LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

September 03/16

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For Today

The Parable of the Slaves and the Master who Entrusted them with Different Amounts Of Money to Invest
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 19/11-28/:"As they were listening to this, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. So he said, ‘A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, "Do business with these until I come back."But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, "We do not want this man to rule over us."When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, "Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds." He said to him, "Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities."Then the second came, saying, "Lord, your pound has made five pounds." He said to him, "And you, rule over five cities." Then the other came, saying, "Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow." He said to him, "I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest." He said to the bystanders, "Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds."(And they said to him, "Lord, he has ten pounds!") "I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them bring them here and slaughter them in my presence." ’After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem."

Do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No’ be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation
Letter of James 05/07-12/:"Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. Above all, my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No’ be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation."

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 02-03/16

Lebanon is damned by a bunch of officials/Nayla Tueni/Al Arabiya/September 02/16
Why Iran needs an ‘enemy’ to survive/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya/September 02/16
America and Obama’s Resentment Rainbow/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/September 02/16
The Disastrous Nonintervention in Syria/Anne Applebaum/The Washington Post/September 02/16
Saudi Shiites’ stance on armed violence/Hassan Al Mustafa/Al Arabiya/September 02/16
Terrorism questions European tolerance and stamina/Yossi Mekelberg/Al Arabiya/September 02/16
Saudi Vision 2030 and its architect reach Tokyo/Patrick Ryan/Al Arabiya/September 02/16
Turkey Blames American Scholar for Coup Attempt/A.J. Caschetta/The Daily Caller/September 02/16
Inside ‘the Glasshouse’: Iran ‘is running covert war in Syria costing BILLIONS from top secret spymaster HQ near Damascus airport’/Jake Wallis Simons, Associate Global Editor, For Mailonline/September 02/16

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on September 02-03/16

Lebanon Indicts Syrian Officers for Twin 2013 Mosque Bombings
Lebanon indicts Syria intel officers over 2013 blast
US Under Secretary of State Shannon concludes visit to Lebanon
Fatfat: Berri-Hizbullah Harmonize on Package Deal, Hariri Nonchalant for Premiership
FPM Sets Conditions to Attend Cabinet Meetings
Hariri on Indictment in Tripoli Mosques Bombings: Proven Involvement of Syrian Regime
Garbage Crisis Returns to Parts of Lebanon
Civil Defense: Fire tamed in Maameltein Hotel
Higher Shiite Council: September 12 first Adha day
Jamaa Islamiya: To prosecute authors of Tripoli mosques twin attack
Four family members poisoned by food in Akkar
One Citizen was arrested in Riaq with ISIS logos in his cell phone
Lebanese lawmaker defends playing iPhone game in Parliament
Lebanon is damned by a bunch of officials
 

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 02-03/16

13 Dead, Dozens Wounded in Pakistan Court Blast
Putin: Russia, U.S. Could Reach Syria Cooperation Deal Soon
Clinton Campaign Appoints Ambassador Edward Gabriel as Advisor to Arab American Outreach Efforts
Saudi urges ‘great nation’ Iran to change its policies
North Syria cleared of ISIS, Kurdish militia
Putin says Russia and US nearing agreement on Syria
Six suspected meningitis cases found near Damascus
Arms storage blaze fires off rockets in Iraq
Israel to allow ICC visit on Gaza war mission
Senior German Politicians Call For the Deportation of “Hate Preachers” to be Made Easier
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir: Iran is not respecting international law.
Houthis halt regional tour, to meet UN envoy

Links From Jihad Watch Site for on September 02-03/16
Bosnia: Reporter who mocked burka goes into hiding after Muslims offer bounty for her murder
UK’s Express: Muslims fear backlash as Eid falls on September 11
Lawyer for man accused of killing NY imam says murder “has to do somewhat with the mosque itself not particularly liking the imam”
CFR “expert” Max Abrahms: “When you remove a leader of a terrorist group, lower level members rise to the top”
Christian pastor defends the burkini
German lawmaker investigates aid going to Palestinian jihadists
Islam’s Rape Game in Europe — Anni Cyrus’ “Unknown”

Links From Christian Today Site for on September 02-03/16
The one commandment that almost all Christians break, and why it matters
US churches warned of 'lone wolf' terror threat
Four suicide bombers killed after they target Christians in Pakistan
Church of England bishop comes out as gay
Law is on your side over evangelism, Christians told
Christian Colleges dominate list of 'absolute worst' for LGBT students
Vicar 'likens homosexuality to child abuse' in Facebook comments
Can Christians have sex if they aren't married? Yes, says a US pastor
US missionary's work ended by Russia's anti-evangelism law
Army chaplain speaks of doing God's work during Ebola crisis
Brazilian evangelical politicians 'prayed for President's removal'
Children and women at risk from Calais 'Jungle' demolition, warns charity

Latest Lebanese Related News published on on September 02-03/16

Lebanon Indicts Syrian Officers for Twin 2013 Mosque Bombings
Asharq Al-Awsat/September 02/16ظLebanon indicted two Syrian intelligence officers on Friday in connection with twin bombings at mosques in Tripoli in 2013, state media said, the deadliest attack in the city since the end of Lebanon’s civil war in 1990. The two blasts, at the Sunni Muslim Taqwa and al-Salam mosques in the northern Lebanese city, happened within minutes of each other in August 2013 and killed more than 40 people and injured hundreds, wrote Reuters. A Lebanese military court accused Syrian intelligence officers Muhammad Ali Ali, of the “Palestine Branch”, and Nasser Jubaan, of the “Political Security Directorate,” of planning and overseeing the attacks, Lebanon’s National News Agency said. The court ruling announcing the indictment said investigators were still trying to uncover the names of the officials responsible for giving the two officers their orders. According to NNA, the ruling said “the order was issued from a high-level security body within the Syrian intelligence service”. Shortly after the bombings, five men were charged, including a Sunni Muslim cleric close to the Syrian government. Syria, which had a military presence in Lebanon for 29 years before pulling out in 2005, is now in the sixth year of its own civil war. Sectarian strife has spilled over from Syria and exacerbated similar tensions in Lebanon. For the first three years of Syria’s conflict, Tripoli, about 30 km from the Syrian border, saw frequent clashes between Sunni Muslim insurgents and groups supportive of Syrian regime head Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite sect. But the clashes, which left hundreds dead and wounded, ceased in 2014 after a deal was reached that allowed a prominent Alawite leader to flee to Syria. Lebanese Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi, a Sunni politician vocally critical of the Syrian government and its ally Iran, said on Friday: “The era of Syrian tutelage is gone and will not return, and threats from the Syrian regime will not scare us.” In response to the court’s findings, Rifi said he would ask the Lebanese government to expel Syria’s ambassador to Lebanon and to cut diplomatic relations with Damascus. The Syrian government could not immediately be reached for comment.

Lebanon indicts Syria intel officers over 2013 blast
AFP, Beirut Friday, 2 September 2016/Lebanon on Friday indicted two Syrian intelligence officers it accused of involvement in a deadly 2013 double bomb blast in the city of Tripoli, a judicial source said. The double bombing killed 45 people, and a series of indictments have already been handed down against Lebanese and Syrians accused of involvement. The indictment names Captain Mohamed Ali Ali, an official in the Palestine branch of Syria’s intelligence services, and Nasser Jouban, an official in Syria’s political security branch. The two men, neither of whom is in custody, are accused of helping to prepare the attack, placing explosives in cars and assigning a Lebanese cell to carry out the bombing, which also wounded hundreds. The attacks targeted two Sunni mosques in Tripoli, which has frequently experienced tensions between Sunnis and Alawites who belong to the same religious minority as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and tend to support his government. The indictment alleges the attacks also involved other high-ranking Syrian officials, who are accused of directing Ali and Jouban to organize them. The blasts in the northern city were the deadliest attack in Lebanon since the country’s 1975-1990 civil war and raised fears that the conflict in neighboring Syria could be inexorably seeping across the border. Lebanon’s political landscape is largely divided between parties that back Assad and those who support the uprising against him that began in March 2011. The division has stoked tensions in Lebanon and created a political stalemate that has left the country without a president for more than two years.

US Under Secretary of State Shannon concludes visit to Lebanon
Fri 02 Sep 2016/NNA - Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas A. Shannon, Jr. concluded a two-day visit to Lebanon today, a statement by the US Embassy indicated on Friday. During his visit, Under Secretary Shannon met with a range of representatives from Lebanon's national and municipal institutions and engaged with the Lebanese people. Under Secretary Shannonmet with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, Lebanese Armed Forces Commander Jean Qahwagi, Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, and UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag. Shannon also visited the National Museum of Beirut with Minister of CultureRonny Arayji and met with a group of Lebanese Parliamentarians who visited the U.S. earlier this year. On September 2, Under Secretary Shannon visited the Bekaa Valley, where he discussed thechallenges facing local communities hosting Syrian refugees with municipal officials. Under Secretary Shannon reiterated the U.S. government's unwavering commitment to continue its support to Lebanese host communities. In this regard, he announced a $20 million grant to support UNICEF's school retention activities for academic years 2016-2018. This initial investment from the U.S. government ensures that at least 17,000 children who are at-risk of falling behind in their formal education programs are provided with adequate support to succeed. Finally, Under Secretary Shannontoured U.S. assistance projects in the Bekaa Valley, includinga USAID-rehabilitated water reservoir that provides potable drinking water to more than 8,000 Lebanese residents and Syrian refugees of Ablah. Under Secretary Shannon also visited an informal tented settlement where 200 Syrian refugees reside, and where many of the services to address the protection, shelter, and basic needs of refugees are provided with U.S.government support.He participated in a focus group at the settlement's community center with outreach volunteers who come from refugee communities and act as a link between humanitarian agencies and refugees.

