LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

May 04/16

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.may04.16.htm

News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006

Click Here to go to the LCCC Daily English/Arabic News Buletins Archieves Since 2006

Bible Quotations For Today

I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 11/17-27:"When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’

The end of enemies of the cross is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things.
Letter to the Philippians 03/13-21:"Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained. Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself."

Pope Francis's Tweet For Today & Yesterday

Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God’s mercy, out of love for us, died on the cross, and out of love he rose again from the dead

There is the grave problem of labour, because of the high rate of young adults unemployed, but also for the issue of the dignity of work.
يسوع المسيح، تجسيد رحمة الله، محبّة بنا مات على الصليب ومحبّة بنا قام من الموت
إن مشكلة العمل خطيرة بسبب ارتفاع مُعدَّل البطالة بين الشباب ولأنها تتعلّق أيضًا بكرامة العمل
 

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 04/16

Beirut for the Beirutis/Hussain Abdul-HussainNow Lebanon/May 03/16

Iranian Hezbollah Organization Issues Threats Of Physical Harm Against Former Iranian Presidents Rafsanjani And Khatami, Calls On President Rohani To Cancel JCPOA/EMRI/May 3, 2016
Tiran, Sanafir, Syria, Yemen and Vision 2030/Jamal Khashoggi/Al Arabiya/May 03/16
From Houla to Aleppo: Syria’s Srebrenica moments multiply/Joyce Karam/Al Arabiya/May 03/16
The dilemma of the Arab policymaker/Khaled Almaeena/Al Arabiya/May 03/16
'Yes Men' taking over as the Middle East elite/Khalid Abdulla-Janahi/Al Arabiya/May 03/16
Putin: Leader of the Orthodox Slavs/Mshari Al Thaydi/Al Arabiya/May 03/16
Can Assad be part of a transitional period in Syria/Haid Haid/Now Lebanon/May 03/16
Damascus assassins strike “for Aleppo”/Now Lebanon/May 03/16
op Syria regime officer threatens Homs governor/Now Lebanon/May 03/16

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on May 04/16

Beirut for the Beirutis
Change and Reform Calls for Fair Electoral Law, Granting Expats Representation in Parliament
Orthodox Electoral Law Referred to Parliament Bureau after Joint Committees Meeting
Daryan Condemns Failure to Elect President: Taking Part in Municipal Polls is National Duty
Bassil: Most Successful Foreign Policies are Independent Ones
Report: Hizbullah Encourages Franjieh to Keep Candidacy
Transparency: Perceived Corruption Worsens in Arab States Mainly Lebanon
Syrian-Australian Suspect Arrested in North Lebanon
First Batch of Syrian Refugees Flown to Italy
Majdalani: Some persons want to disrupt presidential deadline indefinitely
Rai chairs Arab League Ambassadors meeting in Bkirki
Bassil: We'll launch resuming nationality law mechanism
Merehbi calls to upgrade Parliament seats representing Akkar Sunnites
Ban cables Rahi, presidential vacuume question of concern for UN
Jumblatt, Jiang take up current developments
Ten withdraw candidacy to mayoral polls in Hermel
Salam, oil importing companies take up garbage landfill issue
Future bloc: Principal Key to end crises in Lebanon Presidential election
Sobhi Tofaili announces his list of candidates in Brital
Hezbollah announces candidates to municipal polls in Bekaa's Annsar
Solitary confinement doubles in Israeli jails: UN panel

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 04/16

Canada continues to designate Iran regime as state sponsor of terror
Religious freedom ‘under assault’ in Iran, U.S. report says
Iran regime continues its spate of brutal hangings
Syrian Coalition: Russia wants Syrians to choose between accepting Assad’s terms or annihilation
Maryam Rajavi: Inaction in the face of great tragedy of the century in Aleppo blemishes the international community
Canada co-sponsors UN Security Council resolution on protection of medical missions in armed conflict situations
NATO alliance getting new supreme commander
Leaked documents, defectors reveal ISIS, Assad regime schemed together
Did Iraq’s Sadr visit Tehran after Green Zone protests?
Israel finds explosives chemical in salt destined to Gaza
US targets ISIS in Mosul, other cities in Iraq, Syria
Berlin to host talks with UN, France, Syria opposition
Bribery highest in Mideast courts, study finds
 

Links From Jihad Watch Site for May 04/16
Bangladesh: Muslims hurl bombs at home of Christian family.
A year after jihadis attacked AFDI free speech event, the war has just begun.
Video: Robert Spencer in Alberta on the roots of ISIS and Islamic anti-Semitism.
Obama plans to cut time spent on screening Muslim migrants.

UK Cardinal calls for “change of heart in our society” to welcome migrants.
Iran: US using the Islamic State “to destroy Islam’s attractions”.
CIA director says secret 9/11 report pages full of hearsay, inaccurate info.
“Robert Spencer’s Calgary talk: Smeared by lefty media, welcomed by normal people”.
Mediocre Minds.
Islamic State attacks in Iraq and Syria at highest level since 2014.
Russia: Explosives found in illegal mosque, detonated by authorities.
Islamic Jihad delegation visits Iran to discuss ways to strengthen intifada.

Latest Lebanese Related News published on May 04/16

Beirut for the Beirutis
Hussain Abdul-HussainNow Lebanon/May 03/16
Lebanon’s oligarchy is threatened, betting against change.
In over forty parliamentary sessions spanning two years and endless bickering, Lebanon’s sectarian tribes failed to elect a president. But when challenged by an alternative from outside the oligarchy, these tribes — the Sunni, the Shia, the Maronites, the Druze, the Greek Orthodox, the Armenians and even the tiny Syriac minority — swiftly formed, under the auspices of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the “Beirut for the Beirutis” ticket, to run for the municipal elections scheduled for Sunday. When late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was ejected from power in 1998, many of us started disputing the argument that he had been one of the oligarchs who benefited, and thus endorsed, Assad’s occupation of Lebanon. We argued, instead, that Hariri was invested in improving Lebanon, and that the Assad-sponsored oligarchy sucked the state dry, while using Hariri as a sandbag to deflect popular anger. We thus started justifying Hariri’s actions, arguing that he was pragmatic and understood that — without Assad’s consent — there was little he could do to move Lebanon forward. When Hariri formed his electoral tickets, the Assad regime forced him to endorse candidates. Even Hariri’s security detail was infiltrated by the likes of the pro-Assad Ali Al-Hajj, whom Hariri personally detected and ejected. But after 1998, Hariri revolted repeatedly. He trounced Assad’s candidates in the 2000 parliamentary elections, and opposed the extension of President Emile Lahoud’s term in 2004. In a posthumous interview with Al-Hayat, Hariri said that he had had enough, that he would not take Assad’s diktats anymore and that he would not settle for being a pushover.
When Hariri was killed in 2005, the theory of his revolt against Assad was substantiated, or else, why would Assad and his allies kill someone they thought was an obedient ally?
Since his assassination, hundreds of thousands of non-Sunni Lebanese saw in Rafik Hariri a victim of the same tyranny they had been suffering from. Hariri wanted change and lost his life for it. A majority of the Lebanese decided to continue Hariri’s revolt, and thus forced Assad’s troops out of Lebanon in 2005. Then came Hariri’s successors. As early as summer 2005, Hariri’s successors started employing political shenanigans. Together with Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and Shiite Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, the Hariris and Samir Geagea formed an alliance with Hezbollah. Hence started Hariri’s systematic, even if unwitting, destruction of the March 14 movement. The Aounists felt betrayed: If others were playing politics, why should they behave? (Aoun had already linked up with Assad long before Jumblatt and Hariri).  Next Hariri visited Assad, kissed him on the cheek, and spent the night in Damascus. His bloc repeatedly reelected Berri as speaker. Then Hariri threw Geagea under the bus by endorsing Sleiman Franjieh’s presidential candidacy. Last week, Hariri looked at the non-tribal activists of Beirut Madinati, and decided that an alliance with the oligarchy was better than endorsing them.
The irony is that almost every candidate on the Beirut Madinati ticket was once a March 14 partisan, whereas over half of the Beirut for Beirutis candidates were March 8. It is such an irony that Hariri now sponsors a ticket that will help candidates of Amal and Aoun defeat March 14 icons like Ahmad Qaabour, of Beirut Madinati. At least the Hariris had the integrity to describe their municipal ticket for what it is. One that seeks to maintain the status quo, whether by keeping the oligarchy in charge, or by keeping Lebanon the garbage hole/environmental disaster that it is. Perhaps the only one from the oligarchy to notice the integrity of Beirut Madinati was Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. Yet in his signature style, Jumblatt said good things and did the opposite. He endorsed Beirut Madinati and joined Beirut for the Beirutis. Saad Rafik Hariri once had a chance to take his leadership to a national level. He enjoyed acting young, tweeting, taking off his jacket on stage, endorsing civil marriage in off-the-cuff remarks and sponsoring the rise of young politicians from various sects. Then came the election of the politically irrelevant Beirut municipal council. Hariri should have endorsed Beirut Madinati, wished them good luck, and promised them support. Instead, he saw it as an assault on his Sunni leadership. When the table turns and Hariri, or any other Lebanese, find themselves in distress or hiding from their violent opponents, Beirut Madinati will be the first to come to their support, or else, who do you think will write Beirut’s next inspiring song other than Qaabour?
Hussain Abdul-Hussain is the Washington Bureau Chief of Kuwaiti newspaper Alrai. He tweets @hahussain
 

Change and Reform Calls for Fair Electoral Law, Granting Expats Representation in Parliament
Naharnet/May 03/16/The Change and Reform bloc reiterated on Tuesday its call for the approval of a parliamentary electoral law that would offer fair representation, while revealing that it would propose that expatriates be granted representation at parliament. MP Ibrahim Kanaan said after the bloc's weekly meeting: “The electoral law is not something we can strike a deal over, but it is linked to rights stipulated in the constitution and National Pact.”He described the joint parliamentary committees meeting that was held earlier on Tuesday as “a step in the right direction,” noting that the election of a president and adoption of a just electoral law will pave the way for political reform in Lebanon. “The joint parliamentary committees rightfully approved the Orthodox Gathering law, which we had previously endorsed.”“We should also not overlook the rights of expatriates in voting,” continued the MP. “We believe that expatriates should be represented in parliament similar to parliament the world over,” Kanaan explained. The joint parliamentary committees on Tuesday referred the Orthodox Gathering electoral draft-law to parliament's bureau for discussion. The committees are studying some 17 draft electoral laws.
They are set to meet again on Monday. The failure to agree on an electoral law had forced parliament to twice extend its own term, once in 2013 and a second time in 2014.
Its term ends in 2017.

