LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 24/16
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.march24.16.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
Jesus celebrates the Passover Meal
with His disciples and washes their Feet
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 22/01-23: "The festival of
Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. The chief priests and
the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid
of the people. Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the
twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the
temple police about how he might betray him to them. They were greatly pleased
and agreed to give him money. So he consented and began to look for an
opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present. Then came the day
of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus
sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we
may eat it.’ They asked him, ‘Where do you want us to make preparations for
it?’‘Listen,’ he said to them, ‘when you have entered the city, a man carrying a
jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters and say to the
owner of the house, "The teacher asks you, ‘Where is the guest room, where I may
eat the Passover with my disciples?’ " He will show you a large room upstairs,
already furnished. Make preparations for us there.’So they went and found
everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. When the
hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to
them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for
I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ Then
he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, ‘Take this and divide it among
yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the
vine until the kingdom of God comes.’Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he
had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body,
which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And he did the same with
the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new
covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand
is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe
to that one by whom he is betrayed!’Then they began to ask one another which one
of them it could be who would do this."
Whoever, therefore, eats the
bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for
the body and blood of the Lord
First Letter to the Corinthians 11/23-32:"I received from the Lord what I also
handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a
loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my
body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the
cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do
this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. ’For as often as you eat
this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy
manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine
yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat
and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgement against
themselves. For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by
the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the
world."
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on March 24/16
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries: Sacraments, Humility and Temptation/Elias Bejjani/March 24/16
An Islamic Apocalypse in Brussels/Raymond Ibrahim/March 23/16
Why Belgium is Ground Zero for European Jihadis/Soeren Kern/Gatestone
Institute/March 23/16
No More Hug-A-Terrorist/Raheel Raza/Gatestone Institute/March 23/16
Time for the Arabs to Get off the Fence/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/March
23/16
Causes of Anger/Ali Ibrahim/Asharq AlAwsat/March 23/16
Brussels, the sanctuary for terror suspects, is attacked/Mohamed Chebarro/Al
Arabiya/March 23/16
Obama’s anti-Arab views confirm suspicions/Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor/Al Arabiya/March
23/16
The idea behind bringing Syria’s war to an end/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/March
23/16
Tolerance in Europe amid a history of violence/Turki Al-Dakhil/Al Arabiya/March
23/16
Attack on Brussels marks Europe’s day of horror/Andrew J. Bowen/Al Arabiya/March
23/16
Arab Press Reactions To The Brussels Attacks: Blaming The West, Enemies In The
Region For The Spread Of Global Terrorism/MEMRI/March 23/16
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on March 24/16
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries: Sacraments, Humility and Temptation
American-Mideast Coalition for Trump" (AMCT) calls on millions of voters to support the freedom candidate
Presidential Polls Postponed again as Hariri Slams Aoun's Claims on Legitimacy of Parliament
Notorious Lebanese kidnapper killed in botched abduction
Army Deserter Killed in Akkar Shootout
FPM Official Warns of 'Resounding' Protest over Presidential Choice of
Christians
Mashnouq to Invite Electorates to Participate in Municipal Polls
Khalil Says U.S. Committed to Supporting Lebanon, Must Respect 'Special Makeup'
Lebanese-U.S. IT Expert's Health Deteriorates in Iran Prison as Beirut Fails to
Act
UK Provides Additional Funding for ISF as Mashnouq Wraps Up London Visit
Rahi condemns Brussels attack, says terrorist actions against humanity and world
peace
Israeli Troops Cross Border, Try to Kidnap Shepherd
Geagea, Boudali tackle current developments
Swiss Ambassador to Lebanon, François Barras, tours Baalbek Hermel region,
visits archeological castle
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
March 24/16
UN envoy to Libya not allowed to land in Tripoli
Brussels attackers had police records for shooting at police, stealing
Brussels attackers used nails, bolts in bombs
Sisi shuffles cabinet, with focus on economy
Russia, Germany urge for ‘united, secular’ Syria
Syrian army seizes hills near ISIS-held Palmyra
Hamas stages military exercises to test ‘Gaza’s readiness’
ISIS claims murder of Christian convert in Bangladesh
UN: Syria allows aid to more besieged areas
13 Global NGOs Express Fear for Rights Groups in Egypt
Belgians Cannot 'Eat Chocolate' and Fight Terror, Says Israeli Minister
Al-Sisi Names 10 New Ministers in Cabinet Reshuffle
U.N.: Yemen Ceasefire April 10, Peace Talks April 18
Links From
Jihad Watch Site for March 24/16
Brussels awakens to new reality: soldiers on the streets, heavy
security on metro
Brussels jihad mass murderer fired rifle at police in 2010, was sentenced to
nine years in prison
Raymond Ibrahim: An Islamic Apocalypse in Brussels
USA Today: “It’s already been a rough few months for Belgian Muslims”
Cruz: “Patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized” —
Hamas-linked CAIR outraged
Islamic State distributes sweets to Muslims in celebration of Brussels jihad
massacre
Washington Post: “The horror in Brussels is a rebuke to Trump’s foreign policy”
Belgian cops asked Muslims for help in finding jihad bombers and were ignored
Hugh Fitzgerald: An Ahmadi Night Out
Bangladesh: Islamic State claims murder of convert from Islam to Christianity
Robert Spencer in the Detroit News: Blame multicultural fantasies for Brussels
attacks
Video: Robert Spencer on Newsmax TV on the Brussels jihad massacre
Video: After Brussels jihad massacre, Daily Beast editor decries
“rampant Islamophobia” in Europe
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries: Sacraments, Humility and Temptation
Elias Bejjani/March 24/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/03/23/38445/
On the Thursday that comes before the "Good Friday, when Jesus was crucified,
Catholics all over the world, including our Maronite Eastern Church celebrates
with prayers and intercessions the "Thursday of the Holy Mysteries", which is
also known as the "Washing Thursday ", the "Covenant Thursday", and the "Great &
Holy Thursday". It is the holy day feast that falls on the Thursday before
Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with His 12 Apostles as
described in the gospel. It is the fifth day of the last Lenten Holy Week, that
is followed by the, "Good Friday", "Saturday Of The Light and "Easter Sunday".
Christianity in its essence and core is Love, Sacrifice, honesty, transparency,
devotion, hard work and Humility. Jesus during the last supper with His 12
Apostles reiterated and stressed all these Godly values and principles. In this
holy and message proclaiming context He executed the following acts :
He, ordained His Apostles as priests, and asked them to proclaim God's message.
“You have stayed with me all through my trials; 29 and just as my Father has
given me the right to rule, so I will give you the same right. 30 You will eat
and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to rule over
the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22/28 and 29)
He, taught His Apostles and every body else, that evil temptation and betrayal
can hit all those who detach and dissociate themselves from God, do not fear
Him, lack faith, lose hope and worship earthly treasures. He showed them by
example that even a disciple that He personally had picked and choose (Judas,
the Iscariot) has fell a prey to Satan's temptation. “But, look! The one who
betrays me is here at the table with me! The Son of Man will die as God has
decided, but how terrible for that man who betrays him!" Luke 22/21)
He, washed His Apostles' feet to teach them by example modesty, devotion and
humility. “So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and
reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for
you? You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I,
therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one
another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for
you, you should also do. Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his
master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him” (John 13/12-16).
Modesty was stressed and explained by Jesus after His Apostles were arguing
among themselves who is the greatest: "
"An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be
thought of as the greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the pagans have
power over their people, and the rulers claim the title ‘Friends of the People.’
But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must
be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant. Who is greater,
the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves? The one who sits down, of
course. But I am among you as one who serves." (Luke 22/24 till 27)
Thursday of the "Holy Mysteries", is called so because in His Last Supper with
the 12 disciples, Jesus Christ established the Eucharist and Priesthood
Sacraments when "He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take
this, and share it among yourselves, for I tell you, I will not drink at all
again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes.” "He took
bread, broke it and gave it to the disciples saying: This is my body which is
given for you. Do this in memory of me. And when He Likewise, took the cup after
supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out
for you".
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries (Secrets-Sacraments) is the heart of the last
Lenten holy week, in which the Maronite Catholic Church lives with reverence and
devotion the Lord's Last Supper spirit and contemplation through prayers and
deeply rooted religious rituals and traditions:
The Patriarch prays over and blesses the chrism (Al-Myroun), as well as the oil
of baptism and anointing that are to are distributed on all parishes and
churches.
During the mass that is held on this Holy Day, the priest washes the feet of
twelve worshipers, mainly children (symbolizing the apostles numbers). Jesus
washed His disciples feet and commanded them to love each other and follow his
example in serving each other.
Worshipers visit and pray in seven Churches. This ritual denotes to the
completion of the Church's Seven sacraments (Secrets) : Priesthood, Eucharist,
Holy Oil, Baptism, Confirmations, anointing and Service.
This tradition also denotes to the seven locations that Virgin Mary's went to
look for Her Son, Jesus, after she learned about His arrest. The detention
place, The Council of the Priests, twice the Pilate's headquarters, twice the
Herod Headquarters, till She got to the Calvary.
Some Christian scholars believe that this tradition was originated in Rome where
early pilgrims visited the seven pilgrim churches as an act of penance. They are
Saint John Lateran, Saint Peter, Saint Mary Major, Saint Paul-outside-the-Walls,
Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls, Holy Cross-in-Jerusalem, and traditionally
Saint Sebastian Outside the Walls. Pope John Paul II replaced St. Sebastian with
the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Divine Love for the jubilee year of 2000.
The Mass of the Lord's Supper is accompanied by the ringing of bells, which are
then silent until the Easter Vigil. Worshipers used to kneel and pray the rosary
in front of the Eucharist (Blessed Sacrament) all Thursday night. The Blessed
Sacrament remains exposed all night, while worshipers are encouraged to stay in
the church as much as they can praying, meditating upon the Mystery of
Salvation, and participating in the “agony of Gethsemane” (Garden at the foot of
the Mount of Olives) in Jerusalem where Jesus spent his night in prayer before
His crucifixion on Good Friday.
After the homily washing of feet the service concludes with a procession taking
the Blessed Eucharist (Sacrament) to the place of reposition. The altar is later
stripped bare, as are all other altars in the church except the Altar of Repose.
Thursday of the "Holy Mysteries", is called so because in His Last Supper with
the 12 disciples, Jesus Christ established the Eucharist and Priesthood
Sacraments when "He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take
this, and share it among yourselves, for I tell you, I will not drink at all
again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes.” "He took
bread, broke it and gave it to the disciples saying: This is my body which is
given for you. Do this in memory of me. And when He Likewise, took the cup after
supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out
for you".
Jesus ordained His disciples as priests of the New Testament when he said to
them during the Last Supper: "But you are those who have continued with me in my
trials. I confer on you a kingdom, even as my Father conferred on me, that you
may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. You will sit on thrones, judging
the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Before Celebrating the Resurrection Day (Easter) worshipers live the "Paschal
Mystery" through the Thursday Of the Sacraments, Good Friday and Saturday Of The
Light.
Because He loves us and wants us to dwell in His Eternal Heaven, Jesus Christ
for our sake willingly suffered all kinds of torture, pain, humiliation and died
on the Cross to pave our way for repentance and salvation.
Let us pray on this Holy Day that we always remember Jesus' love and sacrifices
and live our life in this context of genuine, faith, love, meekness and
forgiveness.
To Read the Arabic version
of the above piece, Click Here
http://www.10452lccc.com/elias%20arabic11/elias.khamiesasrar28.3.13.htm
"American-Mideast Coalition for
Trump" (AMCT) calls on millions of voters to support the "freedom candidate"
American-Mideast Coalition
for Trump
WASHINGTON, March 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- We, representatives of Middle
East-American groups in the United States, from various ancestries, ethnicities
and religions, announce the launching of the "American-Mideast Coalition for
Trump" (AMCT) in support of the U.S. Presidential candidacy of Donald J. Trump.
As representatives of United States citizens from Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian,
Iraqi, Arab, Assyrian, Syriac, Yazidi, Sudanese, Berber, Iranian, and other
communities from the Greater Middle East, we see Mr. Trump as our favorite
candidate in the primaries because of the following reasons:
(1) His opposition to the destructive Iran Deal signed by the Obama
administration with the Ayatollah regime in Tehran;
(2) His firm opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist influence
in the United States;
(3) His determination to destroy ISIS and push back against all terror groups
such as Hamas, Hezbollah and all other Jihadi terror groups;
(4) His willingness to take action in defense of the persecuted Christians and
Yazidis in the Middle East;
(5) His determination to help in the creation of free zones inside Syria and
Iraq to resettle the refugees;
(6) His support for the formation of an Arab coalition against terrorists;
(7) His vision to help the Middle East become stable and prosper.
Based on these seven principles, we extend our support to Donald J. Trump to
become the Republican nominee and later be elected as the President of the
United States.
We call on all our friends who are members of the Republican Party and all
citizens who can vote in the Republican primaries to select Donald J. Trump as
their choice. It is important to give Mr. Trump a clear, early and decisive
victory in the primaries so that he becomes a strong nominee able to begin
engaging in the national election and then be elected as President on November
4, 2016.
We are calling on millions of Americans from Mideast background to join us in
supporting Mr. Trump.
Co-Chairs of American-Mideast Coalition for Trump" (AMCT)
Tom Harb (tomharb@amctrump.org)
and John Hajjar (johnhajjar@amctrump.org)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amctrump
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amctrump/
Web Address:
http://amctrump.org/
SOURCE American-Mideast Coalition for Trump
Related Links
http://www.amctrump.org
Presidential Polls Postponed
again as Hariri Slams Aoun's Claims on Legitimacy of Parliament
Naharnet/March 23/16/The 37th session to elect a president was postponed once
again on Wednesday following a lack of quorum at parliament as Mustaqbal
Movement leader MP Saad Hariri criticized head of the Change and Reform bloc MP
Michel Aoun's assertions that parliament is “illegitimate.”He said: “If we
elected Aoun as president, would the parliament then become legitimate?”Aoun is
running for the presidency along with fellow March 8 camp member MP Suleiman
Franjieh, who was endorsed by Hariri in late 2015. “With all due respect to Aoun,
this is a legitimate parliament,” stressed Hariri after the failed electoral
session. Speaker Nabih Berri scheduled the next session for April 18.Asked by
reporters to comment on Franjieh's absence from Wednesday's round of polls,
Hariri replied: “Franjieh is the master of his own fate and it is up to him to
decide to take part in the elections or not.”He voiced his optimism however that
the presidential impasse will be resolved, while blaming those who are
obstructing the polls “for all the wrongs in the country.”Overcoming the vacuum
that started in 2014 with the end of the term of President Michel Suleiman is
key to resolving the crisis in Lebanon, asserted Hariri, echoing similar
statements made repeatedly by Berri.“We will continue to head to parliament to
perform our constitutional duty,” vowed the lawmaker. The Change and Reform bloc
and Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance bloc have been boycotting the
presidential elections over lingering disputes with the March 14 alliance.
