LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
November 01/16
Compiled
& Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The
Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.november01.16.htm
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Bible Quotations For
Today
Blessed are those
who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew
05/01-12/:"When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after
he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught
them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ‘Blessed
are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ‘Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive
mercy. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called
children of God. ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted
for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed
are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil
against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is
great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were
before you.
You have not come to something that
can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest
Letter to the Hebrews 12/18-24/:"You have not come to something that
can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, and the
sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not
another word be spoken to them. (For they could not endure the order that was
given, ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death.’Indeed, so terrifying was
the sight that Moses said, ‘I tremble with fear.’)But you have come to Mount
Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to
innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn
who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of
the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and
to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."
Titles For
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on November 01/16
President Michel Aoun’s address to Parliament/The Daily Star/November
01/16
Checks and balances are needed to raise government employee
productivity/Khaled Almaeena/Al
Arabiya/October 31/16
Will Hillary’s presidency rejuvenate America/Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/October 31/16
Is Turkey jumping on the Russian bandwagon/Mahir Zeynalov/Al Arabiya/October 31/16
Nouri al-Maliki’s dangerous
speech/Mshari Al Thaydi/Al Arabiya/October 31/16
Titles For Latest Lebanese
Related News published on on November 01/16
Michel Aoun elected Lebanon’s president
Lebanon Elects Aoun President of the Republic after
29-Month Void
Lebanon's Aoun: Ex-General Who Long Dreamed of
Presidency
Aoun Pledges 'Independent Foreign Policy', Vows to
Protect Lebanon from Regional
Consultations for Picking New PM Set for Wednesday, Thursday
Aoun Receives Congratulatory Calls from Hollande, Regional Leaders
Int'l Support Group Congratulates Aoun, Urges Speedy
Govt. Formation
Most Lebanese Leaders Welcome Aoun's Election, Pledge
Cooperation
Aoun Urges Supporters to Comply to Regulations when
Celebrating his Election
Geagea Urges Harmonious Govt., Lauds Aoun's Oath of Office
UK 'Looks Forward' to 'Working with President Aoun'
Iran Says Aoun's Election 'Consolidates Democracy,
Ensures Stability'
U.N. Chief Urges Quick Govt. Formation after Aoun's
Election
U.S. Says Aoun Election a 'Moment of Opportunity',
Urges Respect for U.N. Resolutions
Canadian FM,on election of Lebanon’s new president
UAE court sentences Hezbollah cell
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on on November
01/16
Syrian army vows to repel Aleppo militant attack
Syrian rebels progress in regime-held areas
Danish police find bodies of Syrian refugees in freezer
Iraqi Forces Move Toward East Mosul
Iraqi forces take village, position on Mosul's edge
Israel asks for delay in West Bank outpost demolition
Iranian opposition: Khamenei ordered Makkah attack
Iraqi troops resume Mosul offensive
Senior Iranian commander brags over “expanding borders”
Western powers support Libyan PM in standoff with rivals
478 expat medical professionals lose KSU jobs
Saudi king appoints new finance minister
King Salman receives Federica Mogherini
Prisoner in Saudi released after 15 years on death row
EU foreign chief due in Saudi for talks on Iran, Yemen
Nigerian soldiers, police sexually abuse Boko Haram victims: HRW
Turkey Detains Editor of Opposition Newspaper Cumhuriyet
Freed Indonesians recall Somali kidnap ordeal
Links From Jihad Watch Site for
on November 01/16
Germany: Muslim woman screaming “Allahu
akbar” attacks police officers with box-cutter
Minnesota
Muslim says he joined the Islamic State because “if I didn’t do it, I would be
basically a disgrace to God”
Canada:
Imam says 50-year-old man marrying 9-year-old girl is “legitimate” in Islam
Bangladesh:
Muslims vandalize 15 Hindu temples following “anti-Islam” post
Hillary
hits Trump for insulting Iran and the Islamic State
Record
number of illegals cross U.S./Mexico border, border
protection agency “keeping this secret” to skew election
Muslim
“child migrant” who claimed he was 16 to enter UK said he was 22 on dating site
CAIR’s Agenda: Islamization of
America, Not Protecting Muslims from Civil Rights Abuses
Video:
Dearborn, Michigan 2016
UK
Sharia court “protects wife-beating suspects by
sabotaging criminal proceedings against them”
Muslim
cleric: Jews “are like a cancer…woe to the world and to the Jews themselves if
they become strong”
Latest
Lebanese Related News published on on November
01/16
Michel Aoun elected Lebanon’s president
Reuters, Beirut Monday, 31 October
2016/Lebanon’s parliament on Monday elected Michel Aoun,
an 81-year-old former army commander and strong ally of the militant group
Hezbollah, as the country’s president, ending a more than two-year vacuum in
the top post and a political crisis that brought state institutions perilously
close to collapse. Aoun secured a simple majority of
votes in the house after a chaotic session that saw several rounds of voting
because extra ballots appeared in the ballot box each time. He garnered 83
votes out of 127 lawmakers present at the session.
He also failed to get elected by a
two thirds majority in the first round, as had been widely expected. Members of
parliament broke out in thunderous applause after Aoun
finally was declared president by Parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri. His supporters across the country erupted in
cheers as they watched the proceedings on huge screens set up in the streets.
Brief celebratory gunfire could also be heard in the capital.Aoun’s
election is seen by many as a clear victory for the pro-Iranian axis in the
Middle East, giving a boost to Hezbollah and the Shiite Lebanese group’s ally,
Syrian President Bashar Assad. The election came at a
time of great regional upheaval, especially in neighboring
Syria, where the civil war
has repeatedly spilled over into Lebanon on several occasions. “Lebanon is
passing through minefields and has been safe from the raging regional fires,
and we will prevent any spark from reaching it,” Aoun
said in a speech shortly after he was elected. Lebanese people take to the
streets of the coastal city of Batroun,
north of Beirut,
to celebrate the election of former general Michel Aoun
A rival candidate and strong
supporter of Assad, Suleiman Franjieh, told reporters
after the session: “Our alliance has won whether it is with me or with the
general.”
Aoun has
a wide support base, mostly among Lebanon’s
educated youth, but is a divisive figure in Lebanon for his role in the 1975-90
civil war. Still, there is cautious hope that his
election would breathe some life into state institutions that have been
paralyzed for too long.
Lebanon has been without a head of
state for 29 months after President Michel Suleiman stepped down at the end of
his term in May 2014. Since then, 45 sessions to elect a new leader have failed
due to political infighting that led to of a lack of quorum as Aoun’s block and allied Hezbollah lawmakers boycotted the
sessions because his election was not guaranteed. In the end, it took an about-face
by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Lebanon’s
Saudi-backed main Sunni leader, who formally endorsed Aoun
for president last week - reportedly in exchange for Aoun
promising him the position of prime minister. “This is a very important day for
Lebanon...
today is the beginning of the end for the risks that threatened us,” Hariri
said after the vote. Aoun was quickly sworn in as Lebanon’s 13th
president, pledging political and economic reform and urging a “real
partnership” among notoriously divided Lebanese political factions. Following
the parliament session, Aoun drove to the
presidential palace in the southeastern Beirut suburb of Baabda, returning exactly 26 years after he was forced out
of it as army commander and interim premier by Syrian forces and Lebanese
troops loyal to a rival commander. Ahead of the vote, army helicopters flew
over the city and cars were banned from entering most of central Beirut. Metal detectors
were set up in the streets around Parliament.
Lebanon Elects Aoun President of
the Republic after 29-Month Void
Agence
France Presse/Naharnet/October 31/16/Lebanon's
parliamentarians elected on Monday founder of the Free Patriotic Movement MP
Michel Aoun president of the republic after a longtime vacuum that has been plaguing Lebanon since May
2014 when the term of the president ended. Eighty-three deputies out of 127
voted for Aoun in the second round when the first
round failed to secure him a two-thirds majority winning vote. In the first
round, 84 deputies voted for Aoun, while 36 voted
with a blank paper and 6 ballot papers were canceled.
After four rounds of voting, including two unexpected repeat votes over the
presence of an extra envelope in the ballot box, Aoun
won support from 83 lawmakers, easily clearing the 50-percent-plus-one majority
required. 36 MPs cast with blank ballot papers and 8 ballot papers were canceled. Lawmakers convened at noon (1000 GMT) for their
46th attempt to elect a president but the first expected to actually produce a
result.
Ambassadors and diplomats from
different countries, including Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali, attended the meeting. Aoun's
supporters had gathered in Beirut
and several areas ahead of the session. Security was tight around the
parliament and Beirut's
Martyrs Square,
where supporters of Aoun's FPM dressed in their
trademark orange have been gathering for days. The 81-year-old former general
had long eyed the presidency, and his candidacy enjoyed key support from
Iran-backed Hizbullah, his ally since a surprise rapprochement
in 2006. But the key to clinching the post has been the shock support of two of
his greatest rivals: Samir Geagea,
leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces party, and Sunni former premier Saad Hariri. Hariri has described his endorsement of Aoun as necessary to "protect Lebanon,
protect the (political) system, protect the state and protect the Lebanese
people." The streets of the capital were emptier than usual ahead of the
vote, with most schools and universities closed, but Aoun's
supporters were out in force.
'We have won'
"We're counting the minutes
until General Aoun is elected, we've waited a long
time," said Jean, a 35-year-old hairdresser in the Dekwaneh
neighborhood outside Beirut. "I'm going to close the salon
after he's elected and go to downtown Beirut
to participate in the celebrations which will last until dawn," he told
AFP. In the Jdeideh suburb of Beirut, dozens of supporters dressed in
orange waved pictures of the stern-looking Aoun, as
his party's anthems blared from loudspeakers. "We have won. Lebanon has
returned to us," said Indira Georges Alwan, dressed in orange. The anticipated election was also
being celebrated in Syria,
despite Aoun's historical antipathy to Damascus. He once waged a
war to push Syrian forces out of Lebanon,
but in 2006 joined hands with Hizbullah, a key ally
of Damascus
that has dispatched fighters to bolster the regime against a rebellion.
"The resistance axis has triumphed, Syria
and its allies in Lebanon
have triumphed," trumpeted the al-Watan daily,
which is close to the Syrian government. Nicolas Sehnaoui,
Lebanon's
former minister of telecommunications and a member of Aoun's
FPM, echoed many supporters in describing the election as a "dream (that)
has come true.""He will be a president for
all the Lebanese, not just his party," he told AFP.
Blank ballots in protest
At times the session threatened to
descend into farce, with lawmakers casting votes for
pop star Myriam Klink and "Zorba
the Greek". Other lawmakers, including from Speaker Nabih
Berri's bloc, cast blank ballots in protest at the horsetrading that secured Aoun's
candidacy. "A blank ballot is an objection to the way things were
done," MP Ali Khreis told AFP before the vote.
