LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 01/15

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletins05/english.december01.15.htm 

Bible Quotations For Today
‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10/38-42: "Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’"

God, loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses and made us alive together with Christ by grace
Letter to the Ephesians 02/01-10: "You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life."hings that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 30-December 01/15
Kuwaiti journalist Saleh Al-Shayeji : 'Israel Is Not Our Enemy'/MEMRI/November 30/15
The Real Lesson of the Paris Attacks/Douglas Murray/ Gatestone Institute/November 30/15
Will Canada change its policy toward Iran/Maysam Bizær/Al-Monitor/November 30/15
Congress threatens to shut down government over Syrian refugees/Julian Pecquet/Al-Monitor/November 30/15
Will Russia succeed where Iran failed/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/November 30/15
Putin and Erdogan have more in common than we think/Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/November 30/15
Russia’s unrealistic expectations of Turkey/Sharif Nashashibi/Al Arabiya/November 30/15
Why is Russia wooing Iran even more now/Camelia Entekhabi-Fard/Al Arabiya/November 30/15
Iran's Widening Crackdown Pressures Rouhani/Nima Gerami/Washington Institute/November 30/15

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin for Lebanese Related News published on November 30-December 01/15
Khamenei's Aide Says New Lebanese President Must Enjoy 'Consent' of All Parties
Franjieh Says Still Backs Aoun's Presidential Bid, But Not if It's for 'Obstruction'
Aoun Says March 8 Must Decide on Franjieh's Nomination, Not Hariri
Kataeb: President Must Neutralize Lebanon from Syrian Crisis, Extend State Authority
Qazzi Says Kataeb's Presidential Candidate is Still Amin Gemayel
Mustaqbal Hits Back at Geagea, Says Hariri Endorses 'Lebanon First' without 'Agitation'
Adwan: No Return to 1960 Electoral Law
Nusra Says Negotiations in Phase of 'Devising Serious Mechanism' amid Reports of Progress
Army Arrests 81 Syrians for Entering Lebanon 'Illegally'
Landslide Prompts Evacuations in Kfarnabrakh
Judge Disregards Defense Allegations in Samaha's Case
Ibrahim: Will not Stop Trying to Free Servicemen Despite Blackmail Policy

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 30-December 01/15
“Outrage over Saudi death sentence for poet on blasphemy charges.
Pope visits Central African Republic mosque: “Together, we say no to hatred, to vengeance and violence”.
“Pope Francis travels to mosque in heart of sectarian conflict,”.
Al-Azhar: Marrying ISIS fighters for few hours is forbidden by Islam.
Quds Force commander ‘seriously wounded’ in attack in Syria: Report.
Putin Snubs Erdogan in Paris as Pilot's Body Returns to Russia.
Negotiations Seek Syria Rebel Exit from Homs City.
Syria Denies Using Chemical Weapons in Civil War.
Leaders Open Paris Climate Summit with 'Life at Stake'.
Suicide Bombing against Shiite Pilgrims in Baghdad Kills 9.
UAE Says Ready to Commit Troops to Fight Syria Jihadists.
EU Vows to Continue Working for Peace despite Row with Israel.
Boko Haram Jihadists Torch 50 Homes, Kill Four People in Niger.

Links From Jihad Watch Site for November 30-December 01/15
Pope visits Central African Republic mosque: “Together, we say no to hatred, to vengeance and violence”

Aoun Says March 8 Must Decide on Franjieh's Nomination, Not Hariri
Naharnet/November 30/15/Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun has announced that it is up to the March 8 coalition to decide whether or not to nominate Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency. “My stance on Franjieh's nomination will either complicate or facilitate the situation and I will declare it before the (presidential) elections take place,” Aoun said in an interview with Russia Today television that was aired Monday on OTV. His remarks come amid a flurry of political talks in the country that followed a Paris meeting between Franjieh and al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri. The meeting sparked intense speculation that the two leaders agreed to the nomination of the Marada chief for the presidency. However, Aoun said Monday that he has not been officially informed until the moment of any “agreement” between Hariri and Franjieh. He added: “Why should Suleiman Franjieh's nomination come from Saad Hariri?”Asked about the feasibility of a settlement involving a March 8 president and a March 14 premier, Aoun described such a scenario as a “fair solution” while stressing that “each camp must choose its own candidate.”Turning to the issue of the electoral law, Aoun reiterated his call for a law based on the proportional representation system.

Kataeb: President Must Neutralize Lebanon from Syrian Crisis, Extend State Authority
Naharnet/November 30/15/The Kataeb Party stressed Monday that the country's new president must "neutralize" Lebanon from the crisis in neighboring Syria and extend state authority across all Lebanese regions. “The new president's characteristics must reflect keenness on neutralizing Lebanon from the regional and global conflicts, especially the Syrian crisis,” said the party in a statement issued after the weekly meeting of its political bureau. The president must also “stand at an equal distance from all political components and must seek to extend state authority across all Lebanese regions,” it added. Kataeb also noted that it will maintain the consultations it has started with all parties in a bid to “turn the page on the presidential vacuum.” Turning to the issue of the electoral law, the party emphasized that it must ensure “proper representation,” stressing its rejection of the current law that dates back to the year 1960. Earlier in the day, Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi announced that former president Amin Gemayel is still the presidential candidate of Kataeb, noting that negotiations with other political parties must start from this point.The statements come amid a flurry of political talks in the country between parties from both the March 14 and March 8 camps. The new momentum followed a meeting that was held in Paris between Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh of the March 8 camp and al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri of the March 14 coalition. Hariri has also met in Paris with Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat and Kataeb Party leader MP Sami Gemayel. The Franjieh-Hariri meeting has sparked intense speculation that they agreed to the nomination of the Marada chief as president.

Qazzi Says Kataeb's Presidential Candidate is Still Amin Gemayel
Naharnet/November 30/15/Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi announced Monday that former president Amin Gemayel is still the presidential candidate of the Kataeb Party, noting that negotiations with other political parties must start from this point. As for the nomination of Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh, Qazzi acknowledged that Franjieh is one of “the top four (Maronite) leaders who had met in Bkirki.”“We are not making personal or partisan demands and we are not voicing conditions, but it is the duty of every presidential candidate, be him Suleiman Franjieh or any other March 8 or March 14 candidate, to declare his choices, stances and beliefs to the Lebanese public opinion,” Qazzi added. Any nominee must make his stances known on the issues of “the Baabda Declaration, neutrality of Lebanon, Hizbullah's illegal arms, the ongoing war in Syria, border violations, the Blue Line, elderly rights and other issues that are important to us,” the minister stressed. “We will decide accordingly and the Kataeb Party's stance is independent and cannot be influenced by any instructions or pressures,” he said. His remarks came amid a flurry of political talks in the country between parties from both the March 14 and March 8 camps. The new momentum followed a meeting that was held in Paris between Franjieh and al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri. Hariri has also met in Paris with Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat and Kataeb Party leader MP Sami Gemayel. The Franjieh-Hariri meeting has sparked intense speculation that they agreed to the nomination of the Marada chief as president.

Mustaqbal Hits Back at Geagea, Says Hariri Endorses 'Lebanon First' without 'Agitation'
Naharnet/November 30/15/Al-Mustaqbal newspaper hit back violently on Monday at the “indirect message” that al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri received from his ally Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea on Friday, when the latter urged commitment to the “principles and objectives of March 14.” “Hariri has the motto 'Lebanon First' at the top of his objectives,” the daily said, stressing that the ex-PM does not resort to “agitation, deceit or maneuvering” in his political conduct. “Because he is the son of Rafik Hariri and Rafik Hariri's school, he puts moderation before anything else,” it added. Hariri “does not need to stir sedition to become a leader or to endorse extremism as a policy in order to score points against his rivals,” the newspaper said. It underlined that “resorting to agitation and an extremist rhetoric does not need any courage.” “But a noble and national (political) settlement requires extraordinary courage,” it added. On Friday, Geagea had stressed that the March 14 coalition “must not make any step unless it serves the principles and objectives of March 14.” “'March 14 First' means clinging until martyrdom to the principles of March 14 and not to anything else,” Geagea underlined. “'March 14 First' means carefully and fully heeding the voices of hundreds of thousands of people who took to the squares of freedom on March 14, 2005,” Geagea added. His remarks came amid a flurry of political talks in the country between parties from both the March 14 and March 8 camps.The new momentum followed a meeting that was held in Paris between Hariri and Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh, a prominent March 8 figure. Hariri has also met in Paris with Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat and Kataeb Party leader MP Sami Gemayel. The Franjieh-Hariri meeting has sparked intense speculation that they agreed to the nomination of the Marada chief as president.

Adwan: No Return to 1960 Electoral Law
Naharnet/November 30/15/Lebanese Forces bloc MP George Adwan, the coordinator of the parliamentary panel tasked with devising a new electoral law, stressed Monday that “there will be no return to the 1960 electoral law.”“There can't be electoral reform without a new electoral law,” he announced after the panel's first meeting. “We all know that proper representation can only be ensured through a new electoral law, and all the members of this committee will strive to achieve these goals,” he added. According to Adwan, the panel's members agreed to refrain from leaking any deliberations to the media and to exert “serious efforts” to propose a new electoral law as soon as possible. In addition to Adwan, the committee comprises MP Michel Moussa of the Development and Liberation bloc, MP Alain Aoun of the Change and Reform bloc, MP Ahmed Fatfat of the al-Mustaqbal bloc, MP Marwan Hamadeh of the Democratic Gathering, MP Serge Torsarkissian on behalf of the Armenian blocs, MP Samer Saade of the Kataeb bloc, MP Ali Fayyad of Hizbullah's bloc, Emile Rahme and Robert Fadel. The committee was set up as part of the political settlement that had led to holding a legislative session earlier this month after around a one-year interruption. Ongoing disputes among the rival political parties over the electoral law forced parliament to extend its term the first time in 2013 and a second time in 2014. Media reports have said that the committee would have two months to reach an agreement over the electoral draft law.