Hizbullah announced that it will continue to boycott the polls until it has
guarantees that its candidate, Aoun, will be elected president.
Notorious Lebanese kidnapper killed
in botched abduction
Naharnet/March 23/16/BEIRUT – A Lebanese criminal behind a series of kidnappings
in the Bekaa was shot dead during a botched abduction of a Syrian family.
Mohammad Fayyad Ismail and fellow members of his gang kidnapped Hussam Abdallah
Jabour and his mother and uncle on Tuesday along a road between the Bekaa towns
of Zahle and Shtoura. However, the abduction quickly spiraled out of control for
Ismail, who was released from Lebanon’s infamous Roumieh Prison last month after
serving time for a number of crimes, including not only kidnappings for ransom,
but also drug trafficking, car theft, and involvement in the killing of Lebanese
army soldiers. The car driven by the kidnappers sunk into a muddy pool near the
village of Tamnine, forcing them to exit the vehicle and attempt to push it out.
One of the abductees still inside the vehicle grabbed a weapon and opened fire
on the criminals, starting a shootout that left Ismail dead, according to
Lebanese daily An-Nahar. The exact circumstances of the incident remain murky,
with the Lebanon 24 outlet reporting that Ismail was driving the Syrian family’s
Kia, which got stuck in the mud, while the rest of his accomplices were driving
the gang’s Toyota FJ Cruiser SUV. The new website said that one of the abductees
grabbed a Kalashnikov rifle left behind in the Kia after Ismail exited the
vehicle, and opened fire on the criminal despite still being handcuffed. His
fellow gang-members fled the scene of the crime, while the Syrian family
contacted security forces, who immediately opened an investigation into the
incident. Ismail had a reputation for being one of the most prominent kidnappers
for ransom in the Bekaa Valley, a region beset by criminal abduction. Lebanese
army troops captured the notorious criminal in March 2012, after which he was
sentenced to ten years of prison in Roumieh Prison after a military court found
him guilty of involvement in the killing of four Lebanese army soldiers in 2009.
However, Ismail was released from Roumieh on February 8, 2016. Lebanese daily
Al-Joumhouria published an article on his short prison sentence at the time of
his release. The newspaper claimed that Ismail had provided the Lebanese
judiciary what appeared to be forged documents purporting that he served five
years in Syrian prison on drug charges, allowing for his release from Lebanese
prison on technical grounds of “time served.”
NOW’s English news desk editor Albin Szakola (@AlbinSzakola) wrote this report.
Amin Nasr translated Arabic-language source material.
Army Deserter Killed in Akkar
Shootout
Naharnet/March 23/16/An Army Intelligence unit shot dead on Wednesday a Lebanese
military deserter in the northern district of Akkar, the military said. Corporal
Atef Saadeddine died during a shootout with the intelligence patrol, it said in
a communique. The incident took place near the town of al-Bireh where soldiers
were raiding a house where he was hiding. Saadeddine, 26, faces desertion
charges since he disappeared in the eastern Bekaa Valley almost two years ago.
He defected to the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front in neighboring Syria claiming
in a video that his move came as a result of the injustice against Sunnis in
Lebanon. In the 6-minute long video, he also called on Lebanese soldiers to take
a similar step. Islamists in the country claim that Sunnis are facing harassment
by the army, which they accuse of working under the command of Hizbullah. The
army communique said Saadeddine was injured when he fought alongside terrorists
who overran the northeastern border town of Arsal in August 2014. The deserter
was also involved the fighting between troops and jihadists in the northern city
of Tripoli and surrounding areas in October of the same year, it added.
FPM Official Warns of
'Resounding' Protest over Presidential Choice of Christians
Naharnet/March 23/16/A Free Patriotic Movement official has warned that the FPM
was mulling to resign from the government or boycott all-party talks over the
rejection of certain parties to grant Lebanon's Christians their rights but
instead decided to resort to street protests. A statement issued by the Change
and Reform bloc that is led by the founder of the FPM, MP Michel Michel Aoun, on
Tuesday was “a clear warning that the movement's leadership will not tolerate
the continued attempts to ignore the constitutional rights of Christians,” said
the official. Among the measures that the FPM leadership was mulling to take
were the resignation from the cabinet and the boycott of national dialogue
sessions. But it dropped such choices and instead resorted to planning street
protests, the source told As Safir daily in remarks published on Wednesday. The
FPM official said that the timing and shape of demonstrations depend on the
circumstances.But he warned that the FPM supporters will have a “resounding
protest” if the choice of the majority of Christians on the presidency continued
to be ignored. The movement held several protests last year to press for the
same demands. The Change and Reform bloc on Tuesday called on its supporters to
await a signal from Aoun to stage popular protests. “The presidential battle is
not a battle of quorum but rather a battle related par excellence to the
National Pact,” said the bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting in
Rabieh. The 1943 National Pact is an unwritten agreement that set the
foundations of modern Lebanon as a state based on a sectarian distribution of
power. Aoun, a presidential candidate, has in recent years accused rival parties
of marginalizing Christians in state institutions and has said that the majority
of Christians back him for the country's top post. The members of his bloc and
their allies from Hizbullah are boycotting parliamentary sessions aimed at
electing a president over lack of consensus on Aoun, causing a lack of quorum.
Baabda Palace has been vacant since the term of President Michel Suleiman ended
in May 2014.
Mashnouq to Invite
Electorates to Participate in Municipal Polls
Naharnet/March 23/16/Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq is expected to issue a
decree over the weekend calling on the electorate to take part in the municipal
elections, An Nahar daily reported on Wednesday. Voter lists for the polls that
are scheduled to start on May 8 were issued by the Interior Ministry last month.
Since then, administrative preparations are in full swing to hold the elections
without any problems or delay, An Nahar said. Lebanese officials have been
confirming to diplomats that the polls will be held on time in four stages
starting May 8, it added. Holding the elections would give some impetus to the
country's deadlocked political scene because the parliamentary elections were
not held in 2014. The 128-member parliament extended its term until June 2017
after the rival lawmakers failed to agree on a new electoral law.
Khalil Says U.S. Committed to
Supporting Lebanon, Must Respect 'Special Makeup'
Naharnet/March 23/16/Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil has said that U.S.
officials are committed to supporting Lebanon as he launched a visit to
Washington for talks on combating financing of terrorism. “Officials at the
Treasury and diplomats have expressed commitment to backing Lebanon,” Khalil
told al-Joumhouria daily in remarks published on Wednesday. The U.S. officials
have confirmed to Khalil that measures taken by the U.S. authorities do not
target certain Lebanese sides, mainly the Shiite sect, said the minister, who is
a member of the Amal Movement that is led by Speaker Nabih Berri and is allied
with Hizbullah. According to a statement issued on Tuesday, Khalil told Treasury
officials that it was important for Washington to take into consideration
“Lebanon’s special political makeup” when making decisions concerning the
country. During his Washington visit, Khalil also met with Assistant Secretary
of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne Patterson. The diplomat assured the
minister that the U.S. is exerting efforts with the Gulf Cooperation Council, in
particular Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to review their recent
decisions that have targeted Lebanon. The GCC recently considered Hizbullah a
terrorist organization after Riyadh announced a $4 billion cut in aid for
Lebanon's army and security forces. The Gulf states have also issued travel
warnings to Lebanon and began expelling Lebanese expats.
Lebanese-U.S. IT Expert's
Health Deteriorates in Iran Prison as Beirut Fails to Act
Naharnet/March 23/16/The family of Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese-American information
technology expert, is urging Beirut authorities to press for his release by
Iranian authorities after his health deteriorated as a result of his hunger
strike. Zakka, who is the secretary general of the professional computers
association of Lebanon (PCA) and the Arab ICT Organization (IJMA3), and vice
president of the World IT and Services Alliance (WITSA), was arbitrarily
detained in Iran around six months ago. Zakka mysteriously disappeared in
September last year. It was only in late October that the Iranian media
announced his arrest on charges of spying. State TV said at the time Zakka was a
“treasure trove” because of “connections with intelligence and military bodies
in the U.S.”He was in Iran after receiving an official invitation to speak at a
conference. In January, four Americans were released from Iranian prison as part
of a prisoner exchange deal struck between the U.S. and Iran, but Zakka, whose
arrest has been politically motivated, was not among them. The agreement was the
result of 14 months of high-stakes secret negotiations between the two
adversaries. Zakka's health is deteriorating as a result of his hunger strike,
his family warned, saying he has not eaten since March 13th. But the Lebanese
government, mainly the foreign ministry, has so far not acted to secure his
release. His brother Ziad has urged Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in an open
letter “to help Nizar return to his freedom and family.” Nizar “is innocent,” he
stressed in the letter that was posted on a Facebook support page. He added that
the detainee “has not been allowed to see any representative from the Lebanese
Embassy in Tehran, nor the Iranian lawyer appointed for him despite repeated
requests by the family.”
UK Provides Additional Funding for ISF as Mashnouq Wraps Up London Visit
Naharnet/March
23/16/Britain announced Wednesday its intention to provide £13 million of
additional funding for the Internal Security Forces, as Interior Minister Nouhad
al-Machnouq ended a three-day visit to London. “Building on previous work by the
UK Government with the ISF, the additional funding will help build a modern
professional police force,” the British embassy in Lebanon said in a statement.
“The money will go towards the building of police stations, spreading best
practice in community policing, the embedding of human rights, and support to
the Academy’s training programs, with 8,000 officers graduating this year,” it
added. British Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood noted that the ISF plays
“a vital role for Lebanon’s security.”“This new funding will enhance its
capabilities during a time of significant regional instability,” he said, adding
that Mashnouq has “a constructive plan to reform Lebanon's police service and
build a force to serve all Lebanese communities.”“This cooperation will enable
Lebanon to manage the serious challenges it is facing, which include hosting
more refugees as a percentage of the population than any country in the world,
and the internal security challenges created by Daesh (Islamic State group),”
Ellwood pointed out. Machnouk for his part expressed gratitude to the British
government, noting that he has “a strategic plan to reform the ISF in order to
better enable it to serve the interests of all the Lebanese through the
enhancement of their trust in the law enforcement authorities.” “Lebanon and the
United Kingdom are each committed to facing one common enemy which is
terrorism,” he added. “Our only choice is to continue to steadfastly combat
terrorist security threats through increased training and the enhancement of the
capabilities of our Internal Security Forces who are on the forefront in
preserving the security of the Lebanese citizens,” the minister said. Ambassador
Shorter meanwhile declared that Britain's support to Lebanon “remains as
resolute and strong as the country itself.”Mashnouq's talks in London involved
meetings with Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood, Secretary of State
Justine Greening, Home Office Minister John Hayes and National Security Advisor
Mark Lyall Grant. “The visit enhanced bilateral ties between Lebanon and the UK
and explored opportunities for co-operation on security and counter terrorism,”
the British embassy said. “In their discussions, Justine Greening and Minister
Mashnouq focused on support for Lebanon during the Syrian refugee crisis, and
the follow-up work which the UK and Lebanon are undertaking after the London
Conference in February,” it added. In the meeting with Ellwood, the UK minister
discussed recent regional developments and “reiterated that the UK is keen to
see the election of a President and ready to work with any candidate agreed upon
by the Lebanese,” the embassy said.
Rahi condemns Brussels attack, says
terrorist actions against humanity and world peace
Wed 23 Mar 2016/NNA -
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rahi condemned and deplored the terrorist actions
that hit Brussels yesterday, saying, "Such actions are set against all humanity
and world peace."He explained that terrorism became an international threat and
must be confronted internationally. The Patriarch offered condolences to the
Belgian Embassy and Belgium as a whole, and prayed for the souls of the victims
who fell in the attack.
Israeli Troops Cross Border,
Try to Kidnap Shepherd
Israeli troops crossed into south Lebanon on Wednesday and attempted to kidnap a
Lebanese shepherd, state-run National News Agency reported. “An Israeli infantry
force crossed the border from the Shebaa Farms at 5:00 pm and made a 20-meter
incursion into the Bustra area,” NNA said. The advancing force then tried to
abduct a Lebanese shepherd, who managed to escape, the agency added. Such
incidents are frequent in that border area and Israeli forces have abducted
several Lebanese shepherds in recent years who were all released after
interrogation.Tensions have been high along the Lebanese-Israeli border since
late 2015, especially in the Shebaa area which witnessed a Hizbullah attack on
an Israeli patrol in response to Israel's assassination in Syria of Hizbullah
top operative Samir al-Quntar.
Geagea, Boudali tackle current developments
Wed 23 Mar 2016/NNA -
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea met on Wednesday at his Meerab residence
with Tunisian Ambassador to Lebanon, Karim Boudali, who came on a courtesy
visit. Talks between the pair reportedly dwelt on most recent political
developments in Lebanon and the broad region.
Swiss Ambassador to Lebanon, François Barras, tours Baalbek Hermel region,
visits archeological castle
Wed 23 Mar 2016/NNA - Swiss
Ambassador to Lebanon, François Barras, along with a delegation of the Embassy,
visited on Wednesday Baalbek-Hermel region, with the first stop over being at
the Center of "The Lebanese Association for Studies and Training" in the city of
Baalbek. Ambassador Barras was briefed by the Center officials on its undertaken
activities and programs, taking up the notion of the establishment of a
Coordination and Development Bureau for the province of Baalbek-Hermel. The
Swiss delegation and Association officials then toured the city of Baalbek and
its archeological castle, before heading to the Association's Center al-Ein
town, where he had a closer look at the work of women participating in the
"People to People" Project on how to pack rations which will be distributed
amongst the needy families in the towns of Arsal, Labweh, al-Ein and Nabi
Othman.
UN envoy to Libya not allowed to land in Tripoli
AP, Benghazi Wednesday, 23 March 2016/The Islamist-linked government in the
Libyan capital has declined to give permission for the UN envoy to Libya to land
in Tripoli, the diplomat said on Wednesday. The envoy, Martin Kobler, said on
his Twitter account that he has had to cancel another flight to Tripoli because
of this. He said he “wanted to help pave the way to peace” and stressed that the
United Nations must be given access to the Libyan capital. Kobler has been
pressing Libya’s rival parliaments - the one in Tripoli and a second, based in
the far eastern region of the country - to reconcile and accept a third, UN-back
government that emerged from a December political agreement between Libya’s
factions.
