LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

October 17/16

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For Today

Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 25/01-13/:"‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, "Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him." Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." But the wise replied, "No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves." And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, "Lord, lord, open to us." But he replied, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you."Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation
Letter to the Philippians 02/12-18/:"Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labour in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me."
 
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 16-17/16

First step to building a nation is respecting National Charter: Aoun/Louay Faour/The Daily Star/October16/16
The Soviet-Palestinian Lie/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/October 16/16
The Vatican Submits to Islam (2006-2016)/Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/October 16/16
The Lausanne meeting, Assad and the al-Nusra Front/Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/October 16/16
The need for enduring peace in the Middle East/Hassan Al Mustafa/Al Arabiya/October 16/16
Burning Aleppo will rise again/Hussein Shobokshi/Al Arabiya/October 16/16
What’s the plan, pretty one/Turki Aldakhil//Al Arabiya/October 16/16
Regional challenges demand stronger Saudi-US partnership/Andrew J. Bowen/Al Arabiya/October 16/16

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on on October 16-17/16

First step to building a nation is respecting National Charter: Aoun
Al-Rahi Urges 'Inter-Lebanese Initiative' to Elect President
Aoun, Bassil toning down rhetoric: minister
Bassil: Yes to National Pact, No to 'Bilateral, Tripartite or Four-Party Agreements'
FPM Marks October 13 Anniversary in Mass Rally near Baabda Palace
Aoun: Country Must be Built upon National Pact, Balanced Participation of All Sects
Bassil : Lebanon is not a country
Aoun: Respecting national pact is first step in building the state
Yazbek Says President Election a 'Regional Issue', Accuses Saudi of Obstruction
Franjieh Vows Anew to Stay in Presidential Race
Hariri to 'Give Himself More Time' before Declaring Support of Aoun
Salam cables his condolences to Sisi
Zeaiter: Lebanon witnessing serious crisis
Jumblatt: Secret word seemingly released, God help!
Khalil returns from Paris, Rifi leaves for Istanbul
Young Syrian drowns in Jiyeh
Sahili, Hashem bound for Ankara to attend OIC meetings
Environment minister: Aoun, Bassil’s statements today not too provocative

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on on October 16-17/16
U.S. Seeks Momentum for New Syria Peace Push
Kuwait Emir Dissolves Parliament
Suicide Bombers Kill 3 during Turkey Police Raid near Syria Border
Turkey-Backed Syria Rebels Capture Key Town of Dabiq from IS
Putin Says France 'Not So Involved' in Efforts to End Syria War
U.S., UK and U.N. Demand Yemen Ceasefire within Days
Iraq Drops Leaflets over Mosul ahead of Battle
Suicide Bombing Targeting Shiites Kills Two in Baghdad
U.S. Says Missiles May Have Been Fired Anew at U.S. Warships in Red Sea
Yemen Rebels Demand International Probe on Funeral Strike
Israeli PM Slams NGO after U.N. Anti-Settlement Testimony

Links From Jihad Watch Site for on October 16-17/16
Hillary Clinton’s long record of enabling the global jihad
USS Mason again fired upon off the coast of Yemen
We’ve had Muslims in America since George Washington. Really?
Germany: Brother of dead jihadi vows revenge, says “I will come as a refugee”
Abbas holds presidential reception for family of jihad murderer, lauds him as “hero”
Palestinian Authority kids’ drawings: Israel drinks the blood of “Palestinians”
Sweden: Flying the Islamic State flag is legal
UK troops face criminal inquiry over detention of Iraqis accused of murdering British soldiers
The Vatican Submits to Islam (2006-2016)
Islamic State loses town of Dabiq, where it hoped to usher in the End Times
Podesta lamented that San Bernardino killer was Muslim, “not a guy named Christopher Hayes”

Links From Christian Today Site for on October 16-17/16
Christian Missionary Kidnapped In Niger
Iraq 'Cannot Take Back Mosul From ISIS Alone' Says Turkey
Syrian Rebels Seize Village Where ISIS Promised Apocalyptic Battle
Two Men Charged With Hate Crime In 'Savage' Attack On Sikh
Looting Near UN Base In Haiti; Ban Promises More Aid
This Spiritual Practice Is Shared By Millions Around The World Every Day
Hero Killed For The Name Of Jesus'. An Iraqi Christian Monk Describes Life Under Islamic State

Latest Lebanese Related News published on on October 16-17/16

First step to building a nation is respecting National Charter: Aoun
Louay Faour/The Daily Star/ October 16, 2016 /BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement founder Michel Aoun Sunday said that respecting Lebanon’s equal power sharing system between Christians and Muslims will pave the way for building a proper state. “The first step to building a nation is respecting the Constitution, the National Charter, laws and equal cooperation between all sects without maliciousness,” Aoun said via screen from Baabda, where thousands of his supporters gathered to commemorate the 26th anniversary of the War of Liberation. Oct. 13 marks the day that the Syrian army stormed the Baabda Presidential Palace in 1990, forcing Aoun, who was army commander at the time, to take refuge at the French Embassy before being exiled to France in 1991. Aoun at the time was engaged in battle with the Syrian military, which occupied Lebanon between 1976 and 2005. He returned to Lebanon after Syria withdrew. The National Charter to which Aoun referred is an unwritten agreement that guarantees equal power sharing between Christians and Muslims. The FPM has claimed, however, that despite this agreement, Christians in the country are politically marginalized and argue that, while other sects have the freedom to choose who fills certain posts, Christians don’t. Remembering the 1990 events, Aoun vowed that the blood of soldiers who died in battle would not have been in vein, and stressed that the FPM will not stop until full respect for the Constitution is fulfilled. “The martyrs died in defense of this nation that they loved and swore to protect ... they died for the dignity of the people, to build a nation,” he said to the crowd of thousands, as they waved the party’s orange flags. “Our dream is to build a safe and prosperous nation, their (the martyrs') dream is the state of institutions and law, their dream is a prosperous economy. Their dreams are plenty, and they are like your dreams,” Aoun added. FPM leader Gebran Bassil- Aoun’s son in law- said that the dream was to see Aoun become president. “Our dream is for Aoun to stand on the balcony of the Baabda Palace and call out ‘Oh great people of Lebanon,'” in reference to a quote famously used by Aoun when addressing his supporters. This year’s commemorations come at a time when Aoun has a high chance of becoming head of state and filling the country’s top post, which has been vacant since May 2014 due to a political deadlock. “We entered the Parliament, the Cabinet, the (state) administrations, development, and now there is still the presidency,” said Bassil, also the country’s foreign minister. “As we fought for freedom (then), we fight today for the sake of equality ... Lebanon without religious equality is not a nation,” he added, in regards to this year’s focus on equal power sharing. He saluted the soldiers who fell on Oct. 13 1990, adding that those “heroes from the army and the people were martyred ... so we can live.”

Al-Rahi Urges 'Inter-Lebanese Initiative' to Elect President
Naharnet/October 16/16/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday called for an “inter-Lebanese initiative” that ends the country's lengthy presidential vacuum. “The Lebanese people have grown tired of the political practices of the past two years and six months,” al-Rahi lamented during his Sunday Mass sermon, noting that those seeking a so-called package deal and certain agreements are actually seeking to “split shares and gains at the expense of the public interest.”“After all this protracted vacuum, can't politicians make an inter-Lebanese initiative to focus on what gathers them and shun what separates them?” the patriarch asked. And hoping “the ongoing attempts” will lead to the election of a president “during the October 31 session,” al-Rahi said any agreements must focus on “curbing public debt and improving the health, agriculture, industry, tourism and business sectors.”Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun's chances to be elected president have largely surged in recent days and Education Minister Elias Bou Saab of the FPM announced Sunday that al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri has officially decided to endorse Aoun's presidential bid. 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.

Aoun, Bassil toning down rhetoric: minister
The Daily Star/October16/16 /BEIRUT: Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk Sunday pointed to a decrease in harsh tones during speeches made by Free Patriotic Movement founder Michel Aoun and the party’s head Gebran Bassil earlier in the day. “There is a retreat in (verbal) escalations, and instead the adoption of a comprehensive sectarian coalition to build an understanding, and the absence of differences in anticipation for what will be announced in the coming days,” said Machnouk on Twitter. Both Aoun and Bassil spoke from Baabda Sunday afternoon as their party commemorated the so-called Oct. 13 events. Oct. 13 marks the day the Syrian army stormed Baabda’s Presidential Palace in 1990 during a battle with Lebanese army units loyal to Aoun, who was military commander at the time. The event led to Aoun’s exile in France for 14 years. Machnouk’s comments came in reference to the possibility of Aoun becoming president, as speculation swirls that Future Movement head Saad Hariri may endorse the former army general. Aoun’s election as president could possibly see Hariri become the country’s prime minister for a second time.

Bassil: Yes to National Pact, No to 'Bilateral, Tripartite or Four-Party Agreements'
Naharnet/October 16/16/Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil reassured Sunday that the possible election of FPM founder MP Michel Aoun as president will not involve “bilateral, tripartite or four-party agreements” between political parties. “The same as we struggled for liberation, today we are struggling for the National Pact,” Bassil told an FPM rally marking the October 13 anniversary outside the presidential palace in Baabda. “Lebanon was liberated from hegemony and occupation and the country returned. We then returned to state institutions, the ministries and the parliament, and only the presidency remains,” he said. The FPM chief warned that “without the National Pact, Lebanon is not a country of equal coexistence between Muslims and Christians.” The 1943 National Pact is an unwritten agreement that set the foundations of modern Lebanon as a multi-confessional state based on Christian-Muslim partnership. “Our dream is to clean the country from corruption, not garbage,” Bassil added. “We do not want bilateral, tripartite or four-party agreements, but rather a National Pact,” he reassured. “We want a resistant state that resists occupation and corruption. We want a state that is strong through its people and army. A state in which the strong does not devour the weak,” Bassil said. He added: “We want national unity and our dream is seeing General Michel Aoun standing on the balcony of the presidential palace in Baabda saying, 'O great people of Lebanon!', alongside Lebanon's leaders.”“We want a country that does not replace the Lebanese with refugees or displaced people,” Bassil went on to say. FPM supporters had flocked from all Lebanese regions to mark the anniversary of the 1990 ouster of Aoun from the palace at the hands of Syrian forces. Aoun served as the head of one of two rival governments contending for power in Lebanon from 1988 to October 1990. He declared a so-called “liberation war” against Syrian forces stationed in Lebanon on March 14, 1989. On October 13, 1990, he was ousted from the presidential palace after the Syrian forces invaded the areas that were under his control. Aoun's chances to be elected president have largely surged in recent days and Education Minister Elias Bou Saab of the FPM announced Sunday that al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri has officially decided to endorse Aoun's presidential bid. 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.