Nusra Says Negotiations in Phase of 'Devising Serious Mechanism' amid Reports of Progress
Naharnet/November 30/15/Al-Nusra Front announced Monday afternoon that negotiations with Lebanon over a prisoner swap deal were still in the phase of “devising a serious mechanism,” as several media reports said the talks were making progress again after Sunday's setback. “Negotiations over the captive servicemen who are in our custody are still in the phase of devising a serious mechanism for implementing what has been agreed on,” al-Nusra announced via Twitter. “Anything else will be considered a maneuver,” it warned. Meanwhile, several TV networks said the negotiations were advancing again amid practical steps on the ground. General Security chief “Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim returned from the outskirts of the Lebanese-Syrian border after inspecting the point where the swap will happen and other logistical details,” al-Jadeed television reported. OTV also said that the negotiations had “entered the eleventh hour under the supervision of Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim.” The “implementation phase” of the proposed swap deal has started, it said. “Aid trucks were seen on Baalbek's road,” the TV network reported. Al-Jazeera television for its part said “a convoy containing more than 20 General Security vehicles has arrived in the town of al-Labweh near Arsal.”Negotiations had suffered a setback on Sunday afternoon after al-Nusra made last-minute demands. Sunday's developments prompted the General Security to ask an aid convoy that had entered the northeastern border town of Arsal as part of the swap deal negotiations to return to Beirut. A General Security delegation and a Qatari mediator also returned to Beirut after the talks ran into hurdles on Sunday."Lebanese officials said they cannot fulfill al-Nusra's demand of sending aid trucks to areas controlled by al-Nusra," MTV said. "The other condition hindering the swap deal is failure to secure the evacuation of a number of wounded people to Turkey," MTV reported on Sunday. Al-Nusra sources had told al-Akhbar daily in remarks published Sunday that the swap includes freeing inmates from Lebanese and Syrian prisons, and transporting some wounded people from al-Zabadani in Syria to Beirut's airport and then to Turkey. The troops were abducted during deadly clashes in August 2014 between the army and militants from al-Nusra and the Islamic State group in and around Arsal. Nineteen troops were killed in the fighting as 35 soldiers and policemen were taken hostage. Al-Nusra later released seven security personnel who were in its custody. The two groups later executed four servicemen and were threatening to kill more if Lebanese authorities do not fulfill their demands.

Army Arrests 81 Syrians for Entering Lebanon 'Illegally'
Naharnet/November 30/15/The army carried out a series of raids on Monday in several regions, during which 81 Syrians were arrested. An army statement said the Syrian nationals were apprehended for entering Lebanon illegally. Eighteen motorcycles were also confiscated during the crackdown. Security forces had intensified their measures across the country in the wake of deadly a deadly suicide bombing that rocked the southern Beirut suburb of Bourj al-Barajneh. The attack, which was claimed by the extremist Islamic State group, left 43 people dead and 239 others wounded.

Landslide Prompts Evacuations in Kfarnabrakh
Naharnet/November 30/15/Panicked residents evacuated their homes Monday after a landslide hit the outskirts of the town of Kfarnabrakh in the Chouf region. “Very dangerous landslides have occurred in the outskirts of the Chouf town of Kfarnabrakh above the towns of Wadi al-Sitt and al-Fowara,” stare-run National News Agency said. Residents took to Twitter to publish photos of the landslide.

Judge Disregards Defense Allegations in Samaha's Case
Naharnet/November 30/15/State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr decided to disregard allegations that tape recordings presented as evidence to the court in the case of former Minister Michel Samaha are forged, the state-run National News Agency said on Monday. Samaha's defense team had presented claims to the Military Court of Cassation that tape recordings in the case were fake. Judge Toni Lattouf had referred the claims to Saqr who decided to disregard it for lack of criminal evidence. On Friday, Lebanon’s Military Tribunal set the tenth of December as a final date to kick start the trial of Samaha, arrested in August 2014, accusing the former minister’s defense team of stalling the court’s progression under different excuses. Samaha had been charged with transporting explosives in his car from Syria into Lebanon with the aim of staging bombings and assassinating Lebanese officials and religious figures at the behest of Syrian security services chief Ali Mamluk.

Ibrahim: Will not Stop Trying to Free Servicemen Despite Blackmail Policy
Naharnet/November 30/15/General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim said on Monday that he will not stop the attempts to release the kidnapped soldiers after the set back suffered on Sunday due to the last minute impossible demands set by the kidnappers, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday. “I will not stop working and striving. I will continue the efforts despite the policy of blackmail. Those are our sons and the sons of the nation and I will not give up on them,” he told the daily. “We have engaged in arduous negotiations with the kidnappers. We have shown flexibility in meeting new demands and conditions of al-Nusra and we completed all requirements needed to finalize the deal until things got to the point that we can no longer respond to kidnappers impossible demands that were introduced in the last 15 minutes,” he said. Negotiations to free the Lebanese servicemen who were abducted by al-Nusra Front suffered a setback on Sunday afternoon, after steps on the ground and media reports gave the impression earlier in the day that the exchange was imminent. Media reports said that some obstacles emerged in the final moments but that the negotiations have not stopped. The troops were abducted during deadly clashes in August 2014 between the army and militants from al-Nusra and the Islamic State group in and around Arsal. Nineteen troops were killed in the fighting as 35 soldiers and policemen were taken hostage. Al-Nusra later released seven security personnel who were in its custody. The two groups later executed four servicemen and were threatening to kill more if Lebanese authorities do not fulfill their demands.

“Outrage over Saudi death sentence for poet on blasphemy charges
Schams Elwazer, CNN, November 29, 2015/(CNN) — Hundreds of writers around the world have joined human rights groups in urging Saudi Arabia to release a poet who faces the death sentence on charges of “apostasy” for his poetry. Palestinian poet and artist Ashraf Fayadh, 35, was sentenced to death by a court in the southwestern Saudi city of Abha earlier this month on a series of blasphemy charges, according to Human Rights Watch, which viewed the trial documents. The charges included insulting the “Divine Self” and the Prophet Mohammed, mocking the Quran and spreading atheism.Fayadh had originally been handed a lesser sentence of four years in prison and 800 lashes on the charge of having inappropriate relations with members of the opposite sex. The court had dismissed a prosecution request for a death sentence on the apostasy charge, citing Fayadh’s declared “repentance” and testimony that indicated hostility between Fayadh and the complainant, HRW said. But the prosecutor appealed the ruling, according to HRW. In mid-November a new judge dismissed the earlier decision, saying Fayadh’s repentance was not enough to avoid a death sentence for apostasy, citing verses from the defendant’s poetry. Fayadh was initially arrested in 2013 after a personal disagreement with a man at a coffee shop in the town of Abha in relation to his poetry, according to HRW and writers’ association PEN International. The man reportedly complained to the ultraconservative kingdom’s religious police, accusing Fayadh of insulting Islam in his book of poems and insulting the Saudi state….

Pope visits Central African Republic mosque: “Together, we say no to hatred, to vengeance and violence”
“Pope Francis travels to mosque in heart of sectarian conflict,”
Robyn Dixon, Los Angeles Times, November 30, 2015/The final hours of Pope Francis’ African tour might well have been most dangerous moments of his papacy, as he visited a volatile Muslim neighborhood in the Central African Republic’s capital, Bangui, followed by an open air Mass at a stadium. It was the most powerful, symbolic moment of his Africa trip, as he became the first pope in modern history to travel to a war zone. As crowds cheered, Francis brushed aside security warnings, traveling in the back of an open Pope-mobile — a converted SUV with no bulletproof glass — and wore no bulletproof vest. It was a trip that the French Defense Ministry had urged against, saying forces from the former colonial power couldn’t guarantee the pontiff’s safety. But it sent an inspiring message of hope and peace to Christians and Muslims in a nation that has been locked in a cycle of sectarian violence since December 2012. Francis met Muslim leaders at the Koudoukou mosque in the Muslim enclave, PK5 — the only remaining Muslim residential neighborhood in the capital — which is blockaded by Christian militias, preventing residents from leaving. U.N. peacekeepers stationed in the landlocked African country and Vatican security guarded the pontiff during his visit, the former stationed in the mosque’s minarets during the visit. Peace and interfaith dialogue has been the central themes of the pope’s visit to Africa. Francis said his trip would not have been complete had he failed to meet with the Muslim community in PK5. During his visit to Koudoukou mosque, he said Christians and Muslims were brothers and denounced violence, particularly attacks committed in the name of religion. “Christians and Muslims and members of traditional religions have lived peacefully for many years. Together, we say no to hatred, to vengeance and violence, especially that committed in the name of a religion or God,” the Associated Press quoted Francis as saying. “In these dramatic times, Christian and Muslim leaders have sought to rise to the challenges of the moment. They have played an important role in reestablishing harmony and fraternity among all.” He called for leaders “capable of bringing Central Africans together, thus becoming symbols of national unity rather than merely representatives of one or another faction.”When he arrived in the Central African Republic on Sunday, the pope said he was visiting as a “pilgrim of peace and an apostle of hope.”Half a million people, mainly Muslims, have fled the country amid a conflict that saw a coalition of Muslim rebels known as Seleka forces oust President Francois Bozize in 2013.Christian militias known as anti-balaka fighters battled back, carrying out revenge attacks against Muslim communities. Rebel leader Michel Djotodia resigned the presidency last year to make way for an interim government, headed by interim President Catherine Samba-Panza, but violence continues….

Al-Azhar: Marrying ISIS fighters for few hours is forbidden by Islam
By Ashraf Abdel Hamid, Al Arabiya News Monday, 30 November 2015/It is unlawful in Islam for a marriage between members of ISIS, and women affiliated to them, for just a few hours before then divorcing and marrying once again merely for sexual purposes, the Cairo-based Al-Azhar Observatory stated. In a report issued on Monday, the observatory said marriage in Islam was lawful when it served ‘supreme and honest purposes.’ According to Islamic rule, marriage is an agreement of mutuality and commitment between a man and woman. The report by the observatory also stated that sexual attacks ISIS carried out in Iraq and Syria against Yazidi women living in Sinjar and Nineveh was an ‘outrageous behavior’ according to the Islamic sharia law. ISIS claims that the abolition of slavery will lead to the prevalence of adultery because the alternative is not available anymore, slavery having been previously common across various nations.The report added that Islam prohibited temporary marriages because the latter distorted the woman’s real image in the religion, making her an object of cheap and random pleasure passed from one man to another. The report added that it also tarnished a Muslim’s image as it projected greed and lust, an ideology not accepted under sharia law. The observatory stressed that Islam forbids the enslavement of men and women as they are looked upon as superior to all other creatures.