"This country doesn't run on bilateral or trilateral agreements -- we
believe in dialogue." After announcing Aoun's
win, Berri said the election "should be a
beginning, not an end." "This parliament is ready to extend its hand
to lift up Lebanon,"
he said. Analysts have cautioned that despite the unexpected accord on Aoun, Lebanon's political landscape
remains deeply divided and the formation of a government is likely to be a
difficult process. And it remains unclear if the country's perpetually
ineffectual political class can solve problems that citizens cite as key, like
a trash collection crisis that has seen rubbish pile up in open dumps. The
parliament that elected Aoun has twice extended its
own mandate, avoiding elections, because of disagreements over a new electoral law.But for Aoun's supporters, the atmosphere was one of untrammeled
joy."I'm so happy. After 25 years our dream has
come true," said 33-year-old accountant Giselle Tammam,
celebrating in Jdeideh outside Beirut.
"I can't believe it."Aoun is expected to nominate Hariri to return as
prime minister, leading some to describe his support for the ex-general as a
tit-for-tat. Aoun's detractors have ramped up
criticism of him ahead of the vote, accusing him of allying with whoever will
help advance his interests. In footage posted by an opponent, Aoun is heard railing against the same parliament set to
elect him on Monday as an "illegitimate" body because it has twice
extended its own mandate. While Aoun's election will
end a vacuum seen as damaging for the country, experts say it is unlikely to
resolve the underlying disagreements that kept the post empty for so long.
President Michel Aoun’s
address to Parliament
The Daily Star/November 01/16
Below is the official translation of the full text of President Michel Aoun’s speech after he was sworn in at Parliament Monday.
“I had undertaken to content myself with the oath if I was elected president of
the republic, especially that the oath of faithfulness to the nation, literally
stated by the Constitution, is an imperative commitment for the president of
the republic alone among the heads of the constitutional authorities in the
state, and it bears all the meanings, connotations and commitments.
“Nevertheless, the prolonged political dysfunction, and the long vacancy in the
presidency, urged me to directly address, through you, the great people of
Lebanon who were always there for me, and were the strong fortress to which I
resorted for the great commitments and crucial choices.
“The man who speaks to you today is the president of the republic in whom you –
House and people – have placed your trust to assume the responsibility of the
highest position in the state; a president who came from a long path of
struggle which was filled with national responsibilities, whether in the
military institution in which he grew and whose command he held, or in the
exercise of public authority by constitutional mandate, or in the public
service by popular mandate; a president who came in difficult times, and on
whom high hopes are placed to overcome difficulties and not merely conform and
adapt to them, and to ensure the stability that the Lebanese long for, so that
their greatest dream is no longer the travel bag.
“The first step toward the desired stability is through political stability.
This can only be achieved by the respect for the Pact, the Constitution and the
laws, through the national partnership which constitutes the essence of our
system and the uniqueness of our entity. In this respect comes the necessity to
implement the National Entente Document, integrally, without any selectivity or
discretion, and to develop it according to the need, through a national
consensus. Indeed, it is, in one part, a constitution, and in another part,
binding national commitments. It cannot therefore be implemented partially,
otherwise it shall become pale and weak, no system or regime shall stand tall
under it, and no legitimacy for any authority shall rise from it.
“The uniqueness of Lebanon
resides in its plural balanced society, and this uniqueness consists of living
the spirit of the Constitution, through an effective equal-sharing. The first
of its obligations is to adopt an electoral law that ensures fair
representation, prior to the next elections.
“As for security, the first of its pillars is national unity. We are all aware
of the challenges that fall on us unexpectedly, and the need to address them
relentlessly, with our unity and openness to one another, and the acceptance of
the other’s opinion and belief. This is how we preserve the pillars of our
strength, and how we fill the gaps from which may leak the poisons of sedition,
fragmentation, tension and chaos.
“Lebanon,
which steps between the mines, is still immune to the flames raging around it
in the region. It remains at the top of our priorities to prevent the
transmission of any spark to it. It is therefore necessary to dissociate
Lebanon from external conflicts, while remaining committed to the Charter of
the League of Arab States, and in particular Article 8 thereof, and adopting an
independent foreign policy based on Lebanon’s higher interest and the respect
of international law, in view of safeguarding the country as an oasis of peace,
stability and encounter.
“As for the conflict with Israel, we shall spare no effort and no resistance to
liberate the remaining occupied Lebanese territories, and protect our country
from an enemy that still covets our land, water and natural resources.
“We shall deal with terrorism by preventing, deterring, countering and even
eliminating it. We also have to tackle the issue of the Syrian refugees by
ensuring a quick return, striving to prevent the transformation of the
displacement camps and agglomerations into safe havens, in cooperation with the
concerned States and authorities, and in a responsible coordination with the
United Nations, of which Lebanon was a co-founder and to whose charters it is
committed in the preamble of its Constitution; while affirming that there
cannot be a solution in Syria that does not guarantee and begin with the return
of the refugees. As for the Palestinians, we always strive to consolidate and
implement the right of return.
“Security stability can only be reached by a full coordination between the
security and judicial institutions. Indeed, security and justice are linked
with complementary tasks, and it is the duty of the regime to free them from
political dependence, as it must control their excesses for the citizen to feel
reassured about their performance and for the state to recover its prestige and
respectability.
“The promotion of the Army and the development of its capabilities shall be my
obsession and priority, in order to enable our Army to deter all kinds of
aggressions against our country, and to become a guard for its land, a
protector for its independence and a keeper for its sovereignty.
“In terms of the economic and social stability, the economic, social,
financial, development, health, environment and educational situation is
subject to consecutive, rather continuous, crises, for many external and
internal causes. While the external causes are out of our control and we can
only limit their repercussions, the internal causes compel us to tackle them
with a transformational approach which begins with an economic reform that
relies on planning and coordination between the ministries and computerization in
the various state administrations. We cannot go on without a comprehensive
economic plan based on sectorial plans. Indeed, the
state without planning cannot stand tall, and the State without a civil society
cannot be built.
“Investing natural resources in productive projects lays the foundations for
the increase of the volume of a liberal economy based on individual
entrepreneurship and a partnership between the private and public sectors,
within a targeted and developed financial vision.
“Moreover, investing in human resources, particularly in the education and
knowledge sector, contributes to building reliable generations to guarantee the
future of a Lebanon
we all aspire to. In effect, the main wealth of Lebanon resides in the Lebanese
spread throughout the world, those Lebanese to whom we owe the continuity and
dissemination of Lebanon’s message, as well as the resident Lebanese who are
entitled to live in a sound political environment and a clean natural
environment.
“The administrative decentralization, with its combination of flexibility and
dynamism in providing people’s needs and services, while preserving its
specificity within the formula of coexistence, must be a main axis, not only in
the application of the National Entente Document or in harmony with the nature
of Lebanon, but also in line with the development of the world regimes. This
socio-economic reform can only succeed with the consecration of a transparency
system by embracing the legal system that helps prevent corruption, by
appointing an anti-corruption committee, and by activating the control organs
and enabling them to carry out all their duties.
“The most important remains that the Lebanese have faith in each other and in
their state, that the state is their protector, the provider of their rights
and needs, and that the president of the republic is the guarantor of safety
and peace.
“These are the headlines of a presidential term during which I truly hope that
a paradigm shift will be achieved in consecrating real national partnership at
various levels of the state and constitutional authorities, in launching an
economic rising that would reverse the downward track, and in watching over the
soundness of the judiciary and justice, which is likely to pave the way for the
rise of the state of citizenship, after each of its components would have felt
reassurance about their present, about their future and about the fate of
Lebanon.
“It is true that we were late in fulfilling what we dreamed of and struggled
for and for which many of our dear fellows were displaced in the four corners
of the world and many of our loved ones fell as martyrs, injured, prisoners and
missing. Nevertheless, I am confident that all the Lebanese, despite their
awareness that the road is hard and long, have the determination, will and
courage to achieve together what we vowed our life for: A strong and unified
Lebanon for all its citizens, a Lebanon of freedom and dignity, a Lebanon of
sovereignty and independence, a Lebanon of stability and prosperity, a Lebanon
of Pact and message.”
Lebanon's Aoun: Ex-General Who Long
Dreamed of Presidency
Agence
France Presse/Naharnet/October 31/16/Former general
Michel Aoun, who was elected Lebanese president
Monday, was once in the vanguard of opposition to Syria's regime before an
about-face that saw him join forces with Hizbullah.The
stubborn 81-year-old now realizes his long-held dream of taking the country's
highest office after winning support from two fierce rivals, the Christian
leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, and Sunni ex-prime minister Saad
Hariri. Both men are fiercely opposed to Syria's regime and its ally Hizbullah, but have decided to back Aoun
for the presidency and end a void of more than two years. Aoun
has long been a controversial figure in Lebanon, revered as a charismatic
leader by his followers but loathed by his opponents. A Maronite
Christian, Aoun was born in the working-class Beirut suburb of Haret Hreik and, like many
Lebanese from modest backgrounds, pursued a military career. He rose through the
ranks during Lebanon's
1975-1990 civil war to become the army's youngest-ever commander in chief in
1984. Four years later, he was appointed head of one of two rival governments
in war-torn Lebanon.
He launched the unsuccessful "war of liberation" against the Syrian
army, which had entered Lebanon
in 1976, and tried in vain to disarm the Christian Lebanese Forces militia led
by his rival Geagea. The clashes between Aoun and Geagea's forces proved
disastrous for Lebanon's
Christians, who found themselves divided between the two leaders. Aoun refused to sign the 1989 Taif
agreement which brought the civil war to an end, arguing it cemented Syria's military presence and reduced the power
of the presidency, the key governmental post reserved for Lebanon's Christians.
The agreement proceeded without his endorsement, and he was dismissed from his
post as army chief with the ascension to the presidency of pro-Syrian Elias Hrawi.
Exile
On October 13, 1990, Aoun was forced by advancing Syrian army troops to seek refuge
in the French embassy, heading to Paris
the following year. He would spend 15 years in exile there, founding the
staunchly anti-Syrian Free Patriotic Movement in 1996. In April 2005, Syria's army withdrew from Lebanon after
massive protests sparked by the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister
Rafik Hariri. Aoun returned
to Beirut,
scoring a surprise win in that summer's parliamentary elections -- 21 out of
128 seats -- after running a campaign decrying sectarianism and corruption. But
he made a dramatic about-face in 2006, aligning his FPM with Hizbullah, that
backs Syria's
President Bashar Assad. Aoun's shift to the
Hizbullah-led camp earned him the contempt of Rafik Hariri's son, Saad.
Ironically, it was Hariri's endorsement 10 years later that finally secured Aoun the presidency.Aoun had the
backing of his ally Hizbullah since 2015, and scored
the endorsement of rival candidate Geagea in early
2016. Hariri initially backed Christian political figure Suleiman Franjieh -- a childhood friend of Assad -- but switched his
endorsement to Aoun on October 20.