Fatfat: Berri-Hizbullah Harmonize on Package Deal, Hariri Nonchalant for Premiership
Naharnet/September 03/16/Al-Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat said on Friday that Speaker Nabih Berri and Hizbullah are in harmony with regard to the 'package deal' as for the parliamentary and presidential elections, as he stressed that Mustaqbal Movement chief ex-PM Saad Hariri is not enthusiastic to become a Premier under the patronage of Hizbullah. “Speaker Berri tried to bring things together, but it is clear that he is taking the same path as that of Hizbullah with regard to the package deal,” Fatfat told al-Joumhouria daily.Berri had launched an initiative, which Mustaqbal rejected, aimed at ending Lebanon's political impasse. He called for shortening the term of parliament and that the elections be held based on the 1960 law should political forces fail to agree on a new electoral one. He also called for staging the presidential elections after the parliamentary ones and forming a national unity government. Referring to the latest approach used by Hizbullah that was clear in a speech delivered by its party leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Fatfat said: “Hizbullah's new rhetoric of rewards instead of punishment is useless. There is no credibility or commitment in the words they say.”Nasrallah had hinted in a speech on August 13 that Hizbullah would accept the re-designation of Hariri as prime minister in return for the election of MP Michel Aoun as president and the re-election of Speaker Nabih Berri as head of parliament. “There are no guarantees nor credibility but within the framework of the parliament. Let them go to the parliament if they wish to elect a president, they will not change our convictions with regard to Aoun,” added the MP. “Credibility lies in the parliament’s work and the work of the institutions, we need no other guarantees not from Hizbullah nor form any other party. Hariri is not in a hurry to become a premier under the patronage of Hizbullah,” he concluded. 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. Hariri's move prompted Geagea to endorse the nomination of Aoun, his long-time Christian rival. 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 Sets Conditions to Attend Cabinet Meetings
Naharnet/September 03/16/The Free Patriotic Movement has reportedly set conditions for its participation in the cabinet meetings and demanded the nullification of the term extension of Higher Defense Council chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kheir and the appointment of a new Army Commander to succeed General Jean Qahwaji, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday. The alleged demands of the movement show that one way to a solution for Lebanon's political impasse is deadlocked, added the daily. The Change and Reform bloc has boycotted last week's cabinet session in links to the thorny issue of security and military appointments.Defense Minister Samir Moqbel has recently postponed the retirement of Higher Defense Council chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kheir after no consensus was reached over three candidates that he had proposed, angering the FPM which says that it opposes term extensions for all senior officers. The movement fears that the extension of Kheir's term could pave the way for a new extension of the tenure of Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji. Qahwaji's retirement had been postponed in September 2013 and his term was instead extended for two years. Despite the said conditions set by the FPM, the file of military appointments is going the other direction amid expectations that Moqbel will announce the term extension of Qahwaji in the coming days, reported al-Joumhouria. An-Nahar daily said that Qahwaji's term will be extended “in the third part of September” after Prime Minister Tammam Salam returns from a trip he kicked off last week to New York. FPM Ministers Jebran Bassil and Elias Bou Saab met on Thursday with Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi at the Foreign Ministry in an initiative kicked off by the latter to help converge the points of view with regard to the conflicts that led to the boycott, An-Nahar added. The conferees agreed to stop the escalation in positions to create the best conditions for government action, added the daily.

Hariri on Indictment in Tripoli Mosques Bombings: Proven Involvement of Syrian Regime
Naharnet/September 03/16/Al-Mustaqbal Movement chief ex-PM Saad Hariri said on Friday that the court indictment decision that criminalized two Syrian intelligence officers in the 2013 double bombings of al-Salam and al-Taqwa mosques in the northern city of Tripoli, proves the direct involvement of the Syrian regime and its agencies in the crime. “With the release of the indictment in the al-Taqwa and al-Salam bombings, I hereby convey my gratitude to the judiciary, security forces, the intelligence branch and the military forces that contributed to the decision,” said Hariri via Twitter.
Judge Alaa al-Khatib, the judicial investigator into the bombings, issued on Friday an indictment in the case which named two Syrian intelligence officers who supervised the operation the first is a captain in the Syrian Intelligence Palestine Branch Mohammed Ali Ali and the official in the Political Security Division Nasser Jouban, the state-run National News Agency said. The indictment issued arrest warrants against the suspects and a permanent investigation to uncover the identities of involved senior officials who gave orders and orchestrated the attack. It added that investigations have shown that the orders originated from a senior security branch in the Syrian Intelligence. “The resolution clearly named two Syrian intelligence officers, Mohammed Ali Ali and Nasser Jouban thus accusing directly the (Syrian) regime, its intelligence and apparatuses,” added Hariri. “From the first moment we said that we will not tire to prosecute those who committed this terrorist crime and that we will seek justice for our martyrs and the wounds of the innocent. Here we are finally to the moment of truth where justice has written warrants against intelligence officers of the (Syrian President Bashar) Assad regime who thought one day that no one will unveil them,” concluded Hariri. On August 23, 2013, two car bombs exploded outside the al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques in Tripoli, leaving 45 people dead and more than 800 injured.

Garbage Crisis Returns to Parts of Lebanon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 03/16/A garbage crisis has returned to Lebanon with piles of trash piling up in regions north of Beirut months after the government headed off a political crisis over uncollected waste. The local council in the suburb of Bourj Hammoud, where a temporary dump is located, have for the past week denied access to garbage trucks on the grounds that the authorities had failed to honour a commitment to open a waste-treatment plant. In March, after an eight-month crisis which led to mass street protests, the government approved a "temporary plan" to open two new landfills, one in Bourj Hammoud to the north and another south of the capital. But recycling plans have failed to take shape. A landfill in Naameh, 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Beirut, opened in 1997 and was meant to be a temporary dump but an alternative site was never found. For 20 years, the waste generated in Beirut and Mount Lebanon -- the country's most populous areas -- was dumped in Naameh. The verdant valley swelled into a trash mountain of more than 15 million tonnes. Furious residents forced the closure of the site in July 2015, saying it was leading to high cancer rates, skin diseases and breathing problems. Uncollected rubbish began piling up around Beirut and its suburbs, emitting a horrible stench that sparked protests in downtown Beirut demanding a long-term solution. After months of political wrangling, Lebanon's cabinet announced a four-year plan to end the waste crisis -- and its first step was reopening Naameh for two months.

Civil Defense: Fire tamed in Maameltein Hotel
Fri 02 Sep 2016/NNA - Civil defense teams managed to tame a fire which broke out inside one of the hotels in Maameltein, Civil Defense Directorate said on Thursday.

Higher Shiite Council: September 12 first Adha day
Fri 02 Sep 2016/TwitterShare to WhatsAppShare to EmailShare to PrintShare to More
NNA - Vice Head of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council announced, in a statement on Friday, that forthcoming Monday, September 12, is the first day of Adha.

Jamaa Islamiya: To prosecute authors of Tripoli mosques twin attack
Fri 02 Sep 2016/NNA - Jamaa Islamiya in Tripoli called, in a statement on Friday, to prosecute those accused of the twin blast that targeted the city's Taqwa and Salam mosques. "We call the Lebanese judiciary to complete the necessary measures to prosecute the criminals and uncover involved sides," the statement read.

Four family members poisoned by food in Akkar
Fri 02 Sep 2016/NNA - Four members of the same family were transferred to a hospital in Qobayat suffering from food poisoning, National News Agency correspondent reported on Friday. The four have reportedly eaten homemade food that had been preserved in bad conditions.

One Citizen was arrested in Riaq with ISIS logos in his cell phone
Fri 02 Sep 2016/NNA - Citizen Mouwaffaq W., born 1989, was arrested today at Tal Amara-Riaq security checkpoint, as logos and anthem of ISIS as well as a picture of Abu Mosaab Zarqawi were found in his cell phone, National News Agency correspondent reported on Friday.

Lebanese lawmaker defends playing iPhone game in Parliament
The Daily Star/September 02/16ظBEIRUT: Kataeb MP Nadim Gemayel Thursday accused a rival lawmaker of circulating a photo of him playing a game on his phone inside Parliament to try to embarrass him. A picture showing Gemayel playing “Allies and Enemies” on his iPhone during a Wednesday meeting of the Finance and Budget Committee had gone viral on social media, with users mocking the lawmaker for slacking off. But in a statement issued Thursday, Gemayel said the photo was taken before the meeting got under way. He accused Free Patriotic Movement MP Hikmat Dib of having taken it for the sole purpose of putting a stain on Gemayel’s reputation. Parliament's Finance and Budget Committee began holding meetings Monday to seek to address the trash crisis. MP Agop Bakradonian had told the Al Joumhouriya newspaper that Wednesday’s session was “fruitless.”

Lebanon is damned by a bunch of officials
Nayla Tueni/Al Arabiya/September 02/16
Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Gebran Bassil last week said anyone trying to uproot the party from the cabinet by holding a session against the national pact is damned. “Damned is anyone who tries to uproot us from parliament through an electoral law that violates the national pact,” he said. “Damned is anyone who tries to uproot us from the presidency to bring a president whose election violates the national pact. Anyone who tries to uproot us from our land is damned by God.” Minister Alice Chabtini replied that he who does not allow the election of a president is damned. Both are right, but those who are totally right are Lebanese citizens, who have suffered for some time. Their daily lives are harmed by the quarrels of irresponsible officials, who are occupied with their own causes, interests, ambitions and calculations of foreign parties. Lebanon is damned by these officials. The real curse, however, must befall those leaders who wrongly use their representation of people and do not seek to serve the public. Lebanon has been plagued by rulers, from the remnants of militias, who want to legitimize their militant activity within the official framework
Is he who obstructs electing a president not damned? Is he who obstructs parliamentary and governmental roles in serving the public not damned? Is he who opens Lebanon’s borders to strangers not damned? Is he who involves us in others’ wars not damned? Is he who allows garbage to pile up on the streets, harming citizens’ health, not damned? Is he who allows the pollution of underground water by toxic waste, landfills or quarries not damned? Is he who violates the use of public property and encourages corruption not damned? Lebanon has been plagued by rulers, from the remnants of militias, who do not consider the concept of state and institutions, but want to legitimize their militant activity within the official framework. Many Lebanese have achieved distinguished success inside and outside the country. The Lebanese people have survived the most difficult circumstances, defied all invaders, resisted occupiers and confronted economic collapse.
Sense of responsibility
The diaspora has gained the significance it deserves. The Lebanese people do not deserve to be punished in their own country, and current political practices that are based on maliciousness must not push them toward humiliation and disgrace. The people deserve to have officials who are up to the responsibility. However, it is the people’s responsibility to elect those with a good reputation to represent them well, so they do not blackmail, bribe, intimidate or mobilize them in a sectarian manner. By doing so, they will avoid bringing the same people to parliament, and will not repeat their past mistakes and just resume complaining forever as state institutions continue to be harmed and the country continues to be sabotaged.
**This article was first published in an-Nahar on Aug. 29, 2016.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on on September 02-03/16