Quds Force commander ‘seriously wounded’ in attack in Syria: Report
By Staff writer Al Arabiya News Monday, 30 November 2015/Iranian general Qassem Suleimani, the head of the elite Quds force in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has been seriously injured in Aleppo, Syria, according to a report. The report by the Persian-language opposition AsrIran website, reported that Suleimani was seriously injured along with two other personnel in an anti-tank rocket attack 12 days ago, during battles in the northern Syrian city. The AsrIran website is considered close to the National Council of Resistance of Iran, an umbrella organization of five Iranian opposition groups based in Paris. It said “According to reports from inside the Iranian regime’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Qassem Suleimani, the notorious commander of the terrorist Qods Force, has suffered severe shrapnel wounds, including in the head, while at Aleppo’s southern front two weeks ago.” The report added that Suleimani’s vehicle that was there for him to oversee an operation by the revolutionary guards and a number of hired forces was targeted by the Free Syrian Army severely injuring Suleimani. “Due to the severity of his wounds he was immediately transferred by an IRGC helicopter to Damascus and after receiving preliminary treatment was transferred to Tehran. He was hospitalized at IRGC Baqiyatollah Hospital which is in Tehran’s Mollasadra Street and so far has undergone at least two surgeries. A group of doctors headed by a neurologist and brain specialist, oversees his condition” the report says.The report was confirmed by Amir Mousavi, director of the Centre for Strategic Studies and International Relations in Tehran. However, Iranian pro-regime Tasnim News Agency and IRNA denied the report, quoting Revolutionary Guards spokesman General Ramezan Sharif as saying that rumours of Suleimani’s injury are a “sheer lie. Suleimani is perfectly healthy and is continuing in his mission of “energetically assisting the Islamic Resistance in Syrian and Iraq.”(With AFP)

Putin Snubs Erdogan in Paris as Pilot's Body Returns to Russia
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 30/15/Russian President Vladimir Putin snubbed a meeting with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in France on Monday as the body of a pilot killed when Ankara downed one of Moscow's warplanes returned home. Turkish authorities meanwhile again pledged not to apologize over last Tuesday's downing of the Russian jet on the Syrian border as Moscow rolled out its sanctions aimed at exacting economic revenge on Ankara. Putin and Erdogan have been locked in a furious war of words since the incident and the Kremlin strongman rejected the Turkish leader's offer of face-to-face talks on the sidelines of a climate summit outside the French capital. "No meeting with Erdogan is planned. There is no discussion of such a meeting," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists. The downing of the Russian jet on the Turkey-Syria border -- the first time a NATO member has shot down a Russian plane since 1952 -- has seen ties shattered between the two rival players in the Syria conflict. Putin did meet with U.S. President Barack Obama, who "expressed his regret" over the loss of life in the plane downing and called for a "de-escalation between Russia and Turkey," a White House official said. Russia on Monday laid out more details of retaliatory economic sanctions aimed at denting Turkey's key tourism and agricultural sectors. Moscow announced it will halt fruit and vegetable imports from Turkey after Putin signed a decree over the weekend banning charter flights and the sale of package holidays, and scrapping Russia's visa-free regime with the country. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called the moves a "first step" as Moscow also said it would limit Turkish transport firms and tighten controls on construction contracts. The authorities however stopped short of targeting Russia's major joint energy projects with Turkey.
Pilot's body returned
The announcement on the economic reprisals came as the body of pilot Oleg Peshkov, who was killed when the plane was shot down, arrived back in Russia from Ankara. A plane carrying the corpse of Peshkov -- who was posthumously awarded Russia's highest award -- was met by Russia's defense minister outside Moscow after the body was bought from Syria to Turkey and handed over to Russian diplomats. Both pilots aboard the Su-24 warplane ejected and parachuted to the ground on the Syrian side of the border after being shot down by Turkish F-16s in the November 24 incident. Moscow's defense ministry said Peshkov was shot dead from the ground while his comrade Konstantin Murakhtin was rescued by Russian and Syrian special forces. One Russian serviceman was also killed trying to rescue the pilot. Local reports said Peshkov will be buried Wednesday after his body arrives in his hometown Lipetsk, an industrial city in central Russia. After the downing of its jet Moscow has bolstered its firepower in Syria -- where it is flying a bombing campaign at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad -- and on Monday said its planes were now equipped with air-to-air missiles. Russian media has portrayed the handover of the remains as a goodwill gesture on the part of Ankara after several days of heated rhetoric over the downing. But as the pilot's body was flown back, the diplomatic tit-for-tat rumbled on with neither side looking set to back down.
No apology
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu insisted once again that Ankara would not apologize over the downing of the plane. "Protection of our airspace, our border is not only a right but a duty for my government and no Turkish premier or president ... will apologize (for) doing our duty," he told a joint press conference with NATO head Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels. Davutoglu decried Russia's sanctions against Turkey and called on Moscow to "reconsider these measures in both our interests", while reiterating once again Ankara's willingness to talk. "If the Russian side wants to talk, we are ready; if they want more information, we are ready; if they want to normalize relations, we are ready to talk," he said.

Negotiations Seek Syria Rebel Exit from Homs City
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 30/15/Negotiations are underway between the Syrian regime and rebels for the evacuation of opposition forces from the last area they hold in Homs city, the provincial governor told Agence France Presse Monday. Talal Barazi said a meeting was planned for Tuesday "with the goal of reaching a final resolution of the situation in Waer," in the west of Homs city. Barazi said a deal would "mean the evacuation of the armed men and their weapons, as well as the return of state institutions to the district."Some 75,000 people currently live in Waer, down from 300,000 before the Syrian conflict began in March 2011. The Local Coordination Committees, a grassroots activist network, said the meeting on Tuesday was to be held under the auspices of the U.N. A U.N. representative declined to comment on the reports. "If the preparations underway succeed, a final settlement will be reached in the coming weeks," said Barazi. Waer is the only part of the city, which is the capital of Homs province, that remains in the hands of the rebels after opposition forces were evacuated from the Old City in May 2014. Their withdrawal came after a government siege of two years and daily shelling and combat that devastated the Old City of what was once dubbed "the capital of the revolution."The deal that led to the rebel withdrawal was overseen by the United Nations.

Syria Denies Using Chemical Weapons in Civil War
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 30/15/Syria on Monday denied ever using chemical weapons in its four-year-old civil war, telling a global watchdog it was cooperating fully with the destruction of its toxic stockpile. Damascus's rebuttal comes amid growing accusations it is not being transparent with the world's chemical watchdog and U.N. efforts are stepped up to track down the perpetrators of deadly chlorine gas attacks in the war-torn country last year. "We wish here to state categorically that we have never used chlorine or any other toxic chemicals during any incidents or any other operations in the Syrian Arab Republic since the beginning of the crisis and up to this very day," Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Moqdad told the annual meeting of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Damascus rejected "the false accusations against Syria with respect to its supposed use of chlorine as a weapon in military operations," he added, speaking in Arabic through an interpreter. The accusations "only serve political agendas, which also aim at diverting our successes in eliminating our chemical weapons," Moqdad said.
'Many uncertainties'
But Western countries including the European Union (EU), the United States and Canada have lambasted Syria, raising doubts whether President Bashar Assad's regime is truly committed to ridding the country of all chemical arms. There are "many uncertainties regarding the dismantling of Syria's chemical weapons program, notably the gaps and contradictions contained in Syria's declarations," EU representative Jacek Bylica told the meeting, attended by delegates from the OPCW's 192 states. "These uncertainties lead to doubts as to compliance by Syria with its obligations under the Convention," Bylica told the opening of the five-day assembly in The Hague. This "makes it impossible to have confidence that its chemical weapons program has been irreversibly dismantled," Bylica said. Last week the OPCW itself voiced "grave concern" at the continued use of toxic arms in Syria, despite the regime's ratification of the U.N. Convention banning chemical weapons. The OPCW investigations did not directly blame any of the parties in the four-year civil war, aimed at ousting Assad and in which civil groups say more than 250,000 people have been killed. But a U.S. representative to the OPCW, Rafael Foley, told a closed-door meeting: "The sad reality is that chemical weapons' use is becoming routine in the Syrian civil war."He charged there was only "one conclusion" from the expert reports that "the Syrian regime has continued to use chemical weapons on its own people."
Mustard gas attack
Accusations have also mounted that extremists with the Islamic State group, which has captured a swathe of territory in both Syria and Iraq, have resorted to such tactics. The OPCW confirmed earlier in November with "utmost confidence" that mustard gas was used in Syria in August during fighting between rebels and jihadists, and "likely" killed a child. OPCW experts also concluded that chlorine gas was likely used in an attack in Idlib province in March. OPCW director general Ahmet Uzumcu said a joint U.N. task team, approved by the Security Council in August to probe chlorine attacks in Syrian villages last year, was up and running in New York and in The Hague "with plans to set up in Damascus." The panel, which comprises 24 experts, is expected to produce its first report to the Security Council in February, Uzumcu said. The watchdog's top official told Monday's meeting "significant progress" had been made in destroying Syria's declared chemical weapons stockpile. Under a deal hammered out in 2013 between Russia and the United States following a sarin gas attack on the outskirts of Damascus in which hundreds died, the regime joined the UN Convention against chemical weapons and pledged to hand over all such arms to the OPCW for destruction. Some 1,300 tonnes of chemical weapons were handed over by Syria, including mustard and sarin gas. The last of the stockpile will be destroyed in the United States by the end of the year, Uzumcu said.