'The strong president'
Aoun had
made no secret of his presidential ambitions since Michel Suleiman completed
his term as head of state in May 2014. For two years, parliament failed to
reach a consensus for a successor, with its political landscape divided by the
war in neighboring Syria. Aoun
used that time to campaign, insisting he could be the national leader who
turned the page on the sectarian politics that fueled
Lebanon's
civil war and still determine its electoral system. In Christian-majority areas
around the country, Aoun's supporters have strung up
banners hailing him as "the strong president" who can "work
miracles". Parliamentarian Alain Aoun -- Michel Aoun's nephew -- describes him as "patient, stubborn,
and persevering". "He spent 15 years in Paris without giving up," the MP said.
Referring to Aoun by his nickname of "the
General", he added that the candidate was perfectly healthy despite his
age, "and has an elephant's memory". He expects his uncle to be able
to effect change, armed with a "broad political mandate" and allies
across all major blocs in the country. But his opponents see him as high-strung
and volatile, and ready to ally himself with rivals to get what he wants. In footage
posted by an opponent, Aoun can be heard railing
against the same parliament that elected him on Monday as an
"illegitimate" body after it extended its own mandate twice.
Detractors also accuse Aoun of nepotism, pointing to
the ministerial posts held by his son-in-law Jebran Bassil and to his repeated efforts to secure the nomination
of another son-in-law as army chief. "I swear to God the great that I will
respect the constitution and its laws, and preserve the independence of the
Lebanese nation and peace on its lands," he said as he took the oath of
office on Monday.
Aoun Pledges 'Independent Foreign Policy', Vows to Protect
Lebanon
from Regional
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 31/16/President Michel Aoun pledged in his oath of office on Monday to endorse an
"independent foreign policy" and to protect Lebanon from "the fires
burning across the region."Delivering the oath
in parliament shortly after he was elected by the legislature as Lebanon's
13th president, Aoun stressed the need to “fully
implement the (1989) Document of National Accord without any selectivity or
exceptions” and to “improve it when needed through national consensus.”“The
first prerequisite of real equal (Christian-Muslim) power-sharing is the
approval of an electoral law that ensures fair representation before the date
of the next elections,” he added. Referring to the conflicts in Syria and the region, Aoun
said “preventing the spread of any spark” into Lebanon is among his top priorities
as president. “Accordingly, we stress the need to respect the charter of the
Arab League, especially Article 8, while endorsing an independent foreign
policy based on Lebanon's highest interest and respect for international law,”
the elected president added. Turning to the conflict with Israel, Aoun said: “We will spare no effort or resistance to
liberate any Lebanese territory that is still under occupation or to protect
our country from an enemy that still has ambitions regarding our land, water
and national resources.” As for the anti-terror fight, Aoun
vowed a “preemptive and deterrent” strategy against terrorism.“We must also address
the Syrian refugee crisis through securing a quick return” for them to their
country, Aoun added, stressing that “refugee
encampments and gatherings must not turn into security ghettos.”The
elected president also pledged to “strengthen the army and boost its
capabilities to enable it to repel all kinds of attacks on out country and so
that it protects its homeland and its independence and sovereignty.”Aoun's
election ends a presidential void that lasted around two and a half years. The
FPM founder was tipped to become president after his nomination was formally
endorsed by al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri earlier this month. Analysts have warned his
election will not be a "magic wand" for Lebanon,
which has seen longstanding political divisions exacerbated by the war in neighboring Syria
and has struggled to deal with an influx of more than a million Syrian
refugees. The 81-year-old former army chief had long eyed the presidency, and
his candidacy was backed from the beginning by Iran-backed Hizbullah,
his ally since a surprise rapprochement in 2006.
Consultations
for Picking New PM Set for Wednesday, Thursday
Naharnet/October
31/16/Binding parliamentary consultations for the designation of a new premier
have been scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, state-run National News Agency
reported, hours after Michel Aoun was elected as Lebanon's
13th president. Earlier in the day, Aoun signed a
decree accepting the resignation of Prime Minister Tammam
Salam's government and asking it to act in caretaker capacity until the
formation of a new government. During consultations at the Baabda Palace, parliamentary blocs inform the
president of their nominations for the prime minister post and the candidate
who receives the highest number of votes becomes premier. Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad
Hariri is tipped to be re-designated as premier in light of his key support for
Aoun's nomination and Hizbullah's
announcement that it is not opposed to his return to the premiership. Aoun's election ends a presidential void that lasted around
two and a half years. Analysts have warned that Aoun's
election will not be a "magic wand" for Lebanon,
which has seen longstanding political divisions exacerbated by the war in neighboring Syria
and has struggled to deal with an influx of more than a million Syrian
refugees. In addition to pledges of economic growth and security, Aoun said in his oath of office that Lebanon must
work to ensure Syrian refugees "can return quickly" to their country.
Aoun also pledged to endorse an "independent
foreign policy" and to protect Lebanon from "the fires
burning across the region."
Aoun Receives Congratulatory Calls from Hollande, Regional Leaders
Naharnet/October
31/16/President Michel Aoun received phone calls
Monday from a number of heads of state who congratulated him on being elected
as Lebanon's
13th president.
French President Francois Hollande expressed “France's
permanent readiness to help Lebanon
in light of the historic ties that gather the two countries,” Lebanon's
National News Agency reported. Aoun for his part
thanked Hollande for congratulating him, stressing
“the firmness of the Lebanese-French ties” and lauding “the efforts that France has exerted to assist Lebanon in all fields.”Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
meanwhile congratulated Aoun and hoped his election
will boost bilateral ties between Lebanon
and Iran.
“Your election comes at a very critical time during which the region is facing
the threats of the takfiri movements and the
terrorist groups and the ambitions of the Zionist entity (Israel). Iran is
confident that your election will strengthen the axis of the Lebanese
resistance in the face of these threat,” Rouhani added.
Aoun
also received congratulatory phone calls from Syrian President Bashar Assad, Qatar's emir
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad
al-Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Assad hoped Aoun's election
would contribute to "reinforcing stability" in Lebanon, Syria's
state news agency SANA
said. Aoun's election ends a presidential void that
lasted around two and a half years. Analysts have warned that Aoun's election will not be a "magic wand" for Lebanon, which has seen longstanding political
divisions exacerbated by the war in neighboring Syria and has
struggled to deal with an influx of more than a million Syrian refugees. In
addition to pledges of economic growth and security, Aoun
said in his oath of office that Lebanon
must work to ensure Syrian refugees "can return quickly" to their
country. Aoun also pledged to endorse an
"independent foreign policy" and to protect Lebanon from
"the fires burning across the region."
Int'l
Support Group Congratulates Aoun, Urges Speedy Govt.
Formation
Naharnet/October
31/16/The International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG) on Monday congratulated
President Michel Aoun over his election as Lebanon's
13th president, calling for a speedy government formation and for holding the
upcoming parliamentary polls on time.“The members of
the International Support Group for Lebanon
congratulate Mr. Michel Aoun on his election today as
President of the Republic
of Lebanon. They welcome
the election of a President as a long-awaited step to overcome Lebanon’s
political and institutional crisis,” the ISG said in a statement. The ISG
comprises the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon
and Ambassadors of the Arab League, China,
the European Union, France, Germany, Italy,
the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States.
It hoped the election “will give the Lebanese people renewed confidence and
will pave the way for broader political progress.”The
members of the ISG also stressed “the importance for domestic and regional
stability of Lebanon’s continued commitment to the Baabda
Declaration and relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, including
resolution 1701 (2006), as well as respect for its international obligations.”The global forces also underscored the need to
“advance at this time with the formation of a Government as soon as possible as
well as with the election of a Parliament by May 2017, in accordance with the
Constitution.”
“The members of the ISG note that
further international support for Lebanon will be facilitated by the
reactivation of Lebanese State institutions, in particular a unified and
functioning government, and stand ready to engage to that end with such a
government, once it is formed,” they said. “The members of the ISG encourage
all Lebanese parties to work constructively to that end, and further call on Lebanon’s
regional partners to remain supportive of such efforts,” the ISG added. It also
thanked Speaker Nabih Berri
for “his efforts at fostering continued dialogue among all Lebanese parties”
and Prime Minister Tamam Salam for “his leadership
throughout this difficult period.” Aoun's election
ends a presidential void that lasted around two and a half years. The FPM
founder was tipped to become president after his nomination was formally
endorsed by al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri earlier this month. Analysts have warned his
election will not be a "magic wand" for Lebanon,
which has seen longstanding political divisions exacerbated by the war in neighboring Syria
and has struggled to deal with an influx of more than a million Syrian
refugees. The 81-year-old former army chief had long eyed the presidency, and
his candidacy was backed from the beginning by Iran-backed Hizbullah,
his ally since a surprise rapprochement in 2006.
Most
Lebanese Leaders Welcome Aoun's Election, Pledge
Cooperation
Naharnet/October
31/16/The majority of Lebanon's
political leaders welcomed on Monday the election of Michel Aoun
as president of the republic and the end of around two and a half years of
presidential and political vacuum. "We hope there will be a national unity
government for all Lebanese,” al-Mustaqbal Movement
leader ex-PM Saad Hariri said after the vote. Hariri
is tipped to become premier and his key support for Aoun's
nomination had paved the way for the election as president of the Free
Patriotic Movement founder. Meanwhile, al-Mustaqbal
bloc chief ex-PM Fouad Saniora,
who had announced that he would not vote in Aoun's favor, said: “We have a president now and we will cooperate
with him.”“It's an excellent day. We have finally
overcome the dilemma after three years,” Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat said. “Everyone's
cooperation is important in order to confront the challenges that are facing Lebanon, in
line with the president's oath of office and Speaker (Nabih)
Berri's speech,” added Jumblat.
Asked whether Hariri's mission of forming a new government will be easy, Jumblat said: “We all have to cooperate and must leave the
disputes behind us.”
Most of Jumblat's
Democratic Gathering bloc voted for Aoun after the
nomination of its candidate MP Henri Helou was
withdrawn in recent days. Marada Movement chief MP
Suleiman Franjieh meanwhile congratulated Aoun, saying his election “is a victory for our political camp.”Franjieh was Aoun's main
electoral rival until Saturday, when he called on those who support him to cast
blank votes. “No one asked me to launch a call for blank votes. I took this
decision to preserve my allies and not to embarrass them,” Franjieh
added, referring to media reports that have suggested that Hizbullah
was behind the move.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea noted that his
“cooperation” with Aoun will be “a main guarantee for
the new presidential tenure.”“The oath of office was
promising in terms of focusing on building the State, the army and the economy.
As for foreign policy and after two and a half years of total chaos, the new
president clarified Lebanon's
commitment to the Arab League charter and the U.N. charter, putting Lebanon in the
place it should be in terms of foreign policy,” Geagea
added. Hariri had launched an initiative to nominate Franjieh
for the presidency in late 2015 but his proposal was met with reservations from
the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.
Hariri's move prompted Geagea to endorse the
nomination of Aoun, his long-time Christian rival. Geagea himself had been the candidate of the Hariri-led
March 14 forces for several months and he received 48 votes in the first
presidential election session that was held in April 2014.
