LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
October 14/16
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.october14.16.htm
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Bible Quotations For Today
For three years I have come looking
for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 13/06-09/:"Then Jesus told
this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking
for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, "See here! For three
years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut
it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?" He replied, "Sir, let it alone for
one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it.If it bears fruit next
year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down." ’
Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ
Letter to the Ephesians 01/01-10/:"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will
of God, to the holy ones who are (in Ephesus) faithful in Christ Jesus: grace to
you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every
spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation
of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us
for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his
will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the
beloved. In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of
transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.
In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will in
accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of
times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on October 13-14/16
Nasrallah’s ‘hypocritical’
speech slammed/Gulf News/Joseph A. Kechichian/ October 13, 2016
FPM rally reveals old wounds with Syria/Joseph A. Kechichian/Gulf News/October
12/16
Hezbollah’s Women Aren’t Happy/By Hanin Ghaddar/Tablet/October 13/16
“State: Hezbollah-linked group laundered drug money through Miami banks,”/David
Ovalle, Miami Herald, October 11, 2016
Why Was Asia Bibi’s Death Penalty Appeal Postponed, And What Happens Next/Carey
Lodge/Christian Today Journalist/13 October/16
How Israel can contribute to Saudi's vision 2030/Salman Al-Ansari/The
Hill/October 13/16
Venezuela, Iran, USA and Narco-Terrorism/Susan Warner/Gatestone
Institute./October 13/16
Romania: Lawsuit Launched to Stop Bucharest Mega-Mosque/Romania is not a Turkish
province./Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/October 13/16
Europe marches toward the ‘populist’ right/Yossi Mekelberg/Al Arabiya/October
13/16
Disunity: A grave threat to the Arab world/Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor/Al Arabiya/October
13/16
Do we, don’t we? UN stalls on whether to include extremists in Syria
ceasefire/Maria Dubovikova/Al Arabiya/October 13/16
White Helmets and the Syrian conflict/Diana Moukalled/Al Arabiya/October 13/16
The UN has decided that Jews have no connection to Jerusalem/Itamar Eichner/Ynetnews/October
13/16
Titles
For Latest Lebanese Related News published on on October
13-14/16
Lebanese Cabinet Approves
Funds for Security Agencies amid Partial Boycott by FPM
Mustaqbal: Nasrallah Stances Confirm Hizbullah, Iran are Blocking Presidential
Vote
Report: Hizbullah Group Arrested in Laundering Cocaine Money Through Miami Banks
Hariri Holds Talks with French FM in Paris
EU Ambassador Visits Army's 3rd Land Border Regiment in Bekaa
Fatfat Asks Qahwaji to Address Security Incidents in Dinniyeh Outskirts
Muslim Scholars Committee Mobilized over Tarras Detention
Man Found Shot Dead in Ain el-Hilweh
13 Persons Arrested, 5 Sentenced in Absentia Over Ksara Blast File
4 Killed as Dispute over 'Dog' Erupts into Gunfire in Ashqout
Arslan from Ain Tineh: For activating cabinet work, dialogue
Safadi receives Aoun delegates: We support Christian choice for presidency,
Hariri for premiership
Nadim Gemayel: To elect a President as soon as possible
EU Ambassador Lassen visits the 3rd Land Border Regiment of the Lebanese Armed
Forces in the Bekaa
Geagea receives British, French Ambassadors
Kahwaji itinerant visitors today
Nasrallah’s ‘hypocritical’ speech slammed
FPM rally reveals old wounds with Syria
Hezbollah’s Women Aren’t Happy
Miami: Three Hizballah operatives busted for laundering $500,000 of cocaine
money for Colombian cartel
“State: Hezbollah-linked group laundered drug money through Miami banks,”
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on on
October 13-14/16
Portugal's Guterres Formally
Appointed as New U.N. Secretary-General
Toronto: Muslim father of Islamic State jihadis gets conditional discharge for
throwing son’s assault rifle in garbage
“Father of man on terror peace bond given conditional discharge after tossing
son’s AR-15 into garbage chute,”
Moscow Offers 'Safe Withdrawal' for Armed Rebels in Aleppo
Warplanes Hit Syria's Aleppo ahead of New Diplomatic Push
Syrian bomb plotter busted by refugees in Germany
French, Russian FMs Discuss Syria by Phone despite Row
Kerry, Lavrov to resume Syria talks amid Aleppo row
Merkel, Hollande urge Putin to push for Syria ceasefire
GCC ministers, Turkish counterpart urge UN help for Syria
US retaliates, strikes Houthi militia radar sites
ISIS drone kills Kurdish fighters, hurts French troops
Saudi king meets Turkish ministers
Iran: Whipping girl students for failing to pay donations!
Iran: Prisoners speak about medieval human rights abuses
HRW: Awarding Iran with World League tournament emboldens discriminatory
policies against women
Iran Breaks up Islamic State Bombing Plot Targeting Ashoura
Shin Bet arrests 3 Arab Israelis for ISIS connections
U.S. Hits Radar Sites in First Strikes on Yemen Rebels
Links From Jihad Watch Site for on
October 13-14/16
Pope denounces Christians who don’t want Muslim migrants as
“hypocrites”
Toronto: Muslim father of Islamic State jihadis gets conditional discharge for
throwing son’s assault rifle in garbage
Arizona: Converts to Islam had jihadi publications, conspired to bomb prison
Germany: Police “sick” of citizens’ no-go zone fears
Islamic State-inspired Muslim cell plotted jihad weapons tunnel into Israel
We Are Living In A Nihilistic World
UK Olympic gymnast has had death threats for mocking Islam
Obama to Make Islam a Race — on The Glazov Gang
UK Home Office trying to censor report accusing government of allowing
“Muslim-Only Zones”
Miami: Three Hizballah operatives busted for laundering $500,000 of cocaine
money for Colombian cartel
Palestinian” Muslim arrested for praising jihad/martyrdom attackers, inciting
violence against Israelis
“I have been grateful to the Quran for making me such a good atheist”
Nostalgia for the Gendarme
U.S. Navy destroyer again targeted by missiles from Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen
Norway: Muslim father rapes daughter as punishment for being too
Western
Links From Christian Today Site for on
October 13-14/16
Why Was Asia Bibi's Death Penalty Appeal Postponed, And What
Happens Next?
4 More Children Killed In Aleppo As Death Toll Soars
Pakistan Steps Up Persecution With Ban On 11 Christian TV Stations
Boko Haram Frees 21 Kidnapped Chibok Schoolgirls In Nigeria
Go To Jail For Daring To Evangelise: The Growing Threat To Christians In Nepal
Hundreds Of Christian Students At Liberty University Say 'No' To Donald Trump
You've Got Mail, Justin Welby: Can The Church Of England Learn From The Post
Office?
New Dead Sea Scrolls Come To Light With More Waiting To Be Found
Religious Freedoms Of All US
Citizens Threatened By Civil Rights Report, Warns Russell Moore
Latest Lebanese Related News published on on October 13-14/16
Cabinet
Approves Funds for Security Agencies amid Partial Boycott by FPM
Naharnet/October 13/16/The
cabinet on Thursday approved the payment of the so-called “secret funds” that
the security agencies use in their clandestine activities, as the Free Patriotic
Movement continued its partial boycott of the cabinet meetings. The session was
attended by Education Minister Elias Bou Saab of the FPM amid the absence of
Foreign Minister and FPM chief Jebran Bassil. The cabinet approved funds for the
army, the Internal Security Forces and the General Security as a dispute erupted
over the funds of the State Security agency. Prime Minister Tammam Salam
resolved the issue by saying that he will personally handle the issue of paying
the funds of State Security, media reports said. The cabinet also approved a
decree on distributing urgent funds to a number of ministries from the
treasury's reserve. At the beginning of the session, Salam stressed the “need to
activate the role of the council of ministers in addressing the people's daily
needs,” as he voiced hopes that “the government approves the state budget for
its referral to the parliament.” Ahead of the cabinet meeting, Bou Saab noted
that Bassil would not attend the session today as the "situation remains
unchanged" from the previous meetings. “We support appointments in all the
vacant posts. We want to have complete partnership and to accept the other,”
said Bou Saab. Culture Minister Rony Araiji confirmed that “today's cabinet
session agenda has several items that include the mobile telecom tender, the
conditions book in addition to appointing a new governor for Mount
Lebanon.”Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon pointed out that “double standards are
being used in the decisions made regarding the (military and security)
appointments.”Environment Minister Mohammed Mashnouq stressed the need to keep
Lebanon away from the Arab conflicts, underscoring the necessity to avoid any
provocative rhetoric. He added that any aggressive rhetoric against Saudi Arabia
would promote rigidity and be of negative impact on the presidential election.
Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb noted that the violent domestic political
situation in the country has reached a high level, hoping the general atmosphere
would calm down to help the country resume stability.
Mustaqbal: Nasrallah Stances
Confirm Hizbullah, Iran are Blocking Presidential Vote
Naharnet/October 13/16/Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc noted Thursday that the
latest stances of Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah have “once again”
confirmed that Hizbullah and its regional backer Iran are “obstructing” the
presidential election in Lebanon. “His verbal and ambiguous support for a
certain candidate (Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun) is a new
proof that Hizbullah is blocking the electoral process, despite his and his
party's desperate attempts to pin the blame on al-Mustaqbal Movement or the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said the bloc in a statement issued after its weekly
meeting. The bloc also warned that Nasrallah's “unjust verbal attacks against
KSA will once again pose major risks to the interests of Lebanon and the
Lebanese.”Nasrallah had claimed Tuesday that the Free Patriotic Movement and al-Mustaqbal
Movement have reached “agreements” regarding the presidential election, calling
for involving Speaker Nabih Berri and Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh
in the understandings. Reiterating Hizbullah's support for Aoun's nomination,
Nasrallah said “Hizbullah's choice has always been clear.” “We are the people of
honesty, loyalty and commitment to our stances. This is how we've always been
and this is how we'll always remain,” he added. “There are agreements between
the FPM and Mustaqbal, so where is the problem in forging agreements with Berri,
Franjieh and the rest of the allies?” Nasrallah asked. “Should Franjieh withdraw
from the race, will the presidential vote take place? Before (al-Mustaqbal
Movement leader ex-PM Saad) Hariri announces his nomination of Aoun this theory
is meaningless,” the Hizbullah chief noted. Lebanon has been without a president
since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, Aoun's Change
and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's
electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum. Hariri, who is close to
Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Franjieh for the
presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main
Christian parties as well as Hizbullah. The supporters of Aoun's presidential
bid argue that he is more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the
size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian
community.
Report: Hizbullah Group
Arrested in Laundering Cocaine Money Through Miami Banks
Naharnet/October 13/16/Three associates of Hizbullah party suspected of
laundering cocaine money for the Colombian cartel have been busted after agents
said they illegally moved $500,000 into Miami banks through a series of
complicated financial transactions stretching from Australia to Europe, the
Miami Herald reported. Mohammed Ahmad Ammar, 31, is the main player who was
living in Medellin, Colombia. He was imprisoned last week into a Miami-Dade jail
to face state felony money laundering charges. Two other Hizbullah associates
are facing charges in the same case. One of them is in custody in Paris, while
the other is still at large, possibly in Lebanon or Nigeria, added the Miami
Herald. The involvement of radical Islamic terrorist groups in Latin American is
not new but has increased in recent years, according to federal law enforcement
and security experts, said the daily. According to a congressional report on
border security, Latin America has become a money laundering and major
fundraising center for Hizbullah. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
announced in February an enforcement activity against people with links to
Hizbullah, which came after the U.S. Department of Treasury announced sanctions
against Hizbullah's financiers, whom they believe are capable of earning $400
million a year from drug trafficking and money laundering. Hizbullah-related
arrests stemming from Latin American have popped up before in South Florida,
said the daily. In 2008, a Lebanese man named Chekri Harb described by Colombian
security officials as having links to Hizbullah was arrested and convicted as
part of a large-scale Colombian cocaine ring. In 2010, three South Florida
businessmen were arrested on accusations of of exporting video games and other
electronic products to a shopping mall in Paraguay that allegedly served as a
front to Hizbullah. Ammar who is in custody in Miami, was described in court
documents as a Hizbullah associate whose job was to launder money for the
Colombian cocaine operation known as La Oficina, or The Office, an off-shoot of
the notorious Medellin cartel. He was known to launder money through Holland,
Spain, the United Kingdom, Australia and Africa, according to an arrest warrant.
Ammar is charged with eight felonies, including money laundering and conspiracy
to launder money; court records do not list a defense attorney. Ghassan Diab,
another purported Hizbullah associate based in Nigeria who is still at large, is
facing charges. He is related to a “high-ranking member of Hizbullah who has
access to numerous international bank account.”The third accomplice facing
charges is Hassan Mohsen Mansour of Hizbullah with dual Lebanese and Canadian
citizenship. He is in custody in Paris, and is facing a separate but similar
federal money-laundering prosecution in South Florida, said the daily.
Hariri Holds
Talks with French FM in Paris
Naharnet/October 13/16/Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri held talks
Thursday in Paris with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, his press
office said. Hariri briefed Ayrault on “the threats emanating from the continued
presidential vacuum and the efforts that he is exerting to put an end to it,”
the office added. He also called on France to “exert immediate efforts with
Lebanon's friends to help the country cope with the burden of the Syrian refugee
influx and Minister Ayrault promised to exert all efforts possible in this
regard,” Hariri's office said. Hariri's recent return to Lebanon has triggered a
flurry of reports about a possible presidential settlement and the ex-PM is
exploring the possibility of endorsing Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel
Aoun for the presidency in a bid to break the deadlock. Lebanon has been without
a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah,
Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the
parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum. Hariri,
who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate
Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal
was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as
Hizbullah. The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid argue that he is more
eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary
bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.
EU Ambassador Visits Army's
3rd Land Border Regiment in Bekaa
Naharnet/October 13/16/The Head of the Delegation of the European Union to
Lebanon, Ambassador Christina Lassen, visited Thursday the 3rd Land Border
Regiment of the Lebanese army at the eastern border. The visit was “an
opportunity to learn about the mission and challenges that the 3rd Land Border
Regiment is facing in its area of operations,” a statement issued by Lassen's
office said. Following a presentation by senior army officials and a visit of
the facilities and infrastructure of the regiment, Lassen reiterated the EU’s
“full support” to the army's mission and praised its “commitment in the fight
against terrorism.”"I am very pleased to be here today to witness first-hand the
crucial mission that the 3rd Land Border Regiment is accomplishing under very
difficult circumstances. The European Union attaches great importance to border
management, which is key for the security and stability of Lebanon and the
region," Lassen said. "The European Union has provided long-term support for
Integrated Border Management (IBM). Today, a Memorandum of Understanding is
being signed to launch the rehabilitation of a LAF facility that will
accommodate a training center at the Riyaq Air Base for all the security
agencies involved in border management," Lassen added.
Fatfat Asks Qahwaji to
Address Security Incidents in Dinniyeh Outskirts
Naharnet/October 13/16/Mustaqbal bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat visited Army Commander
General Jean Qahwaji on Thursday to ask him to address the “recurrent security
incidents” in the outskirts of the northern Dinniyeh region “near the outskirts
of neighboring Hermel,” the MP's office said. Fatfat briefed Qahwaji on “the
attacks on innocent citizens and the robbery of their cars and money at
gunpoint,” the statement said. He warned that “the persistence of this situation
without real efforts to arrest these criminals would create alarming and
dangerous tensions.”“The army commander then gave his instructions to the
northern and central military commands to speed up their efforts to eradicate
this subversive phenomenon before it aggravates and turns into real strife,”
Fatfat's office said. The lawmaker thanked the army chief for his “prompt
response,” calling on citizens to “cooperate with the army and the security
forces to facilitate their missions,” the office added.
Muslim Scholars Committee
Mobilized over Tarras Detention
Naharnet/October 13/16/The Muslim Scholars Committee urged the Sunni community
to withdraw the confidence from the Sunni political leaders and accused them of
neglect, mainly after the detention of former Mufti Sheikh Bassam al-Tarras over
his alleged involvement in terror groups, the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa daily reported on
Thursday. The Scholars accused the Sunni politicians of “neglecting and
abandoning the community,” as they affirmed that former Tarras was innocent of
the charges filed against him of belonging to the Islamic State group, said the
daily. They announced in a statement that the “Sunni community is disgraced by
the political class which is begging to satisfy everyone but not God.”The
Scholars also announced a comprehensive civil alert in all sectors (scientists,
jurists, journalists, and staff) as a result of Tarras's detention and his
referral to the Military Justice. Tarras was detained recently for having ties
with an unnamed terrorist organization. He has contacted members of the
organization on more than one occasion, knowing that they belonged to the group,
media reports had said. He was alleged to be involved in a roadside bombing in
the Bekaa Valley city of Zahle in August, that killed two people and wounded
several others in the attack.
