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Bible Quotation For Today/Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
Luke 11/37-41: "While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him; so he went in and took his place at the table.The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you."

Bible Quotation For Today/John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus
Acts of the Apostles 19/01-10: While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples.He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ Then he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They answered, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.’
On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied altogether there were about twelve of them. He entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. When some stubbornly refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way before the congregation, he left them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord."

LCCC Latest analysis, editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 20-21/15
The West’s alliance with Saudi Arabia is not a handout/Salman Aldosary/Asharq Al Awsat/20 July/15
What is killing us, Iran’s barrel-bombs or a nuclear bomb/Jamal Khashoggi/Al Arabiya/20 July/15
How social media magnifies sectarian hatred in Lebanon/Diana Moukalled/Al Arabiya/20 July/15
Should Turkey worry about Iran nuke deal/Mahir Zeynalov/Al Arabiya/20 July/15
Iran Nuclear Deal Offers Shaky Compromise/James F. Jeffrey/Global Times/20 July/15
Before we storm Capitol Hill/Efraim Halevy/Ynetnews /20 July/15
Iran Deal Empowers Enemies of Peace/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/July 20/15
Iran Deal: Obama Just Sold Out an Ally, and It's Not Israel/Vijeta Uniyal//Gatestone Institute/July 20/15

LCCC Bulletin itles for the Lebanese Related News published on July 20-21/15
Geagea Meets Hariri in Jeddah
umblat: Lebanon Must Pull Itself Together to Confront Economic Challenges
Report: Cabinet Faces New Challenges, Waste Management and Protests
Mashnouq Kicks Off France Visit with Security Meetings
Rifi Meets al-Rif’s Family: His Case Should Be Kept Away from Politics
Dozens Dead in Zabadani Clashes on Lebanese-Syrian Border
Man Commits Suicide after Failing to Kill Wife
Israeli Troops Patrol Border Areas
Kidnapping of Czechs may be tied to detained Lebanese
Ibrahim Returns from Qatar: Framework of Exchange to Release Arsal Captives Approved

LCCC Bulletin Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 20-21/15
U.N. Endorses Iran Deal, Paves Way to Lift Sanctions
Iran Says U.N. Resolution Not Linked to Ballistic Missiles
Suicide Bomber Kills 31 in Turkey Attack Blamed on IS
France Delivers First Batch of Fighter Jets to Egypt
Banks Reopen, Taxes Hiked as Greece Seeks to Reboot Economy
German Official Urges Iran to Rethink Israel Stance
US defense secretary: We will help Israel defend itself
U.S. Vows to Live as 'Good Neighbors' with Cuba
British PM Vows to 'De-Glamorize' IS, Tackle Extremism
UAE issues new law against hate crimes and discrimination
EU Vows New Support for Tunisia after Tourist Attack
Yemen: Around 100 killed in Houthi shelling of Aden district, says NGO
Israel to Ashton: Iranian forces mustn’t be allowed to dump ISIS on Israeli Golan border

Geagea Meets Hariri in Jeddah
Naharnet/20 July/15/Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea continued on Monday his visit to Saudi Arabia by holding talks with head of the Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri. The two officials met in the city of Jeddah, said LBCI television. The two officials stressed that priority in Lebanon lies in the election of a president, warning that the persistence of the vacuum will “keep the country paralyzed,” reported MTV later on Monday. They also said that any legislation should focus on the adoption of a new parliamentary electoral law, it said. On Sunday, Geagea had held talks with King Salman bin Abdul Aziz. The meeting tackled “the latest developments in the Lebanese arena,” the kingdom's news agency SPA reported. Geagea “expressed his gratitude and appreciation of the kingdom” over “its support for Lebanon and its people and its keenness on the country's security and stability during all circumstances,” the agency said. Geagea had traveled Saturday to the kingdom for talks with “top officials,” according to his press office.

Jumblat: Lebanon Must Pull Itself Together to Confront Economic Challenges
Naharnet/20 July/15/Progressive Socialist party chief Walid Jumblat stressed on Monday that Lebanon will not be able to confront the financial challenges if the waste of state funds is not controlled. “Lebanon will not be able to confront the economic and financial challenges if it does not pull itself together and conduct radical and urgent reforms to stop the waste of money in various sectors mainly the energy sector, customs, ministries and several others,” he said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website. He urged for serious and effective measures to be taken. “The state of economic and social indifference in Lebanon is really strange despite the fact that suffering affects all segments of society without discrimination,” said Jumblat. He concluded saying that “although corruption, unemployment, deteriorating public services have become chronic problems, although it is not impossible to address them with the help of a political will.” “Lebanon's public debt is growing and has become a major threat to the social and financial infrastructure of Lebanon and the treasury,” he said. Lebanon's gross public debt reached $69.4bn at the end of May 2015, constituting an increase of 4.2% from the end of 2014 and a rise of 6.6% from $65.1bn at end-May 2014,” according to a report by Byblos Bank.