“It is Resurrection Day,” FPM
chief and Aoun's son-in-law Jebran
Bassil meanwhile said via Twitter.
Ex-PM and Tripoli MP Najib Miqati meanwhile saluted
Speaker Berri for “the commitment of his bloc to the
attendance of all electoral sessions” amid “the obstruction of those who sought
paralysis.”
And while lauding Aoun for “stressing adherence to the national principles in
his oath of office,” Miqati hoped Aoun's
tenure will be one of “security, stability, prosperity and full respect for the
Constitution and the work of the executive authority.”
Miqati
also announced that he will be among the ranks of the “constructive opposition”
that “takes its stances according to the performance of the president and the
government that will be formed.”
Hizbullah
chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
meanwhile called Aoun to congratulate him over his
election as president, Hizbullah's media department
said in a statement.
"He wished him a long life
and success in his new national responsibilities," the statement added.
Analysts have warned that Aoun's election will not be
a "magic wand" for Lebanon,
which has seen longstanding political divisions exacerbated by the war in neighboring Syria
and has struggled to deal with an influx of more than a million Syrian
refugees. The 81-year-old former army chief had long eyed the presidency, and
his candidacy was backed from the beginning by Iran-backed Hizbullah,
his ally since a surprise rapprochement in 2006.
Aoun Urges Supporters to Comply to
Regulations when Celebrating his Election
Naharnet/October
31/16/Media office of presidential hopeful MP Michel Aoun
issued a statement on Monday, ahead of a parliament session set to elect a
president, and reminded the Lebanese, mainly Aoun's
supporters, of the need to comply with the regulations during celebrations that
will go in parallel with the election session. The statement urged the Lebanese
especially supporters of Aoun to “comply with the
regulations during the celebrations and to stay away from abusive
manifestations,” said the statement. Lebanon's parliament is poised to
elect former general Michel Aoun as president on
Monday, after a dramatic shifting of alliances ended two years of political
stalemate. Widespread celebrations are expected in Mount Lebanon and several
Lebanese areas, with a huge gathering planned in central Beirut by Aoun's
Free Patriotic Movement. In Christian-majority areas around the country, Aoun's supporters have strung up banners hailing him as
"the strong president" who can "work miracles". The
Lebanese are accustomed to a deadly practice of celebratory gunfire rounds into
the air to show joy, political passion or even grief. Aoun
has therefore asked his supporters to refrain from this
practices during Monday's celebrations. Citizens in several Lebanese
areas have reported hearing heavy celebratory gunfire during the weekend which
triggering fears of stray bullets harming someone.
Geagea Urges Harmonious Govt., Lauds Aoun's
Oath of Office
Naharnet/October
31/16/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Monday hailed the oath of office of President
Michel Aoun and called for the formation of a
harmonious government. "I'm not against the formation of a national unity
cabinet but I support the formation of a government that has a clear policy and
a harmonious line-up," Geagea said in an
interview on LBCI television. “Quarreling around the
cabinet table will not lead to a result," he noted.Defending his support for Aoun's
nomination, Geagea explained: “We thought that our
endorsement of General Aoun would immediately lead to
his election but this did not happen even after several months.”“When
ex-PM (Saad) Hariri backed his nomination the March 8
forces had no excuse left not to elect him,” he added. “After the LF and al-Mustaqbal Movement backed General Aoun's
nomination, it would have been a big scandal for Hizbullah
not to support him and Hizbullah could not afford to
lose its Christian cover,” Geagea went on to say.
Turning to Aoun's presidential address, the LF leader
said “the oath of office today was clear and sovereign par excellence and we
must seek its implementation.”“Aoun's election is a
step forward,” he stressed. Earlier in the day, Geagea
noted that his “cooperation” with Aoun will be “a
main guarantee for the new presidential tenure.”“The
oath of office was promising in terms of focusing on building the State, the
army and the economy. As for foreign policy and after two and a half years of
total chaos, the new president clarified Lebanon's
commitment to the Arab League charter and the U.N. charter, putting Lebanon in the
place it should be in terms of foreign policy,” Geagea
said. Aoun was
tipped to become president after ex-PM Saad Hariri
formally endorsed his nomination earlier this month. Hariri had launched an
initiative to nominate Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the
presidency in late 2015 but his proposal was met with reservations from the
country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.
Hariri's move prompted Geagea to endorse the
nomination of Aoun, his long-time Christian rival. Geagea himself had been the candidate of the Hariri-led
March 14 forces for several months and he received 48 votes in the first
presidential election session that was held in April 2014.
UK 'Looks Forward' to 'Working with President Aoun'
Naharnet/October
31/16/Britain on Monday congratulated President Michel Aoun
on his election as Lebanon's
13th president, saying it “looks forward” to cooperating with him. “I
congratulate General Michel Aoun on his election as
President. His election brings an end to a two and a half year presidential
vacuum and opens a new chapter for the country,” UK Foreign Secretary Boris
Johnson said in a statement. “I hope this breakthrough will bring renewed hope
to the Lebanese people, who want to see functioning institutions which deliver security,
stability and prosperity for all,” Johnson added. “I look forward to continued
strong UK cooperation with Lebanon on the basis of commitment to the Baabda declaration; strengthened Lebanese institutions; and
international agreements including U.N. Security Council Resolutions and the
commitments made at the 2016 London conference,” Britain's top diplomat went on
to say. And noting that “this is a challenging time for Lebanon,” Johnson said Lebanon needs a “unifying
leadership that works in the interest of all Lebanese.”“The UK
remains steadfast in its commitment to Lebanon and looks forward to
working with President Aoun,” Johnson added. Aoun's election ends a presidential void that lasted around
two and a half years. Analysts have warned that Aoun's
election will not be a "magic wand" for Lebanon,
which has seen longstanding political divisions exacerbated by the war in neighboring Syria
and has struggled to deal with an influx of more than a million Syrian
refugees. In addition to pledges of economic growth and security, Aoun said in his oath of office that Lebanon must
work to ensure Syrian refugees "can return quickly" to their country.
Aoun also pledged to endorse an "independent
foreign policy" and to protect Lebanon from "the fires
burning across the region."
Iran Says Aoun's Election
'Consolidates Democracy, Ensures Stability'
Agence
France Presse/Naharnet/October 31/16/Iran's foreign
ministry on Monday congratulated the Lebanese people and all Lebanese parties
on the election of Free Patriotic Movement founder Michel Aoun
as president, calling the election "an important step to consolidate
democracy and ensure Lebanon's stability."Aoun
is allied with Tehran-backed Hizbullah and the
latter's support for his nomination had played a key role in boosting his
presidential chances. Aoun was tipped to become
president after receiving support from al-Mustaqbal
Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri, who is close to Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia. The election put an
end to around two and a half years of presidential and political vacuum.
U.N.
Chief Urges Quick Govt. Formation after Aoun's
Election
Agence
France Presse/Naharnet/October 31/16/U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the
long-awaited election of a president in Lebanon and said a new government
must now be formed without delay. Ban congratulated Michel Aoun
who was elected by Lebanese lawmakers, ending a two-year political vacuum in
the country. He "hopes that Lebanese parties will now continue to work in
a spirit of unity and in the national interest," said a statement from his
spokesman. The U.N. chief "encourages the formation without delay of a
government that can effectively serve the needs of all Lebanese citizens and
address the serious challenges facing the country."The
United Nations had repeatedly called on Lebanon's
political leaders to elect a president and bolster institutional stability at a
time when the war in Syria
was rattling the region. Lebanon
is hosting more than one million Syrian refugees while hundreds of thousands of
displaced Palestinians have been living in squalid and often lawless camps in
the country. Ban also said that parliamentary elections should be held on time.
Those are scheduled for next year.
U.S. Says Aoun Election a
'Moment of Opportunity', Urges Respect for
U.N. Resolutions
Agence
France Presse/Naharnet/October 31/16/The U.S. on Monday described Michel Aoun's election as president of Lebanon
as a “moment of opportunity,” while urging the next government to “uphold Lebanon’s
international obligations.”“The United States congratulates the people of Lebanon on the election of President Michel Aoun, in accordance with Lebanon’s constitution. This is a
moment of opportunity, as Lebanon emerges from years of political impasse, to
restore government functions and build a more stable and prosperous future for
all Lebanese citizens,” said U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby in a statement.“As Lebanon
forms a new government, we look to all parties to uphold Lebanon’s
international obligations, including those contained in U.N. Security Council
Resolutions 1559 and 1701,” he added. Kirby also underlined that Washington will “continue to stand shoulder to shoulder
with the Lebanese people and support Lebanon’s independence,
sovereignty, security, and stability.” The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon meanwhile took to Twitter
to congratulate the Lebanese people and Aoun on
“today’s election and this moment of opportunity for Lebanon.”Resolution 1701 ended the 2006 war between Hizbullah and Israel
while Resolution 1559 calls for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon,
including Aoun's ally Hizbullah.
Earlier in the day, Lebanese lawmakers ended a lengthy political vacuum by
electing as president ex-army chief Aoun, who
promised to protect the country from spillover from
the war in Syria.
Syria's five-year war has
been a major fault line for Lebanon's
political class, and analysts have warned Aoun's
election will not be a "magic wand" for divisions that have long
plagued parliamentarians. The next challenge will be forming a government,
which is expected to take months of wrangling. Presidential media office chief Rafik Chlala
told reporters consultations on naming a premier would begin within 48 hours.
The parliament that elected Aoun has twice extended its
own mandate, avoiding elections, because of disagreements over a new electoral
law. Aoun had long eyed the presidency, and his
candidacy was backed from the beginning by Iran-backed Hizbullah,
his ally since a surprise rapprochement in 2006. Aoun
was tipped to become president after receiving key support for his nomination
earlier this month from al-Mustaqbal Movement leader
ex-PM Saad Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia.
Canadian
FM,on election of Lebanon’s new
president
October 31, 2016 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global
Affairs Canada
The Honourable Stéphane
Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:
“Lebanon’s Parliament today ended a
two-year political deadlock with the election of President Michel Aoun.
“Notwithstanding the ongoing
domestic and regional challenges, this is an important step for Lebanon. Canada encourages all parties to work together
to ensure a successful transition toward a new government that reflects Lebanon’s
diversity and the desire of its people for stability.”
UAE
court sentences Hezbollah cell
AFP, Abu Dhabi
Monday, 31 October 2016/A top Emirati court on Monday
sentenced seven people to up to life in prison after convicting them of forming
a cell linked to Lebanon's
Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, state media said. One Emirati national and two
Lebanese men were given life sentences, while an Iraqi and another Lebanese man
were jailed 15 years each, according to state news agency WAM. An Egyptian
woman and another Emirati man were each jailed for 10 years, it said. The
charges included "passing classified information about a governmental
department to Lebanon's
Hezbollah terrorist (group) and for the benefit of a foreign country," WAM
said. The defendants were also accused of passing information about "oil
production in one of the emirates as well as maps of oil and gas fields,"
it said. They were also charged with "forming and managing an
international group belonging to the (Hezbollah) party without a license from
the government," it added. The trial at the state security court was
attended by some of the defendants' family members, as well as lawyers and
representatives of local media, WAM said. Foreign press are not usually given
access to state security trials. The Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation
Council in March declared Hezbollah a "terrorist" group over the
movement's backing for the Syrian regime. Hezbollah is fighting in Syria
in support of the government of President Bashar
al-Assad against opponents including Gulf-backed rebels. In a separate session,
the court also sentenced in absentia, Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam el-Erian, for five years in
prison for insulting the UAE. El-Erian was sentenced
to 20-years prison in Egypt
earlier this month.