Man Found Shot Dead in Ain el-Hilweh
Naharnet/October 13/16/The body of a man who had been shot dead was found in the
southern Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp on Thursday, the National News
Agency reported on Thursday.The body was found lying in one of the alleyways in
the camp, and he was shot three times in his head. The body showed signs of
torture, added NNA. He was identified as Palestinian Mohammed Kota. According to
VDL (93.3), Kota is a radical Islamist. Police examined the scene this morning
and kicked off investigation.
13 Persons Arrested, 5
Sentenced in Absentia Over Ksara Blast File
Naharnet/October 13/16/Military Examining Magistrate Judge Fadi Sawan carried on
the investigations into the Ksara bombing file, as he listened to the testimony
of some witnesses, the National News Agency reported on Thursday. NNA added that
13 persons have been detained so far over involvement in the case and 5 others
were sentenced in absentia. In August, a bomb blast that hit near the mainly
Christian town of Zahle, killed a Syrian woman and wounded at least eight other
people. Lebanon has been struck by several deadly bombings since the conflict in
neighboring Syria erupted in 2011. In June, eight suicide bombers, some of them
linked to the Islamic State jihadist group, attacked Al-Qaa village near the
Syrian border, killing five civilians.
4 Killed as Dispute over 'Dog' Erupts into Gunfire in Ashqout
Naharnet/October 13/16/Four people were killed on Thursday in the Keserwan town
of Ashqout in a dispute between neighbors, state-run National News Agency
reported. It identified the victims as Jean Paul Hoballah, Paul Hoballah,
Isabelle Hoballah and Antoine Chidiac, saying they were shot dead by T. A.
Chidiac in Ashqout's al-Shmeis neighborhood. Other media reports identified the
shooter as Tony Abboud and noted that he is a member of the General Security. He
was eventually arrested, NNA said. “The shooter was infuriated after his
daughter was harassed by a dog, which prompted him to shoot the dog owner and
the owner's father and mother,” the agency reported. Voice of Lebanon radio
(100.5) meanwhile said that the victims were residents and not natives of the
town.
Arslan from Ain Tineh: For activating cabinet work, dialogue
Thu 13 Oct 2016/NNA - House
Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Thursday received in Ain Al Tineh MP Talal Arslan who
stressed the necessity to activate governmental and parliamentary works as well
the dialogue among local forces. Separately, Speaker Berri received British
Ambassador, Hugo Shorter, and discussed with him current developments.
Afterwards, Berri received Lebanese Army Chief, General Jean Kahwagi, and
reviewed with him the security situation in the country.
Safadi receives Aoun
delegates: We support Christian choice for presidency, Hariri for premiership
Thu 13 Oct 2016/NNA -
Member of Parliament, Mohammad Safadi, received on Thursday MPs, Simon Abi Ramia
and Alian Aoun, delegated by Free Patriotic Movement leader, MP Michel Aoun. The
visit reportedly focused on national deadlines, with the presidency dossier at
the forefront. "Electing a president is an absolute priority for the activity of
state institutions," Safadi said in the wake of the meeting. He expressed
support for the presidential candidate who enjoyed the support of the Christian
majority and personally supported Former Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, for the
Lebanese premiership.
In turn, Abi Ramia said that the visit fell within the frame of an FPM decision
to contact all the Lebanese political parties, especially amid the tangible
activity at the level of the Lebanese presidency, in line with Hariri's ongoing
contacts.
Nadim Gemayel: To elect a
President as soon as possible
Thu 13 Oct 2016/NNA - Metropolitan Greek Orthodox, Archbishop Elias Audi,
received on Thursday MP Nadim Gemayel, who said in the wake of the meeting that
a President should be elected at the soonest time possible. MP Gemayel stressed
the necessity to reach a radical solution to the presidential vacuum. "Hezbollah
does not want to elect a President, it is putting General Michel Aoun at the
forefront to disrupt the presidential election," Gemayel added. He said, "It is
clear today that Speaker Nabih Berri constitutes a part from this
disruption...It is high time for Christians to unite their decision and let go
the previous strategy that led to an impasse," he said. Gemayel concluded by
saying that any President would be better than the current vacuum. Archbishop
Audi, separately, met with Former Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui over the general
situation.
EU Ambassador Lassen visits
the 3rd Land Border Regiment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in the Bekaa
Thu 13 Oct 2016/NNA - The Head of the Delegation of the European Union to
Lebanon, Ambassador Christina Lassen, today visited the 3rd Land Border Regiment
of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) at the eastern border. The visit was an
opportunity to learn about the mission and challenges that the 3rd Land Border
Regiment is facing in its area of operations. Following a presentation by senior
army officials and a visit of the facilities and infrastructure of the regiment,
Ambassador Lassen reiterated the EU's full support to the LAF's mission and
praised its commitment in the fight against terrorism. "I am very pleased to be
here today to witness first-hand the crucial mission that the 3rd Land Border
Regiment is accomplishing under very difficult circumstances. The European Union
attaches great importance to border management, which is key for the security
and stability of Lebanon and the region," Ambassador Lassen said. "The European
Union has provided long-term support for Integrated Border Management (IBM).
Today, a Memorandum of Understanding is being signed with the to launch the
rehabilitation of a LAF facility that will accommodate a training centre at the
Rayak Air Base for all the security agencies involved in border management,"
Ambassador Lassen added.
Geagea receives British,
French Ambassadors
Thu 13 Oct 2016/NNA - Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea met separately on
Thursday with British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hugo Shorter, and French Ambassador
to Lebanon, Emanuel Bonne, over the general political status quo notably, the
presidential vacuum.
Kahwaji itinerant visitors
today
Thu 13 Oct 2016/NNA - Lebanese Army Commander, General Jean Kahwaji, received on
Thursday in Yarze MP Ahmad Fatfat and then Future movement secretary general,
Ahmad Hariri, with talks touching on the most recent developments in the
country. Kahwaji also met with U.S. Representative in Congress, Mike Turner, in
the presence of U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Elizabeth Richard, over the general
situation in Lebanon and the region as well as military cooperation relations.
Nasrallah’s ‘hypocritical’ speech slammed
Gulf News/Joseph A. Kechichian/ October 13, 2016
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/10/13/gulf-newsjoseph-a-kechichian-nasrallahs-hypocritical-speech-slammed/
Beirut: Anti-Syrian Future Movement leader Sa’ad Hariri lashed out at Hezbollah
leader Hassan Nasrallah after the latter delivered two successive speeches
within 24 hours, in which he attacked Saudi Arabia.
Hariri accused Nasrallah and Iran of destroying Syria and seeking to partition
Yemen in particularly harsh terms, declaring: “Shouting will not cover the hand
of Iran and Hezbollah in the destruction of Syrian cities and in the blood of
more than a quarter of a million Syrians”.
Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi used equally harsh terms when he referred to
Nasrallah as a brute, abusing Syrians and killing scores.
“Nasrallah is involved in [shedding] the blood of the Syrian people and
[spreading] sectarian strife in the Arab world”, Rifi said on Twitter, and
reminded everyone that the Hezbollah leader’s thumping on Saudi Arabia and the
Al Saud reflected little more than his opinion.
“Saudi Arabia is a friendly state, and is not in need of any certificate from
Iran’s tools”, he said in a thinly-veiled jab at Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Rifi, a rising star among Lebanese Sunnis — a feat accomplished in Tripoli
during the last municipal elections — is a staunch critic of Hezbollah and both
Bashar Al Assad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
His bold rhetoric against Iran’s destructive agenda in Lebanon and the rest of
the Arab world, has been popularly received by many Lebanese who wish to stay
under the Arab instead of the Iranian axis.
Many Lebanese, who benefit from close economic ties with Gulf states, want to
maintain a healthy relationship with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.
Hezbollah military intervention in Syria, where it is fighting to keep Bashar Al
Assad in power, as well as its training and activity of Al Houthi rebels in
Yemen has infuriated Riyadh.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia took measures against Lebanon earlier this year where
it issued advisories restricting travel to the country, and the UAE also reduced
the number of its diplomats in Beirut
Around 750,000 Lebanese work in the Gulf, and send back home between $7 billion
(Dh25.69 billion) to $8 billion in remittances.
Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti daily Al Anba reported that Hezbollah does not wish to
see Future Movement leader Sa‘ad Hariri as Prime Minister, which contravenes
speculation that the latter and Michel Aoun have agreed on a formula that will
usher both men into office in the top two posts.
Unnamed Lebanese sources told the Kuwaiti newspaper that Hariri is reluctant to
commit himself to Aoun as long as he does not receive a public confirmation that
he will fill the premiership.
While Aoun apparently has no objections, such an appointment is not the next
president’s sole decision, but must also receive a green light from Hezbollah.
Rifi opposes both presidential candidates from the pro-Syrian March 8 alliance,
Aoun and Sulaiman Franjieh. He backs Army General Jean Qahwaji for the post.
He has been a vocal critic of what he describes as Hariri’s political
adventurism.
FPM rally reveals old wounds
with Syria
Joseph A. Kechichian/Gulf
News/October 12/16
Free Patriotic Movement deputy calls on supporters to honour Lebanese ‘martyrs’
while omitting Syria’s role in the bloodshed
Beirut: Lebanon’s pro-Syrian Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) invited its
supporters to a massive rally on Sunday near the Baabda presidential palace to
mark the 26th anniversary of the Syrian assaults that destroyed the residence of
the head-of-state and forced Michel Aoun to flee. General Michel Aoun, who had
declared a ‘War of Liberation’ against Syria, escaped an assassination attempt
on October 12, 1990. The attack on the Aoun Government marked the end of the
Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) as the general escaped to the French Embassy and
from there to exile in Paris that lasted until 2005 when Syria was forced to end
its occupation of Lebanon. Several hundred Lebanese
soldiers were executed after they surrendered to the Syrian Army. While Aoun
turned the page and reconciled with Damascus after his return from exile,
commemorations like the one scheduled for this Sunday show that old wounds
persist. The irony of the rally escaped many Lebanese as deputy Ebrahim Kanaan,
a trusted Aoun lieutenant, urged citizens to participate.
“We ask everyone to take to the streets on Sunday in honour of our
martyrs, to reiterate our commitment to a free, democratic Lebanon and to demand
the necessary reforms to make the Lebanese Republic a strong one,” Kanaan told
reporters following the FPM’s weekly meeting. He said nothing about the Syrian
Arab Army’s attacks that may have been responsible for near 700 dead and 2,000
injured. “October 13 is the greatest act of martyrdom
committed by our Lebanese Army under Aoun’s command,” Kanaan declared.“If it
weren’t for Aoun, the Lebanese people wouldn’t be talking about democracy and
freedom today,” he added.
Hezbollah’s
Women Aren’t Happy
By Hanin Ghaddar/Tablet/October
13/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/10/13/hanin-ghaddartablet-hezbollahs-women-arent-happy/
http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/215483/hezbollah-women
As their sons and ‘temporary husbands’ are ripped from them to fight a proxy war
in Syria, grieving mothers and brides are compensated with only a promise of
spiritual redemption from Sayyeda Zaynab, a granddaughter of the Prophet
When her 27-year-old son died in Syria, Rima felt more furious than sad.
Unfortunately, she could not say out loud what she wanted to say. He was sent to
fight in Syria, without her approval, and without receiving proper training. She
wanted to blame someone—mainly those who had talked him into joining the
fighters in Syria—but she couldn’t. Her community had hailed his death as a
sacrifice—a martyrdom.
When Hezbollah officials visited her after she lost her son, she swallowed her
words while listening to them going on and on about the role of Sayyeda Zaynab—the
granddaughter of Prophet Mohammad and daughter of Imam Ali, one of the few
survivors of the Karbala battle during which her brother Hussein was killed. For
Shiites, Sayyeda Zaynab symbolizes pure grief, justice, and the fight for good
against evil. For Lebanese Shiites, mainly those who support Hezbollah, Sayyeda
Zaynab has another role: as a key justification for why Hezbollah is in Syria;
the fighters are there to protect her shrine in Damascus.
Rima listened silently to Hezbollah’s officials, but she only wanted them to
leave. She didn’t feel the strength and resilience usually associated with
Sayyeda Zaynab and the mothers of martyrs. She felt drained and empty. They told
her that she had now been elevated to the status of a martyr’s mother, and that
Sayyeda Zaynab would be looking after her.
Is this title going to secure her future? Not really. She will get her
compensation, some benefits, and will then be forgotten, like thousands of other
mothers who’ve lost their sons in battle. Her son will be transformed from the
living boy of her memories into a timeworn poster on one of Dahiyeh’s shabby
walls, and she will return to her life of struggle to make ends meet.
Rima is originally from the south of Lebanon. She moved to Dahiyeh with her
family during Lebanon’s civil war, married early, did not finish school, and
took care of her five children. Her husband works as a taxi driver and barely
makes enough money to feed his family. Her only hope is to see her children have
better lives. Now one of them is dead, and her younger son is eager to join the
fight in Syria, to avenge his brother’s death but also to make money, now that
his brother’s salary is gone.
Rima’s daughter-in-law, Fatima, seemed to like the idea that she was compared to
the heroine that shaped her upbringing. Fatima is a 20-year-old widow now, with
a son she will have to raise by herself. Hezbollah’s officials told her not to
worry, because “she will be taken care of.” How, exactly, was never specified,
but the promises from officials made her feel safe and secure. “But she will
soon realize that this is an illusion,” Rima said. “They gave us an envelope
with $20,000 and told me that they will be in touch.”
Many poor young widows like Fatima become part of Hezbollah’s pool of brides—or
temporary wives—for fighters, a reward given to those who return to Beirut for a
respite from battle, or are injured and deserve compensation. Rida—a 25-year-old
fighter who came back injured to Lebanon from Aleppo—was married to one of those
young widows as soon as he got released from the hospital. He got a
congratulation letter from Hasan Nasrallah himself, some money to rent and
furnish a small apartment in Dahiyeh, and an additional sum as compensation for
his wounds. Will this be enough for Rida and his new wife to start a new life?
Probably not. The money will provide some real if temporary satisfaction for
both himself and his wife. But eventually, he will have to take care of himself.
Rima’s son had been with Hezbollah for a while, so his family was compensated
when he died. Although some complain that compensation used to be higher—almost
double—families still expect to be compensated and taken care of. Yet Hezbollah
does not have the same budget for services as it used to, as most of the money
coming from Iran must go to regional military operations, mainly in Syria, which
means that the families of new recruits cannot be compensated at nearly the same
levels as those of older fighters. Meanwhile, more fighters are dying, and more
families are demanding compensation and services. This is creating discontent in
the Hezbollah community and within the larger Shiite community in Lebanon.
After Hezbollah was forced to cut its social services and raise its military
budget, divisions with the community of the party’s supporters have started to
surface and become stronger. For example, fighters (men) are rewarded for their
efforts and sacrifices, while other employees (mostly women) are expected to
stay on hold and wait until the battle is over and victory is achieved. However,
it’s been more than four years, and victory still seems like a distant promise.
Hezbollah’s institutions constitute an alternative economic structure that hires
and attracts Hezbollah’s men and women. A girl in Hezbollah’s community is
brought up in Mahdi’s or Al-Mustafa’s schools (Hezbollah’s schools). She is
expected to work in Hezbollah institutions, marry a Hezbollah fighter, and
promote Hezbollah’s values both outside and inside her family. The Party of God
knows that a disciplined and committed woman can raise disciplined and committed
fighters. It is a system that physically reproduces itself.
But the endless war in Syria is producing cracks in the system, and women are no
longer as engaged as they used to be—or being compensated for their sacrifices
the way that men are. The divide between old and new fighters is also growing
wider. The old fighters and their families were and are still part of
Hezbollah’s community, which does not represent the Shiite community at large.
When they die in the battle, their women are treated with more respect and get
more compensation. These women are already part of Hezbollah’s system so they do
enjoy some kind of power and status. While services to the larger community have
been cut, the inner circle is still taken care of.
However, a new problem is emerging: the wives of the new recruits. These are not
necessarily Hezbollah members and are generally not committed to the ideology or
the war, but they are part of the community that the party allegedly is
protecting. They are mostly from poor families. Without their husbands’ income,
and with less compensation and fewer services provided, these women tend to
suffer financially, despite all the talk about their newly-elevated status and
Sayyeda Zaynab’s protection.