Report: Cabinet Faces New Challenges, Waste Management and Protests
Naharnet/20 July/15/The next cabinet session set to discuss the decision-making mechanism faces a number of thorny issues that need to be addressed in light of the closure of the Naameh landfill and the protests of the families of Jbeil and Hbaline stopping dump-trucks from entering the landfill, al-Anwar daily reported on Monday. Residents of the town of Naameh south of Beirut staged on Friday a sit-in near the landfill after the last dump truck left the facility following the expiry of the deadline for its closure. Similarly residents of Jbeil and Hbaline in the north blocked the roads on Saturday leading to the landfill protesting any decision that might emerge allowing dump trucks from outside the district to use the landfill. Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq stressed the necessity to address the issue during Thursday's cabinet session, saying: “I will bring the subject up during the cabinet session if no one does. That does not necessarily mean that it will conceal discussions on the cabinet mechanism.” The Naameh landfill that lies in the town of Naameh south of Beirut was closed on July 17 in accordance with a government decision.The closure of the landfill threatens to plunge the country into a major garbage management crisis since a substitute has not been found so far. The deadline for the closure of the landfill also coincides with the expiry of the contract with Sukleen, which is responsible for collecting and transporting the garbage in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. A senior source at Sukleen told the Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) that "the cleaning works and the management of waste have not stopped, but the warehouses of our company are filled with trash." The source added: "The company has been trying for days to reach state officials to find a substitute for the Naameh landfill but so far we have received no feedback."Ministerial sources of the March 14 alliance stressed that cabinet discussions should now focus on pressing matters mainly the waste management file, the country's security, the abducted Arsal soldiers and policemen and the kidnapped Czechs. Parliamentary sources assured that “there will be no backing down on closing the Naameh landfill.”They urged officials to take serious decisions and to force acquisition of land mainly the illegal stone crushers and convert them to landfills. Thursday's cabinet session is set to discuss the controversial issue of the cabinet mechanism and hopes arise that the a solution for waste management might be discussed as well before the country is flooded with trash. Ministers of the Free Patriotic Movement and its allies are adamant to discuss the mechanism and the appointment of high-ranking military and security officials before any other.

Mashnouq Kicks Off France Visit with Security Meetings
Naharnet/20 July/15/Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq kicked off on Monday a trip to France where he is scheduled to meet with a number of security and political officials, reported Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3). It said that he will begin his visit by holding talks with security officials to discuss coordination in a number of fields, especially combating terrorism. The minister is accompanied on his trip by a number of heads of security agencies. On Thursday, Mashnouq will meet with Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius to tackle bilateral ties and local and regional developments, most notably Lebanon’s fate following Iran’s nuclear deal with the West, said VDL.

Rifi Meets al-Rif’s Family: His Case Should Be Kept Away from Politics
Naharnet/20 July/15/Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi held talks on Monday with the family of slain stabbing victim George al-Rif, condemning the “unjustified” crime. He stressed the need to keep the issue “away from politics and petty personal interests.”
He vowed before the relatives that he will order to the General Prosecution and concerned judicial authorities to speed up investigations in the case. The minister stressed the need to restore “the authority of the state” and to “allow it to protect the people.”
Al-Rif was stabbed by Tareq Yatim on Thursday following a traffic dispute. Yatim, who was riding on a motorcycle, chased al-Rif, who was traveling in a car, from the airport road to Ashrafieh where he stabbed him in the street. Al-Rif, a father of four, was critically injured and later succumbed to his injuries.Yatim has since been arrested and he confessed to his crime.

Dozens Dead in Zabadani Clashes on Lebanese-Syrian Border
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/20 July/15/Almost 70 fighters have been killed in the two-week-old battle between pro-government forces and Islamist rebels for control of Zabadani on Syria's border with Lebanon, a monitoring group said Monday.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 46 rebels and 21 members of Hizbullah fighting on the government side have died since pro-regime forces entered the town of Zabadani on July 4.It did not give a figure for Syrian army losses in and around Zabadani, which lies north of Damascus and in February 2012 became the first town to fall into rebel hands. According to the Britain-based Observatory, regime aircraft have dropped 600 barrel bombs since the launch of the government offensive to recapture the town. Regime forces have seized control of a hilltop overlooking the south of Zabadani.

Man Commits Suicide after Failing to Kill Wife
Naharnet/20 July/15/A man committed suicide on Monday after failing to murder his wife, reported MTV. It said that Wahan Toufoulian fired five shots at his wife before turning the gun on himself. His wife was unscathed in the attack, which took place in the New Rawda area. MTV reported that Toufoulian was suffering from psychological problems lately. The couple was married for 14 years and has two children. Their neighbors told the television station that they did not have any marital problems. Toufoulian had however suffered from a stroke four years ago, which affected the family's financial situation, which may have been the main motive for the murder attempt, said MTV. A member of the army, Toufoulian's case will be handled by the military judiciary.

Israeli Troops Patrol Border Areas
Naharnet/20 July/15/The Israeli army staged patrols alongside the border with Lebanon on Monday as a reconnaissance aircraft flew over the occupied Shebaa Farms, the state-run National News Agency reported. At around 10:30, the Israeli troops patrolled areas alongside the borderline from the axis of Wadi al-Aasal all the way to the outskirts of al-Ghajar and Abbasiyyeh, NNA said. Meanwhile four armored Israeli military vehicles and about 15 soldiers deployed alongside the barbed-wire border fence off the pond of al-Naqqar.