The new, UN-backed government is facing major challenges, however - including
how to get into Tripoli, something that had been tentatively planned for later
this week. Earlier, Kobler had been slightly more optimistic, telling reporters
in neighboring Tunisia on Tuesday that though he doesn't have the exact date,
it’s “a matter of days, not weeks” for the unity government to install itself in
Tripoli despite opposition from the city’s authorities. Libya's chaos, five
years after the uprising that led to the ouster and killing of longtime autocrat
Muammar Qaddafi, has left the country deeply divided and ruled by an
internationally recognized government and parliament based in the east and a
rival government and parliament in Tripoli, backed by Islamist-allied militias.
The unity government, brokered by the U.N. and headed by a little-known Libyan
technocrat, Fayez Serraj, is supposed to replace the two rival administrations.
ISIS has exploited the years of chaos in Libya and taken control of a central
Libyan city and its surroundings, which in turn has given new impetus to Western
countries and the U.N. to try to piece the country back together. Kobler said
that “it is urgent to stop the expansion” of the ISIS group into neighboring
countries such as Tunisia. Serraj said that the world and the region “must react
quickly” to stop the “cancer.” He called on Libyans to set aside differences and
build a new, safe Libya. The two spoke after a ministerial meeting of Tunisia,
Algeria, Egypt, Chad, Sudan and Niger, all facing threats by extremists. Tripoli
authorities could not be immediately reached for comment on their refusal to
allow Kobler to land. But a Tripoli-based media official, Jamal Zubia, said on
his Facebook page that the UN envoy “will not visit Tripoli before Monday.”
There was no further explanation.
Brussels attackers had police
records for shooting at police, stealing
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Wednesday, 23 March 2016/Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui,
the brothers identified by Belgian authorities as being the suicide bombers
behind the deadly blasts that rocked a Brussels metro station and the city’s
airport on Tuesday, had police records for carjacking and shooting at police, a
local broadcaster reported. Citing interior ministry sources, public broadcaster
RTBF said the brothers Khaled, 27, Ibrahim, 30, who were already sought after by
the Belgian police for links to the cell that carried out the deadly Paris
bombings on November 13 last year, had police records and had previously served
time in prison. In 2010, Khaled was sentenced for five years in prison for
carjacking. RTBF did not give any further information. The police, who had been
hunting Khaled for a week as a terror suspect, believed he had rented a house
using a fake ID. The house in a Brussels neighborhood is believed to be where
Khaled and his brother escaped from during last week’s operation to arrest Salah
Abdeslam - one of the main suspects behind the Paris attacks. Khaled is also
believed to have rented a safe house in the southern Belgian city of Charleroi
used to plot last November’s Paris attacks. A man, who police have issued a
wanted notice on suspicion of involvement in the Brussels airport attack, is
shown in this image taken from surveillance footage released by Belgian police.
(Reuters)
Ibrahim’s 9-year-sentence in 2010
The older brother Ibrahim was handed a nine-year sentence on October 2010 for
firing at a police patrol with a Kalashnikov after an attempt to raid a currency
exchange shop. While he was supposed to be released in 2019, the report did not
explain how he was freed earlier. In Europe, prisoners can spend half of their
sentence in prison and can be set free later on under certain conditions. On
Wednesday, Syrian government head of delegation Bashar al-Jaafari in Brussels
for peace talks, meanwhile, said the attackers were fighting in Syria before
returning back to Belgium. A man, who police have issued a wanted notice on
suspicion of involvement in the Brussels airport attack, is shown in this image
taken from surveillance footage released by Belgian police. (Reuters)
Third suspect
The third suspect, Najim Laachraoui, 25, so far is not confirmed to have been
arrested, is also said to have police records and knew the brothers. Laachraoui
is also thought to be one of the masterminds behind Paris attacks. Meanwhile,
police and prosecutors refused immediate comment after several local media
reported that Laachraoui believed to be the man seen on CCTV pushing a baggage
trolley alongside the bombers and then running out of the airport terminal, had
been captured in the Brussels borough of Anderlecht. The death toll in the
attacks on the Belgian capital, home to the European Union and NATO, rose to at
least 31 with some 260 wounded, Health Minister Maggie De Block said on VRT
television. It could rise further because some of the bomb victims at Maelbeek
metro station were blown to pieces and victims are hard to identify. Security
experts believed the blasts, which killed about 20 people on a metro train
running through the area that houses EU institutions, were probably in
preparation before Friday's arrest of locally based French national Abdeslam,
26, whom prosecutors accuse of a key role in the Nov. 13 Paris attacks. He was
caught and has been speaking to investigators after a shoot out at an apartment
in the south of the city a week ago, after which another ISIS flag and
explosives were found. It was unclear whether he had knowledge of the new
attacker whether accomplices may have feared police were closing in. ISIS said
in a statement that “caliphate soldiers, strapped with suicide vests and
carrying explosive devices and machine guns” struck Zaventem airport and
Maelbeek metro station. It was not clear, however, that the attackers used
vests. The suspects were photographed pushing bags on trolleys, and witnesses
said many of the airport dead and wounded were hit mostly in the legs, possibly
indicating blasts at floor level. The two men in dark clothes wore gloves on
their left hands only. One security expert speculated they might have concealed
detonators. The man in the hat was not wearing gloves. About 300 Belgians are
estimated to have fought with Islamists in Syria, making the country of 11
million the leading European exporter of foreign fighters and a focus of concern
in France and other neighbors over its security capabilities. (With Reuters)
Brussels attackers used
nails, bolts in bombs
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Wednesday, 23 March 2016/The ISIS attackers who
struck the Brussels airport and a metro station on Tuesday used bombs packed
with nails, bolts and glass to kill at least 31 and wound 260, according to
authorities. Medical officials treating the wounded said some victims lost
limbs, while others suffered burns or deep gashes from shattered glass or nails
packed in with the explosives. Among the most seriously wounded were several
children. “The bomb contained nails to create more victims,” Marc Decramer, a
spokesman for a hospital near Brussels, told reporters. An X-ray released by
another hospital showed a bolt lodged in the chest of a survivor. Shockwaves
from the attacks crossed Europe and the Atlantic, prompting heightened security
at airports and other sites. Belgium raised its terror alert to the highest
level, shut the airport through Wednesday and ordered a citywide lockdown,
deploying about 500 soldiers onto Brussels' largely empty streets to bolster
police checkpoints. France and Belgium both reinforced border security. A raid
on Tuesday evening on a house in the Brussels neighborhood of Schaerbeek “led to
the discovery of an explosive device containing among other things nails,”
according to federal prosecutors. Investigators also found chemical products and
an Islamic State flag. On Wednesday, Belgian police arrested Najim Laachraoui, a
key suspect in attacks on the Brussels airport. Laachraoui is linked to the
prime suspect in the November Paris massacre, Belgian media reported. Two
Belgian media outlets said Laachraoui had been arrested in the Anderlecht
district of Brussels, adding that he was the third man pictured in airport CCTV
footage alongside two suicide bombers who blew themselves up on Tuesday. Belgian
media earlier said that brothers Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been
identified as two of the bombers who struck the airport and the Maalbeek metro
station in Tuesday's Brussels attacks. (With the Associated Press and AFP)
Sisi shuffles cabinet, with
focus on economy
Reuters, Cairo Wednesday, 23 March 2016/President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
reshuffled his cabinet on Wednesday, appointing 10 new ministers including ones
for the finance and investment portfolios as Egypt struggles to revive its
economy. Banking veteran Amr el-Garhy was appointed finance minister and Dalia
Khorshid, formerly of Orascom Construction Industries, as investment minister,
the presidency said in a statement. The changes were announced a week after the
central bank devalued the pound as import-dependent Egypt faces a dollar
shortage. Sisi also appointed four new deputy ministers - one for the planning
minister and three deputy finance ministers for treasury affairs, tax policy,
and fiscal policy. Mohamed Hossam Abdelrehim was appointed justice minister,
filling the role which had been vacant for 10 days since former minister Ahmed
al-Zend was sacked after making comments seen as blasphemous.Other appointments
were ministers for justice, antiquities, the public sector, labor, irrigation,
civil aviation, transport, and tourism. The tourism industry was badly hit after
a Russian airliner was blown out of the sky over the Sinai peninsula in October,
killing all 224 people on board. ISIS said it planted a bomb on board the
aircraft. The civil aviation ministry also came under criticism for airport
security lapses.
Russia, Germany urge for
‘united, secular’ Syria
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Wednesday, 23 March 2016/Both Russia and
Germany agreed for the need for a united secular Syria inclusive of all of its
groups, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Wednesday. “After
all, we agreed in Vienna about this as well, having reinforced the agreement in
Munich. We should reach the deal on a united secular state in Syria, in which
all the ethnicities could live in peace,” Steinmeier said at the joint press
conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Steinmeier also warned
that there was no time to lose in peace talks on the Syria conflict, and urged
all parties not to stall the negotiations. “We are all aware ... there is no
time to lose. Nobody, also none of the parties to the conflict, should try to
run down the clock at this point,” he said. In the same time, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated that Russia and Germany agreed on the need for
inclusive Syria peace talks in Geneva. Lavrov also said maintaining relations
with Germany was a priority for Russia.
Syria reviewing UN document
Meanwhile, the Syrian government will review a document handed to them by the UN
special envoy on the intra-Syrian peace talks by the start of the next round of
negotiations, the head of the Syrian government’s delegation said on Wednesday.
“We received a letter that will be studied after we return to Damascus,” Bashar
Ja’afari told reporters after meeting Staffan de Mistura. “This paper will be
carefully studied after we go back to capital and we will respond to it at the
beginning of the next round.”Ja’afari, who also said some of the Brussels
attackers had fought in Syria before returning to Belgium, declined to take
questions, suggesting that this round of negotiations was finished for the
government delegation. He did not say when the next round would begin, although
they are expected in early April. (With Reuters)
Syrian army seizes hills near
ISIS-held Palmyra
The Associated Press, Syria Wednesday, 23 March 2016/Syrian government forces
seized highland around Palmyra Wednesday, positioning themselves to recapture
the ancient town held by ISIS. The army advanced from the west and south of
Palmyra and was also closing in on the ISIS-held town of Qaryatain in central
Syria, Homs governor Talal Barazi said. “There is continuous progress by the
army from all directions,” he said, adding that he expected “positive results”
over the next few days. Syrian opposition activists also reported that the army
was now approaching the outskirts of Palmyra, which has been under the firm
control of ISIS since the extremists captured it last May. Government forces
have been backed by intense Russian airstrikes in their advances. In Geneva,
where indirect peace talks have been taking place, Syria’s UN ambassador Bashar
Jaafari said that he had been handed a proposal by UN Special Envoy Staffan De
Mistura which he said the government would study in Damascus and respond to
during the next round of negotiations, tentatively scheduled for April. It was
not clear if this meant government negotiators were pulling out of talks before
they officially adjourn Thursday. Negotiations have been held up over the
question of President Bashar Assad’s role in any political transition to wind
down the five-year conflict. The opposition has said Assad must step down as a
precondition to any transition, while the government has refused to discuss
Assad’s departure. The UN envoy said yesterday the two parties had not yet
arrived at discussing the matter.
Hamas stages military
exercises to test ‘Gaza’s readiness’
AFP, Gaza Wednesday, 23 March 2016/Hamas staged major military exercises Tuesday
to test its readiness in the event of another Israeli offensive on the Gaza
Strip, which has been ravaged by three wars since 2008. The exercises involving
1,000 police and emergency services personnel were not meant to be seen as an
"announcement of war", said a spokesman for the Islamist movement's interior
ministry. For the duration of the exercises, however, a state of emergency was
observed in Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, bordering Israel in the north, and
Jabalia farther to the south. The media was barred from approaching the area,
but loud explosions could be heard from a distance, with hospitals and schools
placed on alert. Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have fought
three wars since 2008, including a devastating 50-day conflict in 2014. The
Palestinian enclave remains under an Israeli blockade.
ISIS claims murder of
Christian convert in Bangladesh
AFP, Dhaka Wednesday, 23 March 2016/ISIS on Wednesday claimed responsibility for
the murder of a Christian convert in northern Bangladesh, according to a
US-based monitoring group. Police said at least two attackers with sharp weapons
on Tuesday killed 68-year-old Hossain Ali, who converted to Christianity from
Islam in 1999. In a communique posted on Twitter, ISIS said the murder was “a
lesson to others”, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors
extremist activity on the Internet. “A security detachment from the soldiers of
the Caliphate was able, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, to kill the apostate
(Ali), who changed his religion and became a preacher for the polytheist
Christianity,” the statement said. In recent months ISIS has said it was behind
a series of attacks on religious converts and minorities in Bangladesh including
Shiite, Sufi and Ahmadi Muslims, Christians and Hindus. The Bangladesh
government denies ISIS are present in the country and police on Wednesday
rejected the group’s claim of responsibility for the latest killing, insisting
it was “bogus”. “We’re investigating the killing. A case has been filed and
we’ve arrested five men for questioning,” Tobarak Ullah, police chief in the
northern district of Kurigram where the killing took place, told AFP. Last week
ISIS said it had killed a Shiite convert from Sunni Islam in the southwestern
town of Kaliganj.
At least five secular bloggers and publishers have also been hacked to death
since January last year, with those killings claimed by al-Qaeda in the Indian
subcontinent, another extremist group. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina’s government has blamed the banned domestic militant group Jamayetul
Mujahideen Bangladesh for the upsurge in deadly violence. Bangladesh has been
plagued by unrest in the last three years, with exerts saying a long-running
political crisis has radicalized opponents of the government.
UN: Syria allows aid to more
besieged areas
AFP, Geneva Wednesday, 23 March 2016/Syria’s government has given a UN-backed
taskforce permission to deliver aid to more besieged areas, but two opposition
strongholds and a city controlled by ISIS remain off limits, a UN official said
Wednesday. Jan Egeland, who heads the humanitarian taskforce co-chaired by the
United States and Russia, said there has been sustained progress in delivering
life-saving supplies. The United Nations has identified 18 areas in the
war-ravaged country it considers to be besieged. He said the UN had received the
green light for eight or nine of the 11 areas it had asked to deliver aid to,
including three or four besieged areas, but not the towns of Daraya, where the
UN's World Food Program (WFP) has said some people have been reduced to eating
grass, or Douma. Both are close to Damascus. But in a reversal for humanitarian
aid, he said a local agreement to end the siege of al Waer of Homs city had
broken, and the UN would need to mediate. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s
government on Tuesday gave “a verbal greenlight to go to some new besieged
areas,” meaning the taskforce now has permission to reach a total of 15
locations, Egeland said. But Damascus has not yet given humanitarian workers
clearance to distribute aid in Douma or Daraya -- two key opposition-held areas
near Damascus where the UN believes more than 100,000 civilians are in desperate
need of supplies. ISIS-controlled Deir Ezzor, with an estimated 200,000 besieged
people, also remains inaccessible but England said plans were being firmed up
for a humanitarian air drop. “It’s a major operation,” Egeland told reporters,
adding that it would be led by the WFP with logistical help from major powers
like the EU, Russia and the United States. A WFP air drop over Deir Ezzor last
month faced technical hurdles since it had to be carried out at a very high
altitude. Since the start of the year, the UN, International Red Cross (ICRC)
and Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) have delivered aid to 384,000 Syrians living
in what the UN defines as besieged or hard-to-reach areas, Egeland told
journalists. He made the comments in Geneva, where talks to end Syria's
five-year civil war were finishing a second week and as a ceasefire declared on
February 27 remained broadly in place. Following the latest greenlights from
Damascus to reach new areas, Egeland said plans were on track to get aid to
roughly 1.1 million people by the end of April. On Wednesday, the UN, ICRC and
SARC, travelling in a 27-truck convoy, delivered aid to 70,000 people in the
Houlah area, which has been under siege for three years, the ICRC said in a
statement. The last time Houlah received humanitarian supplies was in October,
Egeland said. In total, the UN estimates that nearly 4.5 million Syrians are
currently living in besieged or hard-to-reach areas.