FPM Marks October 13 Anniversary in Mass Rally near Baabda Palace
Naharnet/October 16/16/Supporters of the Free Patriotic Movement flocked Sunday from all Lebanese regions to an area outside the presidential palace in Baabda to mark the anniversary of the 1990 ouster of FPM founder MP Michel Aoun from the palace at the hands of Syrian forces. This year's rally was held under slogans urging respect for the 1943 National Pact, which is an unwritten agreement that set the foundations of modern Lebanon as a multi-confessional state based on Christian-Muslim partnership. The FPM's OTV broadcast footage showing FPM convoys heading to Baabda from areas across Lebanon. The starting points included the Sayad roundabout, Nahr el-Mot, Sin el-Fil's Mirna Chalouhi center, Ashrafieh, Bourj Hammoud, Bekaa's al-Qaa, Chouf, Jezzine and the North. Supporters were seen carrying FPM flags and pictures and slogans supportive of FPM founder Aoun, whose chances to be elected president have surged in recent days. Aoun served as the head of one of two rival governments contending for power in Lebanon from 1988 to October 1990. He declared a so-called “liberation war” against Syrian forces stationed in Lebanon on March 14, 1989. On October 13, 1990, he was ousted from the presidential palace after the Syrian forces invaded the areas that were under his control. FPM chief Bassil had recently threatened that the FPM would “topple the government” through street protests if the other parties do not heed the movement's demand regarding “partnership” and the National Pact. The FPM, which has the biggest Christian bloc in parliament, has suspended its participation in cabinet sessions and national dialogue meetings over accusations that other parties in the country are not respecting the National Pact. The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid have also argued that he is more eligible than Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.

Aoun: Country Must be Built upon National Pact, Balanced Participation of All Sects
Naharnet/October 16/16/Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun stressed Sunday that the country must be built upon the principles of the National Pact and the “balanced participation of all sects.”“Building the country should happen at the hands of competent people who rise above personal gains and enjoy the highest levels of integrity, transparency, fairness and objectivity,” said Aoun addressing an FPM rally in Baabda via video link from Rabieh. The mass rally was marking the anniversary of the 1990 ouster of Aoun from the presidential palace at the hands of Syrian forces. “The first step in building the country should be commitment to the Constitution, the National Pact, the laws and the guaranteed and balanced participation of all sects without injustice, isolation or marginalization,” Aoun added. “The building of the country should be through hearing people's scream regarding their daily concerns and through listening to the young generation,” he went on to say. This year's rally was held under slogans urging respect for the 1943 National Pact, which is an unwritten agreement that set the foundations of modern Lebanon as a multi-confessional state based on Christian-Muslim partnership. Aoun served as the head of one of two rival governments contending for power in Lebanon from 1988 to October 1990. He declared a so-called “liberation war” against Syrian forces stationed in Lebanon on March 14, 1989. On October 13, 1990, he was ousted from the presidential palace after the Syrian forces invaded the areas that were under his control. Aoun's chances to be elected president have largely surged in recent days and Education Minister Elias Bou Saab of the FPM announced Sunday that al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri has officially decided to endorse Aoun's presidential bid. 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.

Bassil : Lebanon is not a country
Sun 16 Oct 2016/NNA - Head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), and Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Gebran Bassil, said on Sunday that Lebanon, which was deprived of the National pact, was not a country. Bassil's words came on Sunday in a speech during the commemoration of October 13 of 1990 events, in Baabda. He said that the dream of his party was to clean the country from corruption, and "this dream requires a lot of work.""As we fought for liberation, we are currently fighting for the national pact. Lebanon has been freed of guardianship and occupation," he added. Bassil said that FPM also longed for Michel Aoun in Baabda Palace, from where he will address the "glorious people of Lebanon." He said that his dream was to see Aoun supported by all Lebanese leaders.

Aoun: Respecting national pact is first step in building the state
Sun 16 Oct 2016/NNA - The head of Change and Reform parliamentary bloc, Michel Aoun, said on Sunday that respecting the national pact is the first step in the process of building the motherland. Aoun, who spoke during the mass demonstration organized by the Free Patriotic Movement to commemorate the events of 13 October 1990 in Baabda, praised the martyrs of October 13, "who made the supreme sacrifice for the sake of sustaining the homeland." He vowed to continue on their path, and fulfill the promise he made on the day of their martyrdom. In his speech, which was transmitted on a huge screen to allow the crowds to follow the events, Aoun reiterated his resolve to press on until the dream of a strong and sovereign nation that encapsulated all its components was achieved. In his words, the first step in the process of rebuilding the country was respecting the national pact and the participation of all confessions in power, without "malice, isolation or oppression.""The building of the nation can happen through a return to the standards of loyalty to the state and renewal of political elites through a fair electoral law, and investment in the wealth of the country," said Aoun, adding that the grievances of the people must be heard and solutions should be found for the crises of everyday life. He concluded that the blood of martyrs would always be the light that guided his actions.

Yazbek Says President Election a 'Regional Issue', Accuses Saudi of Obstruction
Naharnet/October 16/16/Senior Hizbullah official Sheikh Mohammed Yazbek has stressed that his party is not to blame for the delay in electing a new president, pinning the blame anew on Saudi Arabia. “From now on, we won't allow anyone to overlook us or to accuse us of anything. We want this country to be independent, free and dignified, and we're not calling for this through slogans. We're the ones who have paid the heftiest price for liberating the country, ever since Imam Sayyed Moussa al-Sadr launched the resistance,” Yazbek, the head of Hizbullah's so-called Juristic Council, said. “We will continue to offer sacrifices to preserve our dignity, presence and country, with all due respect to everyone and to those who have made sacrifices,” he added. Yazbek emphasized that Hizbullah is demanding a “strong state and the revival of institutions, from the presidency to the parliament and government” and that it wants the election of a president “today, not tomorrow.”“We are not behind the problem and let no one launch an accusation that contains some form of sedition. The issue is not Lebanese but rather regional and the Saudi Arabia is the main player, in addition to the countries that try to appease it,” the Hizbullah official added. “Claims that Shiites do not want a state are lies... We believe that this country is everyone's country, that it can only rise through the efforts of all parties, and that no one can eliminate the other,” Yazbek went on to say. On Thursday, al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc noted 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. Nasrallah had announced Tuesday that the FPM and al-Mustaqbal 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. Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun's chances to be elected president have largely surged in recent days and Education Minister Elias Bou Saab of the FPM announced Sunday that al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri has officially decided to endorse Aoun's presidential bid. 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.

Franjieh Vows Anew to Stay in Presidential Race
Naharnet/October 16/16/Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh has vowed once again that he will not withdraw from the presidential race. “I'm a candidate and I will not back down and let the ballot box have the final say on October 31,” Franjieh tweeted. This is not the first time that Franjieh has insisted on his nomination in recent weeks. The new stance comes amid a flurry of media reports suggesting that the chances of Franjieh's electoral rival, Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun, have largely surged in recent days. According to Education Minister Elias Bou Saab of the FPM, al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri has decided to endorse Aoun's presidential bid. 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.

Hariri to 'Give Himself More Time' before Declaring Support of Aoun
Naharnet/October 16/16/Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri will take his time before declaring support for Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun's presidential nomination and will not make any move before finishing all his internal and external consultations that aim to “explore all opinions, risks and repercussions,” Mustaqbal sources have said. “Hariri is not confining his efforts to the FPM's internal agenda or any juncture that the FPM considers to be important such as the October 13 commemorations,” the sources told An Nahar newspaper in remarks published Sunday.
The sources however underlined that Hariri is “very serious in his initiative and has made major progress in his communication with Aoun.”“But he is still contemplating the issue and giving himself more time to ripen his initiative,” the sources added. Hariri's “official endorsement” of Aoun “is not expected to happen in the near future,” the sources noted, pointing out that “there is still plenty of time left before the October 31 electoral session, which allows the completion of all internal and external consultations and contacts.” The sources also said that “Hariri's endorsement of Aoun's nomination cannot be complete and will not lead to Aoun's election unless it enjoys the approval of the parliament speaker (Nabih Berri) who is still the obligatory gateway for holding any fruitful electoral session.”Aoun's chances to be elected president have largely surged in recent days and Education Minister Elias Bou Saab of the FPM announced Sunday that Hariri has officially decided to endorse Aoun's presidential bid. 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.

Salam cables his condolences to Sisi
Sun 16 Oct 2016/NNA - Prime Minister, Tammam Salam, on Sunday, sent a letter of condolences to Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, on the recent terrorist attack that targeted a number of Egyptian army soldiers in North Sinai. In his letter to Sisi, the Premier condemned the terrorist attack, saying that "it aims to shake the stability and spread chaos in Egypt." PM Salam noted that the Egyptian soldiers defended their country in order to preserve security and stability. "Egypt leadership, its armed forces and people are able to overcome this ordeal and move forward for a better future," Salam concluded.

Zeaiter: Lebanon witnessing serious crisis
Sun 16 Oct 2016/NNA - Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Ghazi Zeaiter, said on Sunday that Lebanon was going through a serious crisis that cannot be solved by agreements and bilateral deals. Minister Zeaiter's stance came during a funeral ceremony in Kfardane village in Baalbek. Zeaiter pointed out that the President of the Republic was the product of a constitutional process in which MPs take part. "A national contract is required through a broad national agreement between the political forces," he added.
He also noted that there was no substitute for dialogue between all Lebanese people.