Kidnapping of Czechs may be tied to detained Lebanese
Ansar, Lebanon, AFP/Monday, 20 July 2015/The kidnapping of five Czech citizens in Lebanon last week may be linked to a Lebanese man detained in Prague, whose family said Monday his lawyer was among those abducted. The five went missing in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon on Friday, with security services confirming they had been kidnapped along with a Lebanese citizen. The case appears to be linked to the arrest in 2014 of Ali Taan Fayyad, whose family said his lawyer was among the abducted group. “We know the missing Czech team very well,” said Kamal Mohsen al-Haf, a legal representative of Fayyad’s family. “One of them is Ali’s lawyer, who has come to Lebanon four or five times and who we have met here,” said Haf, who is also Fayyad’s cousin. “The group also included two Czech journalists, a translator, and Ali’s brother Saeb Taan Fayyad, who was driving them in his car,” Haf said, adding that the identity of the fifth Czech citizen was unknown. The group was reported kidnapped after their car was discovered on Friday night in the western part of the Bekaa Valley, in the Kefraya area. Security sources said the group’s passports were found in the car, along with professional cameras and video equipment. Haf said Fayyad, who also holds Ukrainian citizenship, was formerly an adviser to the Ukraine’s defense minister for Middle East affairs, at the time of ex-president Viktor Yanukovych. “He was arrested by Czech authorities at the request of the Americans who accused him of ‘a plot against the United States’ and demanded his extradition,” he added.
Haf said the family had had no word from the kidnapped group, including Fayyad’s brother, and were unsure who was behind the abduction and why. Kidnappings of foreigners have been rare in Lebanon since the 1975-1990 civil war, when some 100 foreigners, mostly Americans and West Europeans, were snatched. But some cases have been recorded, often for ransom and involving Lebanese as well as foreigners. In the most high-profile case in recent years, seven Estonian cyclists were kidnapped at gunpoint in the Bekaa Valley in 2011 and were released some four months later. The group claiming the abduction was previously unknown, and its motives were never entirely clear. A ransom was reportedly paid, but that was never confirmed by any side. The Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon is notorious in parts for lawlessness, drug trafficking and occasional feuding between clans. In 2013, two German men were kidnapped in the region by abductors seeking a ransom. They were released a few hours later, but subsequently arrested by Lebanese authorities on drug-trafficking charges.

Ibrahim Returns from Qatar: Framework of Exchange to Release Arsal Captives Approved
Naharnet/20 July/15/General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim returned over the weekend from a trip to Doha where he discussed with Qatari officials the finishing touches of a deal to release the servicemen abducted by jihadists in 2014, reported As Safir on Monday.
He told the daily that the “general framework of an exchange deal” was reached. The deal will ensure the release of 16 hostages held by the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front. Ibrahim denied to As Safir media reports that spoke of money being paid to the captors, saying that such claims are “just speculation.”Commenting on al-Nusra Emir Abou Malek al-Talli's recent demand for the release of three servicemen in exchange for three female Roumieh Prison inmates, the General Security chief replied: “Lebanon has from the start rejected carrying out the release of the hostages in installments.”“With the help of Qatari officials, we agreed that a deal over the servicemen would take place in one step,” he added. As Safir revealed that soon after Ibrahim's visit, Qatari officials traveled to the Turkish capital Ankara to place the remaining details of the prisoner swap. A number of servicemen were kidnapped by al-Nusra Front and Islamic State group in the wake of clashes in the northeastern border town of Arsal in August 2014. A few have since been released, four were executed, while the rest remain held. Over the weekend, the relatives of the remaining hostages were allowed to visit their loved ones. They said that the captives are in good health and accused the state of neglecting their case, nearly a year since their kidnapping.

U.N. Endorses Iran Deal, Paves Way to Lift Sanctions
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/20 July/15/The U.N. Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing the historic deal on Iran's nuclear program and cleared a path to lift sanctions crippling its economy. The passing of the resolution marks formal U.N. approval for the hard-won, groundbreaking agreement reached between Iran and the so-called P5+1 group after 18 straight days of talks that capped almost two years of momentous negotiations. Provided Iran respects the agreement to the letter, seven U.N. resolutions passed since 2006 to sanction Iran will be gradually terminated, the text of the resolution says. The agreement with Tehran was reached last Tuesday in Vienna by the U.N. council's five permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany. The text launches a progressive and conditional lifting of sanctions, in exchange for guarantees that the Islamic republic will not develop a nuclear bomb. U.N. ambassadors welcomed the resolution and said the years of hard-work on Iran should become a blueprint for how the world deals with other crises such as those in Syria and Yemen. U.S. envoy Samantha Power called on Iran to abide by the agreement in order to end its isolation, make the "the world more secure" and to "fully empower the Iranian people.""When our nations truly unite to confront global crises, our influence grows exponentially," she said. "It should motivate us to do far more."
"We turn not simply a page but a whole chapter in the work of the Council by creating a new reality," said Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin. "We expect that all countries will quickly adapt to the new conditions and will contribute to a successful implementation of the agreement," he added. The nuclear deal has been touted as an opening for greater contact between Iran and the leading nations over common interests, particularly on tackling the jihadist Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. British ambassador Matthew Rycroft called on Iran to play a "transparent and constructive role in regional affairs" such as in Syria and Yemen. The council charges the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, to "undertake the necessary verification and monitoring of Iran's nuclear commitments."Those commitments include limiting the number of centrifuges for its fissile material. The resolution demands that Iran "cooperate fully" with the IAEA. As soon as the council receives IAEA confirmation that the nuclear program is entirely peaceful, the seven U.N. sanctions resolutions against Tehran will be terminated and replaced by the terms of Monday's resolution.
Sanctions to be lifted include a ban on the trade of goods or services linked to Iranian nuclear activities, and the freezing of financial assets of designated Iranian officials and companies. But embargoes on the sales and exports of conventional weapons and ballistic missile technology will remain in place -- for five years for conventional weapons and for eight years for missile technology. If Tehran violates any of its commitments, the council can initiate proceedings to reinstate its panoply of sanctions. The so-called "snapback" mechanism can put old sanctions back in place if world powers feel Iran has not met its commitments under the Vienna deal. If a protest is made via a joint commission, the U.N. Security Council would have to vote on whether to continue the sanctions lifting. It leaves Iran under the threat of renewed sanctions for 15 years -- 10 years under the Vienna agreement endorsed by the U.N., and the P5+1 committing to another five years of tight monitoring. In the United States, a hostile and Republican-majority Congress has 60 days to review the deal. The Congress can pass a motion of disapproval, but President Barack Obama can then veto that. An override of the veto requires two-thirds approval in both the House and Senate.

