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Bible Quotation For Today/Who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not
Luke 12/10-12: And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.’

Bible Quotation For Today/Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.
Acts of the Apostles 22,30.23,1-11.01/11/Since he wanted to find out what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. He brought Paul down and had him stand before them. While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, ‘Brothers, up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God.’Then the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth. At this Paul said to him, ‘God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?’ Those standing nearby said, ‘Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?’And Paul said, ‘I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, "You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people." ’When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead.’When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.) Then a great clamour arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees’ group stood up and contended, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?’ When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks.That night the Lord stood near him and said, ‘Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome."

LCCC Latest analysis, editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 31- August 01/15
Teaming up with Arab states for Israel's security/Amnon Reshef/Ynetnews/July 31/15
On Emirati laws, from imprisonment to the death penalty/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/July 31/15
Khamenei’s inflammatory statements and how the GCC can act/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya/July 31/15
Bombing ISIS and the Kurds without a Syria strategy/Manuel Almeida/Al Arabiya/July 31/15
Hamas's Child Abuse Camps/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/July 31/15
What Turkey Wants in Syria/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/July 31/15
Iran Between Two Fantasies/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/July 31/15
The Ayatollah’s Plan for Israel and Palestine/Amir Taheri/Gatestone Institute/July 31/15

LCCC Bulletin titles for the Lebanese Related News published on July 31- August 01/15
Question: "What does it mean to believe in the sanctity of life?"
Islamic State executes another Copt in Libya?
Kuwaiti Embassy Advises Citizens against Traveling to Lebanon
Beirut Municipality Asks Cabinet to Allow It to Send Garbage Abroad
Qahwaji Says Army Should be Fully Ready to Confront Terror
U.S. Says Lebanese Should Stop Collapse of Institutions, Stresses Commitment to Army
Berri Says Cabinet Red Line, Lebanese Should not Wait for Solution from Abroad
Activists of the 'You Stink' Campaign Released on Bail
FPM Source: Extending Terms of Military Officials a 'Political Trash'
Iran Ambassador Says Presidential Election a Local Issue
Hariri Urges Lebanese to Overcome Disputes, Elect President
Arms Seized at House of Kahil's Suspected Killer as Report Says He Fled to Latakia
Israel Deploys Iron Dome on Lebanon Border after Nuclear Deal
Report: ISF Commandos Liberate Abductee Nabbed from Jounieh
It’s time for Lebanon’s PM to turn the tables

LCCC Bulletin Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 31- August 01/15
Afghan Taliban Announce Mullah Akhtar Mansour as New Leader
Iran deal gets Hollywood nod in star-studded video
Saudi Executes Pakistani Heroin Smuggl
Yemeni forces seize Houthi positions in Aden
Saudi humanitarian aid plane arrives in Aden
U.S. airstrikes hit Nusra Front in Syria
Sisi: Egypt and Saudi are leaders of Arab security
Netanyahu in Rare Call to Abbas after Toddler Murder
Abbas wants ICC to probe killing of toddler
Palestinian Toddler Burned to Death in 'Settler' Arson Attack
Hamas: 'Every Israeli is now a legitimate target' following Duma terror attack
Several people stabbed at Jerusalem gay pride parade
Erdogan: Europe responsible for refugees 'drowining in the sea'

Question: "What does it mean to believe in the sanctity of life?"
GotQuestions.org/Answer: The phrase “sanctity of life” reflects the belief that, because people are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26), human life has an inherently sacred attribute that should be protected and respected at all times. While God gave humanity the authority to kill and eat other forms of life (Genesis 9:3), the murdering of other human beings is expressly forbidden, with the penalty being death (Genesis 9:6). Humanity was created in God’s image, but sin has corrupted that image. There is nothing inherently sacred in fallen man. The sanctity of human life is not due to the fact that we are such wonderful and good beings. The only reason the sanctity of life applies to humanity is the fact that God created us in His image and set us apart from all other forms of life. Although that image has indeed been marred by sin, His image is still present in humanity. We are like God, and that likeness means that human life is always to be treated with dignity and respect. The sanctity of life means that humanity is more sacred than the rest of creation. Human life is not holy in the same sense that God is holy. Only God is holy in and of Himself. Human life is only holy in the sense of being “set apart” from all other life created by God. Many apply the sanctity of life to issues like abortion and euthanasia, and, while it definitely applies to those issues, it applies to much more. The sanctity of life should motivate us to combat all forms of evil and injustice that are perpetuated against human life. Violence, abuse, oppression, human trafficking, and many other evils are also violations of the sanctity of life.
Beyond the sanctity of life, there is a much better argument against these things: the greatest commandments. In Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus says, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” In these commandments, we see that our actions are to be motivated by love for God and love for others. If we love God, we will value our own lives as part of God’s plan, to do His will until it comes about that His will is better served by our deaths. And we will love and care for His people (John 21:15-17). We will see to the needs of the elderly and sick. We will protect others from harm—whether from abortion, euthanasia, human trafficking, or other abuses. While the sanctity of life can be the foundation, love must be the motivation.
*Recommended Resources: Created in God's Image by Anthony Hoekema and Logos Bible Software.

Islamic State executes another Copt in Libya?
July 30, 2015 /By Raymond Ibrahim/According to sources in Libya, there are unconfirmed reports, including from the Libyan Herald, that on July 23rd, the Islamic State executed another Egyptian Christian they seized over a week ago at a road block near Nufaliya, an Islamic State stronghold southeast of the city of Sirte. Bekhit Nageh Efrank Ebeid, a 25 year old laborer, was kidnapped along with two other Christians, Kofi Frimpong Sekyere from Ghana and Ibrahim Adeola from Nigeria. No information on the fate of Sekyere and Adeola has yet been released by the Islamic State.

Kuwaiti Embassy Advises Citizens against Traveling to Lebanon
Naharnet/31 July/15/The Kuwaiti embassy in Lebanon on Thursday advised its citizens against traveling to Lebanon, urging those already in the country to be “extremely cautious” in their movements. The embassy called on Kuwaitis to avoid what it described as “suspicious locations,” asking them to “communicate and coordinate with the embassy when needed, in order to preserve their security and safety.”The country plunged into a political crisis after president Michel Suleiman's term ended on May 25, 2014 without the election of a successor. In recent days, the country witnessed angry road-blocking protests over an unprecedented garbage collection crisis. The unprecedented garbage crisis erupted after the closure of the Naameh landfill on July 17. The crisis has seen streets overflowing with waste and the air filled with the smell of rotting garbage for around two weeks.

Beirut Municipality Asks Cabinet to Allow It to Send Garbage Abroad
Naharnet/31 July/15/Beirut Municipality on Thursday called on the council of ministers to allow it to “hire specialized firms to send garbage abroad as a solution to the problem of disposing of the waste of the city of Beirut.”The municipality reached its decision during an extraordinary meeting dedicated to the garbage crisis. The conferees agreed that the capital is going through “a disastrous environmental situation,” noting that they aim to “prevent the recurrence of the painful experience that Beirut's residents have suffered.”During the meeting, the municipality members were briefed by environmental experts on “the consequences that might befall the capital as a result of another accumulation of trash in its streets.”In their statement, the conferees also noted that “the temporary solution that the Beirut Municipality started implementing yesterday will not last for long.”On Wednesday, garbage trucks belonging to the capital's waste collector, Sukleen, started removing garbage from Beirut's streets and dumping them in the Karantina area on the capital's eastern peripheries, as part of an “emergency plan.”Earlier on Thursday, the government failed to agree on measures to manage the country's waste crisis, which Prime Minister Tammam Salam blamed on the political conflict. A ministerial committee chaired by Salam found earlier this week a temporary solution to begin taking trash to several landfills in undisclosed locations. But its decision was met with severe criticism and protests by residents and local officials who refused the waste of Beirut and Mount Lebanon to be dumped in their areas. The unprecedented garbage crisis erupted after the closure of the Naameh landfill on July 17. The crisis has seen streets overflowing with waste and the air filled with the smell of rotting garbage for around two weeks. Experts have urged the government to devise a comprehensive waste management solution that would include more recycling and composting to reduce the amount of trash going into landfills. But so far there has been no evidence of such a plan, and there is already opposition to the temporary solutions.

Qahwaji Says Army Should be Fully Ready to Confront Terror
Naharnet/31 July/15/Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji said in his Order of the Day on Friday that troops should be fully ready to confront terrorism and unite amid regional and local crises. “You continued to confront terrorism relentlessly” and with “courage,” he told soldiers on the occasion of Army Day.“The Lebanese army has reached a high level of professionalism in its confrontation of terrorist organizations,” the general said. He urged the military “to be fully ready to confront terrorism and the Israeli enemy which continues to violate Lebanese sovereignty in different ways.” “The strength of your institution lies in its unity,” he said, adding that troops stay at a distance from all sides and are committed to the National Accord. “The regional crisis and continued Lebanese political divisions that have caused the presidential vacuum require your unity,” said Qahwaji. This year, Lebanon celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Lebanese army's founding, a year after the attack of terrorists on military bases in the northeastern border town of Arsal, he added. Al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front and Islamic State group extremists overran Arsal in August last year and engaged in heavy gunbattles with the military. They also took with them hostages from the army and police and later executed four of them. The army chief vowed to exert all efforts to release the captives. Qahwaji also urged troops to consolidate their “confidence in the nation” and “express pride” in the military institution which has protected Lebanon.

U.S. Says Lebanese Should Stop Collapse of Institutions, Stresses Commitment to Army
Naharnet/31 July/15/U.S. Ambassador David Hale stressed on Friday that it was up to the Lebanese people to stop “tearing down” the state institutions and said his country is committed to keeping its support to the Lebanese army. “Regional developments have not altered America’s policy toward Lebanon, or any of our commitments to Lebanon; nor do they alter our commitment to regional security,” said Hale following talks with Prime Minister Tammam Salam at the Grand Serail. “I want to make clear to the people of Lebanon: America supports you and will stand shoulder to shoulder with you,” he said. The diplomat expressed his “admiration” for the Lebanese army and the security forces on the occasion of the army’s 70th founding anniversary. “The Lebanese Armed Forces have done an extraordinary job of responding to the threats arising from across the Syrian border,” he said. Describing the military as “strong” and “fully capable of defending Lebanon’s borders and its people,” he said Washington is “committed to ensuring the army has the capability to meet its responsibilities to defend and protect the borders.” “America has been, is, and will continue to be the army’s steadfast and foremost security partner,” he said, adding “since 2006, we have provided more than $1 billion in security assistance and critical training.”Also Friday, Hale announced an additional $20.2 million grant from the U.S. to the U.N. World Food Program for its emergency food assistance operations inside Lebanon. “At stressful times like these, the Lebanese justifiably look to their friends abroad for legitimate assistance to state institutions,” said the ambassador.“We and many others are responding. It is therefore all the more troubling when political leaders, whatever their motives, take actions or positions that damage the very state institutions which are needed now more than ever,” he stated. “Instead of strength, we see a vacant presidency. Instead of cooperation, we see blockage, including of some international loans and grants that the Lebanese people so rightly want and need to deal with the crushing burdens on this society,” he said. “We will do our part, and are responding to every request made of us for help. But it is in the power of only the Lebanese to stop this tearing down of the institutions of state, and to start repairing them. When that starts to happen, solutions will follow as well as even stronger international support,” Hale added.