Orthodox Electoral Law Referred to Parliament Bureau after Joint Committees Meeting
Naharnet/May 03/16/The joint parliamentary committees convened on Tuesday to study various electoral draft-laws. Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan revealed that so far the Orthodox Gathering electoral law has been referred to the parliament bureau for discussion. Former President Michel Suleiman later tweeted: “The Orthodox law violates the constitution in every way.”The proposal, which calls for each sect to elect its own MPs under a proportional representation system based on a nationwide district, had faced severe criticism in the past from the Mustaqbal bloc and MP Walid Jumblat. Three other draft-laws were also addressed during Tuesday's meeting. They are the hybrid law, proportional law, and majority law. The committees will hold another meeting on Monday.Speaker Nabih Berri had tasked the committees with addressing some 17 draft-laws ahead of holding a legislative session to approve one of them.

Daryan Condemns Failure to Elect President: Taking Part in Municipal Polls is National Duty
Naharnet/May 03/16/Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan slammed on Wednesday officials' ongoing failure to elect a new head of state, while emphasizing the importance of the municipal polls. He said during a message on the occasion of Isra and Miraj: “Failure to elect a president is dangerous and taking part in the municipal elections is a national duty.”Tackling the presidential impasse requires political will and national unity, he continued. “There is nothing wrong with political disputes, but they should not be an excuse to cripple work at state institutions,” Daryan said. Lebanon is passing through a critical phase and “we can only exit it through unity, dialogue, and understanding,” he stressed. On the Beirut municipal elections, he underlined the importance of “fair representation,” echoing the remarks made by Mustaqbal Movement leader MP Saad Hariri on Monday. The elections are scheduled for Sunday.

Bassil: Most Successful Foreign Policies are Independent Ones
Naharnet/May 03/16/Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil remarked on Tuesday that the existence of several foreign policies yields lack of national unity, reported the National News Agency. He said: “This has resulted in the creation of such jokes as the policy of disassociation, which is aimed at evading disputes.” “The most successful foreign policies are independent ones,” he explained. There is national unity that Israel is Lebanon's enemy, he continued, but differences have emerged over how to confront it. “Everyone rejects the naturalization of foreigners and Syrian refugees, but some sides find that it is a reality,” the minister noted. Moreover, Bassil stated: “Terrorism is born from religion and is fed by funds and spreads through ideologies. Corruption also threatens the state and all these dangers will lead to the loss of an irreplaceable country. Terrorism will be victorious in Europe if Lebanon falls.”

Report: Hizbullah Encourages Franjieh to Keep Candidacy
Naharnet/May 03/16/Hizbullah has asked Marada chief MP Suleiman Franjieh, to uphold his candidacy for the presidential elections because the party is not willing at the time being to look for a third nominee other than Franjieh and Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun, the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah daily reported on Tuesday. According to the daily, Franjieh has planned to meet with Aoun in a final attempt to persuade him to withdraw his candidacy, as advised by Hizbullah. However the latest developments in Syria and the stuttering truce between the regime and the opposition have delayed the meeting. Because Hizbullah believes that the fall of Aleppo in the hands of the Syrian army resolves the battle in favor of the regime and the party at the same time, it makes it able to impose its own conditions and enhances its position on the local scene. Hizbullah's message to Franjieh stems from its perception that electing a president from the March 8 alliance is better off for Hizbullah than electing any other candidate. Therefore, Franjieh awaits a signal from Hizbullah and pins high hopes that the stakes are in his favor after making sure that the party considers his an ally, concluded the daily.

Transparency: Perceived Corruption Worsens in Arab States Mainly Lebanon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 03/16/Ordinary people feel that corruption has worsened in nine Arab countries and territories over the last year, especially crisis-hit Lebanon and war-torn Yemen, a study by graft watchdog Transparency International said Tuesday. Its survey of nearly 11,000 respondents showed that sleaze was also seen to be on the rise in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Sudan and Tunisia. Across the countries surveyed, 61 percent of respondents thought graft had worsened in the past year. "Public dissatisfaction with corrupt leaders and regimes has been a key catalyst for change in the Middle East and North Africa, notably with the Arab Spring protests," said the Berlin-based group. "Yet, despite half a decade having passed since many of these protests first took place, our Global Corruption Barometer still finds widespread public dissatisfaction with government efforts to curb public sector graft."Transparency added that "the majority of people in the region perceive corruption to have risen recently (61 percent), and many think that government officials and members of parliament are highly corrupt."The share of the population who saw worsening corruption stood at 92 percent in crisis-hit Lebanon, 84 percent in Yemen and 75 percent in Jordan, against 28 percent in Egypt and 26 percent in Algeria. Among the people interviewed, 77 percent in Yemen and half of Egyptians said they had paid a bribe to obtain a public service, against nine percent of Tunisians and four percent of Jordanians. Report author Coralie Pring said the group was "particularly worried" about Lebanon, a country that has been without a president since May 2014, amid deep political divisions. "Across a number of different questions the public were very, very critical not only of government efforts in fighting corruption but also of a perceived high level of corruption across the public sector," said Pring. A note of hope came from Tunisia, a rare Arab Spring nation not to have tipped into chaos or dictatorship. "Tunisia had actually very positive results coming out of the survey," said Pring. "Many people feel that they can make a difference in the fight against corruption. "Unfortunately even in Tunisia, despite the Arab Spring, still the majority of people were saying that their government is doing badly at fighting corruption."

Syrian-Australian Suspect Arrested in North Lebanon
Associated Press/Naharnet/May 03/16/Lebanese authorities have arrested a dual Syrian-Australian national in northern Lebanon on suspicion of terrorism, Lebanese security officials said. The man, identified as Mark Eddie Maximus, was arrested by military intelligence in the northern city of Tripoli over the weekend. He was picked up after authorities tracked the car he was driving. One official speaking to The Associated Press said authorities had been pursuing Maximus for a while on suspicion of funding a terrorist organization. He declined to elaborate and spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Reports said the man was suspected of ties to the Islamic State group and had entered Tripoli around a week ago to prepare for an attack. It said authorities are pursuing another woman in the city who is suspected of working with the militant group. The Lebanese army has been fighting the Islamic State group and al-Qaida's Syrian branch, the Nusra Front, in border areas close to Syria.

First Batch of Syrian Refugees Flown to Italy
Naharnet/May 03/16/The first batch of Syrian refugees left Lebanon to Italy early on Tuesday as part of a humanitarian mission sponsored by an ecumenical partnership between Italian Christian organizations, reports said. One hundred Syrian refugees, mostly women and children, were flown out from Lebanon through the Rafic Hariri International Airport as part of a project organized by Sant'Egidio Catholic community, the Federation of Evangelical Churches and the Valdese Evangelical Church.The project has emerged as part of a humanitarian corridor for those fleeing the war torn country. Reports said that another batch comprising of some seventy refugees are to be flown to Italy in another three weeks. The program is aimed at the most vulnerable members of asylum-seeking groups -- from single mothers to pregnant women, handicapped people and sick children -- and should see 1,000 people of various nationalities brought to safety in Italy over the next two years, Sant'Egidio says. Two offices, in Beirut and Tangier in Morocco, were opened before Christmas to begin selecting candidates, with some 80 families already waiting in the Lebanese capital for a passage to Italy. There are plans for a third office to be opened in Ethiopia in six months if the program is successful, reports say.

Majdalani: Some persons want to disrupt presidential deadline indefinitely
Tue 03 May 2016/NNA - "Future" bloc member, Deputy Atef Majdalani said on Tuesday "some individuals want to hinder the presidential deadline until a further notice".He told the "Voice of Lebanon" radio that "proposing to hold the parliamentary polls before the presidential elections is a violation of the constitution". The MP agreed that difficulties over the parliamentary elections draft-law discussions existed at the joint committee, expecting this issue to take time due to differences in views. On the other hand, the MP said that some political powers were trying to control over the Moukhtar elections in the eastern side of Beirut, stressing "there is insistence to keep elections civil".

Rai chairs Arab League Ambassadors meeting in Bkirki
Tue 03 May 2016/NNA - Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Rai is currently presiding at the Patriarchate in Bkirki a meeting for Arab League Ambassadors to Lebanon to discuss current issues in Lebanon and the region.

Bassil: We'll launch resuming nationality law mechanism
Tue 03 May 2016/NNA - Foreign and Expatriates Affairs minister Gebran Bassil confirmed on Tuesday that the "mechanism of resuming nationality law will be launched."Bassil's confirmation came at the Effective Diplomatic Conference at "Le Royal" hotel in Dbayeh. Bassil pointed out that Lebanon's high interest justifies any embarrassing position taken to serve the state's interest and unity, adding that national consensus cannot be reached due to the presence of foreign policies. "The most successful foreign policies are the independent ones," Bassil stressed, saying "everybody agrees that Israel is the enemy but we disagree on the way of confronting it; everybody agrees on rejecting nationalization and Syrian displacement but some consider that a fact."He added "we urge the Lebanese to resume their nationality; and those who have it they have the right to vote and be represented by deputies especially elected for the Diaspora. "The minister explained that Lebanon has no Commercial Attaché, calling upon the diplomats to use their capabilities to serve Lebanon's interest. "We seek via the Emigrant diplomacy to communicate with the Diaspora and the corps which should provide applications for them," Bassil said. The minister also pointed out that "terrorism stems out from religion is nourished financially, spreads intellectually and is protected internationally which results in depriving our Army from weapons not allowing it to defeat terrorism; saying that corruption also threatens the state structure.""All these dangers would lead to lose an irreplaceable country and the fall of Lebanon will allow terrorism to triumph in Europe," Bassil said.

Merehbi calls to upgrade Parliament seats representing Akkar Sunnites
Tue 03 May 2016/NNA - Future MP Mouin Merehbi upped calls on Tuesday to increase the number of Parliament seats allocated to the Sunnites of Akkar. "We, the sons of Akkar, sternly refuse injustice and marginalization," Merehbi said.

