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Bible Quotations For Today
‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil."
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 05/13-17: "‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil."

Stand firm in one spirit, strive side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and in no way be intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation.
Letter to the Philippians 01/21-30: "For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again. Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 02/16
What ails Saudi Arabia-Lebanon relations/Mshari Al Thaydi/Al Arabiya/February 01 March/16
A company called Hezbollah/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/February 01 March/16
A Saudi citizen asks: Is it worth the risk/Jamal Khashoggi/Al Arabiya/February 01 March/16
Two cheers for the Iranian election/Dr. John C. Hulsman/Al Arabiya/February 01 March/16
Is a Donald Trump victory a win for racism and bigotry/Joyce Karam/Al Arabiya/February 01 March/16
Iran's Long Road to Reintegrating With the World Financial System/Katherine Bauer/Washington Institute/March 01/16

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on March 02/16
Nasrallah Reassures over Lebanon Security, Vows to Continue Confrontation with Saudi
Franjieh Won't Attend Electoral Session, Says Lebanon Not a 'European Democracy'
What ails Saudi Arabia-Lebanon relations?
A company called Hezbollah!
Reports: Greece Seizes Lebanon-bound Boat Carrying Arms, Explosives
Ban and World Bank Chief in Beirut this Month
Hariri Says Dialogue with Hizbullah to Continue, Urges Franjieh to Attend Electoral Session
Moqbel Approves Appointment of Camille Daher as New Intelligence Chief
Rifi's Bill on Samaha Trial Dropped from Cabinet Agenda
Change and Reform: Maneuvers of Those Who Don't Want Strong President Have Ended with Failure
Hizbullah Prioritizes its 'Dignity,' Regional 'Achievements' despite Saudi Pressure
Michel Suleiman: What Were We Expecting From Saudi Arabia After the Campaign of Incitement Against It?

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 02/16
Kerry: European refugee crisis a ‘global challenge’
Lavrov: Russia Wants Syrian Border with Turkey Closed
U.S., Russia in new Syria military safety talks
Assad backs Syria truce, accuses opposition of violations
ISIS executes eight Dutch ‘deserters’ in Syria
Tunisian forces kill four militants in clashes
Israeli forces shoot dead Palestinian, wound 10 at refugee camp
Israel orders 84 Palestinians held without trial
Philippines gun attack injures Saudi preacher
Italian killed in Egypt was interrogated for days: forensics expert
Egypt jails April 6 youth leader for three years
Oman bus crash kills 18 people, injures 14
Iraq launches major anti-ISIS operation north of Baghdad
Qatari, Jordanian among 5 Executed in Saudi

Nasrallah Reassures over Lebanon Security, Vows to Continue Confrontation with Saudi
Naharnet /March 01/16/Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah reassured the Lebanese on Tuesday that the country is not “on the brink of civil war” despite the political and sectarian tensions, as he vowed to continue his criticism of the Saudi policies in Lebanon and the region. “Since the announcement of the suspension of the Saudi grants, we have entered a new phase of political conflict and Saudi Arabia aggravated it through media campaigns,” said Nasrallah in a televised speech addressing the latest developments. “Saudi Arabia has asked its citizens to leave Lebanon over security concerns although its considerations are political,” he added. Nasrallah was referring to a series of Saudi measures against Lebanon and Hizbullah that on February 19 when the Saudi foreign ministry announced that the kingdom was halting around $4 billion in military aid to the Lebanese army and security forces. The kingdom later slapped sanctions on individuals and firms accused of ties to Hizbullah and advised its citizens against travel to Lebanon while urging those already in the country to leave it.
Saudi Arabia has linked its move to Lebanon's refusal to join the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in condemning attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran last month, and alleged Hizbullah "terrorist acts against Arab and Muslim nations."The tensions in Lebanon were further aggravated over the weekend when Saudi-owned MBC television aired a TV show that poked fun at Nasrallah, prompting angry Hizbullah supporters to take to the streets in several regions where some of them burned tires and shouted insults against Riyadh and its Lebanese allies. “Some articles and media reports have claimed that Hizbullah was preparing its 'black shirts',” Nasrallah said in his speech, referring to Hizbullah's 2011 alleged show of force, when unarmed, black-clad Hizbullah members reportedly roamed Beirut's streets. “There is no doubt that the youth protests that erupted as a reaction to a TV show have contributed to increasing concerns and anxiety among the Lebanese,” Nasrallah admitted. He however described the protests as “spontaneous” and stressed that Hizbullah is “keen on stability, security and domestic peace in Lebanon.”“We say it clearly that what happened will not make us prepare for a May 7-like campaign or other moves,” he reassured. “The national and ethical considerations oblige us to reassure everyone that the country is not on the verge of a civil war or a confrontation,” Nasrallah added. Commenting on MBC's satirical show, Hizbullah's leader described it as “a sign of weakness.”
“They can engage in a political and media battle against us but not at this low level. The video does not deserve a response and it reflects their weak choices,” he added. As for the chaos and insults that accompanied the protests of Hizbullah's supporters, Nasrallah underlined that “this approach is inappropriate and the reactions must be calculated and measured.”
“There is no need to take to the streets no matter what happens and you must seek responses that do not serve the objectives of the enemies and rivals,” he added, addressing his party's supporters. “Israel wants strife in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia is seeking to stir strife in any country that contains Sunnis and Shiites. Should we serve their goals?” Turning to the issue of the suspension of the Saudi military aid, Nasrallah noted that “all indications suggest that the grants were suspended upon the death of King Abdullah and not because of our stance.”“We are being blamed for grants that were suspended more than a year ago, regardless of whether Saudi Arabia has the money to pay them or not,” he said. Nasrallah also defended Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, who has faced a storm of criticism in Lebanon over his stances at the Arab League and the OIC. “Jebran Bassil is aggrieved and he condemned the attack against the Saudi embassy in Tehran several times. The uproar could be part of a political campaign against Bassil and (Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel) Aoun,” Nasrallah added, pointing out that “Hizbullah is capable of confronting on its own and does not need to embarrass its allies.”
Pledging to maintain the verbal confrontation against Riyadh despite its latest measures, Nasrallah added: “Saudi Arabia started confronting us in 2005 but we remained silent.”“The scheme of sending booby-trapped cars from (Syria's) Qalamun to Lebanon was overseen from Saudi Arabia and nowadays Saudi Arabia is fighting a direct war in Yemen. It was not possible to remain silent over Saudi Arabia's crimes in Yemen and we will not remain silent now,” he added. “Saudi Arabia has tried to pressure us into falling silent but it has failed. It wants to pressure us through the Lebanese, but it is doing whatever it wants against the Arab countries and peoples and we cannot remains silent,” Hizbullah's chief went on to say. “Does Saudi Arabia have the right to punish Lebanon, its state and its army because a certain party has decided to raise its voice?” he asked. Addressing Riyadh, Hizbullah's chief added: “If they have a problem with us, let them keep it with us, and let them spare Lebanon and the Lebanese.”

Franjieh Won't Attend Electoral Session, Says Lebanon Not a 'European Democracy'
Naharnet /March 01/16/Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh announced Tuesday that he will next attend a presidential election session scheduled for Wednesday because his presence might further “complicate” the presidential deadlock. “I'm part of the March 8 camp but I support going to parliament,” said Franjieh after talks with ex-MP Farid Haykal al-Khazen at the latter's residence in Jounieh. “But my attendance of the parliamentary session might complicate things instead of resolving them,” Franjieh added. “Ex-PM (Saad) Hariri understands my stance although he is right in what he is proposing, but Lebanon is not Switzerland, Sweden or a European democracy,” the Marada chief went on to say, suggesting that the election of a president requires political consensus outside the parliament building. Franjieh added: “The disputes and disagreements in the country are very acute and things require a deeper understanding and we must not rush things.”The northern leader also reiterated that he will not attend any electoral session without “coordination” with his allies in the March 8 camp. Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and the Free Patriotic Movement, Hizbullah and some of their allies have been boycotting the electoral sessions. Hariri launched late in 2015 a proposal to nominate Franjieh for the presidency but his suggestion was rejected by the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah. The Hizbullah-led March 8 camp as well as March 14's Lebanese Forces have argued that Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun is more eligible than Franjieh to become president given the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.