13 Global NGOs Express Fear for
Rights Groups in Egypt
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 23/16/Thirteen global rights groups,
including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, urged Egypt on Wednesday
to drop a renewed investigation of rights activists that has strained ties with
Washington. Since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, the
authorities have led a crackdown on all forms of dissent -- not just Morsi's
supporters but also liberal and rights activists.Rights groups have regularly
accused Egypt's security services of carrying out illegal detentions, forced
disappearances of activists and torture of detainees. "Egypt’s civil society is
being treated like an enemy of the state, rather than a partner for reform and
progress," Said Boumedouha, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Middle
East and North Africa program, said in a joint statement issued by 13 global
rights groups. It said that in recent weeks the Egyptian authorities have
questioned several human rights workers, barred them from travel and also
attempted to freeze their assets. "The authorities should halt their persecution
of these groups and drop the investigation," the statement said.Five months
after the fall of longtime leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011, Egyptian authorities
began an investigation into the funding of local and foreign groups that led to
the closure of five international groups, the statement said. The United States
and other European countries condemned the move and evacuated several citizens
who were threatened with arrest. Under Egyptian law, human rights groups
operating without legal registration or accepting foreign funding could be
jailed for life. Life imprisonment in Egypt amounts to 25 years. "The Egyptian
authorities have moved beyond scaremongering and are now rapidly taking concrete
steps to shut down the last critical voices in the country’s human rights
community," said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights
Watch.U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said last week that there was a
"deterioration in the human rights situation in Egypt in recent weeks and
months."His Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry brushed off the criticism, saying
the authorities supported civil society in the country. "But there are laws in
all countries to organize and guarantee that the organizations carry out their
responsibilities based on the rules they were founded on," he said.
Belgians Cannot 'Eat
Chocolate' and Fight Terror, Says Israeli Minister
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 23/16/Israel's intelligence minister accused
Belgian leaders of laxity Wednesday over the threat posed by homegrown Muslim
radicals, the second cabinet member to hit out after the deadly bombings in
Brussels."If in Belgium they continue to eat chocolate, enjoy life and parade as
great liberals and democrats while not taking account of the fact that some of
the Muslims who are there are organizing acts of terror, they will not be able
to fight against them," Yisrael Katz told public radio. Katz charged that not
only European leaders but also U.S. President Barack Obama had undermined the
battle against jihadist violence with their unwillingness to define it as
"Islamic terrorism". "When you don't define your enemy, you can't lead a
worldwide campaign," he said. Katz, who is also transport minister, is a member
of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud and widely seen as his
principal rival within the party. He has taken a hawkish position on the wave of
violence that has rocked Israel and the Palestinian territories since October,
calling for the families of Palestinians implicated in attacks to be sent to
Hamas-ruled Gaza as a deterrent. On Tuesday, another Likud member -- Science,
Technology and Space Minister Ofir Akunis -- lashed out at Europe after the
Brussels bombings, accusing it of ignoring the danger of "Islamic terror cells"
and focusing on criticising Israel instead. "Many in Europe have preferred to
occupy themselves with the folly of condemning Israel, labeling products, and
boycotts," Akunis said on his Facebook page. "In this time, underneath the nose
of the continent's citizens, thousands of extremist Islamic terror cells have
grown."Those comments drew a rebuke from Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog,
who accused Akunis -- a Netanyahu ally -- of "miserable cynicism".
Al-Sisi Names 10 New Ministers in Cabinet Reshuffle
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 23/16/President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on
Wednesday swore in 10 new ministers in a cabinet reshuffle, as Egypt struggles
to revive an economy battered by falling tourism revenues and foreign
investments. The government shake-up -- mainly of economic portfolios -- comes
just six months after Sisi inaugurated a new administration led by Prime
Minister Sharif Ismail, following the resignation of the previous cabinet after
a corruption scandal. The ministers of tourism, finance, investment, justice,
civil aviation, irrigation, human resource and antiquities were replaced, and a
new ministry for public works was added to the cabinet. "Ten new ministers were
sworn in by the president today," Sisi's office said in a statement without
giving a reason for the reshuffle. The new cabinet consists of 34 ministers. The
reshuffle comes as the economy continues to falter on the back of falling
tourism revenues, a cornerstone of the economy, and foreign investments.
Tourism, hit by years of political turmoil since the ouster of longtime leader
Hosni Mubarak in 2011, was dealt a body blow after a bomb brought down a Russian
airliner over the Sinai Peninsula on October 31. All 224 people on board, mostly
Russian tourists, were killed in an attack claimed by the jihadist Islamic State
group, which is spearheading an insurgency in the peninsula. Revenues from
tourism slumped 15 percent to $6.1 billion in 2015. The shake-up also comes days
after Egypt's central bank devalued the Egyptian pound as it faces an acute
shortage of foreign currency inflows. Egypt's foreign exchange reserves have
fallen from more than $36 billion in 2010 to about $16 billion, despite roughly
$20 billion given in aid to Cairo by its powerful Gulf allies.The central bank
said last week that the reserves would recover to $25 billion by the end of
2016, boosted by "foreign investments and an increase in the competitiveness of
the Egyptian economy."
U.N.: Yemen Ceasefire April 10,
Peace Talks April 18
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 23/16/A ceasefire will take hold across
Yemen on April 10 followed a week later by fresh peace talks, the special U.N.
envoy said Wednesday, raising hopes for a breakthrough in a war that has brought
the impoverished Arab country to its knees.
Yemen has been gripped by violence since September 2014, when Iran-backed Huthi
rebels stormed the capital Sanaa and forced the internationally recognized
government to flee south to the second city of Aden. "The parties to the
conflict have agreed to a nationwide cessation of hostilities beginning April 10
at midnight in advance of the upcoming round of the peace talks, which will take
place on April 18 in Kuwait," Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told a press conference
in New York. More than 6,000 people have been killed in Yemen since a Saudi-led
coalition -- which includes Kuwait -- began an air war in March last year to
push back an offensive by the Huthi rebels, who control Sanaa. Previous
U.N.-sponsored negotiations between the rebels and government officials failed
to reach a breakthrough, while a ceasefire went into force on December 15 but it
was repeatedly violated and the Saudi-led coalition announced an end to the
truce on January 2. Only last month the U.N. envoy warned that the warring
parties were unable to agree on terms for a new round of peace talks, but those
divisions appear to have been overcome.
An Islamic
Apocalypse in Brussels
Raymond Ibrahim/March 23/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/03/23/raymond-ibrahim-an-islamic-apocalypse-in-brussels/
Islamic jihad struck
Brussels yesterday morning—first at Brussels Airport and then at a metro station
400 meters from EU headquarters—leaving at least 34 people dead and 230 injured.
It was an apocalyptic scene according to survivors, “with blood and dismembered
bodies everywhere,” even “thrown in to the air.” One man recalled the “horror. I
saw at least seven people dead. There was blood. People had lost legs. You could
see their bodies but no legs.” Witnesses heard the attackers yelling in Arabic
moments before the bombs—one of which contained nails—detonated. Other jihadi
trademarks—including an unexploded suicide vest and a Kalashnikov rifle beside
the body of a slain terrorist—were found. Islam’s ancient war tactic of blending
in with non-Muslims was also implemented. Horrific as the attack is, its
inspiration and Western responses to it are all too typical—meaning, as I opined
last year after the Paris massacre, “many more such attacks and worse will
continue. Count on it.” First, as happened on 9/11, Muslims around the
world—those unnamed millions the media refer to as “ISIS supporters”—celebrated,
including by once again handing out candy and shouting Islam’s victory war cry,
“Allahu Akbar.” Yes, that ancient Islamic hate was back in the air and rampant
on social media. “We are not just clapping, but we are happy again. We are
smiling, we are laughing and we are joyful like it’s a day of celebration,”
tweeted one ISIS sympathizer. Another wrote: “#Brussels, if you continue your
war against the religion of Allah then this is our response.” Another wrote:
“What a beautiful day today. F*** Belgium.” Yet another wrote, “A lot of duas
[Muslim prayers] were answered today.” Still, most Muslim sympathizers were
quick to portray their bloodlust as a product of grievances against the West:
“the most common remark under the hashtag was ‘You declared war against us and
bombed us, and we attack you inside your homeland.’ Another popular reaction
from ISIS supports on Twitter was that the Brussels attacks were intended to
avenge the Muslims’ blood that was spilled in Mosul in a series of airstrikes by
the Western coalition over the weekend.” Meanwhile, and as usual, in its
communiques to fellow Muslims, ISIS articulated the attack through a distinctly
Islamic paradigm. It even signaled the attack with the words, “We have come to
you with slaughter”—an assertion based on the Muslim prophet Muhammad’s words to
a non-Muslim tribe that refused to submit to Islam: “I have come to you with
slaughter.”
If this assertion is not clear enough concerning the intent and mission of
Muhammad—and those who seek to follow him—another canonical assertion attributed
to him and regularly quoted by jihadis, including over a decade ago in the
opening paragraph of al-Qaeda’s “Declaration of War against Americans,” has the
prophet saying:
I have been sent with the sword between my hands to ensure that no one but Allah
is worshipped—Allah who put my livelihood under the shadow of my spear and who
inflicts humiliation and scorn on those who disobey my commandments (The Al
Qaeda Reader, p.12).
Unfortunately, this one aspect—that Islamic scripture clearly, plainly, and
unequivocally promotes violence against all who refuse to submit to Allah—is the
very same aspect most vehemently denied by Western elites. Already, as always
happens after an Islamic terror attack in the West, the talking heads are
warning against “rampant Islamophobia” and a backlash against Muslims. Media are
hosting professional liars, like Ramadan Foundation’s Muhammad Shafiq, who
insists that “terrorism is forbidden in Islam” (even though the Koran calls on
Muslims to terrorize those who resist Islam, e.g., 3:151 and 8:12).
Still, due to these growing numbers of jihadi attacks on Western soil,
increasing numbers of politicians are responding with tough—but ultimately
meaningless—words: “We are at war,” responded French Prime Minister Manuel Valls.
“We have been subjected for the last few months in Europe to acts of war.”
This is true. But just like George W. Bush’s famous “war on terrorism”—a war on
a method not its motivation—Valls doesn’t indicate who “we are at war” with,
even though the most elemental step in winning a war is to “know your enemy.”
One of the few American political aspirants who need not revise his tone in
light of this attack is Donald Trump. Over two months ago, he said “Go to
Brussels. Go to Paris. Go to different places. There is something going on and
it’s not good, where they want Shariah law.… You go to Brussels — I was in
Brussels a long time ago, 20 years ago, so beautiful, everything is so beautiful
— it’s like living in a hellhole right now.”
This latest terror strike in Europe will likely reignite the refugee debate,
which, while important, also minimizes the significance of the issue. The common
denominator between all these recent terror strikes throughout the West is not
that the culprits were all refugees but rather that they were all Muslim. Many
terror attacks were homegrown. Muslim citizens of America were responsible for
Fort Hood (13 murdered), Boston Marathon (four murdered), Chattanooga (four
murdered), and most recently San Bernardino (14 murdered).
Of course, Europe could have spared itself if only it would’ve looked to the
plight of non-Muslim minorities living in Muslim majority nations. As far back
as 2012, after Western supported jihadi/freedom fighters were unleashed on
Assad’s formerly stable Syria, intentionally displacing hundreds of thousands of
Christians, the Syrian Christian archbishop correctly predicted “the jihadis
will not stop here [Middle East], the war will spread to Europe.” Four years
later and the war has certainly begun.
Consider the 2010 massacre at the Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad. Armed
jihadis stormed the church during Sunday worship service, opened fire
indiscriminately at the Christian worshipers, before detonating their suicide
vests. At least fifty-eight Christian worshippers, including many women and
children, were murdered, and nearly 100 wounded—many, like in Brussels, losing
their arms or legs (see here for GRAPHIC pictures). If the Brussel jihadis used
nails in their bombs, the Baghdad church jihadis wore vests “filled with ball
bearings to kill as many people as possible.”
Now, if Brussels—or New York, or London, or Madrid, ad infinitum—was really
“intended to avenge the Muslims’ blood that was spilled in Mosul in a series of
airstrikes,” as aggrieved Muslims regularly claim—then one must ask: why are
immensely weak, outnumbered, ostracized, and politically disenfranchised
Christian minorities living in the Muslim world, who are wholly incapable of
hurting any Muslim, also being terrorized and slaughtered, to the point of
genocide?
The answer should be clear. So long as Islam calls for jihad against those who
reject Allah and his prophet, so long will attacks like Brussels (and the
countless before it) continue. Before the age of political correctness, the
Encyclopaedia of Islam put it this way:
[The] spread of Islam by arms is a religious duty upon Muslims in general …
Jihad must continue to be done until the whole world is under the rule of Islam
… Islam must completely be made over before the doctrine of jihad [warfare to
spread Islam] can be eliminated.
This is the one ugly fact that few want to accept, much less act on—and
understandably so, for the ramifications are immense.
Why Belgium is Ground Zero for
European Jihadis
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/March 23/16
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7677/belgium-jihadists
Growing numbers of Belgian Muslims live in isolated ghettos where poverty,
unemployment and crime are rampant. In Molenbeek, the unemployment rate hovers
at around 40%. Radical imams aggressively canvass in search of shiftless youths
to wage jihad against the West.
"When we have to contact these people [European officials] or send our guys over
to talk to them, we're essentially talking with people who are... children.
These are not pro-active, they don't know what's going on. They're in such
denial. It's such a frightening thing to admit their country is being taken
over." — American intelligence official.
"Returned Syria fighters are a huge threat... It is absolutely unbelievable that
our governments allow them to return... Every government in the West, which
refuses to do so [lock them up], is a moral accessory if one of these monsters
commits an atrocity. ... Our citizens are in mortal danger if we do not restore
control over our own national borders." — Dutch MP Geert Wilders.