13 Dead, Dozens Wounded in Pakistan Court Blast
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 03/16/At least 13 people were killed and more than 50 wounded after a suicide bomber attacked a court in the Pakistani city of Mardan Friday, police said, the latest assault targeting Pakistan's legal community. The bomber shot his way through the main gate leading to the district court, before throwing a hand grenade and detonating his suicide vest among the morning crowds, senior police official Ejaz Khan told reporters. Rescuers were picking their way through scattered human remains and blood-stained office equipment and files to collect survivors, witnesses said. Amir Hussain, president of the Mardan Bar Association, said he was in a room nearby when the bomb detonated. "There was dust everywhere, and people were crying loud with pain," he said. His suit drenched in blood, he added: "I started picking up the wounded and putting them in cars to take them to hospital. I did not know if the people I was rescuing were dead or alive." Lawyers were being targeted because they are "an important part of democracy, and these terrorists are opposed to democracy," he said. "Our morale is not dented. It is still high," he added. Mardan Rescue spokesman Bilal Ahmad Faizi said 12 people had been killed and 54 injured in the blast. Police official Faisal Shehzad, said the dead included police and lawyers. Officials said the bomber had up to eight kilogrammes of explosives packed into his vest. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes three weeks after a massive suicide blast killed scores of lawyers in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, in Balochistan. - Christians targeted - Friday's blast came as security forces fended off four suicide bombers who were trying to attack a Christian colony in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial capital of Peshawar, 60 kilometres (37 miles) to the west of Mardan. Soldiers backed by army helicopters exchanged gunfire with militants in suicide vests who had tried to attack the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar, the army said. All four attackers were killed along with a guard at the entrance to the colony, the statement said, adding that the situation is "under control".Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attempt. The group has also said it was behind the attack on lawyers in Quetta, which killed 73 people on August 8, as well as the Lahore Easter bombing which killed 75 people in Pakistan's deadliest attack this year. Discrimination and violence against religious minorities is commonplace in Pakistan, where Muslims account for more than 90 percent of the population, while the legal community are also frequently the subjects of targeted killings and attacks. The Pakistani Taliban in particular routinely target minority groups and soft targets such as courts and schools.Taliban militants stormed a school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 150 people, mostly children, in Pakistan's deadliest-ever terror attack. The army launched an operation in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and so bring an end to the bloody insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned Friday's attacks, adding that militants were on the back foot and were "showing (their) frustration by attacking soft targets". "They shall not get space to hide in Pakistan," he added.

Putin: Russia, U.S. Could Reach Syria Cooperation Deal Soon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 03/16/Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview aired Friday that Moscow and Washington could soon reach a cooperation deal on Syria. "In my opinion we're gradually heading in the right direction and I don't exclude that we'll be able to agree on something in the near future and present our agreements to the international community," Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg News. Russian and American officials are holding negotiations in Geneva aimed at reestablishing a ceasefire in Syria and cooperating militarily against the Islamic State and other jihadist groups in the country. "The talks are very difficult," Putin said. "One of the key problems is that we insist, and our American partners do not object to this, that the so-called healthy part of the opposition should be separated from the radical groups and terrorist organisations such as Jabhat Al-Nusra."Russia and U.S. are on opposing sides of the Syria conflict with Moscow flying a bombing campaign in support of Syrian leader Bashar Assad and Washington demanding he go. Any military cooperation between the two sides in Syria could prove a game-changer but many in the U.S. -- which is leading a separate coalition against IS -- are skeptical that Moscow can be trusted.
 

Clinton Campaign Appoints Ambassador Edward Gabriel as Advisor to Arab American Outreach Efforts
Arab America/Nisreen Eadeh/Staff Writer
Democratic presidential nominee, Secretary Hillary Clinton, has developed an ethnic outreach effort to gain votes from various groups, including Arab Americans. Advising her campaign in Arab American outreach is Edward Gabriel, the former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco.
Mr. Gabriel has been an active leader in the Arab American community for many years. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Morocco during President Bill Clinton’s administration, where he developed a close friendship with Mrs. Clinton. He has been a Middle East Policy Advisor in the last three administrations, and is currently serving in leadership positions at the Arab American Institute and the American Task Force for Lebanon. Mr. Gabriel is also involved in non-profit efforts. He is the co-chair of two American schools in Morocco and works often with ACCESS and the Arab American National Museum.
For his part, Mr. Gabriel is conducting outreach in Michigan, Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, but the campaign hopes to reach Arab Americans in all 50 states. “There’s a great effort by Hillary and the campaign to make sure Arab Americans are a vital part of this targeted outreach effort,” Mr. Gabriel told Arab America.
“Hillary’s theme is stronger together and that theme is across the board in this plan to reach Arab Americans. We are casting a wide net to encourage as many people as possible to get excited about Hillary and to get to know her.”
Clinton Campaign Appoints Ambassador Edward Gabriel as Advisor to Arab American Outreach Efforts
Hillary Clinton at a rally in North Carolina. Image credit: NY Daily News
Mr. Gabriel and other advisors have set up many initiatives to reach Arab Americans. In the works are small group meetings of leaders from each state, an “Arab American Day for Hillary” in Michigan, phone banking, social media outreach, and visiting top cities to meet with influential community members.
The former ambassador’s plans have two main goals. “One is to make sure Arab Americans turn out and vote for Clinton and get in volunteer roles. The second thing I hope to achieve is showing a strong Arab American presence in electing her as president. That way we deserve a seat at the table when it comes to solving domestic issues,” said Mr. Gabriel.
One of the main domestic issues Mr. Gabriel hopes to see addressed are Arab American civil liberties. Since 9/11, Arab Americans have been disproportionately targeted in surveillance, racial profiling, and unchecked terrorist watchlists, hindering the community’s civil rights. Mr. Gabriel believes “Hillary is the best candidate in either party when it comes to protecting and caring for the civil liberties of Arab Americans. When it comes to Donald Trump, it’s not even a contest.”
Clinton Campaign Appoints Ambassador Edward Gabriel as Advisor to Arab American Outreach Efforts
When asked about how Arab Americans can overcome Clinton’s stance on Israel – an issue that prevents many in the community from supporting the candidate – Mr. Gabriel said that he trusts her to earn the confidence of Israelis and Palestinians to work together.
“I can say unequivocally that she cares about all people in the Middle East… She was the first to call for a two-state solution, which has now become the official policy of the United States,” recalled Mr. Gabriel. “I’ve watched her and I’ve listened to her in [the peace process] and I believe she’s taken the exact approach necessary to gain the trust of the parties to move forward,” he added.
Although Mr. Gabriel was not in the position to discuss policy opinions on behalf of the campaign, his faith in Hillary Clinton is sure to motivate other Arab American voters in time for the election.
Other prominent Arab Americans included in the community outreach efforts are Jim Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute in Washington, DC; Fay Beydoun, Executive Director of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce in Dearborn, MI; and Saba Shami, founder of the New Dominion Political Action Committee for Arab Americans in Virginia.
In order for Arab Americans to see their concerns addressed by political leaders, they must get involved. “We have a real seat at the table with this outreach plan,” said Mr. Gabriel. “She cares a great deal about the community and hearing our voices, which is why our interests are best served by Hillary Clinton.”

Saudi urges ‘great nation’ Iran to change its policies
Staff writer, Al Arabiya News Channel Friday, 2 September 2016/Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said on Friday that Iran is not respecting international law when it continues to back the Syrian regime, the Lebanese Shiite militant group and political party Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi militia group, urging Tehran to change its policies. “We see Iran intervening in Syria and supporting Hezbollah and the Houthis, and it is behind some of the operations threatening national security of the region,” Jubeir, who is currently visiting Japan, said. “We do not see changes in Iran’s policies,” he added. “We see that it is trying to send in arms to Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Iran should decide if it is in war or the opposite? If it is in war and it does not respect international law and goes on with its plans, then it not possible to be able to deal with it.”He also urged Iran to return to the “family” of international community to weave new relations with regional countries. “We wish from Iran, a great nation with great history and great people, to be able to change its policies which it built in 1979 so it can be a new member in the international community, weaving new policies with it.”
Saudi criticism of Iran’s role in the Middle East is not new. In June, Jubeir had warned against Iranian efforts to “destabilize” the Middle East.

North Syria cleared of ISIS, Kurdish militia
Ece Toksabay, Reuters, Ankara Friday, 2 September 2016/Turkey has swept ISIS militants and Kurdish YPG militia from an area of northern Syria, but Syrian Kurdish forces have still not met a Turkish demand to withdraw to the east of the Euphrates river, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. Turkey launched a cross-border offensive into Syria last week, saying it had a dual aim of driving away militants and ensuring Kurdish militia forces did not fill the void that was left by extending their control of territory along Turkey’s border. Turkey is concerned that Syrian Kurdish militia fighters could embolden Kurdish militants waging an insurgency on its soil. Turkish warplanes renewed air strikes on ISIS sites in northern Syria on Friday, CNN Turk reported, the latest attacks since Turkish-backed forces began the incursion on Aug. 24. Turkish officials have said Turkish-backed militia forces in recent days have struck westwards, in militants areas. Erdogan told a news conference early on Friday that the operation dubbed “Euphrates Shield” had been successful in clearing ISIS and Kurdish YPG from a 400-sq-km (150-square mile) area. But he dismissed claims that the Kurdish YPG, which Ankara calls a terrorist group, had withdrawn to a Kurdish-controlled canton to the east of the Euphrates River. The YPG says it has done so and US officials agree that is mostly the case. The outlawed Kurdish militant PKK has squandered the opportunity for a political peace process with Turkey by continuing its insurgency against Ankara, Turkey's prime minister said on Friday. The autonomy-seeking Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has launched a spate of attacks since a ceasefire broke down last year, returning to arms in its three-decades-long insurgency in southeast Turkey.
‘Squandering for peace’
The outlawed Kurdish militant PKK has squandered the opportunity for a political peace process with Turkey by continuing its insurgency against Ankara, Turkey's prime minister said on Friday. The autonomy-seeking Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has launched a spate of attacks since a ceasefire broke down last year, returning to arms in its three-decades-long insurgency in southeast Turkey. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a televised briefing with ministers that security forces had contained the threat from Kurdish militants in urban areas of the southeast and were still pursuing them in rural regions. He said the government has spent 10 billion lira ($3.4 billion) on the fighting the militants, without giving a time frame. He also said any mayors found backing militants would be removed.