Leaders Open Paris Climate Summit with 'Life at Stake'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 30/15/World leaders opened an historic summit in the French capital on Monday with "the hope of all of humanity" laid on their shoulders as they sought a deal to avert a climate catastrophe. The heads of more than 150 nations kicked off 12 days of talks in search of an elusive pact that would indirectly restructure the world economy, weaning it off fossil fuels that stoke global warming. They met at a conference centre in Le Bourget on the northern outskirts of Paris under heavy security following terror attacks in the city which appeared to have galvanised commitment for a climate breakthrough. It was the largest single-day gathering of heads of state or government in history, the United Nations said. "Never have the stakes of an international meeting been so high because it concerns the future of the planet, the future of life," French President Francois Hollande said in an opening speech. "The hope of all of humanity rests on all of your shoulders." Scientists warn that, unless action to curb greenhouse gases is taken soon, mankind will endure ever-worsening droughts, floods, storms and rising seas, threatening millions with hunger, disease and migration and low-lying island nations with oblivion.
Remembering terror
U.S. President Barack Obama, who flew to Paris on the eve of the conference to pay homage to the victims of the November 13 Paris attacks, said time was pressing. "I believe in the words of Martin Luther King Junior that there is such a thing as being too late," he told fellow leaders. "When it comes to climate change, that hour is almost upon us."The U.S. leader said many poorer nations that had contributed little to climate change would be the first to feel its effects. But he stressed that there was no contradiction between strong economic growth and protection of the environment. World leaders repeatedly vowed to forge an ambitious deal in honour of the 130 people killed in the attacks in Paris, claimed by the Islamic State group. The leaders began their talks with a minute of silence to remember the victims. Obama's first act after touching down in Paris early on Monday was to visit the scene of the worst carnage of the terror attacks at the Bataclan concert venue. He then met with Chinese President Xi Jinping before the summit started, with his focus turned to deepening co-operation between the world's two biggest emitters of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
"As the two largest carbon emitters, we have both determined that it is our responsibility to take action," Obama said as he sat alongside Xi.
Stumbling blocks
The United Nations has hosted annual conferences to tackle the vexed global warming issue since 1995, but all previous efforts have foundered, primarily due to deep divisions between rich and poor nations. Many poor nations insist rich countries bear the most responsibility for tackling the problem because they have burnt the most fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution on their way to prosperity. "Justice demands that, with what little carbon we can still safely burn, developing countries are allowed to grow," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote in a column published in the Financial Times on Monday before the summit opened. "The lifestyles of a few must not crowd out opportunities for the many still on the first steps of the development ladder."But the United States and other developed nations insist more must be done by China, India and other emerging countries, which are voraciously burning coal -- the most carbon-emitting of the main fossil energies -- to power their fast-growing economies. In a timely illustration of the immediate ramifications of rampant coal burning, dangerous smog enveloped Beijing and other parts of northern China on Monday. The Paris negotiations, taking place under the banner of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), are due to wrap up on December 11, but the annual talks are notorious for recrimination and delay. Potential stumbling blocks are many, ranging from providing finance for climate-vulnerable and poor countries to scrutiny of commitments to curb greenhouse gases and even the legal status of the accord. Still, important progress has been made. A key success has been a roster where 183 nations have submitted voluntary pledges for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.UNFCCC chief Christiana Figueres said these provide the architecture for more ambitious efforts that could eventually reach the goal of limiting warming to less than two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-Industrial Revolution levels.
'No planet B'
To press world leaders into forging an agreement, more than half a million people participated in climate protests around the world over the weekend. French authorities had banned protests in Paris due to security fears following the terror attacks. But thousands of people in Paris gathered to create a two-kilometre (1.2-mile) human chain. Their stand was disrupted, however, when a band of anti-capitalist militants infiltrated the protests, leading to clashes with riot police which saw hundreds of arrests. Some 317 people were in custody, police sources said Monday.

Suicide Bombing against Shiite Pilgrims in Baghdad Kills 9
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 30/15/A suicide bomber targeted Shiite Muslims taking part in an annual pilgrimage in Baghdad on Monday, killing nine people and wounding another 21, Iraqi security officials said. The attack targeted a checkpoint along a route used by Shiite pilgrims in the northern Baghdad neighborhood of al-Shaab. Four soldiers who were guarding the route were among the dead. It was the first attack on Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad during the lead-up to the religious commemoration known as Arbaeen, when Shiite faithful converge on the holy city of Karbala. The annual commemoration is often marked by violence despite tight security measures to protect the pilgrims, many of whom travel to Karbala on foot. Arbaeen marks the passing of 40 days after the anniversary of the seventh century martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and a central figure in Shiite Islam. Iraqi officials say they expect the number of pilgrims this year to top last year's record of more than 17 million. Earlier Monday, two roadside bombs in commercial districts of Baghdad killed five people and wounded 16, according to the Iraqi security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release the information. No one claimed Monday's attacks, but the Islamic State group has repeatedly targeted the country's Shiite majority, viewing them as apostates deserving of death. The extremist group swept across Iraq in 2014, capturing a third of the country and declaring it part of a self-styled Islamic caliphate. On Monday, Iraq's military told civilians to leave the IS-held city of Ramadi, 115 kilometers (70 miles) west of Baghdad, indicating that an operation could soon be underway to retake the city. IS captured Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, in May. The military statement, broadcast on Iraqi state TV, said families should leave the city from the south, without providing further details. The U.S.-led coalition carried out seven airstrikes near Ramadi on Saturday, targeting IS fighters, positions and weapons caches.

UAE Says Ready to Commit Troops to Fight Syria Jihadists
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 30/15/The United Arab Emirates has said it is ready to commit ground troops against jihadists in Syria and described Russian air strikes in the country as attacks on a "common enemy." Quoted by the official WAM news agency on Monday, Emirati State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said the UAE would "participate in any international effort demanding a ground intervention to fight terrorism." "Regional countries must bear part of the burden" of such an intervention, he said during a Sunday discussion on Syria. The UAE is a member of the U.S.-led coalition carrying out air strikes against the jihadist Islamic State group in territory under its control in Syria and Iraq. As the jihadists have held out against more than a year of strikes and launched operations abroad including the November 13 attacks in Paris, there have been growing calls for the anti-IS intervention to expand to a ground force. Russia launched its own strikes in Syria in late September and Iran has reportedly sent hundreds of troops to support President Bashar Assad's regime. Critics -- including in the West and Sunni Arab Gulf nations -- have accused Russia of targeting moderate rebel forces as well as jihadists. In the UAE's first official reaction to the Russian strikes, Gargash said "we agree that nobody will be upset by the Russian bombardment of Daesh or al-Qaida as it targets a common enemy." Daesh is an Arabic acronym for IS.
Gargash also suggested the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen -- which has seen Arab countries including the UAE send ground troops against Iran-backed rebels -- could be "an alternative model" to Western intervention in the region. "The global strategy to fight terrorism is no longer fruitful or enough," he said. On Sunday, U.S. senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham called for 100,000 foreign soldiers, most from Sunni regional states but also including Americans, to fight IS in Syria.

EU Vows to Continue Working for Peace despite Row with Israel
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 30/15/The European Union vowed Monday to work for Middle East peace even though Israel suspended it from the diplomatic process over the bloc's decision to label goods imported from Jewish settlements. "When it comes to the Middle East peace process, the EU continues and will continue to work on this in the quartet... with our partners," European Commission foreign affairs spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said. "Because peace in the Middle East is of interest to all," she said. The EU is a member of the international quartet, along with the United States, Russia and the United Nations, that conducts diplomacy with Israel and the Palestinians in a bid to end their decades-old conflict. Israel's foreign ministry said Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "ordered suspension of diplomatic contacts with the institutions of the European Union and its representatives on this issue."It said the ban would be in force for the duration of a reassessment of the bloc's role in peace efforts. But it went on to say that Israel would continue business as usual with national officials of the 28 European member states. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini discussed the goods labelling issue with Netanyahu on Monday on the sidelines of the UN summit in Paris aimed at tackling climate change, Kocijancic told reporters. "EU, Israeli relations are good, broad and deep and this will continue," the spokeswoman said. The Israeli statement said Netanyahu, who is also foreign minister, ordered the freeze in answer to the EU's November 11 decision to label settlement produce imported to Europe as such rather than "Made in Israel". The same day, Israel said it was suspending various scheduled EU meetings in response to the labeling move, which it harshly condemned. U.S.-backed peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel collapsed in April 2014 after nine months of fruitless meetings amid bitter recriminations and mutual blame.

Boko Haram Jihadists Torch 50 Homes, Kill Four People in Niger
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 30/15/Boko Haram activists raided a border village in Niger, killing four people and torching some 50 homes, a local official said on Monday. Two other people were wounded in the assault on Saturday evening, said Fougou Boukar, an official from the restive Diffa region, adding that the attackers then fled to Nigeria. "There has been enormous damage with about 50 houses burnt," he told state television, putting the number of assailants at about 10. "The Boko Haram members were armed with Kalashnikovs and came across the Komadougou Yobe" river that divides Niger and Nigeria, Boukar said. State television showed hundreds of distressed villagers, praying in memory of the victims. Some of them showed scores of empty cartridges they had gathered after the attack. Boko Haram, the radical Sunni jihadists who want to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria, have spread their attacks to neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Their six-year insurgency has left at least 17,000 people dead and made more than 2.6 million homeless. In Niger's Diffa region alone, hundreds of people have died in Boko Haram raids and suicide bombings since February. Last week, Boko Haram killed 18 people and injured 11 others during a raid in the village of Wogom located near the southeastern town of Bosso. Three of the victims, including the local imam, had their throats slit. The United Nations has registered around 50 attacks and clashes between Islamist fighters and Niger troops since February.

