemies... But without these young people's courage, nobility, and
dedication to the state and the revolution, President Al-Sisi would not be
president and Hosni Mubarak would still be in power. [It is the young people]
who paid the price for the change, and their reward [for doing so] must not be
being thrown in prison under an inhumane [anti-demonstration] law that subverts
the constitution that was approved by most Egyptians. What am I supposed to
think about the regime when my son is serving four years [just] for holding up a
sign outside the Journalists' Union – which was permitted in Mubarak's time –
and when some say that 3,000 young people of the revolution are in prison...
This law is rarely used against the MB; it seems to mostly be used to get rid of
the young people of the revolution..."[12]
Al-Aswany expressed similar criticism. In a April 2014 interview with the
Egyptian ONTV channel, he accused the Al-Sisi regime of silencing and oppressing
the opposition, arresting the young people who had carried out the January 25
and June 30 revolutions, and maintaining the mentality of the Mubarak regime.
[1] July 30, 2015 saw mass protests demanding the ouster of the Mursi regime;
July 3 saw Mursi's official removal from office.
[2] See MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis 984, First Anniversary Of Morsi's Presidency,
On June 30, Expected To See Popular Protests Calling For His Ouster, Clashes
Between His Opponents And Supporters, June 19, 2013; Inquiry & Analysis No. 992,
Chronicle Of An Inevitable Intervention: The Egyptian Military Moves In To
Direct Egypt's Political Process, July 3, 2013.
[3] In May 2016, a crisis erupted between Egypt's Interior Ministry and
Journalists' Union after sizeable forces stormed the union headquarters to
arrest two journalists accused of fomenting illegal protests and other political
charges. See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6415, Egyptian State Newspaper 'Al-Ahram'
Following Security Forces Raid On Journalists' Union Offices: 'When The People
Rises To Take Its Freedom, Nothing Can Stop It', May 6, 2016; Special Dispatch
No. 6427, In Fallout From Security Forces Raid, Pro-Regime Press Seeks To Wrest
Control Of Egyptian Journalists' Union, May 11, 2016.
[4] The 1.5 Million Feddan Project is a large-scale agricultural project
involving commercial investment in agricultural enterprises in eight Egyptian
governorates. Al-Masaa (Egypt), May 9, 2016. The three mentioned in the articles
all expressed professional objections to these projects. See, for example,
Mahmoud Emara on the 1.5 Million Feddan Project, Al-Watan (Egypt), May 4, 2015;
Mohamed Makhzangi on the Deba'a nuclear plant, Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt),
September 10, 2015; and Sabry Al-Shabrawy on various government projects, Al-Watan
(Egypt), January 4, 2015.
[5] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), October 13, 2015.
[6] In May 2016, a crisis erupted between Egypt's Interior Ministry and
Journalists' Union after sizeable forces stormed union headquarters to arrest
two journalists accused of fomenting illegal protests and other related charges.
See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6415, Egyptian State Newspaper 'Al-Ahram'
Following Security Forces Raid On Journalists' Union Offices: 'When The People
Rises To Take Its Freedom, Nothing Can Stop It', May 6, 2016; Special Dispatch
No. 6427, In Fallout From Security Forces Raid, Pro-Regime Press Seeks To Wrest
Control Of Egyptian Journalists' Union, May 11, 2016.
[7] A recent marine border agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia transferred
control of the islands of Sanafir and Tiran to the Saudis. Egypt suddenly
announced this agreement during a visit to Cairo by the Saudi king on April 9,
2016, leading many to feel that the regime was "selling" parts of the Egyptian
homeland for financial gain.
[8] Giulio Regeni, an Italian doctoral student doing field work in Egypt,
vanished in Cairo on January 25, 2016. His body, which showed signs of torture,
was discovered about a week later. Many inside and outside Egypt suspect that
Egyptian security forces were involved, especially in light of the different
accounts provided by the Interior Ministry. See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6367,
Prominent Egyptian Journalist-Politician Osama Al-Ghazali Harb Accuses Interior
Ministry Of Covering Up Its Murder Of Italian National Giulio Regeni, March 31,
2016.
[9] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), May 9, 2016.
[10] Al-Musawwar (Egypt), May 16, 2016.
[11] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 5525, On The Eve Of Al-Sisi's Birthday, His
Personality Cult Reaches Crescendo, November 18, 2013.
[12] Al-Shurouq (Egypt), January 27, 2015.
The problem with globalism
Clifford D. May/ The Washington Times/July 29/16
Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo.” That line from Donald Trump’s
long and emphatic speech to the Republican National Convention last Thursday
jumped out at me. I think I know what he meant: that he prioritizes America’s
national interests above those of the wider world.
If so, most Americans probably agree. I’d be among them. But there are
complexities here that are worth unpacking.
For one, globalism is a term the media often use but seldom define. The academic
literature strikes me as confusing — or perhaps just confused. From a recent
tome on the subject:
“[W]e suggest that different globalisms gain part of their power to the extent
that they draw on deeper taken-for-granted and dominant modern notions of time,
space, embodiment and so [sic]. Again, this is not to suggest a homogenizing
modernism. Older traditional and tribal ontological formations continue to
ground the lives of many people and a postmodern layer of temporality-spatiality
has recently emerged.