What ails Saudi Arabia-Lebanon relations?
Mshari Al Thaydi/Al Arabiya/February 01 March/16
The “natural” objective of the Saudi-Gulf measures against the “official” Lebanon is to exert pressure against Hezbollah, Iran’s representative in the region. A group of politicians in Lebanon, such as the deputies of the Lebanese Phalanges Party, maintain that it has not done nothing wrong by extending an apology to Saudi Arabia. However, the entire political class in Lebanon became error-prone when it chose to surrender to the Iranian agent which holds the reins of power in Lebanon. It seems that the Lebanese political leader who best understood a decisive Saudi “transformation” is the head of the Lebanese Forces Executive Committee, Samir Geagea. His statements indicate that he is aware of Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy’s dimensions and what is expected from Lebanon as a state.
Lebanese in the Gulf
But how can Lebanon benefit from Iran? On the other hand, how will it benefit from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries? How many Lebanese workers live in Iran? How many are they in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Manama, Doha, Kuwait and in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai? According to a study published by Al Arabiya.net, the number of Lebanese residing in Iran since the Mullah regime came to power is 1,000. Most of these are cadres of Hezbollah. However, the number of Lebanese living in Saudi Arabia alone has reached 400,000, not to mention around 150,000 in the UAE who send remittances to Lebanon worth of around $8 billion. The entire political class in Lebanon became error-prone when it chose to surrender to the Iranian agent, which holds the reins of power in Lebanon
All this is besides the various Gulf investments in Lebanon and the large number of Gulf tourists in the land of the cedars. Having said that, how will Iran compensate for all of this? Hezbollah has been in a state of war against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries for decades. If Lebanon doesn’t get rid of this party, which has expanded its presence to Bahrain, Kuwait, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, there is bound to be a confrontation. Samir Geagea said that the Lebanese Cabinet statement by prime minister Tamam Salam on the Saudi crisis is not satisfactory. He insisted that the Lebanese government ask “from [Hezbollah] to withdraw from the military confrontations waged in all of the Arab countries, otherwise the crisis will only worsen, as it must put the finger on the wound and address [Hezbollah] to withdraw its forces from Syria,” as reported by the Lebanese National News Agency. Geagea was right; this is the source of the Lebanese ailment that must be healed by putting up a fight against a party, which has taken away the Lebanese state’s free will. It is impossible that Lebanon remains a state while Hezbollah’s “statelet” maintains its presence – a statelet that is training death-mongers in the capitals of the Arabian Peninsula.

A company called Hezbollah!
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/February 01 March/16
To understand why Hezbollah has expanded beyond Lebanon into Syria and Yemen, we have to look at it as a limited-liability company that provides services to its owner, the Iranian regime. The party reportedly receives $900 million annually from Tehran. In return, Hezbollah undertakes multiple tasks.
It serves as a fighting force that exempts Iran from direct involvement in wars - this is why Israel attacked Lebanon, not Syria or Iran, even though it is well aware that the party is just a tool and that the Lebanese people are helpless. Tehran’s interest in confronting Israel has nothing to do with the occupation of Palestine, but with a game of regional confrontations. Iran has desires that it wants to impose on the West and Israel, such as allowing its nuclear program and extending its influence in the Arab Gulf countries and Iraq. This is what Tehran has achieved in part due to Hezbollah and other forces such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Hezbollah launched its activities in the early 1980s in favor of Tehran. It kidnapped Western journalists, diplomats and professors. It also hijacked planes and conspired to carry out assassinations and bombings in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. As a result of the Iran nuclear deal, Hezbollah’s main function - facing Israel - may expire. This is why the party is trying to reinvent itself as a company that offers other services. Iran has expanded Hezbollah’s services, ordering it to collect and launder money from smuggling and dealing heroin from Afghanistan via Iran, cocaine from South America, and even U.S. cigarettes. Hezbollah recently used some Lebanese banks that were penalized by Washington, resulting in the whole Lebanese banking system being put under tight international control.
Reinvention
When Tehran decides to stop funding Hezbollah, it will shrink in size and activity like any other commercial company. Portraying it as a religious party is unrealistic. Hezbollah, which some had thought could do no wrong, has experienced many scandals over the past few years. Some of its leaders looted money for personal purposes while its members were dying for the party’s convictions. Hezbollah has also admitted serious infiltrations by Israeli spy agency Mossad, which succeeded in recruiting a number of its leaders and members. As a result of the Iran nuclear deal, Hezbollah’s main function - facing Israel - may expire. This is why the party is trying to reinvent itself as a company that offers other services. Accordingly, we can understand Yemen’s importance to it. Hezbollah is training Iran-backed Shiite Houthi militias. Recently, after the Houthis lost control of most of Yemen’s provinces, Hezbollah increased its presence and is trying to open a front against Saudi Arabia on its southern border in the province of Saada, the Houthi stronghold. There are reports of Hezbollah fighters in other conflict zones. It is substituting its task of confronting Israel by fighting the Syrians and perhaps the Turks at a later stage. It is also training multinational Shiite militias to form an army of mercenaries following the Qods Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Hezbollah has trained the Iraqi Hezbollah, Assaeb al-Haq and other extremist Shiite militias fighting on behalf of Iran in Syria and Iraq today, and is expanding the fight to Yemen and other countries.

Michel Suleiman: What Were We Expecting From Saudi Arabia After the Campaign of Incitement Against It?
Thair Abbas/Asharq Al Awsat/March 01/16/In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Suleiman warns of attempts to create chaos on the streets to cancel municipal elections. The former Lebanese president Michel Suleiman warned against “causing chaos in the streets” in order to cancel the municipal elections scheduled for this spring. He said that he fears that this chaos will “impede finding a solution to the municipal issue (the rubbish disposal problem) after impeding a solution to the issue of the presidency and extending the chamber of deputies’ term twice”. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Suleiman talked about the implications of Saudi Arabia withdrawing its military grant to the Lebanese army which was announced shortly before the end of his term in 2014. He stressed that “the fraternal relationship between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia should not be linked to a grant but rather to the many things that the countries have in common and mutual trust. The relationship before the grant was excellent and should remain so even if the grant is completely out of the equation”.Suleiman rejected claims that Saudi Arabia dealt harshly with Lebanon and said “The kingdom has always treated Lebanon well and has never hesitated to support Lebanon’s staying power in the face of Israel and terrorism. Its policies have been fair and clean since the Taif agreement that ended the war and it helped to reconstruct Lebanon after the end of the war. Saudi Arabia also helped the reconstruction of southern Lebanon and helped the Lebanese army in Nahr Al-Bared (an UNRWA Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli). He continued by asking “What did we expect after this amount of incitement and insults against Saudi Arabia and its symbols by some Lebanese people? Is this how we protect our Lebanese countrymen who live in the Gulf?”