Iran Says U.N. Resolution Not Linked to Ballistic Missiles
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/20 July/15/Iran said its ballistic missile program was not connected to the U.N. Security Council resolution adopted Monday that endorses its July 14 nuclear accord with world powers. "The Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to implementing its commitments... so long as" world powers keep their side of the agreement to lift sanctions in exchange for guarantees that Tehran will not develop a nuclear program, the foreign ministry said in a statement. It said Iran would in any case never seek a nuclear bomb, "in line with the historic fatwa (religious decree) of supreme guide Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who has banned the use of weapons of mass destruction". On its ballistic weapons, the ministry said: "Iran's military capacities, especially ballistic missiles, are strictly defensive and, as they have not been conceived to carry nuclear weapons, they are outside the scope and competence of the Security Council resolution". Under the terms of the nuclear deal, Iran is barred from developing ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Iran says it has built ballistic missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), capable of striking its arch-foe Israel. The foreign ministry, referring to the intrusive inspections permitted under the accord, said: "Since there has never been nuclear activity at any military site, Iran is certain there will not be any request to inspect such sites" from the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. In New York, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2231 endorsing the historic deal on Iran's nuclear program. The passing of the resolution marks formal UN approval for the groundbreaking agreement reached between Iran and the so-called P5+1 group. Provided Iran respects the agreement to the letter, seven U.N. resolutions passed since 2006 to sanction Iran will be gradually terminated, the text of the resolution says. The agreement with Tehran was reached last Tuesday in Vienna by the U.N. council's five permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany.

Suicide Bomber Kills 31 in Turkey Attack Blamed on IS
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/20 July/15/A suspected Islamic State suicide bomber killed at least 31 people Monday in an attack on a Turkish cultural center where activists had gathered to prepare for an aid mission in the nearby Syrian town of Kobane. The blast ripped through the center in Suruc -- a town just across the border from Kobane, which was itself later hit by a suicide car bombing -- blowing out the windows and starting a fire, witnesses said. Most of the dead were university students who were planning to enter Syria to help rebuild Kobane, which was occupied by Islamic State for months before being recaptured by Kurdish forces in January.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on a visit to northern Cyprus, condemned the attack as an "act of terror".
"On behalf of my people, I curse and condemn the perpetrators of this brutality," he said. "Terror must be condemned no matter where it comes from."Television footage showed several people lying on the ground covered in blood and ambulances rushing to the scene.
AFP pictures showed bodies covered in blankets lain out in the center's garden. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu pointed the finger of blame for what was "clearly a terrorist attack" at Islamic State.
"Preliminary findings point to it being a suicide attack carried out by Daesh," Davutoglu said in Ankara, using an Arabic acronym for IS. "But we are not at a point to make a final judgment."
If confirmed, it would be the first such attack by IS fighters against Turkey, a regional military power and NATO member. Local resident Mehmet Celik told AFP the town was "in chaos".Alp Altinors from the pro-Kurdish HDP party said the group of around 300 activists who gathered in Suruc from across the country were from the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations and that most were students. "They were planning to build parks in Kobane, hand out toys for children and paint school walls," he told AFP.
Social media images showed the group relaxing over breakfast in the garden a few hours before the noon blast. A video circulated by the private Dogan news agency showed a spokesman for the activists saying into a microphone: "We, the youth, are here. We have defended Kobane together and now we are setting out to rebuild it together." Davutoglu said the blast aimed to undermine Turkish democracy. "This attack targets us all," he said, dispatching three ministers to the southeastern region.
"Daesh threatens not only Syrian people but also Turkey," he added. White House spokesman Josh Earnest condemned the "heinous" attack, as did Russian President Vladimir Putin, who labeled it a "barbaric act" and called for greater international cooperation in fighting terrorism. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius also joined in the condemnation. The attack in Suruc was followed closely afterwards by a suicide car bombing at a checkpoint in Kobane, which killed two members of the Kurdish security forces, according to Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Kobane has been a symbol of resistance against the jihadists since IS fighters were driven out by Syrian Kurdish forces backed by US-led airstrikes.
Turkey's Kurds were frustrated at the time at Ankara's refusal to intervene to rout the insurgents, who have seized large parts of Syria and Iraq over the past year. Ankara's critics accused it of tolerating or even aiding IS, as a useful ally against Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom Erdogan wants ousted -- allegations vehemently rejected by Ankara. In recent weeks, Turkish authorities have stepped up their actions against the jihadists, arresting dozens of suspected IS militants and sympathizers. "It's now obvious that the Turkish government has upgraded the threat posed by ISIS to among the top ones it is facing," a Western diplomat told AFP last week. Turkey has also boosted its border defenses, stationing tanks and anti-aircraft missiles along its frontier with Syria as well as bolstering troop numbers. The build-up has fed speculation that the government is planning an intervention to push the jihadists back from the border and halt the advance of Kurdish forces who have made gains in the area. The government has however ruled out any immediate action in Syria. Ankara categorizes IS as a terrorist group but has been a reluctant member of the U.S.-led anti-IS coalition, refusing to give its NATO ally the use of Incirlik air base in the south for raids on the jihadists.
The Islamists made a surprise raid on Kobane last month, five months after being driven out of the town. The nearby town of Suruc, once a center of silk-making, is home to one of the biggest refugee camps in Turkey housing Syrians who have fled their country's bloody four-year conflict. The camp shelters about 35,000 refugees out of a total of more than 1.8 million refugees taken in by Turkey since 2011.