“There is a serious class problem within Hezbollah’s community,” ventured Samar,
a resident of Dahiyeh. Samar was active within Hezbollah’s institutions as a
volunteer before their involvement in Syria. By a “class problem,” she means the
way Hezbollah is dividing its budget: fighters vs. nonfighters; old fighters vs.
new recruits.
“While Hezbollah officials’ wives drive brand new cars and shop at the most
expensive malls, employees in Hezbollah’s institutions [around 65 percent of
whom are women] are losing benefits, and their salaries are being cut and
delayed,” Samar explained. “Meanwhile, the mothers and wives of the new recruits
are neglected.”
After the battle of al-Qusayr in 2013, Hezbollah realized the Syrian war was
going to cost the party a lot more than it had expected. It would not be able to
cover most of the compensation for the families of martyrs. So it started asking
single men to put off marriage and family and started to recruit more unmarried
young men. “If these die, they just have to pay their parents a few thousand
dollars,” Samar explained, “but when a married man dies or gets injured, they’ll
have to take care of their families forever, through the Martyr Institution and
the Institution for the Wounded.” With more than 1,500 dead so far and many more
injured, Hezbollah’s institutions are simply not capable of covering everyone.
Yet as the war drags on, Hezbollah can no longer stop young men from having
families, despite the costs. That is why many are being encouraged to marry war
widows, or at least engage in temporary (muta’a) marriages until the time is
right.
Because the new recruits are still considered outsiders, the wives of the new
recruits have the lowest status, which means that they are worst-off
financially, and most vulnerable to the demands of high-status men within the
party. A number of women have spoken openly about Hezbollah officials who have
threatened them with a reduction of services and money if they don’t accept
“private visits.” Some women refuse such visits, while others accept. “If this
money is all they’ve got, temporary marriage is not a sin, and some have no
choice but to accept,” Samar said.
Temporary marriage is not only acceptable, it is promoted as a sacred act that
will be rewarded in heaven. By linking the sacred to such practices, Hezbollah
has managed to contain its losses and achieve a kind of shaky equilibrium in
straitened circumstances.
The Party of God has also managed to alter the rules of temporary marriage
through fatwas, in order to make it easier and more accessible. A fatwa was
issued a few years ago allowing married men to practice muta’a marriage, and
another more recent one allows women to practice muta’a without having to wait
40 days (Al-Edda) between one man and another—the time period usually required
to make sure the woman is not pregnant. However, this new regulation that
eliminated Al-Edda also forbids penetration. So a woman and a man can do
whatever they need to get sexual pleasure as long as he does not penetrate her.
Then she can “marry” another man immediately afterward. But, at the end of the
day, these women are aware that the sexual services they provide are more
important. If it were not for the money they receive, few if any of them would
participate in this sacred act.
Amal was one of those who refused the advances of a senior party member. When
her husband died, a delegation of Hezbollah officials came to visit her and gave
her an envelope filled with money. One of them visited her couple of weeks later
to “check on her,” but then his visits became frequent and he started hitting on
her. She is extremely poor but she found his demands to be demeaning. When she
rejected him, he threatened to halt her benefits. While he did not follow
through on his threat, her vulnerability within the system was clear.
Amal comes from a very conservative family from the Bekaa region. She went back
to live with her parents after her husband died, but her parents are already
very poor and cannot provide for her. Eventually, with her parents’
encouragement, she accepted the marriage proposal of another fighter, whom she
has never met. Being the wife of a fighter confers prestige. Despite the current
lack of proper services, many in the community still believe that fighters and
their families will be taken care of. As soon as she married a fighter, the
harassment stopped.
Women are Hezbollah’s main internal problem. The war in Syria means they are
losing sons, brothers, and husbands. It is marginalizing their role in the
party, and pushing the poorest among them to the edge of survival. The pressure
that is building within the community cannot be contained for very long by
stop-gap measures like delaying marriage for young men and temporary marriage
for widows. The communal frustration and inequities that the war continues to
exacerbate and deepen may soon lead to an explosion that not even Sayyeda Zaynab
will be able to prevent.
**Hanin Ghaddar is a Friedmann Visiting Fellow at the Washington Institute for
the Near East Policy. Her Twitter feed is @haningdr.
Miami: Three Hizballah operatives busted for laundering $500,000 of cocaine money for Colombian cartel
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/10/13/miami-three-hizballah-operatives-busted-for-laundering-500000-of-cocaine-money-for-colombian-cartel%D8%AD%D8%B2%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%B7-%D8%A8%D8%AC/
Robert Spencer/Jihad Watch/October 13/2016/Hizballah is a wholly owned and
operated subsidiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran has repeatedly
declared its intention to destroy the United States, as you can read about in
detail in my book The Complete Infidel’s Guide to Iran (Regnery). Hizballah
working with the drug cartel kills two birds with one stone: drugs weaken and
destroy Americans, and sap American resources in largely futile anti-drug
efforts, and the cash Hizballah earns in working with the drug cartel goes for
more jihad against the U.S.
“State:
Hezbollah-linked group laundered drug money through Miami banks,”
David Ovalle, Miami Herald, October 11, 2016
Three men suspected
of laundering cocaine money for the Colombian cartel have been busted after
agents say they illegally moved $500,000 into Miami banks through a series of
complicated financial transactions stretching from Australia to Europe. That’s
not uncommon in Miami, but the trio’s background is: They are suspected
associates of the Middle Eastern terror group Hezbollah. The main player is
Mohammad Ahmad Ammar, 31, who was living in Medellín, Colombia. He was quietly
booked into a Miami-Dade jail last week to face state felony money laundering
charges in a case that underscores increased law-enforcement scrutiny on the
role of Middle Eastern terror groups who use financial networks in Latin America
to earn untold millions off drug profits. Along with Ammar, two other Hezbollah
associates are facing charges charges in the same case. One of them is in
custody in Paris, while the other is on the lam, possibly in Lebanon or Nigeria.
The DEA investigated the case along with the the South Florida Money-Laundering
Strike Force, a group of federal and state investigators that recently helped
bust 22 people suspected in a large run connected to Mexican kingpin Joaquín “El
Chapo” Guzmán. “Drug dealers, potential terrorists and money launderers should
all get the message that Miami-Dade County is not the place to do your dirty
business,” Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a
statement. The involvement of radical Islamic terrorist groups in Latin American
is not new but has increased in recent years, according to federal law
enforcement and security experts. In November 2012, a congressional report on
border security noted that Latin America has “become a money laundering and
major fundraising center” for Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim group classified as a
terrorist organization by the U.S. government. The group, based in Lebanon, has
been a key ally of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad in the bloody war that has
decimated the country for the past five years.
“The notion of terrorist groups, especially Islamists using Latin America as
place for money laundering, drug trafficking and other nefarious trades — it’s
been known for some time now,” Jerry Haar, a Latin America expert at Florida
International University, said in an interview. In February, the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration announced a “significant enforcement activity”
against people connected with Hezbollah, The DEA’s efforts in “Operation
Cassandra” came after the U.S. Department of Treasury announced sanctions
against Hezbollah’s financiers, whom they the believe are capable of earning
$400 million a year from drug trafficking and money laundering. Exactly how much
of money generated from laundering drug money is used directly to fund terror
attacks is unknown. Many of those business associates such as Ammar “are more
concerned with generating cash than religious or political doctrine” — though
they readily send money back to their handlers in the Middle East, according to
an arrest warrant.
Hezbollah-related arrests stemming from Latin American have popped up before in
South Florida.
In 2008, a Lebanese man named Chekri Harb was arrested and convicted as part of
a large-scale Colombian cocaine ring. U.S. authorities did not name Hezbollah in
charging documents, but Colombian security officials described him as having
links to the group. Federal agents in 2010 arrested three South Florida
businessmen accused of exporting video games and other electronic products to a
shopping mall in Paraguay that allegedly served as a front to Hezbollah. They
wound up being convicted of non-terrorism-related charges.
The lawless area at the borders of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina has long been
identified by the U.S. as a hotspot for money launderers who send their money
back to the Middle East.
The latest Miami case was a spinoff from the DEA investigation into Colombian
cocaine operations that netted dozens of trafficking and money-laundering
arrests. In custody in Miami is Ammar, described in court documents as a
Hezbollah associate whose job was to launder money for the Colombian cocaine
operation known as La Oficina, or The Office, an off-shoot of the notorious
Medellín cartel.
He was known to launder money through Holland, Spain, the United Kingdom,
Australia and Africa, according to an arrest warrant. Ammar is charged with
eight felonies, including money laundering and conspiracy to launder money;
court records do not list a defense attorney.
According to court documents, his father is a well-connected Hezbollah associate
living in Los Angeles, where the younger Ammar was arrested last month.
Also facing charges is Ghassan Diab, another purported Hezbollah associate based
in Nigeria. According to court documents, Diab is related to a “high-ranking
member of Hezbollah who has access to numerous international bank accounts.” He
remains on the loose, possibly in Nigeria or Lebanon.
The third man facing charges is Hassan Mohsen Mansour, another Hezbollah
associate with dual Lebanese and Canadian citizenship. He is in custody in
Paris, and is facing a separate but similar federal money-laundering prosecution
in South Florida.
The 42-page arrest warrant reads like a plot out of a international spy
thriller, detailing a complicated web of encrypted communications between
players in far-flung countries — some of them secretly working as informants —
and murky financial transactions on six different continents.
A confidential source first tipped of Miami DEA agents to Ammar in early 2014,
introducing him a second confidential informant who secretly recorded their
meetings.
The second informant eventually asked Ammar to help him launder $250,000 worth
of Australian dollars that was netted from cocaine sales. The task: Move the
money to banks in Miami, where it could be moved later to Colombia or used by
Colombian traffickers in South Florida.
Ammar was not aware, however, that the money was actually DEA cash and the Miami
accounts were set up by the feds.
Using encrypted communications, Ammar enlisted the help of Mansour in Paris, who
contacted a source in Australia (who by coincidence, happened to be an informant
for the police there) to pick up the cash.
The money was deposited into an account in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates —
where the anything-goes banking system remains out of reach of U.S. authorities.
It was then then broken up and moved through a sham company called Al Haitham
Exhibition and Conference Organizers, which purports to organize events but
authorities believe is simply a front for money laundering.
From there, the money was cashed out and disappeared, according to an arrest
warrant by DEA agent Kenneth Martin and state prosecutor Jared Nixon.
Back in Miami, the bank accounts set up by the DEA soon began receiving the
money in chunks from obscure companies with names like “Tropical Trading” and
“Khofo International.” To make them look like legitimate business, phony
invoices were sent by Diab for nebulous goods or “payment for shipment.”
After the first deal went through successfully, Ammar soon admitted to the DEA
informant that he was working with La Oficina, the chief cartel in Medellin, the
warrant said.
In September 2014, another deal to launder $250,000 was struck. The Australian
cash was sent to the events company in Dubai, with a note that it was for the
purchase of a four-carat diamond ring head for Majorca, Spain. Through more
bogus companies, some of the money was eventually transferred into the DEA’s
Miami bank accounts; one transaction was disguised as payment for 50-kilogram
bags of white rice.
Throughout the undercover operation, Ammar made admissions of interest to
investigators, according to the warrant, including that he knew two brothers who
worked for Avianca airlines who could smuggle in cocaine to Miami.
He also boasted that his family was well connected with Hezbollah, and inquired
if the informant would be interested in helping smuggle 150 kilograms of cocaine
from Costa Rica to the Netherlands.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on on October 13-14/16
Portugal's
Guterres Formally Appointed as New U.N. Secretary-General
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October
13/16/The U.N. General Assembly on Thursday formally appointed Antonio Guterres
as the new secretary-general of the United Nations, replacing Ban Ki-moon. The
193 member states adopted by acclamation a resolution appointing the former
prime minister of Portugal for a five-year term beginning January 1. The
socialist politician, who also served as U.N. refugee chief for a decade, is
expected to play a more prominent role as the world's diplomat-in-chief than
Ban, the South Korean former foreign minister who will step down after two
five-year terms.
Guterres won unanimous support from the UN Security Council during a vote last
week that capped the most transparent campaign ever held at the United Nations
for the top post. The 67-year-old polyglot campaigned on a pledge to promote
human rights and enact reforms within the UN system, seen as clunky and too slow
to respond to unfolding disasters. His appointment comes at a time of global
anxiety over the ongoing war in Syria, the refugee crisis and raging conflicts
in South Sudan and Yemen. The Security Council is deadlocked over Syria after
two draft resolutions were defeated in separate votes over the weekend, one of
which was vetoed by Damascus ally Russia.
Toronto: Muslim
father of Islamic State jihadis gets conditional discharge for throwing son’s
assault rifle in garbage
Robert Spencer/October 12, 2016/He has one son who is required to “stay away”
from the Islamic State and another who left Canada to join the Islamic State.
But the judge was “satisfied Uddin did not intend to obstruct justice when he
got rid of the rifle.” How did she know for sure?
“Father of man on terror
peace bond given conditional discharge after tossing son’s AR-15 into garbage
chute,”
Stewart Bell, National Post, October 12, 2016/TORONTO — A Toronto father was
sentenced to a conditional discharge Wednesday for improperly disposing of an
AR-15 “assault-type rifle” belonging to his son, the subject of a terrorism
peace bond that requires him to stay away from ISIL. Mohammad Uddin, 57, was
arrested after he admitted five months ago to breaking apart his son Kadir
Abdul’s restricted semi-automatic rifle and dropping it down the garbage chute
at the family’s east Toronto apartment building. At the time, the Toronto Police
Service was investigating after Kadir and an alleged associate, Samuel Aviles,
suddenly flew to Turkey, where they were both arrested about 200 kilometres from
the Syrian border. The charges against Uddin were relatively minor: he faced two
counts stemming from his handling of what police described as a “Windham
Weaponry AR-15 assault-type rifle” between March 24 and April 28.But during the
proceedings at Toronto’s College Park courthouse, prosecutors disclosed that the
rifle was actually owned by Uddin’s son Kadir, who is one of a handful of
Canadians arrested on ISIL-related terrorism peace bonds. In addition, it
emerged in court that Uddin was also the father of Malik Abdul, a member of a
Toronto extremist network who left Canada two years ago to join the Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant and is believed to have since died in Syria. The
firearms case has raised questions about why Kadir owned an AR-15 and how he was
able to obtain a permit to purchase it. Asked outside the courtroom Wednesday
why he had owned a restricted rifle, Kadir did not respond. Toronto police have
also declined to comment. The RCMP said firearms owners were subjected to
“continuous eligibility screening,” but would not comment on how Kadir was able
to obtain a firearms licence. Police conducted a search for the rifle after
Kadir, 27, flew to Istanbul on March 23, but they could not find it. At Uddin’s
sentencing hearing, the Crown said that when his son disappeared the father
found the rifle and ammunition in a lockbox in a bedroom. Uddin got rid of it
and later admitted to police what he had done. “He simply wanted it out of his
home,” the prosecution said. Defence lawyer Anser Farooq said the former retail
store worker had “taken responsibility at a very early stage.”Kadir and Aviles
were arrested in Turkey on March 31 due to concerns they were on their way to
Syria. They were deported to Toronto on April 15 and arrested at Pearson
airport. Uddin accompanied Kadir to his initial court appearances in Brampton,
Ont., but was then arrested himself on May 18. Uddin pleaded guilty to one
firearms count. The second was dismissed. “The mistake that I made, I made
because I didn’t understand and I’ll never do it again,” Uddin said at his
sentencing hearing, speaking through a Bengali-language interpreter. The judge
said she was satisfied Uddin did not intend to obstruct justice when he got rid
of the rifle. He also co-operated with police and was remorseful, she said. She
also noted he had no prior record, had health problems, lived on an Ontario
disability pension and had “minimal work experience and limited education.”…
Moscow Offers
'Safe Withdrawal' for Armed Rebels in Aleppo
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 13/16/Russia on Thursday said it was ready
to guarantee safe passage for rebels to quit eastern Aleppo with their weapons,
amid fierce Western criticism of its bombing campaign. "We are ready to ensure
the safe withdrawal of armed rebels, the unimpeded passage of civilians to and
from eastern Aleppo, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid there," Russian
Lieutenant General Sergei Rudskoy said in a televised briefing. The announcement
comes as Moscow and Washington gear up for international Syria talks on
Saturday, the first since the United States suspended ceasefire negotiations
with Russia in protest at the fierce assault on Aleppo. Moscow -- which is
backing Syrian regime forces -- first announced in late July the creation of
corridors for civilians and armed rebels to leave eastern Aleppo, but the plan
was viewed by some as a cynical ploy to force the evacuation of the city and
failed to work. Rudskoy said that the Syrian army has already offered to
guarantee the safety of armed rebels wishing to leave Aleppo using the Castello
Road, the main route for humanitarian assistance into the divided city. He added
that Russia was ready to hear "all initiatives and proposals" that would ensure
rebels' safe withdrawal. A brutal government offensive against rebel-held
eastern Aleppo backed up by Russian airpower has plunged Syria into some of the
worst violence it has seen since the five-year-old conflict erupted. An
international monitor said Syrian and Russian warplanes carried out fresh
strikes on rebel-held districts of Aleppo early Thursday, after an intense
bombardment over the previous two days killed more than 70 civilians. Russia's
defense ministry on Thursday denied that its airforce was bombing Aleppo at all.