Ban cables Rahi, presidential vacuume question of concern for UN
Tue 03 May 2016/NNA - Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rahi received a letter from Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, telling him that the protracted presidential vacuum and institutional paralysis in Lebanon is a question of concern for the United Nations. "The election of the President of the Republic is very sensitive for the Lebanese national unity, and for the position of Lebanon as a model of religious freedom, tolerance, and coexistence. It is also essential to adhere to the policy of dissociation pursuant to Baabda Declaration, which is still important for the future of Lebanon," the letter included. He thanked Rahi for his greeting during his visit to Lebanon, from 24 to 26 March 2016, and for his letter through which they tackled the status-quo in Lebanon, including the fate of the Christian community in the country and the region. "I took note of the impact of migrants on security, economy, and Lebanese social fabric, including the challenges of securing education to children to avoid the loss of generations. The United Nations will provide all the support to ensure the return of displaced persons to their country, and to contribute to the reconstruction of peace and support. In the meantime, we will continue to provide assistance to Lebanon for its generous hosting," Ban added. "As I said during my visit, Lebanon's ability to prosperity depends on addressing the ongoing war in the Middle East. The United Nations will spare no effort to put an end to the conflict in Syria, and to reach a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.""Knowing that Lebanon is confronting terrorism, I was pleased to meet, pay tribute and thank the Lebanese Armed Forces. We will continue to appeal for continued international support for the Lebanese army through providing additional assistance," Ban said in his letter. "Maintaining the stability of Lebanon constitutes a national responsibility, as well as a regional and international priority, especially that the model of co-existence in Lebanon should remain a source of hope for Christians and other minorities in the region," the Secretary-General concluded.

Jumblatt, Jiang take up current developments
Tue 03 May 2016/NNA - "Democratic Gathering" head MP Walid Jumblatt received on Tuesday at his residence in Clemenceau Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Jiang Jiang, with talks reportedly dwelling on most recent political developments. The Chinese Ambassador came in the company of a delegation of Embassy senior staff.

Ten withdraw candidacy to mayoral polls in Hermel
Tue 03 May 2016/NNA - Ten have withdrawn their candidacies to the imminent mayoral elections in the Hermel town of Wadi al-Turkman, National News Agency correspondent reported on Tuesday. All ten are members of one family.

Salam, oil importing companies take up garbage landfill issue
Tue 03 May 2016/NNA - Prime Minister Tammam Salam met on Tuesday at the Grand Serail with a a delegation of the Union of Oil Importing Companies in Doura region, who raised with the Premier the issue of garbage landfill project intended for the area and its impact on their companies. The delegation, led by Maroun Shammas, shone light on a number of points to make sure that this project does not affect the continuity of work in companies, especially that 705 of the oil installations pass in this region. On the other hand, Premier Salam met with a delegation of Millers' Owners Union.

Future bloc: Principal Key to end crises in Lebanon Presidential election
Tue 03 May 2016/NNA - The Future parliamentary bloc held its weekly meeting on Tuesday under the chairmanship of its leader, Fouad Siniora, with talks touching high on the various aspects of Lebanon and the region's latest events. MP Ziad Al Kaderi read the meeting's final statement in which Future deputies said that within few days, the dangerous presidential vacuum enters its second year, and the principal key to ending the crises in Lebanon was the election of a new President. "The election of a President is the gateway to re-structure the power in Lebanon at the various levels, and it is the true gateway to take up again the wheel of development, evolution, construction, and reform," the statement remarked. The bloc also congratulated the Lebanese on Easter, and cheered the workers on the occasion of Labor's day, recalling the suffocating and worsening conditions of the Lebanese due to the aggravation of the economic, social, and living crisis. "Lebanese people suffer from a rising in unemployment, a decline in employment, production and economic growth. This is triggered by the presidential vacuum, which is caused by Hezbollah and FPM," it said. The statement also condemned the attack on Aleppo committed by the Syrian regime against the city, civilians, and innocent people. The world's silence on these atrocities encourages the regime to continue its crimes and extermination of this city. It finally called on the Lebanese to massively participate in the municipal polls, since this vote was an opportunity for the Lebanese people to prove their commitment to democracy and renewal of institutions. The statement encouraged Beirutis in particular to partake massively next Sunday for the consensus list of Beirutis, chaired by Jamal Itani.

Sobhi Tofaili announces his list of candidates in Brital
Tue 03 May 2016 /NNA - Sheikh Sobhi Tofaili announced today his list of candidates to the municipal polls in Brital, National News Agency correspondent reported on Tuesday.The list contains 18 candidates, and is named "The Second List of Brital."

Hezbollah announces candidates to municipal polls in Bekaa's Annsar
Tue 03 May 2016/NNA - Hezbollah announced today its list of candidates to the municipal polls in the Bekaa town of Annsar, during a ceremony held in the region, National News Agency correspondent reported on Tuesday. The list comprises 9 members, who are: Hassan Ali Obeid, Nizar Mohammad Obeid, Salman Turki Obeid, Abbas Fawaz Nemer, Hassan Ali Qataya, Abdul Hassan Hussein Obeid, Abbas Hussein Obeid, and Khodr Hassan Obeid.

Solitary confinement doubles in Israeli jails: UN panel
Tue 03 May 2016/NNA - The use of solitary confinement in Israeli jails nearly doubled between 2012 and 2014, a UN panel investigating the Jewish state over a raft of alleged violations of prisoners' rights said Tuesday. In its first review of Israel since 2009, the UN committee against torture questioned an Israeli delegation over multiple reports of potentially illegal conduct by security agents, especially with respect to Palestinian prisoners. Lead questioner Jens Modvig said the UN committee had "received reports that the use of solitary confinement in Israeli jails has doubled between 2012 and 2014," with the number of people held in isolation jumping from 390 to 755 over the period. Committee members, who typically do not visit the countries subject to review, compile their statistics largely from data provided by civil society groups and independent reports. Modvig, who did not give statistics for 2015, asked Israel to provide its own breakdown of the prevalence of solitary confinement, including why the practice appeared to have spread dramatically. He further sought figures on the number of suicide attempts among those held in isolation. Modvig also asked the Israeli delegation to respond to reports that Palestinian women detained in Israel were subject to "verbal sexual harassment, repeated strip searches and forms of genital violence." --AFP
 

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 04/16

Canada continues to designate Iran regime as state sponsor of terror
Tuesday, 03 May 2016//National Council of Resistance of Iran/NCRI - Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion said on Monday that his government isn’t about to stop calling the Iranian regime a state sponsor of terror. The previous Canadian government severed ties with Iran's fundamentalist regime in 2012. One of the reasons why relations were cut was the Iranian regime’s inclusion on the then-Conservative government’s newly created list of state terrorist sponsors, which opened the door to terrorism victims or their families launching lawsuits against the Iranian regime in Canadian courts, the Ottawa Citizen reported on Tuesday. The only other country on the list is Syria. The designation makes re-engagement with Iran's regime more difficult as it effectively accuses Tehran of "aiding and abetting terrorist groups," but removing it could be difficult politically, the report said. On Monday, the opposition Conservatives asked whether the Liberal government is planning to remove the designation. The questions coincided with the launch of what the Conservatives are calling Iran Accountability Week, during which they plan to urge the Liberals not to re-engage with the regime. “Iran is widely considered the world’s pre-eminent sponsor of state terrorism through its support of groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas,” Conservative foreign affairs critic Tony Clement said during question period. “Will the Liberals do the right thing and commit to keeping Iran designated as a state sponsor of terror?” “We have no current plans to remove Iran from the list of state supporters of terrorism under the State Immunity Act,” Mr. Dion replied. “(It’s) inclusion or exclusion in the future will be based on the actions of the Iranian government.”Speaking earlier in the day on Monday, as he launched Iran Accountability Week, Mr. Clement said Canada should “be a voice in the international discussions that are going on to ensure we are taking the go-slow approach to lifting sanctions.”

Religious freedom ‘under assault’ in Iran, U.S. report says
Tuesday, 03 May 2016/NCRI/National Council of Resistance of Iran/Religious freedom is “deteriorating” in Iran, according to a new report by the United States government. Religious minorities are subject to arrest, torture and even execution “based primarily or entirely upon the religion of the accused,” the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom wrote in a report published on Monday. The population of Iran is 99 percent Muslim, made up mostly of Shi’a Muslims. According to the report, the mullahs' regime discriminates against people of other faiths — such as Sunni Muslims and Christians — who are facing “increasing religious freedom abuses.” “As of February 2016, approximately 90 Christians were either in prison, detained, or awaiting trial because of their religious beliefs and activities,” the report noted. "Since President Hassan Rouhani was elected president in 2013, the number of individuals from religious minority communities who are in prison because of their beliefs has increased,” the report added. The report comes as the Obama administration faces criticism for engaging in nuclear talks with Iran's regime despite human rights concerns in the country, The Hill reported on Monday. The report encouraged the Obama administration to “ensure that violations of freedom of religion or belief and related human rights are part of multilateral or bilateral discussions with the Iranian government whenever possible, and continue to work closely with European and other allies to apply pressure through a combination of advocacy, diplomacy, and targeted sanctions.”

Iran regime continues its spate of brutal hangings
Tuesday, 03 May 2016/NCRI/National Council of Resistance of Iran/Iran's fundamentalist regime on Tuesday, May 3, hanged two prisoners in the north-western city of Ardebil. The regime’s judiciary in Ardebil Province said the two unnamed prisoners were hanged in Ardebil Central Prison earlier in the day.
Separately, the mullahs’ regime hanged two young prisoners earlier this week in the north-eastern city of Mashhad. The unnamed prisoners, aged 25 and 28, were hanged at dawn on Sunday, May 1 in Mashhad Central Prison. The 28-year-old prisoner was only identified by his initial A. The regime's judiciary in Hamedan Province, western Iran, said that the authorities have hanged a prisoner, identified only by the initials M. R., in Nahavand's central prison. On Monday there were reports that three death-row prisoners in Qezelhesar Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran, and one death-row prisoner in Greater Tehran Prison (Fashafouye Prison) were transferred to solitary confinement in Qezelhesar's Ward 1 in preparation for their imminent execution. They were identified as Ahmad al-Tafi, Abdolhamid Baqeri, Majid Imani, and Reza Hosseini. The hangings bring to at least 57 the number of people executed in Iran since April 10. Three of those executed were women and one is believed to have been a juvenile offender. Commenting last week on the recent spike in the rate of executions in Iran, Mohammad Mohaddessin, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said: “In the month of April, during and after visits to Iran by the Prime Minister of Italy and the EU foreign policy chief dozens of people have been executed in Iran.”“The increasing trend of executions indicates that the visits of senior European officials to Iran not only have failed to improve the human rights situation; rather, they have given a message of silence and inaction to the mullahs. This has emboldened the clerical regime in stepping up executions and suppressing the Iranian people. This is the regime that has been the record holder of executions per capita globally in 2015. This bitter reality is not an issue of pride for any of the guests of the religious fascism,” he added. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said in a statement on April 13 that the increasing trend of executions “aimed at intensifying the climate of terror to rein in expanding protests by various strata of the society, especially at a time of visits by high-ranking European officials, demonstrates that the claim of moderation is nothing but an illusion for this medieval regime.” Ms. Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, was in Tehran on April 16 along with seven EU commissioners for discussions with the regime’s officials on trade and other areas of cooperation. Amnesty International in its April 6 annual Death Penalty report covering the 2015 period wrote: "Iran put at least 977 people to death in 2015, compared to at least 743 the year before.""Iran alone accounted for 82% of all executions recorded" in the Middle East and North Africa, the human rights group said. There have been more than 2,300 executions during Hassan Rouhani’s tenure as President. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran in March announced that the number of executions in Iran in 2015 was greater than any year in the last 25 years. Rouhani has explicitly endorsed the executions as examples of “God’s commandments” and “laws of the parliament that belong to the people.”