Got that? What’s more, globalism is often used as a synonym for globalization.
I’d argue that they are different, that globalization is not a belief system but
a process — one that is hardly new. The historian Niall Ferguson has pointed out
that the Silk Road facilitated globalization prior to the Christian era.
Essentially, globalization is what happens when technologies and inventions —
from steam engines to jet planes, from books to satellites, from telegraph lines
to the internet — shrink the distances between places and the peoples who live
in those places. In the past, empires — those with their capitals in Europe, to
be sure, but also the many powerful Islamic empires that had their capitals in
the Middle East — facilitated globalization as well. They spread ideas,
practices, beliefs, values, foods, products, laws, languages and much else.
Policies that attempt to stop or even slow globalization are unlikely to
succeed, although wars and depressions have been known to have that effect. What
is useful is to devise polices to assist Americans whom globalization
disadvantages.
An additional twist: To some, globalization means Americanization: McDonald’s
hamburgers, Starbuck’s coffee, Hollywood movies and the “almighty dollar” as
instruments of American economic and cultural imperialism. The
“anti-globalization” protesters who routinely take to the streets outside
meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank (institutions
with which I am not enamored) may be anarchists or nihilists — or just angry.
Come November, most probably will not be voting for the anti-globalist Mr.
Trump.
Globalism generally appeals to those on the left who disdain nationalism,
regarding themselves as “citizens of the world.” They would like nation-states
to surrender power and sovereignty to the United Nations and various
transnational entities that claim to speak with authority — on what basis it’s
unclear — about rights and international law and “fair” economic policies.
Globalists want to see “progress” toward “global governance.”
I can’t imagine any conservative calling himself a globalist, but others
(including Mr. Trump?) might disagree. Certainly, there are conservatives who
are cosmopolitan, who have favorite restaurants in Paris and Istanbul, not to
mention friends in both cities with whom they enjoy dining.
That does not imply that they find such notions as global citizenship and global
governance anything other than odious. Nor are they favorably disposed toward
U.N. bureaucrats who concoct international laws that judges from countries not
subject to the rule of law get to interpret.
However, such conservatives are concerned about what dictators are doing both
within and beyond their borders. They know that the rulers of Iran, China,
Russia and North Korea do not wish America well and are expanding their
capabilities to do America harm. They know that it is a mistake to ignore
terrorist groups. Our enemies are not hornets that won’t hurt us if we just
refrain from poking their nests. Conversely, America’s friends — particularly
those willing and able to fight common enemies — deserve support.
Is President Obama a globalist? With Iran’s rulers he concluded the most
consequential arms control agreement so far this century. He refused to call it
a treaty because to do so would have required him to seek congressional advice
and consent. He did, however, ask the U.N. Security Council for its endorsement.
On the other hand, he withdrew all U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011 and turned a
blind eye to Bashar Assad’s brutality in Syria that same year. Are those not the
actions of an isolationist? Or, as a globalist, did he assume that the
“international community” would tackle these crises?
Either way, the results have been tragic. They also should be edifying: The
Islamic State arose from the ashes of al Qaeda in Iraq, which had been decimated
by the “surge.” Mr. Assad, with help from Iran and Russia, has gone on to murder
hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children. The region’s ancient
Christian and Yazidi communities are facing genocide. Millions of people have
been displaced; many have been heading north where they may transform the
character of Europe forever.
There must be a better way. I’d argue that Americanism, properly understood, is
neither globalist nor isolationist. Rather, it recognizes the need for American
engagement and, on significant issues, for American leadership — a commodity for
which there is simply no good substitute at present.
To paraphrase a famous epigram, the only thing necessary for evil to triumph
globally is for Americans to persuade themselves that what happens abroad
doesn’t concern them. I’m not confident that either of the candidates running
for president grasps that.
Clifford D. May is president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)
and a columnist for the Washington Times. Follow him on Twitter @CliffordDMay.
- See more at:
http://www.defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/may-clifford-d-the-dark-dilemma-of-modern-globalism/#sthash.ZhVUGO4b.dpuf
Fact-checking Saudi and Iranian statements on terrorism
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya/July 29/16
According to Iran’s state-owned news outlet Press TV, Iranian Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Bahram Qassemi has warned Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir to
think twice about "the repercussions of his statements.”
Al Arabiya News Channel aired Jubeir’s recent statement that was in response to
earlier remarks given by Iran’s General Consul, accusing Saudi Arabia in a way
that I believe was unsubstantiated, regarding an event on terrorism held by the
Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brussels on July 21, 2016.
It is worthwhile to fact-check the statements.
Harboring, supporting and sheltering terrorism
Since the Iranian revolution in 1979, Iran’s military, financial, and sanctuary
support for terrorist groups, as well as Iran’s direct or indirect involvement
in terrorist attacks across the globe in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and
America have been well-documented by many credible intelligence reports across
the world, as well as various news outlets.