"I want to stress that Russian planes are conducting targeted, single air
strikes against pre-verified targets outside the city of Aleppo and outside
residential areas," Rudskoy said. Washington earlier this month pulled the plug
on talks with Moscow on ways to revive a short-lived ceasefire that unraveled in
September. The West has accused Moscow and Damascus of committing potential war
crimes in the operations against eastern Aleppo.
Warplanes Hit Syria's Aleppo
ahead of New Diplomatic Push
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 13/16/Russian and Syrian warplanes pounded
Aleppo again on Thursday after two days of heavy bombardment that killed more
than 70 civilians, as world powers prepared for last-ditch weekend talks on a
ceasefire. Syria has been plunged into some of the worst violence of its
five-year war after the collapse of a hard-won truce brokered by Washington and
Moscow. The ensuing surge in fighting saw government forces declare a
large-scale offensive, backed by Russian and Syrian air power, to capture the
opposition-held half of battered Aleppo. More than 20 air strikes hit the
rebel-controlled east at dawn on Thursday, killing seven civilians, the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. On the northeastern
outskirts of the city, advancing regime troops captured several hilltops
overlooking opposition-held areas. Syrian state television said four children
were killed by rebel rocket fire on a school in a western regime-held
neighbourhood. Moscow has come under mounting international pressure over the
rising civilian death toll from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's
Russian-backed campaign to take east Aleppo, including Western accusations of
possible war crimes. Seven children were among 71 civilians killed in strikes
and regime artillery fire on eastern districts on Tuesday and Wednesday,
Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. Opposition shelling on government-held
districts of the city, meanwhile, killed at least eight civilians over those two
days, according to the British-based monitor, which relies on a network of
sources on the ground. - Fresh weekend diplomacy -Since the army announced its
assault on the city on September 22, Russian and government bombardment on the
eastern districts has killed more than 370 people, including 68 children,
according to an Observatory toll. Shelling and rocket fire by myriad rebel and
jihadist groups, meanwhile, has killed 68 people in government-held areas.
Several major international efforts have failed to secure a political solution
to the war, which has killed more than 300,000 people. A new diplomatic push
will take place this weekend. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are expected to be joined in Lausanne on Saturday
by counterparts from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar -- all backers of Syrian
opposition forces. Neither side has confirmed an invitation to Iran, a key
player in the conflict and an ally of Assad. Then in London on Sunday, Kerry
will likely meet up with his European counterparts from Britain, France and
Germany. The United Nations said Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura had been invited
to take part in the talks but it was unclear if he would attend. Lavrov told CNN
in an interview Wednesday that he hoped the discussions in Switzerland could
help "launch a serious dialogue" based on the now-defunct US-Russian pact. -
'Political rhetoric' -The two world powers had worked closely in recent months
and reached a deal in mid-September that was billed as the "best chance" to end
Syria's bloodshed. That agreement envisioned a halt to hostilities, increased
humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands of besieged civilians across Syria,
and unprecedented coordination between Moscow and Washington against jihadists.
But the truce fell apart after a week, and peace efforts have since struggled to
get off the ground. A French-drafted resolution was shot down by Russia in a
stormy UN session last weekend. Russian President Vladimir Putin hit out at
Paris for the vetoed proposal, accusing it of deliberately putting forward a
motion "fanning hysteria around Russia." Putin dismissed accusations of possible
war crimes as "political rhetoric" and warned Western countries against imposing
sanctions on Russia.
New Zealand on Wednesday presented another draft resolution demanding an end to
air strikes on Aleppo.
Syrian bomb plotter busted by
refugees in Germany
Ynetnews/Published:
13.10.16 /Three Syrian refugees in Germany prevented a deadly terrorist bomb
attack in the Berlin Tegel Airport by tying up the would-be killer in their home
and reporting him to the police; ‘I couldn't allow him to do anything to the
Germans.’The 22-year-old Syrian man arrested in Germany for a suspected Islamic
extremist bomb plot, was arrested with the assistance of a Syrian refugee who
managed to tie up the would-be killer and tip off the police, according to a
report by the Spiegel Online. Jaber Albakr, who killed himself Wednesday in a
prison cell in Leipzig, approached Mohammad A. at a train station in Leipzig
Sunday night and explained that he needed a place to stay overnight as he was
unable to return to his own apartment in Chemnitz. According to Mohammad A., he
only discovered that he had agreed to inadvertently harbor the terrorist upon
viewing a police announcement on Facebook when he returned home. Mohammad A.
immediately reported the matter to his friends who then made their way to his
apartment. When Albakr realized that Mohammad A. had discovered his identity, he
attempted to bribe them into remaining silent by offering them 1,200 Euros in
his possession. "But we told him: 'You can give us as much money as you want,
but we're not letting you go,'" said Mohammad A. After calling the police but
failing to establish contact due to technical difficulties, the group tied
Albakr up using telephone cables, took a photo of him and drove to the police
station to report the matter directly. "I am so thankful to Germany for taking
us in," Mohammad A. told the tabloid Bild as reported in the Spiegel Online. "I
couldn't allow him to do anything to the Germans."The heroic actions prompted
gratitude from Chancellor Angela Merkel. Moreover, Saxony Governor Stanislaw
Tillich praised their "courageous and responsible" actions.
French, Russian
FMs Discuss Syria by Phone despite Row
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October
13/16/The foreign ministers of France and Russia discussed Syria by telephone
Thursday despite severe tensions over the crisis that led President Vladimir
Putin to cancel a visit to Paris. Jean-Marc Ayrault "reaffirmed France's wish to
pursue dialogue with Russia in all frankness," the French foreign ministry said
in a statement after his conversation with Russia's Sergei Lavrov. Ayrault
stressed "the urgency to break the current impasse... and achieve a halt in the
bombing of Aleppo to allow access for humanitarian aid and open the way for a
resumption of negotiations towards a political solution," the statement said. A
heated row broke out between the two countries after Russia on Saturday used its
Security Council veto against a French resolution calling for a halt to the
bombing of Aleppo. French President Francois Hollande accused Syrian troops of
committing war crimes in Aleppo with Russian support, comments Putin dismissed
as "rhetoric."But the row prompted Putin to postpone a visit to Paris scheduled
for next week during which he was to inaugurate a spiritual center next to a new
Russian Orthodox church. Efforts will continue at the weekend to renew a truce
in Syria. Lavrov will meet his U.S. counterpart John Kerry in Lausanne,
Switzerland, on Saturday as well as representatives from the Gulf states and
Turkey. Kerry is due in London for talks Sunday with representatives from
Britain, France and Germany.
Kerry, Lavrov
to resume Syria talks amid Aleppo row
Reuters Thursday, 13 October 2016/US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet his
Russian counterpart in Switzerland on Saturday to discuss Syria, officials said
on Wednesday, as a devastating bombing campaign of the city of Aleppo
intensified. The Syrian government launched an assault to capture rebel-held
areas of Aleppo last month with Russian air support and Iranian-backed militias,
a week into a ceasefire agreed by Washington and Moscow. Kerry broke off talks
with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week over the offensive, which
has included air strikes on hospitals that the United States and France said
amounted to war crimes for which Syria and Russia were responsible. The Syrian
and Russian governments blamed their foes for breaking the ceasefire and said
they target only militants in the city, the last major urban stronghold of the
Western-backed rebels, where more than 250,000 people are trapped under siege.
The resumption of talks, despite the offensive, was a sign of the lack of
options facing Western nations over the Syria conflict, where they worry
scaled-up arms supplies for the rebels could end up in the hands of extremist
groups.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Kerry and Lavrov would meet in the Swiss city of
Lausanne to consider steps toward settling the conflict. The meeting was
expected to include foreign ministers from Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Merkel, Hollande urge Putin
to push for Syria ceasefire
AFP, Paris Thursday, 13 October 2016/German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French
President Francois Hollande urged Russian President Vladimir Putin in a
telephone call Wednesday to push for a ceasefire in Syria, sources in the French
presidency said. Hollande took advantage of a three-way conversation on the
conflict in Ukraine to “reiterate his position on the urgency of a ceasefire and
access to humanitarian aid in Syria,” the sources said, adding that he was
“clearly supported by the chancellor.” The phone talks came a day after Putin
called off a planned visit to Paris in a row over Syria, where Moscow is backing
a regime onslaught on the battered city of Aleppo. Putin had been due to
inaugurate a spiritual center next to a new Russian Orthodox church in Paris,
but Hollande insisted his Russian counterpart should also take part in talks
with him about Syria. Push to break Security Council deadlock. Meanwhile, New
Zealand on Wednesday gave the 15-member United Nations Security Council a draft
resolution that would demand an end to all attacks that may kill civilians in
Syria, particularly air strikes in Aleppo, just days after Russia vetoed a
similar text. Russia on Saturday vetoed a French draft resolution that would
have demanded an end to “all aerial bombardments of and military flights over
Aleppo city.” A similar rival Russian text, which did not include that demand,
was voted on straight after the French text, but failed to get enough votes. The
New Zealand draft resolution, seen by Reuters, demands an “end to all attacks
which may result in the death or injury of civilians or damage to civilian
objects in Syria, in particular those carried out by air in Aleppo.”The New
Zealand draft text was likely to be discussed by council envoys at a lunch with
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday, diplomats said, adding that the
aim was to see if a vote could be taken within a week or so.(With Reuters
inputs)
GCC ministers,
Turkish counterpart urge UN help for Syria
By Staff writer Al Arabiya English Thursday, 13 October 2016/The foreign
ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) along with their Turkish
counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu urged on Thursday the UN Security Council to
immediately intervene to halt attacks on Syrian civilians.
They also condemned the military escalation by the Syrian regime and its allies
on Aleppo. The GCC and Turkish condemnation came in the final communique of a
joint ministerial meeting on Thursday in the Saudi capital Riyadh to discuss
regional and bilateral ties.
The statement also said the countries were committed to protect the unity of
Iraq and the sovereignty of its territories. It also condemned the targeting of
a UAE vessel by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
US retaliates,
strikes Houthi militia radar sites
Reuters Thursday, 13 October 2016/The US military launched cruise missile
strikes on Thursday to knock out three coastal radar sites in areas of Yemen
controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi forces, retaliating after failed missile
attacks this week on a US Navy destroyer, US officials said. The strikes,
authorized by President Barack Obama, represent Washington’s first direct
military action against Houthi-controlled targets in Yemen’s conflict. Still,
the Pentagon appeared to stress the defensive nature of the strikes, which were
aimed at radar that enabled the launch of at least three missiles against the US
Navy destroyer USS Mason since Sunday. “These limited self-defense strikes were
conducted to protect our personnel, our ships, and our freedom of navigation,”
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said. US officials, speaking on condition of
anonymity, said US Navy destroyer USS Nitze launched the Tomahawk cruise
missiles around 4 a.m. local (0100 GMT). “These radars were active during
previous attacks and attempted attacks on ships in the Red Sea,” including the
USS Mason, one of the officials said, adding the sites were in remote areas
where the risk of civilian casualties was low.
The official identified the areas in Yemen where the radar were targeted as:
near Ras Isa, north of Mukha and near Khoka. The missile attacks on the USS
Mason - the latest of which took place earlier on Wednesday - appeared to be the
Houthis’ response to a suspected Saudi-led strike on mourners gathered in
Yemen’s Houthi-held capital Sanaa. Michael Knights, an expert on Yemen’s
conflict at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, suggested the Houthis,
fighters from a Shi’ite sect, could be becoming more militarily aligned with
groups such as Lebanon’s Shi’ite militant group Hezbollah.
“Targeting US warships is a sign that the Houthis have decided to join the axis
of resistance that currently includes Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran,”
Knight said. The missile incidents, along with an Oct. 1 strike on a vessel from
the United Arab Emirates, add to questions about safety of passage for military
ships around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping
routes.The Pentagon warned against any future attacks.“The United States will
respond to any further threat to our ships and commercial traffic, as
appropriate,” Cook said.
ISIS drone kills Kurdish
fighters, hurts French troops
AFP, Washington Thursday, 13 October 2016/A remote-controlled ISIS hobby plane
rigged with hidden explosives killed two Kurdish fighters and injured two French
special operations troops near Mosul, French and US sources confirmed Wednesday.
While the Pentagon has previously said ISIS uses simple, commercially available
drones to conduct surveillance and carry small explosives, this was the first
known deadly case. According to a US defense official, the incident unfolded
October 2 when a small plane with a styrofoam body was either shot down or
crashed in Erbil in northern Iraq. Two local Kurdish peshmerga fighters grabbed
it and took it back to their camp to inspect and photograph it, when it blew up.
“It looks like the explosive charge was hidden inside of what appeared to be a
battery on some sort of a timer,” the official said, speaking on condition of
anonymity to discuss the matter. A French source earlier confirmed the use of a
“booby-trapped drone in Iraq,” while another confirmed that two French soldiers
were hurt in the incident. One of the French soldiers has life-threatening
injuries. Both have been flown back to France for treatment. The French military
declined to comment. Colonel John Dorrian, a spokesman for the US-led coalition
fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria, described the incident as a “Trojan
Horse-style” attack. “There was an improvised device on a drone. And when that
was brought back to the camp, it exploded,” he said. US defense officials said
the military was deploying additional anti-drone technologies to the theater,
including systems that provide electronic jamming.
Meanwhile, Syria on Wednesday accepted the accreditation of Jordanian national
Ali al-Zaatari as the new UN envoy tasked with overseeing the struggling
humanitarian effort in the war-torn country. Zaatari arrived in Damascus at the
weekend and formally began work on Tuesday as the UN’s new humanitarian relief
coordinator in Syria, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The former UN deputy
envoy for Libya and for Sudan has also worked in Syria as the UN Development
Program’s resident representative from 2004 to 2007. Zaatari will replace Yacoub
el Hillo of Sudan, who was the aid coordinator since 2013 and who was recently
appointed to be UN deputy envoy to Liberia.
Saudi king meets Turkish
ministers
By Staff Writer, Al Arabiya English Thursday, 13 October 2016/Saudi King Salman
bin Abdulaziz held talks at his palace in the capital Riyadh on Thursday with
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Minister of Economy Nihat
Zeybekci. During the meeting, King Salman reviewed bilateral relations and
future cooperation between the countries. The meeting was also attended by Saudi
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif. The Turkish foreign minister also met his Saudi
counterpart Adel Al-Jubeir as he prepares to attend a meeting with Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers later today in the Saudi capital.
Iran: Whipping girl students
for failing to pay donations!
NCRI Iran News/ Wednesday, 12 October 2016/ In a shocking measure, school
authorities of Mokhtarabad village in South Roodbar (in the southern province of
Kerman) struck eight lashes of the whip to at least ten girl students and fired
them from school because their parents did not afford to pay 30,000 toumans
(approx. $8.5) demanded by the school's principal. The brutality continued on
the following days to force the impoverished families by any means possible to
pay the money demanded by the school.
In the wake of the widespread dissemination of the news of the inhuman flogging
of Kerman students, the regime's officials in the Education Department
threatened the students' families with expulsion of their children from school
if they do not deny the flogging of the students. The mullahs' Ministry of
Education plunders the students' parents in different ways and under various
pretexts such as demanding compensation for the stationary expenses, cost of
taking census, or giving a gift to school. Such demands put a lot of pressure on
the students and their families and lead to tragic consequences especially in
deprived regions where the students quit school or commit suicide. In November
2015, a 12-year-old sixth grader in Oshnavieh, West Azerbaijan Province,
committed a fatal suicide because he could not provide the money to give a gift
to school.