France Delivers First Batch of Fighter Jets to Egypt
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/20 July/15/Egypt on Monday took delivery of three Rafale fighter jets from France, the first of 24 warplanes sold in a 5.2 billion euro ($5.6 billion) deal earlier this year. Egyptian authorities took charge of the planes at an air base in southern France, and they will be flown to Cairo by specially trained pilots on Tuesday. Cairo is hoping to boost its military presence as it faces an unstable Libya to the west and threats from militants linked to the Islamic State group in its Sinai Peninsula to the east. For Egypt, the agreement is also a show of support for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew his Islamist predecessor in 2013 and wants to break a U.S. monopoly over arms sales to Cairo. The overall deal with Egypt also includes contracts for missiles and for an FREMM multi-mission frigate from naval group DCNS. However, the deal has sparked concern from campaign groups worried about Cairo's human rights record. Some have accused Paris of double standards for freezing its delivery of two Mistral-class warships to Russia over the Ukraine crisis but going ahead with the Egypt deal. The deal is a much-needed boon to cash-strapped France and Paris hopes that by showcasing French military technology it will prompt more orders for its premier combat jet, which it struggled for years to sell.
For a long period, France was the only country to buy the Rafales from Dassault. Its military forces have ordered 180 warplanes and 137 have been delivered. Attempts to sell the jet to countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Morocco, Switzerland and Brazil have seen the Rafale lose out to its foreign competitors. But this year the company has enjoyed much more success, clinching deals with Qatar and Egypt, as well as a firm order from India and interest from the United Arab Emirates. Eric Trappier, the head of Dassault Aviation, which manufactures the warplanes, thanked the French military "without whose support this success would not have been possible." Planes that were supposed to be delivered to the French military were instead handed over to Egypt in order to be able to honor the contract.
In a further coup for French military exports, India in April ordered 36 Rafales in a multi-billion-euro deal that took years to conclude. At the Paris Air Show in June, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said a final deal with New Delhi would likely be struck "within two or three months." And in May, Qatar signed a multi-billion-euro deal with Dassault to buy 24 Rafale fighter jets. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in April that talks with the United Arab Emirates on buying Rafales were also headed in the "right direction".Overall, French arms exports rose by 18 percent in 2014, according to a defense ministry report published last month, the country's best export performance for 15 years. The figures put France "solidly" in fourth place in terms of global arms exports, the report said, behind the United States, Russia and China. France's main markets over the period 2010 to 2014 were the Middle East (38 percent), followed by Asia (30 percent). After that came Europe (13 percent), the Americas (11 percent) and Africa (four percent). The top French client over the period was Saudi Arabia, which snapped up 12 billion euros' worth of weapons over the period -- including three billion dollars spent to supply the Lebanese army.