On a diplomatic level, several members of the international community have also
accused Iran of being responsible for terrorism from India to the US, by
sponsoring, training, funding, arming or giving sanctuary to terrorist groups
and individuals.
Iran’s support, which is confirmed by Iranian leaders, or the leaders of the
allied groups, is not limited to Shiite-designated terrorist groups such as
Hezbollah or Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq.
The current narrative is that Iran wants to defeat ISIS and al-Qaeda leaders and
that Tehran and Washington have mutual interests. However, Iran’s relationship
with al-Qaeda and ISIS has a long history and their ties are more complicated
than the mainstream narrative.
Iran is believed to have maintained its ties with al-Qaeda since the early
1990s. According to multiple intelligence reports and external experts, Iran’s
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) gave shelter, protection, assistance, Iranian
passports to many senior a;-Qaeda members, including the founder of al-Qaeda in
Iraq (Abu Musab Al Zarqawi), the predecessor to ISIS, when the US was looking
for him.
Most recently, three senior al-Qaeda members, who have been added to the US
government’s list of designated terrorists, are believed to have been “located
in Iran” at some point. Al-Qaeda senior members have been capable of escaping US
drones by living in Iran, using Iranian passports and being used as a pawn to
advance Iran’s foreign policy objectives. Hiding some of these figures has been
instrumental in giving birth to ISIS. According to a report by the Claremont
Institute, which cites German intelligence, being a Shiite government has not
stopped Iran from partnering up with al-Qaeda, which brands itself as Sunni.
According to the US Treasury, Iran has even helped al-Qaeda fighters enter
Syria.
Iran’s funding, arming, supporting, training and giving sanctuary to terrorist
groups is well-documented
In addition, an audio message from Bin Laden’s son Hamza, which was released in
recent weeks, points to the “continuation of Iranian sponsorship” within
al-Qaeda, according to a report by a US-based think-tank. Declassification of
113 hand-written messages also revealed, according to the report, that Bin Laden
said Iran is “the chief pathway for our money, men, communiqué, and hostages”
and he urged his group “not to start a front against Iran.”
The US State Department has released its latest annual report related to
terrorism and global terrorist activities, in which it stated: “Iran remained
the foremost state sponsor of terrorism in 2015, providing a range of support,
including financial, training, and equipment, to groups around the world –
particularly Hezbollah. Iran continued to be deeply involved in the conflict in
Syria, working closely with the Assad regime to counter the Syrian opposition,
and also in Iraq where Iran continued to provide support to militia groups,
including the Foreign Terrorist Organization Kata’ib Hezbollah. In addition, it
was implicated for its support to violent Shia opposition group attacks in
Bahrain. Iran was joined in these efforts by Hezbollah, which continued to
operate globally, as demonstrated by the disruption of Hezbollah activities in
Peru in 2014 and Cyprus in 2015.”
Three crucial pillars that Iran relies on are the IRGC, the intelligence wing of
the IRGC and Iran’s proxies.
In addition, judicial and intelligence evidence has pointed to Iran’s connection
with al-Qaeda in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Earlier this year, US District
Judge George Daniels in New York ordered the Islamic Republic to pay more than
$10.5 billion in damages to the estates and families of people who died at the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The court held that “Iran furnished material and direct support for the 9/11
terrorists specific terrorist travel operation” and the “facilitation of
al-Qaeda's operatives' travel to training in camps in Afghanistan was essential
for the success of the 9/11 operation.” It also stated that a “terrorist agent
of Iran and Hezbollah helped coordinate travel [for the hijackers].”
Expansionism and exportation of Iran's revolution
In his statement last week, Jubeir asked: “Doesn't the Iranian constitution say
"export the revolution"? Didn't Iran create Hezbollah? Didn't Iran attack more
than a dozen embassies in Iran in violation of all international laws?”
A central part in Khomeini and Khamenei’s ideology is exporting their
revolution, which is emphasized in Iran’s constitution. Article 11 states that
the constitution “provides the necessary basis for ensuring the continuation of
the Revolution at home and abroad” and “will strive with other Islamic and
popular movements to prepare the way for the formation of a single world
community.”
According to article 144, Iran’s constitution delegates to its military the
fulfillment of these goals: “The Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran must be an
Islamic Army, i.e., committed to Islamic ideology and the people ... It will be
responsible not only for guarding and preserving the frontiers of the country,
but also for fulfilling the ideological mission of jihad in God's way; that is,
extending the sovereignty of God's law throughout the world.”
With regards to Iran supporting groups, which are designated as terrorist by the
international community, not only is the evidence overwhelming, but Iranian
authorities or leaders of these groups have also publicly admitted their
involvement, such as the leaders of Hezbollah have done.
In closing, Iran’s funding, arming, supporting, training and giving sanctuary to
terrorist groups is well-documented.
Although at the end of his speech, Jubeir extended his hands and hoped that Iran
will change its behavior, as long as Iran pursues its deep-rooted ideological
and revolutionary beliefs of achieving regional hegemony and preeminence -
through exporting its revolution, relying on hard power, and supporting
terrorist groups - Tehran will not be a constructive and rational state actor
for either the region, or for its own citizens.