The chairwoman of the Education Committee of the National Council of Resistance
of Iran strongly denounced this atrocious measure against young students. She
said: "The mullahs' inhuman regime is inherently criminal and thrives on torture
and flogging. Moderation of the religious fascism ruling Iran is a mirage when
it spends billions of dollars of the Iranian people's assets on export of war
and terrorism to the region and carnage of defenseless children and women in
Syria and particularly in Aleppo. Inside Iran, it does not have any qualm in
plundering people even by whipping the delicate bodies of girl children.
So long as the Velayat-e Faqih regime is in power, the Iranian children will
live in poverty and destitution, suffer from various deprivations and they will
be suppressed and tortured. The only cure for these pains is the unity and
solidarity of all strata of the nation to overthrow the mullahs' religious
tyranny and establish freedom and democracy in Iran. The Education Committee of
the National Council of Resistance of Iran/October 12, 2016
Iran: Prisoners speak about medieval human rights abuses
NCRI Iran News/Thursday, 13 October 2016/In an article on frontpagemag.com, Dr.
Majid Rafizadeh, reveals what the human rights abuses in Iran are really like.
He highlights that the countries in the West dealing with Iran are essentially
defending a regime that conducts the “most sadistic methods of torture”.
He highlighted the case of Ajab Gol Nour Zehi, a Baluch prisoner, who recently
spoke about his experiences. He said that he was beat on his head, face and back
so hard that after 18 months the cables he was beat with left clear marks on his
skin. He was hung and beat for hours at a time.
Explaining that torture methods were used to obtain a false confessions, he
said: “The beatings with rifle butts resulted in fracture of tibia in my legs
and created a hole in it to an extent that a finger can be placed inside it. The
traces of fractures are still present in my legs…. They brutally stabbed me on
the soles of my feet and left side of the abdomen, near the bladder, and
severely wounded me such that the signs of the wounds on my body are still
present and obvious.”They tried to force him into taking responsibility for a
murder that he knew nothing about. They also stapled his ears. When he still
failed to confess after all this torture, they would take his clothes off and
mock him. He explained: “They burned sensitive parts of my body in 21 areas with
lighters such that a lot of pus still comes out of the wounds. I lost
consciousness under the tortures several times and each time they would bring an
ambulance to bring me back to consciousness and then the torturers would start
to torture me again. When I did not confess, they transferred me from the
intelligence office in Iranshahr to the intelligence office in Zahedan – South
Western Province, where I was beaten and tortured again on the same wounds by
judiciary agents and their head Mollashahi.”Some victims say that the torturers
are IRGC (Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps) members, the head of the
intelligence service in Iranshahr and members of the government militia group
Basiji, such as Omid Siah Khani and Basiji Kalak.
Dr. Rafizadeh said that victims are speaking out about the atrocious torture
they endured in order to gain attention from UN officials. The permanent scars
all over their bodies are evidence and life-long reminders of the abuse and
torture they endured. Women are also frequently raped in prison. A recent report
by Amnesty International recognized that torture was common and “committed with
impunity” in Iran. They recognized that courts in Iran imposed punishments that
are torturous, cruel, inhumane and degrading, sometimes in public. They
highlighted the case of a man who was deliberately blinded by Karaj authorities
on 3rd March this year. The court sentenced him to “retribution-in-kind” (qesas)
for throwing acid into the face of another man. Another example they provide is
the case of two men who had four fingers amputated in June at the Central Prison
in Mashhad, Khorasan Province. Floggings are also commonplace in the country. In
June it was announced that nearly 500 people had been tried and convicted in
less than 24 hours for breaking fast during Ramadan. Many of them received
flogging sentences that were carried out in public. Dr. Rafizadeh said: “If they
truly defend social justice and individual rights, the Iranian regime’s
advocates and defenders in the West, human rights organizations, and dominant
liberal media outlets need to initiate a full investigation on the use of
torture in the Islamic Republic. One method to accomplish this is to use the
United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran. Otherwise, they are
being complicit in these crimes committed by Iranian leaders. With the stories
of these victims, and the undeniable evidence that remains on their bodies, no
one can claim ignorance.”
HRW: Awarding Iran with World
League tournament emboldens discriminatory policies against women
NCRI Iran News/ Thursday, 13 October 2016 / “The International Volleyball
Federation (FIVB) should cease awarding Iran the right to host FIVB
international tournaments until the country ensures that female spectators can
freely attend volleyball matches in the country,” Human Rights Watch said in a
letter to Ary Graça, the sports federation’s leader.
In a matter of weeks, the FIVB will announce host countries for its 2017 World
League.
“The FIVB should not grant Iran the right to host the next World League
tournament unless Iran demonstrates it has put an end to restrictions on women’s
ability to purchase tickets to and attend all matches,” the HRW letter added. In
the letter to Graça, Human Rights Watch attached “a screenshot of the FIVB's
Persian website which stated women could not purchase tickets for the July 2016
games in Tehran due to ‘limited space for female spectators’ “. “A screenshot
taken at the precise moment tickets went on sale for the Iran-Serbia match
reads, ‘Women quota are finished,’ raising serious concerns that the ticket sale
may have never opened to women. The effect was that, once again, only men could
buy tickets to FIVB matches in the 12,000-seat Azadi Stadium,” the letter said.
The Persian language news site Tabnak reported that these tickets were not put
on sale to the general public, but were reserved for wives of the officials of
the Iranian regime or female officials, Iranian female athletes, and in some
cases, the wives of foreign diplomats. Minky Worden, director of global
initiatives at Human Rights Watch wrote: “Awarding Iran yet another World League
tournament would only embolden the authorities in their discriminatory policies
that sideline women.”“Despite its pledge to end discrimination in the stadiums,
the Iranian volleyball federation appears to have constructed a system that
denies most women any opportunity to attend matches,” Worden said. “The FIVB
should make clear that Iran will not be able to host international volleyball
competitions until the Iranian federation makes good on its promises.”
Iran Breaks up
Islamic State Bombing Plot Targeting Ashoura
Associated Press/Naharnet/October 13/16/Iran broke up an Islamic State plan to
bomb commemorations marking the Shiite religious mourning period of Ashoura,
state media reported, the latest alleged militant plot to target the country.
Iran's official IRNA news agency quoted Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi as
saying several foreign nationals were detained with some 100 kilograms (220
pounds) of explosives. State television also reported the arrests. Alavi said
late Wednesday the suspects planned to attack Ashoura events in Iran's southern
Fars province. Ashoura marks the death of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet
Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in present-day Iraq in the 7th century. Alavi
referred to the suspects as "takfiri terrorists," a term used by Iranian
officials to describe militant Sunni Muslim fundamentalists like the Islamic
State group. "Intelligence Ministry agents, with the cooperation of other
security forces, succeeded to defuse one of the anti-security plots of the 'takfiri'
terrorist groups and prevent an inhuman crime in the ceremonies," he said. There
was no other information immediately released, though the arrest of foreigners
on such charges is rare. Iran has helped Shiite militias fighting against the
Islamic State group in Iraq, while also supporting embattled Syrian President
Bashar Assad. Alavi blamed Iran's foreign "enemies" for helping the Ashoura
bombing suspects, without elaborating. Iran in recent months has announced an
increasing number of thwarted militant attacks. In June, Iran said it broke up
one of the "biggest terrorist plots" ever on its soil by Sunni extremists
planning bombings in Tehran and elsewhere during the holy Muslim fasting month
of Ramadan. Iran increasingly has warned of possible militant assaults targeting
the country, which hasn't seen large-scale attacks since the 1980s. Recently
though, Iran has faced increased attacks from Kurdish separatists. Arabs in its
southern, oil-rich region and Baluch militants also launch occasional attacks.
Shin Bet arrests 3 Arab
Israelis for ISIS connections
Gilad Morag/Ynetnews/October 13/16/Three Israeli-Arabs were arrested following
the discovery of a tunnel between Israel and the West Bank by IDF forces; tunnel
was intended for smuggling weapons to carry out attacks; Two of the suspects had
previously attempted to enter Syria to join ISIS.
Three Israeli-Arabs from Taybe were arrested in September on suspicion of
supporting ISIS in a joint operation between the Israel Police and the Shin Bet.
Amongst other things, members of the group are suspected of trying to set fire
to the local soccer stadium in order to prevent a concert scheduled for Eid al-Adha
during a performance by one of the winners of Arab Idol which was to occur in
Taybe. The suspects told Shin Bet investigators that the arson attempt was
inspired by ISIS – meaning, they believe that live music is immoral and against
Islam, thus violating the principles of the “Islamic State.”The three also
planned to smuggle weapons from the Tulkarem area into Israel as part of
preparations for "Judgement Day," in which the three believe they will fight
infidels. According to Islam, judgment day will begin when the "Armies of Rome"
attack the "true believers" on the plains of the Syrian city of Dabiq. In the
battle of the end of days, 5,000 "true believers" will gather on the Temple
Mount in Jerusalem to fight off an anti-Messiah called the Dajjal. Jesus will
come down and destroy the Dajjal, and lead the "true believers" to victory. The
men wanted to smuggle the weapons in preparation for this battle. The cell
members planned to smuggle the weapons and fighters via a tunnel between the
West Bank and Israeli territory under Ibrahim's house. The 15-meter-deep tunnel
was uncovered and searched by IDF forces. The three suspects were named as
Ibrahim Halim Mahmoud Yusuf, Muhammad Tamim Kadar Nashaf and Amir Hakim Hafez
Jabara. During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that one of the
suspects, Amir Jabara, was arrested by Turkish security forces in April 2016
after attempting to enter Syria via Turkey to join ISIS. Ibrahim Yusuf made a
similar attempt after building a homemade pedal-assisted glider to travel to
Syria. In Israel, any act of support for ISIS is a criminal offense and is
severely dealt with by law enforcement.
U.S. Hits Radar
Sites in First Strikes on Yemen Rebels
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 13/16/The U.S. military directly targeted
Yemen's Huthi rebels for the first time on Thursday, hitting radar sites
controlled by the insurgents after U.S. warships came under missile attacks
twice in four days. The Iran-backed rebels have denied carrying out the attacks,
which saw missiles fired at U.S. warships in the Red Sea on Sunday and Wednesday
but falling short of their targets. The United States is providing logistical
support to a Saudi-led coalition that has been battling the rebels since last
year, but Thursday's strikes marked the first time Washington has taken direct
action against the Huthis. The Pentagon said the cruise missile strikes --
authorised by President Barack Obama -- were launched at 4:00 am local time
(0100 GMT) by the destroyer USS Nitze against territory on Yemen's Red Sea coast
controlled by the Huthis. "Initial assessments show the sites were destroyed,"
Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement. The strikes "targeted
radar sites involved in the recent missile launches threatening USS Mason and
other vessels operating in international waters in the Red Sea and the Bab
al-Mandeb (Strait)," it added. "These limited self-defence strikes were
conducted to protect our personnel, our ships, and our freedom of navigation in
this important maritime passageway." The USS Mason, a destroyer, was targeted on
Wednesday by a missile fired from rebel-held territory which crashed into the
ocean before reaching its target. The Mason and the USS Ponce, an amphibious
staging base, were previously targeted on Sunday by two missiles that also fell
short."The United States will respond to any further threat to our ships and
commercial traffic, as appropriate, and will continue to maintain our freedom of
navigation in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb, and elsewhere around the world,"
Cook said. A Yemeni military source said the US missiles hit radar sites near
Al-Makha and Al-Khukha in southwestern Yemen and Ras Isa, further north along
the coast.
Attack claims 'baseless': rebels
The Huthis said the accusations they had fired on U.S. warships were "baseless."
"Such claims aim to create false justifications to step up attacks and to cover
up for the continuous crimes committed by the aggression against the Yemeni
people," the rebel-controlled Saba news agency quoted a military official allied
with the rebels as saying on Thursday. The Saudi-led coalition launched its
campaign in March last year, after the rebels seized control of large parts of
Yemen including the capital Sanaa, forcing the government of President Abedrabbo
Mansour Hadi to flee. The coalition has since carried out hundreds of air
strikes and provided ground troops to support Hadi's forces, but it has failed
to dislodge the rebels -- who are allied with forces loyal to ex-president Ali
Abdallah Saleh -- from key areas. The US military provides intelligence and
refuelling for coalition aircraft. It also supplies advanced munitions and
logistics support to the effort, and is Saudi Arabia's biggest arms supplier.
The campaign has faced increasing international criticism over civilians deaths,
with critics calling on Washington to end its support for the coalition. After a
coalition air strike on a funeral in Sanaa on Saturday killed more than 140
people, the US administration announced an "immediate review" of its
cooperation.
'Unlawful' funeral strike
Human Rights Watch, which has regularly criticised the Saudi intervention, on
Thursday said the funeral strike needed to be investigated as "an apparent war
crime". "While military personnel and civilian officials involved in the war
effort were attending the ceremony, the clear presence of several hundred
civilians strongly suggests that the attack was unlawfully disproportionate," it
said in a statement. Francois Heisbourg, an analyst at the Paris-based
Foundation for Strategic Research, said the rebels were probably looking to send
a message to Washington after the funeral strike. "The most logical explanation
is that the Huthis... wanted to show the Americans that there is a price to pay"
for continuing to support the Saudis, he said. But Heisbourg said it was
unlikely that Thursday's strikes were a sign of Washington stepping up its
participation in the coalition. "They reacted in a limited manner and it should
stop there," he said. Yemen's conflict has killed more than 6,800 people,
wounded more than 35,000 and displaced at least three million since the
coalition launched military operations, according to the United Nations. As well
as supporting the coalition, Washington has for years carried out drone attacks
against jihadists in Yemen, regularly killing members of the local branch of
al-Qaida.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on on October 13-14/16
Why Was Asia
Bibi’s Death Penalty Appeal Postponed, And What Happens Next?
Carey Lodge/Christian Today
Journalist/ 13 October 2016
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/10/13/carey-lodgechristian-today-why-asia-bibis-death-penalty-appeal-in-pakistan-for-blasphemy-was-postponed-and-what-happens-next/
Asia Bibi, the Christian mother sentenced to death in Pakistan for blasphemy,
today had her final appeal postponed after years of languishing on death row.
The Supreme Court judge, Justice Iqbal Hameed ur Rehman, withdrew from the case
because he had also overseen the appeal of Mumtaz Qadri, the man charged with –
and eventually hanged for – the murder of Govenor of Punjab Salman Taseer in
2011, who had publicly defended Bibi.
“I was a part of the bench that was hearing the case of Salmaan Taseer, and this
case is related to that,” Rehman told the court in Islamabad.
He did not specify a new date for the hearing, and Bibi was taken back to jail.
So what happens next?
Bibi was first jailed in 2009 and sentenced to death in November the following
year for allegedly blaspheming against the Prophet Muhammad during an argument
with fellow farm workers. After her colleagues refused to drink from a cup used
by Bibi because she was a Christian and therefore deemed ‘unclean’, she
reportedly said: “I believe in my religion and in Jesus Christ, who died on the
cross for the sins of mankind. What did your Prophet Muhammad ever do to save
mankind?”
She was later pulled before a judge and convicted of blasphemy – a charge she
has consistently denied. She was last year moved to solitary confinement in her
prison in Multan, eastern Pakistan, over fears she may be attacked by
vigilantes, and has been allowed to cook her own food for fear she will be
poisoned.
Andrew Boyd of persecution charity Release International said today in the wake
of the appeal’s adjournment that it was unlikely Bibi’s case would move forward
quickly.
“She’s been there [on death row] for six years,” he told Christian Today, and
her case is the most-high profile blasphemy case in Pakistan – arguably the most
notorious the country has ever seen. More than 1,300 people have been charged
with blasphemy in Pakistan since 1987, a disproportionate number of them
Christians, but Bibi’s case has captured world-wide attention, with
international calls for her release and an end to Pakistan’s repressive
blasphemy laws.
In Pakistan, however, Muslim hardliners are desperate for her to be hanged.
A group of 150 top Muslim clerics from the radical Islamist group Sunni Tehreek
issued a statement demanding the government hang Bibi and all other prisoners of
blasphemy laws, World Watch Monitor said. The Muslim leaders reportedly issued a
“verbal decree” that anyone who rescued or assisted in the rescue of people
accused of blasphemy should also be killed.
Today, the cleric of the Red Mosque in Lahore said he would issue a fatwa
against the Prime Minister of the country if Asia Bibi was set free.