Jumblatt: Secret word seemingly released, God help!
Sun 16 Oct 2016 /NNA - Democratic Gathering Head, MP Walid Jumblatt, said in a tweet via his Twitter account on Sunday: "It seems the secret word is here...God help!"

Khalil returns from Paris, Rifi leaves for Istanbul
Sun 16 Oct 2016/NNA - Finance Minister, Ali Hasan Khalil, returned on Sunday from his visit to the French capital, Paris. Meanwhile, Outgoing Justice Minister, Ashraf Rifi, left Beirut heading to the Turkish capital, Istanbul.

Young Syrian drowns in Jiyeh
Sun 16 Oct 2016/NNA - Civil Defense maritime rescue teams pulled out of sea, off Nabi Yunis in Jiyeh, the body of a Syrian young man, Wael Alian (17 years), who drowned as he was practicing swimming on Sunday, NNA correspondent in Iqlim el-Kharroub reported.

Sahili, Hashem bound for Ankara to attend OIC meetings
Sun 16 Oct 2016 /NNA - Members of the Liberation and Development bloc, Deputies Nawwar Sahili and Qassem Hashem, left Beirut on Sunday, heading to Ankara, to partake in the meetings of the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Union of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Environment minister: Aoun, Bassil’s statements today not too provocative
Sun 16 Oct 2016/NNA - Minister of Environment, Mohammad Mashnouk, said in a tweet on Sunday that the speeches of MPs Michel Aoun and Gebran Bassil today were not too provocative. He added that the two leaders delivered speeches aiming at reaching agreements, away from disputes.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on on October 16-17/16

U.S. Seeks Momentum for New Syria Peace Push
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/October 16/16/U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was trying to build momentum behind a new drive to end the Syrian civil war Sunday after high-level talks with Russia and the country's neighbors. Kerry was due to fly to London to brief Washington's European allies after "brainstorming" talks in Lausanne with the main players in Syria's bloody five-year-old conflict. The Swiss meeting did not produce a concrete plan to restore the truce that collapsed last month amid bitter recriminations between Washington and Moscow and new fighting on the ground. But Kerry insisted the new, leaner contact group had come up with some plausible ideas that would be fleshed out in the coming days and might lead to a new, stronger ceasefire."The way it wrapped up was to have several ideas that need to be quickly followed up," he said after talks with Russia, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey. "The next contact on trying to follow up on this is going to be immediately, because this is urgent, and we're not letting any grass grow under our feet." But he said it was too early to reveal what the ideas were, and that high-level contacts -- but not a ministerial-level meeting -- would continue on Monday to develop them. He was expected, however, to raise the issues with Britain's Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and senior European colleagues, after flying to London later on Sunday. Britain, France, Germany and Italy are members of the International Syria Support Group and have met before with other countries interested in resolving the Syrian crisis. But U.S. officials now say the full group is too unwieldy to make rapid decisions, and that Saturday's Lausanne meeting was more productive for being focused on the main regional players. The U.S. envoy's tone was upbeat, but diplomats from all sides warned against hopes of a rapid ceasefire.
Divided city
And away from the talks, Moscow's actions showed no sign that it might be softening its strong support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and his campaign against U.S.-backed rebels. Fierce fighting was also continuing elsewhere in the multi-front conflict, with Turkish-backed fighters closing in on Dabiq, a symbolic stronghold of the Islamic State group. And in Aleppo, Assad's Russian-backed government forces intensified their bombardment of the rebel-held east of the city, further damaging any prospect of a renewed ceasefire. Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, once joint sponsors of international peace efforts, met ahead of the broader talks, but U.S. officials insisted that their "bilateral track" remained dead. Lavrov joined Kerry in welcoming the idea of bringing other powers into the mix saying, "we must prolong our contacts over the coming days." President Barack Obama has been adamant that U.S. forces will not become caught up in the war and Kerry was hoping that talks with Russia and regional powers may yield new ideas. The talks come as Moscow faces growing criticism over its backing for Assad's assault in divided Aleppo. Air strikes hit rebel-held parts of Aleppo again Saturday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based watchdog with a network of sources on the ground. Against this bloody backdrop, a leading opposition group slammed the talks, saying they would not stop the killing. Abdal Ahad Stefo, deputy head of the Istanbul-based National Coalition, told AFP the negotiations "will only lead to wasting more time... and the shedding of more Syrian blood."
Opposition forces
Aleppo has been engulfed by some of the worst violence of the conflict since the collapse of last month's truce deal. Kerry and Lavrov were joined by U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, as well as top diplomats from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar -- all nations that back Syrian opposition forces. Iran, a key Assad supporter, was being represented by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who sat opposite Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir of Saudi Arabia, Tehran's foe.

Kuwait Emir Dissolves Parliament
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/October 16/16/Kuwait's emir dissolved parliament Sunday following tensions between lawmakers and the government over a petrol price hike, setting the stage for early elections within two months. The surprise move came after lawmakers in the oil-rich emirate strongly opposed the government's unilateral hike of petrol prices -- one of a host of austerity measures following a sharp drop in crude revenues. Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah's decree made no direct mention of the tensions, instead referring to "delicate regional developments" and "the dangers of security challenges.""It became necessary to go back to the people... to elect their representatives... and contribute to confronting those challenges," the decree said. The move was based on a recommendation from the cabinet, which held an emergency meeting earlier Sunday to discuss the political situation. It came less than 24 hours after parliament speaker Marzouk al-Ghanem called for snap elections, following three requests from lawmakers to grill ministers over the petrol price hike and alleged financial and administrative violations. No date was set for fresh polls but under the Kuwaiti constitution early elections must be held within two months of the dissolution of the house.  Kuwaiti political analyst Saleh al-Saeedi said the dissolution came as a surprise given the current parliament's outspoken support for most government measures. "This has been the most cooperative parliament with the government," Saeedi told AFP. MP Saleh Ashour even offered congratulations to the Kuwaiti people on the dissolution. "I congratulate the Kuwaiti people for dissolving the national assembly and hope the next assembly will represent their aspirations," Ashour said. The 50-member parliament was scheduled to start the final year of its four-year term on Tuesday. Kuwait enjoyed relative stability in the past three years following almost seven years of political turmoil due to disputes between lawmakers, mainly from the opposition, and the government. Almost all opposition groups boycotted the previous polls in protest against the government's unilateral change of the voting system. But many of them have already said they will take part in the coming election. This is the seventh time a Kuwaiti parliament has been dissolved either by the emir or by courts since 2006.Kuwait was the first state in the Gulf to adopt parliamentary democracy in 1962. Parliament enjoys legislative and monitoring powers but the government is formed from outside elected MPs and is headed by a senior member of the al-Sabah ruling family. The OPEC-member -- which pumps about 3.0 million barrels of oil per day -- is known for its cradle-to-grave welfare system that has pampered its nationals, who make up 30 percent of its population of 4.7 million. But it has undertaken a series of measures, including the decision to raise petrol prices by 40 to 80 percent, to deal with the fall in oil prices to historic lows.

Suicide Bombers Kill 3 during Turkey Police Raid near Syria Border
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/October 16/16/Suspected Islamic State suicide bombers blew themselves up Sunday during an anti-terror raid in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep that left three police officers dead, officials and media reported. The bombers detonated their explosives to avoid being captured during an operation by Turkish security forces in the city which lies close to the Syrian border, state-run news agency Anadolu reported. Local Governor Ali Yerlikaya said three police officers were killed during the incident, the agency said, with witnesses telling private NTV television they heard gunfire and clashes in the area which is mostly populated by university students. It was not immediately clear how the police officers died. Another eight people were wounded in the incident, four of them Syrians, the governor said. Yerlikaya said the raid took place after Turkish authorities gathered intelligence about a possible "suicide bomb attack" by a suspected IS "sleeper cell" in Gaziantep. Since summer 2015, Turkey has suffered a string of attacks in Gaziantep and elsewhere blamed on IS jihadists and Kurdish militants. In August, a deadly suicide bombing at a Kurdish wedding in the city killed 57 people, 34 of them children. The attack was blamed on IS jihadists. In September, the United States warned of the risk of a terror attack in Gaziantep on businesses frequented by Westerners, including the popular coffee chain Starbucks. At the time, the U.S. embassy in Ankara warned its citizens that Turkish police were investigating a possible "terror cell" in Gaziantep.
Terror cell'
Turkish authorities acknowledge that IS jihadists have built up a presence in the southeastern city with the aim of staging attacks, and Sunday's raid was part of a wider crackdown on sleeper cells across the country.
The explosion took place shortly after Turkish-backed rebels captured the emblematic northern Syrian town of Dabiq from the Islamic State group on Sunday, dealing a major symbolic blow to the jihadists. Dabiq has symbolic importance to IS because of a Sunni prophecy that states it will be the site of an end-of-times battle between Christian forces and Muslims. Turkey launched an unprecedented operation inside Syria on August 24, backing up opposition fighters, with an ultimate goal of cleansing its border from IS jihadists and stop the advance of Syrian Kurdish militia forces which Ankara vehemently opposes. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also expressed Turkey's willingness to get involved in a coalition operation to recapture the key Iraqi city of Mosul from IS jihadists. Turkey is still reeling from a botched July 15 coup blamed on U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen that has been followed by a relentless purge of his supporters from all state institutions. Kurdish militants have also staged a number of attacks.

Turkey-Backed Syria Rebels Capture Key Town of Dabiq from IS
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/October 16/16/Turkish-backed rebel fighters on Sunday captured the northern Syrian town of Dabiq from the Islamic State jihadist group, a monitoring group and rebels said. Dabiq holds crucial ideological importance for IS because of a Sunni prophecy that states it will be the site of an end-of-times battle between Christian forces and Muslims. The town itself has negligible military value compared with the strategic IS-controlled cities of Raqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels backed by Turkish warplanes and artillery "captured Dabiq after IS members withdrew from the area." Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said the fighters also captured the nearby town of Sawran. One Turkey-backed rebel faction, the Fastaqim Union, also said Dabiq had fallen "after fierce clashes with Daesh," using the Arabic acronym for IS. It published pictures on Twitter of a group of fighters on the back of a small white truck waving assault rifles in the air, with the town of Dabiq apparently in the background. According to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency, the rebel fighters were working to dismantle mines laid in the town by retreating IS fighters. Anadolu said nine Syrian rebels were killed and 28 others wounded during clashes on Saturday.