Berri Says Cabinet Red Line, Lebanese Should not Wait for Solution from Abroad
Naharnet/31 July/15/Speaker Nabih Berri has reiterated that the government of Prime Minister Tammam Salam is a red line, urging Lebanon's rival officials not to wait for the Iran nuclear deal to resolve the country's crises. “Bringing down the cabinet means abolishing the country. This cannot take place,” Berri told his visitors, according to al-Joumhouria daily published on Friday. “The government is a red line, at least for me and for Hizbullah,” he said. “Our stance is serious. Let those who want to topple the government try” such a move. Salam is carrying out his responsibilities to guarantee the continued functioning of the government, Berri added. The speaker's visitors asked him about French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius' recent visit to Tehran and President Francois Hollande's announcement that he could travel to Lebanon in the coming months. “The current stage is transitional,” he said. “The nuclear agreement between Iran and the West is still consolidating and two to three months are needed until solutions appear.” “That's why we should resolve our issues in Lebanon, particularly urgent ones, so that we become ready to welcome solutions (from abroad) when they are ripe,” Berri added. Baabda Palace has been vacant since President Michel Suleiman's six-year tenure ended in May last year. Sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Thursday that Fabius urged his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani to try to resolve the presidential deadlock in Lebanon. But the Iranian officials hinted that Tehran is not yet ready to use its influence in the region to interfere in the presidential crisis as long as the nuclear deal is still in its implementation stage Fabius made a one-day visit to Tehran on Wednesday to relaunch diplomatic ties with Iran in the hope of boosting business in the country, following the key nuclear deal. The July 14 deal between Iran and six world powers — the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany — is meant to curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions. Berri did not want to comment on the waste crisis that has been gripping Lebanon since July 17, only expressing his “disgust” from the matter.The crisis erupted when the Naameh landfill, which was meant to receive the waste of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, was closed.

Activists of the 'You Stink' Campaign Released on Bail
Naharnet/31 July/15/Four anti-trash demonstrators, who were held earlier this week over the interception of the car of Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas, were released on Friday on a LL200,000 bail each, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Earlier during the day, the driver of Minister Derbas withdrew the lawsuit that he had filed against al-Mallah. Beirut Judge Diaa Msheimesh issued the release order. The activists – Tareq Mallah, Bilal Allaw, Firas Bou Zeineddine and Ihab Yazbek – were arrested by the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch after Derbas filed a lawsuit accusing Mallah and others of “insulting” him and attacking his car during a protest in Beirut's Spears Street. Mallah and his comrades belong to the “You Stink” anti-trash campaign, which on Tuesday blocked several roads in Beirut to protest the authorities' failure to find a permanent solution to the waste crisis. Tuesday's protests by the civil society activists at Riad al-Solh square near the Grand Serail were not the first. The same demonstrators held a sit-in in downtown Beirut over the weekend to protest the mountains of garbage that had piled up in the capital and its suburbs. Trash collection resumed only Monday evening after an almost week-long crisis that saw the streets of the capital flowing with garbage.
The waste management ministerial committee headed by Prime Minister Tammam Salam managed to agree on a preliminary solution to the garbage crisis.

FPM Source: Extending Terms of Military Officials a 'Political Trash'
Naharnet/31 July/15/A prominent source of the Free Patriotic Movement warned on Thursday against the consequences of extending the terms of the army commander and the chief of staff, describing the move as a “political trash.”“Extending the terms of the army chief and the chief of staff will escalate tension and those who insist to violate the constitution will be blamed,” the source told As Safir daily. “Any decision to extend the terms of military officers is political trash,” the source added on condition of anonymity. “The cabinet has an opportunity to reform the abnormal path it is taking during the next session through the appointment of a new army chief of staff. We recommend the cabinet to take such a decision instead of proceeding with irregularities,” said the source. September will witness the term's end of several military army officials including the Army Chief of Staff Walid Salman on September 7, Director general of Army Intelligence Brig. Edmond Fadel on September 20, Maj. Mohammed Kheir, secretary-general of the Higher Defense Council, on Sept. 21, Army commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji on Sept. 22. While Brig. Chamel Roukoz, head of the Army Commando Unit, is set to retire on Oct. 15. Reports have said that Defense Minister Samir Moqbel will not allow vacancy at senior military posts and hence is set to postpone the retirement of Salman next week, despite the opposition of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun. Thursday's cabinet session could face a thorny decision in that regard, and reports have said that the best formula for the cabinet may be to avoid the issue and suspend its sessions until the “storm passes by.”Prime Minister Tammam Salam has warned saying: “If we failed to find serious solutions for the cabinet in light of the presidential vacuum, then we will arrive at a great inability.”Lebanon has been living a presidential vacuum since May 2014 when the term of president Michel Suleiman ended.

Iran Ambassador Says Presidential Election a Local Issue
Naharnet/31 July/15/Iran's Ambassador to Beirut Mohammed Fathali has stressed that it was up to Lebanon's rival leaders to resolve the country's presidential deadlock.“This is an internal Lebanese issue,” the diplomat told al-Akhbar newspaper in an interview published on Friday. “All parties should take care of this issue because it is linked to the people's interest,” he said. Fathali made the comment in response to a question on whether contacts have been made with Tehran with regards to Lebanon's presidential crisis. Baabda Palace has been vacant since President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ended in May last year. Sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Thursday that French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius urged his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani during talks they held a day earlier to try to resolve the presidential deadlock in Lebanon. But the Iranian officials hinted that Tehran is not yet ready to use its influence in the region to interfere in the presidential crisis as long as the nuclear deal with Iran is still in its implementation stage, said the sources. Fathali hoped that the deal signed between Iran and six world powers — the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany — would help improve economic ties with Lebanon. “Lebanon enjoys a wide banking sector,” said the diplomat, adding “Iran also enjoys diverse economic capabilities.” The July 14 deal is meant to curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief.

Hariri Urges Lebanese to Overcome Disputes, Elect President
Naharnet/31 July/15/Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri on Friday hoped the army's sacrifices will push all Lebanese to “overcome their differences and disputes” and seek an end to the political crisis. “It saddens us that we are marking Army Day this year without a president,” said Hariri in a statement marking the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Lebanese army. “Lebanon is facing a storm of challenges and risks … and the army has shown a remarkable ability to maintain its coherence and rise above the acute political divides and disputes,” the ex-PM added. He also hailed the military for “preserving security and stability and fighting terror” and for the “hefty sacrifices it has offered to achieve this goal.”Hariri hoped the army's sacrifices will inspire all Lebanese to “overcome their differences and disputes, revive the project of building the state, and elect a new president as soon as possible.”“The state is the only guarantee and sanctuary for all Lebanese without any exception,” the former premier added. The country has been without a president since Michel Suleiman's term ended on May 25, 2014. The presidential vacuum has started to have a negative impact on the work of the cabinet, parliament and security and military institutions.

Arms Seized at House of Kahil's Suspected Killer as Report Says He Fled to Latakia
Naharnet/31 July/15/The army has raided the house of the fugitive Hisham Daou, who is accused of killing Major Rabih Kahil, seizing a large quantity of arms and ammunition, the military said Friday in a statement. “Eighteen assault rifles, 17 pistols, a quantity of light ammunition and various military equipment were seized in Hisham Daou's house in the Bdadoun area in Aley,” the army said. “The seized items were referred to the relevant authorities,” it added.
Meanwhile, MTV reported in the evening that Daou has fled to the Syrian province of Latakia. He is now "under the protection of Syrian businessman Wahib Merhi," MTV added. Daou has been on the run since Sunday. Kahil died in hospital Wednesday after succumbing to wounds sustained in a shooting in Bdadoun. A statement issued by the Army Command said the officer was “shot by a criminal as he was passing in the Bdadoun area on Sunday.” According to his family, he was heading to his house in the nearby Aley District town of al-Qmatiyeh. Several TV networks said the officer was shot during a quarrel with two men after he parked his car on the side of the road in Bdadoun to make a phone call. The dispute erupted after the two men arrived in a car and asked Kahil to leave the area, although he identified himself as an army officer. A fistfight ensued before one of the men, Hisham Daou, opened fire at Kahil from a weapon equipped with a silencer.

Israel Deploys Iron Dome on Lebanon Border after Nuclear Deal
Naharnet/31 July/15/Israel has deployed the Iron Dome defense system to the north on the border with Lebanon, likely amid fears that Hizbullah could get an infusion of cash and weapons from Iran after the nuclear deal. In an exclusive interview with FoxNews.com, the commander of Israel’s Active Defense Air Wing, Col. Yoni Saada Marom, said that the military drills were not a direct reaction to recent events, but made clear that Hizbullah and other groups close to Israel's borders presented a potentially heightened threat. “We are dealing with the challenges and scenarios that we think the enemies from the north will bring,” Maron said. The unique defense system locks onto the co-ordinates of incoming missiles targeting population centers and destroys them in mid-air before they can reach their intended target, said FoxNews. Asked whether he thought Hizbullah is imminently planning to attack Israel, Marom said: “As a military commander I cannot deal with their intentions.”“They can do whatever they choose to do, and I, as a defender, need to be ready for that. I cannot control his mind, but I can defend my country and defend our sovereignty,” he added. Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said last week that Iranian officials have reiterated that the country's stances towards the party would not change. He thanked Tehran “for all the moral and financial support.”Critics argue that the nuclear deal with Iran would essentially legitimize the country as a nuclear threshold state. And because it would lift economic sanctions on Tehran, including unfreezing at least $50 billion in foreign reserves, the regime would become flush with cash that could be used to beef up its conventional weapons stockpiles, influence proxies like Hizbullah, and support strongman Bashar Assad in Syria.

Report: ISF Commandos Liberate Abductee Nabbed from Jounieh
Naharnet/31 July/15/Security forces have managed to liberate a man who was kidnapped two days ago, a media report said on Thursday. “The abductee Khalil Faddoul was freed in a special operation by the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau's Strike Force,” LBCI television said. It said Faddoul was nabbed from the Jounieh region on Tuesday. The TV network noted that the operation followed the arrest and interrogation of Ali al-Ali and his sons Hussein, Malek and Milad at the hands of the Intelligence Bureau. On Wednesday, state-run National News Agency had reported that Faddoul was abducted “after unknown individuals lured him to an area on the Lebanese-Syrian border.” “A ransom worth $200,000 has been demanded,” the agency added. On July 16, Mahmoud Abou Jakh, the manager of al-Mawarid bank branch in Chtaura was freed in return for a $200,000 ransom after a several-day kidnap ordeal in the Bekaa region. Earlier this month, security forces arrested the ringleader of a gang that had kidnapped a child from the town of Amchit near Jbeil, north of Beirut. Authorities also managed to recover a $50,000 ransom that had been paid to secure the release of the boy.