Syrian Coalition: Russia wants Syrians to choose between accepting Assad’s terms or annihilation
Tuesday, 03 May 2016/NCRI/National Council of Resistance of Iran/The vice-president of the opposition Syrian National Coalition Muwaffaq Nyrabia said that Russia’s policies in Syria are designed to put Syrians in front of two hard choices: either to accept Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s terms in the Geneva negotiations or the bombing and destruction of whole cities and vital civilian facilities will continue. Nyrabia pointed out that the aftermath of the deadly airstrikes by the Assad regime and Russian forces on Aleppo over the past ten days indicates systematic and deliberate attacks against residents of the city. He added that this brutal onslaught on Aleppo is clearly aimed at thwarting the political process. At least 270 civilians were confirmed to be killed in bombings in Aleppo by Russia and the Assad regime in April. The victims included 51 children, 28 women, five rescue workers, and seven medical staff members.
Reports said that the aerial attacks on the rebel-held parts of the city included 270 barrel bombs, 907 air-to-surface missiles, 68 surface to-surface missiles, 6 bombs containing white phosphorous, 36 cluster bombs, and one missile suspected to be containing chemical substances. The attacks targeted 517 civilian homes, three industrial zones, 240 agricultural areas, 13 archaeological sites, 6 hospitals, a school, 4 houses of worship, 3 popular markets, 4 civilian services centers, 19 roads, 2 civil defense centers and a bakery, according to the Syrian Coalition. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, has described the bombing of a hospital in Aleppo by Assad's forces last week as a "war crime."Mrs. Rajavi "strongly condemned" the deadly strike last Wednesday which led to the deaths of dozens of people including children and doctors, adding that Assad's forces are being backed by the Iranian regime on the orders of the mullahs' Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. At least 27 staff and patients were killed when Assad's air force attacked the Al Quds Hospital in Aleppo, even though its location was well known and the hospital was assisted by the international charity Doctors Without Borders.
An online campaign to halt the carnage in Aleppo has picked up speed, with Twitter users posting pictures of destroyed buildings in flames with the hashtag #AleppoIsBurning.

Maryam Rajavi: Inaction in the face of great tragedy of the century in Aleppo blemishes the international community
National Council of Resistance of Iran/Tuesday, 03 May 2016/Savagery of the mullahs and their allies and mercenaries indicates their failure in saving the Syrian dictator. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, described the barbaric bombardment of Aleppo and the brutal massacre of the Syrian people, particularly women and children, by Bashar Assad and the antihuman Iranian regime, along with their allies and mercenaries, as an unparalleled war crime and a great tragedy of the century that has hurt the conscience of contemporary mankind. She said that the perseverance of the Syrian people and opposition, especially in the heroic Aleppo, is a model worthy of praise that will never be forgotten and that the inaction in the face of this tragedy blemishes the record of the international community. “The growth and expansion of Daesh in the region, the wave of terrorism in Europe, and the wave of refugees are all direct consequences of the crimes of the past five years by the Syrian dictator and the Iranian regime and its mercenaries in the region going unpunished,” she noted. Mrs. Rajavi added: “Meanwhile, the unparalleled savagery unfolding these days, especially in Aleppo, reveals the frustration of the Iranian regime and its allies in facing up to the Syrian revolution and the Free Syrian Army and its dismal failure to save Assad’s rule. As the past five years have shown, the military mobilization of the Iranian regime and its allies against the will of the Syrian people and the opposition will surely end in a humiliating defeat.” After the military mobilization of the Iranian regime met defeat in Syria and veteran Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah, and the regime’s many mercenaries were unable to save Assad, and a great number of Revolutionary Guards’ casualties shook their moral, Khamenei was forced -- for the first time since the Iran-Iraq war -- to dispatch army units under his command to the Syrian quagmire in an aggressive war. To prop up the wrecked moral of the regime’s Revolutionary Guards and mercenaries, on May 2, the puppet parliament of this regime ratified a bill that grants Iranian citizenship to the families of foreigners killed in Syria. To conceal the scale of casualties and the extent of the participation of the army under the command of its Supreme Leader in Syria, the mullahs’ regime is preventing official and public burial ceremonies for army casualties as the regime’s leaders are deeply concerned about a rapid loss of the army’s moral and a wave of dissatisfaction and disobedience in its ranks.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran/May 3, 2016

Canada co-sponsors UN Security Council resolution on protection of medical missions in armed conflict situations
May 2, 2016 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, today issued the following statement on the protection of medical missions in situations of armed conflict:
“Canada is alarmed that violence directed against humanitarian personnel has been on the rise, and particularly that medical facilities have been deliberately targeted in many cases. All humanitarian workers, including those engaged in medical duties, are protected under international humanitarian law. Canada commends the efforts of humanitarian workers and medical personnel who each and every day put their lives on the line to deliver life-saving assistance to those most in need.
“In addition to the deplorable immediate deaths and injuries, attacks on medical personnel and facilities have devastating long-term consequences for civilians and national health care systems in affected countries.
“Canada strongly condemns the targeting of health facilities and personnel in the Syrian conflict. We call on all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and provide humanitarian workers with safe, full and unhindered access to those in need.
“Canada will be co-sponsoring the upcoming Security Council resolution on the protection of medical missions and encourages other states to join this initiative as well.
“The resolution will assist the international community in re-energizing efforts to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law and accountability and will make new progress with respect to increased reporting to the Security Council.
“The resolution reaffirms not only that medical personnel must be respected and protected, but also that the wounded and sick must be able to receive the medical care and attention required without acts or threats of violence. This is vital for the delivery of health care in situations of armed conflict and for preventing future attacks on humanitarian personnel and health facilities.”
Contacts
Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
Follow us on Twitter: @CanadaFP and @CanadaDev
Follow Minister Dion on Twitter: @MinCanadaFA
Like us on Facebook: Canada’s foreign policy - Global Affairs Canada and Canada’s international development - Global Affairs Canada

NATO alliance getting new supreme commander
The Associated Press, Brussels Tuesday, 3 May 2016/The NATO alliance this week is getting a new supreme commander, a former top-ranking US military officer in Korea hailed Tuesday by Defense Secretary Ash Carter as a proven warrior-diplomat and “a soldiers’ general.”US Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti was installed as head of the US European Command (EUCOM) in Stuttgart, Germany, and will become NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe following a separate ceremony Wednesday at the alliance’s military headquarters in southern Belgium. Scaparrotti, 60, will be the 18th US officer to hold the post since Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first NATO supreme commander in 1951. The commander, by tradition an American general or admiral, is responsible for the overall direction and conduct of NATO’s global military operations. The 28-nation alliance is now confronted by simultaneous security challenges ranging from a resurgent Russia to armed Islamic extremism and a migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. “Today our way of life is at a pivotal moment, as we are encountering numerous threats and strategic challenges,” Scaparrotti said in brief remarks after assuming command at EUCOM. Scaparrotti, a West Point graduate and former head of US forces in Korea, had been an “easy pick” as overall American military leader for Europe, Carter said. The defense secretary attended the change-of-command ceremony along with US Joint Chiefs Chairman Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford. While serving in Korea, Scaparrotti proved his ability to work with allies and lead a coalition, Carter said. Fittingly, the Pentagon chief said, there is a bridge named after the general and his father, a World War II veteran, in his hometown of Logan, Ohio. “General Scaparrotti’s success has come from his ability to build bridges between allies and partners, between diverse elements within our joint force,” said Carter. He called the four-star general a “soldiers’ soldier” who had risen in rank to become a “soldiers’ general.” In both new posts, Scaparrotti is assuming command from US Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, a former F-16 pilot who helped lead the NATO alliance during the most sweeping revamp of its collective defense capabilities since the Cold War. Carter praised Breedlove’s “visionary” leadership, saying that in his three years as SACEUR, “NATO forces have been writing a new playbook” to face modern threats and challenges. Elizabeth Quintana, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, said Tuesday she expects Scaparrotti to “be much more forthright” when it comes to dealing with the Russians. The Obama administration has made it clear that in Europe “it is moving from an assurance posture to a deterrence posture,” the London-based expert said. US forces have shifted primary focus from reassuring NATO partners that they will support them to “overtly stopping or warning Russia that if they try to do anything silly, they will be punished, and that the U.S. and NATO as a consequence will respond,” she said. Russian political and military leaders contend they are doing nothing more than reacting to a menacing NATO military buildup near their borders. Krasnaya Zvezda, the official newspaper of the Russian Defense Ministry, recently called Scaparrotti a “worthy successor” to “self-professed hawk” Breedlove.