(This piece has been edited by Al Arabiya English)
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous
Reports And News published on on November 01/16
Syrian
army vows to repel Aleppo
militant attack
The Associated Press, Beirut
Monday, 31 October 2016/Syria’s military said Monday that it is determined to
repel an attack on the government-controlled western part of Aleppo as it
continued to battle insurgents in intense battles on the city’s edge.
The military said in a statement
that opposition fighters have killed 84 people, mostly women and children, since
launching their offensive Friday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
opposition monitoring group estimates that 51 civilians, including 18 children
and 61 pro-government fighters, have been killed. Rami
Abdurrahman, the director of the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a
network of activists on the ground in Syria, said about 70 opposition fighters
were killed in the fighting that included airstrikes on the frontline. Amnesty
International said the armed opposition offensive was “marked by indiscriminate
attacks on civilian areas.”An insurgent alliance,
known as the Army of Conquest and which includes an al-Qaida-linked group,
attacked western Aleppo,
aiming to breach a months-long siege on the rebel-held eastern side of the
city. They captured al-Assad district on the western edge of
government-controlled Aleppo Saturday, and the village of Minian further
north. On Monday, insurgent media reported that they repelled an attempt by
government and allied troops to regain control of the village. The Syrian
military accused the insurgents of “criminal acts” that included an alleged
attack of toxic gas that wounded several. But it said that won’t dissuade its
troops from continuing its war on terrorism. The insurgents denied those
allegations and also accused the government of using chlorine barrel bombs on
civilians in rural Aleppo.
Neither side’s claims could be independently verified. Amnesty International
said the use of chemical weapons, regardless of who is behind the attack, can
never be justified and constitutes a war crime. The rights group said
insurgents showed a “shocking disregard for human lives,” using imprecise
explosive weapons in the vicinity of densely populated areas. “The goal of
breaking the siege on eastern Aleppo does not give armed opposition groups a
license to flout the rules of international humanitarian law by bombarding
civilian neighborhoods in government-held areas
without distinction,” said Samah Hadid,
deputy director for campaigns at Amnesty International in Beirut. Meanwhile, in
southern Syria,
government troops repelled an insurgent attack on military posts in rural Daraa. The state news agency said troops foiled an attack
by four car bombs heading for the military area, killing dozens of militants.
Syrian
rebels progress in regime-held areas
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Monday, 31 October 2016/Opposition factions
in Syria continue to advance
in western areas which the regime controls in Aleppo and they have announced their success
in confronting the regime’s counterattack against them. The opposition has
achieved notable progress in the battle which it has called “the great battle
of Aleppo” and it has stormed the new Aleppo neighborhood and other
areas in west Aleppo.
Great battle of Aleppo
The great battle of Aleppo has been launched
according to a plan that’s different from their previous plan during the past
battle. The battle this time has more momentum as it includes more forces which
are better armed than before. Around 14 factions from the armed opposition are
taking part in this war and they’ve been divided on two major operations rooms
which are “the army of conquest” and “Fatah Halab.”Some
of the factions which the army of conquest includes are Ahrar
al-Sham, Suqour al-Sham Brigade, Ajnad
al-Sham and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki
Movement while some of the factions which joined Fatah Halab
are the Levant Front, Army of the Mujahideen, Sham
Legion and Jaysh al-Islam. When attacking regime
forces’ posts, these factions use booby trapped cars, Grad rocket launchers,
locally made elephant rockets, tanks, armored
fighting vehicles and light weapons. These factions have shelled the regime
posts in the Nayrab military airport and the military
academy in Aleppo
which is also called the Assad academy. The adopted strategy’s major phases aim
to control the Assad suburb which is on the international road, southwest of Aleppo and to control the
residential area in order to head to the area of Hamadeniya.
The attack’s military plan aims to attack the regime forces from two axes, the
axis of the military academies in the Ramusah neighborhood and the axis of Jamiyat
al-Zahra and the new Aleppo neighborhood
in the western side of Aleppo.
Danish
police find bodies of Syrian refugees in freezer
The Associated Press, Denmark Monday,
31 October 2016/Danish police say the remains of a 27-year-old Syrian woman and
her two daughters, aged 7 and 9, were found in a freezer inside their apartment
in southern Denmark. Police made the gruesome discovery Sunday in the town of Aabenraa
after a relative of the woman told them he hadn't been able to reach her for a
few days. Investigators said Monday that the victims were killed but didn't
give any details. The woman's husband wasn't in the apartment and is now being
sought by police. The family arrived in Denmark in 2015 and received
refugee status.
Iraqi
Forces Move Toward East Mosul
Agence
France Presse/Naharnet/October 31/16/Iraq's forces
resumed their advance on the Islamic State group's bastion of Mosul Monday,
aiming to position themselves a few hundred metres from the city's eastern
limits. A senior officer with the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) told
AFP reporters outside the recently retaken town of Bartalla that only two villages remained on the
road to Mosul.
"The target is to retake Bazwaya and Gogjali, the last two villages before Mosul," a lieutenant colonel said.
"If we manage that, we'll only be a few hundred metres (yards) from
Mosul," he said.As an aircraft struck a
suspected IS mortar position in the distance, the officer's convoy of Humvees sprayed gunfire across the arid plain toward an
industrial area still held by jihadists. The Joint Operations Command
coordinating Iraq's war on
IS said CTS and army forces launched a drive "to advance toward the left
bank of the city of Mosul
from three axes." Mosul is split down the
middle by the Tigris
River. Iraqis refer to
the eastern half of the city as the left bank and the western side as the right
bank. A huge offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq's
second city and IS's last major stronghold in the
country, began exactly two weeks ago. The tens of thousands of security
personnel involved in Iraq's
biggest military operation in years were moving mostly on three main fronts:
north, east and south. Paramilitary forces dominated by Iran-backed Shiite
militia groups opened a another front at the weekend.
They are not directly headed for Mosul but setting their sights on the town of
Tal Afar to the west, with the aim of retaking it and cutting supply lines
between Mosul and the Syrian border. The initial shaping phase of the
operation, during which dozens of villages and several towns have already been
recaptured from IS, is still under way.Iraqi forces
are then expected to besiege Mosul, attempt to open safe corridors for the
million-plus civilians still believed to live there, and breach the city to
take on diehard jihadists in street battles.
Iraqi
forces take village, position on Mosul's
edge
The Associated Press, Iraq/Bazwaya Monday, 31 October 2016/Iraqi special forces
advanced on the ISIS-held city of Mosul from the east on Monday, taking heavy
fire but seizing the last ISIS-held village before the city's eastern limits
and clearing a path that was followed by army units. Armored
vehicles, including Abrams tanks, drew mortar and small arms fire as they moved
on the village of Bazwaya in the dawn
assault, while allied artillery and airstrikes hit ISIS
positions. By evening the fighting had stopped and the units took up positions
less than a mile from Mosul's
eastern border and some five miles from the city center. Three suicide car
bombers tried to stop the advance during the day before the army took control
of the town but the troops destroyed them, said Brig. Gen. Haider
Fadhil. The army said another unit, its ninth
division, had moved up toward Mosul
and was now approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) from
its eastern outskirts, the neighborhood of Gogjali. At one point, a Humvee
packed with explosives raced ahead in an attempt to ram the forces, but Iraqi
troops opened fire on it, setting off the charge and blowing up the vehicle.
Plumes of smoke rose in the air from ISIS positions hit by artillery, and
airstrikes the army said came from its US allies. Iraqi state television
described the operation as a "battle of honor"
to liberate the city, captured by ISIS from a
superior yet neglected Iraqi force in 2014. Some residents hung white flags on
buildings and from windows in a sign they would not resist the government
troops, said Maj. Salam al-Obeidi, a member of the special forces operation in Bazwaya.
He said troops were requesting that villagers stay inside their homes as Iraqi
forces made their way through the streets, as a precaution against potential
suicide bombers. For two weeks, Iraqi forces and their Kurdish allies, Sunni
tribesmen and Shiite militias have been converging on Mosul
from all directions to drive ISIS from Iraq's second largest city. The
operation is expected to take weeks, if not months. Since the offensive began
on Oct. 17, Iraqi forces moving toward the city have made uneven progress.
Advances have been slower in the south, with government forces there still 20
miles (35 kilometers) from the city. The US military estimates ISIS has
3,000 to 5,000 fighters inside Mosul
and another 1,500-2,500 in the city's outer defensive belt. The total number
includes around 1,000 foreign fighters. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced on his
website on Monday that he would be visiting troops near the front line. A day
earlier, thousands of fighters flocked to join Iraq's
state-sanctioned, Iran-backed Shiite militias who aim to cut off Mosul from the west. In a
series of apparent retaliation attacks, bombers on Sunday struck in five of Baghdad's mostly Shiite neighborhoods, killing at least 17 people. The deadliest of
the explosions, a parked car bomb, hit a popular fruit and vegetable market
near a school in the northwestern Hurriyah
area, killing at least 10 and wounding 34. On Monday, ISIS
issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. Also Monday,
separate attacks in and around Baghdad
killed at least eight people and wounded 25 others, police said. The deadliest
took place in the southern Dora neighborhood when a
bomb ripped through an outdoor vegetable market, killing three civilians and
wounding nine others, police added. Medical officials confirmed the casualty
figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not
authorized to release information.
Israel
asks for delay in West Bank outpost demolition
The Associated Press, Jerusalem Monday, 31 October 2016/Israel has asked the
country’s Supreme Court to delay the court-ordered evacuation of an illegal West Bank outpost slated for later this year. The state
asked the court for a seven-month extension on Monday. The Supreme Court ruled
in 2014 that the Amona outpost was built on private
Palestinian land and must be demolished by Dec. 25. The impending evacuation
has threatened to destabilize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
hard-line coalition. Pro-settler lawmakers have tried to find a legal loophole
to keep the outpost in its place, a move Israel’s attorney general says is
unconstitutional. Amona is the largest of about 100 West Bank outposts built without permission but generally
tolerated by the government. These are in addition to 120 settlements that Israel
considers legal.