Kuwaiti journalist Saleh Al-Shayeji : 'Israel Is Not Our Enemy'
MEMRI/November 30, 2015 Special Dispatch No.6230
In an article titled "Israel Is Not Our Enemy" in the Kuwaiti government daily Al-Anba[1] , journalist Saleh Al-Shayeji called on the Arab countries to abandon "the delusion of the single [Arab] nation" and pursue their own individual interests. As part of this, he said, they must stop seeing Israel as an enemy just because of its conflict with the Palestinians. He wondered why Kuwait sees Israel as an enemy even though Israel never invaded or fought it, while it sees Iraq – which did invade and occupy it – as an ally and a sister-state.
The following are translated excerpts from his article:
"In writing this, I shall try to be factual, rational and objective because I know and realize that what I write will conflict with established beliefs and norms and untouchable taboos.
Is Israel an enemy? Furthermore, is enmity a permanent sentiment, or a changing one? Is it subject to certain circumstances, conditions, positions and interests?
The Arab hostility towards Israel started [even] before Israel was established, when Arab countries that (at the time) had the ability [to fight] fought against Jewish gangs in Palestine, and those gangs managed to beat the armies of seven Arab countries armed with all manner of weapons. Then came international intervention aimed at resolving the Arab-Jewish struggle over Palestine, but the high and mighty Arabs rejected the partition plan, and this was a second victory for the Jews. Subsequently... the State of Israel was declared and was recognized by the world, with the exception of the Arab states, as well as several other countries that later had no choice but to recognize it [too].
"Whose enemy is Israel? Is it the enemy of all Arab countries? The Palestinians have a right to be hostile to Israel, for they believe it has occupied some of their lands. By their lights, they are justified in their hostility, and we support, help and assist them as much as we can, [but] that is all the Arab countries are required to do – nothing more...
"Who is our real enemy? Do all the Arab states have the same enemy? Or does each country or group of countries have a [different] enemy, who is actually an ally or even a close friend of some other [Arab] country?
"The first step towards Arab reform is discarding the idea of pan-Arabism or of [a single Arab] nation, which reality has proven false and invalid, and the indications of its invalidity are [much] more numerous than the illusionary [proof] of its validity… Let's take our own country, Kuwait, as an example. Is Israel an enemy [of Kuwait]? Has it [ever] invaded it, fought it, or killed its citizens? The answer to all these questions is no!! So why does Kuwait regard Israel as an enemy, while it regards Iraq – which did invade and occupy it – as a friend, an ally, a [good] neighbor and a sister!? I don't mean [to say] that Kuwait [should have] remained an enemy of Iraq. On the contrary, it made the right decision [in reconciling with it], because enmity is not a permanent [reality] but a dynamic one, especially in the world of politics, [where] yesterday's enemy is today's friend, and today's friend may be tomorrow's enemy. That is a fact and no illusion of mine.
"In sum, Israel is not the Arab's enemy, and the Arabs must all free themselves of the pan-Arab complex and take their own independent steps and decisions, far from the delusion of the single [pan-Arab] nation!!"
Endnote:
[1] Al-Anba (Kuwait), November 23, 2015.

The Real Lesson of the Paris Attacks
Douglas Murray/ Gatestone Institute/November 30/15
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6975/paris-attacks-lesson
What if the terrorists had been targeting "just Americans," or "just diplomats" -- would that be "understandable terrorism" in John Kerry's thinking?
"If we should stop drawing cartoons, should we also stop having synagogues? Should they be converted into something else? Should we ask the Jewish people to leave?" — Organizer of a targeted fee speech event, in response to the question if they had brought the attack on themselves.
Much of the world may only have been just bragging or emoting in saying, "Je Suis Charlie" or "Je Suis Juif" in January. But it turns out not to matter: the terrorists of ISIS think we are all cartoonists and Jews anyway.
Since we cannot live with ISIS and similar groups, we had better do whatever it takes to speed up an end of our choosing before they speed up an end of their choosing.
When the truth is revealed, it can be not merely unpleasant but often accidental. There have been several striking examples of this since the massacre in Paris earlier this month. In the days immediately after the attack, The Times of London interviewed residents of Paris. Referring to the latest attacks, one 46-year old resident also referred back to the attacks in January on the offices of Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket. "Every Parisian has been touched by these attacks," she said, referring to the latest attacks. "Before it was just the Jews, the writers or cartoonists."
If "just the Jews" was an unfortunate way of putting it, it was no less unfortunate than the reaction of America's top diplomat. Days after the latest Paris atrocity, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said:
"There's something different about what happened from Charlie Hebdo, and I think everybody would feel that. There was a sort of particularized focus and perhaps even a legitimacy in terms of -- not a legitimacy, but a rationale that you could attach yourself to somehow and say, okay, they're really angry because of this and that. This Friday was absolutely indiscriminate."
To the extent these comments have been noticed, they have been ridiculed. It is what lies revealed beneath the statement that deserves our attention.
The true problem with the line that it used to be "just the Jews, the writers or cartoonists," is not that it is offensive or inelegant or any of the other words that are now used to shut down a discussion -- though all these things it may be. The problem is that it suggests that people were not paying attention during those earlier attacks. It suggests a belief that the terrorism in January was a different order of terrorism -- call it "understandable terrorism" -- rather than part of a continuum of terrorism that now reached its logical endpoint, as "impossible-to-understand terrorism" -- because "Jews, writers or cartoonists" were missing.
What if the terrorists had been targeting "just Americans," or "just diplomats" -- would that be "understandable terrorism" in Kerry's thinking? That it used to be "Jews, writers or cartoonists" is precisely what made the attacks on everybody else inevitable. The only surprise should be our own surprise.
"Understandable terrorism" vs. "impossible-to-understand terrorism"? Stéphane Charbonnier (left), editor and publisher of Charlie Hebdo, was murdered in Paris on Jan. 7 along with many of his colleagues, in a terrorist attack that John Kerry said had "a legitimacy... a rationale that you could attach yourself to somehow and say, okay, they're really angry because of this and that." Kerry contrasted that with the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris (right), which he claimed were "absolutely indiscriminate."
After the January attacks in Paris, there were large marches through the center of Paris, and the phrase, "Je Suis Charlie," for a moment, seemed to be the hashtag or profile picture of everybody on social media. But, of course, almost nobody was Charlie, because apart from a lot of people dwelling on Twitter and Facebook under various virtual noms de guerre, very few people were keen to republish any cartoon of Mohammed or make new Mohammed cartoons of their own. Sadly, a few months after the attacks, the remaining staff members at Charlie Hebdo announced that they were not going to draw Mohammed any more. No one could blame them: as well as losing most of their colleagues, it must have been exhausting to be among the only people still exercising a right that everyone else was just pretending to defend on Twitter. Despite all the "Je Suis Charlie" signs, it turned out very few people were Charlie. In the end, even Charlie was not Charlie.
The "Je Suis Juif" signs were never likely to catch on as much as the "Je Suis Charlie" signs, nor be followed up on even as much as they were. Did everyone on the streets of Paris take to wearing a skullcap or Star of David? No -- no more than they would have walked through any of the streets with reproductions of the cartoonist Kurt Westergaard's image of Mohammed with a bomb in his turban. A lot of people said they were "Jews," but they were not willing to put themselves in the same line of fire as Jews -- just as a lot of people said they were "Charlie," while not actually being interested in landing on the same Islamist hit-lists as Charlie.
The latest attacks in Paris were, indeed, targeted at absolutely everybody. In that, there should be a lesson of a kind. The lesson should remind us that in a free society, no one can wholly dodge the bullets of these particular fanatics. In the conflict that faces us now, there is no opt-out if you happen to be "lucky" enough not to be Jewish. There is no opt-out if you happen to think that people should not draw or publish opinions that are anything other than 100% agreeable to 100% of the people, 100% of the time. Because one day, you will be targeted for being at a restaurant or a concert, or for having the "decadent" temerity to attend a football match. That this has not yet sunk in to the public imagination is one thing. That it has still not permeated the understanding of the heads of the world's only superpower is quite another.
A month after January's terror attacks in Paris, there was a less-remembered terrorist attack on a free speech event in the U.S., and then on a synagogue in Copenhagen. I asked one of the organizers of the targeted free speech event what she would say to the people who claimed, "You know you might have brought this upon yourselves. You don't have to keep publishing cartoons or defending other peoples' right to publish cartoons, and you know how much the Islamists hate it." Her reply was characteristically succinct: "If we should stop drawing cartoons, should we also stop having synagogues? Should they be converted into something else? Should we ask the Jewish people to leave?"
The problem was that too few people listened to such voices, or too few people fully understood the import of what those voices were saying. They were saying what the dead journalists and cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo had also been saying: If you give up this right, next, you will lose every other right. Much of the world may only have been just bragging or emoting in saying, "Je Suis Charlie" or "Je Suis Juif." But it turns out not to matter: the terrorists of ISIS think we are all cartoonists and Jews anyway.
So here we are, at the end of what should be one of the world's sharpest and most painful learning curves in recent history. At the end of this curve, we ought finally to be living with the realization we might have acquired earlier: that since we cannot live with ISIS and other ISIS-like groups, we had better live without them. We had therefore better do whatever it takes to speed up an end of our choosing before they speed up an end of their choosing.