The execution in February this year of Mumtaz Qadri, who murdered Taseer,
prompted huge street protests by Islamist supporters, who consider him a
hero.Reuters
The exact reason for the judge waiting until today to declare a conflict of
interest that was previously known, is unclear. “What we do know,” Boyd said,
“is that there is an extreme climate of intimidation [in Pakistan]“. More than
100 riot police were stationed around the court this morning to try to prevent
violence, for which there is precedent in Pakistan. In addition to the
assassination of Taseer, minority affairs minister Shahbaz Bhatti was also
killed in 2011 for defending Bibi.
More than 60 people associated with blasphemy cases have been murdered in recent
years, Boyd said, “so there’s a climate of vigilantism, where many believe it is
their religious duty to kill a blasphemer. If the court won’t do it, they will
do it.”
It therefore takes immense courage to get involved in a blasphemy case, Boyd
added. In earlier trials and appeals in Bibi’s case, Islamic extremists packed
out the courts in an attempt to intimidate the judge into upholding her death
sentence. That’s how it ended up being taken all the way to the Supreme Court;
no judge has yet overturned the conviction, which campaigners say is probably –
at least in part – because of threats to their own life by Islamists.
There was “overwhelming evidence” presented to the Lahore High Court, which held
Bibi’s earlier appeal, to overturn her conviction, said Wilson Chowdhry,
chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA).
“Judges are being frightened, and it’s preventing them from conducting this case
in an appropriate manner, and bringing justice,” he told Christian Today.
“It would seem this delay is completely contrived,” he added, attributing the
withdrawal of the judge today to the growing climate of extremism in Pakistan.
If it’s not possible for the court to find a judge willing to take on the case,
Boyd said, the President of Pakistan should issue an immediate pardon and set
Bibi free. But this will be difficult given the rapid growth of Islamism.
“The blasphemy law is used like a can of petrol poured over the flames of
extremism. It is used and abused to take over people’s businesses and to seize
land,” Boyd said. “It will take enormous courage from the Preisident of Pakistan
to pardon Asia, it will take enormous courage for the Prime Minister of Pakistan
to repeal the blasphemy law, which has to happen. It will take enormous courage
for the Supreme Court – short of a presidential pardon – to overturn Asia’s
case.”
Bibi’s earlier appeal in Lahore High Court was postponed five times, and there
was a gap of around a month and a half between each postponed date, Chowdhry
said. He urged the Supreme Court to set another date for her final appeal
immediately, and a BPCA petition can be signed here.
“The longer this case simmers on the boil, extremists will be given the
opportunity to make more noise, and gather more people against Asia Bibi,” he
warned. Each time her case was postponed previously, it “ignited Muslims,
because they felt as though they were winning”, he added. “Without a doubt,
there will be a build-up of the number of extremists calling for her blood, the
longer this case goes on.
“I’m praying the legal process in Pakistan is expedited as much as possible…Asia
Bibi is only one innocent victim, there will be many more” until Pakistan
revises its laws, Chowdhry said.
Boyd concurred. There are at least 16 other people on death row for blasphemy in
Pakistan, and “if the Supreme Court were to rule that Asia should hang, it will
be the thin edge of the wedge. Many others will die.”
“This is a battle for the soul of Pakistan, which is a great, great prize,” he
added. “It won’t come easily, and it won’t come cheaply. We’ve seen in recent
years an enormous rise in accusations of blasphemy. There was one case in 2011,
and more than 100 in 2014. It all points to a rising intolerance that has to be
addressed.”
And yet, despite the growing persecution in Pakistan, and the death threats
received by Bibi’s family, their faith remains strong. Release International
contacts have spoken to Bibi’s husband, Ashiq Masih, who said his family is
holding onto their faith, as is Bibi in prison, despite repeated attempts to
convert her to Islam.
“They are courageous people who need our prayers,” Boyd said. “What we are
seeing [with Bibi] is a woman truly faithful unto death.”
How Israel can
contribute to Saudi's vision 2030
Salman Al-Ansari/The
Hill/October 13/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/10/13/salman-al-ansarithe-hill-how-israel-can-contribute-to-saudis-vision-2030/
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/international-affairs/300447-how-israel-can-contribute-to-saudis-vision-2030
The topic of establishing a relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel raises
many theories, assumptions, and emotionally charged arguments. Some of these
arguments have merit, while others amount to nothing more than poorly formulated
conjecture. These strongly held positions are especially interesting because
they are put forward despite the current lack of an existing relationship
between the two countries.
However, the prevailing political discourse might not only indicate that it is
in the interest of both countries to form a collaborative alliance, but in the
interest of the greater Middle East and their global allies as well.
In fact, there are some opinions suggesting that having a common enemy in Iran
will help accelerate any sort of rapprochement between two of the Middle East’s
most powerful nations. While that could be partially true, a more solid
foundation for establishing deep-rooted ties between the two countries could
manifest in the context of a mutually beneficial economic partnership.
To illustrate this, history tells us that Arabs and Jews were some of the
strongest partners in trade, culture and mutual security, living in relatively
peaceful coexistence for centuries, whether they’re in the Middle East, North
Africa or even Spain.
When talking about fairly recent history, it is common knowledge that Saudi
Arabia and Israel have committed to rational and balanced foreign policies over
the past 70 years, never seeking any provocative or hostile actions against each
other. It’s also important to note that there are hundreds of Jews hailing from
many corners of the world who are currently working in Saudi Arabia,
contributing to its financial, infrastructure, and energy projects.
As a matter of fact, Saudi Arabia is going through its biggest economic
transition in its history, of which Israel is the most capable of contributing
to. The architect of this transition, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman,
is also viewed by political observers as a pragmatic and progressive
personality, with all indicators showing that he is prepared and willing to
develop real, enduring ties with Israel. With the goals of this transition
outlined in a recently announced “National Transformation Plan,” one of its most
important strategies focuses on diversifying income sources and mining for more
natural resources.
The latter represents a rare, golden opportunity for Israel to participate in
and help bolster the Saudi economy. After all, Israel has a reputation as one of
the most sophisticated and technologically advanced countries in the field of
mining, with a robust, globally recognized diamond industry. Keeping in mind
that Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without any source of
flowing water, Israel is also a world leader in the water engineering industry,
which makes it extraordinarily qualified to help Saudi Arabia with its ambitious
desalination plans, which are a crucial part of the Deputy Crown Prince’s
blueprint for Saudi’s economic reform, “Vision 2030.”
Of course, such an economic partnership cannot be established without addressing
security concerns, as the trust factor between the two Middle Eastern countries
still needs positive reinforcement. However, most of these concerns are mutual,
as both countries are facing constant threats from extremist groups that are
directly supported by the totalitarian government of Iran, which is classified
internationally as a global sponsor of terrorism, providing a safe haven for
most of the world’s most dangerous and well-known terrorist organizations.
Any form of normalization between the two countries is also an Arabic and Muslim
normalization towards Israel, which will undoubtedly promote security and weaken
extremism in the region. In fact, there was a time when the United States relied
on Saudi Arabia and a pre-Islamic revolution, pro-Western Iran to be the “twin
pillars” of Middle Eastern stability as part of the Nixon Doctrine a few short
decades ago.
Current and forthcoming U.S. administrations could consider Saudi Arabia and
Israel to be uniquely positioned to carry on that mantle and become the new twin
pillars of regional stability, which would not only mean less military
interventions, but also an easier opportunity for the U.S. to foster an
environment in the region that is conducive towards social development and
economic growth.
Rapid changes require rapid, decisive actions in order to achieve a new
political, security and economic strategy that is centered around a win-win
policy. Both Saudi Arabia and Israel should recognize that while all these
bilateral benefits look strategically and economically attractive on paper, such
benefits only have a chance of materializing if they are backed up by a
comprehensive plan that fulfills the terms required by both parties.
Impeding collaboration in any way would inevitably stifle an historic
opportunity for both countries to grow, develop and solidify the mutual goal of
not only ensuring the success of this vital relationship, but bringing the
Middle East into a new era of unprecedented peace and prosperity.
***Salman Al-Ansari is the Founder & President of the Washington DC-based Saudi
American Public Relation Affairs Committee (SAPRAC)
Venezuela,
Iran, USA and Narco-Terrorism حزب الله أداة إيران الإرهابية
في فنزويلا
Susan Warner/Gatestone Institute./October 13/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/10/13/susan-warnergatestone-institute-venezuela-iran-usa-and-narco-terrorism/
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9073/venezuela-iran-narco-terrorism
There are an
estimated six million Muslims living in Latin American cities, who provide a
fertile terrorist recruiting environment.
"Iran has opened up more than 80 cultural centers in Latin America in order to
export its toxic brand of political influence and serve its interest, focusing
on partnering with nations well known for their anti-American rhetoric including
Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua." — US Rep. Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen, in testimony for the House Sub-Committee on the Middle East and
North Africa.
Amidst the unspeakable economic distress facing residents of Venezuela today,
security experts have identified yet another major cause for concern emanating
from this once prosperous, oil-rich nation: Iran is moving in, partnering with
Venezuela's prosperous drug traders and creating a foothold there, as well as in
other "friendly" Latin American countries. Iran is laundering money in Latin
America and presumably secretly plotting to accomplish a strategic long-term
goal to penetrate the Western hemisphere.
Iran's terrorist activities, its partnership with Venezuelan drug traffickers
and the general criminal atmosphere affects the citizens of Caracas so much that
people reportedly are fearful of even going to the store to wait in the endless
lines for food.
In Venezuela, security analysts say, the corruption starts at the very top with
President Nicolas Maduro himself, who is looking frantically for money in every
crevasse to keep the nation and his presidency afloat. Reports estimate that in
Venezuela one police officer dies every day and the number of homicides per
capita in Caracas is the highest in the world.
National crime statistics, however, seem to be just the start: deeper and more
alarming than the Venezuelan homicide toll, there appears to be an imminent
threat to the entire Western hemisphere from partnerships between Venezuelan
drug traffickers and terrorist networks like Hamas and Hezbollah, two groups
that act a proxies for Iran.
Together, terrorism and illegal drugs represent a significant export for
Venezuela. Iran and Venezuela partner together to move terrorist cells and drugs
to hubs in the United States and throughout North America.
This alliance has already come to the attention of the House Sub-Committee on
the Middle East and North Africa; in 2015, Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen headed
a hearing entitled, "Iran and Hezbollah in the Western Hemisphere."
"Drug trafficking funds terrorism," said Ros-Lehtinen. "The need for a
comprehensive strategy must address this fundamental cause of the problem."
"Recent reports of the connections between Hezbollah and the FARC [Colombia];
the murder of the special prosecutor of Argentina, Alberto Nisman, and the
alleged conspiracy between the Argentine Government, Venezuela and Iran to cover
up Hezbollah's activities and involvement in the AMIA [Jewish Community Center]
bombing do nothing to quell doubts about Iran's activities in Latin America."
Through its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah, Iran's
terrorist proxy in Lebanon, Iran is spreading its roots through legitimate
enterprise "laundries" throughout Latin America.
Iran has set up banking entities, embassies, cultural centers and business
enterprises, through which it is building an infrastructure to advance
expansionist strategies.
Vanessa Neumann wrote in 2011:
"Besides its sponsored terrorist groups, Iran also has a growing direct
influence in Latin America, spurred by three principal motivations: 1) a quest
for uranium, 2) a quest for gasoline, 3) a quest for a base of operations that
is close to the US territory, in order to position itself to resist diplomatic
and possible military pressure, possibly by setting up a missile base within
striking distance of the mainland US, as the Soviets did in the Cuban Missile
Crisis"
"FARC in Columbia, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Al Qaeda all have training camps,
recruiting bases and networks of mutual assistance in Venezuela as well as
throughout the continent," the Foreign Policy Research Institute reported.
Jaime Daremblum wrote in 2011:
"An official involved in the fight against terrorism said that the relation
between Venezuela and Iran is becoming a strategic association. How to explain
otherwise reported regular flights between Caracas and Tehran, for which no
tickets are sold and no immigration or customs inspections are required?"
Rachel Ehrenfeld, in her 1990 book on terrorism funding (page xiii), defined the
term "narco-terrorism" as "the use of drug trafficking to advance the objectives
of certain governments and terrorist organizations." Two decades after the
book's publication, the term narco-terrorism has almost become a household word,
with Venezuela as a hub of activity in the Western hemisphere.
A U.S. State Department report stated:
"Venezuela remained a major drug-transit country in 2014. Venezuela is one of
the preferred trafficking routes for illegal drugs from South America to the
Caribbean region, Central America, the United States, Western Africa, and
Europe, due to its porous western border with Colombia, weak judicial system,
sporadic international counternarcotics cooperation, and permissive and corrupt
environment."
Hezbollah's annual budget of more than 100 million dollars is provided by the
Iranian government directly and through a complex system of finance cells
scattered around the world, from Bangkok and Paraguay to Michigan and North
Carolina.
Far from being the passive beneficiaries of drug-trafficking expats and
sympathizers, Hezbollah has high-level officials directly involved in the South
American cocaine trade and its most violent cartels, including the Mexican crime
syndicate Los Zetas. Hezbollah's increasing foothold in the cocaine trade is
facilitated by an enormous Lebanese diaspora.
There are an estimated six million Muslims living in Latin American cities, who
provide a fertile terrorist recruiting environment. Vanessa Neumann writes:
"The Free Trade Zones of Iquique, Chile; Maicao, Colombia; and Colón, Panama,
can generate undetected financial and logistical support for terrorist groups.
Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru offer cocaine as a lucrative source of income. In
addition, Cuba and Venezuela have cooperative agreements with Syria, Libya, and
Iran."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was established by Ayatollah
Khomeini in 1979. Today it plays a leading role in Iran's expansionist
enterprises. The IRGC has become a wide-ranging political, social, and economic
corporation -- with holdings in industry, security, energy, construction, and
communications. It is the most robust economic organization in the country.
According to reports, many of its former members currently hold senior political
and bureaucratic positions in the Iranian government.
According to a 2013 report in Military and Strategic Affairs:
"... the Revolutionary Guards are active on two major complementary levels.
First, the organization leads the efforts to export the Iranian Islamic
Revolution, seeking to expand the republic's political, ideological, and
religious influences in the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, and Latin
America. Secondly, the Revolutionary Guards continuously exert efforts to
undermine the influence of the United States in the Middle East by harming the
superpower's regional interests and its allies. ... the Revolutionary Guards
make extensive global use of asymmetrical strategies in their struggle against
the West and its allies, preferring tactics of subversion and terrorism."
The Quds Force, an arm of IRGC, is in charge of exporting the Islamic Revolution
and organizing terrorist and subversive activity against Iran's enemies,
according to a 2013 report from the American Center for Democracy
The Quds Force uses proxies as a way to disguise Iran's involvement in terrorist
activity. The force's most prominent ally is the Lebanese Hezbollah, which was
established in 1982 with the help of the Revolutionary Guards.
Alongside their efforts to battle their own serious homegrown drug problems in
Iran, the Revolutionary Guards are also reportedly working to harness the
strategic and tactical potential of the international drug trade in order to
advance Iran's expansion.
Venezuela and Iran seem to have been friendly since the establishment of the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1960. They have been
reinforcing their bonds since May 2001, when then President Hugo Chavez paid a
visit to Tehran. There he coordinated their anti-Western narrative, stressing
opposition to all forms of "imperialism and oppression" in the Third World -- a
code for "lets agree to stay away from any relationship with Western capitalist
powers: the United States, Israel and their allies". This "anti-imperialist"
mantra has been used by both Chavez and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, along
with Iran as a unifying cry against the U.S. and its allies.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (right) meets with Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani in Tehran, January 10, 2015. (Image Source: TeleSUR video screenshot)
According to the testimony of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen:
"Iran has opened up more than 80 cultural centers in Latin America in order to
export its toxic brand of political influence and serve its interest, focusing
on partnering with nations well known for their anti-American rhetoric including
Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua."
Hamas and Hezbollah, both Iranian proxy terrorist groups, have also established
offices in Caracas.
Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Jeff Duncan and others say this is an
appropriate time for the United States to pay more attention to activities
happening in its own backyard.
The Need for a U.S. Response
In his statement to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Rep. Jeff Duncan
asserted at the 2015 hearing, that the U.S. and its allies must do more to
counter Iran's goals to develop nuclear weapons, export terrorism and develop
alliances with the narcotics trade.
Since the (unfortunate) approval of "Iran Nuclear Deal" in 2015, the United
States has largely dissolved international sanctions against Iran, which leaves
the IRGC free to make uninhibited alliances with networks of transnational
organized crime organizations to finance its aspirations. Along with United
States' recent payment of $1.5 billion to Iran, there may be a grave risk to our
own national security as Iran marches north from Venezuela into Central America
and further into the United States through our southern border with Mexico.