It’s time for Lebanon’s PM to turn the tables
Nayla Tueni/Al Arabiya/Friday, 31 July 2015/The Lebanese government headed by Tammam Salam must admit that it has been negligent in regards to the garbage crisis. The garbage crisis comes as no surprise as everyone knew that the Naameh landfill, where Beirut’s rubbish was typically stored, would be shut down. Everyone also knew that the waste management company Sukleen’s contract in Beirut has ended without any alternative. Excuses of obstructing governmental work in order for the country to sink in garbage is also not acceptable as obstruction nothing new. The country has actually become used to it, especially since the Taif Agreement. Meanwhile, politicians and parties cannot point fingers at the government and say it failed as most ministers have failed to address affairs related to electricity, healthcare, education, social security, public transportation, traffic and agriculture among others. Ministers forget all about their failure and then assume responsibility in a different ministry thinking they can just turn the page and start afresh. They are oblivious to the fact that governance is about permanence and that failure is the resumption of a failed approach that results in nothing but destruction.
The garbage issue
Nothing justifies the failure to address the garbage issue and the ensuing chaos. Last Sunday, the situation almost took a turn for the worse as people set garbage on fire and blocked roads, reflecting the frustrations felt in Lebanon. There have been statements on the resignation of the prime minister due to the obstruction policy adopted by the Free Patriotic Movement aided by Hezbollah. Some sources close to the prime minister said he would resign “at the right time.” However this must not happen as the country is sinking in livelihood-related crises. Salam’s resignation will be perceived as an evasion of responsibility, and this is not something we have come to expect from Salam. All that is left of the state now is the “government of national interest” whose members, despite their disagreements, are still aware of its vital necessity. There are pressures on the prime minister to force him to make concessions, however, they are incapable of toppling the government and this serves the prime minister’s interest as he can turn the tables and alter the rules of the game.

Afghan Taliban Announce Mullah Akhtar Mansour as New Leader
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/31 July/15/The Taliban appointed Mullah Akhtar Mansour as their new leader, a statement said Friday, marking a historic power transition for the militant movement that has waged a 14-year insurgency in Afghanistan. The Taliban also announced his deputies -- Sirajuddin Haqqani, who leads the Taliban-allied Haqqani network and has a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head, and Haibatullah Akhundzada, the former head of the Taliban courts. The announcement comes a day after the insurgents confirmed the death of their elusive leader Mullah Omar, who led the fractious group for some 20 years. Mansour, a longtime trusted deputy of Omar, takes charge as the Taliban confronts growing internal divisions and is threatened by the rise of the Islamic State group, the Middle East jihadist outfit that is making steady inroads in Afghanistan. "After (Omar's) death the leadership council and Islamic scholars of the country, after long consultations, appointed his close and trusted friend and his former deputy Mullah Akhtar Mansour as the leader," the Taliban said in a Pashto-language statement posted on their website. "When Mullah Omar was alive, Mullah Mansour was considered a trustworthy and appropriate person to take this heavy responsibility." The Taliban on Thursday said Omar died of "sickness", without specifying when, a day after the Afghan government said the one-eyed warrior-cleric had passed away in Pakistan two years ago. The militant group said Omar never left Afghanistan, from where he led the movement, a claim at odds with Kabul's assertion that he died in a hospital in the Pakistani city of Karachi "under mysterious circumstances". "Not for a single day in the last 14 years did he go to Pakistan or any other country and led the Islamic Emirate affairs from his headquarters," the statement said, referring to the militant group by its official name and declaring three days of prayer ceremonies in his memory. The family of the man who led an insurgency that has killed tens of thousands of civilians also asked "Muslims to forgive him if anyone's rights were violated during his time in the Islamic Emirate".
op contenders A Taliban official said the process to choose Omar's successor had several stages: the group's ruling council would choose a candidate who must then be approved by a college of religious clerics.
The top contenders included Mansour and Omar's son Mullah Yakoub, who sources said was favoured by some commanders but at 26 was considered too young and inexperienced for such a key role. The confirmation of Omar's death ends years of fevered speculation about the fate of the leader, who has not been seen in public since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan that toppled the Taliban from power. But it cast a pall on the country's fragile peace process aimed at ending the long war, with the Taliban distancing itself from the second round of talks slated for Friday. The insurgents have ramped up their attacks on military and government targets since the NATO combat mission ended in December. "Media outlets are circulating reports that peace talks will take place very soon... either in China or Pakistan," the Taliban said in a separate statement posted on their website early Thursday. (Our) political office... are not aware of any such process."Afghanistan later said the meeting scheduled in Pakistan had been postponed, voicing hope that it would be convened in the "near future". Afghan officials met Taliban cadres this month in Murree, a holiday town in the hills north of the Pakistani capital Islamabad, for their first face-to-face talks aimed at ending the bloody insurgency. They had agreed to meet again in the coming weeks, drawing international praise, and Afghan officials had pledged to press for a ceasefire in the second round.
Existential crisis
Michael Kugelman, Afghanistan expert at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, said the loss of their long-time leader was a huge blow for the Taliban. "(The) announcement of Omar's death will spark an existential crisis for the Taliban, and the last thing that will be on its mind are peace talks," Kugelman told AFP. "It will need to focus on its survival, not talks."A statement from the Afghan presidential palace on Wednesday said grounds for the discussions are more solid now than before, imploring all insurgents to join the peace process. And Mark Toner, the U.S. State Department's deputy spokesman, said Omar's death was "clearly a moment of opportunity and we would encourage the Taliban to use this time of opportunity to make genuine peace with the Afghan government". But many Taliban ground commanders have openly questioned the legitimacy of the negotiators, exposing dangerous faultlines within the movement. The split over the peace process has been worsened by the emergence of a local branch of the Islamic State group, which last year declared a "caliphate" across large areas of Iraq and Syria under its control. The Taliban warned IS recently against expanding in the region, but this has not stopped some fighters, inspired by the group's success, from defecting.

Iran deal gets Hollywood nod in star-studded video
By Reuters | Washington/Friday, 31 July 2015/The U.S. political battle over the Iran nuclear agreement has gone Hollywood, thanks to a new video strongly backing the deal featuring boldface names from Jack Black and Morgan Freeman to former spy Valerie Plame and Jordan's Queen Noor.The video by the anti-nuclear group Global Zero takes a light-hearted tone, far from the jibes, and insults thrown in Congress between Obama administration officials and Republicans who are skeptical of the deal. "The agreement currently on the table is the best way to ensure that Iran doesn't build a f**king bomb," actor Morgan Freeman says in the three-minute spot, in which his expletive is bleeped out. The famous names, including veteran diplomat and former U.S. U.N. Ambassador Thomas Pickering, say the deal negotiated between the United States, other world powers and Iran is the best option available. They list dire options if it falls victim to congressional "sabotage." U.S. lawmakers have until Sept. 17 to accept or reject the agreement. The Obama administration has been working all-out to convince members of Congress, and the public, to back the nuclear accord. The campaign has included social media as well as testimony at hearings, classified briefings and private meetings and receptions. The video has garnered more than 250,000 views on YouTube in the two days since it was released. It ends with Black singing a spoof version of "Russians," Sting's popular anti-nuclear song from the Cold War era. "And I say to you, I hope the Iranians love their children too," he sings.

Saudi Executes Pakistani Heroin Smuggler
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/31 July/15/Saudi Arabia on Friday beheaded a convicted Pakistani heroin trafficker, adding to a sharp increase in executions this year. Shah Faisal Azeem Shah was found guilty of smuggling the drugs hidden in his body, the interior ministry said in a statement reported by the official Saudi Press Agency. Authorities carried out the sentence against him in the capital Riyadh. The kingdom resumed executions last week after a pause for the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan and the subsequent Eid al-Fitr holiday. Shah's case brings to 109 the number of beheadings this year in the kingdom, which rights group Amnesty International says is one of the world's most prolific executioners. The number of Saudis and foreigners put to death this year is up 125 percent from 87 during the whole of 2014, according to AFP tallies. Under the conservative kingdom's strict Islamic sharia legal code, drug trafficking, rape, murder, armed robbery and apostasy are all punishable by death. The interior ministry has cited deterrence as a reason for carrying out the latest punishment. It has also talked of "the physical and social harm" caused by drugs. Rights experts have raised concerns about the fairness of trials in the kingdom.

Yemeni forces seize Houthi positions in Aden
By Mohammed Mukhashaf and Mohammed Ghobari | Reuters, Sanaa/Aden/Thursday, 30 July 2015/Yemeni forces backed up by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes have recaptured positions on the outskirts of Aden used by the Houthi group to fire rockets into the southern port city, local officials said on Thursday. Forces loyal to exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which retook Aden from the Iran-allied Houthis on July 17, seized the town of Muthalath al-Ilm, at Aden’s eastern entrance. The fighters, who call themselves the Southern Resistance forces, also recaptured neighborhoods to the north of Aden from the Houthis, including Ya’wala, Al-Basateen and Qariat al-Falahi, the officials said. They said the two sides were still fighting in al-Houta, the capital of the southern province of Lahj, 30 km (20 miles) from Aden, where clashes have persisted for several days.Saudi air raids also targetted locations across the south, including Dhalea and Aland airbase, Houthi media Saba News reported quoting a security source at Yemen’s interior ministry. An Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been carrying out air strikes in Yemen since March in an effort to drive back the Houthis, who are aligned with former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and fight alongside his forces. The four-month-old war is rooted in political strains that escalated last year when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and pushed out Hadi, a U.S. ally. Nearly 4,000 people have been killed and more than 1.2 million displaced, the United Nations says. A five-day truce put forward by the Saudi side to allow delivery of aid that began on Sunday ended almost immediately, with resistance fighters accusing the Houthis flouting the deal. More than 6 million people in Yemen are on the verge of starvation, Oxfam said on Tuesday. Also on Thursday, residents and local officials said four suspected members of the al Qaeda affiliated Ansar al-Sharia militant group were killed in an overnight air strike by an unmanned aircraft, or drone, in the southern province of Abyan.

Saudi humanitarian aid plane arrives in Aden
By Staff writer | Al Arabiya News/Friday, 31 July 2015/A Saudi military plane loaded with humanitarian relief landed at Aden airport on Friday, Al Arabiya’s correspondent reported. The plane was carrying 10 tons of aid, the correspondent reported. Several aid planes arrived at city’s international airport this month after it reopened following four months of fighting between government loyalists and Houthi rebels.

U.S. airstrikes hit Nusra Front in Syria
Beirut, Reuters/Friday, 31 July 2015/Warplanes believed to be part of a U.S.-led alliance struck Nusra Front positions in northern Syria on Friday following an attack by the al Qaeda-linked group on Western-backed rebels in the area, a group tracking the war said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that reports on the war, said the air strikes hit Nusra Front positions near the town of Azaz, north of Aleppo. Overnight, the Nusra Front had launched an attack in the area targeting rebels including a group said by opposition sources to have been trained under a U.S.-led program to build a force to fight Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Observatory reported. The rebel group, known as Division 30, said Nusra Front fighters attacked its headquarters at 4.30 am. Five members of Division 30 were killed as they held off the attackers, it said. The group has accused the Nusra Front of abducting its leader and several other members earlier this week. Syrian opposition sources say members of Division 30 have been trained under the U.S.-led train and equip program launched in May. The Pentagon has however cast doubt on the report, saying that no members of the “New Syrian Force” had been captured or detained. The Nusra Front, which Washington has designated a terrorist organization, has a track record of crushing U.S.-backed rebels in Syria. Last year, it routed the Syria Revolutionaries Front led by Jamal Maarouf, viewed as one of the most powerful insurgent leaders until his defeat. It was also instrumental in the demise of the U.S.-backed Hazzm Movement, which collapsed earlier this year after clashing with the Nusra Front in the northwest. Washington and Ankara this week announced their intention to provide air cover for Syrian rebels and jointly sweep ISIS fighters from a strip of land along the border, with U.S. warplanes using bases in Turkey for strikes.