Reports: Greece Seizes Lebanon-bound Boat Carrying Arms, Explosives
Naharnet/March 01/16/Greek authorities have seized a Lebanon-bound boat carrying arms and explosives that sailed from Turkey, media reports said. The Togo-flagged boat reportedly full of weapons and explosives was seized by the Greek authorities off Turkey’s western coast on February 28, the English-language website of Turkey's leading newspaper Hurriyet reported, quoting the Turkish Doğan News Agency. “Weapons and explosives were seized in the search of the 76-meter-long dry cargo vessel named 'Kuki Boy' that was stopped off the Greek island of Rhodes, some 102 kilometers (63 miles) southeast of the Turkish resort town of Bodrum,” the website said. “The vessel reportedly sailed from an international port in the Aegean province of İzmir and was heading to Lebanon. The vessel drew the attention of the Greek military after floating on the Mediterranean Sea for a long time,” Hurriyet added. The vessel, with a width of 11 meters, was taken to the Souda Port of the Greek island of Crete, the website said. Meanwhile, Beirut-based al-Mayadeen television quoted Turk News TV as saying that the boat was carrying six containers of which two were filled with arms and ammunition.“The Lebanon-bound boat was loaded in Turkey,” it said. “The boat crew – six Syrians, four Indians and a Lebanese – have been arrested by Greek authorities,” al-Mayadeen added, citing Turk News.

Ban and World Bank Chief in Beirut this Month
Naharnet/March 01/16/U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon is expected to visit Beirut on March 24 for talks with top Lebanese officials and to inspect the encampments of Syrian refugees, an official Lebanese source said. Other sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat published on Tuesday that Ban will be accompanied by World Bank President Jim Yong Kim. Kim's talks with the Lebanese officials are expected to focus on the projects that the World Bank is planning to implement in Lebanon to help it confront the refugee crisis. Their visit would come a month after world leaders pledged more than $10 billion to help fund schools, shelter and jobs for refugees from Syria's civil war. At a meeting they held in London in February, the world leaders aspired to bring new urgency to the effort to help the 4.6 million Syrians who have sought refuge in neighboring countries including Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Another 6 million people or more are displaced within Syria, and a quarter of a million have been killed. Previous calls for international donations have come up short, and the five-year war has driven a chaotic exodus of hundreds of thousands of desperate refugees to Europe. About 1.2 million Syrian refugees have been registered in Lebanon but their numbers are higher. Other than the refugee crisis, Ban Ki-moon aims to send a message to Lebanese officials during his visit to Beirut on the swift need for the election of a new president. The sources said the U.N. continues to warn Lebanon's leaders that the presidential vacuum, which paralyzes the work of constitutional institutions, would reflect negatively on international assistance. Donor countries fear that Lebanese institutions would mismanage the funds, they added. Ban could also discuss with the Lebanese officials Lebanon’s deteriorating ties with Saudi Arabia.

Hariri Says Dialogue with Hizbullah to Continue, Urges Franjieh to Attend Electoral Session
Naharnet/March 01/16/Former premier Saad Hariri announced Tuesday that the Hizbullah-Mustaqbal bilateral dialogue “will continue” despite the recent tensions in the country, as he called on Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh to attend Wednesday's presidential election session.
“We will attend tomorrow's presidential election session and I believe that the election of a president is the key to resolving all problems,” said Hariri after talks at the Grand Serail with Prime Minister Tammam Salam. The MPs' “constitutional duty is to attend and not to boycott the sessions,” he noted. Noting that it is up to Franjieh to decide on attending Wednesday's session, Hariri hoped the Marada leader will be present at the vote, humorously announcing that Mustaqbal “will attend for his sake.” Asked about the fate of the faltering dialogue with Hizbullah in the wake of the tensions sparked by the row with Saudi Arabia, Hariri declared that it will “continue.”“It is true that dialogue might face hurdles at a certain point but it would eventually reach a result if the objective is the country's interest,” said Hariri later on Tuesday during a meeting with Akkar mayors and municipal chiefs. “I belong to Rafik Hariri's school and he used to talk to everyone during all circumstances and he did not sever ties with anyone,” the ex-PM added. “When we engage in dialogue with Hizbullah, we say things as they are and we cling to our principles, and all of this is aimed at protecting Lebanon and national stability and preventing any party from taking the country to strife,” Hariri explained. His announcement comes a day after he met with Speaker Nabih Berri, the dialogue's sponsor, in Ain al-Tineh. Hariri also noted that he discussed Lebanon's protracting garbage crisis with Salam, stressing that the solutions “must meet the international standards and a solution must be found as soon as possible.”Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended and Hariri launched late in 2015 a proposal to nominate Franjieh for the presidency. Hariri's initiative was however rejected by the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah, and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea -- the ex-PM's ally in the March 14 camp -- has recently nominated Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun for the presidency in an apparent response to Hariri's move

Moqbel Approves Appointment of Camille Daher as New Intelligence Chief
Naharnet/March 01/16/Defense Minister Samir Moqbel on Tuesday approved a recommendation to appoint Brig. Gen. Camille Daher as military intelligence chief to replace Brig. Gen. Edmond Fadel, state-run National News Agency reported. The proposal to name Daher was submitted to the minister by the army's six-member Military Council, NNA said. The issue of military appointments had paralyzed the cabinet's work for months. In early February, an agreement was reached among the political rivals to fill the vacancies of the Military Council by appointing three new members. However, differences over the posts of high-ranking officers were not totally resolved despite the Military Council's appointments, An Nahar daily reported on February 3. The newspaper said at the time that a new clash was expected to erupt in March over the intelligence chief post. Fadel's extended term expires this month. An Nahar said that former president Michel Suleiman was seeking through his representative in the cabinet, Defense Minister Moqbel, to push for the appointment of Brig. Gen. Wadih Ghafari as Army Intelligence chief. Ghafari is the head of the Presidential Guard Brigade. But Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji was backing Brig. Gen. Camille Daher, said the report. Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun was likely to reject the officers named by Moqbel and Qahwaji because of his differences with them, An Nahar added.

Rifi's Bill on Samaha Trial Dropped from Cabinet Agenda
Naharnet/March 01/16/A bill proposed by former Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi on the transfer of ex-Minister Michel Samaha's case to the Judicial Council has been dropped from the cabinet's agenda, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Tuesday. Copies of the agenda, which have been sent to ministers, do not include the request made by Rifi to transfer the trial of Samaha from the Military Tribunal to the Judicial Council, the newspaper quoted ministerial sources as saying. The agenda includes 169 items, some of them new and others accumulated from previous sessions. Rifi resigned last month, saying Hizbullah dominates the government and is harming Lebanon's ties with Arab countries. The resignation of Rifi, a longtime critic of Hizbullah, came two days after Saudi Arabia halted deals worth $4 billion aimed at equipping and supporting the Lebanese army and security forces. Rifi did not comment on Prime Minister Tammam Salam's decision to drop his bill from the agenda when contacted by al-Joumhouria. But the daily said that some ministers, mainly Sejaan Qazzi and Michel Pharaon, will stir the issue during Thursday's session. Rifi was among the first officials to condemn the decision of the Military Court to release Samaha on bail. The ex-information minister was arrested in August 2012 and charged with attempting to carry out "terrorist acts" over allegations that he and Syrian security services chief Ali Mamluk transported explosives and planned attacks and assassinations of political and religious figures in Lebanon. Samaha was sentenced in May 2015 to four-and-half years in prison, but in June Lebanon's Cassation Court nullified the verdict and ordered a retrial.

Change and Reform: Maneuvers of Those Who Don't Want Strong President Have Ended with Failure
Naharnet/March 01/16/The Change and Reform parliamentary bloc on Tuesday accused certain parties of “maneuvering” in order to block the election of what it described as a “strong president.”“All maneuvers have ended with failure and those who are trying to block any breakthrough do not want a strong president in line with the democratic standards and the National Pact,” said the bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting, in remarks about Wednesday's presidential election session. The National Pact is a 1943 unwritten agreement that set the foundations of modern Lebanon as a multi-confessional state. “We will voice a new stance after tomorrow's session,” the bloc added. It stressed that “this significant and critical juncture” concerns all Lebanese. “Bargains over the confessional, constitutional and legal rights are unacceptable and will not happen, and the suspension of the National Pact will not remain without a response,” Change and Reform cautioned. Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Change and Reform, Hizbullah and some of their allies have been boycotting the electoral sessions. Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri launched late in 2015 a proposal to nominate Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his suggestion was rejected by the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah. The Hizbullah-led March 8 camp as well as March 14's Lebanese Forces have argued that Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun is more eligible than Franjieh to become president given the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.