Stop them before they wear
suicide belts
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/July 29/16
Since last November we have witnessed a series of crimes in Europe, with one
perpetrator. That month, terrorists killed 130 people in the bloodiest attack in
Paris since World War II. The city looked like a battlefield. Terrorists then
attacked Brussels, killing more than 30 people and injuring 300.
The most heinous attack, which spread terror among millions of people, was
carried out by an armed man who killed 84 people and injured hundreds with a
truck in Nice. This month saw attacks in Germany - including the stabbing of a
pregnant woman, and the killing of rail passengers - then the killing of a
priest in a church in Normandy, France.
The countries attacked are our friends. France has politically supported the
Syrian people against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad more than any
other country, and has supported Arab countries against Iran. Germany has warmly
welcomed a million refugees, mostly Muslims.
Excuses
Anger will not fade after the news bulletins. There will be further political
crises, internally and externally. No one will give importance to weak
justifications and excuses. Why should the West ignore the identity or religion
of a perpetrator? We are facing a widespread terrorist war carried out by one
group that claims to hold the banner of Islam. Instead of explaining an
individual crime here and there, we must stand by these injured societies.
We face the same tragedy and suffering, from the same group, as France, Germany
and Belgium. Together we must track down the main perpetrators, who are the
preachers and defenders of extremism. We should get past denials and excuses.
The world is tired of justifications from perpetrators and those covering up for
them.
Electronic recruiters will continue to find people ready to wear explosive belts
as long as inciters and preachers of extremism and jihad are not stopped
In the beginning they justified terrorism with poverty, only to be told that
their late leader Osama bin Laden was a millionaire. They then claimed ignorance
and lack of education, until they were told that there are teachers and
engineers in the ranks of extremists, and that their leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is
a doctor. They blamed political persecution, yet in their ranks there are
leaders from the free world, such as the late Anwar al-Awlaki, who was American.
They tried to link terrorism to Israel’s occupation of Palestine, but no one
believed them because Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and
Al-Nusrah Front have not carried out a single attack in Israel. They linked
terrorism to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, but were told that Al-Qaeda started
its actions seven years prior, and continued them after the American departure.
They are now justifying terrorism in Europe with racism and mistreatment, but
millions of Muslims want to come to the continent to escape harsh conditions in
their countries, since Muslim countries suffer the most from terrorism. Denial
is no longer convincing, and cause and effect must be confronted.
Brainwashing
The killer of the priest in Normandy is 19 years old. Most of the terrorists are
young, and were kids at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks. They are not the
generation of Bin Laden’s videos, but of Twitter and Facebook. The means differ
but the cause is the same.
Both generations are the product of the same extremist thought, which qualifies
them to work for Al-Qaeda in Yemen, ISIS in Iraq or Al-Nusrah Front in Syria at
a later stage, or to become an intelligence officer for Iran. Those brainwashing
children and youths should be held responsible first and foremost.
Some preachers of extremism probably do not understand what they have done to
their countries, people or the world. They are planting exaggeration and
extremism into young people’s minds. Typically, people who carry out operations
join terrorist organizations only after becoming groomed intellectually. ISIS
takes in individuals who have already been incited. Its leadership in Al-Raqqah
is the last stop.
No one really knows who is sending electronic messages, whether from Al-Raqqah,
Tehran or elsewhere. However, this does not matter. Electronic recruiters will
continue to find people ready to wear explosive belts as long as inciters and
preachers of extremism and jihad are not stopped.
**This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on July 29, 2016.
The United Kingdom will not
break up after Brexit
Dr. Azeem Ibrahim/Al Arabiya/July 29/16
Scotland’s First Minister and Leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola
Sturgeon has not wasted any time exploiting the Brexit mess to maximise her own
and her party’s political capital. And who can blame her? The SNP narrative has
been one of Westminster incompetence and mismanagement for decades, and David
Cameron’s failed gamble on the EU referendum was perhaps the most egregious
example of such mismanagement since the Suez crisis in 1956. Even the former
Prime Minister’s most ardent supporters must accept that the commitment to hold
the EU referendum has been a catastrophic, unprovoked own-goal, for him, for
“Westminster”, and ultimately for the entire country.
But while the glee with which Sturgeon welcomed the chaos that engulfed both the
Conservative and Labour parties in Westminster in the wake of the vote is
perfectly understandable, and finally validates an SNP narrative about the
political establishment in the capital that for a very long time was rather
contrived, we should not assume that a re-run of the Scottish independence
referendum is a done deal.
To start from the beginning, the SNP manifesto at the last Holyrood elections
stated that the party would only seek a second plebiscite if there was “a
material change in circumstances” for Scotland and the UK. Brexit would
nominally be just such a change in circumstances, but we do not yet know exactly
what the actual changes will be. If the UK ends up with a Norway-style deal with
full integration in the EEA, the change in the circumstances will be rather
minimal, especially for Scotland -- even if the clout and reach of London will
be reduced. In this scenario, the case that a sufficient change in circumstances
has occurred is rather thin on the ground.