Sisi: Egypt and Saudi are leaders of Arab security
Staff writer, Al Arabiya News/Thursday, 30 July 2015/Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed a pact in Cairo Thursday aimed at boosting military and economic ties between the two Arab allies. On Thursday, a Saudi delegation led by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Cairo and signed the "Cairo Declaration," also attending a military parade with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. "The two sides stressed the need to exert all efforts to boost security and stability in the region, and to work together to protect Arab national security," Sisi's office said after the signing. The "Cairo Declaration" backs building a new joint Arab military force to fight terrorism in the region, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The leaders have also expressed their keenness to further develop relations between the two countries, dubbed key to regional security. Speaking at the ceremony, Sisi said Egypt and Saudi Arabia are vital for the security in the Arab region. The two allies, who are partners in the kingdom-led coalition striking Houthi militias in Yemen, are the “wings of Arab security,” Sisi told graduates of the military academy. Sisi added that the deputy crown prince’s presence at the ceremony sent a “strong message” of cooperation to their people. “You will not see us but together,” state-owned paper al-Ahram reported him as saying. The “highly difficult regional circumstances,” would require “security vigilance and extra effort.” A handout picture provided by the Office of the Egyptian Presidency on July 30, 2015 shows Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) sitting next to Saudi deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman as they attend a military academy graduation ceremony in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. (AFP) Egypt’s Foreign Minister Samih Shoukry described “solidarity” between Cairo and Riyadh as important to protecting regional security in a joint press conference with Saudi’s top diplomat Adel al-Jubeir. Jubeir said Riyadh is keen to further develop its relations and cooperation with Cairo. He also said communication is continuing with Egypt to build a new joint Arab military force . In March, Arab foreign ministers met Egypt and agreed to establish a unified military force for rapid intervention to deal with security threats to Arab nations, including Islamist militants who have seized large swathes of land in Syria and Iraq.
While the ministers agreed in principle, no major development materialized.

Netanyahu in Rare Call to Abbas after Toddler Murder
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/31 July/15/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a rare telephone call to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, condemning the murder Friday of a Palestinian toddler in an arson attack and pledging a thorough investigation. Netanyahu told Abbas "everyone in Israel was shocked by the reprehensible terrorism against the Dawabsha family" that killed the 18-month-old boy, his office said. "We must fight terrorism together, regardless of which side it comes from," he added. Netanyahu further told Abbas he had ordered the Israeli security forces to "use all measures to locate the murderers." After speaking with Abbas, Netanyahu visited the Israeli hospital where the mother and brother of Ali Saad Dawabsha were being treated for severe burns. The last time the two leaders spoke was on July 17, when Netanyahu called Abbas to wish him a happy holiday at the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Prior to that, the two spoke had not spoken since June 2014, when Netanyahu asked Abbas for help in ensuring the safe return of three Israeli teens kidnapped by Palestinian militants, who murdered them.

Abbas wants ICC to probe killing of toddler
Al Arabiya News with Agencies/Friday, 31 July 2015/Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas said he would appeal to the International Criminal Court to investigate Friday's arson attack by suspected Israeli settlers in the West Bank that killed a Palestinian toddler. "We are immediately preparing the file that will be submitted to the ICC," Abbas told reporters, while also denouncing "war crimes and crimes against humanity committed each day by Israelis against the Palestinian people."The 18-month-old Palestinian child was killed due to a house fire suspected to have been set by Jewish extremists in the occupied West Bank on Friday, Israeli police said. Several people were also injured. The Palestine Liberation Organization also said it holds the Israeli government "fully responsible" for the death of the toddler, an official said. "We hold the Israeli government fully responsible for the brutal assassination of the toddler Ali Saad Dawabsha," PLO official Saeb Erekat said in a statement. "This is a direct consequence of decades of impunity given by the Israeli government to settler terrorism."Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the “Price Tag” slogan used in the past by extremist Israelis was daubed on the walls of the family home that had been torched in a village near the West Bank city of Nablus. “This is a suspected attack with nationalist motives,” Samri said. She said Israeli security forces were at the scene. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the attack “an act of terrorism in every respect.” “I am shocked over this reprehensible and horrific act,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “This is an act of terrorism in every respect.”Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon added: “The fire and the murder of the Palestinian toddler is an act of terrorism,” Yaalon said in a statement, after the attack in the village of Doma, near Nablus.“We will not allow terrorists to take the lives of Palestinians.”Following the attack Israeli police have imposed restrictions on Palestinian access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a mosque official told the Palestinian Ma'an news agency. He also said that men under 50 will not be allowed to attend Friday prayers. However, there were no restrictions on women entering the mosque. Meanwhile, Jordan condemned the Friday attack as an "ugly crime" commited by suspected Jewish settlers. "This ugly crime could have been avoided if the Israeli government had not ignored the rights of the Palestinian people and turned its back on peace... in the region," government spokesman Mohammed Momani said.

Palestinian Toddler Burned to Death in 'Settler' Arson Attack
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/31 July/15/A Palestinian toddler was burned to death and four family members wounded in an arson attack by suspected Jewish settlers on two homes in the occupied West Bank on Friday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the firebombing in the village of Duma near the northern city of Nablus "an act of terrorism in every respect" and ordered security forces to hunt down the perpetrators. The attack further stoked tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, two days after Netanyahu controversially approved 300 new settler homes in the West Bank. The Palestine Liberation Organisation said it held Netanyahu's government "fully responsible" for the death of 18-month-old Ali Saad Dawabsha, arguing it was "a direct consequence of decades of impunity given by the Israeli government to settler terrorism." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for an investigation by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. According to Palestinian security officials, four assailants believed to be Jewish settlers set a house on fire at the entrance to the village and scrawled graffiti on a wall before fleeing to a nearby Jewish settlement. The Israeli military and army radio said two homes had been set ablaze by two masked men, and a child killed and four family members wounded. It added that the graffiti had been written in Hebrew. Palestinian sources said those wounded included the toddler's parents -- mother Reham, 26, and father Saad -- as well as four-year-old brother Ahmed. Israeli medical sources said they had been taken to hospital. The mother was in critical condition with third-degree burns covering 90 percent of her body, an Israeli doctor told public radio, stressing that her life was threatened. The father had burns on 80 percent of his body. The identity of the fourth person wounded as reported by the military was not immediately clear. Local media reported that the graffiti said "revenge" and "long live the Messiah" and that the attackers threw firebombs inside the two homes, one of which was empty. Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said such attacks would not be tolerated, adding "we will not allow terrorists to take the lives of Palestinians."The Israeli military said it was working to find the perpetrators.
Tensions over settlements
Protests were expected after the main weekly Muslim prayers across the Palestinian territories, with Islamist movement Hamas having already on Thursday called for a "day of rage" against what it called Israeli aggression. Israeli authorities mobilised a large deployment in Jerusalem's Old City around the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque and barred men under 50 years old from entering the complex. Previous such moves have provoked anger from Palestinians. The arson attack follows days of tensions surrounding settlements in the West Bank, with rightwing groups opposing the demolition of two buildings under construction that the Israeli High Court said were illegal. The demolition began on Wednesday, but Netanyahu authorized the immediate construction of 300 settler homes in the same area the same day. Settlers had clashed with police when they moved in to demolish the buildings. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, of the right-wing Jewish Home party, had opposed the demolition and addressed protesters at the site. Netanyahu holds only a one-seat majority in parliament following March elections and settler groups wield significant influence in his government. West Bank settlements are viewed as illegal under international law, but not by the Israeli government. They are also major impediments to peace negotiations with the Palestinians, who see the land as part of a future independent state, and Western nations have called on Israel to halt construction. Neighboring Jordan, one of the rare Arab nations with diplomatic relations with Israel, strongly condemned the arson attack. "This ugly crime could have been avoided if the Israeli government had not ignored the rights of the Palestinian people and turned its back on peace... in the region," government spokesman Mohammed Momani said. Extreme-right Israeli activists have committed acts of vandalism and violence against Palestinians and Arab Israelis for years, attacking Christian and Muslim places of worship and even Israeli soldiers.The attacks are known as "price tag" violence -- a euphemism for nationalist-motivated hate crimes by Jewish extremists.

Hamas: 'Every Israeli is now a legitimate target' following Duma terror attack
JPOST.COM STAFF/07/31/2015/Hamas said Friday that every Israeli is now a legitimate target following the deadly terror attack in the village of Duma in which a Palestinian toddler was killed, Israel Radio reported. In an official message to the public, Hamas also called for a "day of rage" to protest the deadly terror attack and "in order to protect al-Aksa mosque." Palestinian toddler Ali Dawabsha was killed and three members of his family injured after a molotov cocktail was thrown at their home by suspected far-right extremists, in the village of Duma, in the northern area of the West Bank, outside the city of Nablus. Israeli and Palestinian security forces in Jerusalem and the West Bank were placed on high alert following the attack. Increased IDF forces were called into the area to help maintain security on the main roads throughout the West Bank to prevent any attempts to attack Israeli vehicles in retaliation. A Palestinian security source told Israel Radio that Palestinian Authority police will be placed outside mosques in the area to maintain order, but added that there will be no way to prevent Hamas protests from taking place. Netanyahu forcefully condemned the terror attack, saying he was shocked by the “horrible” act, and calling it a “terror attack in every way.”“Israel acts with a strong hand against terror, and it does not matter who are its perpetrators,” he said in a statement. The prime minister said he directed the security services to use all means at their disposal to apprehend those responsible and bring them to justice. “The government of Israel is united in its opposition to terrible and heinous acts such as these,” he said, adding that – speaking for the entire country – he wanted to send his condolences to the family of the baby killed in the attack and wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured. Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon referred to the incident and the death of baby Ali Dawabsha as "a most severe terrorist act that we cannot tolerate, and we condemn in every way." He noted that all security forces including the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), the IDF and police are carrying out a "supreme effort" to find those responsible, saying "we will pursue them until we get our hands on them.""We will not allow Jewish terrorists to harm the lives of Palestinians across Judea and Samaria. We will fight them in every way, with every tool at our disposal."He sent out his condolences to the Dawabsha family and requested restraint from the public "to allowing security forces to carry out their mission of capturing the murderers."