Hizbullah Prioritizes its 'Dignity,' Regional 'Achievements' despite Saudi Pressure
Naharnet/March 01/16/Hizbullah will not reach a compromise with Saudi Arabia despite the pressure it is exerting on the party following its halt of deals worth $4 billion aimed at equipping and supporting the Lebanese army and security forces. As Safir daily on Tuesday quoted Hizbullah officials as saying that the party, which is experienced in confronting pressure exerted on it, will not reach a compromise with Riyadh. The party holds onto its “dignity” rather than the Saudi assistance no matter what the costs are, they said. Saudi Arabia began piling pressure on Lebanon last month after it cut off the aid and told its citizens to leave the country. Its decision came after Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, an ally of the Iranian-backed Hizbullah, declined to support Saudi resolutions against Iran during two recent meetings of Arab and Muslim foreign ministers. The Hizbullah officials said the pressure exerted by Saudi Arabia on Lebanon comes over its “rage” as a result of its involvement in the region's turmoil. They said the party's response to the Saudi moves would come by making more "strategic achievements" in the region. The tension reflects the worsening Sunni-Shiite conflict in the Middle East, which is driven by regional powerhouses Saudi Arabia and Iran, who are fighting proxy wars in Syria, Yemen and, to a lesser extent, in Iraq.Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is expected to stir the issue in a speech he is scheduled to make on Tuesday.

Kerry: European refugee crisis a ‘global challenge’
AFP, Washington Tuesday, 1 March 2016/The United States regards the exodus of Middle Eastern refugees to Europe as a “global challenge,” Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday, reassuring his German counterpart of U.S. support.
“It is not somebody else’s problem. It is a test for all of us,” Kerry declared, at a Washington news conference with Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. “The United States considers the refugee crisis to be global. The impact first was felt obviously by Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. They’ve born an unbelievable burden in the course of these four-plus years of war.” The European Union is reeling under a flow of hundreds of thousands of desperate refugees from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, and particularly from Syria, which is in the grip of civil war. Washington boasts of being the biggest single donor to the refugee relief effort, having spent $5.1 billion, largely to support refugee camps in Syria’s neighbors Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. But President Barack Obama has only ordered that the United States itself resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees this fiscal year -- and managed to screen just 942 in the first five months of this period. Some in Washington regard the crisis as the worst challenge to Europe since the aftermath of World War II and a threat to the survival of the European Union. The administration is under pressure to do more. But Kerry has said the priority is to push for a political settlement in Syria that would end the war and stop the refugee flow at its source.

Lavrov: Russia Wants Syrian Border with Turkey Closed
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/March 01/16/Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Tuesday for the closure of Syria's border with Turkey to cut off outside supplies to "terrorists", including through humanitarian convoys. "Of course, neither in ceasefire agreements, nor in the process of political settlement is there a place for terrorists and extremists," Lavrov told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. "A very special task is to cut the terrorists' supply from the outside. For this purpose it is important to close the Syrian-Turkish border, since across this border those gangs receive arms, including with humanitarian convoys," Lavrov said, according to an official transcript in English of his remarks. He insisted that a "landslide defeat of (the Islamic State group)... al-Nusra and those of their kind is a necessary precondition for securing the rights of long-suffering peoples of Syria" and the rest of the region. His comments came after aid workers on Monday made the first delivery of desperately-needed assistance since the start of Syria's fragile ceasefire four days ago. Moscow and Washington drafted the UN-backed cessation of hostilities deal, and the two countries are co-chairing an international task force evaluating how the ceasefire is holding. At an earlier meeting in Geneva, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon thanked Lavrov for "his significant role in achieving recent progress on Syria," a UN statement said. "They agreed on the importance of urgently moving forward simultaneously on implementing the cessation of hostilities agreement, providing vital humanitarian assistance to civilians, and returning to political negotiations," the statement further said. The deal meanwhile does not apply to the vast swaths of territory held by the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front. It is meanwhile hoped that the flow of much-needed assistance could create a more favourable backdrop for peace talks that collapsed in acrimony in early February. UN envoy Steffan de Mistura aims to relaunch negotiations on March 7 if the ceasefire lasts and more aid is delivered.

U.S., Russia in new Syria military safety talks
AFP, Washington Tuesday, 1 March 2016/Pentagon officials spoke with Russian counterparts on Monday as part of a series of discussions aimed at avoiding military mishaps in Syria. Russia and a U.S.-led coalition are conducting separate military campaigns in war-torn Syria, with the United States targeting the ISIS and Russia supporting regime forces, and officials worry about a midair collision or some other accident. “The two sides discussed measures to enhance operational safety ... including the means to avoid accidents and unintended confrontation between coalition and Russian forces whenever the two sides operate in close proximity,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement. The video call was the latest communication in a “memorandum of understanding” agreed in October. Russia and the United States did not address Syria’s current “cessation of hostilities” aimed at bringing humanitarian aid into the country, as that partial ceasefire does not include operations against ISIS. “The events there (are) having no effect on our counter-ISIL campaign,” Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told reporters, using an alternative acronym for the jihadist group. “There’s certainly no cessation of hostilities there.”

Assad backs Syria truce, accuses opposition of violations
By Reuters Berlin/Beirut Tuesday, 1 March 2016/Syrian President Bashar al-Assad described the cessation of hostilities in force since Saturday as a “glimmer of hope” and accused the opposition of violating the agreement intended to halt nearly five years of fighting. The opposition has in turn accused the Syrian government of breaching the fragile truce by repeatedly attacking its positions, which the government denies. International observers have acknowledged violations of the agreement while stressing that the level of violence has decreased considerably. “We will play our part to make the whole thing work,” Assad was quoted as saying in an extract of an interview with Germany’s ARD television network. The president said the Syrian army had not reacted to truce violations in order to give the agreement a chance. “The terrorists have breached the deal from the first day. We as the Syrian Army are refraining from responding in order to give a chance to sustain the agreement. But in the end there are limits and it all depends on the other side,” Assad said. He also said people in Syria were suffering from a “humanitarian disaster.” The war has killed at least 250,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes. The United Nations hopes the cessation of hostilities will allow it to deliver aid to more than 150,000 people in besieged areas of Syria. The cessation of hostilities agreement, drawn up by the United States and Russia, is also seen by the United Nations as an opportunity to revive peace talks, which collapsed before they had even started a month ago in Geneva.
Negotiating table
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was an urgent need to implement the agreement and for the warring parties to return to the negotiating table, a U.N. statement said. “They agreed on the importance of urgently moving forward simultaneously on implementing the cessation of hostilities agreement, providing vital humanitarian assistance to civilians, and returning to political negotiations,” the statement said. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that while efforts were being made to track down alleged violations of the cessation of hostilities, there was currently no evidence to suggest they would destabilize the fragile peace. The agreement does not include ISIS and the Nusra Front, and Assad and his Russian backers have made clear they intend to keep attacking the militant groups. The Saudi-backed “moderate” opposition says that because some of their fighters are located in areas alongside Nusra, they fear being targeted too. The Russian Defense Ministry said it was refraining from striking areas in Syria where the “moderate opposition” was respecting the ceasefire agreement, Interfax news agency reported. A total of 15 ceasefire violations have been registered in Syria in the past 24 hours, Interfax quoted the Russian military as saying. The Syrian military denied it was responsible for any violations and said “terrorist groups,” the term it uses to describe its enemies, were to blame. Operations against ISIS and the Nusra Front were going ahead. “The combat operations that the Syrian Arab Army is carrying out against Daesh (ISIS) and Nusra are continuing according to the plans of the military command,” a Syrian military source said. Moscow, meanwhile, called for the Syrian border with Turkey to be closed. Russia’s Lavrov said it was a channel being used to supply weapons to groups he described as terrorists, with some arms hidden in humanitarian aid deliveries.