Secondly, there is still a minimal, though non-negligible, chance that Brexit
will not actually happen. Theresa May is already kicking the triggering of
Article 50 into the long grass. For David Cameron triggering the exit
negotiations was first going to happen the day following the referendum. Then it
was pushed to autumn, when a new leader of the Conservative party was going to
be elected following his resignation. When the Conservatives quickly rallied
behind May and she took power, she delayed things until next year. With cover
from non-other that Nicola Sturgeon. And more recently, we are hearing that
Article 50 will only be triggered at some point “before the next general
election.”
When hell freezes over
Theresa May has insisted that she wants to negotiate a “common” UK negotiating
position with the EU on the exit, which is to say that she will only invoke
Article 50 once England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can all agree on
what they want out of the negotiations. Of course, it is likely that May will be
bounced by events into triggering the Brexit negotiations sooner or later, but
at the moment, her current position may as well be declared as “when hell
freezes over.”
If the political class have any sense, they will not be calling for any more
referendums for a long time to come
Thirdly, even if we end up with a “hard Brexit” which leaves Scotland up in arms
about the outcome, and Sturgeon can legitimately call for a second Indyref, she
does not in fact have the constitutional power to actually carry out this
referendum. As with the previous one, Scotland will need the Westminster
government to actually grant a legally binding referendum. David Cameron took
those kinds of risks. Indeed, he took them exactly one time too often. But we
would not expect May to repeat that mistake. If the political class have any
sense, they will not be calling for any more referendums for a long time to
come.
And lastly, there is also the issue of whether Scotland should want a second
referendum. All the “fearmongering” that the Better Together campaign put
forward about Scotland’s fiscal position in the case of independence has been
borne out. Without the subsidy the country gets from London and which enable the
highest rates of welfare spending anywhere in the UK, Scotland would run a
fiscal deficit of over 10% of GDP, and faces more unfavourable demographics than
the rest of the UK. These facts are now beyond contestation even for supporters
of Scottish independence. If the economic issues continue to resonate with
Scotland (in a way that they do not seem to have resonated with non-metropolitan
England), the outcome will be the same as last time.
Overall, there are many, many hurdles to overcome before Sturgeon would be in a
position to hold a second Scottish referendum, and to me the odds do not add up
as things stand at the moment.
Never the diplomat? Britain’s
new foreign policy chief Boris Johnson
Chris Doyle/Al Arabiya/July 29/16
In his superb analysis of the evolution of diplomacy in his book "Naked
Diplomacy", Tom Fletcher, the former British Ambassador to Lebanon, outlines
four public stereotypes of the British diplomat: the Ferrero Rocher Ambassador,
the aristocratic amateur, Perfidious Machiaval and the hopeless chump.
Britain’s new Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, has been portrayed as something
of all four. Few will be surprised if Boris does not enjoy the social elements
of the diplomatic circuit, shmoozing and trying to charm all before him. Boris
is also caste as a public school buffoon acting totally independently with a
freelance approach to policy, often making it up on the hoof. During the Brexit
campaign he was accused of only supporting getting out for his own ambitions, a
‘Remainer’ in ‘Leave’s’ clothing. The result was neither camp ever quite trusted
him. As for hopeless chump, Johnson is laden with an encyclopaedic litany of
gaffes and diplomatic disasters. After all, has there ever been a Foreign
Secretary coming into office having insulted the US president (“the part-Kenyan
president’s ancestral dislike of the British empire”), as well as the two rival
nominees to replace him (Hilary Clinton was like a “sadistic nurse in a mental
hospital”, while Donald Trump was “clearly out of his mind”)? Some may not be
too upset that he compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to Dobby the house
elf from Harry Potter.
So when the new Prime Minister, Theresa May offered her erstwhile rival the keys
to the Foreign Office and one of the world’s most extensive and professional
diplomatic services, there was a collective gasp of amazement. No British
politician has offended so many countries with such great effect, both allies
and enemies. He has smeared entire continents as he did with Europe and Africa,
when he claimed it would be better off if the colonial powers were invited back,
and likened Africans to “piccaninnies” with “watermelon smiles”.
A crazy appointment? Perhaps, if you buy solely into this thumbnail sketch.
Despite the clownish image, Boris Johnson is a highly educated man, brilliant at
times if rash. He will rock the diplomatic boat, guilty of all manner of
political and diplomatic incorrectness but he may also evolve an energetic brand
for the UK, and cut through that other diplomatic stereotype of the dull
plodding, bureaucratic mandarin.
Johnson’s time to shine?
Johnson knows this is his opportunity, maybe the last, to prove his detractors
wrong. Being underestimated maybe an advantage. For the time being he knows that
May is untouchable so putting his leadership ambitions aside, he has to
concentrate on maximising the opportunity given him. He will no longer be
distracted by his weekly newspaper column, the scene of most of his more
colourful language.