The terrorist attacks on the airport and metro in Brussels are casting a
spotlight, once again, on Belgium's ignominious role as a European haven for
jihadists.
Several distinct but interconnected factors help explain why Brussels, the
political capital of Europe, has emerged as the jihadist capital of Europe.
Scenes from the jihad on Belgium: The aftermath of yesterday's bomb attacks at
the Brussels airport (left) and a metro station (right).
Large Muslim Population
The Muslim population of Belgium is expected to reach 700,000 in 2016, or around
6.2% of the overall population, according to figures extrapolated from a recent
study by the Pew Research Center. In percentage terms, Belgium has one of the
highest Muslim populations in Western Europe.
In metropolitan Brussels — where roughly half of Belgium's Muslims currently
live — the Muslim population has reached 300,000, or roughly 25%. This makes
Brussels one of the most Islamic cities in Europe.
Approximately 100,000 Muslims live in the Brussels district of Molenbeek, which
has emerged as the center of Belgian jihadism.
Parallel Societies
Belgium's radical Islam problem originated in the 1960s, when Belgian
authorities encouraged mass migration from Turkey and Morocco as a source of
cheap labor. They were later followed by migrants from Egypt and Libya.
The factories eventually closed, but the migrants stayed and planted family
roots. Today, most Muslims in Belgium are the third- and fourth-generation
offspring of the original migrants. While many Belgian Muslims are integrated
into Belgian society, many others are not.
Growing numbers of Belgian Muslims live in marginal districts — isolated ghettos
where poverty, unemployment and crime are rampant. In Molenbeek, the
unemployment rate hovers at around 40%. Radical imams aggressively canvass the
area in search of shiftless youths to wage jihad against the West.
Salafism
As in other European countries, many Muslims in Belgium are embracing Salafism —
a radical form of Islam — and its call to wage violent jihad against all
nonbelievers for the sake of Allah.
Salafism takes its name from the Arabic term salaf, which means predecessors or
ancestors — meaning of Mohammed. Salafists trace their roots to Saudi Arabia,
the Mohammed's birthplace. They glorify an idealized vision of what they claim
is the true, original Islam, practiced by the earliest generations of Muslims,
including Mohammed and his companions and followers, in the 7th and 8th
centuries. The aim of Salafism is to recreate a pure form of Islam in the modern
era.
This goal presents serious problems for modern, secular and pluralistic states.
A recent German intelligence report defined Salafism as a "political ideology,
the followers of which view Islam not only as a religion but also a legal
framework which regulates all areas of life: from the state's role in organizing
relations between people, to the private life of the individual."
The report added: "Salafism rejects the democratic principles of separation of
state and religion, popular sovereignty, religious and sexual
self-determination, gender equality and the fundamental right to physical
integrity."
Although Salafists make up only a small fraction of Europe's burgeoning Muslim
community, authorities are increasingly worried that many of those attracted to
Salafi ideology are impressionable young Muslims who may be receptive to calls
for violence in the name of Islam.
Sharia4Belgium
Before the rise of the Islamic State, the best-known Salafist group in Belgium
was Sharia4Belgium, which played an important role in radicalizing Belgian
Muslims.
Sharia4Belgium was outlawed in February 2015, when its leader, Fouad Belkacem,
was sentenced to 12 years in prison. A partial archive of the group's former
website can be found at the Internet Archive. There Sharia4Belgium issues an
invitation to all Belgians to convert to Islam and submit to Sharia law or face
the consequences. The text states:
"It is now 86 years since the fall of the Islamic Caliphate. The tyranny and
corruption in this country [Belgium] has prevailed; we go from one scandal to
another: Economic crises, paedophilia, crime, growing Islamophobia, etc.
"As in the past we [Muslims] have saved Europe from the dark ages, we now plan
to do the same. Now we have the right solution for all crises and this is the
observance of the divine law, namely Sharia. We call to implement Sharia in
Belgium.
"Sharia is the perfect system for humanity. In 1,300 years of the Islamic state
we knew only order, welfare and the protection of all human rights. We know that
Spain, France and Switzerland knew their best times under Sharia. In these 1,300
years, 120 women were raped, which is equal to 120 women a day in Europe. There
were barely 60 robberies recorded in 1,300 years.
"As a result, we invite the royal family, parliament, all the aristocracy and
every Belgian resident to submit to the light of Islam. Save yourself and your
children of the painful punishment of the hereafter and grant yourself eternal
life in paradise."
A cache of the background image for the Sharia4Belgium website has the black
flag of jihad flying above the Belgian Parliament. Until recently, the
Sharia4Belgium YouTube page (also shut down) was used to incite Muslims to
jihad. The group had posted videos with titles such as, "Jihad Is Obligatory,"
"Encouraging Jihad," "Duelling & Guerrilla Warfare," and "The Virtues of
Martyrdom." Thus Sharia4Belgium paved the way for the Islamic State in Belgium.
Belgian Jihadists
One of the smallest countries in Western Europe, Belgium has become Europe's
biggest per capita source of jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq. According to
data provided by Interior Minister Jan Jambon on February 22, 2016, 451 Belgian
citizens have been identified as jihadists. Of these, 269 are on the
battlefields in Syria or Iraq; 6 are believed currently to be on their way to
the war zone; 117 have returned to Belgium; and 59 attempted to leave but were
stopped at the border.
According to Jambon, 197 of the jihadists are from Brussels: 112 are in Syria
while 59 have returned to Belgium. Another 195 jihadists are from Flanders: 133
are in Syria while 36 have returned.
Belgium is the EU's leading supplier of jihadists to the Islamic State per
capita: around 40 jihadists per million inhabitants, compared to Denmark (27),
Sweden (19), France (18), Austria (17), Finland (13); Norway (12), UK (9.5),
Germany (7.5) and Spain (2).
Official Incompetence?
During the past 24 months, at least five jihadist attacks have been linked to
Belgium. In May 2014, jihadists attacked the Jewish Museum in Brussels. In
August 2014, a jihadist with links to Molenbeek attacked an Amsterdam-to-Paris
train. In January 2015, Belgian police carried out an anti-jihadist raid in
Verviers, Belgium.
In November 2015, it emerged that two of the eight jihadists who struck Paris
were residents of Brussels. Police on March 18 arrested Salah Abdeslam, a
Belgian-born French national of Moroccan origin, for his role in the Paris
attacks. He had been months on the run. On March 22, jihadists once again struck
Brussels.
After the Paris attacks in November 2015, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel
said: "There is almost always a link with Molenbeek. That's a gigantic problem.
Apart from prevention, we should also focus more on repression."
Interior Minister Jambon added:
"We don't have control of the situation in Molenbeek at present. We have to step
up efforts there as a next task. I see that [Molenbeek] Mayor Françoise
Schepmans is also asking our help, and that the local police chief is willing to
cooperate. We should join forces and 'clean up' the last bit that needs to be
done, that is really necessary."
The latest attack in Brussels, however, indicates that Belgian authorities still
do not have the jihadist problem under control.
A Belgian counterterrorism official said that due to the small size of the
Belgian government and the large numbers of ongoing investigations, virtually
every police detective and military intelligence officer in the country was
focused on international jihadi investigations. He added:
"We just don't have the people to watch anything else and, frankly, we don't
have the infrastructure to properly investigate or monitor hundreds of
individuals suspected of terror links, as well as pursue the hundreds of open
files and investigations we have. It's literally an impossible situation and,
honestly, it's very grave."
An American intelligence official reportedly said that working with security
officials there was like working with children:
"Even with the EU in general, there's an infiltration of jihadists that's been
happening for two decades. And now they're just starting to work on this. When
we have to contact these people or send our guys over to talk to them, we're
essentially talking with people who are — I'm just going to put it bluntly —
children. These are not pro-active, they don't know what's going on. They're in
such denial. It's such a frightening thing to admit their country is being taken
over."
In November 2015, the New York Times published a scathing analysis of Belgian
incompetence. It emerged that a month before the Paris attacks, Molenbeek Mayor
Schepmans received a list with the names and addresses of 80 jihadists living in
her district. The list included two brothers who would later take part in the
November 13 attacks in Paris.
According to the Times, Schepmans said: "What was I supposed to do about them?
It is not my job to track possible terrorists. That is the responsibility of the
federal police." The Times continued: "The federal police service, for its part,
reports to the interior minister, Jan Jambon, a Flemish nationalist who has
doubts about whether Belgium — divided among French, Dutch and German speakers —
should even exist as a single state."
An Artificial State
Belgium, nestled between France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, was
established in 1830 to serve as a neutral buffer state between the geopolitical
rivals, France and Germany. Belgium's role as a buffer state effectively came to
an end after the end of the Second World War and the subsequent move toward
European integration. Over time, Brussels emerged as the de facto capital of the
European Union.
For the past three decades, Belgium has faced an existential crisis due to
growing antagonism between the speakers of Dutch and French. One observer wrote:
"The country operates on the basis of linguistic apartheid, which infects
everything from public libraries to local and regional government, the education
system, the political parties, national television, the newspapers, even
football teams. There is no national narrative in Belgium, rather two opposing
stories told in Dutch or French. The result is a dialogue of the deaf."
This dysfunction extends to Belgian counter-terrorism. The New York Times
observed:
"With three uneasily joined populations, Belgium has a dizzying plethora of
institutions and political parties divided along linguistic, ideological or
simply opportunistic lines, which are being blamed for the country's seeming
inability to get a handle on its terrorist threat.
"It was hardly difficult to find the two Molenbeek brothers before they helped
kill 130 people in the Paris assaults: They lived just 100 yards from the
borough's City Hall, across a cobblestone market square in a subsidized
borough-owned apartment clearly visible from the mayor's second-floor corner
office. A third brother worked for Ms. Schepmans's borough administration.
"Much more difficult, however, was negotiating the labyrinthine pathways that
connect — and also divide — a multitude of bodies responsible for security in
Brussels, a capital city with six local police forces and a federal police
service.
"Brussels has three Parliaments, 19 borough assemblies and the headquarters of
two intelligence services — one military, one civilian — as well as a terrorism
threat assessment unit whose chief, exhausted and demoralized by internecine
turf battles, resigned in July but is still at his desk.
"Lost in the muddle were the two brothers, Ibrahim Abdeslam, who detonated a
suicide vest in Paris, and Salah, who is the target of an extensive manhunt that
has left the police flailing as they raid homes across the country."
The language issue also affects integration. As a Washington Post analysis
explains, "Many jobs in Brussels require knowledge of French, Flemish or Dutch,
and now sometimes English, too, while most immigrants speak mostly Arabic and
some French. That has blocked integration."
Open Borders
The so-called Schengen Agreement, which allows for passport-free travel
throughout most of the European Union, has allowed jihadists posing as migrants
to enter Europe through Greece and make their way to northern Europe virtually
undetected.
In an interview with Breitbart London, Dutch Politician Geert Wilders, currently
on trial in the Netherlands for free speech, said:
"Returned Syria fighters are a huge threat. They are dangerous predators roaming
our streets. It is absolutely unbelievable that our governments allow them to
return. And it is incredible that, once returned, they are not imprisoned.
"In the Netherlands, we have dozens of these returned jihadists. Our government
allows most of them to freely walk our streets and refuses to lock them up. I
demand that they be detained at once. Every government in the West, which
refuses to do so, is a moral accessory if one of these monsters commits an
atrocity.
"The government must also close our national borders. The European Union's
Schengen zone, where no border controls are allowed, is a catastrophe. The
Belgian Moroccan Salah Abdeslam, the mastermind of last November's bloodbath in
Paris, travelled freely from Belgium to the Netherlands on multiple occasions
last year.
Wilders concluded: "This is intolerable. Open borders are a huge safety risk.
Our citizens are in mortal danger if we do not restore control over our own
national borders."
***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.
Follow Soeren Kern on Twitter and Facebook
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. 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.
No More Hug-A-Terrorist
Raheel Raza/Gatestone Institute/March 23/16
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7674/hugging-terrorists
How hard is it to understand that radical Islamist jihadis have declared war on
the West? In simple English this means: they will find you and kill you wherever
and whenever they can.
Time and again, many of us concerned Muslims have highlighted the dangers of
political Islam/Islamism, which stems from one of three sources: the Muslim
Brotherhood, Wahhabi/Salafism or Khomeinism.
The West has been asleep at the wheel, waffling about how to address the issue
with "sensitivity." Calling out the truth should never be subject to political
correctness.
The world needs to take the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to task
and challenge it about what it is doing to stem the tide of violence emanating
from the Muslim world. The world needs to understand that ISIS is not trying to
set up a Caliphate. OIC is the Caliphate.
The terrorist attacks at an airport and Metro station in Brussels has by now
claimed at least 34 dead and 250 injured.
Shocking, sickening and appalling -- but surprising? No.
How hard is it to understand that radical Islamist jihadis have declared war on
the West? In simple English this means: they will find you and kill you wherever
and whenever they can.
Why? Because the Islamists have pinpointed the West to be "Dar al Harb" (land of
war), a concept that allows them to justify killing anyone on this land. You, me
and everyone in between -- from the USA across to Canada, the UK and Europe.
Just this year, there have been terrorist attacks all over the globe, including
Paris, Turkey, San Bernardino, Israel, Toronto, Ivory Coast and yesterday in
Belgium. Whether carried out by groups or so called "lone wolves," these attacks
are not isolated and have one thing in common.
They are all the result of a dangerous, violent and sick ideology. Time and
again, many of us concerned Muslims have highlighted the dangers of political
Islam/Islamism which stems from one of three sources: the Muslim Brotherhood,
Wahhabi/Salafism or Khomeinism. This ideology has been on the rise for 35 years
while the West has been asleep at the wheel, waffling about how to address the
issue with "sensitivity." Calling out the truth should never be subject to
political correctness.
How are we Muslims dealing with this ongoing terror in the name of our faith?
Social media tells us a lot. There are the usual deniers and apologists; there
is a comparison that "while we show solidarity for Brussels, we must
simultaneously remember every other country of the world," hence watering down
the impact of the horror and carnage that has just taken place in Belgium and
showing a rancid face of inhumanity and deflection from the real issue.
Then the victim ideology kicks in and it's all about the fear of a backlash. I
say let's speak out, take responsibility and deal with the backlash -- it will
be worse if we remain silent.
Added to this are people like the repulsive British politician, George Galloway,
who says Europe is to blame for what has happened. No one wants to touch the
real issue.
The real issue is that this violence will continue and get much worse unless all
of us stand up and acknowledge the ugly virus within us and say no to armed
jihad. All of us, in once voice, need to denounce and condemn armed jihad as a
seventh-century construct, not applicable in this day and age.
How have media addressed the issue? They immediately brought in "experts" to
analyze the motives of the attackers to smithereens. There is nothing left to
analyze. It is simple: It is a war against us. Let us stop the talking heads and
take some action.