Several people stabbed at Jerusalem gay pride parade
The Associated Press, Jerusalem/Friday, 31 July 2015/Revelers dancing and singing through the streets of Jerusalem during the holy city’s annual gay pride parade were left shrieking in pain and panic Thursday night, as an anti-gay extremist lunged into a group leading the march and stabbed six people, Israeli police and witnesses said. Police said the attacker, Yishai Schlissel, who was arrested at the scene for Thursday’s attack, had been released from prison just three weeks ago, after serving a sentence for stabbing several people at the parade in 2005. Six people were wounded in the attack, two of them seriously, Eli Bin of Israel’s emergency service said. The Gay Pride Parade was proceeding as planned with party music, Israeli flags and rainbow-clad marchers wending their way through central Jerusalem’s barricaded streets, under a heavy police presence. An Associated Press photographer witnessed the attacker enter the throng of people with his hand in his coat and within seconds raise a knife and begin stabbing people in the back. Police pounced on him and arrested him.The crowd’s carefree cheers suddenly gave way to screams. Panic ensued, and a bloody woman fell to the ground, an Associated Press photographer at the scene said. A man with blood seeping from his back wandered around with a dazed look before collapsing. Another man with his shirt off also had blood dripping down his back. Medics quickly surrounded them both and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. Shocked revelers, some in tears, gathered along the sidewalk and hugged and comforted each other as ambulances and police on horses quickly arrived. While the attack caused shock, it was not unprecedented: Schlissel was convicted of a similar stabbing attack that wounded several people at a gay pride parade in Jerusalem a decade ago. On Thursday, media reports said that Schlissel hid in a nearby supermarket and jumped out to attack the march when it passed nearby. Jerusalem police spokesman Asi Ahroni said there was a “massive presence” of police securing the parade but “unfortunately the man managed to pull out a knife and attack.” A medic that treated the wounded at the scene, Hanoch Zelinger, said one woman was stabbed in the back, chest and neck, and was lying unconscious on the ground. Shaarei Tzedek Hospital said it was treating two victims with stab wounds, a man who was in serious condition and a woman in critical condition, both in their 20s. The parade continued after the wounded were taken for treatment, but in a far more somber atmosphere. Media reported that thousands of Jerusalem residents who had not initially participated in the parade joined in after the attack in solidarity. “I do think that homophobia is rooted in the city, but that’s the point of the parade,” said Benny Zupick, 21, shortly after the attack. “We are trying to change that. And hopefully we will change that. It takes one man to create a scene like this. Hopefully he’s a minority.” Condemnations of the attack poured in from the heads of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox parties, along with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and others across the Israeli political spectrum. President Reuven Rivlin called the attack a “terrible hate crime.” “People celebrating their freedom and expressing their identity were viciously stabbed. We must not be deluded; a lack of tolerance will lead us to disaster. We cannot allow such crimes, and we must condemn those who commit and support them,” Rivlin said. Just a few thousand people usually attend the parade in Jerusalem, known for its rich religious history and tradition. A majority of Jerusalem’s residents are observant Jews, Muslims or Christians, conservative communities whose members mostly frown on homosexuality. Previous parades in the holy city have drawn opposition. Jerusalem’s parade is much smaller and more restrained than the annual gay pride march in the secular Tel Aviv, which was attended by some 100,000 revelers last month. Tel Aviv has emerged as one of the world’s most gay-friendly travel destinations recently. The Israeli city stands in sharp contrast to most of the rest of the Middle East, where gays are persecuted or even killed in some places. Gays serve openly in Israel’s military and parliament, and many popular artists and entertainers are gay, but gays still face hostility from some ultra-conservative religious communities. Israel’s Channel 2 TV aired an interview that Schlissel gave to an ultra-Orthodox Jewish site recently where he spoke out against the gay parade taking place in Jerusalem. His remarks were an eerie prelude to Thursday’s attack. “The struggle isn’t over and the un-pure want to contaminate Jerusalem,” he said. “They want to contaminate the people of Israel.”

Erdogan: Europe responsible for refugees 'drowining in the sea'
By AFP, Jakarta/Friday, 31 July 2015/Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Europe on Friday of not doing enough to help refugees fleeing conflict in Syria and Iraq, suggesting it was responsible for people "drowning in the sea". Turkey, which has taken in some 1.8 million Syrian refugees since the conflict started in 2011, has repeatedly said that it has been left to shoulder a disproportionate burden as Western states stand by. Erdogan has championed an "open-door" policy toward Syrian refugees, despite their increasing presence in major Turkish cities stoking tensions with locals. The president complained again Friday that Turkey had "welcomed" two million refugees from war-torn Syria and Iraq while Europe had struggled to accept a tenth of that number. "This is the type of country that we are," Erdogan, through a translator, told an audience at a military think tank in Jakarta at the start of a two-day visit to Indonesia. "But when you look at the whole of Europe, what you find is that they have not been able to welcome a mere 200,000 refugees in their countries. "What's more, when there are those who tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea to get into Europe, the attitude they have or the groundwork they lay is such that these people end up drowning in the sea," he added. The outspoken president has not been alone in criticising the West on refugees, with the U.N.'s refugee chief urging countries to follow Turkey's lead and open up their borders. Erdogan said this week the formation of a safe zone inside war-torn Syria, free from ISIS, would help 1.7 million refugees return home.

Teaming up with Arab states for Israel's security
Amnon Reshef/Ynetnews/Published:07.29.15 / Israel Opinion
Op-ed: Combining intelligence abilities and coordinating preventive activity is the only way to restraint Iran, both in terms of nuclear deal violations and its further contribution to instability in the region.
Beyond the disagreements over the nuclear deal with Iran, one fact is indisputable: The agreement has been signed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can fight to thwart it in the Congress, a futile battle, thereby deepening both the rift with the Obama administration and the damage to the Israeli deterrence, which is also fed by the image of the intimate relationship between the two countries.
On the other hand, he can choose a more creative outline which will contribute to our security. It's time to change direction and turn over a new leaf with the administration in Washington, through tight cooperation in monitoring the agreement's implementation by Iran, cooperating to thwart the Iranian subversion in the region, which will likely be stepped up, forming a security compensation package which matches the new reality and the challenges stemming from it, and coordinating diplomatic moves. All this requires us to rebuild the close relationship and restore the credibility and the past commitment for diplomatic-security cooperation.
The new geo-strategic situation, in which Iran grows stronger as a result of the sanctions' removal, creates both a need and an opportunity for change. The Iranian ambitions from hegemony in the Middle East as a regional power, its expected military armament, the increase in the amount of weapons transferred to Hezbollah, Hamas and other terror groups, the constant threat to its neighbors in the Persian Gulf and the rhetoric of destroying Israel should all be countered with a political-security plan.
Israel, the pragmatic Arab states and the Western states have shared enemies and interests: Iran and the radical Islamic terror organizations. We even share the disappointment by the American policy in the Middle East. This infrastructure can be leveraged in favor of Israel's security. Instead of getting dragged by the events, Israel should initiate a diplomatic move that would allow the "coalition of those concerned by Iran" to concentrate their security efforts. Combining intelligence abilities and coordinating preventive activity is the only way to guarantee that Iran will be restrained, both in terms of agreement violations and in its further contribution to the instability in the region.
For this purpose, Israel must launch a security-diplomatic initiative, while adopting the Saudi-Arab peace initiative as a basis for negotiations. This isn't a "gospel truth." The Arab states' representatives have clarified more than once that accepting the initiative will allow a discussion on the Israeli reservations.
The moderate Arab states are also aware of the fact that the Middle East has changed in the 13 years that have passed since the Arab peace initiative was first introduced. It's clear to everyone that the issue of the Golan Heights, for example, is not on the agenda. The demand to return to the 1967 lines has also changed. The Arab League's monitoring committee has publicly expressed its willingness in principle to adopt the land swap plan.
The issue of the "right of return" isn't even mentioned in the peace initiative. The wording is: "Attaining a just solution to the problem of Palestinian refugees to be agreed upon in accordance with the UN General Assembly Resolution No 194." The statement that the solution will be "agreed upon" points to an Israeli veto on every solution which we find unacceptable. The Arab leaders have clarified that there is no precondition of reaching a full permanent agreement with the Palestinians before starting a gradual implementation of the initiative. The actual acceptance of the initiative – with the Israeli reservations – can open a new chapter in the regional dialogue.
The combination between a new chapter in our relationship with the administration in Washington and the international community and our willingness to discuss the Arab initiative will encourage and motivate the Obama administration to mediate between the sides. A combination of a local move alongside the suggested regional move will deepen the initiative's contribution to Israel's security even more.
In this context, it will be possible to calm down the situation in the Gaza Strip, before it catches fire again, by inviting our partners to the regional agreement – led by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan – to take part in the reconstruction of Gaza and the development of the West Bank, as part of agreements with the Palestinian Authority. Here too, tight coordination with Washington is a necessary condition for making progress.
**Major General (ret.) Amnon Reshef, the former commanding general of the IDF Armored Corps, is the founder and chairman of the Commanders for Israel's Security movement.

On Emirati laws, from imprisonment to the death penalty
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/Friday, 31 July 2015/
In the past, there existed good ethical standards for rejecting discrimination and promoting coexistence at a time when no laws regulated relations amongst people and between societies. However, communities have changed, expanded, mixed and become complicated. Ethics are no longer sufficient as a control, and customs have stopped deterring people from harming each other or violating others’ rights. In Lebanon, a group has been formed to defend the rights of domestic workers, most of whom are foreigners prevented from socializing with the rest of society. In Egypt, the citizens of Upper Egypt have complained about the media and cinema making fun of them. The situation is more dangerous in the Gulf, with provocation amounting to incitement and blasphemy, and reaching the level of government officials inciting to kill.
Modern societies
Modern societies in the world are seeking to develop laws promoting social peace and making the state a home for all. They are developing laws that ensure the protection of the weakest groups. There is no country in the world that has not undergone this difficult transition. Saudi Arabia banned slavery a hundred years after the United States banned it in 1866. All societies change; the old and the modern need to develop their regimes to deal with the changes. Shiites and Sunnis have been living in the same area for a thousand years. In order to remain living together, the modern state has to enact regulations and laws Politics has tarnished social relations in the Arab world. When the relationship with the state gets tarnished, hostility is reflected in the same direction, and when it is fixed, the brotherly and friendly language between the state and society is reinstalled. In our society that is crowded with foreigners, when a foreigner kills a local, the language of the media and social networks degenerates, blaming the whole community of the perpetrator, and then it starts to spread hatred.
The problem is not only experienced by foreigners; it is a sectarian problem too between Sunni and Shiites, and an ethnic one against the Bedouins. It is a regional problem as well, working against people of certain regions; and disrespecting them has become a cause of discrimination against them. These contemporary diseases persist and spread due to lack of explicit regulations defining responsibilities and establishing guidelines. Shiites and Sunnis have been living in the same area for a thousand years. In order to remain living together, the modern state has to enact regulations and laws that grant them equal rights and punish those who violate that right. In order for everyone to live within their own country, it is necessary to protect them from racism and nepotism.
Language of atonement
The extremely religious must be aware that using the language of atonement is like carrying weapons, as it could lead to abuse and possibly murder. The spread of hatred and atonement is a crime; and perpetrators should be punished. The United Arab Emirates recently introduced the first comprehensive law dealing with racism, hatred and incitement; and this law deserves to be read in detail. The law “criminalizes acts associated with the contempt of religious and holy sites, religious discrimination and hate speech using any form of media.”
One of the challenges facing this law is extensive cynicism and racism. The most severe penalties are against government officials, who face jail terms of ten years and fines of 500,000 dirhams ($136,127) if they commit during work hours. Those who exploit religion and accuse others of blasphemy will be imprisoned. Penalties might reach the death penalty in cases of murder. The purpose of this law is not the mere application of sanctions. Rather, it serves to establish a proper relation between members of society and install civil peace. The protection of societies and their rights is not a matter left to the wishes of the people. It cannot be the subject of a referendum. Even in democracies, the opinion of the majority regarding this issue does not matter. However, it should be expressly stated in a constitution, and the international community should hold accountable any government that does not adhere to these values.