Leaked documents, defectors reveal ISIS, Assad regime schemed together
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Tuesday, 3 May 2016/Leaked secret documents and witness accounts of ISIS defectors revealed that the militant group and the Syrian regime have been colluding with each other in deals, the London-based Sky News reported Monday. Sky News made the revelation after it received new letters in addition to the massive haul of 22,000 ISIS files handed over in March. The news outlet said the authenticity of the latest documents is “impossible to verify” but all previous leaks have proved to be genuine. In one of the new letters, which are copies of handwritten orders sent from ISIS’s headquarters, show a deal to hand back the ancient city of Palmyra in south-central Syria to President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. The letter written shortly before the Syrian army recaptured Palmyra in early April after the city was occupied by ISIS for months, had some of its excerpts saying: “Withdraw all heavy artillery and anti-aircraft machine guns from in and around Palmyra to Raqqa province.”The northern city of Raqqa is ISIS’s stronghold in Syria. One of the letters obtained by Sky News. ISIS defectors also confirmed this. The defectors told Sky News that Palmyra was handed back to government forces by ISIS as part of a series of cooperation agreements going back years. One of the defectors also claimed that ISIS was not only coordinating movement of its militants with the Syrian regime but also with the Russian airforce. Arrangements to evacuate some areas by ISIS forces before the Syrian army attacked were also made.
Oil trade/Other deals include a request for a safe passage for a driver through ISIS checkpoints “until he reaches the border with the Syrian regime to exchange oil for fertilizer,” one letter showed. The defectors claim this trade agreement between the two sides was going on for years. Some of the defectors Sky News spoke to openly admit their prior allegiance to ISIS and admit that they only left because of internal disagreements with some of the militant group’s leadership but in reality they remain devoted to the militant group’s basic tenets. The documents show that ISIS was also training its foreign militants to attack Western targets for much longer than security services had suspected.

Did Iraq’s Sadr visit Tehran after Green Zone protests?
Elia Jazaeri, Al Arabiya Net Tuesday, 3 May 2016/A local news website Kulul Iraq - close to the ruling Dawa Party - said Iraq’s Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who recently called on his followers to storm the fortified Green Zone in the capital Baghdad to bring forth reforms promised by the country’s premier, has visited Iran. The Fars News Agency, which is close to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, also reported that Sadr has recently visited the Islamic republic, quoting a well-informed source in Iraq’s Najaf Airport saying: “Sadr, accompanied by two clerics, departed [the holy city of Najaf for Shiite Muslims in Iraq] on board a jet for an Iranian airliner.” However, hours after the report was published, the state-run IRNA news agency denied the news and quoted a government source, when it said: “Moqtada al-Sadr has no intention of visiting Iran and he has not traveled to Tehran.”IRNA added that news of Sadr’s visit to Tehran is a “lie” propagated by some “Arabic language websites.”Meanwhile, sources, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, told the Arabic-language Al Arabiya Net that Sadr’s visit to Iran is “rumors” spread by the Dawa Party. Dawa Party is led by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is reportedly close to Iran. One source in Iraq also confirmed to Al Arabiya Net that Sadr is in his home city of Najaf, adding that the Dawa Party is behind spreading the rumor of his visit to Tehran. Dia al-Asadi, who heads Al-Ahrar bloc – the political arm of the Sadrist Movement, said in a statement: “I think this issue of Sadr’s travel - if he did in fact travel and I do not know if he did - has taken some strange dimensions. The man has relatives in all of Iraq, [Lebanon’s capital] Beirut and Iran.” On Sunday, anti-government protesters - many of them are Sadr followers - temporarily ended their mass demonstration in the Green Zone and began an orderly withdrawal a day after tearing down walls around the government district and invading parliament. The conflicted reports about whether Sadr visited Iran comes after videos circulated online showed his followers chanting during their protests: “Iran, out, out.”The article first appeared in the Arabic language website of Al Arabiya News Channel. Watch also: Powerful Shiite cleric says al-Maliki sold one-third of Iraq to terrorism

Israel finds explosives chemical in salt destined to Gaza
The Associated Press, Jerusalem Tuesday, 3 May 2016/Israel said Tuesday that customs officials thwarted a plot to smuggle explosive materials into the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. Israel's Tax Authority said inspectors uncovered four tons of ammonium chloride - enough to produce hundreds of rockets- hidden inside sacks of salt about two weeks ago as the shipment was being transferred to Gaza. “This case underscores the activity of Gaza-based terrorist organizations in smuggling dual-use materials disguised as goods destined for the civilian population and reconstruction projects,” it said. Along with explosives, ammonium chloride can also be used in fertilizer and other products. Israel's Shin Bet security service became suspicious after unusually large quantities of salt were ordered by a Gaza importer with ties to the militant group Hamas, the tax authority said. Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas seized power from forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Humanitarian aid and goods enter Gaza via Israeli crossings. Other goods are smuggled in through tunnels from neighboring Egypt. Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli military demolished the home of a Palestinian attacker who gunned down two Israelis in front of their children last year. Ziad Amer, the father of suspected killer Zeid, said Israeli troops in dozens of army vehicles raided the town of Nablus and demolished the family's apartment. He said his appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court against the demolition was rejected. The military says Amer was part of a five-member Hamas cell that shot and killed US citizen Eitam Henkin and his wife Naama as they drove in the northern West Bank on Oct. 1. Their four young children in the back of the car escaped unharmed. Israel says it carries out housing demolitions to deter attacks. The Palestinians consider it to be a form of collective punishment. Since mid-September, Palestinians have carried out dozens of assaults on civilians and security forces, killing 28 Israelis and two Americans. Some 200 Palestinians have been killed over the same time, the vast majority in what Israel says have been attacks or attempted attacks.

US targets ISIS in Mosul, other cities in Iraq, Syria
Reuters Tuesday, 3 May 2016/The United States and its allies targeted Islamic State on Monday with 29 strikes against the militants in Syrian and Iraq, including the northern city of Mosul under militant control, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement. In Iraq, the Combined Joint Task Force staged 25 strikes, including seven near ISIS stronghold of Mosul, which coalition forces, alongside the Iraqi government, are trying to wrest away from the militant group. Iraqi officials have said they will retake the city this year, although questions remain over whether that is possible. The strikes near the key city hit six groups of Islamic State fighters as well as two vehicles, three weapons caches, a mortar system and other targets. Six other strikes near Falluja hit five Islamic State fighting positions, three tunnel entrances, two staging areas and a bridge used by the militants, among other targets. In Syria, four strikes near three - Al Shadaddi, Ar Raqqah and Mar’a - hit an ISIS finance center, a weapons storage facility and two tactical units. Also: Is it the first step towards defeating ISIS?

Berlin to host talks with UN, France, Syria opposition
AFP, Berlin Tuesday, 3 May 2016/Germany’s top diplomat will host talks on Wednesday with his French counterpart, the UN’s Syria envoy and Syria’s main opposition leader, as concerns grow over the war-torn country’s faltering truce. Discussions will focus on “how the conditions for a continuation of the peace talks in Geneva can be met, as well as how a reduction of violence and an improvement in the humanitarian situation in Syria can be achieved”, the German foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The Berlin meeting comes in a week of whirlwind diplomacy seeking to salvage a ceasefire in Syria, with US Secretary of State John Kerry jetting into Geneva last Sunday for talks with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura. The UN envoy was himself in Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday, before heading to Berlin to meet with host Frank-Walter Steinmeier, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Syrian opposition leader Riad Hijab. A two-month-old ceasefire brokered by Washington and Moscow is hanging by a thread as fierce fighting has again erupted around Syria’s second city Aleppo. The clashes have also threatened peace negotiations, which de Mistura had hoped could resume next month. Syrian opposition says the crisis is not only Aleppo

Bribery highest in Mideast courts, study finds
The Associated Press, Dubai Tuesday, 3 May 2016/A new report released on Tuesday by an anti-corruption watchdog shows that on average, almost a third of the people in nine countries surveyed in the Middle East have had to pay a bribe to access some kind of public service. The poll by Transparency International also found that courts have the worst bribery rate out of six services that were surveyed. The watchdog interviewed nearly 11,000 people — or about 1,200 people in each of the nine countries — and found that bribery was especially rampant in Yemen. In the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country, 77 percent of respondents said they had to pay a bribe to access public services. The interviews in Yemen were carried out before the start of March 2015 Saudi-led airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Shiite rebels, after which the country’s crisis descended into war. Around 50 percent of people surveyed in Egypt, Sudan and Morocco said they paid bribes for public services. Transparency International also surveyed people in Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan and the Palestinian territories. The poll was carried out in direct interviews at various times in 2014 and 2015, and gave a 3 percent margin of error. Public anger over corruption among government officials, social inequality and the lack of justice and transparencywere catalysts of the 2011 Arab Spring movements that ousted longtime leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya. Transparency International’s chief Jose Ugaz said that failing to stop bribery also affects people’s human rights. “It’s as if the Arab Spring never happened,” he said in a statement accompanying the report. The poll results show that on average, almost one in three people surveyed paid bribes in dealings with courts, while one in four paid bribes to police — and around half or more of those who paid bribes to the courts and police had to pay multiple times. About one in five people surveyed said they had to pay a bribe for public medical services. In Morocco, that figure was 38 percent. Transparency International noted the case of a man who called the watchdog’s local anti-corruption hotline after he was told by a nurse to pay $60 in addition to the hospital fee for his partially blind daughter to get an urgent brain scan. He was advised to call the attorney general’s office and two undercover officers returned with him to the hospital, where the nurse was arrested and imprisoned for two months. Around 30 percent of people polled in Lebanon said they paid a bribe for public services, while a staggering 92 percent said they thought corruption had increased. The Lebanon part of the survey was conducted before an eight-month-long trash collection crisis erupted in July 2015. Thousands protested and campaigners blamed corruption and government paralysis for the delay in solving the problem. Speaking to The Associated Press over the telephone, Middle East regional coordinator for Transparency International Kinda Hattar said the institutions of justice and law enforcement should be the least corrupt because they should be the ones prosecuting corruption. “Unless the government and the state work for the independence of the judiciary ... then we will not be able to have a system that builds trust with the people,” she said. Though only nine percent in Tunisia and four percent of respondents in Jordan said they paid a bribe in the year preceding the survey, Hattar said there are often other problems that exist in Mideast countries that cannot be quantified and measured in surveys. One such issue, she said, is nepotism, or what is known as a “wasta” in Arabic. Getting a job or gaining access to public services can depend on a person’s “wasta,” or relationship with someone who is well-connected.