Political correctness should not trump the truth.
To bring home this point: Following an attack on two Canadian military officers
in Toronto on March 14, 2016, I was invited the next day by a local TV station
to comment. At first, the media did not wish to publish the words spoken by the
attacker: "Allah made me do it." The next day, the news reported that the
attacker had "mental health issues." Again, no surprise here. Mental health
issues are a good "fallback." But I said on the news that if a person has the
wherewithal to find a specific military location and attack two officers, he is
capable of being a terrorist.
Once again, we failed to connect the dots. The CTV News clip of my interview
never made it to the internet. Are they not able to handle the truth?
Following a terrorist attack on two Canadian military officers in Toronto last
week (left), the media initially did not wish to publish the words spoken by the
attacker: "Allah made me do it." Following yesterday's bombings in Brussels, the
media immediately brought in "experts" to analyze the motives of the attackers.
There is nothing left to analyze. It is simple: It is a war against us.
Our leadership, meanwhile, has developed a philosophy of "hug-a-terrorist" and
deflecting the conversation into a politically correct Kumbaya mode.
On October 22, 2014, I wrote an open letter to Canadians on my blog. In this I
made some clear suggestions about the dangers we face, and solutions. The
backlash was fast and furious, not only from Muslims but from bleeding-heart
white liberals -- those who do not help our cause by promoting the victim
ideology.
So, once again we are standing where we were many years ago, but worse off
because hundreds more civilians have been slaughtered in the radical Islamist
war against the West.
Countering this armed jihad is our responsibility because the problem emanates
from the House of Islam and the lives of our next generations are at stake here.
There are solutions. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which has a
membership of 57 Muslims states spread over four continents, is the second
largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations. The world
needs to take the OIC to task and challenge it about what it has done or is
doing to stem the tide of violence emanating from the Muslim world. The world
needs to understand that ISIS is not trying to set up a Caliphate. The OIC is
the Caliphate. Its members conveniently look away in face of blatant terrorism
because their only focus is to dislodge Israel and condemn the West.
We cannot let the OIC speak for us. We face a simple choice: We can either speak
out ourselves or wait for Mr. Trump to be elected and he will do it for us.
**Raheel Raza is president of the Council for Muslims Facing Tomorrow and
founding member of the Muslim Reform Movement.
Follow Raheel Raza on Twitter and Facebook
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. 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.
Time for the Arabs to
Get off the Fence
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/March 23/16
A few hours separated two events last week: the Arab League picked a new
secretary general, and its foreign ministers labelled Hezbollah of Lebanon a
terrorist organization.
There is nothing untoward about the appointment of Egypt’s Ahmed Aboul-Gheit as
new secretary general of the Arab League, as the man is neither a novice
diplomat nor an accidental tourist in the political arena, but is rather a
veteran diplomat and politician whether as an ambassador or a foreign minister.
What is new, in fact, is that Mr Aboul-Gheit will find himself forced to deal
with a different Arab scene where there is no more room for niceties, pleading
and running away from real solutions. At present we may have reached “the era of
getting off the fence” and forgetting about running away from challenges through
empty talk.
Since the ‘Arab Spring’, that momentous event that Arabs everywhere continue to
disagree on how to define and evaluate, the comfort zone and room for manoeuvres
have shrunk drastically. At the moment, the Arabs are frankly facing decision
time and clear cut positions. Here we have to confess that we have reached this
point not by choice but rather as a result of pressing internal and external
issues that are impossible to temporarily adjourn or permanently ignore.
Internally, there are the problematic issues of religious and national
identities which have become ever more acute after the ‘Arab Spring’ which
brought down regimes that monopolised power for four decades during which new
generations emerged against the background of diminishing resources, increased
expectations, and unrestricted interaction and communications.
Many Arab entities, within its 2011 borders, were running away from providing
convincing answers to questions about their legitimacy, borders, popular
representation and social cohesion. In fact, if some claim that the occupation
of Iraq in 2003 was the incendiary device that ignited the fire of Sunni – Shi’i
conflict, others may point out that the seeds of this conflict were sown in 1979
when Ayatullah Khomeini of Iran decide to “export his Islamic Revolution, and in
his own way “guide” the Muslims of the world to what he peddled as the ‘true
Islam’!
The policy of “exporting the Islamic Revolution” in its unadulterated sectarian
form was bound to encounter a sectarian reaction based on a logical counter
argument: self defence. Indeed, the Khomeini onslaught, with its Persian
hard-core content, ‘Islamist’ and ‘revolutionary’ coating, and painted by the
slogans of ‘Liberation of Palestine’ and ‘Death to America & Israel’ were soon
confronted theologically, nationalistically, politically, and of course
militarily.
The Iran – Iraq War was a significant and costly round in what we see today as
an existential war between an Arab world that has understood Islam in an open
and uncomplicated ‘generic’ format and an extreme nationalist and theocratic
Iranian regime whose philosophy and discourse have been based on a melange of
complexes including haughtiness, vengefulness, and insistence on ‘correcting of
the wrongs’ of history and geography using as a weapon the same weapon the Arabs
had used before to conquer a non-Muslim Iran , i.e. Islam itself!
From the outset the Khomeini project rejected coexistence and sought hegemony.
And if Khomeini considered – in his own words – that he “drank the cup of
poison” by agreeing to the ceasefire with Iraq, his project of hegemony has not
died. It has not for two main reasons:
Firstly, Arab mistakes. The first and foremost of which was Iraq’s invasion of
Kuwait.
Secondly, Iran’s success in absorbing the shock of the aborted war, and its
re-launch of its penetrative offensive in a smart, silent and more diligent
manner instead of brutal direct confrontation.
Actually, one example of how Iran managed to learn from its past mistakes was
its refusal to be dragged into the Afghanistan quagmire when Washington was on
the side of Taliban who were then viciously fighting the Shi’i Hazara. It also
turned a blind eye in 1998 and let pass the murders of a number of Iranian
diplomats in Mazar-i-Sharif, in northern Afghanistan.
Since then the post-Khomeini Iran, led by self-proclaimed ‘reformers’ and
‘moderates’, knew how to benefit from the ever increasing Arab frustration, and
mushrooming of Sunni extremist ‘Jihadists’ spreading from Indonesia (the Abu
Bakar Ba’ashir group accused of the Bali attacks) in the east, to the USA, the
target of the September 11th outrage in the west. In such a climate the
political attitudes of several ‘liberal’ and ‘progressive’ western politicians
matured to bring about the current positions of the ‘Democrat’ Barack Obama,
‘traditional Left-wing Labour’ Jeremy Corbyn and ‘ex-Communist’ Federica
Mogherini, all of whom firmly believe that dialogue is possible – indeed,
necessary – with ‘political Shi’ism’ but never with ‘Political Sunnism’.
Today this is the heavy tax the Arab world is paying; firstly because it is the
closest Muslim neighbour to Christian Europe, secondly because it is the largest
Muslim population worldwide, and thirdly because Sunnis make up around 75 % of
its population.
The partitioning of the Sudan leading to the birth of the new state of South
Sudan in 2011 (the year of the ‘Arab Spring’), and the de facto partitioning of
Iraq as the new Kurdish state slowly emerges in its northern regions as
preparations gather pace for a referendum whose result is never in doubt, both
confirm the fears that the Middle East is approaching new realities that will
change the maps and borders of 1920.
The fragility of the ‘national unity’ as laid exposed in many a country living
the spasms of the ‘Arab Spring’, combined with the dubious relationship sharing
the helm of the international community between a passive and regressive US
administration, a neo – Czarist Russian leadership, and an aggressive Iranian
regime now emboldened by American goodwill; and then added to all the above is
the emergence of ISIS, a sinister organization whose aim is to enrage the world,
provoke animosities, and increase the enemies of Islam and Muslims. One would
begin to see the serious challenges the Arab has to confront.
We, the Arabs have always talked of ‘brotherly relations’ and ‘one destiny’, but
obviously some of us never really meant what we were saying. Well, now we are
facing realities drawn on the ground by blood and tears. The issue of
self-preservation is neither negotiable nor left to one’s private assessments.
The situation in Libya is not natural and does not bode well, more so as its
potential dangers are threatening Libya’s neighbours. Syria too, given the
apparent agreement between Washington, Moscow and Tehran, may be moving toward
‘partition’ under a diplomatic veil of ‘federalism’ after half of its population
has been uprooted and displaced, and around 600,000 people killed.
Sorry, Mr Aboul-Gheit, our new secretary general, I wish I could be more
optimistic!
**Eyad Abu Shakra is the managing editor of Asharq Al-Awsat. He has been with
the newspaper since 1978.
Causes of Anger
Ali Ibrahim/Asharq AlAwsat/March 23/16
Not a day goes by without news of several terrorist plots and events, mostly
associated with the Middle East, Islamic countries or people or people who
originate from this area.
Terrorism has become a deep-rooted phenomenon and most of its victims and those
affected by it are the peoples and the countries of the region. Over the last
two days, a terrorist attack targeting Egyptian soldiers took place in Al-Arish,
there was a suicide bombing at a market in Istanbul that led to the cancellation
of a football match due to the terrorist threat and an armed battle in Brussels
ended in the arrest of the most wanted man in Europe- the main suspect in the
bloody Paris attacks that took place a few months ago.
The organisation ISIS in Iraq and Syria has become the trademark of terrorism
today after the demise of Al-Qaeda and appears to be Saddam Hussein’s revenge as
many reports trace the organisation’s origins back to the remnants of the Iraqi
intelligence service. What is more frightening is that the same process is
occurring in Libya, which the US president referred to as a “swamp” in his
controversial speech on the Middle East in which he criticised his friends
Cameron and Hollande.
Terrorism’s motives have become incomprehensible and the causes of anger are
also unclear. What is ISIS’ problem with Turkey? In Egypt, there was always an
objection to targeting the army and it is not clear what the political goal of
the organisation that is working in Sinai is unless it is affiliated with
Israel. In Europe, the reasons for the anger felt by the generation that was
born and raised on European land are also unknown. Was it the social
circumstances in society that transformed Abdeslam from a criminal into a
terrorist? Why don’t all violators of the law become terrorists if this is the
case?
We need to examine the hidden reasons behind this anger that turns young men and
women into human bombs that detonate themselves in the streets and in cafes or
carry machine guns and bombs that kill unarmed civilians enjoying themselves in
a coffee shop or a sports club.
What has created this state of anger that has taken on an unjustified form of
madness despite the fact that the world is full of things that cause fury and
anger? However, nobody reacts in this way unless they are part of these
organisations that have made the region an arena for terrorism.
Many were shocked with Obama’s view of the area and his vision of the issue of
terrorism and the region’s relationship with it. However, it seems that this
trend will continue. What will we do with Trump if he wins the American
presidency? What will we do with his public point of view towards Muslims that
he does not hide? Even if he does not win and his role becomes limited to that
of a Republican candidate, he will cause many storms.
The phenomenon of terrorism is not new to the world, it is old and exists in
many areas and appears to be the desperate response of some groups or parties in
developed societies to what it sees as political injustice. Even in America,
local groups have carried out alarming actions like those that took place in
Oklahoma. The First World War, which claimed tens of millions of lives was also
caused by a terrorist assassination. What is new is that terrorist organisations
are trying to hijack a religion to justify acts of terrorism, and this is what
must be firmly condemned and fought. They should not be allowed to use religion
as a justification for their actions in any way.
Terrorist groups such as Al-Jihad and Al-Qaeda emerged around three decades ago
and now there is ISIS. We do not know what the future holds, but it is clear
that intellectual confrontation must take a path other than what it took
previously as this did not bear fruit.
**Ali Ibrahim is Asharq Al-Awsat's deputy editor-in-chief. He is based in
London.
Brussels, the
sanctuary for terror suspects, is attacked!
Mohamed Chebarro/Al Arabiya/March 23/16
The security forces in France and Belgium hardly had the time to rejoice over
the arrest of Salah Abdussalam, after a four months manhunt across Europe, until
terrorists struck again, this time in Brussels. The attacks did not come as a
surprise as many governments have warned, time and again, that attacks are being
planned and were imminent. The PM of Belgium clearly stated: “What we feared has
happened”, warning of the possibility of more attacks in the future. What is
disturbing though is the level of complicity between the Paris attack’s prime
suspect Saleh Abdussalam and his accomplices and may be those who staged the
Brussels attacks, Belgium and French citizens of North African origin who
harbored a criminal or were indirectly complicit in plans to bomb and harm
civilians in Paris and later Brussels. The capture of Abdussalam alive is seen
as an important coup and potentially a gold mine of information as the security
forces are desperate to get closer to the terror mindset and those behind them
who planned the deadly Paris attacks on November 13, 2015. The security forces
expected, we are told, a reaction to Abdulsalam arrest. However, they did not
factor it to be as bold and daring as the attacks at Brussels Airport and
Maelbeek Metro station. Cells linked to Abdussalam did not wait for the police
to round them up and instead launched more attacks that clearly were in the
planning stages. The debriefing of Abdussalam is yet to yield insight into the
terror organization’s operations and its networks across Europe. However, his
capture has revealed the surprisingly reliable network of friends and family
that could harbor terrorists for a longtime few miles from central Brussels.
Muslims in Europe need to decide whether they wish to continue to offer
sanctuary for those who have once been sons, cousins, business partners or
neighbors to turn criminals bent on killing innocent commuters. Molenbeeck,
Shaerbeek, and Forest in Belgium, Seine St Denis, Courneuve, and others ghettos
like suburbs of Paris are hubs for rough elements that melt in housing estates
inhabited by people of immigrant background. The racially diverse neighborhoods
have gradually become hubs for dissent. On the other hand, due to budgetary cuts
and pressure on social services during the past two decades in European cities,
alternative networks of social support have grown on the fringe of municipal and
state apparatus. Pockets of poverty have grown minutes from city centers and
within them alternative networks of social support diverted aid and services for
many inhabitants in return for future unspecified services.
Such services were accurately portrayed in a 2012 Hollywood movie, Erased, where
the daughter of a CIA operative, compromised by a deal gone wrong and pursued by
his employer, finds hideouts and help from his daughter’s contacts among
undocumented immigrant in Belgian neighborhoods. The film showed how the
daughter and her ex-CIA father found safe houses and transport around the city
under the noses of agents of the law who were trying to hunt them down.