Putin Says France 'Not So Involved' in Efforts to End Syria War
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/October 16/16/Russian President Vladimir Putin took a jab at France on Sunday, saying it was "not so involved" in efforts to end the war in Syria amid a spike in tensions between the two countries. The comment comes a week after a heated row broke out over Russia's use of its U.N. Security Council veto against a French resolution calling for a halt to the bombing of Aleppo. The tensions saw Putin cancel a long-planned visit to Paris on October 19, after French President Francois Hollande accused Syrian troops of committing war crimes in Aleppo with Russian support. "France is not so deeply involved in the settlement of the Syrian conflict," Putin said at a press conference on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in India. "We remember when the (French) Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier approached the coast of Syria -- and we had seemingly agreed to work jointly -- but a few days later it turned away and headed toward the Suez Canal," Putin said. "What does that say?" he added. Putin said the French authorities had decided that the purpose of his Paris visit -- the opening of an Orthodox cultural center -- was no longer "suitable for a joint event" given the circumstances in Syria. "We have other issues apart from Syria, we could have discussed other issues," he said. Earlier in the week Putin had accused France of pushing for a U.N. proposal on Syria knowing Russia would veto it, saying the move was aimed at "inflaming the situation and fanning hysteria around Russia." Putin said on Sunday that Russia was "always ready to talk with everyone" on ways to end the five-year conflict, "especially large and great powers like France with all its capabilities". A brutal government offensive against rebel-held eastern Aleppo backed by Russian airpower has plunged Syria into some of the worst violence since the conflict erupted in March 2011. The West has accused Moscow and Damascus of committing potential war crimes in the operations against eastern Aleppo.

U.S., UK and U.N. Demand Yemen Ceasefire within Days
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/October 16/16/The United States, Britain and the U.N. peace envoy to Yemen on Sunday urged the warring parties in the country's civil war to declare a ceasefire they said could start within days. The United Nations envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said: "We are here to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, which will be declared in the next few hours." Cheikh Ahmed said he had been in contact with the rebel Huthi militia's lead negotiator and with Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government. But he also warned that he hoped for "clearer plans" for a ceasefire in coming days. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry would not predict whether Yemen's government or rebel forces had accepted the demand, but said the diplomats were not operating "in a vacuum." "This is the time to implement a ceasefire unconditionally and then move to the negotiating table," Kerry told reporters. Kerry was speaking after meeting Cheikh Ahmed and his opposite numbers from Britain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates at talks hosted by Britain in London. Washington's top diplomat said he, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Cheikh Ahmed are calling for the ceasefire to begin "as rapidly as possible, meaning Monday, Tuesday." The senior envoys, he said, had been in touch with Hadi's Saudi-backed government and with the Iranian-sponsored Huthi rebels who drove him from the country to push for peace. "We cannot emphasize enough today the urgency of ending the violence in Yemen," Kerry said. Johnson agreed, saying: "The fatalities that we're seeing there are unacceptable. There should be a ceasefire and the U.N. should lead the way in calling for that ceasefire." The diplomatic push came amid signs that a renewed peace process may be at hand. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of Hadi's internationally-recognized government after it was forced to flee as Shiite Huthi rebels seized the capital. The coalition has carried out hundreds of air strikes and provided ground troops to support Hadi's forces. But it has failed to dislodge the Huthi rebels, who are allied with forces loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, from key areas including the capital Sanaa. The rebels still control large parts of the north, their historic stronghold areas, and other regions of western and central Yemen. Government forces have recaptured the south and east but failed to make any significant advances. The conflict has killed almost 6,900 people, wounded more than 35,000 and displaced at least three million since March last year, according to the United Nations. Civilians have paid the heaviest price in an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis. One of the deadliest coalition attacks came on October 8 when an air raid on a funeral ceremony killed 140 people and wounded 525 others. Washington, which along with Britain provides logistical support to Saudi-led efforts, was angry at its ally's blunder and renewed calls for a truce.

Iraq Drops Leaflets over Mosul ahead of Battle
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/October 16/16/Iraqi aircraft dropped "tens of thousands" of leaflets, some bearing safety instructions for Mosul residents, ahead of an operation to retake the city from jihadists, the military said. Iraq has dropped leaflets over Mosul before, and has also done so as part of operations to retake other cities seized by the Islamic State group in 2014 and 2015. Aircraft dropped "tens of thousands of newspapers and magazines on the center of the city of Mosul carrying important news... to inform them of updates and facts and victories," said Iraq's Joint Operations Command, which distributed images of some of the leaflets. One image showed a leaflet containing safety instructions for Mosul residents, urging them to tape over windows to prevent the glass from shattering, to avoid the sites of air strikes for at least an hour after a place is bombed, and saying they should not drive if possible. The launch of the operation is expected to be announced soon, but it will mark only the start of a battle that is likely to be the most difficult and complex yet in the war against IS. A coalition of heterogeneous and sometimes rival Iraqi forces will have to fight their way through IS defenses to reach the city, in some cases over distances of dozens of kilometers (miles). Then they will likely seek to surround the city before launching an assault, marking the start of deadly street fighting with die-hard jihadists in a city with a large civilian population. The battle may spark a humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning that up to one million people may be displaced by the fighting as winter sets in. Even the recapture of Mosul will not mark the end of the war against IS, which still holds other territory in Iraq and is likely to turn increasingly to insurgent tactics such as bombings and hit-and-run attacks as it loses more ground.

Suicide Bombing Targeting Shiites Kills Two in Baghdad
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/October 16/16/A suicide bombing targeting Shiite Muslims killed at least two people in Baghdad on Sunday, officials said, a day after the deadliest attack to hit the Iraqi capital in months. The bombing in central Baghdad, which targeted a tent where Shiites distribute food as part of annual religious commemorations, also wounded at least four people, officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State jihadist group frequently carries out suicide bombings targeting Shiites, whom it considers heretics. The blast came a day after an IS-claimed suicide bombing at a funeral killed at least 34 people -- the deadliest attack in Baghdad since another IS suicide bombing left more than 300 dead in early July. The attacks come as Iraqi forces prepare for an offensive in northern Iraq to retake Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country, after regaining much of the territory the jihadists seized in 2014 and 2015.The launch of the operation is expected to be announced soon, but it will mark only the start of a battle that is likely to be the most difficult and complex yet in the war against IS.

U.S. Says Missiles May Have Been Fired Anew at U.S. Warships in Red Sea
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/October 16/16/Three U.S. warships in the Red Sea detected what may have been missiles fired at them on Saturday but none hit, the U.S. military said, amid rising tensions with Yemen's Huthi rebels. U.S. officials initially said that surface-to-surface missiles had been fired at the USS Mason, USS Nitze and USS Ponce off the coast of Yemen starting around 1930 GMT, though it was unclear how many. They later backtracked, saying that the ships detected what may have been missiles. "A U.S. Strike Group transiting international waters in the Red Sea detected possible inbound missile threats and deployed appropriate defensive measures," a U.S. defense official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.  "Post event assessment is ongoing. All U.S. warships and vessels in the area are safe." The USS Mason destroyer, which was sailing in international waters off Yemen's coast earlier this week, used unspecified countermeasures against the incoming missiles, a military official said. If confirmed, the attempted missile strikes would be the most serious escalation yet of the U.S. involvement in a deadly civil war that has killed more than 6,800 people, wounded more than 35,000 and displaced at least three million since a Saudi-led coalition launched military operations last year. Officials have stressed that Washington wants to avoid getting embroiled in yet another war in an already volatile region. On Thursday, the U.S. Navy launched five Tomahawk cruise missiles at three mobile radar sites in Huthi-controlled territory on Yemen's Red Sea coast, after the Iran-backed rebels blasted rockets at the USS Mason twice in four days. The military insists these moves are taken out of self-defense. The Huthis have denied conducting the attacks. Though the United States is providing logistical support to a Saudi-led coalition battling the rebels, Thursday's launches marked the first time Washington has taken direct action against the Huthis.But the U.S. strikes earlier this week did not take out Huthi missiles and, though the radar destruction makes it harder to aim the weapons, officials have warned rebels could still use spotter boats or online ship-tracking websites to find new targets.

Yemen Rebels Demand International Probe on Funeral Strike
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/October 16/16/Yemen's Shiite Huthi rebels Sunday demanded an international probe into an air strike that killed more than 140 people at a funeral, after a Saudi-led Arab coalition admitted "wrongly" hitting it. The October 8 raid, condemned by Human Rights Watch as an "apparent war crime", was one of the deadliest since the pro-government coalition launched an air campaign against the rebels and their allies in March 2015. The coalition's acknowledgment that it wrongly hit the funeral "does not clear its leadership of violating international humanitarian law and all humanitarian norms and conventions", said the rebel-controlled foreign ministry. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon "should form an independent and international investigation committee headed by a high-profile, neutral and international personality as soon as possible to probe war crimes committed by the coalition in Yemen", it said in a statement. The Riyadh-based coalition acknowledged on Saturday that the air strike in which more than 525 people were also wounded was based on "incorrect information." It pledged "appropriate action" against those responsible and compensation for families of the victims. The air strike prompted an international outcry and strong criticism, including from Saudi Arabia's closest Western allies. Yemen's conflict has killed nearly 6,900 people, more than half of them civilians, since the coalition launched its operations, according to the United Nations.