Putin says Russia and US nearing agreement on Syria
Reuters, Moscow Friday, 2 September 2016/President Vladimir Putin says Russia and the United States could be close to reaching an agreement on Syria despite differences about how best to resolve the conflict, Bloomberg news agency reported on Friday. In an interview two days before a G20 meeting in China with US President Barack Obama and other world leaders, Putin said ongoing talks between Moscow and Washington were very difficult but on the right track. “In my view, we are gradually moving in the right direction,” Putin was quoted as saying in a transcript of the interview released by the Kremlin. “I do not exclude that in the near future we may agree on something and show this agreement to the world community. “For now, it is too early to say, but it seems to me that we are proceeding, as I already said, in the right direction.”US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov failed to reach a breakthrough deal on military cooperation and a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria last week, but said teams from both sides would try to finalize details in Geneva. The negotiations between senior US and Russian officials, aimed at securing a broad ceasefire in Syria, are now seen lasting into the weekend as fighting in the country intensifies. There is also hope of agreeing a weekly 48-hour truce in the divided northern city of Aleppo to allow aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

Six suspected meningitis cases found near Damascus
AFP, Geneva Friday, 2 September 2016/Six suspected cases of meningitis have been identified in a Syrian town near Damascus that is under siege by government forces, the World Heath Organization (WHO) said Friday. The suspected cases were diagnosed in the town of Madaya between Aug. 3 and Aug. 30. WHO has already evacuated two of those infected, a child and an adolescent. The UN agency said it was in contact with health officials about sending medicines and organizing the evacuation of the other four suspected cases. An activist in Madaya, Abdel Wahab Ahmed, who works at a health facility in the town, told AFP that the mother and two sisters of the evacuated child had also become infected. “The family has been placed in medical isolation in their home, after two weeks of treatment with the only medicines available failed,” he said. Several cases of meningitis are reported every week, according to WHO. Most of them are viral forms of the disease, which tends to be less severe than the bacterial form. WHO was not in a position to say Friday which type of meningitis was suspected in Madaya. On Aug. 19, the Red Crescent evacuated 18 people, including 13 sick children from Madaya, according to a doctor who treated the children. Among the children was a 10-year-old boy who had been suffering from meningitis for a month. Under a September 2015 accord, all evacuations from the government-besieged towns of Madaya and Zabadani have to be done in parallel with similar evacuations from Fuaa and Kafraya.

Arms storage blaze fires off rockets in Iraq
Reuters, Baghdad Friday, 2 September 2016/A blast caused by a fire at a weapons storage depot in eastern Baghdad on Friday set off rockets that hit neighboring districts, killing at least four residents and injuring 14 others, police and hospital sources said. Video footage showed a large plume of smoke rising above the depot. A huge explosion was followed by a massive shockwave. Women and children were heard screaming in the background. Footage of the blast site showed a massive crater almost five meters (15 foot) deep and 20 meters wide. Many surrounding buildings and vehicles were heavily damaged. The depot belonged to one of the Shi'ite paramilitary groups of the Popular Mobilization Force (PMF), a police officer said. The PMF is a coalition of mostly Iranian-backed militias that are fighting ISIS, the hardline Sunni group that overran swathes of northern and western Iraq two years ago.
The rockets set off from the depot damaged houses, shops and cars at eight locations, and started a fire at a flour factory that was still burning two hours after it was hit, the police officer said.

Israel to allow ICC visit on Gaza war mission
AFP, Jerusalem Friday, 2 September 2016/Israel is to host a working group of the International Criminal Court as it weighs whether to probe alleged war crimes in the 2014 Gaza war, an Israeli official said Friday. The group’s arrival “shortly” will be unprecedented, he told AFP on condition of anonymity, saying the visit was intended to show the ICC team “how the Israeli judicial system works.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman declined to comment. The trip is at the request of ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, whose office, in a brief statement, confirmed Friday it “is in talks with both Palestinian and Israeli authorities about a potential visit.” Under its statutes, the ICC must be satisfied that the state in question is unable or unwilling to pursue the matter itself before the court opens war crimes proceedings. Israel will seek to convince the visiting ICC team that it intends to see justice done over accusations it used excessive force in the July-August 2014 war in and around the Palestinian territory and events immediately preceding it. The official could not say if the group would be given access to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to which Israel controls all passage except across the largely closed Gaza-Egypt border.
The 2014 conflict between Israel and Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas and other factions killed 2,251 Palestinians, including 551 children, according to UN figures. On the Israeli side, 73 people were killed, mostly soldiers. Israel and the Palestinians have accused each other of war crimes.
Israel is alleged to have used force indiscriminately, while Hamas is accused of firing rockets at Israeli civilian population centers and of using Palestinians as human shields. The Palestinians formally asked the ICC last year to investigate the Jewish state, which has not signed up to the ICC, for alleged war crimes.
Israel vehemently opposes any ICC investigation, but officials have said they will cooperate with the body to convince it of the competence of the state’’s own courts. Meanwhile, Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki met Bensouda in The Hague on Friday for unspecified talks. “#ICC Prosecutor receives MFA of #Palestine: #ICC stands for independent & impartial justice #withoutfearorfavour” said an ICC tweet, which shows a smiling Bensouda and Malki shaking hands. Malki in October last year handed over a new dossier allegedly documenting “Israeli aggression” after a fresh wave of violence gripped Israel and the Palestinians.

Senior German Politicians Call For the Deportation of “Hate Preachers” to be Made Easier
Majid al-Khateeb/Asharq Al Awsat/September 02/16ظThe late German chancellor Helmut Schmidt described politics as a “combat sport” 40 years ago. It seems that the Merkel’s Christian Democratic-led bloc wants to deal refugees suspected of terrorism and criminality a “knockout blow” as part of the forced deportation policy that it is proposing. The widely read newspaper Die Welt presented the general outlines for more laws on extremism in the context of the war on terrorism which the Christian coalition would like to submit to the government soon.
These ideas come less than a month after a package of new hard-line laws was presented by the interior ministers of states that are governed by the two Christian parties in Germany. The new proposals see an adoption of the “knockout blow” policy that will forcibly “deport refugees from Germany when they commit certain offences”.According to the Die Welt report, it is assumed that these proposals were put forward at the joint meeting between the two Christian parties which took place on Thursday in the capital Berlin. The proposals call for authorities to be given greater powers in investigations into terrorism cases, especially with regards to monitoring the internet and decoding conversations and correspondence exchanged on social networking networks. The proposal outlines the need for social media networks to record all communication and correspondence that takes place on its pages and placing this information at the disposal of the police. Currently, data from pages on the internet is kept for a few weeks; however, this period of time is not sufficient to carry out security investigations on encrypted and complex terrorist communications. Therefore, the proposals emphasise the need to keep this information for a longer period of time and place it at the disposal of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir: Iran is not respecting international law.
Friday, 02 September 2016 /Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said on Friday that Iran is not respecting international law when it continues to back the Syrian regime, the Lebanese Shiite militant group and political party Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi militia group, urging Tehran to change its policies. “We see Iran intervening in Syria and supporting Hezbollah and the Houthis, and it is behind some of the operations threatening national security of the region,” Jubeir, who is currently visiting Japan, said. “We do not see changes in Iran’s policies,” he added. “We see that it is trying to send in arms to Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Iran should decide if it is in war or the opposite? If it is in war and it does not respect international law and goes on with its plans, then it not possible to be able to deal with it.” He also urged Iran to return to the “family” of international community to weave new relations with regional countries.
“We wish from Iran, a great nation with great history and great people, to be able to change its policies which it built in 1979 so it can be a new member in the international community, weaving new policies with it.”Saudi criticism of Iran’s role in the Middle East is not new.
In June, Jubeir had warned against Iranian efforts to “destabilize” the Middle East.

Houthis halt regional tour, to meet UN envoy
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Friday, 2 September 2016/Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia group discontinued its regional tour late on Thursday and instead headed to Muscat to meet with the UN envoy, the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported. After meeting with Iraqi President Fouad Masoum, Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, and Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Jaafari in Baghdad, the Houthis left for the Omani capital, Muscat, sources told Anadolu. The sources said the Houthis will be meeting the UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who will be arriving in Muscat from New York on Saturday. The regional tour by Houthis is aimed at seeking backing for their unilateral declaration of a “political council” to administer the crisis-hit, cash-strapped Yemen, included Iraq, Iran and Lebanon.
Peace talks
On Aug. 6, peace talks between Yemen’s warring sides – the Houthi militia and the internationally recognized government of President Abed Rabbu Mansour Hadi - ended without bringing any breakthrough. Even before the Kuwait-based talks ended, Houthi militia and its allies in former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s General People’s Congress party signed an agreement to set up the political council to run the country in late July, further jeopardizing any efforts to close the gap between the two sides. On his Twitter account, the Houthis’ spokesmen and head of its delegation Mohammed Abed Al-Salam said “the delegation has returned to Muscat after an official visit to Iraq to open up horizons with the regional and international community, especially after the formation of the political council.”
Military escalation
Meanwhile, the UN envoy told the Security Council that the military escalation in Yemen will provide opportunities for militant groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS to spread, and warning that they will wreak havoc in many parts of Yemen. “However, the absence of the state in many parts of Yemen, in addition to the chaos created by war, will continue to facilitate the expansion of the terrorist groups which represents a real threat to the region,” he said.