On the plus side, Johnson does possess many skills required. In Brussels, he
impressed his counterparts by speaking in French, not something every Foreign
Secretary is able to do. He is an internationalist trumpeting in an
outward-facing Britain, who, as Mayor of London, did travel to many major
British allies. He is creative and not just with words, persuasive and armed
with a capacious memory. Should Britain need to amplify certain key messages, he
is tailor-made for loudspeaker diplomacy, guaranteed an audience and plenty of
attention. The flip side is that he is no diplomatic stealth weapon.
Despite the clownish image, Boris Johnson is a highly educated man, brilliant at
times if rash.
In terms of the Middle East, he is not intrinsically hostile to any party but
will need likewise to hurdle his past statements. It may surprise some but he
has a more than passing knowledge of the history of Islamic science. He is proud
of his part-Turkish ancestry even if that will count for little with President
Erdogan who may not forgive Boris’s poetic reference to his love of goats.
Palestinians will not quickly forget his dismissive abuse of those who support
Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel. Syrians will be suspicious of
a man who wrote “Bravo for Assad” though he has been quick to restate the UK’s
position that Assad must go, however unlikely a scenario that is. Like his
predecessor he will prioritise trade over human rights not least after Brexit.
It will be a vertiginous learning curve for Johnson, as indeed it is for nearly
every incoming foreign minister of most states. In this first two weeks, he has
visited Brussels, the United States and hosted a conference on Syria and Yemen
as well as coping with the failed coup in Turkey and the Nice attacks. Aside
from the awkward face-palm moments in a press conference with US Secretary of
State John Kerry, he has emerged largely unscathed even if he was too hasty in
his assessment of the Munich killings as being due to terrorism from the Middle
East. For the time being, the likelihood is that it will a Boris that is
carefully restrained and reined in. The global scene is too delicate and
crisis-ridden.
But for those engaging Boris for the first time – expect copious Latin citations
(with John Kerry, it was obiter dicta or incidental remarks) and language
redolent of P.G Woodhouse mixed with the latest from the urban dictionary so he
will be railing against gabbling foam-flecked malingerers and raffish boffins
and their balderdash, while celebrating the derring-do of a multitude of young
thrusting diplomats.
Nothing will be predictable with Boris, except for knowing that the road ahead
will not be dull.
Turkey's Intra-Islamist Struggle for Power
Burak Bekdil/Hürriyet Daily News/July 29/16
http://www.meforum.org/6155/turkey-islamist-vs-islamist
Originally published under the title "Coup Lessons."
Exiled Turkish preacher Fethullah Gülen (left) and President Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan, once allies, have turned on each other with a vengeance.
Every piece of evidence emerging after the failed putsch on July 15 indicates
that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the victim of a failed Gülenist coup
d'état. But to get the picture right we must ask ourselves, perhaps ironically,
what the victim and the perpetrator have in common. The answer is many years of
staunch alliance and the same ideology: political Islam.
Mr. Erdoğan now accuses the Gülenist movement of "having infiltrated into the
state system over the past 40 years." He must accuse himself first. He was the
man who paved the way for the Gülenist infiltration during the years he was in
power, from 2002 to 2013, when he broke up with the "terrorist." In his own
words: "Whatever you asked for, we gave it to you." In short, Mr. Erdoğan was a
devoted Gülen ally during 37.5 years of the "terrorist's" 40-year quest to
capture the Turkish state.
What brought them together? What, essentially, do Messrs. Erdoğan and Gülen have
in common, ideologically speaking? The desire to Islamize. Did they break up
because of deep ideological divergences? No. Over methodology in reaching a
common goal? Perhaps. Because of greed for political power? Probably. But not
because one of them decided to abandon political Islam.
The failed Gülenist putsch offers lessons that Turkish Islamists will probably
never learn: Islam the religion or Islamism the political ideology will never
forge a wonder alliance or achieve your end goals just because Islamism the
political ideology brings together a small or big bunch of like-minded
conservative Muslims sharing an ideology that aims to "conquer" Muslim lands
first (by imposing Islamism on secular Muslims) and then "conquer" infidel lands
(by imposing Islamism on non-Muslim nations).
Turkey experienced a coup attempt by Islamists disguised as officers against
Islamists who are not disguised.
"Conservatism as a glue" and "he is a good fellow who prays five times a day,
has his wedding ring on his right hand, has a particular type of moustache" are
foolish indicators upon which to forge enduring political alliances. Being
conservative Muslims isn't enough to make a strong bond. If President Erdoğan's
narrative of the July 15 coup attempt is right, what we see here is basically a
coup attempt by Islamists disguised as officers against Islamists who are not
disguised. In short, an Islamist coup against an Islamist government.
Will the Turkish Islamists in power ever understand that piety or non-piety is
not a good basis to establish friends from foes? No. For several years they
feared a putsch from their ideological nemesis, the secularists. In a bitter
irony, the secular officers helped them suppress the Islamist coup attempt
within the army ranks.