Israeli PM Slams NGO after U.N. Anti-Settlement Testimony
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/October 16/16/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out Saturday at a local NGO whose head spoke against settlements at the United Nations, pledging legislation to impair its activities. B'Tselem director Hagai El-Ad took part in a Friday U.N. Security Council meeting on Israeli settlements, talking about the 49 years of "the injustice known as the occupation of Palestine, and Israeli control of Palestinian lives in Gaza, the West Bank, and east Jerusalem.""I implore you today to take action," El-Ad said. "Anything short of decisive international action will achieve nothing but ushering in the second half of the first century of the occupation." In a Facebook post, Netanyahu noted El-Ad's appeal to the council to "act against Israel," accusing B'Tselem of trying to gain through "international coercion" what they "failed to achieve in democratic elections in Israel." "This is not appropriate," he continued, calling B'Tselem "marginal" and "delusional". In a separate Facebook posting, Netanyahu said he had instructed chairman of the coalition David Bitan to change the law in a way that would prevent youths from volunteering for B'Tselem as their civilian service, which they may perform in lieu of military service. Unfazed, B'Tselem responded that it "believed the Israeli public deserved a serious debate on the occupation," noting the "wall-to-wall objection to the occupation and settlements at the Security Council." A spokesman noted there were currently no volunteers in the NGO in the framework of civilian service, and there had only been three in total. In July, parliament adopted a law seen as targeting left-wing groups critical of the government by forcing NGOs that receive most of their funding from foreign states -- including B'Tselem -- to declare it. At the Friday meeting, organized by Angola, Egypt, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela, U.S. Deputy Ambassador David Pressman said the continued building of Jewish outposts on Palestinian land was "corrosive to the cause of peace."In his Saturday post, Netanyahu noted that Palestinians had attacked Israel before the West Bank and east Jerusalem settlements following the 1967 war, as well ongoing attacks from Gaza, even after Israeli withdrawal. "These facts prove that the root of the conflict is not 'the occupation and settlements,' rather the ongoing Palestinian refusal to recognize the Jewish state in any borders," he wrote.

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on on October 16-17/16

The Soviet-Palestinian Lie
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/October 16/16
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9090/soviet-union-palestinians
"The PLO was dreamt up by the KGB, which had a penchant for 'liberation' organizations." — Ion Mihai Pacepa, former chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Romania.
"First, the KGB destroyed the official records of Arafat's birth in Cairo, and replaced them with fictitious documents saying that he had been born in Jerusalem and was therefore a Palestinian by birth." — Ion Mihai Pacepa.
"[T]he Islamic world was a waiting petri dish in which we could nurture a virulent strain of America-hatred, grown from the bacterium of Marxist-Leninist thought. Islamic anti-Semitism ran deep... We had only to keep repeating our themes -- that the United States and Israel were 'fascist, imperial-Zionist countries' bankrolled by rich Jews." — Yuri Andropov, former KGB chairman.
As early as 1965, the USSR had formally proposed in the UN a resolution that would condemn Zionism as colonialism and racism. Although the Soviets did not succeed in their first attempt, the UN turned out to be an overwhelmingly grateful recipient of Soviet bigotry and propaganda; in November 1975, Resolution 3379 condemning Zionism as "a form of racism and racial discrimination" was finally passed.
The recent discovery that Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority (PA), was a KGB spy in Damascus in 1983, was discarded by many in the mainstream media as a "historical curiosity" -- except that the news inconveniently came out at the time that President Vladimir Putin was trying to organize new talks between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Predictably, the Palestinian Authority immediately dismissed the news. Fatah official Nabil Shaath denied that Abbas was ever a KGB operative, and called the claim a "smear campaign."
The discovery, far from being a "historical curiosity," is an aspect of one of many pieces in the puzzle of the origins of 20th and 21st century Islamic terrorism. Those origins are almost always obfuscated and obscured in ill-concealed attempts at presenting a particular narrative about the causes of contemporary terrorism, while decrying all and any evidence to the contrary as "conspiracy theories."
There is nothing conspiratorial about the latest revelation. It comes from a document in the Mitrokhin archives at the Churchill Archives Center at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Vasily Mitrokhin was a former senior officer of the Soviet Foreign Intelligence service, who was later demoted to KGB archivist. At immense risk to his own life, he spent 12 years diligently copying secret KGB files that would not otherwise have become available to the public (the KGB foreign intelligence archives remain sealed from the public, despite the demise of the Soviet Union). When Mitrokhin defected from the Russia in 1992, he brought the copied files with him to the UK. The declassified parts of the Mitrokhin archives were brought to the public eye in the writings of Cambridge professor Christopher Andrew, who co-wrote The Mitrokhin Archive (published in two volumes) together with the Soviet defector. Mitrokhin's archives led, among other things, to the discovery of many KGB spies in the West and elsewhere.
Unfortunately, the history of the full extent of the KGB's influence and disinformation operations is not nearly as well-known as it should be, considering the immense influence that the KGB wielded on international affairs. The KGB conducted hostile operations against NATO as a whole, against democratic dissent within the Soviet bloc, and set in motion subversive events in Latin America and the Middle East, which resonate to this day.
The KGB, furthermore, was an extremely active player in the creation of so-called liberation movements in Latin America and in the Middle East, movements that went on to engage in lethal terrorism -- as documented in, among other places, The Mitrokhin Archive, as well as in the books and writings of Ion Mihai Pacepa, the highest-ranking Communist official to defect from the former Soviet bloc.
Pacepa was chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Romania and a personal advisor to Romanian Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu before he defected to the United States in 1978. Pacepa worked with the CIA to bring down communism for more than 10 years; the agency described his cooperation as "an important and unique contribution to the United States."
In a 2004 interview, FrontPage Magazine, Pacepa said:
The PLO was dreamt up by the KGB, which had a penchant for "liberation" organizations. There was the National Liberation Army of Bolivia, created by the KGB in 1964 with help from Ernesto "Che" Guevara ... the KGB also created the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which carried out numerous bombing attacks... In 1964 the first PLO Council, consisting of 422 Palestinian representatives handpicked by the KGB, approved the Palestinian National Charter -- a document that had been drafted in Moscow. The Palestinian National Covenant and the Palestinian Constitution were also born in Moscow, with the help of Ahmed Shuqairy, a KGB influence agent who became the first PLO chairman...
In the Wall Street Journal, Pacepa explained how the KGB built up Arafat -- or in current parlance, how they constructed a narrative for him:
He was an Egyptian bourgeois turned into a devoted Marxist by KGB foreign intelligence. The KGB had trained him at its Balashikha special-operations school east of Moscow and in the mid-1960s decided to groom him as the future PLO leader. First, the KGB destroyed the official records of Arafat's birth in Cairo, and replaced them with fictitious documents saying that he had been born in Jerusalem and was therefore a Palestinian by birth.
As the late historian Robert S. Wistrich wrote in A Lethal Obsession, the Six-Day War unleashed a protracted, intensive campaign on the part of the Soviet Union to delegitimize Israel and the movement for Jewish self-determination, known as Zionism. This was done in order to rectify the damage to the Soviet Union's prestige after Israel defeated its Arab allies:
After 1967, the USSR began to flood the world with a constant flow of anti-Zionist propaganda... Only the Nazis in their twelve years of power had ever succeeded in producing such a sustained flow of fabricated libels as an instrument of their domestic and foreign policy[1].
For this the USSR employed a host of Nazi trigger words to describe the Israeli defeat of the Arab 1967 aggression, several of which are still employed on the Western left today when it comes to Israel, such as "practitioners of genocide", "racists", "concentration camps", and "Herrenvolk."
Furthermore, the USSR engaged in an international smearing campaign in the Arab world. In 1972, the Soviet Union, launched operation "SIG" (Sionistskiye Gosudarstva, or "Zionist Governments"), with the purpose of portraying the United States as an "arrogant and haughty Jewish fiefdom financed by Jewish money and run by Jewish politicians, whose aim was to subordinate the entire Islamic world". Some 4,000 agents were sent from the Soviet Bloc into the Islamic world, armed with thousands of copies of the old czarist Russian forgery, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. According to KGB chairman Yuri Andropov:
'the Islamic world was a waiting petri dish in which we could nurture a virulent strain of America-hatred, grown from the bacterium of Marxist-Leninist thought. Islamic anti-Semitism ran deep... We had only to keep repeating our themes — that the United States and Israel were "fascist, imperial-Zionist countries" bankrolled by rich Jews. Islam was obsessed with preventing the infidels' occupation of its territory, and it would be highly receptive to our characterization of the U.S. Congress as a rapacious Zionist body aiming to turn the world into a Jewish fiefdom.
As early as 1965, the USSR had formally proposed in the UN a resolution that would condemn Zionism as colonialism and racism. Although the Soviets did not succeed in their first attempt, the UN turned out to be an overwhelmingly grateful recipient of Soviet bigotry and propaganda; in November 1975, Resolution 3379 condemning Zionism as "a form of racism and racial discrimination' was finally passed. This followed nearly a decade of diligent Soviet propaganda directed at the Third World, depicting Israel as a Trojan Horse for Western imperialism and racism. This campaign was designed to build support for Soviet foreign policy in Africa and the Middle East.[2] Another tactic was constantly to draw visual and verbal comparisons in the Soviet media between Israel and South Africa (this is the origin of the canard of "Israeli apartheid").
Not only the Third World, but also the Western Left ate all this Soviet propaganda raw. The latter continues to disseminate large parts of it to this day. In fact, slandering someone, whoever they are, as racist, became one of the Left's primary weapons against those with whom it disagrees.
Part of the Soviet tactics in isolating Israel was making the PLO look "respectable." According to Pacepa, this task was left to Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu, who had achieved the unlikely propaganda feat of portraying the ruthless Romanian police state to the West as a "moderate" Communist country. Nothing could have been farther from the truth, as was ultimately revealed in the 1989 trial against Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena, which ended with their executions.
Yasser Arafat (left) with Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu during a visit in Bucharest in 1974. (Image source: Romanian National History Museum)
Pacepa wrote in the Wall Street Journal:
In March 1978, I secretly brought Arafat to Bucharest for final instructions on how to behave in Washington. "You simply have to keep on pretending that you'll break with terrorism and that you'll recognize Israel -- over, and over, and over," Ceausescu told him [Arafat]... Ceausescu was euphoric over the prospect that both Arafat and he might be able to snag a Nobel Peace Prize with their fake displays of the olive branch.
... Ceausescu failed to get his Nobel Peace Prize. But in 1994 Arafat got his -- all because he continued to play the role we had given him to perfection. He had transformed his terrorist PLO into a government-in-exile (the Palestinian Authority), always pretending to call a halt to Palestinian terrorism while letting it continue unabated. Two years after signing the Oslo Accords, the number of Israelis killed by Palestinian terrorists had risen by 73%.
In his book, Red Horizons, Pacepa related what Arafat said at a meeting he had with him at PLO headquarters in Beirut around the time that Ceausescu was trying to make the PLO "respectable":
I am a revolutionary. I have dedicated my whole life to the Palestinian cause and the destruction of Israel. I will not change or compromise. I will not agree with anything that recognizes Israel as a state. Never... But I am always willing to make the West think that I want what Brother Ceausescu wants me to do.[3]
The propaganda neatly paved the way for terrorism, Pacepa explained in National Review.
General Aleksandr Sakharovsky, who created Communist Romania's intelligence structure and then rose to head up all of Soviet Russia's foreign intelligence, often lectured me: "In today's world, when nuclear arms have made military force obsolete, terrorism should become our main weapon."
The Soviet general was not joking. In 1969 alone, there were 82 hijackings of planes worldwide. According to Pacepa, most of those hijackings were committed by the PLO or affiliated groups, all supported by the KGB. In 1971, when Pacepa visited Sakharovsky at his Lubyanka (KGB headquarters) office, the general boasted: "Airplane hijacking is my own invention". Al Qaeda used airplane hijackings on September 11, when they used planes to blow up buildings.
So where does Mahmoud Abbas fit into all this? In 1982, Mahmoud Abbas studied in Moscow at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. (In 1983 he went on to become a KGB spy). There he wrote his thesis, published in Arabic as The Other Side: The Secret Relations between Nazism and the Leadership of the Zionist Movement. In it, he denied the existence of gas chambers in the concentration camps, and questioned the number of Holocaust victims by calling the six million Jews who had been killed "a fantastic lie," while simultaneously blaming the Holocaust on the Jews themselves. His thesis supervisor was Yevgeny Primakov, who later went on to become foreign minister of Russia. Even after he had finished his thesis, Abbas maintained close ties with the Soviet leadership, the military and members of security services. In January 1989, he was appointed co-chairman of the Palestinian-Soviet (and then Russian-Palestinian) Working Committee on the Middle East.
When the current leader of the Palestinian Arabs used to be an acolyte of the KGB -- whose machinations have claimed the lives of thousands of people in the Middle East alone -- this cannot be discarded as a "historical curiosity," even if contemporary opinion-makers would prefer to ignore it by viewing it as such.
Although Pacepa and Mitrokhin sounded their warnings many years ago, few people bothered to listen to them. They should.
*Judith Bergman is a writer, columnist, lawyer and political analyst.
[1] Robert S. Wistrich, 'A Lethal Obsession' (2010) p 139.
[2] Robert S. Wistrich, 'A Lethal Obsession' (2010), p 148.
[3] Ion Mihai Pacepa, 'Red Horizons' (1990) p 92-93.
© 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.