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on on September 02-03/16

Why Iran needs an ‘enemy’ to survive
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya/September 02/16
In his latest speeches, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been emphasizing on how the Islamic Republic should focus on confronting and resisting its “enemies” and how Iranian leaders should not trust Iran’s enemies under any circumstances. Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, Tehran’s message has been consistent that the Islamic Republic faces existential threats and enemies. Iran’s state-owned media outlets have been spreading the same message and narrative. For Iran, the US and Israel have been consistently considered as major enemies, while Iranian leaders have also added other regional nations their list of enemies in various periods. But why does the Islamic Republic have to constantly remind its population of the “enemies”?
A narrative to survive
The long-standing Iranian leaders’ narrative that Iran faces enemies has been consistently manifesting itself in Friday prayers, speeches that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers on a regular basis, as well as the general of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), mottos of the state’s semi-militia group Basij, and so on. Coining labels for the enemy such as the “Great Satan” has also been engraved in the political ideology of the system.
Children are taught from an early age, through the educational system and books, about these dangerous “enemies”. The state’s media outlets persistently reiterate who the “enemies” are, why they are the enemies and generally bashing them. As Mina, an Iran-based political scientist pointed out “almost 90 percent of Iran’s news is focused on warning the people about the regional and global enemies, bashing the US, Israel or other states in the region such as Saudi Arabia, and the rest of the news is about spreading Shiite theology, mourning the death of Shiite leaders, showing that the Shiite are the victims, and showing how Iran is the only good country in the region”. In other words, by looking at Iran’s policies since 1979, one can observe that Iran has methodically, systematically, and effectively used the concept of “enemy”. By showing that the enemy is the oppressor, Iran describes itself as the oppressed which gives immunity to the ruling clerics in order to commit any acts for “self-defense”
Fearmongering
Having powerful “enemies” serves very well as a social, political, strategic and economic scapegoat for Iranian leaders. Without an “enemy” how can the Iranian leader justify cracking down on opposition? Without the existential “enemy”, how can Khamenei and the IRGC explain the large military budget? Without the “enemies”, how can Iranian leaders distract attention from the accumulation of wealth at the top and the large amount of poverty in Iran?
Without the “enemy” how can General Qassem Soleimani and Khamenei explain the intervention in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain? Without these enemies, who will the Iranian leaders blame for the fact that over half of Iran’s population are surviving under poverty line? With no “enemy”, how can Iranian leaders maintain the core of their revolutionary principles and the Islamic character of the state? If there is no “enemy”, how will Iranian leaders take attention away from the day-to-day difficulties that Iranians face? Without the “enemies”, from which social base would Khamenei obtain his legitimacy? Without the “enemies”, how can the IRGC brutally crack down on domestic oppositions and turn its military institution into a regional empire? Iran’s military budget continues to increase, although Iran has not been attacked by any state or non-state actor in the last three decades.
Creating enemies
The most important reason lies in the notion that Iranian leaders have methodically and systematically used the “enemies” as a scapegoat and a tool to more easily justify a crackdown on any opposition domestically.
In the first few years after the revolution, Iran consolidated its power by labeling the opposition as the enemies (Americans, Israelis or Iraqis), conspirators and traitors. This gave the state the legal platform to eliminate the opposition. This approach has continued until the present.
From the military perspective having an enemy has given the top gilded circle of Iranian leaders the excuse to accumulate wealth through utilizing most of the budget, revenues, the nation’s resources and wealth. Not only the wealth gets accumulated at the top, but also the increasing power and capacity of Iran’s military will ensure that the ruling leaders can suppress the opposition domestically, pursue Tehran’s regional hegemonic ambitions, and deter any possibility of foreign intervention that might endanger the government’s hold on power.
Authoritarian and paranoid
Having an “enemy” for Iranian clerics is a powerful tool to unify the population, create the “other”, divide and rule, and more easily control the population by identifying the “deviants” from the supporters of the religious rule in the country. Having a powerful “enemy” is a method to rule by invoking nationalistic sentiments through instigating hatred and fear. The most prominent example of application of this method in the modern history would be the Nazi Party. However, the Islamic Republic not only invokes the nationalistic sentiments but also the revolutionary ones. This creates a powerful force behind the government. This method is much easier than unifying people and galvanizing support by focusing on resolving domestic issues. When you have an “enemy”, people across the political spectrum support the government. It creates blind patriotism.
The Islamic Republic can better define its ideological political identity by positioning itself on the good side and projecting the enemy as barbarian, demonic, malicious, and immoral. By showing that the enemy is the oppressor, Iran describes itself as the oppressed which gives immunity to the ruling clerics in order to commit any acts for “self-defense”.
The Islamic Republic is also a religious revolutionary state. Two of its core values are standing against the “enemy” and viewing things from the prism of being either on the side of evil or the benevolent. A religious revolutionary state can either turn into a force of goodness or it can become a paranoid state. The Islamic Republic is a paranoid and religious revolutionary state that analyzes things in a binary paradigm: If you agree with their ideology, you are good (you can be a communist, capitalist, or theocrat). If you disagree with them on anything, you are not only an enemy but you need to be wiped out and suppressed (even if you are one of the founding members of the government). For this kind of government, there is no middle ground, there is no compromise. Finally, the “enemy” can also be a force for unifying supporters and creating loyalty as a result of the imaginary threat. No matter how much Iran’s “enemies” try, the country’s leaders will not change its policies towards them. The Islamic republic’s ruling clerics cannot afford not to have such outstanding “enemies”. If Iran does not have an enemy, it will have to create one to survive.

America and Obama’s Resentment Rainbow
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/September 02/16
While all attention is focused on what will happen at the forthcoming presidential election in the United States, the real question may well be: what will happen after the new tenant enters the White House?
The question is not fanciful. For two centuries the US has enjoyed a consensus under which the loser in every election accepts the results and offers to work with the winner for the public good. All those involved in American public life agreed, at least implicitly, that democracy cannot function without compromises that at times may even be humiliating for some.
This time things look different. The Republican nominee Donald Trump has circulated the rumour that unknown hands are at work to rig the election in favour of his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton, hinting that if that did happen his supporters might have recourse to violence.
For her part, Mrs. Clinton’s camp has fed its rumours into the machine, including the claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin may hack US electoral computers to ensure Trump’s victory.
Since the earliest days, all American presidential elections have generated a great deal of verbal violence and bitterness. However, the US has seldom been divided salami-style in accordance with ethnic, religious and ideological “identities.”
Salami-style politics started with Barack Obama in 2008 as he built his “rainbow coalition of minorities”. Eight years later that “rainbow coalition” isn’t what it was in its heyday. Yet, it has managed to inject long lasting resentment and bitterness into American politics. It has made chagrin and victim hood not only acceptable as political tools but even profitable.Today, you could enter the public arena with a chip on your shoulder and demand retribution for real or imagined wrongs done to your distant ancestors.
The Obama family have done more than their bit to promote the culture of what the French call “ressentiment” (deep seated resentment). Barack himself has toured the world to portray the US as a big bad wolf and to apologise to real or imagined victims.
The First Lady Michelle Obama has brought her own pails of water to the mill. In her address to the Democrat Party Convention, she offered a top notch performance of “ressentiment”. She said every morning she wakes up in the White House she remembers that the building was built by black slaves.
She conveniently forgets that Barack is only half black and that his black half had no history of being slaves in the US because they were not Americans in the first place. She also forgets that the original White House, built in eight years and first used by President John Adams in 1800, had been the work of the Irish architect James Hoban and his gang of Irish “navvies”. There may have been some blacks among the workers who built the original edifice. But there is no evidence they were Hoban’s slaves.
In any case, the building in which Michelle wakes to nurse her “ressentiment” isn’t quite the one completed in 1800. The British burned the White House in 1814 while setting Washington on fire. Once restored, the White House underwent several transformations in 1901, 1927 and 1946, long after slavery had been abolished in the United States. In 1948, under President Harry S Truman, the building was remodelled again, keeping only the outer walls.
Had Mrs. Obama not been so full of hatred for the US she might have said that every morning as she wakes up in the White House, she celebrates American democracy that gave her, a descendant of slaves, the opportunity to marry a mixed-race free man who became President of the United States.
The Obamas do not have a monopoly on “ressentiment”. Earlier this month a certain Colin Kaepernick said to be a star in a San Francisco football (not be mistaken with soccer) team, refused to stand up during the performance of the American National Anthem known as the Star Spangled Banner.
When he explained why, this is what he said: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour.” He was, of course, referring to the shooting by policemen of a number of blacks under dubious circumstances.
The incident triggered an avalanche of home-made Hate-America sentiments. Four lines from the end of the third verse of the song were cited as “proof” that the US deserves demonization. The lines are:
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
What the retailers of “ressentiment” ignore is that Francis Scott Key wrote Star Spangled Banner in 1814 as a war song after the British invasion force had bombarded Fort McHenry in Baltimore. By that time, the British had beaten back a US attempt at seizing territory in Canada, driven right down to Washington where, as already noted, they burned the White House.
The British who had invaded with around 20,000 troops could not have sustained their war effort without reinforcement on the ground. They did by recruiting, and in some cases, press-ganging, black slaves who ran away from the fields where they worked for white masters, hence the song’s reference to “slave.”
The British also recruited mercenaries in Europe hence the song’s reference to “hireling”. At one point the British created a unit called “Colonial Marines” made of black slaves, European mercenaries and white American defectors.
In the end the Brits failed to destroy the newly-indpendent United States or to “dethrone Mr. Madison”, as the British commander called the then US President James Madison. Over 6000 Black Americans who had fought alongside the Brits left with them to be resettled in Canada and Jamaica.
The song that has caused so much “ressentiments” castigates those, slave or free, who sided with the enemy at war. The merchants of “ressentiments” are not to be found in Obama’s “rainbow” coalition. One could also find them in Trump’s camp which has attracted adepts of other types of “ressentiments”. But that has to wait for another column!

The Disastrous Nonintervention in Syria
Anne Applebaum/The Washington Post/September 02/16
I do not know what would have happened if three years ago David Cameron, the British prime minister, had not foolishly held and lost a vote on intervention in Syria in the House of Commons. Perhaps if he had paid more attention, seemed more interested and told his colleagues to come home from vacation, he might have succeeded. Perhaps an intervention would have followed. Perhaps it would have helped end the conflict — or perhaps it would have failed. We will never know. But we do know what happened instead. Britain withdrew support for a mission intended to halt the use of chemical weapons by Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian dictator. Spooked by the House of Commons vote, President Obama also changed his mind. On the morning of Aug. 30, 2013, Secretary of State John F. Kerry called for action: “History is full of leaders who have warned against inaction, indifference, and especially against silence when it mattered most.” By the next day, however, the president declared that all plans for a strike were off. The French, caught off guard, didn’t want to do anything alone, so they too withdrew — regretfully. “It was a great surprise,” the French prime minister told the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg. “If we had bombed as was planned, I think things would be different today.”
I repeat: Maybe a U.S.-British-French intervention would have ended in disaster. If so, we would today be mourning the consequences. But sometimes it’s important to mourn the consequences of nonintervention too. Three years on, we do know, after all, exactly what nonintervention has produced:
Refugees. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there were 4.8 million registered Syrian refugees as of Aug. 16. There are thought to be an additional 2 million refugees who remain inside Syria but are displaced from their homes. Three-quarters of those who have fled their homes are women and children. Most own nothing except what they are wearing. To give some perspective, the refugee crisis caused by the Yugoslav wars in the early 1990s produced 2.3 million refugees, a number then considered to be the worst refugee crisis since the 1940s. The Syrian crisis is three times larger.
Physical destruction. The ancient cities of Aleppo, Bosra and Palmyra are irreparably damaged. Damascus is badly damaged. Infrastructure — roads, bridges, factories — across the country has been destroyed. Schools and hospitals have been leveled. Only last month, the Syrian regime bombed four makeshift hospitals and a blood bank in Aleppo.
Destabilization of the region. The vast majority of the refugees are in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, where they put an enormous economic and political burden on poorer, frailer states. A fifth of the residents of Lebanon are Syrian refugees, numbers that may upset the delicate political balance there. Riots have broken out in refugee camps in Jordan. In Turkey, the side effects of the Syrian war also include the exacerbation of tensions with the Kurdish minority and other groups inside the country, as well as high rates of crime, smuggling and unrest along the border. Turkey, a NATO member, has been drawn further into the conflict: If ISIS attacks Turkey, there may have to be a NATO response.
Destabilization of Europe. Thanks in part to the war in Syria, hundreds of thousands of refugees have sought to reach Europe by boat across the Mediterranean or by foot across the Balkans. UNHCR reckoned in May that more than 2,000 people — from Syria as well as Africa — had drowned in 2016 alone, more than had died in the same period in 2015. Islands off the coast of Greece and Italy are overwhelmed. The European Union’s unwillingness or inability to control the flow has helped further undermine its institutional credibility.
Rise of xenophobia across the West. The spectacle of hundreds of thousands of people walking and sailing into Europe has also launched an unprecedented wave of xenophobia. Elections in Austria and Poland have been partly swayed by anti-refugee rhetoric, which also played a part in the Brexit vote in the U.K. Far-right and nationalist parties in Hungary, France, Germany and Italy are successfully using fear of Syrian refugees to gain support. So is the Donald Trump campaign in the United States.
To sum up: Physical, human and political damage on an unprecedented scale; ongoing security threats; the renewed stirrings of fascism. Maybe those are better than the alternative that seemed so unpalatable to the British Parliament and the American president. But it’s hardly an outstanding success.