ISIS executes eight Dutch ‘deserters’ in Syria
AFP, Beirut Tuesday, 1 March 2016/ISIS has executed eight Dutch members of its group, whom it accused of trying to desert, activists said Monday. “Daesh (ISIS) executed eight Dutch fighters on Friday in Maadan, Raqa province, after accusing them of attempting desertion and mutiny,” Abu Mohammad, a member of the citizen journalist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS), said via Twitter. RBSS has been documenting since April 2014 ISIS’ abuses in Raqqa, the group’s de facto capital in northern Syria. Tension has boiled in Raqqa over the past month between 75 Dutch militants - among them fighters of Moroccan origin - and ISIS intelligence operatives from Iraq, RBSS said.Three other Dutch extremists were arrested by Iraqi ISIS members who accused them of wanting to flee and one of the detainees was beaten to death during the interrogation, according to RBSS. ISIS leaders in Raqqa sent a delegate to solve the dispute with the Dutch cell’s enraged members, but they murdered the intermediary in vengeance, the citizen journalist group added. The ISIS leadership in Iraq then ordered the arrest of all the members of the Dutch group, and imprisoned them in Tabaqa and Maadan in Syria. Eight have since been executed, RBSS said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict, could not confirm the report. However it said three European jihadists of North African origin were executed in what ISIS calls the Wilayet al-Furat - an area stretching across the Syrian-Iraqi frontier. According to the Dutch secret services, 200 people from the Netherlands including 50 women have joined ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

Tunisian forces kill four militants in clashes
Reuters, Tunis Tuesday, 1 March 2016/Tunisian security forces killed four militants in clashes near the border with Algeria late on Monday, officials said. Militants have launched a string of attacks on military checkpoints and patrols, and ISIS last year claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Tunis and gun attacks targeting foreign tourists at a museum and a beach hotel. “Special forces units killed four terrorists in Ain Jafal region between Sbeitla and Jelma in clashes,” the interior ministry said in a statement without giving more details. Tunisia has been held up as a model for democratic transition since the 2011 uprising against Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. But the attacks have battered its economy, particularly its tourist industry.

Israeli forces shoot dead Palestinian, wound 10 at refugee camp
AFP, Jerusalem Tuesday, 1 March 2016/A Palestinian man was killed and 10 others wounded by gunfire from Israeli soldiers and police at the Qalandiya refugee camp near Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian medical sources said Tuesday. Violent clashes broke out after a jeep carrying two border guards entered the camp by mistake overnight, a police spokesman said, adding that five policemen were injured, one seriously. A wave of violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories since October has killed 178 Palestinians as well as 28 Israelis, an American, a Sudanese and an Eritrean, according to an AFP toll. The Palestinian health ministry identified the victim as Eyad Omar Sajdia, a 22-year-old student. According to police, the jeep with two officers which entered the refugee camp was attacked with stones and Molotov cocktails. Troops and police reinforcements were sent in to rescue the pair, who were found uninjured. Fresh clashes took place when Palestinian demonstrators threw explosive devices and shot at the Israeli forces, who returned fire, the spokesman said.

Israel orders 84 Palestinians held without trial
AFP, Ramallah Tuesday, 1 March 2016/Israel has over the past 10 days slapped “administrative detention” orders on 84 Palestinians, a controversial procedure under which prisoners can be held without charge, a Palestinian NGO said Monday. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said 39 Palestinians had been arrested and placed under administrative detention for periods of between two and six months, while the other 45 had their detention prolonged. Last Friday, journalist Mohammed al-Qiq ended a 94-day hunger strike staged in protest at his administrative detention under a deal for his release in May. The procedure, which dates back to the British mandate of Palestine, allows Israel to hold suspects without trial for renewable six-month periods. The latest orders raise to more than 700 the number of Palestinians held under administrative detention, out of a total of more than 7,000 Palestinians being held in Israeli jails, according to the NGO. The Prisoners’ Club, which follows their cases, said it was the highest number since 2009.

Philippines gun attack injures Saudi preacher
By Staff writer Al Arabiya English Tuesday, 1 March 2016/Saudi Islamic preacher A'ed ِAl Qarni has been reportedly injured in a gun attack in the Philippines on Tuesday, Al Arabiya News channel reported. A Filipino official quoted by the channel said the preacher was “in good condition,” and is at hospital receiving treatment. Initial reports suggested a number of his aides were killed in the assault, but later the local channel Emedia based in Zamboanga said just two were injured. The source said Al Qarni was shot by an unidentified gunman when he was about to enter his service vehicle. The assailant was then shot by security forces, it added. The Saudi Arabian government later announced that it was sending a plane to the Philippines to fly Al Qarni back to the kingdom. Al Qarni was reportedly giving a lecture in the city. Minutes before the incident, a tweet on the preacher’s official account read: “Do not ask anyone about the level of his faith, but ask yourself about performing prayer, the frequent mention of God, relation with the Quran, guarding your tongue and the wellbeing of your heart."

Italian killed in Egypt was interrogated for days: forensics expert
Reuters Tuesday, 1 March 2016/An Egyptian forensics official has told the public prosecutor's office the autopsy he conducted on an Italian student showed he was interrogated for up to seven days before he was killed, two prosecution sources said. The findings are the strongest indication yet that Giulio Regeni was killed by Egyptian security services because they point to interrogation methods such as burning with cigarettes in intervals over several days, which human rights groups say are the hallmark of the security services. In the past, the Interior Ministry has rejected accusations about human rights abuses.The prosecution sources said Hisham Abdel Hamid, Director of the Department of Forensic Medicine, gave his findings during questioning as an expert by officials in the public prosecutor's office last week. "We asked Hisham Abdel Hamid to appear before the prosecutor's office for questioning, to ask him questions about the autopsy," an investigator in the prosecutor's office told Reuters, adding that Abdel Hamid was accompanied by two associates who also took part in the autopsy. "Abdel Hamid said during the questioning that the wounds on the body occurred over different intervals of between 10-14 hours. That means that whoever is accused of killing him was interrogating him for information." The main Interior Ministry spokesman was not available for comment. Another Interior Ministry spokesman, asked by Reuters to comment on the findings, said: "I know nothing about this matter."A source in the Department of Forensic Medicine confirmed Abdel Hamid had been questioned. Reuters reached Abdel Hamid by telephone but he declined to comment. Regeni, 28, disappeared on Jan. 25, the anniversary of the 2011 uprising that ended former President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Regeni had written articles critical of the Egyptian government, the Italian newspaper that published them said. The broken corpse of the Cambridge University student, who was researching the rise of independent labor unions following the 2011 revolt, was found in a ditch on the side of a motorway on Feb. 3. Egyptian forensics and prosecution officials have said his body showed signs of torture and that he was killed by a blow with a sharp object to the back of the head. "The autopsy report shows a number of injuries at one time; and there are a number of other injuries later and other injuries a third time," said another investigator in the public prosecutor's office, summarizing Abdel Hamid's statements. "The wounds and fractures occurred at different times in intervals during a period of about five to seven days."
Tensions with Italy
The case has put a spotlight on alleged police brutality in Egypt, a strategic ally of the United States and other Western powers. Shopkeepers in Regeni's neighborhood of Cairo said there were no signs that police in the area had been questioning people since his disappearance or death. Rights groups accuse the police of widespread abuses against Egyptians since the army toppled Egypt's first freely elected president in 2013. Such actions against foreigners are not common. Italy has said Egyptian investigators should hand over the evidence they have uncovered on Regeni's death. Egypt invited Italian investigators to take part in the investigation, but judicial sources in Rome say the collaboration has been limited because not enough information was shared. A second autopsy in Italy "confronted us with something inhuman, something animal", Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfa has said without elaborating further. The case has created tensions between Egypt and Italy. Egypt's interior ministry has said possible motives for the killers included criminal activity or the desire for revenge "due to personal reasons". Italian judicial sources say an Italian team in Cairo has not received any information of value from their Egyptian counterparts. "They have given us nothing," a judicial source told Reuters. Full details of the Italian autopsy on Regeni are due to be handed over to the investigators later on Monday.