The Vatican Submits to Islam (2006-2016)
Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/October 16/16
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9120/vatican-islam
"[Pope Benedict XVI] has doubted publicly that it can be accommodated in a pluralistic society... and tempered his support for a programme of inter-religious dialogue run by Franciscan monks at Assisi. He has embraced the view of Italian moderates and conservatives that the guiding principle of inter-religious dialogue must be reciprocità. That is, he finds it naive to permit the building of a Saudi-funded mosque, Europe's largest, in Rome, while Muslim countries forbid the construction of churches and missions." — Christopher Caldwell, Financial Times.
In that lecture, Benedict did what in the Islamic world is forbidden: freely discussing faith. He said that God is different from Allah.
Since then, apologies to the Islamic world have become the official Vatican policy. Pope Francis denied that Islam itself is violent and claimed that the potential for violence lies within every religion, including Catholicism. Previously, Pope Francis said there is "a world war" but denied that Islam has any role in it.
"It is clear that Muslims have an ultimate goal: conquering the world...But we find it hard to recognize this reality and to respond by defending the Christian faith (...) I have heard several times an Islamic idea: 'what we failed to do with the weapons in the past we are doing today with the birth rate and immigration'. The population is changing. If this keeps up, in countries like Italy, the majority will be Muslim (...) And what is the most important achievement? Rome." — Monsignor Raymond Burke, US Catholic leader.
If 9/11 was the declaration of jihad against the West, 9/12 will be remembered as one of the most dramatic knee-bends of the Western cultural submission to Islam.
On September 12th 2006, Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) landed in Bavaria, Germany, where he was born and first taught theology. He was expected to deliver a lecture in front of the academic community at the University of Regensburg. That lesson would go down to history as the most controversial papal speech of the last half-century.
On this, the 10th anniversary of the speech, the Western world and the Islamic world both owe Benedict an apology, but unfortunately, the opposite happened: the Vatican has apologized to the Muslims.
In his lecture, Pope Benedict clarified the internal contradictions of contemporary Islam, but he also offered a terrain of dialogue with Christianity and Western culture. The Pope spoke of the Jewish, Greek and Christian roots of Europe's faith, explaining why these are different from Islamic monotheism. His talk contained a quote from the Byzantine emperor, Manuel II Paleologus: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman".
This keg of dynamite was softened by a quotation from a Koranic sura of Mohammed's youth, Benedict noted, "when Mohammed was still powerless and under threat", and which says: "There is no compulsion in religion."
Pope Benedict's talk was not a surprise. "It is no secret that the Pope worried about Islam", Christopher Caldwell noted in the Financial Times.
"He has doubted publicly that it can be accommodated in a pluralistic society. He has demoted one of John Paul II's leading advisers on the Islamic world and tempered his support for a programme of inter-religious dialogue run by Franciscan monks at Assisi. He has embraced the view of Italian moderates and conservatives that the guiding principle of inter-religious dialogue must be reciprocità. That is, he finds it naive to permit the building of a Saudi-funded mosque, Europe's largest, in Rome, while Muslim countries forbid the construction of churches and missions".
In Regensburg, Benedict staged the drama of our time and for the first time in the Catholic Church's history -- a Pope talked about Islam without recycling platitudes. In that lecture, the Pope did what in the Islamic world is forbidden: freely discussing faith. He said that God is different from Allah. We never heard that again.
The quotation of Manuel II Palaeologus bounced around the world, shaking the Muslim umma [community], which reacted violently. Even the international press was unanimous in a chorus of condemnation of the "Pope's aggression on Islam."
The reaction to Pope's speech proved that he was right. From Muslim leaders to the New York Times, everybody demanded the Pope's apologies and submission. The mainstream media turned him into an incendiary proponent of Samuel Huntington's "clash of civilizations." In the Palestinian Authority area, Christian churches were burned and Christians targeted. British Islamists called to "kill" the Pope, but Benedict defied them.
At the same time, in Somalia, an Italian nun was shot. In Iraq, a Syrian Orthodox priest was beheaded by al-Qaeda and mutilated after the terrorists demanded that the Catholic Church to apologize for the speech. The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood pledged retaliations against the Pope. A Pakistani leader, Shahid Shamsi, accused the Vatican of supporting "the Zionist entity." Salih Kapusuz, number two in the party of the Turkey's then Prime Minister (now President) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, compared Pope Benedict XVI to Hitler and Mussolini. The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, insisted that the words of the Pope belong to "the chain of US-Israeli conspiracy," and accused Benedict of being part of the "Crusader conspiracy."
Security around Pope Benedict was soon massively increased. Two years later, the Pope had been barred from speaking at Rome's most important university, La Sapienza. After the Regensburg affair, Benedict would not be the same anymore. Islamists and Western appeasers had been able to close his mouth.
A few days after the lecture, exhausted and frightened, Pope Benedict apologized. I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address ... which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims," the Pope told pilgrims at his Castelgandolfo summer residence. The quote did not "in any way express my personal thoughts. I hope this serves to appease hearts."
The Pope may have said that to stop further violence. But since then, apologies to the Islamic world have become the official Vatican policy.
"The default positions vis-à-vis militant Islam are now unhappily reminiscent of Vatican diplomacy's default positions vis-à-vis communism during the last 25 years of the Cold War," wrote George Weigel, a US leading scholar. The Vatican's new agenda seeks "to reach political accommodations with Islamic states and foreswear forceful public condemnation of Islamist and jihadist ideology."
Ten years since the Regensburg lecture, relevant as ever after ISIS's attacks on European soil, another Pope, Francis I, has tried in many ways to separate Muslims and violence and always avoided mentioning that forbidden word: Islam. As Sandro Magister, one of Italy's most important journalists on Catholic issues, wrote: "In the face of the offensive of radical Islam, Francis's idea is that 'we must soothe the conflict'. And forget Regensburg."
The entire Vatican's diplomatic body today carefully avoids the words "Islam" and "Muslims," and instead embraces a denial that a clash of civilization exists. Returning from World Youth Day in Poland last August, Pope Francis denied that Islam itself is violent and claimed that the potential for violence lies within every religion, including Catholicism. Previously, Pope Francis said there is "a world war," but denied that Islam has any role in it.
In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI (left) said what no Pope had ever dared to say -- that there is a link between violence and Islam. Ten years later, Pope Francis (right) never calls those responsible for anti-Christian violence by name and never mentions the word "Islam." (Image source: Benedict: Flickr/Catholic Church of England | Francis: Wikimedia Commons/korea.net)
In May, Pope Francis explained that the "idea of conquest" is integral to Islam as a religion, but he quickly added that some might interpret Christianity, the religion of turning the other cheek, in the same way. "Authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence," the Pope claimed in 2013. A year later, Francis declared that "Islam is a religion of peace, one which is compatible with respect for human rights and peaceful coexistence." He claimed that it is the ills of global economy, and not Islam, that inspire terrorism. And a few days ago, the Pope said that "people who call themselves Christians but do not want refugees at their door are hypocrites."
Pope Francis's pontificate has been marked by this moral equivalence between Christianity and Islam, which also obfuscates the crimes of Muslims against their own people, Eastern Christians and the West.
But there are brave cardinals who still speak the truth. One is the US Catholic leader Raymond Burke, who is featured in a recent interview with the Italian media, in which he said:
"It is clear that Muslims have an ultimate goal: conquering the world. Islam, through the sharia, their law, wants to rule the world and allows violence against the infidels, such as Christians. But we find it hard to recognize this reality and to respond by defending the Christian faith (...) I have heard several times an Islamic idea: 'what we failed to do with the weapons in the past we are doing today with the birth rate and immigration'. The population is changing. If this keeps up, in countries like Italy, the majority will be Muslim (...) Islam realizes itself in the conquest. And what is the most important achievement? Rome."
Unfortunately, Rome's first bishop, Pope Francis, seems deaf and blind to these important truths. It took five days for Benedict XVI to apologize for his brave lecture. But he opened a decade-long season of the Vatican's excuses for Islamic terrorism.
Pope Francis is still awaited for a visit at the church of St.-Étienne-du-Rouvray, where Father Jacques Hamel was murdered by Islamists this summer. That killing, ten years after the Regensburg lecture, is the most tragic proof that Benedict was right and Francis wrong.
*Giulio Meotti, Cultural Editor for Il Foglio, is an Italian journalist and author.
© 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.