Will Canada change its policy toward Iran?
Maysam Bizær/Al-Monitor/November 30/15
TEHRAN, Iran — Canadian Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau defeated the incumbent Conservatives on the back of promises of change on Oct. 19, after nearly a decadelong rule by former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Among Trudeau’s most significant campaign pledges on foreign policy was political re-engagement with countries such as Iran, which had seen deteriorating bilateral relations under Harper.
On Sept. 7, 2012, Canada’s then-Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird made the unexpected announcement that diplomatic relations with Iran would be cut at a news conference in Russia. The Conservative government cited Iran’s failure to protect Canadian diplomatic personnel, support for the Syrian government and stance toward Israel, among other issues, to justify the move. However, last year, national broadcaster CBC revealed the findings of an internal investigation into the safety of Canadian diplomats in Tehran. The probe’s results were in stark contrast with the assertions of Harper’s government; it outright concluded that there was no tangible threat against Canadian personnel stationed in Iran. Professor Dane Rowlands, who directs Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, told Al-Monitor he believes the “largely symbolic act” of cutting diplomatic ties was not in the interest of Ottawa. “To close an embassy except under extreme circumstances is, I think, an admission of diplomatic failure,” Rowlands told Al-Monitor.
Over the more than half a century that Iran and Canada have had formal relations, both sides have withdrawn their ambassadors at different times and also refused each other’s nominees as envoys on occasion. However, the cutting of all diplomatic relations had until 2012 been unprecedented. Tehran and Ottawa maintained their political ties even after the “Canadian Caper” of 1980, when Canadian Embassy staff in Tehran came to the aid of six US colleagues who had escaped the takeover of the American Embassy.
Canada’s decision to cut diplomatic ties with Iran came amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, and genuine concerns about a possible military confrontation between Iran and the United States. Rowlands told Al-Monitor he believes the timing of the Harper administration’s move was “irresponsible,” given the potential for “miscommunication and misinterpretation.” Rowlands added, “Closing an embassy both removes the means for clarification of intentions as well as represents an overreaction that can lead to serious miscalculation.”
Following the announcement of the Oct. 19 election results, the Iranian Foreign Ministry welcomed the victory of the Liberal Party and expressed hopes that it would translate into an end to Canada’s “extremist policies” toward the Islamic Republic. Iranian parliament Speaker Ali Larijani was also quoted by local media as saying that Tehran should hold bilateral dialogue with Ottawa to “clear up a number of misunderstandings.” Yet despite Trudeau’s promise of re-engagement with countries such as Iran, some experts believe that the resumption of political ties is not a pressing issue for either country — at least for now.
Pointing to the fact that Tehran is not a key trade, investment or security partner for Ottawa, James Devine, assistant professor of politics and international relations at Mount Allison University, told Al-Monitor, “On the Iranian side, there is less need for better relations with Canada. Tehran had previously seen Canada as a gateway to better relations with the West. However, since the July 14 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] was signed, relations between Iran and the Europeans have improved significantly. I don’t think Canada is as important to Tehran as it once was.” Adnan Tabatabai, a Berlin-based Iranian political analyst told Al-Monitor, “Iran-Canada relations have not been essential for either side. It is rather the presence of Iranians traveling back and forth to Canada that connects these two countries.”
An Iranian international relations expert who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity said he believes that despite Ottawa’s expressed desire to resume engagement with Tehran, Canada may find that Iran is not very interested in resuming ties — at least for now. “Since the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was signed, trade and political ties with European countries have either expanded or are in the process of expansion. With Canada, Iran appears to have less incentive and interest to reopen relations,” he said.
Professor Piotr Dutkiewicz, director of Carleton University’s Centre for Governance and Public Management, said there are four key drivers that can play a significant role in improving ties between Canada and Iran. Dutkiewicz, who met Larijani in the Russian city of Sochi in late October, told Al-Monitor that the first step for Trudeau’s administration should be “to break with Mr. Harper’s past and harmful policies and tune up with US/European Union’s new phase in relations with Iran.” As many officials and experts have previously warned, Dutkiewicz also told Al-Monitor he believes “a lot of patience, tolerance, time and effort” will be needed for relations between Iran and Canada to be fully normalized.
Meanwhile, Dutkiewicz stressed that the sizeable Iranian expatriate community in Canada can play a major role in this process, through active lobbying with the Liberal government to “devise concrete, transparent, quick policy measures to improve relations with Iran.” Asked about the possible consequences of such a rapprochement, Devine of Mount Allison University told Al-Monitor that it would be “symbolically important for both countries.” In Devine’s telling, for Canada, the latter would signal a change in its foreign policy toward its more traditional style of diplomacy, while for Iran, it would be a “further signal of the country’s intention to end its isolation and show its commitment to normalizing relations with the West.”
While it remains to be seen how Trudeau’s Liberal government will try to reclaim Canada’s lost role in the international arena and re-engage with countries such as Iran, it may be that the Islamic Republic — which has been a frequent host of many diplomatic and business delegations since the signing of the JCPOA — has the upper hand in setting conditions on how and when to resume diplomatic ties with Ottawa.
**Maysam Bizær is the former editor-in-chief of the Iran Desk at Press TV’s website department. He has worked for various local media and has been a contributor to a number of foreign media outlets.

Congress threatens to shut down government over Syrian refugees
Julian Pecquet/Al-Monitor/November 30/15
Republicans in Congress are threatening to shut down the government to keep Syrian refugees out of the country.House lawmakers voted 289-137 Nov. 19 to suspend refugee admissions from Syria and Iraq amid fears that Islamic State (IS) terrorists could abuse President Obama’s plan to accept 10,000 Syrians over the next 10 months. Faced with a veto threat and recalcitrant Democrats in the Senate, House Republicans are now threatening a showdown over government spending to get their way.
Funding for the current fiscal year runs out Dec. 11. The year-end drama of recent years seemed likely to be averted after former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, worked out a comprehensive budget deal to help fund the government until next fall before stepping down.
That effort now seems in danger after the Paris attacks have prompted 74 House Republicans to demand that the spending bill include stronger guarantees about the refugee program’s safety. Democrats opposed to the freeze argue that shutting the nation’s door amid the worst refugee crisis since World War II would feed right into IS propaganda, while Republicans blame Obama’s Middle East policy for fueling public angst.
The refugee debate has also bled into the presidential race, with Republican candidate Ben Carson visiting a refugee camp in Jordan during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote Dec. 3 on legislation from rival candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to strip US terrorism supporters of their citizenship. Similar legislation died five years ago when it was first introduced by then-Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and Scott Brown, R-Mass., amid concerns that it violated the constitution and did little to protect the country.
The battle against IS will also take center stage Dec. 1 when the House Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on “US Strategy for Syria and Iraq and its Implications for the Region.” Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph Dunford are slated to testify.
On Dec. 2, the House Foreign Affairs panel on terrorism holds a hearing to examine whether the Paris attacks represent a “strategic shift” for IS. And the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a closed briefing Dec. 3 on the future of the US role in the Middle East with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley.
The hearings come amid increased chatter about the need for Congress to pass new legislation authorizing President Obama’s growing intervention in Syria and Iraq. Key Republicans, however, continue to argue that they first need to see a more comprehensive plan from President Obama.
Finally, the full House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing Dec. 2 on “Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC): Fueling Middle East Turmoil.” Cruz and House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, have introduced legislation urging the Obama administration to designate the IRGC as a terrorist group, but the administration says it already has the authorities it needs to sanction the group without antagonizing Iran as it continues to abide by its commitments under the nuclear deal.
*Julian Pecquet is Al-Monitor’s congressional correspondent. He previously led The Hill’s Global Affairs blog.

Will Russia succeed where Iran failed?
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/November 30/15
It's been a bad time for Russia after two of its jets have been downed. The first was a passenger plane downed in Egypt's Sinai, the second was a Sukhoi Su-24 warplane downed by Turkey near the Syrian border. However, the Russians still seem determined to avenge and win the battle in Syria. They are now implementing a smart plan which is based on isolating the Turks, a key player against Bashar al-Assad’s regime. If they succeed, they may have the final say in Syria's future. Russian fighter jets have heavily shelled Syrian-Turkish border crossings, as well as Syrian areas which Turks consider under their protection. The Russians have said they have destroyed militant border crossings, cutting the artery for trade activity which links armed groups in Syria with the world. Without a political solution that grants hope to everyone, the war will not end - even if all border crossings are closed.
Border crossings
This is not the first blow to border crossing activities. Jordan has previously suspended all border activities after Iranians began having a presence in southern Syria, particularly in Daraa. In Lebanon, the army and Hezbollah militias have almost completely closed off borders crossings with Syria. Iraq's Kurds followed suit when the battle for Kobane erupted. As for border crossings between Syria and Iraq's Anbar Province, they remain open; however, the Syrian opposition has not used the crossings as a means to add a foreign dimension to their fight. Now that Turkey's capabilities as a central actor in Syria have been paralyzed, are we about to see the end of the Syrian revolution and moderate armed opposition groups, like the Free Syrian Army, and other extremists such as ISIS and al-Nusra Front? I think this is a temporary relapse. I am not referring to the operational military aspect here; however, my opinion is based on the social and political motives which influence the war. The Syrian people are the ones who embraced the Syrian uprising, not foreign powers - as claimed by those who oppose the revolution. The Assad regime is reminiscent of Soviet Union era and Cold War era regimes, that have either collapsed or changed.  The opposition will live on and the Russians, the Iranians and the Syrian regime's remnants will not succeed at turning back the clock. Without a political solution that grants hope to everyone, the war will not end - even if all border crossings are closed. If the Russians want to succeed, there is now a precious opportunity ahead of them as their ties with many major parties negotiating in the Syrian conflict are mostly positive. They can develop a solution that's based on bringing together moderate opposition groups, some community powers and remnants of the Assad regime. The upcoming Riyadh conference paves the way for creating a united front capable of leading a new Syria without extremism or the elimination of minorities, and this should be of benefit to all parties.