In 2015, according to the US Department of State, U.S. President Barack Obama
determined that Venezuela had failed to adhere to its obligations under
international counternarcotics agreements. Even so, the US issued a waiver,
allowing for continued assistance to be granted to Venezuela "in the interest of
U.S. national security".
The State Department admits that Venezuelan authorities do not effectively
prosecute drug traffickers, in part due to their political corruption.
Additionally, Venezuelan law enforcement officers lack the equipment, training,
and resources required to significantly impede the operations of major drug
trafficking organizations.
The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned multiple Venezuelan banks and
Venezuelan regime operatives, including the former Minister of Interior and
Justice. The U.S. State Department has cited Venezuela's state-owned oil
company, PDVSA, and CAVIM, the Venezuelan weapons company, for their role in
helping Iran circumvent the sanctions that the U.S. has now lifted altogether.
At the same time, the U.S. administration continues to purchase 10% of its oil
(roughly 300 million barrels per year) from Venezuela, the same entity that it
sanctioned in 2011 for shipping gasoline to Iran.
This is all happening while terrorist groups are regularly connecting to drug
cartels in the region, and forging a deepening narco-terror machine that in turn
is funding terrorist activities.
While the US administration -- apparently in denial about the clear threats
posed by Iran's expansionist and nuclear aspirations -- dismisses Israel's
concerns as "hysteria," Iran quietly continues its unfettered march westward.
Susan Warner, a specialist on religion and international issues, is a
Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute. Visit her web site at
www.israelolivetree.org
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Romania: Lawsuit Launched to Stop
Bucharest Mega-Mosque/Romania is not a Turkish province.
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/October 13/16
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9122/romania-mega-mosque
The original deal called for a "mutual exchange" in which Romania would build a
new Orthodox Church in Istanbul, while Turkey would build the mosque in
Bucharest. In July 2015, however, Prime Minister Victor Ponta revealed that the
Romanian government had abandoned the Istanbul church project because it is "not
allowed under Turkish law." Ponta approved the Bucharest mosque project anyway,
saying it was a multicultural symbol of Romania's acceptance of the Muslim
community.
Ponta's decision to approve the mosque, which will mimic Ottoman-era
architecture, was greeted with outrage in a country that was under Ottoman
Turkish domination for nearly five centuries until 1877.
"This plan is not about worship, it is about marking the territory of their
authority through a monument." – Ozgur Kazim Kivanc, a Turkish activist opposed
to Erdoğan's destruction of public commons to build mosques.
"Once Islam enters a land, that land becomes Islamic and Muslims have the duty
to liberate it someday. Spain, for example, is Islamic land, and so is Eastern
Europe: Romania, Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo and Bosnia..." – Omar Bakri
Muhammad, a prominent Sunni Islamist cleric.
"We consider the disposal of free land which, ironically, belonged to the family
of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, who was beheaded by the Turks on August 15,
1714, to be a betrayal of the Romanian people." – Pending lawsuit calling on the
court to annul the government's grant of free city land for the mosque project.
Opponents of a proposed Turkish mega-mosque in Romania's capital, Bucharest,
have filed a lawsuit against the government in an effort to halt the project.
The court is set to begin hearing the case on October 14.
The lawsuit seeks to reverse a June 2015 decision by the Romanian prime minister
at the time, Victor Ponta, to approve construction of what could become the
largest mosque in Eastern Europe — second only to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul —
on a large tract of city-owned land in northern Bucharest.
The property, valued at more than four million euros ($4.4 million), is being
provided for free by the Romanian government, while the construction costs,
estimated at three million euros ($3.3 million), are being paid for by Turkey.
Ponta said the mosque will reap economic benefits for Romania because Turkey is
the country's leading non-EU trading partner. The mosque's critics, including an
array of Romanian academics, historians, politicians, anti-immigration groups
and even some Muslims, counter that not only will it increase Turkish influence
over Romania, it will also encourage Muslim immigration to the country.
The Bucharest mosque is the result of more than a decade of talks between the
Romanian and Turkish governments. The original deal called for a "mutual
exchange" in which Romania would build a new Orthodox Church in Istanbul, while
Turkey would build the mosque in Bucharest.
In July 2015, however, Ponta revealed that the Romanian government had abandoned
the Istanbul church project because it is "not allowed under Turkish law." Ponta
approved the Bucharest mosque project anyway, saying it was a multicultural
symbol of Romania's acceptance of the Muslim community.
Ponta's decision to approve the mosque, which will mimic Ottoman-era
architecture, was greeted with outrage in a country that was under Ottoman
Turkish domination for nearly five centuries until 1877.
"Turkey attempts a symbolic conquest of Europe through these mosques," said
Tudor Ionescu, leader of the anti-immigration Noua Dreaptă (New Right) party. "I
don't know why we are the recipients of such a 'blessing.'" Noua Dreaptă has
organized protests against the project where people have chanted, "Romania is
not a Turkish province."
Romanians protest against a proposed Turkish mega-mosque in Bucharest, April 10,
2016. (Image source: RT video screenshot)
Critics say the large size of the mosque is out of proportion to the small size
of Bucharest's Muslim population. The 13,000 square meter (140,000 square foot)
project, to be situated near the Romexpo trade fair grounds, includes a mosque
for 2,000 worshippers, a Koran school, a library and a recreational center.
Bucharest is home to around 9,000 Muslims who are being served by ten mosques
scattered throughout the city. The Muslim population of Romania is 65,000, or
less than one percent of the country's population of 19.5 million. Most are
ethnic Turks and Tatars living in the Dobrogea region of eastern Romania.
In an interview with Balkan Insight, historian Ionut Cojocaru said:
"It is a bit surprising, building such a big mosque in a country where the
number of Muslims is very small. This is just a sign of Turkey's neo-Ottoman
policy, which is designed to promote its economic and political interests all
around the Balkans."
Turkey has been on a mega-mosque building spree across the Balkans and Eastern
Europe as part of an effort by Ankara to expand its influence — and its brand of
Islam — in the region.
In interviews with Balkan specialist Michael Bird, several observers said that
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's international mosque-building program
is part of a plan to project Turkey as the pre-eminent Muslim nation.
"Ultimately every mosque abroad with a Turkish brand name seems to contribute to
the discourse of Turkey as a leading Islamic power," said Kerem Oktem, Professor
of Modern Turkey at the University of Graz.
Ozgur Kazim Kivanc, an activist opposed to Erdoğan's destruction of public
commons to build mosques, added:
"The Roman Empire used to build temples on the places they took over to remind
people of their conquest. We believe the instinct is the same. Places of worship
are not compulsory for a belief system to spread — especially in Islam. This
plan is not about worship, it is about marking the territory of their authority
through a monument."
Former Romanian President Traian Basescu worries that the Bucharest mosque could
fuel Islamic extremism in the country. He has said the mosque project is
"irresponsible" and a threat to national security. On Facebook he wrote:
"Perhaps you cannot imagine a subway station in Bucharest, during rush hour,
where a young man would blow himself up in the name of Allah. Or perhaps your
intelligence cannot help you imagine young Romanians who have failed in life
being sent off to training camps in Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan and brought back
to Europe in order to bring us the benefits of the Islamic State."
Islamic State has repeatedly stated that Romania and other parts of Eastern
Europe and the Balkans are part of its "pan-Islamic Caliphate." Omar Bakri
Muhammad, a prominent Sunni Islamist cleric who has recruited British jihadis
for Islamic State, has alleged that Romania is Islamic territory. In an
interview with the Bulgarian daily 24 Chasa (24 Hours), he said:
"Once Islam enters a land, that land becomes Islamic and Muslims have the duty
to liberate it someday. Spain, for example, is Islamic land, and so is Eastern
Europe: Romania, Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo and Bosnia..."
Basescu has also said he believes the mosque — the first purpose-built mosque in
the Romanian capital (the existing places of Muslim worship in the city are
buildings converted into mosques or prayer rooms) — is not actually meant for
Bucharest's Muslim population, but for Muslim migrants who will arrive in the
years ahead.
During a visit to Romania in April 2015, President Erdoğan said the mosque will
be the "the most beautiful expression of dialogue and solidarity between the two
countries."
A Romanian Muslim leader, however, expressed skepticism about Turkey's
intentions. "We heard about it on TV, like everyone else," he said. "We are
Romanian Muslims, but now the Turkish are coming and they get the land. When
they complete the building, they won't even allow us there. So we are sold,
thrown out."
During an official visit to Turkey in March 2016, Romanian President Klaus
Iohannis tried to reassure Erdoğan that the mosque project is moving forward,
despite mounting opposition at home. Commenting on the trip, the daily România
Liberă wrote:
"Apparently Iohannis demanded nothing but a measly Orthodox chapel that will
probably be built somewhere on the outskirts of Istanbul in exchange for the
construction of the mosque.... Erdoğan has inherited from the Ottomans the skill
of making his guests feel more important than they are. ... Iohannis was
welcomed with a military ceremony including the firing of 21 cannon salvoes
which only sultans offer their guests. ... In the end, however, Erdoğan will
despise him for letting himself be tricked and making it so easy for him to turn
the president of an EU state into a vassal of his court."
Some Romanian politicians are now calling for a referendum on the mosque. More
than 90% of the public is opposed to the project, according to an online survey
conducted by the mainstream newspaper Gândul.
Meanwhile, the pending lawsuit calls on the court to annul the government's
grant of free city land for the mosque project. The lawsuit states:
"We consider the disposal of free land which, ironically, belonged to the family
of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, who was beheaded by the Turks on August 15,
1714, to be a betrayal of the Romanian people. In the current context in which
all of Europe is being brought to its knees by terrorist attacks by Muslim
extremists, we are entitled to fear the establishment of Islamic learning
schools. We believe the Romanian state is unable to ensure the security of its
citizens, and approving a mega-mosque in Romania could set a precedent with
unintended catastrophic consequences."
**Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute. He
is also Senior Fellow for European Politics at the Madrid-based Grupo de
Estudios Estratégicos / Strategic Studies Group. Follow him on Facebook and on
Twitter.
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Europe marches toward the
‘populist’ right
Yossi Mekelberg/Al Arabiya/October 13/16
More than three months after the British people voted to leave the European
Union, the much-awaited British decision to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon
Treaty has (almost) been announced. In a speech to her Conservative Party
conference, Prime Minister May told the delegates that sometime in March next
year her government will start the process of departing from the EU. It remains
to be seen whether departure from this political union will push the rest of the
EU closer together, or will signal the beginning of its disintegration.
Regardless of the merits in favor of this political union or against it, it is
accompanied by the rise of nasty and dangerous radical right-wing politics,
which combine populism and ultra-nationalism –not an unfamiliar sight in modern
European politics. Across the union and its 28 members, populist-nationalist
parties are using the legitimate democratic processes to increase their popular
support and representation in national parliaments and in the EU parliament.
They promote an agenda that attempts to drive a wedge between communities, and
falsely blame immigrants and minorities for almost all the ills of their
societies. If those thuggish elements within European society continue to gain
support and seats in parliaments, it is just a matter of time until they will
start turning on one another. It might not be a re-run of the 1920s and 30s, but
there are painful similarities in the language, with the backdrop of a prolonged
economic crisis and austerity, to serve as a severe warning to us all. The
changing discourse is between the pathetic to the very dangerous. In a
self-defeating act of sheer folly, the UK government barred a number of leading
academics from the London School of Economics from serving as expert advisers on
Brexit. Their only wrongdoing was that they were not British citizens. This
represents the xenophobic nature of Brexit, which is creeping into the British
society. It also insinuates that those who are not British nationals do not have
the country’s best interest at heart, and in this case not even professional
integrity. It is important to recall the first half of the 20th century, and how
the rise of Fascism in Europe derived from the unholy trinity of economic
hardship, led to strong anti-political establishment and scapegoating of ‘the
other’
Worrying signs
There are worrying signs of increasing racism in the UK in the post-Brexit
referendum. Intolerance is evident through an increase in verbal abuse against
migrants by bigoted racists empowered by the debate and the decision to leave
the European Union. An attack on a group of Polish men in Harlow, Essex left
Arkadiusz Jóźwik dead and has all the hallmarks of a hate crime. Nevertheless,
the poisonous atmosphere in Great Britain is just the tip of the iceberg of the
march of ultra-nationalist movements ever closer to the centres of power and
influence in Europe. In almost all elections across the continent there is an
increased representation of these parties in parliaments. They may represent
different shades of right wing ideology, but they have much in common and none
of it is good news. It is important to recall the first half of the 20th
century, and how the rise of Fascism in Europe derived from the unholy trinity
of economic hardship, led to strong anti-political establishment and
scapegoating of “the other”. These parties manage very effectively to connect
and exploit between unemployment, especially among the young, political
violence, and the impact of globalisation on national identities. The influx of
Syrian refugees, as a result of the horrors of the conflict in Syria, is
cynically used by these parties to gain support among the disenchanted and
marginalised in European societies. It is not only Syrian refugees and migrants
that suffer from xenophobia. According to the Budapest-based European Roma
Rights Centre, Roma people, which have been persecuted for many centuries, are
on the receiving end of both arbitrary measures by the government and violence
by vigilantes. Figures also indicate that anti-Semitism has increased as well in
different parts of Europe.
Misrepresentation, exaggeration, spreading of fear, not to mention sheer lies,
are the ammunition ultra-nationalists fire to gain power. Fascism has always
employed the tactics that if a lie is repeated enough times there will soon be
enough people believing it is true. These tactics surely work and change
Europe’s political landscape. In Austria last April, Norbert Hofer of the
far-right Freedom Party was within a hair’s breadth from becoming the country’s
president.
In December a re-run of the elections may well see in Hitler’s country of birth,
of all places, a person who blamed the increase in gun ownership by his
countrymen on immigration. In France Marine Le Pen of the National Front is
expected to reach the second round of the presidential elections after her party
won nearly seven million votes in the 2015 regional elections. From Sweden and
Finland in the north to Italy, Greece and Cyprus in the south, ultra-nationalist
parties are consolidating their political power base which will undermine the
European Union and its neo-liberal ideas. On the ruins of Europe in 1945,
emerged a new generation that vowed that the continent would never allow for
tyranny and national-chauvinism to ever raise its head again. They were
judicious enough to understand that the military defeat of Nazism and Fascism
was not enough, but it was for them to offer an attractive, successful and
diametrically opposite alternative. This alternative is shaky at the moment,
going through an economic and social crisis and is under attack by extreme
nationalistic movements. It is for the European Union to assertively respond
with a strong sense of self belief in its core values and a readiness for
renewal. Otherwise the continent may descend into very dark days resembling
those before the establishment of the European Union, ruled by the Orbáns,
Farages, Wilders and their like.
Disunity: A grave threat to
the Arab world
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor/Al Arabiya/October 13/16
I have reached the conclusion that the majority of Arab states are their own
worst enemy. The Arab nation of which we were once so proud has disintegrated.
Great swathes have descended into violent trouble spots. Millions have been
killed, millions more rendered refugees, while our leaderships, with few
exceptions, have morphed into do-nothing spectators keen only to preserve their
own patch. Big mistake! One by one, our countries will go down like nine-pins
unless we stand together, united and strong. The all-for-one, one-for-all spirit
has all but died. This attitude has to change for our very survival over the
coming years and decades. We continually pile blame on interfering foreign
powers for our woes, and they have a lot to answer for. But the time has come to
put our own actions – or lack of them – under a microscope. This is our part of
the world and ultimately we must take responsibility for fixing it. To be sure,
that is easier said than done. I do not minimize the challenges and obstacles in
our path. But if we cannot bring ourselves to put our hands together and take a
leap of faith towards mutual trust, not only our territories but our very
identity as Arabs will exist only in history books.
Let us first quit fantasizing that any major power is our friend; one that will
rush to our defence if attacked. They will only do so if their geopolitical
interests are at stake and correlate with our own. Our security cannot be left
to the whims of foreign presidents who would sell us down the river when it
suits, which is seemingly what US President Barack Obama did when he sealed an
empowering deal with a sponsor of terrorism on the planet, with which he
“instructed” us to share the neighbourhood. That alone should have been a
wake-up call to all Arab governments unwilling or unable to see ‘danger’
flashing in neon.