The Islamists in power must now purge tens of thousands of Islamist government
officials, including senior judges, military and police officers, academics, and
their former allies. They must close down thousands of Islamist schools, NGOs,
and foundations and engage in a witch-hunt in a country ruled under a state of
emergency; Islamists running after Islamists. Funny, more women with the Islamic
headscarf are now being arrested than under the oppressive secularist regime of
the late 1990s.
Sadly, the Erdoğanist-Gülenist (political) amorous affair produced millions of
pages of (political) love letters (just Google it and see material as recent as
even 2013) but ended up in the courtroom after domestic violence. Now there will
be new Islamist-to-Islamist alliances, with new sects competing to emerge, just
because the pious can only trust the pious. And then the headlines on another
dreadful day will be bad déjà vu.
A minor note to my former "sparring partner," column neighbor Mustafa Akyol, who
wrote that "the government is trying to wipe out a cult that has secretly
infiltrated the state, in order to impose its own agenda by using every dirty
method against its enemies." That is wrong. The government is trying to wipe out
a cult that has not-so-secretly infiltrated the state as its best ally in order
to advance a common ideological goal, and by using every dirty method against
their then-common enemies.
**Burak Bekdil is an Ankara-based columnist for the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet
Daily News and a fellow at the Middle East Forum.
Question: "Is Jesus a myth? Is Jesus just a copy of the pagan gods of other
ancient religions?"
GotQuestions.orgAnswer: There are a number of people claiming that the accounts
of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament are simply myths borrowed from pagan
folklore, such as the stories of Osiris, Dionysus, Adonis, Attis, and Mithras.
The claim is that these myths are essentially the same story as the New
Testament’s narrative of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. As Dan Brown claims in The Da
Vinci Code, “Nothing in Christianity is original.”
To discover the truth about the claim that the Gospel writers borrowed from
mythology, it is important to (1) unearth the history behind the assertions, (2)
examine the actual portrayals of the false gods being compared to Christ, (3)
expose any logical fallacies being made, and (4) look at why the New Testament
Gospels are trustworthy depictions of the true and historical Jesus Christ.
The claim that Jesus was a myth or an exaggeration originated in the writings of
liberal German theologians in the nineteenth century. They essentially said that
Jesus was nothing more than a copy of popular dying-and-rising fertility gods in
various places—Tammuz in Mesopotamia, Adonis in Syria, Attis in Asia Minor, and
Horus in Egypt. Of note is the fact that none of the books containing these
theories were taken seriously by the academics of the day. The assertion that
Jesus was a recycled Tammuz, for example, was investigated by contemporary
scholars and determined to be completely baseless. It has only been recently
that these assertions have been resurrected, primarily due to the rise of the
Internet and the mass distribution of information from unaccountable sources.
This leads us to the next area of investigation—do the mythological gods of
antiquity really mirror the person of Jesus Christ? As an example, the Zeitgeist
movie makes these claims about the Egyptian god Horus:
• He was born on December 25 of a virgin: Isis Mary
• A star in the East proclaimed his arrival
• Three kings came to adore the newborn “savior”
• He became a child prodigy teacher at age 12
• At age 30 he was “baptized” and began a “ministry”
• Horus had twelve “disciples”
• Horus was betrayed
• He was crucified
• He was buried for three days
• He was resurrected after three days
However, when the actual writings about Horus are competently examined, this is
what we find:
• Horus was born to Isis; there is no mention in history of her being called
“Mary.” Moreover, “Mary” is our Anglicized form of her real name, Miryam or
Miriam. “Mary” was not even used in the original texts of Scripture.
• Isis was not a virgin; she was the widow of Osiris and conceived Horus with
Osiris.
• Horus was born during month of Khoiak (Oct/Nov), not December 25. Further,
there is no mention in the Bible as to Christ’s actual birth date.
• There is no record of three kings visiting Horus at his birth. The Bible never
states the actual number of magi that came to see Christ.
• Horus is not a “savior” in any way; he did not die for anyone.
• There are no accounts of Horus being a teacher at the age of 12.
• Horus was not “baptized.” The only account of Horus that involves water is one
story where Horus is torn to pieces, with Isis requesting the crocodile god to
fish him out of the water.
• Horus did not have a “ministry.”
• Horus did not have 12 disciples. According to the Horus accounts, Horus had
four demigods that followed him, and there are some indications of 16 human
followers and an unknown number of blacksmiths that went into battle with him.
• There is no account of Horus being betrayed by a friend.
• Horus did not die by crucifixion. There are various accounts of Horus’ death,
but none of them involve crucifixion.
• There is no account of Horus being buried for three days.
• Horus was not resurrected. There is no account of Horus coming out of the
grave with the body he went in with. Some accounts have Horus/Osiris being
brought back to life by Isis and then becoming the lord of the underworld.
When compared side by side, Jesus and Horus bear little, if any, resemblance to
one another.
Jesus is also compared to Mithras by those claiming that Jesus Christ is a myth.
All the above descriptions of Horus are applied to Mithras (e.g., born of a
virgin, being crucified, rising in three days, etc.). But what does the Mithras
myth actually say?
• He was born out of a solid rock, not from any woman.