Iranian
opposition: Khamenei ordered Makkah
attack
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Monday, 31 October 2016/President-elect of
the Iranian Resistance “strongly” condemned on Sunday the targeting of Saudi’s
holy city Makkah with rockets launched from inside Yemen
on October 29. Maryam Rajavi
said the strikes carried out were under the supervision of Quds
Force, and ordered by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
She referred to the attack as a “declaration of war to all Muslims around the
world”. She called for the expulsion of the “anti-human” and “anti-Islamic”
regime from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and requested
Islamic countries cut relations with the current Iranian regime. “Even earlier
the mullahs' regime spared no effort to conduct crimes and desecration of Makkah and the sacred House of God. Among others were
sending explosives to Saudi in 1986, and causing riot and chaos in Mecca in 1987 that took
the lives of more than 400 pilgrims. This is the very same regime that did not
even hesitate to explode the shrines of Shiite Imams in Mashhad and Samarra in a bid to
maintain its infamous reign,” Rajavi said. Earlier,
the Iranian Resistance revealed transferring arm shipments by the mullah’s
regime to Yemen.
Iraqi
troops resume Mosul
offensive
Reuters, Baghdad
Monday, 31 October 2016/Iraqi troops resumed on Monday a coordinated offensive
towards Mosul, the last major city held by ISIS,
targeting the eastern bank of the Tigris river that divides the city, military officials said. The
army’s counter-terrorism unit had paused its advance
last week after it made ground quicker than forces on other fronts, to allow
them to close the gap and get nearer to the city. Iraqi security forces and Kurdish
Peshmerga fighters started the offensive on Oct. 17,
with air and ground support from the US-led coalition against the hardline extremist group. Pro-Iranian Iraqi militias joined
the fighting on Saturday, aiming to cut the route between Mosul
and Raqqa, ISIS’s main
stronghold in Syria.
The battle for Mosul,
still home to 1.5 million residents, is shaping up to be one of the toughest in
a decade of turmoil following the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein
in 2003. “The operation to liberate the left bank of Mosul has started,” said a military
statement, referring to the eastern bank of the river that flows from north to
south. Another statement said five villages were taken north of Mosul, where Peshmerga fighters are also being deployed. ISIS militants
has been fighting off the two-week offensive with suicide car bombs,
snipers and mortar fire. They have also set oil wells on fire to cover their
movements and displaced thousands of civilians from villages toward Mosul, using them as human
shields, UN officials and villagers who spoke to Reuters have said. Worst-case
United Nations forecasts see up to 1 million people being uprooted by the
fighting, which UN aid agencies said had so far forced about 17,500 people to
flee - a figure that excludes those taken into Mosul by the retreating militants.
Senior
Iranian commander brags over “expanding borders”
By Al Arabiya.net Monday, 31
October 2016/A senior Iranian commander bragged,
Monday, on the expansion of the Islamic Republic boundaries from the Red Sea to
the Mediterranean, vowing that the “defenders of the holy shrines” forces would
crash Tehran
opponents anywhere in the world. Brigadier General Hossein
Salami, the deputy commander of IRGC, told a crowd of the Basij
Forces in Orumiyeh city, western Iran, that the Iranian forces recently demonstrated “its
capability of not recognizing the red lines in pursuing and punishing the
regime adversaries”.
Salam added: “You can see how our
borders expanded reaching the Red Sea and the eastern Mediterranean,
due to the sacrifice of our martyrs”, according to Tasnim
news agency. Iran calls its
forces fighting in Syria,
alongside Damascus
regime militants, the “defenders of the holy shrines”, a term now being used
for all its Basij forces.
Western
powers support Libyan PM in standoff with rivals
By The Associated Press, London Monday, 31 October 2016/Western and some Middle
Eastern powers expressed support on Monday for Libya’s UN-brokered unity
government and Prime Minister Fayez Seraj’s push to
restore order across the chaotic country and revive its oil-based economy. In London, officials from the United
States, Britain,
Italy, France, the United
Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia met Seraj for talks to tackle a standoff preventing the
Government of National Accord (GNA) from expanding its authority outside the
capital. After the meeting, a spokeswoman for US Secretary of State John Kerry
said the ministers, who included British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Italy’s Paolo Gentiloni, said they had reaffirmed the “strong
international support” for the GNA. “The ministers underscored their support
for increasing the capacity of the GNA... to respond to the needs of the Libyan
people,” State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said. “The ministers
also called upon all Libyan economic institutions to work together in support
of this effort.”Her statement did not indicate
whether any concrete action might ensue from the pledge of support. The meeting
included a session that focused on Libya’s economy, in particular how
to enforce economic decisions and stabilize the economy without a finance
minister. The fractured North African state has two rival central bank
governors and the GNA has been unable to appoint a finance minister. Since the
fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in an uprising in
2011, Libya
has been beset by factional fighting among brigades of ex-rebels who battled
him and then turned on each other. Western powers are alarmed about resistance
to Seraj and his GNA from the country’s eastern
military commander General Khalifa Haftar, who has blocked a parliamentary vote to endorse the
UN-backed authorities. The parliament based in Libya’s
east has twice rejected lists of ministers put forward by the GNA leadership
meant to represent the various sides in Libya’s fragmented politics. The
failure to appoint a finance minister has hobbled economic decision-making in
the major oil-producing country, an OPEC member. Monday’s meeting was to try to
address ways to tackle Libya’s
slide towards economic collapse. Two other side-effects of Libya’s disorder are of major concern abroad -
an uncontrolled flow towards Europe of migrants setting off in boats from Libya’s lawless shores where people-smugglers
operate, and an infiltration of ISIS militants who now hold some territory
along Libya’s
Mediterranean coast.
478
expat medical professionals lose KSU jobs
Saudi Gazette, Taif
Monday, 31 October 2016/The Replacement Administration in the Ministry of Civil
Service has refused to renew the contracts of 478
expat medical professionals working at King Saud University (KSU). The
university had requested the renewal of their contracts. But the ministry said
these workers had spent a long period of time in the Kingdom and that there
were qualified Saudis to replace them. Sources told Al-Watan
Arabic daily that King
Saud University
had requested the Ministry of Civil Service to renew the contracts of 516 male
and female medical professionals who had spent more than 10 years on the job.
The university’s request was studied by the Replacement Administration, which
refused to renew the contracts of 478 employees. The Administration exempted
seven consultant doctors and 31 assistant doctors. Several Saudi postgraduate
degree holders seeking jobs in Saudi universities are demanding a review of the
contracts of expatriate workers in universities. They also called for the
implementation of the Civil Service Ministry’s requirement that a contract
worker’s period of service should not exceed 10 years in Saudi universities.
Saudi
king appoints new finance minister
By Staff writer Al Arabiya English Monday, 31 October 2016
Saudi Arabia's King Salman Bin Abdulaziz issued a
Royal decree to appoint Mohammed Al-Jadaan as the new
finance minister on Monday to replace Ibrahim Abdulaziz
Al-Assaf. Jaddan had
previously been the chairman of the Saudi Capital Market Authority. He replaces
Ibrahim Alassaf, who has been appointed minister of
state and a member of the council of ministers, according to the royal decree.
Meanwhile, the royal decree also included the appointment of Mohammed al-Qassem as president of the Saudi Red Crescent.Hesham
al-Jadei was appointed as the new head of the Saudi
Food and Drug Authority to replace Mohammed Meshaal.
King
Salman receives Federica Mogherini
SPA Monday, 31 October 2016/King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
received at Yamamah palace, European Union High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of
European Commission Federica Mogherini currently on a
visit to the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia. During
the meeting, they discussed a number of issues of common interest, and aspects
of cooperation between the Kingdom and the Commission of the European Union.
Prisoner
in Saudi released after 15 years on death row
Jeddah, Okaz/Saudi
Gazette Monday, 31 October 2016/After 15 years on the
death row, a Chadian prisoner was released due to the efforts of the National
Human Rights Society. A source said Chadian prisoner Bashir
Al-Ghali was sentenced to death for murder 15 years
ago. “The prisoner spent 5,500 days in prison waiting for the day of his
execution. He is the oldest prisoner on death row. And was freed after the
President of the National Human Rights Society Saleh
Al-Ghamdi reached out to the Director of Jeddah
Prisons Col. Manie Al-Otaibi,”
said the source. The source also said the prisoner shed tears of happiness and
will soon be deported back to his country. “The prisoner is now 45 years old
and has spent a third of his life in the prisons of Jeddah. He expressed his
gratitude to the National Human Rights Society for exerting great efforts in
reaching out to the family of the victim and asking for forgiveness on his
behalf,” said the source. The source also said the prisoner was also grateful
for Jeddah prisons as he was able to memorize the Holy Qur’an and the Prophetic
sayings during his incarceration.
“He studied various subjects and
is updated on using technology thanks to the programs offered at the prison. He
also said he will never commit such a horrid crime again and will use the knowledge
he gained to better his life,” said the source. The source added the prisoner
was in a fight with a Sudanese man 15 years ago. “The Sudanese man, a shepherd,
was killed by the prisoner in the fight and was sentenced to death for his
crime. The family of the prisoner reached out to the National Human Rights
Society imploring them to seek the forgiveness of the victim’s family,” said
the source. The source said the National Human Rights Society was able to
contact the father of the victim who was in Sudan. “The father of the victim
used to work in Jeddah, also as a shepherd, but had left for his country after
the death of his son. The National Human Rights Society brought the father of
the victim to Kingdom after his consent and were able to complete the necessary
procedures to release the prisoner,” said the source. The source also said the
father of the victim said the President of the National Human Rights Society
reached out to him and invited him to come to Makkah.
“The father accepted the invitation and was received by the President of the
National Human Rights Society at his home. The president offered to pay for all
of the expenses and told the father that a donor is willing to give him a check
of SR300,000 for the release of the prisoner,” said
the source. The source also said the victim’s mother had already told the
father to not to accept any money as blood money for her son. “The father said
he had to contemplate a lot about forgiving the prisoner after 15 years of
being on death row. The father prayed for an answer from Allah and eventually
decided to forgive the prisoner without accepting any blood money,” said the
source.
EU
foreign chief due in Saudi for talks on Iran, Yemen
By Reuters, Doha Monday, 31 October 2016/The Saudi
secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) resigned on
Monday for health reasons, according to a statement from the organization.
“Secretary-General Iyad Madani
has resigned for health reasons,” said the statement. It said Saudi Arabia had nominated Yusuf
al-Othaimeen, a former minister of social affairs, as
Madani’s replacement.
Nigerian
soldiers, police sexually abuse Boko Haram victims: HRW
Reuters, Lagos Monday, 31 October
2016/Nigerian soldiers and policemen have raped and sexually abused women and
girls fleeing the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, Human Rights Watch said on Monday. Forty-three cases
of "sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation",
were documented in July, HRW said. The women and girls were housed at seven
camps in Maiduguri,
the capital of Borno state, where Boko
Haram's seven-year insurgency began. That insurgency has displaced more than two million people and
killed some 15,000 in Nigeria's
northeast.