Khamenei’s inflammatory statements and how the GCC can act
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya/Friday, 31 July 2015
In the past couple of weeks, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei felt the urge to reassert and strongly articulate the Islamic Republic’s policies towards its Arab neighbors and the United States. After announcing his support for the nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and the six world powers (known as the P5+1: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; plus Germany), Khamenei stated, according to the official website of the Office of the Supreme Leader, “whether this drafted [nuclear agreement] text is approved through legal process in the country or not, the Iranian nation will not stop supporting the oppressed nation of Palestine, Yemen, Bahrain as well as the nations and governments of Syria, Iraq and the honest combatants in Lebanon and Palestine.”
The supreme leader’s message with regards to Bahrain and Iran’s support for “Bahraini people” clearly reflects Iran’s meddling. Recent similar statements by Iranian officials have ultimately urged one country, and a state member of Gulf Cooperation Council, to act. Bahrain took well-informed diplomatic moves. First, they summoned a top Iranian official to express its protest with regards to Khamenei’s remarks. Second, Bahrain recalled its ambassador from Tehran for consultation. Since Iranian leaders’ ties with Arab countries are geopolitically, strategically and economically significant, Bahrain’s move and official statements can definitely constrain Iran from issuing the same inflammatory statements for sometime. This will prompt the supreme leader to calculate his words and policies more carefully next time. On the other hand, what does Khamenei’s speech tell us about Iran’s regional and foreign policy after the nuclear deal? How can we view Bahrain’s move? How can Iran be restrained and what steps must the Gulf Cooperation Council states take?
Khamenei’s policy
Khamenei is considered the second longest-ruling leader in the Middle East after Sultan Qaboos of Oman. One of the major reasons behind his long-ruling period is his dual policy of pleasing the hardliners (in order to suppress domestic opposition and spread Iran’s revolutionary principles abroad) as well as the moderates ( in order to set the international diplomatic tome and remove the risks of foreign intervention). But this double policy has inevitably created contradictions and has upset other nations.
For example, with regards to Iran-U.S. policies, Khamenei stated “our policy toward the arrogant U.S. government won’t change at all… We have no negotiations with America about various global and regional issues. We have no negotiations on bilateral issues.”
Although some politicians and scholars put much emphasis on the literal translation of Khamenei’s words, it is crucial not to analyze some of the ayatollah’s words and speeches based on face value.
On the one hand, Khamenei is attempting to silence (and please) his hard-line social base. In order to prevent their opposition and criticism to the sealed final nuclear deal, he is strongly voicing Iran’s hardline stance towards the United States and other regional countries.
Nevertheless, although the supreme leader has stated that Iran does not have “negotiations with America about various global and regional issues” and “negotiations on bilateral issues,” Tehran and Washington have been tactically cooperating with each other on several issues including fighting ISIS and the stability of Iraqi government, Afghanistan, among others.
As I mentioned before the final nuclear was reached, although Khamenei was in favor of the nuclear deal, his public statements disguised his intentions. Iran-Bahrain and Iran-GCC: Iran can be constrained by a collective move from GCC states
The supreme leader’s message with regards to Bahrain and Iran’s support for “Bahraini people” clearly reflects Iran’s meddling in the internal affairs of Bahrain. In addition, he attempts to please the senior cadre of Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps and its elite branch, the Quds force that implements Tehran’s regional policies. This dual policy of the supreme leader continues to create challenges and contradictions on the diplomatic, regional and global stage. For example, on the one hand, Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif announced Iran’s political willingness to start a new chapter with Arab countries. On the other hand, Iran’s supreme leader also gave speeches reasserting Iran’s meddling in Arab countries including Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon. Part of the tension between Iran and Bahrain is due to these types of inflammatory statements given periodically by Iranian officials, such as calling Bahrain the 14th province of Iran and not recognizing Bahrain as independent state. The other factors are the close ties between Iranian and Shiite clerics in Bahrain as well as Iran’s meddling in internal affairs of Bahrain. The best approach to constrain the Islamic Republic is that several Arab states or GCC members ought to take a collective move similar to the move taken by Bahrain. This move can be solely diplomatic. Strong statements from GCC states can indeed constrain such inflammatory statements. Nevertheless, will such statements alter Iran’s regional policy? To some extent. For Iranian leaders, their geopolitical, strategic, and diplomatic ties with Arab states are crucial since they desire to project the Islamic Republic as the front runner of the Muslim world, ideologically speaking. If Iranian leaders sense that the Islamic Republic might be boycotted by several Muslim Arab nations, they will likely begin to recalculate their priorities with regards to national and ideological interests.

Bombing ISIS and the Kurds without a Syria strategy
Manuel Almeida/Al Arabiya/Friday, 31 July 2015
After months of speculation about a looming change in Turkey’s Syria policy, last week’s announcement that the Turkish government finally gave permission for the U.S.-led coalition to use the NATO airbase at Incirlik to target ISIS in Syria was generally greeted with enthusiasm. Praised as a step forward in the efforts to degrade ISIS, the agreement has been widely reported to involve the establishment of a de facto safe zone stretching some 68 miles across Syrian territory that would in theory allow thousands of refugees and internally displaced people to find some safety. Another big problem of this joint Turkish-American action against ISIS is that the same fundamental disagreement on what to do about Bashar al-Assad remains. This also fed into the expectations that the area in question could be used by various armed opposition groups for re-supplying, training and planning their operations against both ISIS and the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Undeniably good news
However, while the new resolve of the Justice and Development Party to deal with the threat posed by ISIS is undeniably good news, the more details emerge about the U.S.-Turkish agreement the more reservations arise about its effectiveness and potential repercussions.
This move comes hand in hand with a new determination by the Turkish government to address the growing Kurdish irredentism, which many within Turkish government circles still consider a far bigger threat than ISIS. In addition to the airstrikes Turkey is now conducting in Syria against ISIS, it has also been striking the bases of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), considered by both Turkey and the U.S. to be a terrorist group. Turkey’s involvement in the anti- ISIS coalition is also widely interpreted as a move to curb the growing influence of the Democratic Union Party (YPG), the Syrian affiliate of the PKK, along three cantons in northern Syria. Last week’s suicide bombing in Suruc, a predominantly Kurdish city in southwest Turkey, which killed over 30 people, precipitated an outcome that was looking evermore inevitable. The Kurds again blamed the Turkish government for not doing enough to protect them against ISIS and the PKK retaliated against Turkish security forces. As a response, Turkish jets have been bombing PKK militias Turkey and in northern Iraq. The PKK has in turn responded with more attacks on Turkey’s security forces.
Violation of the 2013 ceasefire
This violation of the 2013 ceasefire between the Turkish government and the PKK, as well as the possible collapse of the peace negotiations, is bad news not only for Turkey but for the international efforts to defeat ISIS in Syria. Turkey is getting involved simultaneously in two conflicts and the key role of the Syrian Kurdish militias (the People’s Protection Units) in the fight against ISIS may eventually be compromised. With Turkey’s main political parties still holding talks to form a ruling coalition, the conflict between the AKP and the PKK is generating tensions between the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and the (still) ruling party. The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been accused by opposition figures of trying to establish a connection between the PKK’s military actions and the HDP’s unprecedented electoral success. Another big problem of this joint Turkish-American action against ISIS is that the same fundamental disagreement on what to do about Bashar al-Assad remains. Ever since the idea of using Turkish territory to conduct strikes against ISIS has been mulled, the Turkish government had always retorted with the demand that it should involve the declaration of a no-fly zone, the establishment of a safe haven inside Syrian territory, and a military effort to weaken the pro-Assad forces.
Over the last few days, U.S. officials have been insisting there is no plan to enforce a safe zone in Syrian territory, dismissing widespread reports to the contrary. The positive elements to take out of these developments is that the Turkish government finally decided to face head-on the threat ISIS represents and the anti- ISIS coalition has gained strategic leverage to conduct its operations. But there are various causes for concern, chief among which is the ongoing half-baked approach to the Syrian conflict led by the current U.S. administration, focused almost exclusively on bombing ISIS.

Hamas's Child Abuse Camps
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/July 30, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6259/hamas-camps-child-abuse
More than 500 Hamas members of Hamas's armed wing, Ezaddin al-Qassam, are supervising the military training and religious education in the camps to train future jihadis in the war against Israel. Hamas's religious education is aimed at teaching the children about Islam and its sharia laws. They are also being taught that making peace with the "infidels" is prohibited under the teachings of Islam. It is disturbing to see how international and Palestinian human rights organizations, especially those claiming to defend children's rights, are turning a blind eye to this large-scale child abuse by Hamas. These organizations only care about children's rights when there is a way to throw all the blame on Israel.
The Palestinian Authority and its president, Mahmoud Abbas, are also poisoning the hearts and minds of their people by constantly inciting them against Israel. These children will never accept the two-state solution that Abbas is talking about. Nor will they ever recognize Israel's right to exist in this part of the world.
"Teach your children how to play, how to smile... Build for them an institution...on the love of Palestine and not how to get themselves killed." — Palestinian activist Eyad al-Atal, criticizing Hamas for "depriving an entire generation of Palestinians of their childhood."
For the third running year, thousands of Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip are receiving military training as part of Hamas's summer camps. The camps, which are being held under the banner "Vanguards of Liberation," are aimed at preparing children as young as 15 for fighting against Israel. More than 25,000 children have joined this year's Hamas camps, according to Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip. What is most disturbing about this practice is that the families are not hesitant to send their children to be trained as future jihadis in the war against Israel. On the contrary, many of the families interviewed in the Palestinian media in the past few days said they were proud to see their children being taught how to use various types of weapons.
Rashed Anwar Abu Diqqa attends one of Gaza's Hamas-run military summer camps. The teenage boy, shown holding an assault rifle, says "I go to the summer camp because it teaches young people lots of useful things. (Image source: MEMRI)
Only a few Palestinians have dared to speak out against Hamas's exploitation of children. Palestinian activist Eyad al-Atal criticized Hamas for "depriving an entire generation of Palestinians of their childhood." He said that apart from creating new supporters of the Islamic State, the military training of the children was in violation of human rights principles.
Addressing the Hamas leaders, the al-Atal said: "Teach your children how to play, how to smile, how to rejoice. Build for them an institution for education and entertainment that would raise them on the love of Palestine and not how to get themselves killed."
It is also disturbing to see how international and Palestinian human rights organizations, especially those claiming to defend children's rights, are turning a blind eye to this large-scale child abuse by Hamas. These organizations only care about children's rights when there is a way to throw all the blame on Israel. As in the past two years, the summer camps are being held in bases belonging to Hamas's armed wing, Ezaddin al-Qassam, throughout the Gaza Strip. The declared goal of the camps to is to "prepare a new generation of Palestinian youths spiritually, mentally and physically for the battle to liberate Palestine." When Hamas talks about the "liberation of Palestine," it is not referring to the West Bank and Gaza Strip only, but to the whole of Israel. In other words, these Palestinian children are being educated and trained to prepare for joining the war aimed at destroying Israel.
The children are being taught that their role models are Hamas suicide bombers and terrorists responsible for the death of hundreds of Israelis over the past few decades. Most of the training and indoctrination takes place in the evening, due to the hot weather and for "security reasons." More than 500 Hamas members of Ezaddin al-Qassam are supervising the military training and religious education in the camps. Hamas's religious education is aimed at teaching the children about Islam and its sharia laws. The children are being told that the whole of the land of Palestine (including Israel) is Muslim-owned land that can't be given away to non-Muslims. They are also being taught that making peace with the "infidels" is prohibited under the teachings of Islam.
At one of the camps, the children were taught how to "raid" an Israeli military base and kill and capture some IDF soldiers. The drill was attended by Ismail Haniyeh, the top Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, who said he was very proud of the children's level of performance.
Another senior Hamas official, Khalil al-Hayah, told the child-soldiers that they were being trained for jihad against Israel.
"These camps are designed to prepare a generation that carries the Quran and rifle," al-Hayah explained. "The camps show that Palestinians support the resistance and the project of liberation of Palestine. The goal is to liberate Palestine and the Aqsa Mosque [in Jerusalem]
This is bad news for the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its president, Mahmoud Abbas, who continue to talk about their desire to establish a Palestinian state that would exist alongside Israel in peace and stability. These children will never accept the two-state solution that Abbas is talking about. Nor will they ever recognize Israel's right to exist in this part of the world. While Hamas is training children to become the future jihadis of the Palestinians, Abbas and his Palestinian Authority are also poisoning the hearts and minds of their people by constantly inciting them against Israel. This incitement is taking place in the mosques, in the media and in the public rhetoric of PA leaders and spokesmen. So what Abbas and the PA are doing is no less serious than what Hamas is doing to the children of the Gaza Strip.
Neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority has prepared their people for the possibility of peace with Israel. On the contrary, the two parties have radicalized their people to a point where it has become impossible to talk about a two-state solution. The only ones who benefit from this indoctrination and child abuse are Islamist terror groups and those in the region and abroad, including Europe, who continue to seek the destruction of Israel.