Banks Reopen, Taxes Hiked as Greece Seeks to Reboot Economy
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/20 July/15/Greek banks reopened Monday after a three-week shutdown imposed to stop a run on ATMs from crashing the financial system, but citizens woke up to widespread price hikes as part of a cash-for-reform deal with the country's creditors. The bank shutdown since June 29 is estimated to have cost Greece's crisis-hit economy 3.0 billion euros ($3.3 billion) in market shortages and export disruption. Capital controls including a block on key transfers to foreign banks and a ban on the opening of new accounts remain in force, although a daily cash withdrawal limit of 60 euros ($65) has been relaxed. Louka Katseli, the head of Greece's bank association, said Greeks would now be able to withdraw a maximum of 300 euros at once until Friday, when a new weekly limit of 420 euros comes in force. The government is meanwhile expected to make a 4.2 billion euro payment Monday to the European Central Bank (ECB), made possible by a short-term "bridge" loan of 7.16 billion euros granted by the European Union on Friday. The loan will also allow the debt-crippled Greek government to make payments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) outstanding since June.
Greece's radical left government last week agreed to tough reforms -- including tax hikes, an overhaul of the ailing pension system and privatisations it had previously opposed -- in exchange for a three-year bailout of up to 86 billion euros that it is hoped will stop it crashing out of the eurozone. Taxes went up in Greece on a wide range of goods and services on Monday -- everything from sugar and cocoa to condoms, taxis and funerals -- from 13 percent to 23 percent. On the other hand, the tax on medicines, books and newspapers eased from 6.5 percent to 6.0 percent.
Greeks urged to bring cash back
Katseli said some 40 billion euros have been withdrawn from Greek banks since December by customers anxious over the safety of their deposits, seriously damaging the banks' ability to function normally.
She urged Greeks to bring their savings back to the banks to support the crisis-hit financial system. "If we take out the money from our safes and our houses -- where, in any case, it isn't safe -- and we deposit it in the banks, we will reinforce liquidity," she told the Mega TV channel. For the first time in months, technical teams representing the creditors -- the European Union, the ECB and the IMF -- are expected in Athens in the coming week to assess the state of the economy. The austerity package caused a mutiny among lawmakers of the ruling radical Syriza party, forcing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to carry out a limited reshuffle on Friday. Even so, most analysts and even government officials say early elections are now inevitable, and are likely to be held in September. Tsipras' critics accuse him of being blackmailed by Greece's creditors, who had threatened to expel the country from the eurozone. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday reiterated Berlin's tough stance ruling out debt forgiveness for Greece, but added that her government was open to more flexibility in Athens' repayment schedule. "There can't be a classic haircut -- forgiving 30 or 40 percent of debt -- in a monetary union," Merkel told public broadcaster ARD. But she noted that Greece had received other forms of debt relief in recent years including a "voluntary writedown for private creditors, extended maturities and lower interest rates".
"We can discuss possibilities along those lines again," she said.
'Crash test'
Meanwhile Tsipras -- who barely has time to eat or sleep, according to his mother -- faces a fresh challenge on Wednesday when parliament must approve a second wave of reforms tied to its economic rescue. Pro-government newspaper Avgi on Sunday said the vote would be a "crash test" that could even result in the prime minister's resignation. "If there are new losses, in whatever form, (Tsipras) will hand back his mandate," the daily said.Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, a vocal supporter of Athens in its long-running bailout saga, said Sunday that he "may have overestimated the competence of the Greek government," suggesting that Syriza staged the showdown without having a Plan B. The draconian agreement -- accepted by a party that came to power in January promising to end austerity -- came after more than 61 percent of Greeks rejected further cuts in a July 5 referendum called by Tsipras himself.

German Official Urges Iran to Rethink Israel Stance
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/20 July/15/Germany believes Iran should rethink its stance on Israel as last week's nuclear deal means it must "bear new responsibilities, at home and abroad", a top German official said Monday. The comments from Sigmar Gabriel, Germany's economy minister and Chancellor Angela Merkel's deputy, came during a trip to Tehran aimed at rebuilding badly affected trade ties. Gabriel, the most senior Western official to visit since last week's nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers including Germany, said the deal had laid a foundation for better cooperation but differences remained. "With the nuclear agreement and the economic recovery that will surely come after it, Iran will also bear new responsibilities, at home and abroad," he told delegates at a conference in the capital. "You must understand that for us Germans, the security of the state of Israel is also of great importance. "I understand how difficult the debate is, and we in Germany also believe that the Palestinians have a right to their own state. That must be our shared international goal." Iran does not recognize Israel as a state and officials routinely refer to its leaders as "the Zionist regime". On July 10, as negotiators from Iran and the P5+1 powers sought to conclude the nuclear deal, tens of thousands of people gathered in Tehran for annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day demonstrations in support of the Palestinians. As is customary at such gatherings the crowd chanted "Down with Israel" and carried placards that declared "Zionist soldiers kill Muslims". They also burned Israeli and U.S. flags. However, Gabriel said differences over Israel should not affect efforts to improve Iran-German relations after the nuclear deal, which has given hope to a major economic revival in the Islamic republic when sanctions are lifted in coming months. "The test of true friendship is when you can discuss difficult issues openly, in a spirit of partnership and respectfully -- that shows how close the friendship is," Gabriel said. "Nothing needs to change in that friendship, even if we hold different views." Iran's foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham also sought to isolate the disagreement about Israel, saying such differences were not new and had not affected other "constructive contacts"."We have completely different positions on regional issues with Germany, and over the last 35 years we have expressed on many occasions, in negotiations, our positions very clearly," she said, according to the ISNA news agency. "The main part of the dialogue is about the prospect of bilateral cooperation and naturally we will express our concerns about the region, including existing threats, including threats of the Zionist regime and the roots of the crises in the region."