Finding sanctuaries
It is in those streets that fugitive Salah Abdulsalam found sanctuary. He was
part of the fabric like many of his peers from early age benefiting from the
comfort and security of such neighborhoods. Since the Paris attacks of November
2015, experts close to the investigations have gone on to describe him as well
known in the Molenbeek area and known in local legitimate and illegitimate
circles hanging out in local cafes, sports clubs and even mosque. The story of
Abdulsalam is yet to unfold but one thing is sure that the enemy within is not a
fallacy in many European cities and that is why the wake up calls will keep
coming. Brussels today, Paris yesterday and more such attacks tomorrow. In all,
it is the Muslim communities in those cities that must face up to realities. Do
they wish to live and flourish in such cities that they adopted as home when
life has become unbearable in their native countries, or they wish to be
accomplices and potential silent witnesses to onslaught being carried out in the
name of a false cause against their host communities. Muslims in Molenbeek,
Schaerbeek, and elsewhere in Europe need to decide, as time is running out,
whether they wish to continue to offer sanctuaries for those who have once been
sons, cousins, business partners or neighbors turning into criminals bent on
killing innocent commuters in a bid to drum up some wide ranging false Jihadi
cause in Syria, Iraq or Palestine. Or even allow their sons and loved ones to be
used in canny plots to spread chaos in remote societies and countries as a
punishment they were told for EU and US policies upholding human rights and
calling for the removal of dictators like Assad who continue to kill innocent
civilians and destroy cities and villages across Syria and people who have dared
to rebel against his rule for the past five years.
The current threat to Europe and the wider western world should be looked at
from this prism as statements by Assad and his cronies such as Hezbollah leader
in Lebanon did not hide in their vindictive language that the attacks in
Brussels today and Paris yesterday are a price Belgium and France are paying for
supporting the rights of Syrians long oppressed by Assad to rise.
Obama’s anti-Arab views confirm suspicions
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor/Al Arabiya/March 23/16
Jeffrey Goldberg’s appraisal of the “The Obama doctrine”, that has caused a
furore in response to the president’s scathing views on America’s Arab allies,
has done us a favour. Now we know beyond question where we stand in the US
global pecking order, which appears to be way down the scale of the Obama
administration’s priorities. Barack Obama no longer believes that the Middle
East is “terribly important to American interests” but insists that the Saudis
need to share the region with their Iranian foes in the form of a “cold peace”.
Of great concern is his failure to disagree with his interviewer’s observation
that he “is less likely than previous presidents to axiomatically side with
Saudi Arabia in its dispute with its arch-rival Iran”. That makes sense when he
has evidently forgiven the past sins of both Iran and its Lebanese proxy
Hezbollah. It comes as Iran has been legitimised and enriched by the
US-initiated nuclear deal. I strongly second the published rebuttal of HRH
Prince Turki Al Faisal headed “Mr. Obama, we are not ‘free riders’”. “You add
insult to injury by telling us to share our world with Iran, a country that you
describe as a supporter of terrorism and which you promised our king to counter
its ‘destabilising activities” was his message to the US President.
Prince Turki rightly highlights that Saudi initiated the meetings that resulted
in the coalition fighting the Islamic State (Daesh), offered ground troops, is
assisting Yemenis to reclaim their country from pro-Iranian Houthi rebels, and
has established a coalition to help eradicate terrorists from the planet.
I too, was appalled at Obama’s disrespectful opinions, especially those related
to Saudi Arabia, but not surprised because they correlate with his actions and
non-actions within the region. Rather than the “free riders” and “oppressors” he
allegedly considers Saudi Arabia and other Arab states to be, it is beginning to
look like we are the ones who have been taken for a ride.
Muslim reach-out
In his much celebrated 2009 reach-out to the Muslim world at Cairo University,
he called upon Muslims to join with the US in “a new beginning” based on mutual
respect. He was flattering, acknowledging the contributions of Muslims to
civilization while admitting many of his own country’s mistakes. He commiserated
with Palestinian suffering and was later to pledge the creation of a Palestinian
state was a goal he would actively pursue. He dropped that pledge at the first
hurdle and it appears respect has become a one-way street.
It turns out the Cairo address was a con. When Goldberg asked Obama what it was
meant to achieve, he said, “My argument was this: Let’s all stop pretending that
the cause of the Middle East’s problems is Israel...I was hoping my speech could
trigger a discussion, could create space for Muslims to address the real
problems they are confronting – problems of governance, and the fact that some
currents of Islam have not gone through a reformation that would help people
adapt their religious doctrines to modernity.” So it wasn’t a reach out at all;
it was a lecture dressed in sweet-smelling roses.
According to Goldberg, the day he stepped back from his own red line on Syria’s
use of chemical weapons was “the day he defied not only the foreign-policy
establishment...but also the demands of America’s frustrating, high maintenance
allies in the Middle East – countries, he complains privately to friends and
advisers, that seek to exploit American ‘muscle’ for their own narrow and
sectarian ends.”
On the contrary, Mr Obama, it was America’s unwarranted muscle in Iraq that
fuelled sectarianism which bore ISIS, and it was your intervention in Libya that
helped create the armed militias and the feuding tribes creating a chasm between
Benghazi and Tripoli that is being filled by ISIS fighters fleeing Syria.
Bringing down the Syrian dictator who has murdered hundreds of thousands of his
own people and caused over half the population to flee their homes, would have
been a just war, but you turned your back on the Syrian people.
As for America’s “high maintenance allies,” I would remind you that Arab troops
were on the frontlines of Desert Storm and fighter jets from Saudi and other GCC
states were in the air. A report by the Rand Organization tells us that the
Kingdom paid over half of the costs of that war to liberate Kuwait, and as you
know well, without Arab military purchases running in the billions of dollars,
the coffers of US arms manufacturers would dramatically shrink.
Let us not forget too that America’s generosity to less wealthy Arab countries
comes with strings. One must also question why you rapped Egypt on the knuckles
for bombing ISIS in Libya if you are keen to see Arabs sort out their own
problems. In a world beset by increasing dangers, we need the US to retain its
role as the global power as long as its policies are applied fairly and justly
within our neighborhood. Obama’s insults come fast and furious. He says his
insistence that Arab and European states took the lead in striking Muammar
Qaddafi’s Libya was to prevent them from “holding our coats while we did all the
fighting”. He has questioned ‘the role’ played by “America’s Sunni Arab allies
in fomenting anti-American terrorism,” and blames Saudi Arabia and Gulf states
for Indonesia’s conservatively religious status. Yet, he was one of the Muslim
Brotherhood’s greatest cheerleaders in its quest to transform Egypt into an
Islamist theocracy, overlooking anti-American statements by its leadership
including this from the mouth of its jailed former Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie,
who described the US as an infidel which “does not champion moral and human
values and cannot lead humanity.”
Saudi Arabia and Gulf states have been close allies of the United States since
1945 when King Abdulaziz Al Saud joined President Franklin D. Roosevelt on board
an American cruiser off Egypt’s shores to sign an oil agreement. Apart from a
few minor hiccups, the relationship has always been warm and mutually
beneficial. However, when Obama was asked whether he considered Saudi Arabia a
friend, he answered, “It’s complicated”. That certainly wasn’t the impression he
left with GCC heads of state and high officials who accepted his invitation to
Camp David where they accepted his assurances over the Iran deal!
In a world beset by increasing dangers, we need the US to retain its role as the
global power as long as its policies are applied fairly and justly within our
neighborhood. President Obama will be packing up to leave the White House in
less than nine months. There will be few tears shed in my part of the world; he
has let us down. I can only hope that the coming Leader of the Free World will
be more appreciative of our efforts to battle against terrorism and bring
stability to the region. I trust that he or she will see Iran bathed in its true
colours, assist us to free the downtrodden Arabs in occupied Ahwaz, release Iraq
from its Iranian puppet government, Lebanon from Hezbollah’s stranglehold, and
treat the Israeli-Palestinian peace process as a priority. In short, America
needs a president that leads from the front, not from behind – and so do we.
The idea behind bringing
Syria’s war to an end
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/March 23/16
There is no victor or loser in this Syrian crisis which has begun to spin out of
control and expand beyond its borders. It has deeply impacted the world which is
supposed to be governed in accordance with international laws. This inability
has pushed superpowers to do what we witness today – resorting to negotiations
of the “non-solution.”I saw a footage of the Syrian regime delegation at the
entrance to the hall set up for negotiations in Geneva. The opposition
delegation comprised of members approved by the parties that previously opposed
its formation. It wasn’t difficult to conclude that these negotiations will not
achieve real results and will not end the war. As far as the mediators
succeeding in convincing the two sides to sit across the table, it only suggests
that their skills remained limited to this end. Each party was convinced to
engage in negotiations on the premise that it will not be forced to accept what
it does not want. In exchange, they will allow a series of measures such as
truce and humanitarian initiatives. The mediator succeeded in stopping the
fighting or at least decreasing its intensity, exchanging some prisoners and
delivering aid to those besieged on both the sides. These are significant
achievements which international mediator Steffan De Mistura has indeed managed
to ensure. However, they don't lead to resolution of the conflict.The state’s
stability is a condition for federalism and Syria is no longer a state run by
institutions
In order to convince them to go to Switzerland and sit on the negotiating table,
the Syrian regime was told that Bashar al-Assad’s departure is no longer an
American condition and that the opposition has been told that the Russians no
longer object to them becoming part of governance. This is why the initiative
worked, but I think the negotiations will not reach a conclusion because they do
not have a major plan to end the crisis.
The Iraq model
Mediators may once again suggest the idea of restructuring of the regime in
which Assad remains the head of state but without executive powers and the
premiership be granted to the opposition while promising it expanded
jurisdictions. This is almost similar to the model the Americans designed in
Iraq. Of course no one believes promises, specifically that Assad will settle
with protocol-related jurisdictions. Over various rounds of negotiations, we
have witnessed radical changes being made to the ideas suggested. To begin with,
the idea was for Assad to give up power completely. Then came the idea of Assad
exiting power following a transitional phase of 18 months and elections to form
a hybrid regime. Finally there is the suggestion that the criminal stays in
power with the victim, so it is Assad and the opposition. Suggestions have also
been made to divide Syria entirely. However, this has been rejected by the
Syrians and a number of countries in the region. It is also not easy to
implement such a solution even if it is approved. Recently, there has been talk
of a federal solution but I don’t know to what extent it may suit the current
circumstances. The state’s stability is a condition for federalism and in Syria
there is no longer a state run by institutions. This solution suits a regime
that needs internal administrative arrangements and not a country in a state of
war. Can any of the previous solutions be implemented, assuming superpowers will
support any? Those who understand the nature of the conflict are well-aware that
it is impossible to reach a solution in which Assad and the opposition are
together. What may be possible is engaging the opposition in the regime’s
hierarchy but without the regime’s senior leaders, particularly Assad. Syria is
not Yugoslavia where a division was possible due to ethnic components, which may
be divided.
If negotiations are just a distraction to stop the war then just keeping them
busy with negotiations will not maintain peace for long.
Tolerance in Europe amid a
history of violence
Turki Al-Dakhil/Al Arabiya/March 23/16
The concept of tolerance brings hope to any society that practices it.
Solidifying the concept is, however, not spontaneous and requires social and
political efforts. In Europe, tolerance emerged as a result of the disastrous
war between the Protestants and the Catholics. It was, at the time, an antidote
to the unprecedented madness witnessed in Europe’s religious wars. This is what
also pushed philosophers to lecture and explain the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights. There are two major figures we must refer to while discussing
tolerance – they are French philosopher Voltaire and English philosopher John
Locke. They wrote on the subject, explained and clarified it to the extent that
it is no longer possible to understand or explain tolerance without reading,
understanding and digging into their meaning. In his book Treatise on Tolerance,
Voltaire reprimands his Christian community and writes: “The Japanese were the
most tolerant of all nations. Twelve peaceful religions were already established
within their empire when the Jesuits came to add the thirteenth. It was soon
apparent, however, that these cared little for competition and proceeded to
suppress the others. We know what ensued. A civil war, no less terrible than
those of the Catholic League, devastated the country. The Christian religion
finally drowned in its own ocean of blood.”John Locke has addressed the subject
of tolerance in a direct manner, referring to the legacy of religious tolerance
among Christians and voices surprise over some fanatics’ practices
“The Japanese closed their empire to the rest of the world once and for all,
deeming us to be no better than wild animals, like those of which the English
had purged their island. Minister Colbert was keenly aware that we needed the
Japanese far more than they needed us, but it was in vain that he pleaded for
trade links. He found them to be utterly inflexible. And so the history of our
entire continent gives proof that it is foolish either to promulgate religious
intolerance or to base policy upon it.”John Locke addresses the subject of
tolerance in a direct manner, referring to the legacy of religious tolerance
among Christians and voices surprise over some fanatics’ practices. He writes:
“That any man should think fit to cause another man – whose salvation he
heartily desires – to expire in torments, and that even in an unconverted state,
would, I confess, seem very strange to me, and I think, to any other also. But
nobody, surely, will ever believe that such a carriage can proceed from charity,
love, or goodwill.”
Derida’s deconstruction
Despite the sovereignty of tolerance as it exists in Europe today on the social
level, thanks to the rule of law, the concept of tolerance there remains a
matter of discussion and dialogue. French philosopher, Jacques Derrida, who is
associated with the idea of deconstruction, distinguished between natural,
innocent and unconditional tolerance and forgiveness, which comes in a
condescending manner. He writes: “What I dream of, what I try to think as the
purity of a forgiveness worthy of its name, would be a forgiveness without
power, unconditional but without sovereignty.” “The most difficult task, at once
necessary and apparently impossible, would be to dissociate unconditionality and
sovereignty. Will that be done one day? It is not around the corner as, as is
said.”In order not to assess the experiences of other nations in bloodshed,
wars, violence and elimination of others, we need to remember instances of
tolerance in the history of Islam during its golden age when Jews and Christians
in Andalusia were respected by Muslims. They had their rights and were treated
in a humane manner. Let’s recall Voltaire’s statement: “The rage that is
inspired by the dogmatic spirit and the abuse of the Christian religion, wrongly
conceived, has shed as much blood and led to as many disasters in Germany,
England, and even Holland, as in France.”
Tolerance is the mother, the future and the pillar of civilized coexistence.
Attack on Brussels marks
Europe’s day of horror
Andrew J. Bowen/Al Arabiya/March 23/16
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, ISIS militants carried out two of the
most horrific terrorist attacks in Belgian history. These incidents – executed
by individuals likely linked with those who were involved in the 2015 November
attacks in Paris – underscore the deepening challenge that extremism poses to
European society’s cohesion, security, and future. Will this day be the nail in
the coffin for the Schengen zone as EU leaders already grapple with the
humanitarian challenges of Syria’s refugee crisis? Will this day further empower
far right who try to capitalize on these challenges for their own political
advancement?
It would be a mistake to meet this challenge with fear and the construction of
new walls and barriers à la Trump. It would be more constructive to address this
challenge to both European and global security with resilience, cooperation, and
constructive policies.