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 04/16

Iranian Hezbollah Organization Issues Threats Of Physical Harm Against Former Iranian Presidents Rafsanjani And Khatami, Calls On President Rohani To Cancel JCPOA
MEMRI/May 3, 2016 Special Dispatch No.6409
In an April 12, 2016 interview, Mahdi Abdi, the director of affairs for the northwestern provinces and towns for the coordination council of the fundamentalist organization Hezbollah Iran, which is affiliated with Iran's ideological circles, warned leaders of Iran's pragmatic camp, including Expediency Council chairman and former president Hashemi Rafsanjani and former president Mohammad Khatami, not to undermine the status of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The interview was published by the organization's Hezbollah Press website.
Echoing Khamenei's accusations of treason against Rafsanjani,[1] Abdi accused both Rafsanjani and Khatami of treason, and threatened them with physical harm. He also demanded that they stop calling for the release of the 2009 Green Protest leaders – former Majlis speaker Mehdi Karroubi and former prime minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi, as well as Mousavi's wife – who have been under house arrest since 2011.
Reminding Iranian President Hassan Rohani of what happened to Iranian officials who criticized Iran's Islamic Revolution and the path of its founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Abdi warned him to neither trust the U.S. nor follow it, or to face the consequences. He also called on him to cancel the JCPOA.
The following are the main points of the interview. It should be noted that following its publication, the piece was removed from the website.
"This Is Hezbollah's Final Warning To Hashemi [Rafsanjani] And The Grey Fox, [Former President] Mohammad Khatami, And To Anyone Who Even Thinks About Marginalizing The Imam Khamenei"
"The heart of [Iranian] Hezbollah is bleeding because of the tremendous disloyalty and the great treason of the unwise and two-faced [pragmatic camp leaders Rafsanjani and Rohani]. Imam Khamenei need not feel alone today because certain individuals who are betraying Islam and the Revolution are daring to boast and to express opinions in society, while others dare to speak about an end to the arrest of the hated leaders of the '2009 fitna' [Mousavi and Karroubi]. [These traitors are] publishing [such statements] freely online and talking about it, and [expecting] the security apparatuses to remain silent.
"The hated leaders of the 'fitna' should thank God that they are under arrest. Otherwise, Hezbollah would not have given them a chance to breathe. This is Hezbollah's final warning to Hashemi [Rafsanjani] and the grey fox, [former president] Mohammad Khatami, and to anyone who even thinks about marginalizing the Imam Khamenei, trampling the principles and foundations of the Islamic Revolution, and seeking to present the plan for a leadership council [as Rafsanjani recently proposed as a replacement for the position of Supreme Leader] in order to weaken the Rule of the Jurisprudent.
"If they are thinking of sparking more 'fitna' in Iran, Hezbollah will activate its popular punishment units, the ones called The Martyrs For the Revolution and Islam, and, once and for all, blind the eyes of the 'fitna.'"
To President Rohani: "Hezbollah Obeys The Orders Of The Imam Khamenei And Will Never Allow These Things, Which Contradict Islam, To Be Carried Out In Iran"
"Mr. President [Rohani], many times the Koran called on Muslims to learn from history. We look at history today and see what became of those who trusted foreigners, especially those who trusted the bloodthirsty 'Great Satan' America. They all suffered harm, and ultimately ended up regretting having trusted America.
"If Islamic Iran wishes today to receive aid from the 'arrogant nations,' chiefly America, it must turn its back on the civilization of Islam and on the descendants of [Imam] Ali [that is, the Shi'ites] and must melt into their false civilization, must deny jihad, must abandon the oneness of God, and must enable them [i.e. the 'arrogant nations'] to boycott Iran, using the human rights [issue] as an excuse. Or, much like the backwards Arab countries, [Iran] must hand over its interests and its oil in favor of the interests of the arrogance and of America, must back down from the explicit Koranic commandment about supporting the oppressed, and must form a friendly alliance with the occupying Israel.
"All the above contradict the original, noble civilization of Mohammad's Islam. Hezbollah obeys the orders of the Imam Khamenei, and will never allow these things, which contradict Islam, to be carried out in Iran – because all the days are [the days of] Ashura [the Shi'ite days of mourning for the Imam Hossein who died in the Battle of Karbala in 680] and all the lands are [the lands of] Karbala – unless we lose our minds. Hezbollah will never forget all of this.
"Mr. President, tomorrow history will judge, and coming generations will ask: 'Has the nation achieved anything from pouring concrete into the heart of Iran's science [i.e. into the heavy water reactor in Arak, as required under the JCPOA]? Why do the officials still trust foreigners, although they repeatedly break their promises?'
"Mr. President, you bear responsibility for every martyr whose blood has been spilled. If you look at all the breaches of promise and disruptions by 'the Great Satan,' America, and declare firmly that you are cancelling the JCPOA because of America's violations [of it], history will never forget your heroic and revolutionary move; the heart of the Imam Mahdi will also rejoice because of you.
"In the Islamic Republic [of Iran], the president, in his various terms of office, is legitimate so long as he truly believes, in thought and in action, in the rule of the jurisprudent. We must learn from history – from the fate of people such as [president Abolhassan] Bani Sadr [deposed in 1981] and [Ayatollah Hossein Ali] Montazeri [designated heir of Ayatollah Khomeini, who spent the latter years of his life under house arrest until his death in 2009], who trampled the line of [the rule of the jurisprudent], and were shamed and humiliated."
Abdi concluded the interview by referring to a tweet by Rafsanjani about the current era as "an age of talks and not missiles"[2] and said: "It is enough to respond to Rafsanjani with a single word, and to say that had the Islamic State [ISIS] entered Iran and captured your daughter, you would have known the value of Iran's missile and defense industry, and of the heroic deeds of the brave men of the IRGC."
Endnotes:
[1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6373, Power Struggle Between Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei's Ideological Camp And Rafsanjani's Pragmatic Camp Intensifies – Part III: Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Speaks Out Against Pragmatic Camp Leaders Rafsanjani, Rohani, April 5, 2016.
[2] MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6373, Power Struggle Between Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei's Ideological Camp And Rafsanjani's Pragmatic Camp Intensifies – Part III: Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Speaks Out Against Pragmatic Camp Leaders Rafsanjani, Rohani, April 5, 2016.

Tiran, Sanafir, Syria, Yemen and Vision 2030
Jamal Khashoggi/Al Arabiya/May 03/16
Everyone is asking about the secret behind the recent enthusiasm and vitality of Saudi foreign policy. The kingdom launched its first airstrike from Khamis Mushait airport over a year ago against Houthi positions in Yemen, declaring Operation Decisive Storm, which is still gaining momentum. Why does Saudi Arabia insist on expelling Iran from Syria at any cost, and possibly from Iraq and Lebanon? Why was Riyadh keen to regain the islands of Tiran and Sanafir now, after they were placed under Egypt’s custody for decades? Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, announced by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, answers both questions. “We have three areas of strength with no competitors,” he told Al Arabiya TV, citing Islam, the kingdom’s enormous investment capacity, and its geographic location. In a closed meeting with a small group of Saudi writers and religious scholars, the prince explained how the kingdom was the promoter of real moderate Islam, and it was unacceptable that the religion be represented by Iran, Al-Qaeda, or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).The intellectual war on the latter two will take a larger dimension with support from official and prestigious Islamic institutions in Saudi Arabia. There is no “Saudi Islam,” as alleged by US President Barack Obama, just Islam.This reminds me of a Saudi radio program in the 1960s and 1970s called “Muslims and Enough,” which carried a message of Islamic solidarity formulated and managed by the late King Faisal at a time when the country occupied a privileged position among Muslims as caretaker of moderate Islam. The concept of moderate Islam is mentioned many times in Vision 2030.
Iran
Saudi investment capacity is considered a substitute to its oil-dependence. Prince Salman wants to invest for the benefit of the kingdom and the region. However, this vision will clash with a parallel Iranian project that does not aspire to good neighborliness, mutual benefit, or regional peace and stability. Saudi Arabia is blessed with this stability, which will enable the success of Vision 2030. This will benefit the whole region. This Iranian vision is executed via militias, weapons-smuggling, conspiracies and coups. It will not be based on participation, but on the suppression of others and subordination to Tehran. We do not do this in Saudi Arabia; instead, we sign contracts and strategic alliances in the light of day with governments, not with secret parties or militias. If the kingdom succeeds in being the main crossing point for trade between Asia, Africa and Europe, it will need neighbors that share the same vision, not Yemen’s Houthis or an Iran-dominated Syria. To that end, agreements have been signed with Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, Djibouti, and potentially Pakistan, which will revive an old bilateral alliance.
Stability
The most important issue in the prince’s announcements is the need for stability for long-term development, citing the examples of South Korea and Japan, which have been ruled by one party for decades. Saudi Arabia is blessed with this stability, which will enable the success of Vision 2030. This will benefit the whole region, as Saudi prosperity will positively impact that of its neighbors. Similar examples in the region are Dubai, Duqm port in Oman, Lucille economic city in Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. All these examples will be linked in Vision 2030. This will be complemented by King Salman Bridge, which will pass over Tiran island and will be the most important land crossing in the world, as described by the prince. All these sites and future projects will offer hundreds of thousands of jobs for Saudis, Egyptians, Jordanians, Africans and Asians, but not Syrians, who are controlled by Iran. Tehran has opted for confrontation rather than being an integral partner such as Turkey. Riyadh is preoccupied with using its army and diplomacy to prevent the collapse of regional security. People aspire to a decent quality of life - all regimes incapable of providing that must leave and not return.