Moreover, Obama’s weak-kneed response to the carnage in Syria was fodder for the
emergence of a Russian-Syrian-Iranian troika allied with the Iranian-dominated
government of Iraq as well as Hezbollah and Shiite militias. This link-up (which
could not have occurred but for Obama’s attack of cold feet) seems to have
undercut America’s ability to project power, making Washington look like a paper
tiger. Potentially this new axis poses a direct threat to all Arab countries,
especially Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states which are sacrificing blood and
treasure to free Yemen from Tehran’s armed bands of scruffs at the behest of the
internationally recognized president. If our Arab allies were similarly
committed, that mission would have been over many months ago and many lives
saved. Just imagine the strength and influence all Arab countries would enjoy if
all were pulling in the same direction instead of pulling apart!
Problematic approach
Here is the nub of the problem: Some Arab leaderships reason “How is it my
problem?” It is that approach which has left the Palestinians isolated and seen
Lebanon, Syria and Yemen drift into the Iranian camp. Others have lined up
within loose, unofficial blocs or are occupied, trying to keep their countries
afloat both in terms of security and the economy. They are on a different page
to Saudi Arabia and, in some cases, are working out of an entirely different
playbook. For instance, Algeria, that has a large and sophisticated military
machine, has adopted a fortress-like mentality. Morocco and Tunisia rely on
tourism and seek a quiet life. Libya has been abandoned to clambering out of the
mess created by former President Muammar Gaddafi’s ousting all on its own.
Lebanon and Iraq put on a show of being allies of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
states when in reality they are sheltering under an Iranian umbrella. Both are
unsupportive of GCC stances in the League of Arab States and international
forums. Beirut is anxious for Saudi aid and to that end has officially
recognized that the Gulf is the “Arabian Gulf”, yet Middle East Airlines uses
“Persian Gulf” on its in-flight map. Egypt is engaged in a balancing act
attempting to please all its allies at the same time. On Syria, Cairo is not
being transparent, recently voting for a French/Spanish-sponsored resolution
with reference to Aleppo in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), doomed
to fail because Russia used its veto. Then, during the same session, Egypt voted
for the Russian resolution that omitted the imposition of a no-fly zone over the
bombed and besieged city.
Egypt, which currently represents the Arab List within the UNSC, pledged to work
“vigorously” to defend and prioritize Arab and African causes upon winning its
non-permanent member seat. While I understand that Cairo is engaged with Moscow
in major joint projects, it should not permit financial concerns to override its
responsibilities towards its Gulf Arab friends – or, even more importantly, its
Syrian brothers and sisters. Pulling apart? Just imagine the strength and
influence all Arab countries would enjoy if all were pulling in the same
direction instead of pulling apart! Where are such enlightened leaders, such as
the former President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, who dreamt of a powerful and
independent Arab nation and worked fearlessly towards that objective?
At a time when most of the Arab World was under the boot of European imperialist
power, he was inspirational. His photograph had pride of place on the walls of
homes all over the region. People would wait anxiously to hear his weekly radio
address. He ignited our emotions. He gave us hope that soon our shackles would
be removed. He told us to hold our heads high. He began his unification project
with a political union between his country and Syria, together known as the
United Arab Republic that was loosely confederated with North Yemen. He solidly
backed Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian independence, both diplomatically and
materially, and, in partnership Syrian President, Nureddin Al-Atassi, he fought
to liberate the Palestinian people. As bad as things were during that era,
almost every Arab was deeply touched by Palestinian suffering and even those
unable to help opened up their hearts and very often their pockets. Nasser made
mistakes but because he was loved they were forgiven.
‘Arab nationalism’
Arab nationalism was alive and well. We were all Arabs first and foremost
willing to stand up for our freedom no matter the cost. Besides Nasser, we had
leaders with wisdom and foresight, such as Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan,
who devoted his life to serve not only the United Arab Emirates but the entire
Arab nation. They were in the mould of our great Islamic leaders – Omar bin Al
Khattab, Khalid bin Al-Waleed and Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah; noble and
courageous warriors who formed a united front to conquer their enemies.
Nowadays, Arab commentators scoff at the concept of Arab nationalism as being
naďve then or way past its sell-by date today. The cynics are wrong because they
ignore the fundamental principal of strength in numbers. They dismiss the
thought that Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya are all in intensive care while
tomorrow it could be our own homeland that is the new target. Then they will be
yelling for help, but there will be no one left to hear them. I would strongly
urge our GCC leaders, our last hope, to hold frank discussions with Arab states
who we have always considered to be our closest allies. We need to know whether
they are with us, against us or straddling a fence. The hesitant should be
scrutinized and if they are found to be anything other than sincere, we should
bid them farewell. I am sorry to say that more than one of our sister countries
in the GCC have acted in ways that are diametrically out of line with the
others. The GCC is not a monolith. Every member state is sovereign and has the
right to form its own opinions on various issues. But when it comes to security
and defence issues affecting all, we must demand nothing less than honesty and
loyalty. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates should review the situation.
Let us create a circle of trust around us and our proven loyal partners. No
matter how small it may be to begin with, its outward radiation will be fuelled
by goodwill and success.
Do we, don’t we? UN stalls on
whether to include extremists in Syria ceasefire
Maria Dubovikova/Al Arabiya/October 13/16
The UN Security Council (UNSC) has been paralyzed by vetoes. Manipulated by
phobias and mistrust, member countries have lost the ability to listen and
debate on the problems the international community faces. This has turned the
Security Council into a battlefield of verbose aggressive skirmishes serving the
national interests of the countries involved, mutual accusations and veto games.
The French draft resolution called for an immediate halt of hostilities in
Aleppo and for the creation of a no-fly zone over the city. What this really
means is that all the sides involved in the conflict on the ground and in the
air should stop fighting and all the groups would be included in the ceasefire,
including extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra. The impossibility of differentiating
between the sparring groups in Aleppo has occurred because of the inability of
the global powers to settle the conflict properly and in time. The longer the
conflict, the stronger the process of radicalization of the general masses and
the easier the work of extremist recruiters. It seems that the extremist groups
are always better equipped, better organized and more prosperous than the
patriots and moderate rebels due to the numerous sympathizers of the extremist
ideology from all over the world who generously provide them with financial
resources and all kinds of assistance. The war and the natural instinct of
self-preservation push even those who do not share the extremist ideology to
join the ranks of radical groups in order to survive. They make a deal with the
devil, but do they really have other options? The moderates have practically no
one to rely upon, except themselves. Their resources are limited. The extreme
conditions push them to take decisions they would never take otherwise. The
international community has no moral right to blame them for this choice and
this is a true paradox of the Syrian war. The paralysis of the UNSC is mirrored
by the paralysis of conflict resolution in the case of Syria. As the war deepens
and radicalizes, people lose hope and there is nothing more dangerous than
people who have lost hope
Sparring on the international level
Russia has vetoed the French draft resolution on Syria because it included
extremist groups. However, it should be noted that excluding terrorist groups
automatically leads to the continuation of hostilities that are provoked, among
other reasons, by bombings performed by the Syrian army and Russian air force.
Russia demands that groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra be gotten rid of but this is
impossible to realize. Russia is firm in its position that all rebels and groups
affiliated with the organization are terrorists themselves. Western powers, on
the other hand, are drifting toward the opinion that all belligerent sides
should be a part of the ceasefire if any progress is to be made. It is clear
that the naive appeal of the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura to
the al-Nusra fighters to leave eastern Aleppo and save the city from complete
destruction will remain unheeded.
Furthermore, Russia is extremely afraid of the recurrence of the Libyan scenario
in Syria. Russia considers itself responsible for the catastrophe that happened
in Libya as it abstained from voting on the resolution - a move which opened the
door to aerial military intervention, the consequences of which the
international community bears until now. Thus, whatever resolution is proposed
by the West, it is most likely that Russia will veto it. At the same time, the
West and US-led coalition members don’t trust Russia and its initiatives,
considering them all a mere extension of Russian geopolitical goals. The
paralysis of the UNSC is mirrored by the paralysis of conflict resolution in the
case of Syria. As the war deepens and radicalizes, people lose hope and there is
nothing more dangerous than people who have lost hope. If they have lost hope,
they have nothing else to lose. Thus the dilemmas over Syria are growing and
becoming more complicated. The West wants to solve the Syrian crisis but that is
a politically impossible task without Russia. A military solution will
inevitably bring about a direct clash with Russian forces and unpredictable
consequences. To find a solution with Russia’s involvement entails sharing
success with a rival and reaching success on Russia’s terms, which is
undesirable to the West. Furthermore, the mistrust toward Russia makes any
agreement extremely weak. Then we have a dilemma of whether to include al-Nusra
as a part of a solution in Aleppo or not. Russia will always oppose this idea.
If we do not include the group as part of a solution, the ceasefire will never
work. Here comes another dilemma - who is the lesser devil: Bashar al-Assad and
his army or the terrorists?
White Helmets and the Syrian
conflict
Diana Moukalled/Al Arabiya/October 13/16
It is said that the human mind is programmed to understand and memorize stories
in a deeper and more accurate way than it does when it comes to numbers and
facts. Regardless of how simple words and images are, it is difficult to
memorize them if they are not full of stories that help our mind understand them
and put them in a certain context. This is the reason why journalism – despite
its many branches and the technological advancements – continues to depend on
stories of human experience. It suits our mind’s composition and appeals to our
sentiments as a result of which we don’t forget it.
Our innate attachment to a story, especially when it is overflowing with
emotions due to the brutal reality, is perhaps the reason why the global media
embraced the volunteers of the Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets.
Despite all the support they received from major media outlets, celebrities,
activists and human rights organizations, the White Helmets did not win the
Nobel Prize for Peace. However, not winning the prize did not limit the public
from emotionally and standing behind the stories of these volunteers. Some even
congratulated them for winning the “alternative Nobel prize.” Our innate
attachment to a story, especially when it is overflowing with emotions due to
the brutal reality, is perhaps the reason why the global media embraced the
volunteers of the Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets
Wave of sympathy
So why all this sympathy? Who among us is not deeply moved by Khaled, the medic
who broke into tears as he saved an infant from under the rubble of a building
destroyed by Syrian-Russian shelling? It is definitely an indescribable feeling.
Who isn’t moved by the cries of children while they are pulled alive from under
the rubble? Who among us can forget the medics’ stories and how they can figure
out how violent the bombing is and how much destruction just the sound of the
jets can cause? One of the most touching movies about White Helmets was produced
by the streaming service Netflix that professionally and realistically told some
of their stories. The movie narrated the stories of the volunteers and the
ordeal of the Syrians who are trapped in areas suffering from brutal Syrian and
Russian shelling, which has dangerously escalated in the past few weeks.
Horrific reality
The White Helmets’ narration of the horrifying reality on the ground made people
across the world feel involved in the Syrian conflict and in the heroic acts of
these young men who have bravely rescued others and in some cases even
sacrificed their own lives to save others. In addition, there are videos made by
volunteers themselves during their operations as they rescue people despite the
threat and destruction around them. There has been a campaign aiming to link
these young men to extremist organizations and to raise suspicions on their
sources of funding. However, people voiced solidarity with them against these
attempts aimed at harming their reputation. Realism is what distinguishes the
recorded rescue operations and the volunteers’ and survivors’ narratives. It is
what made the White Helmets one of the most inspiring and influential stories
produced by the war in Syria. Therefore, it’s normal or rather necessary that
they receive help and support. The White Helmets not receiving the Nobel Prize
for Peace seems akin to the Syrian call for an end to the murderous regime,
which the world has not been unable to achieve.
**This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on Oct. 10, 2016.
The UN has decided that Jews
have no connection to Jerusalem
Itamar Eichner/Ynetnews/October 13/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/10/13/itamar-eichnerynetnewsthe-un-has-decided-that-jews-have-no-connection-to-jerusalem/
United Nations UNESCO body has passed a resolution put forth by the Palestinians
denying all connection between Jews and Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. PM
Netanyahu: To say that Israel has no connection to the Temple Mount and Western
Wall is like saying China has no connection to the Great Wall.”
UNESCO has decided that there is no Jewish connection to Jerusalem and the
Temple Mount following a Palestinian initiative on Thursday.
There were 26 countries who abstained from the vote, including Serbia and
Turkmenistan, while 24 countries supported the initiative and six voted against
it. It should be noted that not a single European nation voted for the
initiative.
The countries of France, Sweden, Slovenia, India, Argentina, and Togo at first
were going to vote for the resolution saying that Jews have no connection to
Jerusalem, but were convinced to abstain from voting in the end.
The US, UK, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Germany voted against the
Palestinian backed resolution.
In an unusual move, Israel sought the Holy See’s help in forestalling UNESCO’s
adopting a Palestinian recommendation to deny any Jewish affiliation with
Jerusalem and the Temple Mount Thursday afternoon, arguing that it will also
harm Christians.
The Palestinians have demanded that an international delegation experts be sent
to the holy sites to examine what they have described as the destruction of
historical and archeological heritage by Israel. They allege that this has been
carried out in a variety of manners, including the building of the Jerusalem
light rail and archeological excavations.
Israel, along with the United States, has been working in recent weeks to reduce
the majority support within UNESCO’s executive board. France, which supported
the Palestinians in April, has promised to vote against this proposal.
The Palestinians are seeking, inter alia, to appoint a UNESCO permanent observer
in Jerusalem and to appoint a series of condemnations of Israeli activities,
such as the alleged demolition of a school in Kfar Adumim. (Israel claims that
it was a dilapidated caravan that was destroyed and “not a school.”
Bibi responded to the decision, saying “The theatre of the absurd continues with
UNESCO and today the organization has made its most bizarre decision by saying
the people of Israel have no connection to the Temple Mount and the Western
Wall.”
“Obviously they have never read the Bible, he said, “but I would advise UNESCO
members to visit the Arch of Titus in Rome, where they can see what the Romans
brought to Rome after they destroyed and looted the Temple Mount two thousand
years ago. One can see engraved on the arch the seven-branched menorah, which is
the symbol of the Jewish people as well as the symbol of the Jewish State
today.”
“Surely UNESCO will say that Emperor Titus was a part of Zionist propaganda,” he
continued.
“To say that Israel has no connection to the Temple Mount and Western Wall is
like saying China has no connection to the Great Wall of China or Egypt has no
connection to the pyramids. With this absurd decision, UNESCO has lost what
little legitimacy it once had. However, I believe that the historical truth will
prevail,” he ended.
Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked added that “the UN is breaking its own record
for ignorance and anti-Semitism. An organization that purports to present
science and education instead presents the rotten politics of dictatorial
Islamic countries. Instead of enlightened Western countries leading the
organization, some are blindly following the shameful decision.”
Israel’s permanent delegate to UNESCO, Amb. Carmel Shama Hacohen, commented,
“Israel and the Jewish people don’t require UNESCO’s or any other country’s
confirmation of the special connection between the Jewish people and the State
of Israel and Jerusalem in general and the holy sites therein like the Western
Wall and the Temple Mount in particular.”
The ambassador continued, “There is no connection of another people to another
place in the world that comes close to the strength and depth of our connection
to Jerusalem from a religious, historical and national perspective, a connection
that has stood the test of 2,000 years.”President Reuven Rivlin commented on
Thursday morning, “There is no festival more connected to Jerusalem than Sukkot.
The festivals of Israel all highlight the inextricable bond between our people
and our land, and no forum or body in the world can come and deny the connection
between the Jewish people, the Land of Israel and Jerusalem—and any such body
that does so simply embarrasses itself.” Rivlin added, “We can understand
criticism, but you cannot change history”.
Ancient Israeli coins (Photo: MFA)
Ancient Israeli coins (Photo: MFA)
Shama Hacohen conceded that the Palestinians enjoy an automatic majority of
support and explained that his goal was to expand as much as possible the number
of those opposed. “We are mobilizing to erode and drive a wedge in the automatic
majority that has stood against us for the past two years,” he explained. “The
efforts are indeed bearing fruit: From the situation we were in when only the
USA voted for us alone, we’ve gradually increased the number to six countries
and also increased the number of abstainers.
US Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Amb. Crystal Nix-Hines has explained in the past
to UNESCO’s executive board that unilateral decisions on the Middle East have
made it harder for the American administration to resume paying its UNESCO
membership fees. Shama Hacohen explained that the US Congress has blocked
President Barack Obama’s efforts to resume the payments, some €80 million per
annum, as both the Republicans and Democrats have opposed UNESCO’s decisions
regarding Jerusalem.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a pamphlet of the
historical Jewish connection to Jerusalem, which has been distributed to all 120
permanent delegates to UNESCO whose countries have diplomatic relations with
Israel.