Europe’s deepening challenge
While it’s not immediately clear the nationality of those involved in the
attacks at Brussels’s airport and a metro station near the headquarters of the
European Union, which resulted in the tragic death of over 30 people, the
challenge of radicalized Europeans going to Syria to fight and return to their
countries of origin to engage in terror can’t be under-estimated. As these
horrible events in Paris and Brussels illustrate, the challenges posed by
foreign extremist groups and domestic homegrown terrorism require more
cooperation and better intelligence sharing. Efforts need to be increased to
disrupt and dismantle these networks in Europe and their financing. Saudi
Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s global coalition against
extremism is an important step but one that needs to be followed up by more
security cooperation and tangible commitments to make such a coalition effective
Border security across the EU needs to be tightened and Brussels needs to work
more with regional states including Turkey, Iraq, Russia, Jordan, and Saudi
Arabia in helping monitor and track individuals leaving the battlefields of
Syria and prosecuting them.
Equally so, despite some US Presidential candidates’ vitriolic rhetoric, the
attempts to scapegoat Syrian refugees who are fleeing violence as part of this
wave of extremism and violence in Europe is both unethical and irresponsible.
Without a sustainable plan to secure these displaced persons’ future (with the
recent agreement with Turkey an initial step), their failure to be welcomed into
European states or resettled elsewhere will have long-term economic and security
implications. Instead of focusing solely on these refugees as a threat to EU
security, greater efforts need to be taken to counter violent extremism in these
states’ societies through effective homeland security measures and education.
More efforts also need to be done to prosecute those who engage in hateful
rhetoric.
Global threat
While President Obama has at times downplayed the strategic threat ISIS plays to
global security, the multiple events in Turkey, France, and Belgium illustrate
that ISIS poses a threat beyond the Middle East and critically, to the freedom
and prosperity of global society. As Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan argue in
their new edition of ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror, ISIS is actively planning
operations well beyond Syria and Iraq. While the collapse of the Syrian and
Iraqi states will be a long-term challenge (regardless of whether Russia and
Iran can enshrine President Assad in the future of “Syria”), the ideology of
ISIS and its extra-territorial focus extends will beyond its shrinking ‘state’s
borders. In the short-term, the US and its NATO partners, in the wake of
terrorist attacks in France, Turkey, and Belgium, should consider increasing
military air and special forces operations to dismantle and destroy ISIS’ hold
over Syrian and Iraqi territory. It would be foolish to think that ISIS will
only focus their sights on Europe or the Middle East. We already have seen
ISIS-inspired or coordinated plots disrupted in the United States and Russia. We
have witnessed as well ISIS’ terrorist attacks in the GCC and Egypt. President
Putin’s “mission accomplished” moment this month in Syria naively shrouds the
fact that Russia’s original goal, eliminating ISIS, was a job Putin never really
took seriously and is fine leaving left undone. The time is now for more robust
cooperation on defeating ISIS alongside Syria peace talks in Geneva.
In the longer-term, ISIS’s ideology and any of its successors’ who subscribe to
it will not go away once and if ISIS looses its territory. This ideology
requires robust, global cooperation to counter-it and denies it opportunities to
take root. Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s global
coalition against extremism is an important step but one that needs to be
followed up by more security cooperation and tangible commitments to make such a
coalition effective. Beyond military means, this ideology can only be truly
countered by education and the deepening capacity of states to respond to
socio-economic challenges. This day of horror underscored the resilience of the
Belgian people and their European brothers and sisters to remain resilient and
united. In this dark hour, Washington and European capitals can’t give into the
fears that Marine Le Pen and Donald Trump seek to capitalize on and whip up for
their own political advancement. It is the voices of cooperation, resilience,
and bridge building that will bring the world together to address this extremism
which hit both Brussels and Istanbul this month.
Arab Press Reactions To The Brussels
Attacks: Blaming The West, Enemies In The Region For The Spread Of Global
Terrorism
MEMRI/March 23/16/Special Dispatch No.6360
The March 22, 2016
terror attacks in Brussels triggered a wave of condemnation from all Arab and
Islamic countries, which stressed their opposition to terrorism. However, the
condemnations and articles in the Arab press also highlighted the attempts, on
the part of every country and every regional bloc, to place the blame for the
attacks on their respective opponents in the region, while accusing the West of
supporting this particular opponent.
Thus, for example, the Syrian regime of President Bashar Al-Assad, and Hizbullah,
both stated that the terrorism afflicting Europe was the same terrorism that is
targeting Syria. They said that the responsibility for the spread of global
terrorism lies with Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, as well as with the U.S.
and the other Western countries that support them. On the other hand, the Saudi
press and opponents of the Assad regime accused Iran and the Assad regime – in
addition to the West, for turning a blind eye to their actions.
Meanwhile, articles in the official Egyptian press blamed the main opponent of
the Al-Sisi regime there – the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) – as well as European
countries that they say have supported the MB in recent years despite Egypt’s
warnings. The Palestinian press, for its part, blamed the West for encouraging
global terrorism by supporting Israeli policy and by failing to implement
international resolutions on the Palestinian issue.
“Europe” and “Middle East” attempt to unload the “ISIS” bomb (Al-Watan, Qatar,
March 23, 2016)
Following is a review of these reactions:
Syrian Regime And Hizbullah: Europe, U.S. Responsible For Brussels Attacks –
Because Of Their Support For Turkey, Qatar, And Saudi Arabia, Which Sponsor
Terrorism
The Syrian regime, which regularly accuses the U.S., Europe, Saudi Arabia, and
Qatar of supporting the rebel groups fighting it, held the same parties
responsible for the Brussels attacks. Syrian regime spokesmen and mouthpieces
claimed that the attacks in Brussels and worldwide were the result of the
“misguided policy” of the U.S. and European countries that support the terrorism
that is fostered by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel.
Thus, for example, an official Saudi Foreign Ministry source said: “The attacks
in Brussels, and before that in Paris and elsewhere around the world, once again
illustrate that terrorism has no borders, and that such attacks are the
inevitable result of the misguided policy [of the West] and of [its] solidarity
with terrorism. This is aimed at actualizing specific agendas and legitimizing
terrorism by defining several terrorist organizations [i.e. Syrian opposition
organizations] as moderate, although they ultimately emerged from the takfiri
Wahhabi ideology…”[1]
‘Ali Nasrallah, a columnist for the official Syrian daily Al-Thawra, attacked
Europe for its tolerance vis-à-vis countries that he said support terrorism,
chiefly Saudi Arabia and Turkey. He mentioned Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin
Naif’s recent visit to France – during which French President Francois Hollande
awarded him the Order of Légion d’Honneur for his regional and global efforts
fighting extremism and terrorism – and called on the French people to “not allow
their president to harm their homeland’s legacy and sell France’s honor to the
Wahhabis.” He added: “They must immediately prosecute him [Hollande] for shaming
the French decorations of honor by pinning them to the robe of Saudi extremism…
Additionally, all the parliaments in Europe must prosecute their own governments
for [their] policy of tolerance towards [Turkish President] Erdogan’s Muslim
Brotherhood regime…
“The blasts in Brussels are a ringing shout that calls to Europe to awaken from
her slumber… They are a direct continuation of the terrorism that has targeted
the Syrians, shed the hearts’ blood of the Iraqis, and harmed many peoples in
the region and the world. This terrorism would not have spread had its
organizations and its supporting entities not received an American green light,
and not received Western incentives that spurred and encouraged the Israelis to
place their knowhow at the service of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, in order
to intensify the strength of Al-Qaeda, Jabhat Al-Nusra, and ISIS…”[2]
Similarly, Hizbullah issued a statement blaming the Brussels attacks on
“regional and international forces” that support terrorist groups, hinting at
Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and also blamed the Western countries that support them:
“The responsibility for these crimes, that target city after city around the
world, lies with the attacks by the takfiris, as well as with the regional and
international forces that stand behind them and provide them with doctrinal,
moral, and material support. These attacks reaffirm the danger of these
terrorist groups, and show that the fire that has burned Europe as well as the
rest of the world is the same fire that was set by certain regimes against Syria
and other countries in the region. Unfortunately, the entire world knows the
source of this danger and who funds it – yet, despite this, the superpowers
continue to support and defend the countries that sponsor and export
terrorism.”[3]
Saudi Press, Assad Regime Opponents: Iran, Assad Regime Are Responsible For
Global Terrorism
On the other hand, the Saudi press blamed the Saudi enemies, Iran and the Assad
regime, for the attacks, and blamed as well the Western countries that were
allegedly turning a blind eye to Iran’s support for terrorism.
In its editorial the day after the attacks, the official Saudi daily Al-Riyadh
accused Iran, writing: “…The war on terrorism requires not only hunting down the
terrorists in Iraq and Syria, where they are located, but also looking for those
who afford them safe haven on their soil, and for those who spark the fire of
sectarianism and aid the terrorist militias. [These militias] ceaselessly fan
the flames of hatred among sectors [of the population], and push both the
Syrians and the Iraqis to behave in extremist ways, after their countries were
destroyed. This happened and is still happening, in both Iraq and Syria, which
are in fact controlled by Iran’s agenda. This is the same Iran whose cooperation
with Al-Qaeda was proven in recently published American documents, and which
explicitly adopts the activity of the terrorist organization Hizbullah. Failure
to confront [Iran] will force the region to deal in future with difficult
scenarios and ongoing terrorist attacks, like the ones in recent days in
Istanbul and Brussels.”[4]
Randa Taqi Al-Din, a columnist for the London-based Saudi daily Al-Hayat,
accused the West of turning a blind eye in years past to reports that the Assad
regime, and Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki, were collaborating with
terrorist organizations, and that this is one reason that these organizations
now pose a global existential threat. She wrote: “Undoubtedly the West, and
particularly the U.S., have seen how, right under their noses, Nouri Al-Maliki
transferred ISIS activists from Iraq to Syria, and later Bashar Al-Assad
released them from his prisons and used them, to the point where ISIS is now his
partner in burning and destroying Syria and threatening the world. This threat
has become a true existential one.”[5]
Syrian regime opponents supported by Saudi Arabia and Qatar also blamed the
Brussels attacks on the Syrian regime, launching the Twitter hashtag in Arabic
“The Brussels Attacks Are An Assad Product.” Syrian Al-Jazeera anchor Faisal Al-Qassem
tweeted: “Do you remember the threats by Bashar Al-Assad’s mufti, Ahmad Hassoun,
to send suicide bombers to Europe? Has Bashar Al-Assad finally begun carry out
Ahmad Hassoun’s threats?”[6]
Syrian artist Hossam Al-Din Malas likewise tweeted his accusations against the
Syrian regime: “Have you forgotten or ignored the source of terrorism?! Listen
to the threats made by [Mufti] Al-Hassoun regarding attacks targeting European
cities.” In another tweet, he also blamed the West for the spread of terrorism:
“It is the world that rewards Iranian terrorism and signs commercial deals with
it that is responsible for the growth and spread of terrorism.”
Egyptian Press: Europe Was Burned By Terrorism Due To Its Embrace Of The MB
The Egyptian press blamed the Brussels attack on the Egyptian regime’s greatest
domestic enemy – the MB movement – as well as on European countries that support
it. Articles in the Egyptian press on the attacks linked ISIS terrorism to the
MB and argued that the European countries that embraced the MB had ultimately
been burned by it, because the MB is “the ideological hotbed for all extremist
takfiri organizations.”
Thus, for example, the editorial of the official Egyptian daily Al-Ahram stated:
“These deadly attacks confirm that the Egyptian view was correct. For a long
time, [Egypt] warned that terrorism would spread to the heart of Europe, and
that the West’s [flagrant] disregard of the war that Egypt and other Middle
Eastern countries had for years waged against terrorism does not mean that the
fire of terrorism would spare it…
“For many years, some European countries have maintained ties to extremist
religious groups, embraced their leaders, and allowed them freedom of action and
freedom of movement on their soil. These countries thought that they could use
these organizations for [their own] political interests in the Middle East, and
[believed] in the delusion that these organizations would defend the West from
the evil of even more extremist groups.
“However, time has shown that the religious organizations embraced by the West,
chiefly the [Muslim] Brotherhood organization, are the ideological hotbed for
all extremist takfiri organizations… and that the presence of such elements on
European soil has enabled them to attract young people to their radical ideology
and to recruit them to carry out acts of terrorism.
“Egypt has repeatedly demanded the formulation of an international strategy to
deal with terrorism, which would tackle all extremist organizations and ideas,
without exception… This is what Egypt is [also] doing now. Will anyone heed the
call?”[7]
Similarly, Egyptian journalist Mu’ataz Bellah ‘Abd Al-Fattah penned an article
titled “Brussels Pays the Price” in the Egyptian daily Al-Watan, in which he
claimed that Europe was reaping the poison fruits of its leniency towards
extremists: “The tree of terrorism only grows in the forests of extremism. Those
who fight terrorism without fighting extremism will lose both wars… This is how
Western countries operate when they allow extremism to blossom in their midst,
on the pretext of freedom of opinion, freedom of speech, and the right to
political asylum. Then they are burned by the fires of those who carry out
extremist actions on their soil.
“For political terrorism, the adoption of political Islam is necessary, but not
sufficient… The problem is that the West fails to realize that it is sheltering
extremists, and it is then burned by the fire of terrorism, and does not hold
itself accountable for that…”[8]
Palestinian Editorial: Western Support For Israel Encourages Global Terrorism
The Palestinian press included articles hinting at Western responsibility for
the Brussels attacks because of its support for Israel. In its editorial the day
after the attacks, the East Jerusalem-based Palestinian daily Al-Quds argued
that the West, with its support for Israel and its “destructive policy,” was
encouraging ongoing global terrorism:
“The reasons for these contemptible terrorist actions are: the double standard
employed by many countries that claim to champion democracy and human rights
regarding certain peoples, chiefly the Palestinian issue, and the U.S.’s blind
pro-Israel bias; the world’s failure to take practical steps to force Israel to
end its occupation of the Palestinian territories; the failure to implement the
international resolutions regarding the Palestinian issue; and the continued
support of many countries for Israel’s destructive policy. All these encourage
global terrorism. The Western world, particularly the U.S. and Britain, should
deal with the real causes [of this terrorism] rather than [merely] with its
results, or else it will threaten not only Europe, but the entire world as well,
and then no one will be safe from it…”[9]
Endnotes:
[1] SANA (Syria), March 22, 2016.
[2] Al-Thawra (Syria), March 23, 2016.
[3] Alahednews.com.lb, March 22, 2016.
[4] Al-Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), March 23, 2016.
[5] Al-Hayat (London), March 23, 2016.
[6] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6236, Conspiracy Theories In Arab World
Following Paris Attacks: Foreign Intelligence Agencies Planned The Attacks; ISIS
Only Carried Them Out, December 9, 2015.
[7] Al-Ahram (Egypt), March 23, 2016.
[8] Al-Watan (Egypt), March 22, 2016.
[9] Al-Quds (Jerusalem), March 23, 2016.