Saudi Shiites’ stance on armed violence
Hassan Al Mustafa/Al Arabiya/September 02/16
On Aug. 17, seven prominent Saudi Shiite scholars issued a statement condemning the attack against a police station in Qatif, in the kingdom’s east. They described what happened as a “terrorist” act, after a security man was killed by gunfire from unknown assailants. The scholars confirmed the importance of state institutions and emphasized the significance of maintaining social peace. They called for cooperation between citizens and security forces to confront terrorism and criminality. Figures with different intellectual and political orientations signed the statement. Among them is prominent cleric Sheikh Abdelkarim al-Hubail, who appeared in a BBC Arabic documentary in 2014. He sat with photos of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei behind him. Hubail’s signature and condemnation of terrorism lifts the religious cover off any armed act under the name of revolutionary work.
After the statement was issued, prominent cleric Sheikh Hassan al-Saffar and a group of social activists visited the police headquarters in Qatif to offer condolences for the death of the security man, whom the statement described as a “martyr.” This description has social and religious significance as it places the killed man in the ranks of good people and believers. This declared stance by these significant Saudi Shiite clerics, which considers violence a religiously prohibited violation of the law, is nothing new. However, it comes within the context of other occasions in which they confirmed that the solution to any problem that the Shiites suffer from must be peaceful. In March 2014, notable Shiite scholars in Qatif and Dammam stated that using arms against citizens and security forces is illegitimate and religiously prohibited. They warned of the threat of “extremist groups and movements that practice terrorism and violence under religious and political slogans.”They added: “Any use of weapons and violence against the state or society is condemned and rejected by scholars and the society in general and does not have any political or religious cover.” This statement was one of the clearest, and is considered an important development as it was not directed against the terrorism of Sunni groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), but against the terrorism of Shiite groups.
Saudi Shiite citizens reject violence because of the direct negative repercussions it has had on their lives
History
Armed violence in Qatif is nothing new. It developed and took a different turn following the 2011 Arab Spring. Back then, some youth groups took up arms after some protests were held under “political” slogans. They claimed that they were defending themselves against the violence of security men, and that they sought to achieve more justice for Shiite citizens. The youths, driven by the euphoria of the Arab Spring and revolutionary enthusiasm, were joined by criminal groups involved in armed robberies of houses and stores. Some were even drug-dealers and arms-traffickers. This is why many social categories rejected these groups that suddenly emerged and began terrorizing the people of Qatif. Security forces suffered from the violence of armed men in Qatif, as did Shiite religious and social figures. Moderate cleric Sheikh Jaafar al-Rabah received death threats, which made him stop performing mosque prayers for a while. Nabih al-Baraheem, a member of the municipal council, was subjected to gunfire that targeted his house and car. This led many figures to declare their rejection of these criminal groups.
Sources
Saudi Shiites currently confront two major sources of violence. The first is represented by ISIS, which directly targets them whenever it can, most recently with the thwarted operation against Al-Mustafa mosque in the town of Um al-Hamam in Qatif. Another operation that was thwarted last month aimed to target a coffee shop on the island of Tarot. The second source of violence is represented by armed groups in Qatif. They have complicated life for its residents. Perhaps the clearest example of the social and security difficulties the people face there is their inability to withdraw money from public ATMs, which are not being filled with cash because the cars that transfer money no longer enter Qatif due to several armed robberies in which millions were stolen. It is believed that this money was used to fund armed groups. The most recent incident happened this month in the town of Al-Nabya in Qatif. This has created a real problem for citizens, who now have to stand in long queues in local banks to get cash. Employees of the Saudi oil giant Aramco can no longer take company buses to work because they no longer enter Qatif after one of them was attacked in June 2015. All these complications have made Saudi Shiite citizens reject violence more because of the direct negative repercussions it has had on their lives. They believe security forces protect them from the terrorism of al-Qaeda and ISIS, so these forces must not be fired upon. This has strengthened the conviction of most citizens that sectarian problems must be resolved within an integrated national project, and through peaceful and continuous dialogue with state institutions and political leaders. This is what Shiite leaders in Saudi Arabia seek.

Terrorism questions European tolerance and stamina
Yossi Mekelberg/Al Arabiya/September 02/16
When the Berlin Wall came down back in 1989 and soon thereafter the Cold War came to an end, it was widely believed that Europe’s long-term peace, stability and prosperity were finally ensured. From the ashes of the Second World War emerged the idea of an enlightened and democratic continent that harnessed its energy towards collaborative economic development for the benefit of everyone, instead of the constant and devastating wars of the past. In the post-Cold War era with the collapse of the Soviet Union and with it the fall of communism, the door opened for the European experiment to expand. The cooperation of the two former historical archenemies, Germany and France, was at the heart of the emerging socio-political-economic union and therefore carried a great deal of practical and symbolical significance. It attracted other countries to join, and seemingly appeared, at least for a while, to unite its ever-growing membership in terms of values and common aims. However, what was in recent times widely believed to be a triumph for neo-liberalism and for human nature in its struggle to overcome its demonic tendency for war and aggression, is presently at a crucial watershed. In the face of mounting fears from Islamist extremism and uncontrolled migration, combined with a protracted economic slowdown, strong elements of old Europe have resurfaced along with its strong xenophobic and nationalistic tendencies. It leaves many to wonder whether this union will be able ride out this storm and stay true to its core democratic values of tolerance and diversity. What was in recent times widely believed to be a triumph for neo-liberalism and for human nature in its struggle to overcome its demonic tendency for war and aggression, is presently at a crucial watershed
Fear psychosis
In the wake of fear of terrorism, the German government is reported to have adopted a policy, which instructs its citizens to stockpile enough food for ten days and clean drinking water for five days. France’s National Assembly voted last month to extend the state of emergency, following the terrorist attack in Nice, for another six months and countries such as the UK and Belgium are on high terror alert. Only a fool would be complacent in the face of the high risk of terrorism and extremism Europe is facing at present. There is also no denial that those who have perpetrated some heinous murderous acts claimed they were carried out on behalf of the religion of Islam. However, it would be equally foolish and irresponsible for Europe to associate an entire religion and its followers with violence and the harboring of extreme ideas. It would end in the sacrifice of the very foundations of the European Union and hand a victory to the terrorists and those within European societies who never believed in multi-cultural and multi-ethnic Europe. Terrorism and extremism win only by causing a rupture between those who would otherwise coexist peacefully with one another. Decision makers frequently face the danger of either overreacting or not doing enough when confronted with crisis and danger. Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of the European idea, warned back in 1950 that “World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it.” The EU was from the outset an experimental project, which had no single plan, but was a journey of rebuilding postwar Europe to provide its citizens with economic and social benefits in an ever changing circumstances.
Enthusiasm to skepticism
From the height of Euro-enthusiasm of the 1990s and early 2000s, we now face a growing scepticism of the viability of the EU. The leaders of the eurozone’s three largest countries met last week on a small southern Italian island to discuss Europe beyond Brexit. The main topic of discussion was the increase in euroskepticism throughout the EU, as a consequence of the ongoing migration crisis, terrorist threats and the protracted economic stagnation. Chancellor Merkel, President Hollande and Prime Minister Renzi, could not escape the reality that many across the bloc see these issues as interwoven and exploited by nationalist movements. The danger lies that in the combating of terrorism and extremism it may unintentionally lead to a cultural-religious war. In response to current security threats European secular-liberalism is becoming intolerant towards anyone that does not conform to its social norms.
The rather absurd attempt to ban of the full body burkini swimsuit from seaside resorts in France epitomizes this intolerance, which needlessly aggravates inter-communal relations. The French Prime Minister Manuel Valls asserted that the burkini was “not compatible with the values of France,” while the deputy mayor of Nice claimed that “hiding the face or wearing a full-body costume to go to the beach is not keeping with our ideal of social relations.”Indeed the French Riviera is known for minimal clothing on its beaches, however, unless those who oppose the burkini, in their ignorance, correlate it with extremism and even terrorism, why would it be banned? This is a pointless battle with no winners, only losers. The road to totalitarianism is paved with using the legal system to enforce particular social and individual preferences, even on those who cause no harm, but only have different customs and beliefs.
It is not only French liberté, égalité, fraternité that is under threat. Brexit and the rise of extreme right wing movements in Central and Eastern Europe are chilling reminders that nationalism in on the march again and if not stopped the future of the continent is bleak. It is actually by intelligently dissecting the challenges that Europe is facing, and by remaining true to its tolerant foundations, that European societies and the European Union can avoid further deterioration in inter-communal relations across the continent and social implosion. Obviously security threats must be dealt with adequately and competently, but alienating large segments of society will inadvertently push at least some into the arms of radical and opportunistic clerics. Instead inclusiveness and integration will benefit the vast majority of those who live in Europe, as long as everyone adheres to the principles of tolerance and non-violence. When burkini becomes perceived as a national threat it’s definitely time to reconsider our priorities.