From Houla to Aleppo: Syria’s Srebrenica moments multiply
Joyce Karam/Al Arabiya/May 03/16
For the 60 children, women and men who were buried under the rubble of al-Quds hospital in Aleppo, world leaders have issued statements and loud condemnations against the Assad regime before quickly resuming the talks to consider Aleppo’s inclusion in a phony “cessation of hostilities” (CoH) that has become a smokescreen for inaction in Syria. 21 years after the Srebrenica's massacre that killed 8000 Muslims in eastern Bosnia in the summer of 1995, the tragedies of Houla, Ghouta, Douma, Jisr Shoughour, Aleppo and countless massacres in Syria since 2011 are bearing witness that the “Never Again” mantra, is an empty slogan when it comes to the Middle East.
Running the clock on Syria
The talking points condemning Assad as “blood thirsty” or “illegitimate” are rolling in no time from Western capitals after every massacre in Syria. But on the ground in the flattened Sukkariyeh or Baba Amr neighborhoods of Aleppo and Homs or the vegetable market in Maaret Nuaman, these statements ring hollow for doing nothing to protect civilians from barrel bombing and sieges by the Syrian regime. The “R2p” (responsibility to protect) doctrine that emerged after Srebrenica is nowhere to be found in Syria, as global leaders scramble to contain the conflict but not to protect civilians or end the suffering. With more than 470,000 dead, 20 million internally displaced or in refuge, the debate for action in Syria is centered around countering ISIS and not protecting civilians. Yes, the war is a convoluted mix of rebellion, regional proxy, and sectarian conflict, but its humanitarian toll makes it the worse since WWII and the cost of inaction has only increased since 2012. In the eyes of US President Barack Obama, the Syrian conflict is a nuisance, an inconvenient distraction from the goal of pivoting to Asia and leaving a lighter footprint in the Middle East. As if Dr. Mohammed Maaz, Al-Quds’ last pediatrician, was contemplating China's role or post-Saddam Iraq when he died in the attack trying to save a child’s life. Running the clock and diluting the impact of the massacres and repeated violations of the CoH, is the US policy for the next eight and a half months of the Obama Presidency in Syria. Conveniently, that is also the timeline for the Geneva 3 process chaired by US and Russia to negotiate a solution. The negotiations have turned into a mockery of every conflict resolution structure out there. The CoH celebrated by US Secretary John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergie Lavrov has been violated on a daily basis, and is mediocre in coverage and expectations. The images from Aleppo of a Syrian child crying over the body of his younger brother, or an elderly woman masked with ashes as she makes her way out of the debris, are a recipe that will fuel extremism in the long run and across the global spectrum. The CoH does not cover Aleppo, and violations in the form of launching rockets, or attacking markets have had no punitive effect on the parties, since a form of talks and statements will always continue. Imagine for example a truce between the Israelis and the Palestinians that includes Gaza but not Ramallah, or one in Libya, that protects Benghazi but not Tripoli. With over than 1000 Syrian civilians killed in April and average of 100 since its implementation in February 26 (Syrian Network for Human Rights), the CoH is turning to a tactical weapon used by all the fighting factions, to regroup militarily, advance in strategic battles (Assad in Aleppo) and as a convenient front for Washington and Moscow to have a “process” and buy time on Syria.
A narrative that feeds ISIS
Nevertheless, the images from Aleppo of a Syrian child crying over the body of his younger brother, or an elderly woman masked with ashes as she makes her way out of the debris, are a recipe that will fuel extremism in the long run and across the global spectrum. What happens in Aleppo is not confined to the victims or the internal dynamics of the Syrian conflict. Absent of a plan that effectively protects civilians, the bombing of hospitals and vegetable markets will play right into the hands of ISIS. If anything, the attacks of the group from France to Belgium to Bangladesh have laid to rest myths that terrorism in Syria can be contained, or that airstrikes can defeat it. When Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel proposed “refugee safe zones” in Syria, something that both the US and Russia have opposed, the plan was not for regime change in the country. Germany has been more cautious in its opposition to Assad than the United States. Merkel's plan is primarily to shelter Europe from the refugee flow, offer civilian protection, and prevent ISIS from capitalizing on the population’s grievances, and contain what is shaping up to be a decade old conflict. But for Washington, even protecting small areas from massacres in Syria is an unworthy burden, while for Russia it's against the strategic objectives of helping the regime prevail. For ISIS and Al-Qaeda's Nusra, this status quo is ideal in Syria in terms of preying on civilians' tragedies to increase recruitment, emerge as a hardline alternative to the more moderate groups and confirm the conspiratorial sentiment that the West is allied with Assad. Given the brutal nature of the war and the very low likelihood for an action plan to protect civilians, Srebrenica moments are only bound to repeat in Syria. Beyond the hashtags and the condemnations, their occurrence is a reminder of the collective failure and the stained legacy for those watching in upholding the humanitarian commitments of the 21st century.

The dilemma of the Arab policymaker
Khaled Almaeena/Al Arabiya/May 03/16
The Obama Doctrine expressed through an interview with Jeffrey Goldberg in the April issue of The Atlantic caused consternation and alarm to many in the Arab world. Many commentators, writers and those wielding political power were rattled. Social media was full of attacks by many trolls, including some who had never even heard of the magazine before. Obama, as is customary with residents of the White House, has made farewell visits to Europe and the Middle East. This caused satisfaction to many who expressed gleefully that they had seen the last of him and that when he is gone, things will go back to normal and we will be the favorite allies of the US once again. However, this is nothing more than wishful thinking and total naiveté. It seems that some of our policymakers and America “experts” have not learned anything in the past 50 years. Things change, people and nations move on and geostrategies gather new dimensions and veer toward a totally strange paradigm shift. I advise the self-appointed political pundits in our area to have a look at what Aunty Hillary Clinton is saying and doing. In speech after speech, she blares out her total support for Israel. She is on record as saying to AIPAC members: “One of the first things I will do in office is to invite the Israeli prime minister to visit the White House”. Things change, people and nations move on and geostrategies gather new dimensions and veer toward a totally strange paradigm shift. She also said: “We will never allow Israel’s adversaries (meaning us Arabs) to think a wedge can be driven between us”. She also stressed that as president “I will vigorously oppose any attempt by outside parties to impose a solution including by the UN Security Council.” This means that Israeli terrorists have a green light to kill, burn and maim Palestinians. It also means that Israeli defiance and its interference in the Arab world, which is already battered by internecine fighting, lack of statesmanship and no political will, will increase.
The Trump bump
And then, of course, don’t forget Trump who will truly give us a bump!! He has openly stated that he will not depend on oil from the Middle East, nor will he be bothered by threats. On the contrary, he plans aggressive action. With the political climate reaching a frenzied level and Obama hardly getting two lines in the first five pages of any publication, writers and political analysts continue pouring out words that are truly misleading. How then do we deal with such a situation? Please don’t tell me to pour more money into the coffers of the sleazy PR firms that are hovering around us. And please do not bring up memories of the past friendship which does not exist in the minds of US policymakers. And don’t go running to American institutes and think tanks or ask reporters to write something good about us. What we need is a totally different approach by politically savvy individuals, not necessarily from academia, who have an insight into the American political system. And for a start we can have some new faces – from outside the beltway. To those who are gloating about Obama’s departure, I would like to remind them that to the Arabs in this neck of the woods, Obama is the last Santa Claus.

'Yes Men' taking over as the Middle East elite
Khalid Abdulla-Janahi/Al Arabiya/May 03/16
The middle class should account for a given population’s largest demographic, and define it as a society. Eroding the middle class effectively erodes a society’s existence as a people. Meanwhile, the elite are, traditionally, the leaders. They set the stage for the future, inspiring, setting direction, leading. Eliminating the elite effectively eliminates a society’s future. Unfortunately, however, it seems the elite have been all but eliminated from our part of the world. They’ve been replaced by an almost comical army of “Yes Men”. This particular strain of parasite, as far as I can tell, is a relatively new one – and it seems to come in two versions. First, there are the lap-ies, who sit on the laps of powerful and agree with everything and anything they say – even when they know they shouldn’t. The second version of this parasite has its own unique term in Arabic: the “tabaalla”. The role of the tabaalla (literally translated as “drummers”) is to bang on drums and make sure that the main act is noticed. It is a very loud but minor role, which has been around for a long time in many Middle Eastern cultures, traditionally existing exclusively in the entertainment industry. Today, however, it seems to have become a key role in every industry in the Middle East that I can think of. The sage wisdom of the elite is being replaced, across the region, by the nodding agreement of lap-ies, and the comic fanfare of the tabaalla. In fact, the GCC might well have the highest number of lap-ies and tabaalla per capita in the world – a dubious honour, even if it could earn us a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records. Our elite today, at least the vast majority of them, no longer seem to meet any of the traditional, time-honored criteria that defined the respected elite of the past. Instead, they almost all seem to be Yes Man clones. They are no longer the ones that offer unique solutions to contemporary challenges; not the ones offering constructive criticism, or new ways of doing things; not the ones that inspire and lead; and certainly not the ones that question the status quo. These nodding lap-ies and comic tabaalla Yes Men have taken over as our modern day elite, conforming, not challenging, following, not leading, all the while clapping comically and nodding blindly.
Parasitic behavior
This has to be one of the world’s oldest professions, but that it’s now taking over our elite is very concerning. Make no mistake - for some people it is definitely a profession. This, in turn, has been one of the key elements, and a powerful catalyst, in the major degeneration we’ve witnessed across the region. I’m not talking about harmless flattery, or even genuine adoration that exists in all cultures, and may even serve a positive purpose. I mean the parasitic behavior of certain individuals who attach themselves to people of power, feeding off their influence and giving nothing in return, just as a mosquito will draw blood from its host. Such people exist merely to cement their own place in a social hierarchy, at the expense of everyone, including their masters. Most shameful of all, is that these bloodsuckers often come from the upper echelons of society, sometimes by birth, and other times through genuine achievement. There are, of course, exceptions, but overall we seem to be taking backwards steps. We seem to be patting our lap-ies on the back, and celebrating our tabaalla, while punishing, persecuting or otherwise driving away our elite. That, in my opinion, is something we should all be very concerned about because it doesn’t promise a very bright future. A disappearing middle class is tragic - but a disappearing elite, that is truly terrifying.

Putin: Leader of the Orthodox Slavs
Mshari Al Thaydi/Al Arabiya/May 03/16
After Moscow’s intervention in Syria, things have changed noticeably on the ground. Russian President Vladimir Putin is behaving like a tsar, driven in Syria by religious and nationalist fervor, as well as by a desire for revenge against the United States and NATO, and to restore Russian dignity. Moscow also wants access to the seas of the Middle East for economic reasons. We must be fully aware of the significance of the historical motivations that are moving Putin, motivations that he is not trying to hide. He recently told a Ukrainian Orthodox Church delegation: “Constantinople [present-day Istanbul in Turkey] must be returned to the Christians as per the aspirations of Tsar Nicolas II.”During the Russian-Ottoman war, the tsarist state emphasized the role of Christian leadership and the resumption of the Crusades to ‘liberate’ the Holy Land, after the Catholic Church in Europe - led by the Vatican - abandoned this duty. Russia wanted to ‘liberate’ the eastern capital of Christianity, Constantinople, as well as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. France and Britain joined forces with the Ottomans to repel the Russian threat. We must be fully aware of the significance of the historical motivations that are moving Putin.
Correcting history?
Putin’s actions in the Syrian city of Aleppo, and the tricks performed by his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov throughout the peace process, reveal that the Russian president is fighting with this period of history in the back of his mind. Last year, he blessed the launch of Russian Orthodox TV channel Stari Grad. This name represents Constantinople. The patriarch of the Russian Church described Putin as a “miracle of the Lord” who has managed to lift his country. All this is happening while US. President Barack Obama spends his last days at the White House enjoying a jazz party, or joking with his guests at the final correspondents’ dinner of his administration that his country may be coming to an end.