Egypt jails April 6 youth leader for three years
AFP, Cairo Tuesday, 1 March 2016/An Egyptian court has sentenced an April 6 leader and three other activists of the banned youth movement to three years in jail for possessing leaflets calling for the regime’s overthrow, officials said.
April 6 spearheaded the January 25, 2011 uprising that ended the autocratic rule of president Hosni Mubarak. It also opposed Mubarak’s Islamist successor Mohamed Mursi as well as the military-installed regime that replaced him.
Amr Ali, the movement’s general coordinator, and three colleagues were sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay fines of 500 pounds ($65), prosecution officials and lawyers said. They were found guilty of possessing leaflets calling for the overthrow of the current regime, being part of an illegal organization, inciting a general strike and causing unrest. Ali has been in detention since September, while the three others were tried in absentia. His lawyer, Anas Sayyid, contested the charges saying there was “no evidence” to support them. April 6 was outlawed in 2014, based on a complaint that accused it of defaming Egypt and colluding with foreign parties. Its leader Ahmed Maher was sentenced to three years in prison in December 2013 for violating a law banning all but police-sanctioned protests. And last December, authorities arrested four other April 6 leaders. Sherif Arubi, Mohamed Nabil, Ayman Abdel Megid and Mahmud Hesham were arrested at their homes on December 28, less than a month before the fifth anniversary of the revolution. Since the army toppled Morsi in July 2013, the authorities have cracked down on all opposition. They adopted a new law in November 2013 outlawing demonstrations that have not been given advance authorization by the police. Hundreds of Islamist protesters -- as well as dozens of secular and leftwing demonstrators -- have been jailed under the legislation.

Oman bus crash kills 18 people, injures 14
Reuters, Dubai Tuesday, 1 March 2016/Eighteen people were killed and 14 injured when the bus they were travelling in crashed into a truck in central Oman on Tuesday morning, state news agency ONA reported. The collision occurred on a roundabout connecting the districts of Ibri and Fuhud and the victims came from several countries, the statement said. The bus was carrying passengers from Salalah, in southwestern Oman, to Dubai, the Times of Oman reported citing Gulf Transport Company, which operates the service..The dead included six Omanis, four Saudis, two Pakistanis and a Yemeni, Al-Shabibi newspaper reported. (With AFP)

Iraq launches major anti-ISIS operation north of Baghdad
By AFP Samarra, Iraq Tuesday, 1 March 2016/Thousands of Iraqi security personnel launched an operation on Tuesday aimed at retaking areas north of Baghdad from the ISIS militant group, officials said. Counter-terrorism forces, soldiers, police and allied paramilitaries are taking part in the operation, which is backed by artillery and both Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition aircraft, the Joint Operations Command announced. An Iraqi army colonel said that more than 7,000 security personnel would take part in the operation, which the operations command said aims to retake areas west of the city of Samarra. The targeted areas, which the colonel said extend from the city of Samarra up to the town of Baiji, are a corridor linking ISIS-held territory around the northern city of Mosul, the militants’ main hub in Iraq, with areas farther south. ISIS launched a devastating offensive in June 2014 that overran swathes of territory north and west of Baghdad, but Iraqi forces backed by U.S.-led strikes have succeeded in regaining significant ground from the militants. Iraqi forces retook Ramadi, the capital of Anbar, from the militants at the end of last year, and are now turning their attention to areas to the north through which ISIS has moved supplies and fighters to the province.

Qatari, Jordanian among 5 Executed in Saudi
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/March 01/16/A Qatari and a Jordanian were among five people executed in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, bringing to 69 the number of people it has put to death this year. The Qatari, Mohammed Jarboui, was executed in the eastern region of Al-Ahsa after being convicted of murdering a Saudi, the interior ministry said. Sliman and Ahmed Messoudi were put to death in the northern Tabuk region for trafficking amphetamines, the ministry said in a separate statement. The Jordanian, Abdallah Tayaha, was also convicted of amphetamine trafficking. He was put to death in the northwestern Jawf region, it said. Amphetamines are stimulants most often targeted at students and labourers in the kingdom, interior ministry spokesman General Mansour al-Turki told reporters last week. He added that war-ravaged Syria has become one of the biggest producers of the drug. The fifth person to be executed on Tuesday was Kassadi Atoudi, put to death in the southern region of Jazan following his conviction for murder. The 69 executions so far this year include 47 death sentences for "terrorism" carried out in a single day on January 2. Most people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded with a sword. In 2015, Saudi Arabia executed 153 people, most of them for drug trafficking or murder, according to an Agence France Presse count. Amnesty International says the number of executions in Saudi Arabia last year was the highest for two decades. However, the tally was far behind those of China and Iran. The kingdom has a strict Islamic legal code under which murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape and apostasy are all punishable by death.

A Saudi citizen asks: Is it worth the risk?
Jamal Khashoggi/Al Arabiya/February 01 March/16
A few days ago, the Washington Post published a negative article about what it described as the risks of the expanding Saudi military intervention in the Syrian conflict, as if Iran and Russia have been handing out roses. The article says Saudi citizens are afraid their country is getting involved in wars on two or more fronts. It quoted a “prominent Saudi political observer who is close to senior officials” saying: “Our economy is really struggling, and yet some leaders come out and say things that could get us caught up in a war in Syria against Russia!” Before we accuse the observer of defeatism, we must admit that he represents a real movement among Saudis who talk openly and pose difficult questions. Writers with the same opinion express it through their articles, so we should listen to them. “There is a serious concern about our involvement in all these foreign conflicts,” said the Saudi observer. “I think there’s a sense that we’ve lost an ability to look at things realistically.” I was not alarmed by his words, but by the absence of tactical rhetoric that would eliminate these doubts and strengthen the confidence of the Saudi people.
Inevitable confrontation
Since confrontation is inevitable, the time has come to convince Saudi society. Issues of war and peace cannot be postponed. Any well-informed analyst knows the battle against Iranian meddling in the Arab world will be long and hard, and so must be given priority. It is time for Saudis to hear directly and accurately a discourse that clarifies and outlines the purposes and causes of the coming battle, and what is expected of them. Confrontation with Iran, involvement in Syria and war in Yemen have become subjects of controversy, as if they are marginal such as women driving cars or conflicts between political parties. A writer questions the Saudi-Qatari-Turkish alliance because it does not appeal to his political convictions. Another writer wants to involve Egypt in an alliance it never wanted because it suits his whims. Any well-informed analyst knows the battle against Iranian meddling in the Arab world will be long and hard, and so must be given priority. A third insists that those calling for confrontation with Iran want to get Riyadh embroiled in conflicts because this serves their political preferences. Amid all this polarization, it is normal that the picture becomes vague. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir has been outstanding in his statements, but they are addressed externally. It is time Saudis listen to a discourse aimed domestically in order to remove all doubts. Any wise observer can recognize the cautious Saudi method of intervening in external conflicts, and how the kingdom chose to support national forces in Yemen and Syria that can resolve the conflicts since it is their cause. However, Saudis and non-Saudis are afraid to see two fronts opened at the same time, as if Riyadh was behind the revolution in Syria and had set the date for the coup carried out by the Houthis and former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Saudi officials never said they would send an army to Syria. They mentioned limited special forces on condition of international cover, specifically that of the United States. They never said Riyadh would cut ties with Russia - bilateral communication is ongoing, the last contact being made between King Salman and President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
Saudi resolve
Saudi Arabia is using all its means wisely and cautiously to protect itself. The Syrian opposition might soon acquire surface-to-air missiles, which will raise the wrath of Russia and Iran. However, no Saudi official will ever come out and say: “We have sent these weapons.” Riyadh did so quietly in Afghanistan two decades ago and came out victorious, protecting its strategic interests. It can do so in Syria. I am certain most Saudis trust their leadership and are convinced that confrontation is inevitable to protect the homeland. They have finally realized that it is not a simple matter of external conflicts.