• He battled first with the sun and then with a primeval bull, thought to be the
first act of creation. Mithras killed the bull, which then became the ground of
life for the human race.
• Mithras’s birth was celebrated on December 25, along with winter solstice.
• There is no mention of his being a great teacher.
• There is no mention of Mithras having 12 disciples. The idea that Mithras had
12 disciples may have come from a mural in which Mithras is surrounded by the
twelve signs of the zodiac.
• Mithras had no bodily resurrection. Rather, when Mithras completed his earthly
mission, he was taken to paradise in a chariot, alive and well. The early
Christian writer Tertullian did write about Mithraic cultists re-enacting
resurrection scenes, but this occurred well after New Testament times, so if any
copycatting was done, it was Mithraism copying Christianity.
More examples can be given of Krishna, Attis, Dionysus, and other mythological
gods, but the result is the same. In the end, the historical Jesus portrayed in
the Bible is unique. The alleged similarities of Jesus’ story to pagan myths are
greatly exaggerated. Further, while tales of Horus, Mithras, and others pre-date
Christianity, there is very little historical record of the pre-Christian
beliefs of those religions. The vast majority of the earliest writings of these
religions date from the third and fourth centuries A.D. To assume that the
pre-Christian beliefs of these religions (of which there is no record) were
identical to their post-Christian beliefs is naive. It is more logical to
attribute any similarities between these religions and Christianity to the
religions’ copying Christian teaching about Jesus.
This leads us to the next area to examine: the logical fallacies committed by
those claiming that Christianity borrowed from pagan mystery religions. We’ll
consider two fallacies in particular: the fallacy of the false cause and the
terminological fallacy.
If one thing precedes another, some conclude that the first thing must have
caused the second. This is the fallacy of the false cause. A rooster may crow
before the sunrise every morning, but that does not mean the rooster causes the
sun to rise. Even if pre-Christian accounts of mythological gods closely
resembled Christ (and they do not), it does not mean they caused the Gospel
writers to invent a false Jesus. Making such a claim is akin to saying the TV
series Star Trek caused the NASA Space Shuttle program.
The terminological fallacy occurs when words are redefined to prove a point. For
example, the Zeitgeist movie says that Horus “began his ministry,” but the word
ministry is being redefined. Horus had no actual “ministry”—nothing like that of
Christ’s ministry. Those claiming a link between Mithras and Jesus talk about
the “baptism” that initiated prospects into the Mithras cult, but what was it
actually? Mithraic priests would place initiates into a pit, suspend a bull over
the pit, and slit the bull’s stomach, covering the initiates in blood and gore.
Such a practice bears no resemblance whatsoever to Christian baptism—a person
going under water (symbolizing the death of Christ) and then coming back out of
the water (symbolizing Christ’s resurrection). But advocates of a mythological
Jesus deceptively use the same term, “baptism,” to describe both rites in hopes
of linking the two.
This brings us to the subject of the truthfulness of the New Testament. No other
work of antiquity has more evidence to its historical veracity than the New
Testament. The New Testament has more writers (nine), better writers, and
earlier writers than any other document from that era. Further, history
testifies that these writers went to their deaths claiming that Jesus had risen
from the dead. While some may die for a lie they think is true, no person dies
for a lie he knows to be false. Think about it—if someone was about to crucify
you upside down, as happened to the apostle Peter, and all you had to do to save
your life was renounce a lie you had knowingly told, what would you do?
In addition, history has shown that it takes at least two generations to pass
before myth can enter a historical account. That’s because, as long as there are
eyewitnesses to an event, errors can be refuted and mythical embellishments can
be exposed. All the Gospels of the New Testament were written during the
lifetime of the eyewitnesses, with some of Paul’s Epistles being written as
early as A.D. 50. Paul directly appeals to contemporary eyewitnesses to verify
his testimony (1 Corinthians 15:6).
The New Testament attests to the fact that, in the first century, Jesus was not
mistaken for any other god. When Paul preached in Athens, the elite thinkers of
that city said, “‘He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,’—because he
was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to
the Areopagus, saying, ‘May we know what this new teaching is which you are
proclaiming? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to
know what these things mean’” (Acts 17:18–20, NASB). Clearly, if Paul were
simply rehashing stories of other gods, the Athenians would not have referred to
his doctrine as a “new” and “strange” teaching. If dying-and-rising gods were
plentiful in the first century, why, when the apostle Paul preached Jesus rising
from the dead, did the Epicureans and Stoics not remark, “Ah, just like Horus
and Mithras”?
In conclusion, the claim that Jesus is a copy of mythological gods originated
with authors whose works have been discounted by academia, contain logical
fallacies, and cannot compare to the New Testament Gospels, which have withstood
nearly 2,000 years of intense scrutiny. The alleged parallels between Jesus and
other gods disappear when the original myths are examined. The Jesus-is-a-myth
theory relies on selective descriptions, redefined words, and false assumptions.
Jesus Christ is unique in history, with His voice rising above all false gods’
as He asks the question that ultimately determines a person’s eternal destiny:
“Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15).
**Recommended Resource: The Case for the Real Jesus by Lee Strobel