Putin and Erdogan have more in common than we think
Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/November 30/15
It is unlikely for the duel between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan to precipitate a military confrontation between Russia and Turkey or NATO, of which Turkey is member. Both Moscow and Ankara have clearly decided to contain Turkey’s downing of a Russian fighter jet in Syria, while reserving the right to retaliate later if needed. These two presidents are similar in many ways. They are both authoritarian. They have both moved between the posts of prime minister and president. They both are being called Tsar or Sultan. And they both have a project: Vladimir Putin is resolved to restore Russia’s imperial standing, and judged that the Middle East is the place to start. And Recep Tayyip Erdogan is resolved to restore the glory of the Ottoman Empire, sailing cunningly between regional and international waves to the tune of his own ideological agenda. Both men have decided that Syria is the key to their projects. But both realize that they cannot achieve what they want as long as the other is in the way. For this reason, despite the seriousness of the downing of the Su-24 jet, there is still room for accord between the two men and the two countries as part of the Vienna peace process for Syria. The economic considerations related to the bilateral relationship are not absent either, especially as natural gas is concerned.
Yet a most important issue here is the future of the Russian relationship with armed Syrian opposition groups, particularly the Free Syrian Army, in light of information that had signaled a major shift prior to the Russian jet incident. Indeed, Turkey is a key player with respect to the armed Syrian opposition, and it coordinates closely with Saudi Arabia, which will soon host both political and military opposition factions in Riyadh in support of the Vienna process. What lies behind the escalation between Turkey and Russia is mutual suspicions over both Syria and their respective ideological and imperial ambitions
This ring of complex issues surrounding Russian-Turkish ties is attracting a lot of international attention, in light of the global consensus on the priority of defeating ISIS in Syria, as part of a fragile transitional political and military process that ill-affords a confrontation between Russia and Turkey. For this reason, de-escalation is a top priority, but the fear remains that the two egoistic and temperamental leaders who have conflicting projects would fail to contain the situation.
President Vladimir Putin does not want an open-ended military involvement in Syria and is ready for an exit strategy if his interests are guaranteed. He found that an exit strategy was possible through the Vienna process launched by Russia and supported by the U.S., before it was expanded to include 20 countries and international bodies including Iran, after a first round that included only Turkey and Saudi Arabia in addition to the U.S. and Russia. The top goal for Putin in Syria is fighting Sunni extremism in ISIS’s territory, so he would not have to fight it in Chechnya, Moscow, or the Islamic republics that encircle Russia. He wants a military base in Tartus near NATO bases to have the freedom to extend Russian influence to the Middle East. He wants to sustain the alliance with Iran (despite his insistence on a secular Syria, he does not seem to mind allying with Iran’s theocracy and sectarian militias against ISIS).
Putin wants to reap economic rewards from Iran having invested in it politically, which explains his eagerness to sign nuclear deals with Tehran even before sanctions were officially lifted. The Russian president wants Bashar al-Assad to remain in power in the transitional period, while keeping the door open to the possibility of his not running in the next presidential election in Syria, yet without guarantees.
In the wake of Russia’s military intervention in Syria, the Russian president understood the importance of having cordial relations with the Gulf countries, if he wants to exit the Syrian quagmire. He understood the importance of improving tense relations with Turkey, which he accuses of backing terrorism to impose an Islamist agenda. The Vienna process secured the means to discuss the future of Syria directly, while some contentious issues were kicked down the road and others were agreed upon. The key issues of contention include the future of Bashar al-Assad in the transitional process, the definition of terrorist groups and moderate groups, and the timetable for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Syria, including Russian and Iranian troops, Hezbollah, and other militias. What is new in the Russian positions, according to informed sources, is that Moscow is willing to engage seriously with the Free Syrian Army, as part of an initiative that complies with Saudi-Turkish-Qatari insistence the FSA is a necessary ally in the war on ISIS. The dispute is what Moscow considers a given, namely the centrality of the Syrian regime army’s role in the war even under Assad’s command, while the other three nations agree on the need to preserve the Syrian army and its role, but not under Assad’s command.
Grip on the Syrian opposition
Ankara does not want anything to undermine its grip on the Syrian armed opposition. It may reluctantly welcome the new Saudi role in bringing together the political and armed opposition factions, but it will not be accommodating of direct Russian engagement with the opposition that would loosen its own grip. Furthermore, Ankara does not trust Moscow’s methods when tackling the issue of Assad’s future in the transitional process. Turkey is averse to the “creative ambiguity” that avoids giving guarantees. When Putin and Ayatollah Khamenei vowed not to renege on promises and betray allies, Ankara saw this as clearly sticking to Assad at the end of the transition as well as at its beginning. Erdogan’s suspicions about his Russian counterpart increased when Russia insisted on Syria’s secularism. Erdogan challenged this bid, issuing instruction to his delegation in Vienna to categorically reject this. For one thing, Erdogan sees this expression as a fatal blow to any role by the Muslim Brotherhood that he favors and does not want excluded from Syria’s future. There is also the Kurdish factor. Erdogan believes both the West and Russia are ignoring his objection to having the Kurds as a key force that requires military support on the ground in the war against ISIS and al- Nusra Front.
The Turkish president suspects NATO capitals as much as he suspects Moscow when it comes to the Kurds. Perhaps he wanted to put NATO in the corner when he sought its help after downing the Russian jet, which Ankara says had ignored multiple warnings not to enter Turkish airspace. Turkey’s relationship with NATO improved recently, but it was always tense and marred by disputes over policies and concepts. NATO states defended Ankara’s right to defend its borders. President Obama called on Russia to join the international alliance against ISIS, instead of operating solo in Syria. He also said it was time for Russia to concentrate its strikes on ISIS rather on the Syrian opposition.
Accusations
Ankara, meanwhile, has accused Moscow of deliberately bombing Turkmen in Syria before the fighter jet was downed. Moscow afterwards accused Ankara of committing a deliberate provocation, but Russian diplomacy was keen on not turning the incident into a confrontation with NATO, focusing its wrath on Turkey. NATO nations are not pleased with Russia establishing a base in Tartus near Turkey. It is more anxious however regarding the prospect of a confrontation with Russia that would follow military escalation between Russia and Turkey. Indeed, Article 5 of the NATO charter compels member states to collectively defend any member state that comes under attack. The person most worried about deterioration in relations between NATO and Russia must be French President Francois Hollande. Hollande rushed to mediate towards U.S.-Russian accord in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, refocusing the priority on crushing ISIS in Syria instead of Bashar al-Assad’s departure. Russia and Putin are angry. This was the first time a Russian plane was downed by a NATO member since 1953. Another Russian helicopter was also blown up, as it set off to search for the missing Russian pilots, at the hands of an Islamic group using U.S.-made TOW missiles. This reminded Moscow of the U.S.-made Stinger missiles used by the mujahidin in Afghanistan, which led to the collapse of the Soviet Empire in the late 1980s. Yet Moscow does not want to topple the Vienna process, which involves Turkey. The reason is that Vienna is Russia’s exit strategy from the Syrian quagmire. U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura, in a lengthy interview with Al-Hayat in New York published last week, said that Russia did not want to be involved in the war more than it should. De Mistura stressed that the Vienna group of countries will use their influence on the rival parties to reach a ceasefire in parallel with the political process. All this naturally requires de-escalation between Russia and Turkey. However, de-escalation alone will not be enough. What lies behind the escalation between Turkey and Russia in Syria is a profound disagreement over the political process, and mutual suspicions over both Syria and their respective ideological and imperial ambitions. It is hoped Saudi diplomacy will succeed in curbing reckless and arbitrary behavior, being on good terms with both nations. But this in turn requires a radical clarification on the part of Russia and strong commitments regarding the political transition process. If creative ambiguity will remain the title of Moscow’s approach, and if kicking major differences down the road is meant to bypass knots in a way that would perpetuate Assad in power and turn the Syrian question into one of a war on terror, then the Vienna process will not last long as a fig leaf. Moscow would lost a strategic chance to get out of its Syrian dilemma.

Russia’s unrealistic expectations of Turkey
Sharif Nashashibi/Al Arabiya/November 30/15
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday made his most conciliatory comments yet on his military’s downing of a Russian warplane: “I’m really saddened by the incident. We wish it had never happened, but it happened. I hope something like this doesn’t happen again.” This fell short of the apology Russia has been seeking, but it is likely to be as close to one as Moscow will get. The ambiguity in Erdogan’s wording must have been deliberate. It could either be interpreted as sadness that his country shot down the warplane, or that by allegedly violating Turkish airspace and ignoring repeated warnings, it forced his military to act. The choice of wording was likely an attempt to placate Russia - its second-largest trading partner and source of tourists - while not being seen as capitulating in the eyes of Turks, who have become increasingly angry at Moscow’s heavy bombing of areas in Syria that are predominantly populated by their ethnic Turkmen kin. Russia’s actions since Erdogan’s expression of sadness indicate that it wants a clear, unreserved apology. However, this would undermine his insistence that Turkey was right to protect its sovereignty. His critics have already jumped on his statement on Thursday that had Ankara known the plane was Russian, “maybe we would have warned it differently,” despite at least two Russian violations of Turkish airspace in October that elicited complaints and warnings from Ankara. An apology would risk making Erdogan look weak in the eyes of a population that has just re-elected his party into power with a parliamentary majority. Like his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, he enjoys and nurtures his reputation as a tough-talking strongman. We are as unlikely to see an unconditional apology from Erdogan, about anything, as we are from Putin.
Escalation
“We hope that the issue between us and Russia doesn’t escalate any further, become corrosive and have dire consequences in the future,” Erdogan said on Saturday. However, Moscow decreed sanctions on Turkey just hours later. We are as unlikely to see an unconditional apology from Erdogan, about anything, as we are from Putin. They include a ban on some goods, and forbidding extensions of labor contracts for Turks working in Russia. The decree also calls for an end to chartered flights from Russia to Turkey, and to Russian tourism companies selling vacation packages that would include a stay in Turkey. Moscow had already taken retaliatory measures prior to the decree, including warning citizens against travelling to Turkey, suspending a visa-free travel regime from Jan. 1, cancelling a visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, leaving Turkish trucks stranded at the border, and confiscating large quantities of Turkish food imports. Arguably the most dangerous and strategically counter-productive step so far has been Moscow’s cutting of military contacts. Since it has intensified its bombing of areas along the Syrian-Turkish border, and says it will continue to do so despite the downing of its plane, bilateral military contacts are necessary to ensure that such an incident is not repeated.
Dialogue
In a bid to restore relations, Erdogan on Saturday renewed a call to meet with Putin in Paris on the sidelines of the Global Climate Summit on Monday. However, as of Sunday Putin had not responded, with his foreign affairs adviser saying: “We have seen that the Turkish side hasn’t been ready to offer an elementary apology over the plane incident.”If Putin were to spurn such a meeting, this would indicate that he values political point-scoring over the settlement of an issue that has severely strained ties that are mutually important, particularly in the fields of tourism, trade and energy. Holding the meeting would not necessarily resolve the issue (though it would present the best opportunity to do so), but snubbing it would be seen as an unwillingness to even try. Ankara may take this as a sign that its overtures have only emboldened an intransigent Moscow. Turkey may then stop taking further conciliatory steps and blame Russia for the impasse. However, whether such a meeting takes place or not, a genuine restoration of ties will need to include tackling the issue of Russian bombardment of Syrian Turkmen, as well as a mutually face-saving formula over the plane-downing. Putin has domestic backing for his tough stance, but though he will wish for an eventual resolution, he seems to be seeking maximum gains before he decides to bury the hatchet. However, he is in danger of over-playing his hand. This will not only be to the detriment of both countries, but it could further intensify the Syrian conflict as both Ankara and Moscow increase their support for opposing sides.