Saudi Vision 2030 and its architect reach Tokyo
Patrick Ryan/Al Arabiya/September 02/16
East Asia is on the agenda for Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He is visiting two of the world’s largest economies - China and Japan - in the coming days for meetings with top government officials and, in the case of China, to lead the Saudi delegation at the G20 summit of leading global economies in Hangzhou. In Beijing he will meet Chinese officials, sign cooperation memoranda and perform other state duties. In Tokyo he will meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the defense minister and other Japanese officials, and have a ceremonial audience with the emperor. Were it not for the bright spotlight on the G-20 summit and the weight of Chinese commercial ties, Tokyo could have been a major destination all on its own. Just two years ago, King Salman - who was crown prince at the time - was in Japan for a full week of meetings with Abe, who said: “Over the next hundred years, we are determined to build a new era of relations with Saudi Arabia.”On that trip, which included Prince Mohammed in the delegation, the future King Salman and Abe signed numerous commercial protocols and agreements to accelerate civil nuclear and security cooperation. This followed Abe’s visit to Saudi Arabia in 2013 for meetings with senior officials, which led to the “Joint Statement on the Strengthening of the Comprehensive Partnership between Japan and Saudi Arabia.” The statement included both sides’ “deep satisfaction with the significant development in their bilateral relations in the political, economic and cultural fields, and expressed their intention to strengthen the comprehensive partnership… in every field.”This tradition of looking to bilateral relations beyond oil will augur well for Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to Asia
Beyond oil
It also noted the 2015 celebration of the 60th anniversary of Japanese-Saudi diplomatic ties - outreaching Saudi-Chinese relations by 35 years - as another touch point suggesting cooperation beyond the oil trade. When Abe was in Riyadh in 2007, he said: “One of the aims of my visit is to establish multilayer economic relations that go beyond traditional economic relations that focus on oil.”It is difficult to set aside the importance of the energy relationship. After all, Japan relies on Saudi Arabia for a third of its crude oil imports. However, the Riyadh-Tokyo connection has emphasized a larger set of interests. At the time of the 2007 visit, then-Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz said he agreed with Abe that bilateral relations “should be multilayered.”This tradition of looking to bilateral relations beyond oil will augur well for Prince Mohammed. He has intended to use his Vision 2030 tour, which has included the US and France, to cultivate international components of his blueprint to transform the kingdom. He is still enjoying something of a honeymoon period following his rise to powerful positions when his father ascended to the throne in early 2015, especially as head of the Economic and Development Affairs Council. In that capacity, Prince Mohammed spearheaded development of a dramatic plan, Vision 2030, to transform Saudi Arabia into a “global investment powerhouse” not “dependent solely on oil,” and taking advantage of the younger generation’s potential. In the April 2016 launch, he called for transforming the Public Investment Fund into the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, emphasizing diversification and encouraging private sector commercial expansion. The two sides will sit down in Tokyo this week to discuss their ties and prospects going forward. They will be guided by the history of bilateral ties that searched for areas of cooperation beyond energy. They will also be crafting cooperation to fit the imperative of transformation that is top of the agenda of the kingdom’s chief economic officer. As it was with his visits to other global leaders, Prince Mohammed will likely spend time in Tokyo building support for measures - trade, investment, tech transfer and more - among friends who share an interest in the success of the Saudi reform program, and the young man who is its architect and principal advocate.

Turkey Blames American Scholar for Coup Attempt
A.J. Caschetta/The Daily Caller/September 02/16
http://www.meforum.org/6236/turkey-barkey-conspiracy

Turkish officials say American professor Henri J. Barkey secretly orchestrated the July 15 coup attempt.
Observers of academic trends might expect the smearing of an American scholar with unfounded charges and wild conspiracy theories to provoke an impassioned defense from all of academia. But that has not been the case with Henri J. Barkey, a scholar at the Washington, D.C.-based Woodrow Wilson Center who has become a target of Recep Tayyip Erdogan's widespread persecution of "intellectuals."
Upon regaining control on July 16, Erdogan struck back, initiating what many are calling a purge. First he targeted members of the Turkish military, then the judiciary and then journalists. But his most outlandish attack is the bizarre accusation that the coup was orchestrated by a group of academics attending a conference in Turkey, all fomented by Barkey.
Through his media loyalists, Erdogan has ordered the rather dull story of an academic conference rewritten into a tale of espionage and revolution. The conference, titled "Iran and Its Neighbors," was hosted by the Global Political Trends Center (GPoT) of Istanbul Kultur University.
The dangerous nest of conspirators in Erdogan's unlikely yarn, according to Bir Gun Daily, were "Iran expert at [the] International Crisis Group Ali Vaiz; Egyptian researcher Ahmet Morsy; Middle East expert at Yildirim Beyazit University Bayram Sinkaya and Kultur University lecturer Prof. Dr. Mensur Akgun."
Erdogan has rewritten the dull story of an academic conference into a tale of conspiracy and espionage.
Barkey's centrality to the coup is alleged in many news sources aligned with Erdogan, such as a July 26 article in the English-language Yeni Safak News, portraying Barkey as "former CIA personnel." The CIA's omnipotence is a standard feature of Middle East conspiracy theories.
The Yeni Safak article notes that the conference was held at the "Splendid Hotel, which was used as a British Military Headquarters during the days of occupation in 1919," behind closed doors in "a special room" (a term used three times). Here the espionage emeriti plotted "to design Turkey's political arena" at the behest of Fetullah Gulen. Like a bookish James Bond, Barkey is said to have been caught with special equipment ("an ex-model cell phone").
Kultur University Associate Professor Mensur Akgun calls the allegations "nonsense" and "unreal fantasies." Barkey has dismissed them as "salacious" and "outrageous."
So why the fixation on Henri Barkey? Neither a supporter nor a particularly harsh critic of Erdogan, Barkey has even criticized the coup attempt.
Perhaps Erdogan thinks the Wilson Center is a CIA front. After all, Barkey's predecessor as the Center's Director of the Middle East Program was Haleh Esfandiari, an American academic arrested for plotting to overthrow Iran's government and held at the notorious Evin prison from May 8 to August 21, 2007.
Or perhaps the fact that Barkey is Jewish and Turkish was all Erdogan needed to target him.
Whatever the cause, Erdogan's preposterous claims evince all the characteristics of Middle East conspiratorial thinking associated with the governments of Iran (a nation that has arrested squirrels and pigeons for spying) and some Arab states, but until recently not Turkey.
The American Association of University Professors has been silent on the targeting of Barkey.
None of this, strangely enough, has merited a response on Barkey's behalf from the protector of academics and guardian of their freedoms – the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). Granted, the AAUP has issued a general statement and an open letter condemning Erdogan's crackdown on Turkish professors. But silence on Henri J. Barkey.
Compare that with the hyperventilating that followed the University of Illinois' decision to rescind a job offer to Steven Salaita after discovering his anti-Semitic tweets. Many came to his defense with the hollow cry of McCarthyism. The AAUP issued a lengthy report on Salaita, expressing fear that academics are "vulnerable to attack by the local conservative newspaper for their teaching, their scholarship, and their extramural comments."
The AAUP also found Ward Churchill worthy of a 136-page defense. It notes that Churchill's essay calling those murdered at the World Trade Center on 9/11 "little Eichmanns," prompted the University of Colorado to conduct "an investigation into all of Churchill's publications, actively seeking other grounds on which to fire him."
Isn't it curious how those accustomed to shouting "McCarthyism!" when their ideas are challenged seem uninterested in defending a scholar harassed by a government.
*A.J. Caschetta is a Shillman-Ginsburg fellow at the Middle East Forum and a senior lecturer at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
 

Inside ‘the Glasshouse’: Iran ‘is running covert war in Syria costing BILLIONS from top secret spymaster HQ near Damascus airport’

تقرير مهم جداً  مع صور عن دور أيران العسكري والقيادي في سوريا

By Jake Wallis Simons, Associate Global Editor, For Mailonline
First posted 30 August 2016

http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/09/02/mailonline-inside-the-glasshouse-iran-is-running-covert-war-in-syria-costing-billions-from-top-secret-spymaster-hq-near-damascus-airport%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AB/
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3718583/Leaked-intelligence-dossier-reveals-location-secret-Iranian-spymasters-HQ-Syria-codenamed-GLASSHOUSE-Iran-fighters-ground-Assad.html#ixzz4J8JmhDOt