US defense secretary: We will help Israel defend itself
Ynetnews/Associated Press/07.20.15/Israel News/US Defense Secretary Ash Carter was warmly welcomed by his Israeli counterpart Monday on the first Cabinet-level US visit to the Jewish state since the Iran nuclear deal was announced. The Pentagon chief met at Israel's defense headquarters with Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and on Tuesday is to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has strongly criticized the Iran deal. In a joint press conference held by the two defense chiefs, Carter said the US would do all it could to help Israel defend itself including continued funding for missile defense, joint training, and advanced equipment like the F-35, which Israel will receive before all other international partners next year.Ya'alon said Israel "greatly disagrees" with the agreement reached with Iran on its nuclear program. But, he said, "The scope and depth of the relationship between the defense establishments of the United States and Israel is unprecedented – between the Pentagon and the Ministry of Defense, between our armed forces, intelligence corps and defense industries." The Israeli defense forces held a standard welcoming ceremony for Carter upon his arrival in Israel. He then went into a closed meeting with Ya'alon. On his flight to Tel Aviv, Carter said he has no expectation of persuading Israeli leaders to drop their opposition to the Iran nuclear deal. But he said he'll emphasize that the accord imposes no limits on what Washington can do to ensure the security of Israel and US Arab allies. Netanyahu has argued that the deal clears the way for Iran to build nuclear weapons that would threaten Israel's existence and ultimately diminish US and global security. Even as tensions between the US and Israel have grown over how to contain Iran's nuclear program has grown, the US-Israel defense relationship has deepened in recent years.
The US has invested hundreds of millions in an Israeli air defense system known as Iron Dome, designed to shoot down short-range rockets, mortars and artillery shells fired into northern Israel from southern Lebanon and into Israel's south from the Gaza Strip. The US has worked with Israel on anti-missile systems and a wide range of other defenses. Two years ago the Pentagon committed to providing advanced radars for Israel's fleet of fighter jets and KC-135 refueling aircraft, and making Israel the first country to buy the V-22 Osprey hybrid airplane-helicopter.

U.S. Vows to Live as 'Good Neighbors' with Cuba
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/20 July/15/U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday vowed the United States wanted to be "good neighbors" to Cuba, but cautioned the road to full relations remained "long and complex."Speaking Spanish alongside his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez only hours after diplomatic ties were restored following a five-decade hiatus, Kerry said Washington "welcomes this new beginning in its relationship with the people and government of Cuba."Switching back to English, the secretary added "this milestone does not signify an end to the many differences that still separate our governments."But it does reflect the reality that the Cold War ended long ago, that the interests of both countries are better served by engagement than by estrangement," he insisted at a packed press conference at the State Department. Those differences were immediately laid bare when Rodriguez swiftly demanded an end to the U.S. economic blockade of the communist-run Caribbean island and the return of territory used as a U.S. military base and jail in southern Guantanamo Bay. "Totally lifting the blockade, the return of the illegally occupied territory of Guantanamo, as well as the full respect for Cuban sovereignty and the compensation to our people for human and economic damages, are crucial to be able to move towards the normalization of relations," Rodriguez said. Kerry said President Barack Obama's administration wants to lift the economic embargo imposed on the communist-run Caribbean island in 1962, and he hoped it would be "soon." The American diplomat, who met earlier with Rodriguez, stressed that "at this time, there is no intention to alter the existing lease treaty" on Guantanamo Bay, also home to a U.S. military prison. "But we understand that Cuba has strong feelings about it," Kerry said, as he confirmed he would visit Havana on August 14. He will be the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Cuba since 1945. And on a day of history, Rodriguez was the first Cuban foreign minister to be welcomed to the State Department since 1958. "Make no mistake, the process of fully normalizing relations between the United States and Cuba will be long and complex," Kerry cautioned, adding the US would not be "overflowing with expressions of optimism." "Along the way, there are sure to be bumps in the road and moments of frustration. Patience will be required."The Cuban flag was proudly flying over Havana's newly restored embassy in Washington on Monday for the first time in 54 years after the two bitter adversaries agreed in December to normalize ties. The Cuban banner first took its place in the columned marble entrance hall to the State Department, hoisted before dawn between the flags of Croatia and Cyprus. It was then raised at the Cuban embassy in Washington, which until Monday had been operating as an interests section. It will not be raised at the newly-restored U.S. embassy in Havana, however, until Kerry's visit next month.

British PM Vows to 'De-Glamorize' IS, Tackle Extremism
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/20 July/15/British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a keynote speech Monday it was vital to "de-glamorize" the Islamic State group and promised to clamp down on extremists at home, including non-violent ones. Cameron said Islamist violence was driven by an ideology that is "not just subversive, but can seem exciting", but warned would-be recruits that they were simply "cannon fodder". Speaking in the ethnically diverse city of Birmingham, he promised further powers to target anti-Semitic "conspiracy theorists" and those justifying terrorism by blaming Western foreign policy who helped radicalize young people. Cameron also vowed to tackle sectarian segregation in schools, admitting that extremist ideology can "gain traction because of issues of identity and failures of integration". Faced with an exodus of hundreds of young people who have joined the IS group in Syria and Iraq, and fears of the risk posed by those who return, the government is searching for new solutions to tackle extremism and radicalization. The speech by the Conservative leader, who was re-elected in May, set out the broad outlines of a five-year strategy that will include new legislation to be published later this year. The bill will include powers to "put out of action the key extremist influencers who are careful to operate just inside the law, but who clearly detest British society and everything we stand for", Cameron said. "We must de-glamorize the extremist cause, especially ISIL. This is a group that throws people off buildings, that burns them alive," he said. Addressing those tempted to join up, Cameron said: "If you are a boy, they will brainwash you, strap bombs to your body and blow you up. If you are a girl, they will enslave and abuse you." The authorities must also prove that "British" values such as the rule of law "are good for everyone", he said, by enforcing prohibitions on culturally sensitive issues such as forced marriage and female genital mutilation. The Muslim Council of Britain, an umbrella group representing hundreds of Muslim groups, welcomed the need to de-glamorize the IS group and Cameron's call for better integration and opportunities for young people. But Secretary General Shuja Shafi warned that the paths to extremism and terrorism are "complex and varied", expressing concerns that the prime minister's suggestions "will set new litmus tests which may brand us all as extremists". "Dissenting is a proud tradition of ours that must not be driven underground," he said. He added: "We need to define tightly and closely what extremism is rather than perpetuate a deep misunderstanding of Islam and rhetoric, which inevitably facilitates extremists to thrive."