Why is Russia wooing Iran even more now?
Camelia Entekhabi-Fard/Al Arabiya/November 30/15
While tensions between Russia and Turkey have surged after the Russian jet was shot down by Turks near the Syrian border last week, ties between Iran and Russia are going in the opposite direction. Iran and Russia’s interests in the Syrian conflict, with both supporting Bashar al-Assad, has been a key element in their friendship. As much as Tehran likes to showcase these good relations and advertise Russian changes in behavior, some other points speak differently. During the time of the revolution in 1979, the most famous slogans being chanted included: “No East, No West. Islamic Republic!” Iran was not only shunning Western powers, but also major eastern players, such as the Soviet Union. Of course, today the Soviet Union doesn’t exist and Russia is not a communist state any more, but core ideologies do remain. Naturally, seeing Iran getting closer to Western states makes more sense economically and politically, despite prohibitions against Western culture and the kind of democracy that is practiced there. As much as Tehran likes to showcase these good relations and advertise Russian changes in behavior, some other points speak differently. This is especially as many parts of Iranian society hold a sense of distrust towards the Russians. Iran oil and gas shares in the Caspian Sea have always been a source of disagreement between Iran and Russia, while several arms deals between both countries have not been smooth. The S-300 defense missiles contract with Moscow, aimed at providing Iran with a capable defense system, has become a household topic which many Iranians mention when discussing how opportunistic the Russians can be. Under an agreement that Iran and Russia signed in 2007, Russia was supposed to supply five batteries of S-300 PMU-1s to Iran according to the terms of a contract estimated at $800 million. After Russia suspended the supplies in 2010, Iran filed a $4 billion lawsuit against Moscow with the international court of arbitration. The decision to suspend the supplies was taken by the then president, Dmitry Medvedev. When the nuclear agreement was finally reached in Vienna on July 14, Moscow and Tehran again signed a fresh missile systems contract on November 9. The new contract hasn’t come into effect yet and the S-300s are no longer as attractive as they were in 2007 since Russia now has a more advanced S-400 system, which is considerably superior to the S-300 in terms of its tactical and technical characteristics.
Beating the West
For many Iranians, it’s clear that the Russians are in need of some cash to boost their economy and are seeking to take advantage of Tehran in the post-sanctions era. The Russians want to grab what a piece of the action, before the West jumps in. When Iran was under tight international sanctions with its nuclear program in full swing, Russia had been making money with a contract to finish the construction of the Bushehr nuclear plant in southern Iran. This was alongside Russia voting against Iran’s nuclear program at the U.N. Security Council. Putin, who recently visited Iran, has said his country is committed towards its partners and wouldn’t “stab them from back.” But we shall wait to see whether their cooperation can last longer than their battle time in Syria.

Iran's Widening Crackdown Pressures Rouhani
Nima Gerami/Washington Institute/November 30/15
Despite endorsing the nuclear deal, the Supreme Leader has empowered the IRGC Intelligence Organization to tighten Iran's domestic political environment ahead of 2016 elections.
The arrests of multiple Iranian journalists, activists, and businessmen in recent weeks signal growing tensions between President Hassan Rouhani and Iran's conservative establishment in the aftermath of the nuclear agreement with the P5+1. Although the full extent of the crackdown remains to be seen, the heightened role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization (IRGC-IO) bears important implications for Rouhani and his allies ahead of February 2016 parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections.
Resurgence of IRGC Intelligence
The IRGC-IO was established by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 1997 after the election of reformist president Mohammad Khatami as an alternative organization with functions that parallel the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). The IRGC-IO has largely taken over domestic security, though MOIS shares responsibilities for actively thwarting reformists and preventing internal unrest. Shortly after its establishment, the IRGC-IO appears to have been instrumental in suppressing the 1999 student uprisings. That July, the hardline daily Kayhan revealed that IRGC officers had submitted a letter to Khatami just before the crackdown warning against the threat from "reform-mindedness" and "hypocrites and opponents...gathering in regiments in the name of 'students.'" The officers claimed they would take action to protect the Islamic Republic, adding, "With complete respect and endearment toward His Excellency [Khatami], we declare that our patience has come to an end, and we will not permit ourselves any more tolerance in the face of your inaction." Much more recently, in an April 2014 press conference, IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Jafari stated: "As we have seen, in 1999 [hinting at the suppression of extensive student unrest in Tehran] the Leader [Khamenei] came out strongly against this sowing of doubt, and emphasized the need for the continuing existence of the IRGC for the continuation and advancement of the regime." After the contested 2009 presidential elections, Khamenei directed a major reorganization that expanded the IRGC-IO's intelligence and security powers. In July 2009, Khamenei appointed regime loyalist and close confidant Hossein Taeb, formerly MOIS deputy commander of counterintelligence (1989-1997) and commander of the paramilitary Basij (2008-2009), to head the IRGC-IO. Taeb had been Khamenei's student in the early days of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and befriended Khamenei's son during the Iran-Iraq War. As a senior MOIS official, Taeb developed a reputation as one of the regime's most violent interrogators of counterrevolutionary and "seditionist" elements.
Increasingly, Taeb has become Khamenei's enforcer given his direct access to and personal ties with the Supreme Leader. Under Taeb's leadership, the IRGC-IO has arrested and interrogated thousands of Iranians accused of being part of a Western-fomented "velvet revolution" to topple the Islamic Republic. The IRGC-IO used the threat of Western infiltration to justify broadening its interrogation and arrest powers, increasing its supervisory role over the media, and tightening regime control of cyberspace. In a September 15 speech to IRGC commanders, Rouhani claimed that the IRGC is not the sole guardian of the Islamic Revolution, stating that "the very same duty has been defined for the representatives of parliament, the Supreme National Security Council, the armed forces, and other institutions." Rouhani's attempts to limit the IRGC's role in domestic politics, while carefully avoiding the Supreme Leader's redlines on opening the country's political atmosphere, have met obstinate resistance from hardliners. On September 16, in what was seen as pushback against Rouhani's criticism of the IRGC, Khamenei insisted that no other actor bears the "institutional responsibility to protect the Islamic Revolution like the IRGC" and called on the IRGC-IO to "constantly monitor all issues and identify threats" against the Islamic Republic. Since then, the IRGC-IO has led the investigation and subsequent arrest of Iranians accused of ties to Western intelligence agencies.
Recent Arrests
In the past few weeks, the IRGC-IO has spearheaded a drive against a "new wave of sedition," arguably the largest state crackdown since 2009. It has arrested at least nine journalists, activists, and businessmen. On October 16, the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency reported that Gerdab -- an outlet of the IRGC-IO's cyber division used to publish pictures and identify protestors during the 2009 crackdown -- had arrested another 170 individuals associated with social media websites accused of spreading anti-regime propaganda. Senior officials have criticized the politicization of the arrests and the IRGC-IO's lack of accountability to normal government oversight. For example, on October 24 Ali Motahhari, a conservative Majlis (parliament) member with ties to the Rouhani camp, criticized the IRGC-IO's heightened role, asking, "Why were the recent arrests carried out by the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organization? Don't we have an Intelligence Ministry? The Guards say they will do whatever they want." In a November 9 editorial in the conservative daily Resalat, hardliners responded to these accusations by calling for the MOIS to follow the example set by the IRGC-IO: "The Iranian people are confused about the Ministry of Intelligence's lag in performing its duties, and they are asking about the relationship between the contamination of its minister and the ministry's lack of action in confronting Western infiltration."
On November 3, the day before the anniversary of the 1979 U.S. embassy takeover, the IRGC-IO released a statement announcing that "a number of members of an infiltration network affiliated with the U.S. and UK governments have been arrested." In a telephone interview with state-run TV, an individual identified as an "IRGC-IO specialist" claimed the organization had uncovered a network that sought to influence Iranian public opinion and "pollute some domestic publications" in order to "beautify the image of America...and lay the groundwork for America's official presence in Iran."
At a November 4 cabinet meeting, in his first public response to the arrests, Rouhani censured hardliners for "misusing" the Supreme Leader's remarks to detain and intimidate opponents: "Heaven forbid that some people should try and abuse the [Supreme Leader's] phrases and terminology to accuse whomever they oppose, or to try and marginalize certain groups...We must fight any infiltration by foreigners in a real and serious way, rather than toying with the word 'infiltration.'" Later, speaking at a November 8 press exhibition in Tehran boycotted by several conservative media outlets, Rouhani criticized the granting of "special privileges" to some media, which act as "undercover police," while others "face harsh punishments" -- a thinly veiled reference to reformist journalists arrested by the IRGC-IO.
While hardline and IRGC-affiliated media immediately condemned Rouhani's statements, a number of officials have come to his defense. For example, Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, averred: "The arrests of some people active in the media field...in the wake of the JCPOA [are] being presented by some as settling political scores...I share that viewpoint." Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi also voiced his support for Rouhani, warning that the term "infiltration" must be used appropriately "and not in such a way that decreases its worth and value so it becomes a trivial issue." Alavi's remarks are noteworthy given that they reinforce the longstanding bureaucratic rivalry between the MOIS and the IRGC-IO; whereas Rouhani controls the MOIS and appoints its top officials, he exerts no authority over the IRGC-IO or the IRGC commander.
OUTLOOK
The increasingly restrictive post-nuclear-deal environment will have negative domestic repercussions, but it has not so far directly affected the nuclear agreement -- a deal Iran still needs to fix its rapidly deteriorating economy. Khamenei's empowerment of the IRGC-IO, however, will result in continued intimidation of Iranians who support domestic reforms and improved relations with the West. In such a political climate, the intensity of the IRGC-IO's activities sends a strong message that the conservative camp will wield blunt force to resist attempts at moderating the Islamic Republic. A disturbing prospect in this context is whether the IRGC-IO would use its influence to further tighten the security of Iran's nuclear program, a development that could complicate access to sensitive sites and impede implementation of the nuclear deal.
***Nima Gerami is a research fellow at the National Defense University's Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the National Defense University, the Defense Department, or the U.S. government.