Can Assad be part of a transitional period in Syria?
Haid Haid/Now Lebanon/May 03/16
Any solution that doesn’t include the immediate removal of Assad is likely to prolong the conflict in Syria and increase the challenges facing the transitional body
Syrians walk past a portrait of President Bashar al-Assad in the capital Damascus on March 15, 2016. (AFP/Louai Beshara)
There is no sign of an agreement on the polarizing question of Assad’s future, which remains the key sticking point in the Geneva peace talks involving the High Negotiations Committee of the Syrian Opposition (HNC) and a Syrian regime delegation. The HNC insists Assad must leave, but the regime objects to that demand. However, Assad’s fate does not seem to be as problematic internationally, at least not anymore. The US State Department spokesperson Mark Toner confirmed during a daily press briefing on April 5, 2016, that the US agrees with the Russian argument that Syrian people should decide the future of Bashar al-Assad, a line Russia has been pushing for since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in March 2011. This new understanding was also reflected in the UN peace envoy's proposed peace plan recommending that Bashar al-Assad should remain in power in the immediate aftermath of Syria's war, which was exclusively revealed by the New Arab on April 25. Assad would continue to lead Syria in a ceremonial role, ahead of a consensus administration that would eventually see him leave office. The important question here is can the Syrian people really decide their future if Assad remains in power, even in a ceremonial position?
The US position towards Assad has significantly changed from repeatedly asking Assad to step down in 2011 to recently signaling that Assad could stay on for a transitional period. This policy shift was influenced by Russia’s and Iran’s pro-Assad positions, the lack of a clear policy towards Syria and the rising power of ISIS in Syria and Iraq. This new approach proposes that Assad stays in power in order to avoid the disastrous scenarios that followed regime change in Iraq and Libya. A transitional body with full authorities would run the country and prepare for a new constitution, along with parliamentary and presidential elections. The assumption here is that pro-Assad groups would be okay with this because Assad would still be in power and they would have representatives in the transitional body. The other assumption is that the opposition groups would accept this proposal if they are pressured enough, because they would major participants in the transitional government and Assad would be left in a ceremonial post devoid of authority. These assumptions have proven wrong so far as neither the regime nor the opposition have voice their approval to this proposal.
No transitional body would be able to successfully function in Syria as long as Assad remains in his position, even if it is a ceremonial one. Assad does not draw his authority solely from his position as president and supreme leader of the military, but more importantly from his position has head of a regime that is built to protect and serve the ruling family. The Syrian constitution that was changed in 2000 in a matter of hours to allow Assad to become president reveals the real power he has. “Those who think that Assad could be stripped of his authority don’t really know how the regime functions. A dictator like Assad does not get his authority from the constitution or even the presidency. Bashar is a mafia boss and he inherited his power and authority because of who he is, not of what he does,” said Ahmed, a media activist based in Aleppo.
The situation in Yemen could also provide some insight about how the situation in Syria may play out if this transitional approach was implemented. The former Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, agreed to step down in November 2011 in exchange for immunity and as part of a deal brokered by Gulf states and backed by the United States. Nonetheless, Saleh continued to exert his influence through relatives and loyalists who held senior government posts, which also allowed the anti-government Houthis to extend their control to in the north and west of the country and eventually brought war back to Yemen. “Saleh resigned from his position as a president, but the loyalty of a big percentage of the military and the security agencies remained to him as a person. Bashar is like Saleh, he will still be able to ruin the transitional period in Syria as he will continue to control the army and the security agencies. Therefore, a successful transition requires not only removing Assad from his position but from the country as well,” said Maged Almadhaji, a Yemeni author and legal activist.
Any solution that doesn’t include the immediate removal of Assad is likely to prolong the conflict in Syria and increase the challenges facing the transitional body. The majority of rebel groups have stated on many occasions that they will not accept any political deal or stop fighting if Assad plays any role in the transitional period. Therefore, this approach is likely to provoke many armed groups to continue their fight against the transitional government, which would stop refugees and displaced Syrians from returning to their homes. This approach would also likely play into the hands of ISIS and other extremist groups like Jabhat al-Nusra, which will continue to use opposition to an Assad-led regime as a recruiting tool. Moreover, Assad’s participation in the transitional period also means that no one would be hold accountable for the atrocities and crimes committed in Syria, which could bear out a situation reflective of the principle “no peace without justice.” It is difficult to imagine any scenario in which a dictator like Bashar al-Assad could stay in a ceremonial position without authority, especially in a power game in which he owns all the winning cards. Therefore, there can be no solution to the conflict in Syria as long as Assad is still inside the country, because he is the symbol of Syria’s conflict and his presence will forever inflame it.

Haid Haid is a Syrian researcher who focuses on foreign and security policy, conflict resolution and Kurds and Islamist movements. He tweets @HaidHaid22

Damascus assassins strike “for Aleppo”
Now Lebanon/May 03/16
The Deterring the Oppressors Brigades claimed its third killing of a regime officer in Syria's capital.
BEIRUT – A rebel cell based in the Syrian capital has claimed it conducted another assassination, this time in retaliation for the intense regime bombardment of opposition-controlled quarters of Aleppo.The Deterring the Oppressors Brigades announced Tuesday that it killed an officer in General Security Directorate, the regime’s civilian intelligence apparatus. “One of the heroes of the Deterring the Oppressors Brigades managed to assassinate Captain Ali Khoder… in the heart of the capital Damascus,” the statement claimed. The shadowy group addressed the people of Aleppo in its statement, saying that “this is what we were able to do to retaliate for your blood,” a reference to the dozens killed since April 22.“We know that [killing] the entire tyrannical regime is not sufficient to redeem one drop of your blood, but before God, we promise our people in [Syria] that we’re going to achieve all your demands.”Rebel-held sectors of western Aleppo have been buffeted by heavy airstrikes , while opposition factions have responded with their own rocket strikes against regime-controlled areas of the Syria’s second city.
Deterring the Oppressors Brigades
The Deterring the Oppressors Brigades announced their formation on April 14, explaining that their “mission was to knock out and destroy the pillars of the ungodly and unjust regime [by] targeting its cronies in various ways.”“We say to the [regime] that we will force you to taste woes… what you are about to see is far more [dangerous] than what you imagine,” the group warned. Hours after issuing its opening statement, the Deterring the Oppressors Brigades uploaded a video on its Facebook page purporting to show an officer it had killed. The targeted man is shown in the video slumped over on a couch with a large blood spot over his heart where he was seemingly shot. For a second, the assassin filming the death scene moves his hand across the camera, revealing a pistol. Deterring the Oppressors identified its victim as Lieutenant Said Badran, saying that he had been “lured” to the site of his death by one of the unit’s operators. In a subsequent statement to a pro-rebel outlet, a spokesperson for the group claimed that Badran was an officer in Syria’s Political Security intelligence service. Days later the Deterring the Oppressors Brigades claimed a second hit in the heart of Damascus, saying it “managed to assassinate Sergeant Abdul Hamid Kauwa… on the evening of [April 18] by stabbing him to death on Jalaa Street.”The group said that Kauwa was serving in Syrian military intelligence’s notorious Brigade 235, commonly known as the “Palestine Branch.”
“Sleeper cells across Damascus”
A Deterring the Oppressors spokesperson spoke to Zaman al-Wasl about the group, claiming that it had sleeper cells distributed across the “heart of the capital.”“All areas of the capital, without exception, are a theater for the Brigades’ operations,” the spokesperson, identified as Mohammad al-Shami, said. The spokesperson further claimed that his faction has “cells in most [Syrian] provinces, but [the group’s] work currently focuses on Damascus.”Shami stressed that the Deterring the Oppressors Brigades was independent, and does “not receive any funding at the moment or follow any faction.”
He also hinted that the Deterring the Oppressors Brigades has conducted more operations, but that they have been kept secret due to their sensitive nature.

op Syria regime officer threatens Homs governor
Now Lebanon/May 03/16
BEIRUT – A top Syrian army commander who has achieved celebrity status among regime supporters has allegedly threatened the under-fire governor of the Homs province.
A popular Facebook page dedicated to Colonel Suheil al-Hassan on Sunday released a leaked video purporting to show the popular regime figure angrily berating Governor Talal Barazi over the phone. Hassan—who is flanked in the video by members of his elite Tiger Forces—can be overheard telling Barazi, “I am not your [friend], and I don’t want to be.”
The army colonel then proceeds to rebuke the Homs governor for not arriving to meet the Tiger Forces. “Respect yourself and respect your work. You should be present at your workplace,” Hassan says, adding that he and his had been waiting for him “since yesterday evening.” “I swear to God you have to come immediately, or else I’ll issue an order to arrest you immediately,” the colonel—who is known by his nickname of the “Tiger”—adds, directly challenging the authority of the regime politician.
“If you won’t come within 15 minutes, you have to consider yourself wanted by all security authorities.”Hassan then turns to the soldiers standing around in him, and comments, “This is the internal corruption that is more dangerous than external corruption.”
Barazi—who was appointed the governor of Syria’s largest province in 2013—has come under harsh criticism from residents of Homs since 2014 amid a spate of terrorist bombings that have rocked the city.
Earlier in 2016, residents of Homs’ Alawite-populated Zahraa district held a series of sit-ins calling for the governor’s resignation. Although the security chief of the province was replaced, Barazi weathered the storm and held onto his post.
The "Tiger's" cult of personality
During the course of the Syrian civil war, Hassan has risen from obscurity to become a widely-popular icon of the Syrian regime with his own cult of personality.
Leading French daily Le Monde postulated in a December 2014 report that Hassan's celebrity status—especially among Syrian Alawites—could even put him in a position to rival Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Hassan has risen rapidly through the ranks of the Syrian army, gaining prominence in 2013 when he was tasked with forming his own crack elite unit to conduct offensive operations.
His "Tiger Forces" garnered fans among regime supporters for relieving troops besieged in the Aleppo Central Prison in early 2014 and retaking the Shaer gas field later that year from ISIS. The battlefield successes boosted Hassan's media profile, with regime supporters praising him as a hero who never loses battles, despite his troops' mid-2015 reverses in the Idlib province and adjacent Al-Ghab Plain. Facebook pages devoted to the Syrian colonel have tens of thousands of followers, while videos show adoring fans surrounding him.