Sources within Iran’s Revolutionary Guards leaked intelligence to activists who passed it to MailOnline
Tehran ‘runs operations in Syria from an HQ near Damascus airport’, said to be nicknamed ‘The Glasshouse’
The intelligence says there are 60,000 fighters under Iranian command in Syria, not 16,000 as was thought
Claims said to be ‘credible’ by intelligence experts, suggesting West has underestimated Iran’s influence
Iran ‘has spent billions – possibly as much as $100billion on hardware and support for Assad since 2011′
It comes a year after Western powers signed a controversial nuclear deal with Iran
Iran is shoring up the Syrian regime from a secret HQ in Damascus nicknamed ‘the Glasshouse’ – and commanding a huge covert army in support of Assad, according to leaked intelligence passed by activists to MailOnline.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) claims that the theocratic state’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has spent billions in hardware for its ally Bashar al-Assad in the last five years - and runs operations on the ground from a five-floor monolith near Damascus airport.The Iranian HQ, which plays a pivotal role in supporting Assad’s regime alongside Russia, contains intelligence and counterintelligence operations, and has vaults packed with millions of dollars in cash flown in from Tehran, claims the NCRI.The allegations are contained in a dossier of reports apparently leaked by senior sources inside Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and collated by the dissident activists who oppose the Iranian regime.The dossier – which could not be independently verified but was described as ‘credible’ by intelligence experts – makes the bold claims that Iran controls the biggest fighting force in Syria; has military bases throughout the splintered state; and has amassed a war-chest far greater than feared in support of the Syrian president.
Opposition activists have claimed that Iran is waging a secret war in Syria from a giant HQ nicknamed ‘the Glasshouse’
Support: Syrian president Bashar al Assad is being supported by the Iranian regime of Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader has invested heavily to shore up the splintering Syrian state
Support: Syrian president Bashar al Assad is being supported by the Iranian regime of Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader, who has invested heavily to shore up the splintering state
REVEALED: HOW ‘THE GLASSHOUSE’ WORKS
The third and fourth floors are apparently occupied by the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence unit, which is in overall command of the HQ. These areas are off-limits to even the most senior army officers.
On the ground floor there is reportedly a cafe and a 20-bed private clinic for wounded senior military personnel, while the first floor houses the Revolutionary Guards’ propaganda department, rest area and prayer rooms, the leaked intelligence says.
The basement contains the counterintelligence and logistics departments and is said to hold millions of dollars in cash.
When Revolutionary Guard soldiers arrive in Syria, the HQ apparently issues them a white card containing a special code, which is handed back when they leave.
If the activists’ claims are accurate, this would mean that the fundamentalist Tehran regime and its Shia proxies are far more powerful than has been estimated. Western analysts have so far placed the total Iranian-led Shia force at just 16,000.
The dissidents make the claim that Iran now commands about 60,000 Shia troops in Syria – 15,000 more men than Britain took into the 2003 Iraq war – while Assad’s army has been reduced to just 50,000 soldiers.In addition, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has an independent command structure but operates in close coordination with Iran, has about 10,000 troops in the country, they say.The NCRI is the exiled Iranian opposition movement committed to the overthrow of the Shia regime in Tehran. It has leaked intelligence about the regime in the past, and, while not all of it has proved accurate, in 2002, it sensationally exposed the existence of secret nuclear facilities at Natanz and Arak, in central Iran, which made Western powers more cautious in negotiating with Tehran.The suggestion that Iran has so many soldiers on the battlefield – 16,000 Iranian troops commanding 45,000 Shia mercenaries from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon as well as Palestinians and Baluchis, a minority group from Afghanistan – is likely to cause anxiety in the region and in the West, which is lifting sanctions on the regime after signing a controversial nuclear deal.Kamal Alam, a research analyst at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said that the leaked intelligence was ‘entirely plausible’.’I go quite regularly to Syria and visit the battlefields, and I’ve seen how the Iranians try to keep their operations as secret as possible,’ he said.’Their troops tend to speak Arabic rather than Farsi in public, and generally don’t wear Iranian uniforms. This makes it very hard for observers to know how many are in the country.’Analysts have been forced to use conservative estimates of troop numbers, Alam said, because Tehran – which is wary of causing alarm both at home and abroad – does not release reliable figures.In addition, Syria’s President Assad, who leads a secular administration, downplays Iran’s support to avoid the impression that he is a puppet of the Islamist regime, he said.The key claim by the activists is that Iran operates a major HQ close to Damascus airport, which the NCRI say is nicknamed The Glasshouse (Maqar-e Shishe’i in Farsi).
Activists have claimed that Iran now leads 10,000 more troops in Syria than Assad himself. If true, that would mean that it is at least 15,000 higher than the force Britain led into the 2003 Iraq war
Activists have claimed that Iran now leads 10,000 more troops in Syria than Assad himself. If true, that would mean that it is at least 15,000 higher than the force Britain led into the 2003 Iraq war
The 180-room building is said to be positioned very close to an airstrip that the NCRI say is nicknamed ‘Muhammad Ali’, making it easy for Iranian military chiefs to receive deliveries of troops, cash and equipment – and to escape should Damascus fall.Anti-blast walls form a square around the perimeter, which is guarded by heavily armed troops. According to the NCRI, up to 1,000 personnel work at the secret base, and all must undergo an intensive security screening.A number of departments are based inside, including counterintelligence, logistics, propaganda and foreign mercenary command (see box). The feared Iranian intelligence services, who are in charge of the base, are said to occupy the top two floors.The building is also said to contain prayer rooms, a 20-bed private clinic for wounded senior officers, and facilities for holding millions of dollars in cash, which are reportedly kept in the basement.
WHY IS IRAN FIGHTING TO DEFEND ASSAD IN SYRIA?
Syria has long been considered an important ally of Iran, having been the only Arab country to have explicitly supported it during the Iran–Iraq War in the Eighties.
For Tehran, the main objective is to maintain its supply lines through Syria to its proxy Hezbollah in south Lebanon, which it funds and arms in its fight against Israel.
It is also says it wants to confront rebels and jihadis in Syria to prevent further destabilisation in the region.
-Ali Ansari and Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, Understanding Iran’s Role in the Syrian Conflict, RUSI 2016
The intelligence passed to MailOnline claims that Tehran has spent a staggering $100billion on the conflict since 2011, including hardware and support for Assad’s regime.The figure claimed by the NCRI has surprised Western analysts, who have so far estimated that Iran has spent just $15billion on the war in Syria.Millions of dollars in cash is regularly delivered at the Iranian airstrip before being transferred to the HQ nicknamed ‘the Glasshouse’, the dissidents claim.There it is allegedly stored in the basement under the auspices of head of logistics, Brigadier General Seyyed Razi Mousavi, formerly commander of the elite Quds Force in Syria, and is principally used to pay fighters’ salaries.The revelations come after Tehran took the extraordinary step of allowing Russia to use its airbases to launch attacks in Syria, demonstrating its expanding role.It also follows reports that Iran has deployed a Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missile defence system at its uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, northwestern Iran.Dr Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, an Iran specialist at RUSI, said: ‘It is very difficult to know about numbers because Iran is so secretive. It’s something we struggled with throughout our research.‘It’s no secret that Iran has a heavy presence on the ground that is not based exclusively on advisers and consultants. This data reinforces our assumptions and suspicions about Iranian involvement in Syria, but takes it much further in terms of numbers.‘It amplifies our view that because of the heavy political, financial and military investment in Syria, Iran is unlikely to withdraw its presence on the ground without a major shift in the power balance.’
A Foreign Office spokeswoman told MailOnline: ‘Iran’s role in fostering instability in the Middle East, including ongoing support for proxy groups and the Assad regime, and the activities of the Quds force, remains a source of serious concern.’
The activists also claim Tehran is putting down military roots in 18 locations from northern to southern Syria (see map of the intelligence claims above), showing how it intends to control large swathes of the country even if Assad is defeated.
Iranian military planners – acting under Brigadier General Mohammad Jafaar Assadi, the recently appointed supreme commander of Iranian forces in Syria – are said to have divided Syria into ‘five fronts’, comprising the Northern Front, Eastern Front, Southern Front, Central Command Front and Coastal Front, the NCRI claims.
One security source told MailOnline: ‘Iran is getting itself into a position where whether Assad stands or falls, Tehran is in the best position to dominate whatever comes next.’
Such is the scale of Tehran’s involvement in Syria that the war has been taking its toll domestically, the dossier claims. Last year, just 5,000 Iranians were in action in the country; today, this number stands at 16,000.
Security sources have reported growing levels of public unease in Iran at the level of casualties sustained. In response, Tehran has presented the conflict as the front line in a war against terrorism, which if not confronted abroad, would threaten Iran at home.
COMMENT: MICHAEL BURLEIGH, HISTORIAN
The new intelligence on Iran’s military presence in Syria contains important revelations confirming the general picture experts are familiar with. Most significant is the scale of Iranian-backed forces, some 60,000 men. The majority are Shia irregulars, mainly from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Afghans are refugees who have been offered accelerated naturalisation for fighting in Syria. The Pakistanis are all also Shia. Together these forces provide what remains of President Assad’s highly mechanised army with light infantry capabilities essential to intense urban warfare against predominantly Sunni jihadist rebels.
The dossier also provides important insights into the command structures the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have in place, notably at the ‘Glasshouse’ headquarters near Damascus airport. It also adds to what is known about operations commanded by Major General Qasem Soleimani, the elusive face of wider Iranian subversion in the regional struggle for dominance with Sunni Saudi Arabia and some of its smaller Gulf allies.
He has recently vowed that once the Revolutionary Guards have finished off ISIS in Iraq and Syria, it will help liberate the Shia majority of Bahrain from its Sunni monarchical oppressors.
Both Iran and Syria have good reasons to keep this deep presence secret. Iran’s clerical regime does not want to advertise its involvement on this scale because the Iranian public has had a bellyful of costly wars, with hundreds of thousands of dead from the 1980-88 war against Iraq.
Moreover, most Iranians expect a dividend from the P5+1 nuclear deal with the West, China and Russia, with maybe $100billion in bank assets abroad being unfrozen.
If this dossier is right in claiming that the war has cost Iran $100 billion since 2011, then there won’t be much of a ‘dividend’ at all, though of all the information contained in the leaked intelligence, the congruence of the two numbers raises its own suspicions. A death toll of around 1,500 men in Syria is also causing problems for Hezbollah in its southern Lebanese heartlands.
The predominantly Alawite Assad regime in Syria (the Alawites, often seen as a Shia sect, comprise a minority of Syrians) is fighting to reassert its control over the entire country, with its far larger numbers of Sunnis.
Assad cannot afford to be viewed as a puppet of Tehran, which would only exacerbate the sectarian nature of the conflict. That is why posters of Russian rather than Iranian commanders figure in Damascus, for the Russians bring no sectarian baggage to the conflict along with their air power.
Strangely enough, this is also why one of the main jihadist groups, Jabhat al-Nusra, has recently cut ties with Al Qaeda, so as to present itself as being exclusively Syrian.
According to Rusi’s Iran specialist Dr Tabrizi, the massive Iranian presence raises the danger of regional escalation.
‘The Gulf countries are already scared about Iranian power projection in the region. This may hasten [the Gulf states'] support for rebel groups, or even lead them to think about the deployment of ground troops to Syria,’ Dr Tabrizi said.
Yet the role of Iran goes even further, according to activists, who also claim that the state stepped in to encourage Russia to commit significant resources to bolster Assad in 2015.
Tehran is said to have acted in August that year, when after huge losses in Aleppo, Idlib and Dera’a, it seemed likely that Assad would fall.
During a secret meeting with Moscow in July last year, Major General Qasem Soleimani apparently requested greater Russian air support and a huge shipment of weapons, including MiG, Sukhoi and Antonov aircraft, Kamov and Mil helicopters, and T90 tanks.
Dissidents citing Revolutionary Guards sources claim that a deal was done on condition that Iran paid $3billion towards the $10billion cost.
‘You’re talking about a very orchestrated, emboldened and well-planned Iranian presence,’ one security source told MailOnline. ‘They are thinking very clearly and wisely, and are putting down deep roots, creating pockets of power in places with strategic importance.
‘The Iranians are masters in meddling in different political functions abroad. It is exactly what many in the region are afraid of. It’s their biggest nightmare.’
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: ‘The Iranian government has said that it wants to see a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict. But as thing stand, Iran is a long way from playing a constructive role.
‘Iran continues to send fighters, including the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, to Syria, subsidises the Assad regime and is actively supporting the Assad regime’s suppression of innocent people.’
ANALYSIS: KAMAL ALAM, RESEARCH ANALYST AT RUSI
It’s impossible to know for certain how many Iranian-led troops are operational in Syria. I go quite regularly to Syria and visit the battlefields, and I’ve seen how the Iranians try to keep their operations as secret as possible.
Iranian troops speak Arabic rather than Farsi in public, and generally don’t wear Iranian uniforms. This makes it very hard for observers to know how many of them are in the country.
Iran doesn’t want its soldiers to be seen by ordinary Syrians, in case they start to resent the Iranian presence in Syria. In addition, the Syrian government wants to hide Iranian involvement.
Iran is Shia, but Assad’s troops are majority Sunni, so to avoid tension he doesn’t want to look like a stooge of Tehran. This makes it almost impossible to know the extent of Tehran’s involvement in Syria without leaked intelligence.
There are no pictures of Khameni, Rouhani or Soleimani in Damascus, such as can be found in Baghdad and Beirut. The Syrian military is far closer to Moscow than to Tehran – pictures of Putin and Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov can be seen on mugs, walls and fridge magnets all over Damascus and western Aleppo.
Egypt and Algeria have the two largest land forces in the Arab world and are 100 per cent Sunni states. Despite pressure from Gulf countries, both support Assad. Gulf states are aware of Assad’s Arab credentials and are more focused on driving Iran from Syria. Indeed, Kuwait and Oman still have embassies in Damascus.
As Italian, Belgian and EU intelligence chiefs start working with Damascus again, the Syrian Arab Army wants a clear line between them and the Iranians.
It must be taken into account that Khomeini refused to ever see Hafez al-Assad, because he thought the Allawis were not Shia’a. The Syrian Arab Army and Damascus are careful to make clear they are fighting for themselves and not on behalf of Iran.
The ongoing fight for Aleppo is being dubbed ‘the mother of all battles’ by Damascus. The fall of the city could decisively turn the tide in favour of Assad. The Western part of Aleppo, which the government has held since the beginning of the crisis, houses the oldest families that have supported him.