Two cheers for the Iranian election
Dr. John C. Hulsman/Al Arabiya/February 01 March/16
The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of those topics which seems to unhinge analysts of all stripes, leading to two entirely different (and wholly contradictory) narratives emerging. Either Iran is effortlessly on its way to dominance in the region, or the whole place is just about to fall apart. As the president of a global political risk consulting firm, I can tell you – that while possible – neither of these narratives is likely to survive contact with reality. As such, Iran’s surprising election results are just the latest event to be digested by these extreme, and wrongheaded, dueling narratives which all too often reflect the wish fulfillment of their adherents, rather than facts on the ground. All 290 seats in Iran’s parliament were up for election, along with the 88-member Assembly of Experts. The Assembly, a body created to decide who the next supreme leader ought to be should the need arise, is particularly important at present. Grand Ayatollah Khamenei is 76 and has suffered from prostate cancer; given the eight year terms the Experts serve, it is not ghoulish to suggest that it is highly likely they will be empowered at some point to choose Iran’s next supreme leader. Both these bodies have long been dominated by conservatives clustered around Khamenei himself. As suspicious of the recent opening to the west – symbolized by the nuclear deal – as they are of political pluralism and a truly open market, the dominant conservatives have held back Iran’s economic prospects for years. Things reached a nadir during the comically inept presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, an economic illiterate who drove the Iranian economy into the sand. It was only because things had reached such a pass that the moderate, technocratic present administration of President Rowhani was given a chance. But the election results, serving as they do as a referendum on both the Rowhani government and the recent nuclear deal, amount to unambiguously good news from a western perspective, if only to a point. Before the election, the 12-member Guardian Council, which vets all prospective candidates, perpetrated its usual cull of primarily reformist and centrist candidates, one of the major ways the conservatives have stacked the political deck to stay in power. But this time it simply didn’t work, as reformists and centrists surprisingly overcame the usual obstacles placed in their path.
Emphatic gains
At the time I write this, reformist and centrist independents have scored surprising and emphatic gains from their previous minority status. Among the voting for the Assembly of Experts, Rowhani and his critical ally – former President Rafsanjani – finished first and second, an emphatic vote of confidence for the relatively new administration. In liberal Tehran, moderates and reformists won all 30 parliamentary seats up for grabs. Even more importantly, reformists look certain to exceed their hoped-for goal of securing at least 100 of the 290 seats in the Majlis. Within this newly-divided parliament – evenly split between reformers, independents, and conservatives – Rowhani will not only have room to politically maneuver, he will have the political wind at his back. It is easy to see why the Iranian president referred to the vote as the beginning of a ‘new chapter’ for Iran. But perhaps westerners ought not to pop the champagne corks just yet. For all that the parliamentary election is an unambiguously hopeful development for the west, it is a limited one. President Rouhani well knows that Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, arch anti-western conservative that he is, still holds the lion’s share of power in Iran at present. As such, Khamenei will ensure there is no fundamental realignment toward the West. The positive parliamentary vote, far from being decisive, keeps reformers in the long-term game to fashion Iran after Khamenei leaves the stage .Beyond this, Iran and the U.S. remain fundamentally divided over the future of the murderous Assad regime in Syria, Houthi rebels in Yemen, and the legitimacy of the state of Israel. None of this huge divisions are likely to go away in the near term, even if Khamenei himself did not exist (which he surely does). So while for the West the parliamentary results are genuine good news, they will change strategically little in the near term. What the result does do is open the door to the strategic possibility – one dear to the heart of the Obama White House – that there remains a chance Iran can evolve from its traditional intransigent anti-western stance, and can over the next decade and with Rowhani’s guidance, drift toward a more pragmatic, neutralist, posture. As such, the positive parliamentary vote, far from being decisive, keeps reformers in the long-term game to fashion Iran after Khamenei leaves the stage. With Rafsanjani and Rowhani members of the Assembly of Experts, the goal must be for moderates to succeed in picking the next supreme leader. That is the election result that will serve as the canary in the coal mine, letting the rest of us know the general trajectory Iran will be heading in. It is this upcoming election, and not the just concluded vote, that everyone is gambling on.

Is a Donald Trump victory a win for racism and bigotry?
Joyce Karam/Al Arabiya/February 01 March/16
“I know nothing about David Duke, I know nothing about White supremacists.” Donald Trump, CNN, February 28, 2016. In the last 48 hours, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump has refused to condemn an American terrorist organization that has bombed churches and murdered innocent children, and to disavow the endorsement of a racist U.S. figure who started his career parading in a Nazi uniform. For Trump, it's all about winning, and if the votes of Ku Klux Klan or their racist “wizard” David Duke will aid in victory in the 12 states voting today – in Super Tuesday – then so be it. Absent of a surprise, and buoyed by an anti-immigrant and a fear mongering message, the American businessman is on his way to clinch the nomination to represent the Republican Party in the general election.
The "pure breed"
The embrace of Donald Trump by the KKK and the likes of David Duke should not come as a surprise to anyone. While the candidate himself can pretend all he wants to be against racism, the actions of his supporters from punching a Black activist, to slurring Jews, African Americans, Latinos and Muslims on social media, speak louder to the nature and the brand of his campaign. After all, when Trump's own spokesperson Katrina Pierson boasts in Nazi terms about his "pure breed", one can understand the parallels drawn between her boss and Adolf Hitler. Pierson stole a page from the KKK manual on the purification of the breed and asked on Twitter last month: "Perfect Obama's dad born in Africa, Mitt Romney's dad born in Mexico. Any pure breeds left?"Calling Mexicans "rapists", speaking in derogatory terms about women, refugees, and Muslims, Trump has crossed every threshold of divisive politics in an attempt to win votes. The bullying and egomaniac approach is not new to Trump. He is still the same loud mouth who wasted months asking for President's Barack Obama birth certificate, and the misogynist who feels threatened by women from Rosie O'Donnell to Megyn Kelly.
Donald Trump’s rise did not happen overnight, and the GOP is partially responsible for the anger and racially charged rhetoric accompanying it. In 2016, Donald Trump is exploiting the fears of the Republican base and particularly among the white majority. Following the election of Barack Obama, and the changed demographics in America, the base appears increasingly threatened of losing the majority status to a wave of new immigrants and a more diverse second generation. Trump's anti-immigration, and anti-Muslim slogans, pander to a radical white constituency, unwilling to accept that in four years the new majority in the United States will be minorities. New U.S. census data suggests that the country is becoming a minority-majority nation, with “20 million children under 5 years old living in the U.S., and 50.2 percent of them were minorities."This dilemma and delusion for some in the far right is manifesting itself in supporting Trump, who perhaps can build a wall and change this reality. Ironically, the same margins voting for Trump in the Republican race, match the numbers of those in the party who still think Obama is a Muslim.
Republican reckoning
Senator Lindsey Graham is right, Trump's ride to the Republican nomination and his embrace by the opportunists, and the racists is "batshit crazy". However, Donald Trump’s rise did not just happen overnight, and the GOP is partially responsible for the anger and the racially charged rhetoric accompanying it.
Trump's own tactics of defamation and slurring his opponents, are not new in Republican politics. In 2000, George W. Bush strategist Karl Rove used an equally low tactic to defame Bush’s opponent John McCain. Then, Rove released a phony poll asking voters "would you be more or less likely to vote for John McCain if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child?" The child was McCain's dark-skinned adopted daughter, Bridget, and the racial insinuation helped Bush win in South Carolina and later take the nomination. The Rove tactics from 2000-2008 pushed the Republican Party to the right, pandered to the far right base, and utilized dirty campaign politics to secure Bush’s two terms. This came at the cost of licensing these tactics and alienating minorities who voted in big margins against the GOP in 2008 and 2012. As Robert Kagan explains in the Washington Post, Trump is the Republican Party’s Frankenstein monster. The anti-Obama rhetoric, demonization of the opposition be it Nancy Pelosi or Hillary Clinton, has backed the GOP into a corner, strengthened its extreme base, and crippled its chances at effective governance. Trump has strategically utilized this anger and identity politics to his own benefit, and to undermine his more moderate rivals. Whether Trump wins or loses the nomination has almost become irrelevant given the current ruckus-filled state of the Republican Party. The anti-Semites, the racists, and anti-immigrants that Trump has awoke will not be simply put to sleep by voting for another nominee. Changing the trajectory requires a whole new approach for the Republican Party in governance and messaging to its supporters. Today, a Trump win will be a win for bigotry, divisiveness and for those resurrecting the demons of racism. In the long run, “Trumpism” exemplifies a bigger crisis for the Republican Party, with an urgency to abandon the mindset of the old majority and reconcile with the realities of the new America.