An army spokesman declined to
comment and referred the matter to the defense
ministry. A spokesman for the department could not be reached by phone and did
not respond to a text message. A spokesman for the Nigerian police could not be
reached on his mobile phone. The rights group said it was also told of abuse
carried out by camp leaders and members of security groups set up to help the
military fight the insurgents. Four people told HRW they were drugged and
raped. Thirty-seven said they had been coerced into sex through false marriage
promises and material and financial assistance. A 17-year-old girl said she was
raped by a policeman who approached her in a camp. "One day he demanded to
have sex with me. I refused but he forced me," she said, adding that it
happened once. She said he threatened to shoot and kill her when she discovered
that she was pregnant. Another girl - a 16-year-old who fled an attack on Baga, near Lake Chad, last
year - said she was drugged and raped in May 2015 by a community security group
member in charge of distributing aid in the camp. Boko
Haram, which controlled a swathe of land in the
northeast around the size of Belgium
early last year, has largely been pushed back to its
base in the northeast's vast Sambisa forest in the
last few months. Aid workers and soldiers have gained access to the group's
former northeastern strongholds, revealing
famine-like conditions which UNICEF says could kill 75,000 children over the
next year if they do not receive aid. Nigerian lawmakers in early October said
they would investigate the use of government funds intended to assist displaced
people, amid claims that money had been diverted.
Turkey Detains Editor of Opposition Newspaper Cumhuriyet
Agence
France Presse/Naharnet/October 31/16/Turkish police
detained the editor-in-chief of the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet,
state media reported Monday, while the daily said several of its writers were
taken into police custody. Murat Sabuncu was detained
while authorities searched for executive board chairman Akin Atalay and writer Guray Oz, the
official news agency Anadolu said. The daily said Oz had in fact already been
detained along with other journalists from the paper, including Aydin Engin, Hikmet
Cetinkaya and Hakan Kara.
According to CNN Turk, 13 arrest warrants were issued for journalists and
executives from the daily. Police were searching the homes of Atalay and Oz, Anadolu said, but Atalay is believed to be abroad, CNN Turk reported. Cumhuriyet said the home of cartoonist Musa Kart was also
being searched. The latest detentions came as authorities pressed a massive
crackdown over a failed July bid by a rogue faction of the military to oust
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
has been under a state of emergency since the July 15 failed coup. Tens of
thousands of civil servants have been suspended, fired or detained, with the
government pointing the finger of blame for the coup bid at exiled Muslim
preacher Fethullah Gulen.
The government has also shut more than 100 media outlets and detained dozens of
journalists as it presses a purge that has come under fire by Western leaders
and human rights organisations. The arrests also came as the government fought
an insurgency from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). -
'Unjustifiable limitations' -The Istanbul prosecutor said in a statement quoted
by Turkish media that the newspaper and the Cumhuriyet
Foundation, which owns the daily, were being investigated over links to the PKK
and the Gulen movement. The investigation was probing
whether they committed crimes on behalf of the two "terror
organisations", the prosecutor said. The PKK -- proscribed as a terrorist
organisation by Ankara, the EU and US -- has
waged an insurgency inside Turkey
since 1984. The daily said an arrest warrant was also issued for its former
editor-in-chief, Can Dundar, who was sentenced in May
by a Turkish court to five years and 10 months in prison for allegedly
revealing state secrets. Dundar is now believed to be
in Germany
after he was freed earlier this year pending an appeal. The crackdown on Cumhuriyet came after authorities ordered the closure of
several pro-Kurdish media outlets, including the Dicle
Haber Ajansi news agency and the Ozgur
Gundem newspaper, according to a decree published
Saturday in the official journal. While Turkey insists it is acting within
the rule of law, organisations defending free speech have accused the
government of violating human rights."Restrictions
imposed under the state of emergency go beyond those permissible under
international human rights law, including unjustifiable limitations on media
freedom," Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and other rights groups said
earlier this month.
Freed
Indonesians recall Somali kidnap ordeal
AFP, Jakarta Monday, 31 October 2016/Four
Indonesian fishermen had an emotional reunion with their families Monday after
returning home following a kidnap ordeal at the hands of Somali pirates,
recalling the horrors they endured. Looking skinny, weak and tired, the sailors
hugged their sobbing relatives at a ceremony in the capital Jakarta that came about a week after they
were released, along with 22 other Asian captives following almost five years
as hostages. "We are still traumatized, we're still afraid," said one
of the captives, 24-year-old Sudirman, who like many
Indonesians goes by one name. "We don't know what we are feeling right
now. Even as we stand here, we can't believe it. Is this a dream? This must be
a miracle -- thank you God."The crew, who also came from Cambodia,
China, the Philippines, Taiwan
and Vietnam, were taken
hostage after their fishing vessel was seized in March 2012 south of the Seychelles.
The Omani-flagged vessel, the Naham 3, was the last
commercial ship seized at the height of Somalia's piracy scourge, with its
crew the second-longest held hostage by Somali pirates. Sudirman
said the Indonesians spent one and a half years on the boat before being taken
ashore and held at a site in the wilderness. He said the captives were usually
only fed once a day with spoiled bread or rice and red beans, and half a litre
of dirty water, leading them to suffer from constant diarrhoea. Some days the
hostages got nothing, forcing them to hunt for their own food in the form of
rats and cats, he said, but added this could be dangerous. "If we got
caught our hands and feet would be tied up and we would be hung upside down, it
hurt a lot," he said. Pirates initially took 29 crew hostage,
but one person died during the hijacking, and two more died from illnesses --
including an Indonesian -- during their captivity. The first major commercial
vessel was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2005 and the industry flourished in a
country wracked by years of civil war and with few jobs and no central
government.
Latest LCCC
Bulletin analysis& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on on October 30-31/16
Checks and balances are
needed to raise government employee productivity
Khaled Almaeena/Al
Arabiya/October 31/16
There have recently been many discussions about the
productivity of Saudi employees, especially those in the public sector. This subject became
more intense after the former Minister of Civil Service Khaled
Al-Araj claimed that government workers put in barely
an hour a day at the office.
There was an immediate outcry and tweeters expressed anger
at his remark. I
do not know from where Al-Araj got his figure since there
are no accurate key performance indicators to gauge individual employee
performance nor has any accurate poll ever been done. Others described the
minister’s remark as an exaggeration, but admitted that productivity was low in
government departments. Many people whom I spoke to said that three hours would
be a somewhat more accurate figure.However, let’s be
very frank and face the facts. Our productivity is low. No one can convince me
that our work ethics are on a par with other advanced countries in the world.
Our productivity rate is far below Singapore,
Korea, Japan, China,
Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand. Individually, there are
employees who are hard working and productive; however, the majority of them do
not make the grade. Part
of the problem lies with the poor management system and managers who do not
lead by example. Having said that, it is unfair to blame only
the employees for their inefficiency. Part of the problem lies with the
poor management system and managers who do not lead by example. They provide
neither guidance nor incentives. Government offices need to be managed in a
more professional way. There should be a proper management system that ensures
discipline and efficiency. Employees lack discipline due to the absence of
checks and balances and poor leadership from senior management.I
went to a government office a month ago and was told that my file was with an
employee who had gone on vacation for 10 days and, therefore, the paperwork was
delayed. Thus members of the public are at the mercy of employees who are
either on vacation or do not show up in office or come very late to work. In
some other instances, the manager is not there and the paperwork is delayed
because of his required signature. To make matters worse, some employees simply
disappear after noon prayers. Yes, this often happens and people should not
deny the fact that it does. The frustration of people lining up in the morning
waiting for government employees to arrive is a common sight. The lazy attitude
and lethargy of many employees must be addressed by good leadership in all
government departments.
Unless there are professionally trained managers who can
lead and act as role models, this sorry state of affairs will continue. What is
also needed is a reward scheme and better incentives to encourage better
performance. The public has a right to expect better service. **This article
was first published the Saudi Gazette on October 31, 2016.
Will Hillary’s
presidency rejuvenate America?
Raghida Dergham/Al
Arabiya/October 31/16
The electoral compass indicates today that Hillary Clinton
is set to return to the White House as the first female president in US history. Yet
the political compass suggests this ambitious woman, whose career spans
decades, will not spend a comfortable next four years in power. Her tenure
could be burdened by careful calculations, but also a lot of second-guessing
and attempts to harass her over both small and big mistakes. Hillary, the
candidate who has been lacking in charisma and popularity, will not become
overnight President Hillary around whom the American people shall rally. A
significant segment of Americans do not trust her, and see her as the offshoot
of the establishment, which comprises major civilian and military interests,
and who are also loath to having the Clintons in the White House once again.
Divided America
could become more divided if the results are close between Clinton and Donald
Trump, the Republicans’ begrudged candidate. If the elections produce a
landslide for Hillary, then her presidency will enjoy a mandate and perhaps she
will be spared some of the bitterness otherwise lying in wait for her. In this
case, Hillary will be a president bent on restoring US’s decisiveness and
prestige on the world arena, which had taken a hit under Obama whose policy was
marked by appeasement in an era of eroded principles and moral superiority.
Hillary’s presidency will not be isolationist like Obama’s, as there are signs
she intends to reshuffle the deck with Russia though not to the point of confrontation.
Clinton will want to let Putin know that America “the
infirm”, as the Russians often characterized Obama’s US, will rejuvenate itself
and disallow further belittling from the Kremlin. Hillary Clinton’s expected
policies toward the Gulf region may revive traditional axioms, with a view to
repair some of the tensions that have soured historical relations between the
two sides.
However, one must not expect a full reversal of Obama’s
policies, which bet everything on having historically different relations with Iran. It will
not be easy for Hillary to convince Egypt
that she no longer backs the Muslim Brotherhood; in the view of the
administration in power in Egypt,
she had played a key role in the rise of Islamists to power. Clinton has
expressed willingness to support safe zones in Syria, but it is not clear if this
includes the unlikely prospect of establishing a no-fly zone. Either way, this
suggests she has a different policy compared to Obama
Middle East conflicts
Mistrust of Hillary Clinton and her team, at least at the
start of her tenure, will likely continue as Egypt’s leader el-Sisi continues to develop strategic ties with
“anti-Islamist” Putin. Raging wars also await Clinton. Syria’s
opposition is yearning for a new American policy, while the regime is seeking
together with its allies in Moscow and Tehran to benefit from the “extra time” before her
inauguration to impose military facts on the ground, especially in Aleppo. Turkey is preparing itself to prove how sharp
and valuable its instruments are in Syria
and Iraq.
The US-led international coalition is seeking victory in Mosul against ISIS and then Raqqa, in the hope of concluding Obama’s tenure in the
White House with a historic achievement before the successor takes over.
The whole world has its eyes set on the results of the US elections.
They watched the campaign sometimes with glee and others with horror, as it
dawned on everyone what it meant for Donald Trump to capture the presidency.