The Lausanne meeting, Assad and the al-Nusra Front
Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/October 16/16
There will have been no radical change in Russian or American policies on Syria when John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov resumed their leisurely meetings following their temporary estrangement that had culminated in a Russian veto against a draft resolution at the Security Council amid mutual polite accusations by the two countries’ UN envoys. The microsummit of the foreign ministers of the two powers alongside the top diplomats of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey may have succeeded in reaching accord over another provisional truce and urgent humanitarian deliveries, but it is unlikely a lasting agreement was reached on separating moderate rebels from the al-Nusra Front or a permanent solution for the battle for Aleppo. Interestingly, the two European permanent members of the Security Council, Britain and France, were excluded from the meeting. Paris and London recently led the diplomatic escalation against Russia including by accusing Moscow of committing war crimes and calling for referring its ally Damascus to the ICC. One of the goals of the meeting in Lausanne is to set aside talk of accountability and war crimes by refocusing discussions on a ceasefire, aid and the peace process as Russia and Iran want at this crucial stage of the battle for Aleppo. Perhaps Lavrov’s condition was to exclude France and Britain, given their sharp tone against his diplomacy. What is surprising is Kerry agreeing not to invite his French and British counterparts. The lineup of the invitees suggests the purpose of the meeting was to focus on the main knot and ways to overcome it. In Russia and Iran’s view, the designation of non-terrorist groups and separating them from the al-Nusra Front have become the main knot. Before addressing the Nusra knot, Assad’s allies are not willing to discuss the Assad knot, the key issue for Ankara, Riyadh and Doha.
Negotiating axes
The Lausanne summit must have therefore focused on negotiations between the Russian/Iranian axis and the Turkish/Saudi/Qatari axis. The US role appears one of a mediator seeking to facilitate deals while keeping up the threat of joining the three allies present in Switzerland and those absent in Paris and London should the meeting fail. Russia may give off the impression that its relations in the Middle East are in good shape, however, Aleppo is a cause of major concern for Moscow
Ankara, like Washington, remains cautious and wants to keep its options open and its tools sharp. President Erdogan is playing a long strategic game via Syria and is keen to secure permanent local and regional gains. He has a lot in common with Russia’s Putin, not just in terms of consolidating his power at home and their authoritarian traits, but also in their conviction that Syria is crucial to their calculations and the regional balance of power as well as their mistrust of the US and Europe. At the same time, Erdogan is keen to play a leading role in the Sunni Muslim bloc and is aware of his own importance as a factor that can offset perceptions of the Russian tsar who is bombing Aleppo, a large Sunni city, in partnership with Shiite Iran. Russia’s attempt to offset this via Egypt is not sufficient, regardless of their military exercises and touristic détente. Egypt, the only Arab member of the Security Council at present, can vote to support a Russian draft resolution alongside China and Venezuela, a move that earned Cairo a lot of Arab and Western scorn. But Egypt is not Turkey when it comes to Syria. Turkey controls many key issues on the ground in Syria while Egypt has little more than rhetoric and is not part of the negotiations and arrangements led by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Egypt may be useful, in some degree, to Russia but it is Turkey that can open or close the vital corridors to the battlefield in Syria. Turkey has direct influence with armaments and ammunition to a segment of the Syrian rebels. It can establish safe zones or mobilize support for a no fly zone if no accord is reached with Russia.
Competing relationships
Turkey’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, as Sunni power, is strategic and crucial. By contrast, Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Egypt is based on aid and is now strained after Egypt’s contrarian actions in Yemen and Syria. All that investment in Gulf-Egyptian cooperation to restore the Arab weight in the regional balance of power has receded because of divergence over policies, often in a hostile and public manner. Today, there is coordination between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar on Syria, which forces Russia to factor it in because it has practical implications on the ground. It is for this reason that these countries and not others were present in Lausanne. Iran was also present because of the means of war it possesses in Syria through its military advisers and militias led by Hezbollah deployed there. Perhaps the maximum that can be achieved in Lausanne is resolving the Nusra knot in return for resolving the Assad knot. If this happens and the six powers agree to resolve the two knots, Syria will enter the phase of political solutions. But nothing suggests this achievement is on the horizon at present in the midst of international political and military escalation.
However, the battle of Aleppo will not be settled easily. It seems that Iran and Russia wanted to revive political solutions because they are aware they cannot settle things militarily, hence Lausanne.
Realistically speaking, there is no choice but to resolve the two knots as part of parallel agreements. This necessitates a qualitative shift in the thinking and strategies of Russia and Iran, based on ending their support for Assad remaining in power. There is nothing to suggest this has happened yet, unless there is something we don’t know behind their military moves. From time to time, there have been signs that the other side is willing to agree to a gradual departure of Assad while maintaining the regime. However, nothing suggests a conclusive willingness to abandon Assad in the end.
Perhaps the agreements in Lausanne will help converge the influences of the two sides toward a ceasefire whose goal is to prove their good intentions and determination to collaborate. Or perhaps the outcome of Lausanne will serve to halt the bid by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar toward stepping up military support for the Syrian opposition and stop the French and British bid to hold Russia accountable. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on the Security Council to refer the Syrian issue to the ICC, reaffirming similar calls made by the UN Human Rights Chief Prince Zeid Bin Raad al-Hussein. The call includes holding accountable any and everyone who commits war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria, be it a state, militia or terrorist group. Ban Ki-moon does not have the power to refer Syria to the ICC, but he can act under Article 99 of the charter to request the Security Council to convene and discuss the issue. This move would have a high moral value even if it ends up clashing with the Russian veto.
Russian actions
Russia recently used its veto power for the fifth time since the start of the conflict in Syria. China broke ranks with Russia when it abstained during the vote on the draft resolution vetoed by Russia, bearing in mind that China previously co-vetoed resolutions with Russia. Moscow described what happened in the Security Council last week, when the French draft resolution received overwhelming support, as Western hysteria. In truth, it is Russia that has been afflicted by hysteria after it incurred humiliation, even as president of the Security Council, by vetoing a resolution that called for a ceasefire and aid delivery then proposed a resolution that added insult to injury when it obtained only four votes in favor. Russia may give off the impression that its relations in the Middle East are in good shape: it has an alliance with Iran, détente with Turkey, a truce with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, an accord with Iraq, advanced ties with Egypt and very good relations with Israel. However, Aleppo is a cause of major concern for Moscow because it could well be its unravelling. Thus, Moscow may be in the process of reconsidering its decision that winning in Aleppo is the priority.
For its part, the United States is reassured by the fact that it is not involved on the ground in Syria. However, it is aware of the bitter reality, namely that Syria has proven it cannot shirk its international responsibilities. President Obama is leaving the White House with Aleppo on his conscience both as a humanitarian issue and a strategic issue. Russia’s rush to support Republican candidate Donald Trump for president is not about chemistry between him and Putin, but a calculated investment in a man that would bring down America from being a superpower, just like Boris Yeltsin had done with the former Soviet Union. Perhaps what will save Russia from its Syrian legacy would be an agreement between Putin and Erdogan on a grand bargain, where the Turkish sultan abandons his project for pushing the Muslim Brotherhood to rule in Arab countries, starting with Syria.Then the two men can fix what they broke in Syria and secure their legacy to stop the bloodletting after undoing two key and very clear knots in Syria.
***This article was first published in al-Hayat and was translated by Karim Traboulsi.