Iran's Long Road to Reintegrating With the World Financial System
Katherine Bauer/Washington Institute/March 01/16
The recent warning by the Financial Action Task Force to banks about dealings with Iran shows that the end of nuclear sanctions was only the start of a long process.
In its first public statement on Iran since sanctions relief went into effect following implementation of the nuclear deal last month, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), whose thirty-seven members include Russia and China, in mid-February urged member states to warn their banks about the risks of doing business with Iran. Coming only a month after Iran received nuclear-related sanctions relief from the United Nations, United States, and European Union, the statement underscores the risks for European and Asian banks in renewing financial ties with Iran.
BACKGROUND
Established in 1989 by the G-7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, and the United States), the FATF is the international standard-setting body for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). Members submit to peer reviews or "mutual evaluations" of their implementation of FATF standards, and jurisdictions that fail to address strategic AML/CFT deficiencies -- whether FATF members or not -- are publicly identified by the FATF in statements released following the group's plenary meetings in February, June, and October of each year. Iran has been the subject of such statements since 2008, when the FATF revised its processes for dealing with "high-risk and non-cooperative jurisdictions." However, despite the January lifting of U.S. and EU nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, the consensus-driven intergovernmental organization did not revise the statement it has issued three times a year since calling for member states to impose countermeasures on Iran in February 2009. The statement again urged Iran to "immediately and effectively address its AML/CFT deficiencies," noting that if Iran failed to do so, the FATF would consider calling on member states to strengthen countermeasures at its June 2016 meeting.
IMPLICATIONS FOR BANKS
For foreign financial institutions considering renewed ties with Iranian banks, the FATF's continuing designation of Iran as a high-risk jurisdiction and repeated call for countermeasures have real implications in terms of both illicit finance and regulatory risk. Relevant FATF standards, now being followed by member states in their fourth round of mutual evaluations, call on regulators to require banks to engage in enhanced due diligence when dealing with high-risk jurisdictions. These are time- and resource-intensive measures against which banks can be examined for compliance. Such measures can include obtaining additional information on the customer, beneficial owner, nature of the business relationship, and source or use of funds. Although designed to mitigate the risk to financial institutions of unwittingly processing illicit transactions, even such measures may not be sufficient for financial institutions when it comes to Iranian banks, which, according to the U.S. Department of Treasury, "willingly engage in deceptive practices to disguise illicit conduct."
FATF standards also provide a range of risk-mitigating countermeasures regulators can pursue beyond enhanced due diligence, such as imposing additional reporting requirements for banks working with high-risk jurisdictions, prohibiting financial institutions from relying on third parties located in the concerned country to conduct elements of customer due diligence, and even limiting business relationships or financial transactions with an identified country. In fact, the FATF call for countermeasures on Iran is referenced in the "findings" of Section 104 of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act (CISADA) -- the statutory basis for U.S. secondary sanctions on Iran. Although more than four hundred Iranian actors received relief from secondary sanctions as part of the nuclear deal through removal from U.S. sanctions lists, more than two hundred, including significant Iranian economic entities such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), remain listed and subject to secondary sanctions. The legislation, which first called for foreign financial institutions engaging in significant transactions with designated Iranian actors to be cut off from the U.S. financial system, cites the February 2010 meeting, at which the FATF urged member states to apply countermeasures to "protect the international financial system from the ongoing and substantial money laundering and terrorist financing risks emanating from Iran." That language remains in the current FATF statement, even after implementation of the Iran deal.
The new FATF statement -- which continued to press member states to "protect against correspondent relationships being used to bypass or evade counter-measures and risk-mitigation practices" -- came only days after the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) confirmed Iranian banks had been reconnected to the secure financial-messaging platform after having been cut off by EU sanctions in March 2012. Even with messaging services restored, however, the FATF's identification of Iran as a high-risk jurisdiction subject to FATF countermeasures will continue to complicate efforts by Iranian banks to reestablish ties upon which the majority of SWIFT messaging is predicated -- those with correspondents. Although Iran has been given access to roughly $100 billion of its previously restricted funds held overseas, Iranian banks -- in order to use these funds to make purchases and otherwise engage in international trade -- will have to reestablish correspondent relationships with banks in countries that are key trading partners. Banks' foreign correspondents hold deposits in foreign currencies and act as a nonresident bank's agent confirming letters of credit and completing other financial transactions on the correspondent's behalf. Beyond the enhanced due diligence discussed above, the FATF recommendation related to correspondent banking calls on regulators to require banks, at the least, to gather sufficient information to assess the quality of the correspondent institution's AML/CFT controls and the quality of its supervision -- an area where Iranian banks remain deficient.
NEXT STEPS
In its December 2015 Article IV report -- part of a running assessment of a country's economic and financial policies and developments -- the International Monetary Fund recommended to Iran that "bolstering the AML/CFT framework would facilitate re-integration of the domestic financial system into the global economy, lower transaction costs, and reduce the size of the informal sector." Iranian officials, including Central Bank administrators and the country's executive director at the IMF, have acknowledged weaknesses in the Iranian banking system that could inhibit renewed foreign engagement and investment -- saying that Iranian banks are "outdated" and face a legacy of "weak risk management and inadequate supervision." Iranian regulators have taken limited steps over the past decade to improve their AML/CFT controls. In the FATF's October 2008 statement, it credited Iran for adopting an Anti-Money Laundering Law, which was approved by the Majlis in January 2008, but noted the "lack of corresponding effort on CFT." A 2012 draft CFT law that was approved by the parliament but remained pending with the Iranian judiciary did not meet international standards, according to the IMF. The IMF's December report specifically urged Iranian authorities to adopt a law that properly criminalized terrorist financing and contained mechanisms for implementation of UN terrorism sanctions.
Recent Iranian official statements have committed to bolstering the AML/CFT regime, including by joining the Eurasian Group, an effective FATF subentity based in Moscow, and requesting an IMF assessment of its AML/CFT regime against FATF standards. These are the correct first steps for Iran in working with the FATF to improve its AML/CFT status. But it will be a long process, and there is little indication real work has begun. Despite confirmation by the FATF's executive secretary to Agence France-Presse following the February plenary that Iran has "shown a willingness" to start cooperating, the recent statement did not acknowledge Iranian efforts to engage with the group as it has done in the past (February 2010).
What this all means is that sanctions relief and SWIFT readmission notwithstanding, significant impediments remain for those banks looking to reestablish financial ties with Iran. At a minimum, banks will continue to face illicit-finance and regulatory risks -- both conditions of Iran's own making.
**Katherine Bauer is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute and a former official at the U.S. Treasury Department.

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