But today, the White House will most likely be occupied by a grandmother, and
the first female president of the United States. It’s still not
impossible for Trump to win. However, barring a major surprise, the majority of
observers agree that Clinton
is almost certain to win. In Washington,
deliberations have already started regarding which names to appoint for top
posts. For example, Michelle Flournoy is being touted
as the next defense secretary, and the first woman
ever in the post. Other names include Admiral Jones Sevrides
or General John Allen for secretary of state, or
veteran diplomat Bill Burns while one of the two military men would instead be
appointed national security advisor. In other words, Washington is already gearing up for a new
Democratic administration after Trump spoiled any chance for a Republican
administration to take over.
Donald Trump’s failure to take the White House is likely to
annoy Putin, who has not concealed his biases. Russia has even been accused of
interfering with US elections against Hillary Clinton,
drawing the ire of many Americans included those opposed to her.
The US-Russia relations
US-Russian relations under Clinton will not turn into a hot war or even
a cold war. But they will not follow the same truce-like if not appeasement
pattern seen under Obama, especially in the interactions between Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry on Syria.
Hillary Clinton’s relationship with Lavrov
when she served at the state department underwent a number of crises most
notably over Libya, when Moscow saw NATO’s intervention there as cynical
misinterpretation of a UN Security Council mandate and an affront to Russia’s
prestige. Thus began the bad blood between Lavrov and
Clinton, after which Russia’s
ties with the West deteriorated, as nationalist sentiment was stoked in Moscow to the point of seeking revenge through Syria.
Russia
stands accused nowadays of perpetrating war crimes in Aleppo, where it is fighting alongside the
regime and Iran-backed forces and militias. Britain
and France want to take Russia and the
Syrian regime to the ICC to hold them accountable for war crimes and crimes
against humanity. Turkey is
fighting the war in Syria
and backing moderate rebels, and is seeking to create no-fly zones and safe
humanitarian zones, a bid opposed by Moscow.
Russia
has turned the Syrian tragedy from a war between regime and opposition into a
war on the al-Nusra Front and moderate rebels
simultaneously. Hillary Clinton has expressed willingness to support safe zones
in Syria,
but it is not clear if this includes the unlikely prospect of establishing a
no-fly zone. Either way, this suggests she has a different policy compared to
Obama, who washed his hands clean from Syria. Yet this does not mean she
is willing to send US troops to Syria, except through the coalition against
ISIS and similar groups like al-Nusra.There will
never be US ground forces in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, or Libya, because this is what
the Americans’ mood imposes today and in the near future. The different here is
that Hillary will not let Russia
continue its policies in Syria
without a pushback, through Turkey
and traditional allies in the Gulf, and without accountability for crimes by
supporting European allies in their bid to activate the ICC.
Because Hillary Clinton will have realistic relations with
the Arab Gulf
nations, her policies in Syria
could be more pragmatic. Still, it is unlikely Clinton will antagonize Assad’s
other ally Iran and hold it and its militias accountable, because she will be
keen to undermine the new page Obama has opened with the Islamic Republic through
the nuclear deal. Clinton
might instead reconsider that dangerous investment in sectarian tensions
between Sunnis and Shiites. Indeed, the Obama administration has been accused
of unshackling the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the Quds
Force led by Qassem Soleimani
in Iraq and Syria, as a necessary partner in the war on ISIS.
Hillary Clinton could decide it is in the US interest now to extinguish the fires of
sectarian strife, and that the time has come to dismantle the bid to replace
regular armies with militias a la Popular Mobilization, meant to defend the
Assad regime or the governments of Haidar al-Abadi or Nouri al-Maliki in Syria
and Iraq
respectively. This is one common trait between Iran
and ISIS in the Arab region, as both parties
want to tear apart the Arab nation states. The rise of the militias and
paramilitaries is a threat not only to the Arab region, but has implications
that extend to Europe and beyond, including the US. Furthermore, the vicious cycle
of Shiite and Sunni vendettas counters Western and US values. For this reason,
the best thing Hillary could do is reconsider this policy and decide to put a
stop to fueling sectarian extremism and open a new
page in Arab-Iranian-American relations. Some of the above are wishes rather than
forecasts. But the political logic at this juncture in the history of the US presidency
makes it necessary to think outside the box. Most likely, the next president
will inherit enough problems to require radical solutions.
*This article was first published in al-Hayat
on Oct. 28, 2016 and translated by Karim Traboulsi.
Is Turkey jumping
on the Russian bandwagon?
Mahir Zeynalov/Al
Arabiya/October 31/16
Back in 1952, Turkey was admitted to NATO to save
this big, strategically located country from Russian aggression. A Soviet
occupation of Turkey or a
possible Communist revolution at that time would allow the Soviet Union to
project power in much of Africa and the Middle East.
Turkey’s single biggest
security threat since then has been Russia. Ankara
has attached importance to deepening its security integration with the West to
check Russian power in the Black Sea and the Caucasus.
Turkey
is now said to be weaker than at any point since the 1950s in the face of
Russian domination in the region but surprisingly it feels much more secure.
Since 1568, the Ottoman Empire and Russia fought 12 wars. Nine of them
were over controlling the Crimea. In 2014,
however, Russia annexed the Crimea. Except mildly-formed condemnation, Ankara was largely
silent. Controlling the Crimea allowed Moscow to
project power across the region, given the fact that almost all of Russia’s shores
are frozen nine months a year.
Russia’s
growing dominance
Since the capture of the Crimea, Russia
has significantly increased its military presence in the Black
Sea. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Russia for turning the Black
Sea into its “internal lake.” In August, the Russian army chief
highlighted that its Black Sea fleet is now stronger than Turkey’s navy
and that it is capable of striking the Bosphorus
straits. Many countries around Turkey
– Syria, Iran, Azerbaijan,
Armenia, Greece and Cyprus – are Russian allies. Russia is shoring up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by deploying a significant military
presence in areas close to Turkey.
All this comes at a time when the relationship between Russia and Turkey’s
chief ally, the US,
are in its worst form in 40 years. Turkey
is jumping on the Russian bandwagon, increasing cooperation from military to
trade and looking to Moscow
to advance its interests in the region
There are also reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin
has moved nuclear-capable missiles close to eastern
Europe. He sent aircraft carriers to the North Sea.
Moscow said it
would shoot down any coalition jets bombing Assad’s army.
Erdogan turns to Moscow. Normally, this would be the perfect
reason for Turkey
to feel insecure, deepen security ties with traditional NATO allies and try to
contain and check Russian dominance. However, the opposite seems to be happening.
Turkey is jumping on the
Russian bandwagon, increasing cooperation from military to trade and looking to
Moscow to
advance its interests in the region. While Russia
threatens the US over Syria, it promises intelligence sharing to Turkey. Since
the failed military coup attempt on July 15, President Erdogan
and Putin have met three times and talked on the phone four times. The Russian
army chief even visited Turkey
in August for the first time in 11 years. Turkey
is looking forward to resuming Russian help in constructing a nuclear plant in Akkuyu while assuring Russia
that Turkey
is a safe country for Russian tourists. There are even reports that Russia could open an air base in Mersin, on the heel of the Mediterranean,
a development that would upset NATO.
Disillusionment with the West
Erdogan’s turn toward Moscow is not without
reason. The West keeps doling out criticism regarding every step Erdogan makes. Moreover, it seems, Western reluctance to
unequivocally condemn the military coup plot in July convinced Erdogan that the biggest threat to his rule is from the
West, not Russia.
Turkey does not fall in Russia’s
geographical orbit as the post-Soviet nations do. When Georgia sought NATO membership in 2008 or Ukraine signed an EU association deal in 2014, Moscow rolled tanks
across the borders. Turkey
is sovereign in making up its mind whether to look to Moscow
or Brussels. President
Erdogan vowed on Saturday once again that he will
sign capital punishment into law – a move that would effectively end Turkey’s EU accession negotiations and a sign
that Ankara is
ready for this.
For decades, the EU offered values for Turkey to
improve its public institutions and raise living standards. Washington was a security guarantee. Turkey, which is feeling more secure regarding Russia, could
not care less about NATO and the EU. In the past few years, the US was nothing but an obstacle in Turkey’s plan to establish a safe zone in Syria and was
arming Kurdish militants that struck Turkish forces back at home. With sections
of the media blaring anti-American headlines every day and US popularity at an all-time low, Turkey may get comfortable with the idea that
its future lies in partnership with Moscow,
not a Western bloc that lectures about human rights and democracy.
Nouri al-Maliki’s dangerous
speech
Mshari Al Thaydi/Al
Arabiya/October 31/16
The Head of US Central Command General Joseph Votel told AFP recently that 800 to 900 ISIS fighters were
killed during the current battle carried out by Iraqi forces with US military support in Mosul. The estimated number of ISIS members
in Mosul is
around 4,000 fighters. Let us say that the number has reached 10,000, even if
it did not reach this extent. We should keep in mind that Mosul’s
population is, despite the displacement and ISIS
cruelty, estimated at 1.5 million, most of which are Sunni Arabs, including
Turkmen, Kurds, Assyrian Christians, Shabak, Yazidis and even Shiites. We are talking about the
population of the whole province
of Nineveh. There is no
doubt that any news about an ISIS fighter’s
death is good news; it is a noble and honest battle. Any Muslim and any human
being will surely support it and pray for it. However, are those who are
fighting against ISIS today in Iraq
blameless of extremism, atonement and sectarian revenge?
Let us read together these apparently brilliant ideas of the
supposedly tolerant national Iraqi leader, who is said to be above and beyond
militia thoughts, Mr. Nouri al-Maliki:
Days ago, Nouri al-Maliki thanked the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for helping Islam and Muslims in a speech
delivered in Baghdad
while Khomeini’s conference – the Conference on Islamic Awakening – was
ongoing. The most dangerous part of Maliki’s
tactical, perceivably Khomeinist, speech was when he
said: “Nineveh, here we come,” because it also
means: Raqqah, here we come; Aleppo,
here we come; Yemen,
here we come. We will go into all the regions where Muslims are fighting. Nouri seems to have declared a Shiite war, led by Iranian Khomeinism! He delivered his speech in the presence of
Supreme Leader Khamenei’s adviser and political
terrorism envoy Ali Akbar Velayati who is
internationally accused of a terrorist crime that took place in the Argentinian capital. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the head of the
Supreme Islamic Council, and Ammar al-Hakim
(considered a moderate figure among them!) all participated in the
retaliation-poisoned conference.
The ragged sectarian militiaman Nouri
al-Maliki had posted on his page on Facebook a few days before, a status commenting on the
battle of Mosul,
coincided with the month of Muharram, the month representing Shiite sorrows and
one which is marked with processions, especially this year:
“In these sacred times, during which we celebrate the
anniversary of the victory of blood against the sword with the martyrdom of
Imam Hussein, peace be upon him, we urge the faithful
to pray for the victory of the fighters; those who are concerned about the
country started the Liberation of Nineveh from terrorist ISIS.”Therefore, we
can only say that even if all ISIS fighters are killed in Mosul, Raqqah, and other regions, the true salvation will come
once Maliki’s ideology is eschewed, along with
al-Baghdadi’s, as both, I believe, are the same.
**This article was first published in Asharq
al-Awsat on Oct. 30, 2016.