What Turkey Wants in Syria
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute
July 31, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6257/turkey-isis-syria
Turkey says that it, together with the US, wants an IS-free zone in northern Syria. That is fine. But who will fill the vacuum in areas cleared of IS? Turkey simply finds joining the international campaign against the Islamic State an opportunity to install pro-Sunni Islamist rule in areas now controlled by IS. In all reality, Prime Minister Davutoglu wants to replace extreme Islamists with less extreme Islamists. Turkey is trying, with U.S. help, to make Syria an extension of Turkey for Muslim Brotherhood Sunni Islam.
After several months of reluctant negotiations, Turkey has anxiously decided to join the allied battle against the radical Islamists who fight under the flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (or Islamic State, ISIS, IS). Turkish jets bombed IS strongholds inside Syria, and police detained hundreds of IS supporters operating in Turkey, including two leaders. Moreover, Turkish ministers hastily signed a decree that would allow the U.S. military to use the critical Incirlik air base for strikes against IS targets. Incirlik, in southern Turkey near the Syrian border, is close to many IS strongholds and will cut response times for U.S. aircraft, increasing the efficiency of anti-militant operations.
Turkey says that it, together with the U.S., wants an IS-free zone in northern Syria. That is fine. But who will fill the vacuum in areas cleared of IS? That is an extremely important question Turkey's American allies should think about with extreme care. Turkey simply finds joining the international campaign against IS an opportunity to install pro-Sunni Islamist rule in areas now controlled by IS.
This is how Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu describes, with all the unrealistic euphemism he could think of, the militias he apparently wishes would replace IS's brutal Islamists:
"We need to support moderate opposition forces there. Moderate opposition forces means all those forces who are tolerant of other Syrian citizens, who do not commit any terrorist crimes and who do not collaborate with the Syrian regime, which is responsible for all these humanitarian tragedies in the last four, five years." The key word here is "moderate." In all reality, Davutoglu wants to replace extreme Islamists with less extreme Islamists. And the less extreme ones come under a different flag: the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which Turkey has vehemently supported over the past few years, in the hope that it would fight and topple Turkey's regional nemesis, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.
The FSA was formed in August 2011 by Syrian army deserters, and was based in Turkey. Unsurprisingly, its fighters are 90% Sunni, which explains the real appeal to the Sunni supremacist Davutoglu. The FSA militias are a ragtag group of rebels with a cause: to build a Sunni Islamist Syria, albeit not a Salafist Syria. The group does not have a real structure, money or sophisticated weapons to fight either Assad or the Islamic State. Members of the Free Syrian Army's Al-Tawhid Brigade pose for a photo in Aleppo, in 2012. (Image source: Vice video screenshot)
In Syria's civil war, it is not uncommon to see fighters moving from one group to another. In March, for instance, the US-backed "moderate" rebel group, Harakat Hazzam, disbanded and its members joined extremist groups such as the al-Nusrah Front (ANF), an al-Qaeda offshoot, and the Levant Front, a coalition of rebels, also with ties to al-Qaeda. The ANF has, in addition, picked up thousands of men who once fought under the flag of the FSA.
Almost invariably, the groups fighting in Syria, with varying degrees of violence, are Islamists. If Davutoglu can market the FSA to his American allies, he will be nurturing, on his private agenda, another Islamist group that can potentially become another band of jihadists. Davutoglu is trying to make Syria an extension of Turkey for Muslim Brotherhood Sunni Islam. In 2012, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued an open letter to opposition groups in Syria, including the FSA, accusing them of carrying out kidnappings, torture and executions. A United Nations-sponsored inquiry commission documented war crimes committed by these groups.
Some FSA-aligned groups have been criticized for having an affiliation with radical Islamists. The group itself was accused of summarily executing innumerable prisoners it held. Furthermore, the UN offered credible allegations against opposition groups, including the FSA, that they were recruiting children as soldiers. The FSA was mentioned in a 2014 HRW report detailing the widespread practice of using child soldiers -- just as the IS is doing. All that is reasonable when you recall that some FSA-aligned brigades are working with hardline Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda and Ahrar Al-Sham.
Such is the profile of the "moderate" rebel group that Turkey supports and tells the U.S. is the "good guys" fighting for democracy in Syria. In other words, with U.S. help, Turkey wants to build, in parts of Syria, a Sunni Islamist rule, which it hopes will expand into other Syrian regions, finally reaching Damascus. This may not be a realistic scenario, but even its progress can potentially create new Frankenstein monsters in Syria, with, most likely, "moderate" Islamists taking off their masks and becoming the radicals they in fact are.
**Burak Bekdil, based in Ankara, is a Turkish columnist for the Hürriyet Daily and a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

Iran Between Two Fantasies
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/Friday, 31 Jul, 2015
What does a salesman do when he knows that the product he is pushing is not what it is claimed to be? He tries to stress other advantages the buyer would enjoy, for example winning a box of chocolates or a free holiday. This is what US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani are doing with the nuclear deal they say they have made in Vienna. Rouhani knows that, if fully implemented, the “deal” could put Iran under tutelage exercised by the six big powers involved in the talks, with the blessings of a United Nations Security Council resolution. And that would make a mockery of Iran’s claims of being a “big power” seeking a zone of influence in the Middle East, let alone claiming global leadership. To hide that fact, Rouhani is promising milk and honey when Iran’s frozen assets pour into the national economy, creating “millions of jobs.”In other words, he says: forget the “deal” itself, think of all the goodies it could bring!
For his part, Kerry is intelligent enough to know that the “deal” will in no way block Iran’s path to making a bomb if it so wished. So he too is trying to sell his bad product by highlighting fringe benefits.That became clear during the Senate hearings in Washington. The first fringe benefit that Kerry dwelt upon was that the “deal” would persuade Tehran to engage in negotiations regarding other problems such as exporting terrorism, making mischief in Syria and Lebanon, and holding American hostages.
Kerry claimed that Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Rouhani informed him that they have no authority to negotiate on those topics at present, but both have told him “very clearly” that, after the “deal,” they are ready to discuss regional issues. To illustrate Zarif’s goodwill, Kerry related how he told the Khomeinist foreign minister to stop a ship heading for Yemen last spring. According to Kerry, Zarif acted immediately and the ship, launched with fanfare, quickly returned to Iran. The second fringe benefit that Kerry advertised was that the “deal” gives control of Iran’s frozen assets to the P5+1 powers in which the US has leadership. For 15 years the US would have a big say on how Iran spends a large part of its own money.
The most important fringe benefit that Kerry cited was the third. He said that the “deal” was designed to weaken “extremists” within the regime and help “moderates,” led by former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, to win power in the next elections for the Islamic Majlis and the Assembly of Experts and, later, the presidency. “If we turn our back to the [nuclear] agreement, no one knows what would happen to Rouhani in the next elections,” he said. He wants Rouhani to win a second term. Kerry’s statements show that all along during the negotiations he, and presumably other P5+1 representatives, were pursuing a parallel process aimed at promoting change within the regime in Tehran.In other words, the nuclear issue was a pretext for a bigger goal.
Of course, if Iran becomes a normal power it wouldn’t really matter whether or not it has the bomb. History, however, shows that those who do something in the hope of gaining something else almost always end up as losers. The wisest political course is to remain focused on a clear objective. In this case, Iran had violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and needed to be taken to task in accordance with its provisions, nothing more and nothing less. Kerry and his colleagues, almost certainly guided by the rudderless Barack Obama, tried to fudge the real issue with lengthy and often meaningless texts in the hope of helping “moderates’ win power in Tehran. They confused the prey with its shadow.
Kerry’s analysis is marketed by a network of pro-Tehran lobbyists in the US and Europe that includes prominent members of the foreign policy and security establishment. Over the past two weeks some of them, including a couple of prominent British politicians and several US “think-tank” gurus, have bombarded me with advice regarding the “importance of helping Iranian moderates” win power to isolate, and, later, hopefully get rid of “Supreme Guide” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Rouhani is a man we have known for 25 years,” a former British cabinet minister tells me. “He is a man we could work with to bring Iran back into the international fold.”
The phrase “the man we could work with” is borrowed from the late Mrs. Thatcher, who used it to describe Mikhail Gorbachev, the man who presided over the dissolution of the Soviet Empire. At times, Obama talks of helping “elected organs” of the Khomeinist regime against “un-elected” ones.
He forgets two things.
First, there has never been anything resembling a free election in the Islamic Republic. Rouhani’s election was as fair or as unfair as that of his predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And the next elections will be conducted within the same rules imposed by the mullahs.
The second point he forgets is that the “un-elected organ,” by which he means the “Supreme Guide,” is also elected by the Assembly of Experts whose members are in turn elected, supposedly by the people in the same way that Rouhani or Ahmadinejad were. Even then, the assumption that the Rafsanjani faction, of which Rouhani is the current public face, is interested in reforms is far-fetched to say the least. Now in the third year of his four-year term, Rouhani has not even presented, let alone implemented, a single reform in any domain. The economy remains hamstrung by Soviet-style controls worsened as a result of massive corruption. Political parties and trade unions remain banned. More publications have been shut than under Ahmadinejad. The number of prisoners of conscience has almost doubled along with the number of executions.
Rouhani has even published a draft bill to create a new category in Iranian law: political crime. Former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard and former Majlis Speaker Mehdi Karroubi remain under house arrest without charge. Their situation has worsened because of a ban on visits from their close relatives. Under Rouhani the Islamic Republic holds five US hostages, the largest number since the 1980s. Abroad, exporting terror has intensified with a 32-percent rise in the budget of the Quds Force which controls Iranian networks such as Hezbollah in Lebanon. Tehran has also increased its stipend for the group around Syrian despot Bashar Al-Assad. Tehran is also trying to help Assad cope with his manpower shortage by recruiting mercenaries in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Iraq. (Rouhani is afraid of sending more Iranians whose death in action could trigger domestic problems.)
Kerry, I think rightly, has warned that forcing Iran to surrender is a fantasy. But he is chasing an even more dangerous fantasy: helping a regime in deep crisis regain its bearings and do more mischief at home and abroad.