The need for enduring peace in the Middle East
Hassan Al Mustafa/Al Arabiya/October 16/16
Before heading to China in 1972, Former US President Richard Nixon drafted a plan on a paper and wrote: “What do we want? What do they want?” And “what do we both want?” This is quoted by Dr. Vali Nasr in his book “The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat.” He commented saying: “The answers to Nixon’s last question don’t really matter as he has set the rules of diplomacy with China, which will be determined by the answer to the last question.” Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan in President Barack Obama's administration, has worked in the same vein. He worked on the Afghanistan issue in a way “where he drew circles representing the interests of the regional powers. The small area where these circles intersect and overlap, is where the final settlement should take place,” said Nasr. Holbrooke tried to implement this policy on the ground, when he sought to persuade India and Pakistan through long-term and persistent diplomacy that they both will benefit once agreement is reached on Afghanistan. It will contribute to the strengthening of security in this country and will fulfill both Islamabad and New Delhi’s interests. It was not an easy mission because Pakistan and India have a long history of conflict and incompatible interests. Added to that, Afghanistan represents a common ground for proxy clashes and conflicts between the two countries. Thus, Holbrooke believed that “one of the most important points of convergence in their interests and concerns is that no country (including Pakistan) want to witness chaos and the hegemony of extremists in Afghanistan,” as Nasr mentioned in his book. Nasr part of Holbrooke’s team.
Roadmap
To achieve his goal, Holbrooke resorted to a dialogue between India and Pakistan, based on the exclusion of all the divergent issues between the two countries, including the case of Kashmir. He was able to “convince General Kayani to sit at the dialogue table with the Indians and discuss issues related to Afghanistan and nothing but Afghanistan, without discussing further [issues].” Turning countries like Syria, Iraq and Libya into disaster zones and dismantling the countries along sectarian and ethnic lines would threaten the stability of the Middle East. After this approval, Holbrooke went to India where leaders were always ready for dialogue with Pakistan regarding Afghanistan as long as it doesn’t not include any other subject.” Nasr added “Holbrooke was able to create the incentive to push the situation forward under unfavorable conditions. Both the Indians and Pakistanis were amazed by his ability to bring them together.” The efforts of Richard Holbrooke were not successful. Their failure was not due to the ineffectiveness of the initiative or because it was not based on diplomatic grounds. The only reason was that he suddenly died in 2010, so all his efforts lost momentum and the secretary of state at the time – Hilary Clinton – was not able to continue this initiative. A diplomat told me that he believes that the past experience is more of a “romantic” or unrealistic one and would not have succeeded even if Holbrooke did not die. The diplomat said that the endeavors would have been hampered due to the complexities of the relationship between New Delhi and Islamabad. However, in my opinion, it is a respectable experience, especially as it was seeking to establish the principles of peace based on diplomacy and not wars and fighting.
A stark choice
The alternative to dialogue and diplomacy is war and ties between the countries and groups. The conflicts that the Middle East is witnessing today on the political, economic and sectarian fronts urge us to think about peaceful solutions and dialogue between the opponents - it is an extremely important matter. Turning countries like Syria, Iraq and Libya into disaster zones and dismantling the countries along sectarian and ethnic lines would threaten the stability of the Middle East. Vali Nasr believed that Richard Holbrooke “fought for peace” because he has always perceived diplomacy as a priority that comes before war and as a reliable mechanism in the most difficult times. Thus, this is what we should be seeking, even if we are faced with arduous and difficult tasks.
**This article was first published in Al Riyadh on Oct. 14, 2016.

Burning Aleppo will rise again
Hussein Shobokshi/Al Arabiya/October 16/16
I can assure all and am very sure that history has not seen anything like the horrific crimes being perpetrated in the city of Aleppo at the hands of Bashar al-Assad, Russian forces, terrorist militias, Hezbollah and other criminals. When I am writing this, Aleppo, which has a population of five million, is being brutally eliminated. The only remaining hospital, after the carefully and organized destruction of other hospitals in the city, has been razed to the ground. This is not to forget the incredible number of people of the city who have been displaced systematically. Assad’s forces are stealing businesses, relocating factories to other areas or selling them to others. Everyone’s mask fell completely in the midst of this tragic and sad news. It is clear that there is an international conspiracy to destroy Aleppo completely by all means and by all possible weapons. While Assad and the Russians are bombing the civilians in Aleppo, the Hezbollah group, led by the notorious Hassan Nasrallah, who claimed that he had entered Syria to protect the holy shrines (which is free from any of them by the way), is also active. We cannot count his lies justifying the terrorist group’s entry into Syria. For Assad, Aleppo was the cultural dimension of Syria, which has a strange civilization. For Assad and his family and those who are with him, Aleppo has always been a perfect example of co-existence between races, sects and religions without discrimination or segregation which is something impressive and special.
Burning Aleppo will recover from its pain and it will rebuild itself from ruins but Bashar al-Assad’s fate will be consigned to the dustbin of history
Anyone connected or belonging to the city of Aleppo was a matter of pride. They had good personalities. They were known as a “Halabi” first and secondly as Syrians. The city, a pride of Syria, where the first printing press was launched in the whole of Levant region. The Arab world and the Far East knew Aleppo as a “link” to the ancient Silk Road trade heritage. Aleppo had its own mark and a clear character in mostly everything it created — the architecture design known as Halabi-stone, rich Halabi kitchen, Halabi music and Hababi dialect, which is unique and distinctive in the usage of words.
Aleppo was like an independent emirate before the modern Syria was formed and therefore the sense of being an independent city was the reason for Assad’s family to invade it. I believe it was a plan of Assad’s father and Bashar himself to systematically destroy it because of what I believe to be their deep and old hatred for the city and its people. Aleppo has produced most important and leading Syrian national figures and honest personalities like Ibrahim Hanano, Nazim Qudsi, Rushdie Kikhia, Maroof Aldualbe and others. The city has produced many giants in fields of literature, culture and art, like Sabah Fakhri, Moustafa Al-Aqqad, Walid Eklasi, and today they gave their blood and soul, an offering for the freedom of Syria. Aleppo’s systematic extermination under the regime of father and son and their unclean accomplices is revenge on Aleppo as a result of their old jealousy. Aleppo had revolted against the regime of Assad in the past and an attack on the military college prompted Hafez al-Assad, the father, to deny the city all the projects and deprive its people of all positions. Aleppo paid for it dearly and today it is paying more at the hands of Hafez’s criminal son Bashar. Burning Aleppo will recover from its pain and it will rebuild itself from ruins but Bashar al-Assad’s fate will be consigned to the dustbin of history. *This article was first published in the Saudi Gazette on Oct. 10, 2016.

What’s the plan, pretty one?
Turki Aldakhil//Al Arabiya/October 16/16
Transportation network company Careem’s recent message to its clients in Saudi Arabia has resulted in a sweeping social reaction. The message read “what’s the plan, pretty one?” It sums up the distance between the message-giver and the recipient and between the text and its interpretation.
A message sent out this way justifies the angry social reaction it received. Women have become the proverbial hunter, who when surrounded by deer, does not know which one to target. Women now suffer from drivers who demand high prices while not being allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. These companies have now emerged and used women as a commodity within the context of a marketing campaign. A woman is not an object and she is no one’s belonging. She has her own character and individuality. The ad’s text is unsuccessful and no matter how you look at it, it will somehow harm a conservative society like the Saudi society, and also harm its ideas and beliefs. Other ads by different companies used to say: “Where will you go this evening?” or “How can a family spend this day?” However, to write an ad in such a blatant manner like Careem did is just wrong. Many colleagues, intellectuals and female writers and academics responded to the ad with resentment. The ad was written by someone who views woman as an object and a possession. If he hadn’t been as such, he would have thought a thousand times before venturing and sending out this text which we cannot but consider rude and impolite.
**This article was first published in Okaz on Oct. 16, 2016.

Regional challenges demand stronger Saudi-US partnership
Andrew J. Bowen/Al Arabiya/October 16/16
The decades-old US-Saudi partnership faces one of its most turbulent moments. From Congress voting almost overwhelmingly to sustain Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) law to the deepening domestic criticism in the US on the Yemen campaign, Washington and Riyadh’s common strategic bonds are severely strained by both growing differences and a souring populist mood in America. There has been an avalanche of commentary openly questioning the need for a partnership with the Kingdom. Despite their reservations on Iran, a number of members of Congress are openly questioning the level of security commitment the US provides to the Kingdom. The White House has been a lukewarm partner. While exercising a veto of JASTA and supporting Saudi Arabia’s security requirements, President Obama is openly skeptical about the broader relationship and its value.
Electoral politics haven’t helped with both Donald Trump and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at times directly referencing Washington’s differences with the Kingdom. A number of US media outlets have further created an echo chamber for this autumn of discontent.
At this critical moment, as Washington and Riyadh confront deepening challenges from Syria to Iran, the current dark political malaise surrounding the relationship distracts from the pressing challenges facing both states in the region. The recent US strike on Houthi positions, after the militant group launched an attack on the US navy off the coast of Yemen, is a reminder of the real dangers facing Washington and Riyadh.
Yemen’s challenges are not purely a problem from the Kingdom, but for both the broader region and the US. The commentary that Washington faces a moral dilemma in Yemen for supporting the GCC intervention is a distraction from the real issues
One shouldn’t approach these challenges with closed eyes. Yemen’s challenges are not purely a problem from the Kingdom, but for both the broader region and the US. The commentary that Washington faces a moral dilemma in Yemen for supporting the GCC intervention is a distraction from the real issues.
Iran’s regional play
Since the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the US navy has faced increasing harassment from both Iran and its supported proxies in the region. This month’s Houthi directed actions against the US underscore this challenge. This behavior is further met by Tehran’s expansion of its ballistic missile program. Iran has been equally as well a dubious partner in fighting ISIS. More broadly, Ayatollah Khamenei has shown no deep desire to find common ground with Washington and its regional partners on regional challenges.
As members of the Washington policy community have continued to debate whether there are “reformers” in Iran, the Iranian leadership has aggressively pursued its own strategic interests and has shown no interest as President Obama advocated of “sharing” the region with its neighbors. For Tehran, the “deal” was about economic returns not strategic compromises. In the setting months of Obama’s presidency, Syria has become simply a casualty of the nuclear deal. Equally, as well, the White House has been too overly accommodating of Iran’s complaints that the economic returns from reaching the JCPOA haven’t materialized enough. The new US Treasury OFAC guidance, released last week, sets a bad precedent that Washington is somehow responsible for economic outcomes never agreed in the deal.
It is then this strategic environment that Washington and Riyadh need to remain focused on addressing.
New footing
While certainly the American public mood (riled by the populism of Donald Trump) is sour and restless, the partnership between the US and the Kingdom can weather this storm. However, this will require renewed leadership in the White House and Congress. JASTA, a poorly thought-out piece of legislation, can’t become a roadblock to addressing deeper challenges both states face. When Congress reconvenes after the election in November, an opportunity exists to lay this bill to rest. Regional challenges from Yemen to Syria and Iran’s aggressive footing require a deep partnership between Washington and Riyadh. It is one thing to ideally long for a day where Washington can work with both Riyadh and Tehran to address common challenges, but that day hasn’t come. Iran’s still an adversary for the US and arguably, a number of segments of Iran’s political elite still view Washington as an adversary. It’s naïve to ignore this darker reality. The next US President has an opportunity to strengthen the partnership. After almost eight years of mistrust, both Washington and Riyadh have a moment to turn the page. Hopefully, this moment is seized upon and not missed.