The Ayatollah’s Plan for Israel and Palestine
Amir Taheri/Gatestone Institute/July 31, 2015
The book has received approval from Khamenei’s office and is thus the most authoritative document regarding his position on the issue. Khamenei makes his position clear from the start: Israel has no right to exist as a state He claims his strategy for the destruction of Israel is not based on anti-Semitism, which he describes as a European phenomenon. His position is based on “well-established Islamic principles.”
According to Khamenei, Israel, which he labels an “enemy” and “foe,” is a special case for three reasons. The first is that it is a loyal “ally of the American Great Satan” and a key element in its “evil scheme” to dominate “the heartland of the Ummah.”
Khamenei describes Israel as “a cancerous tumor” whose elimination would mean that “the West’s hegemony and threats will be discredited” in the Middle East. In its place, he boasts,” the hegemony of Iran will be promoted.”
Khamenei’s tears for “the sufferings of Palestinian Muslims” are also unconvincing. To start with, not all Palestinians are Muslims. And, if it were only Muslim sufferers who deserved sympathy, why doesn’t he beat his chest about the Burmese Rohingya and the Chechens massacred and enchained by Vladimir Putin, not to mention Muslims daily killed by fellow-Muslims across the globe?
In the early days of his mission, the Prophet Muhammad toyed with the idea of making Jerusalem the focal point of prayers for Islam. He soon abandoned the idea and adopted his hometown of Mecca. For that reason, some classical Muslim writers refer to Jerusalem as “the discarded one,” like a first wife who is replaced by a new favorite. In the 11th century the Shiite Fatimid Caliph, Al-Hakim even ordered the destruction of Jerusalem.
Dozens of maps circulate in the Muslim world, showing the extent of Muslim territories lost to the infidel that must be recovered. These include large parts of Russia and Europe, almost a third of China, the whole of India and parts of the Philippines and Thailand.
“The flagbearer of Jihad to liberate Jerusalem.”This is how the blurb of “Palestine,” a new book, published by Islamic Revolution Editions last week in Tehran, identifies the author. The author is “Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Husseini Khamenei,” the “Supreme Guide” of the Islamic Republic in Iran, a man whose fatwa has been recognized by U.S. President Barack Obama as having the force of law.
Edited by Saeed Solh-Mirzai, the 416-page book has received approval from Khamenei’s office and is thus the most authoritative document regarding his position on the issue. Khamenei makes his position clear from the start: Israel has no right to exist as a state.
He uses three words. One is “nabudi” which means “annihilation”. The other is “imha” which means “fading out,” and, finally, there is “zaval” meaning “effacement.”
Khamenei claims that his strategy for the destruction of Israel is not based on anti-Semitism, which he describes as a European phenomenon. His position is based on “well-established Islamic principles”, he claims. One such is that a land that falls under Muslim rule, even briefly, can never again be ceded to non-Muslims. What matters in Islam is control of a land’s government, even if the majority of inhabitants are non-Muslims. Khomeinists are not alone in this belief.
Dozens of maps circulate in the Muslim world, showing the extent of Muslim territories lost to the infidel that must be recovered. These include large parts of Russia and Europe, almost a third of China, the whole of India and parts of the Philippines and Thailand.
However, according to Khamenei, Israel, which he labels as “adou” and “doshman,” meaning “enemy” and “foe,” is a special case for three reasons. The first is that it is a loyal “ally of the American Great Satan” and a key element in its “evil scheme” to dominate “the heartland of the Ummah.”
The second reason is that Israel has waged war on Muslims on a number of occasions, thus becoming a “hostile infidel” (“kaffir al-harbi”). Finally, Israel is a special case because it occupies Jerusalem, which Khamenei describes as “Islam’s third Holy City.” He intimates that one of his “most cherished wishes” is to one day pray in Jerusalem.
Khamenei insist that he is not recommending “classical wars” to wipe Israel off the map. Nor does he want to “massacre the Jews.” What he recommends is a long period of low-intensity warfare designed to make life unpleasant if not impossible for a majority of Israeli Jews so that they leave the country.
His calculation is based on the assumption that large numbers of Israelis have dual-nationality and would prefer emigration to the United States or Europe to daily threats of death. Khamenei makes no reference to Iran’s nuclear program. But the subtext is that a nuclear-armed Iran would make Israel think twice before trying to counter Khamenei’s strategy by taking military action against the Islamic Republic.
In Khamenei’s analysis, once the cost of staying in Israel has become too high for many Jews, Western powers, notably the U.S., which has supported the Jewish state for decades, might decide that the cost of doing so is higher than possible benefits. Thanks to President Obama, the U.S. has already distanced itself from Israel to a degree unimaginable a decade ago.
Khamenei counts on what he sees as “Israel fatigue.” The international community would start looking for what he calls “a practical and logical mechanism” to end the old conflict. Khamenei’s “practical and logical mechanism” excludes the two-state formula in any form. “The solution is a one-state formula,” he declares. That state, to be called Palestine, would be under Muslim rule but would allow non-Muslims, including some Israeli Jews who could prove “genuine roots” in the region, to stay as “protected minorities.”
Under Khamenei’s scheme, Israel plus the West Bank and Gaza would revert to the United Nations’ mandate for a brief period during which a referendum would be held to create the new state of Palestine. All Palestinians and their descendants, wherever they are, would be able to vote, while Jews “who have come from other places” would be excluded.
Khamenei does not mention any figures for possible voters in his dream referendum. But studies by the Foreign Ministry in Tehran suggest that at least eight million Palestinians across the globe would be able to vote, against 2.2 million Jews “acceptable” as future second-class citizens of the new Palestine. Thus, the “Supreme Guide” is certain of the results of his proposed referendum.
He does not make clear whether the Kingdom of Jordan, which is located in 80 percent of historic Palestine, would be included in his one-state scheme. However, a majority of Jordanians, who are of Palestinian extraction, would be able to vote in the referendum and, logically, become citizens of the new Palestine.
Khamenei boasts about the success of his plans to make life impossible for Israelis through terror attacks from Lebanon and Gaza. His latest scheme is to recruit “fighters” in the West Bank to set-up Hezbollah-style units. “We have intervened in anti-Israel matters, and it brought victory in the 33-day war by Hezbollah against Israel in 2006 and in the 22-day war between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip,” he boasts.
Khamenei describes Israel as “a cancerous tumor” whose elimination would mean that “the West’s hegemony and threats will be discredited” in the Middle East. In its place, he boasts, “the hegemony of Iran will be promoted.” Khamenei’s book also deals with the Holocaust, which he regards either as “a propaganda ploy” or a disputed claim. “If there was such a thing,” he writes, “we don’t know why it happened and how.”
Khamenei has been in contact with professional Holocaust deniers since the 1990s. In 2000, he invited Swiss Holocaust-denier Jürgen Graf to Tehran and received him in private audiences. French Holocaust-denier Roger Garaudy, a Stalinist who converted to Islam, was also feted in Tehran as “Europe’s’ greatest living philosopher.”
It was with Khamenei’s support that former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad set up a “Holocaust-research center” led by Muhammad-Ali Ramin, an Iranian functionary with links to German neo-Nazis who also organized annual “End of Israel” seminars. Despite efforts to disguise his hatred of Israel in Islamic terms, the book makes it clear that Khamenei is more influenced by Western-style anti-Semitism than by classical Islam’s checkered relations with Jews.
His argument about territories becoming “irrevocably Islamic” does not wash, if only because of its inconsistency. He has nothing to say about vast chunks of former Islamic territory, including some that belonged to Iran for millennia, now under Russian rule. Nor is he ready to embark on Jihad to drive the Chinese out of Xinjiang, a Muslim khanate until the late 1940s. Israel, which in terms of territory accounts for one per cent of Saudi Arabia, is a very small fry.
Khamenei’s shedding of tears for “the sufferings of Palestinian Muslims” are also unconvincing. To start with, not all Palestinians are Muslims. And, if it were only Muslim sufferers who deserved sympathy, why doesn’t the “Supreme Guide” beat his chest about the Burmese Rohingya and the Chechens massacred and enchained by Vladimir Putin, not to mention Muslims daily killed by fellow-Muslims across the globe?
At no point in these 416 pages does Khamenei even mention the need to take into account the views of either Israelis or Palestinians regarding his miracle recipe. What if Palestinians and Israelis wanted a two-state solution?
What if they chose to sort out their problems through negotiation and compromise rather than the “wiping-off-the-map” scheme of he proposes? Khamenei reveals his ignorance of Islamic traditions when he designates Jerusalem as “our holy city.” As a student of Islamic theology, he should know that “holy city” and “holy land” are Christian concepts that have no place in Islam.
In Islam, the adjective “holy” is reserved only for Allah and cannot apply to anything or anyone else. The Koran itself is labeled “al-Majid” (Glorious) and is not a holy book as is the Bible for the Christians. The “Supreme Guide” should know that Mecca is designated as “al-Mukarramah” (the Generous) and Medina as “al-Munawwarah” (the Enlightened). Even the Shi’ite shrine cities of Iraq are not labeled “muqqaddas” (holy). Najaf is designated as “al-Ashraf” (the Most Noble) and Karbala as “al-Mualla” (the Sublime).
In the early days of his mission, the Prophet Muhammad toyed with the idea of making Jerusalem the focal point of prayers for Islam. He soon abandoned the idea and adopted his hometown of Mecca, where the black cube (kaabah) had been a magnet for pilgrims for centuries before Islam. For that reason, some classical Muslim writers refer to Jerusalem as “the discarded one” (al-yarmiyah) like a first wife who is replaced by a new favorite. In the 11th century, the Shiite Fatimid Caliph, Al-Hakim, even ordered the destruction of “discarded” Jerusalem.
The Israel-Palestine issue is not a religious one. It is a political conflict about territory, borders, sharing of water resources and security. Those who, like Khamenei, try to inject a dose of religious enmity into this already complex cocktail deserve little sympathy.
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6263/khamenei-israel-palestine

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