UAE issues new law against hate crimes and discrimination
By Staff Writer | Al Arabiya News/Monday, 20 July 2015
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed has issued a law against discrimination in any form on the foundation of religion, class, race or ethnicity, reported WAM news agency on Monday. No. 02 Law of 2015 bans any form of hate crimes that attack religions through any form, speech, written word, or via online media. The law aims to safeguard the community on the basis of and environment of tolerance and open-mindedness. The new law also criminalizes any vandalism of religious symbols, rituals or holy rites. Citizens are encouraged to report any form of religious-hate incitement or racism to the authorities.Penalties for violation of the various provisions of the law include jail-terms of six months to over 10 years and fines from AED50,000 to AED2 million.

EU Vows New Support for Tunisia after Tourist Attack
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/20 July/15/The European Union (EU) promised Monday to boost political and economic support for Tunisia to ensure its transition to democracy was not derailed by last month's deadly attack on a tourist resort. The attack on the resort of Sousse left 38 tourists dead, most of them British, and came just months after the deaths of 22 people in an attack on the Bardo Museum in the capital Tunis in March. The Tunisian economy has been hit hard as several governments have now warned their nationals against visiting the country. "There is a strong desire to support Tunisia in its efforts to make the transition to democracy and with its economy, especially tourism," EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini told Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essidm after he met EU foreign ministers. Mogherini said both sides were looking at border controls, preventing youth radicalization and improving trade ties to help the economy, for example by increasing quotas for Tunisian olive oil and other products. "We have shown our solidarity since (the pro-democracy protests of) 2011," Mogherini told reporters. "We support reforms and we want to form a real partnership so that Tunisia remains a model for the future in the region," she said, referring to turmoil across North Africa and the Middle East. The Tunisian premier said he was thankful for EU support but noted that after the euphoria of 2011, people were now demanding jobs which the authorities had so far not been able to produce. The Sousse attack threatened the tourism sector which provided employment for 400,000 people plus another million in indirect jobs, he said. The Tunisian central bank said in a recent report that visitor numbers tumbled nearly 26 percent in April just after the Bardo Museum attack, while at the same time, the government had to face up to the security challenge, the premier said. "Some people are (unhappy) to see this transition and want to see it fail," he said. The Islamic State jihadist group has claimed responsibility for the Sousse attack. "The EU and Tunisia agree to step up cooperation in the struggle against terrorism. The war will be long but it will be won, thanks to our friends," he said. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said separately the attacks were meant to "hit the heart of the Tunisian economy," warning of the dangers from neighboring Libya where rival factions are fighting for control. The Sousse gunman is believed to have been trained in Libya for the attack. "Border controls with Libya will be crucial in order to keep radical elements out," and Britain and France were ready to offer help on that front, Steinmeier said.
This can be done "bilaterally but as well by Europe as a whole."He said Mogherini had a "mandate to explore how activities can be integrated in a common European mission. We will work on this in the coming days."

Yemen: Around 100 killed in Houthi shelling of Aden district, says NGO
20/07/15/Aden and Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Around 100 people have been killed in shelling by Houthi rebels on the southern port city of Aden, according to international NGO Doctors Without Borders.The organization’s Hassan Boucenine told the Associated Press almost 100 people have so far been killed during Sunday and Monday’s shelling of the Dar Sa’ad district in the north of the city, more than the 43 announced on Sunday by local health officials. More than 200 have been injured. Some 80 percent of the victims are civilians. Boucenine said they included pregnant women, children, and the elderly. He called Sunday “the worst day in Aden” in terms of civilian casualties for three months and said he feared “attacks on civilians will continue.” On Sunday sources told Asharq Al-Awsat the area was hit by Katyusha rockets launched by the Houthis as they fled an advance by government loyalists. The loyalists, known as the Popular Resistance, aided by army units on Monday took control of the central Tawahi district in Aden, one of the last remaining pockets of Houthi resistance in the city, a Popular Resistance spokesman said. They also closed in on the city’s airport. The Houthis took over the airport and other parts of Aden in March. But during the last week the Popular Resistance, aided by Saudi-led airstrikes against the Iran-backed Houthis, have been able to recapture most of the city. The Saudi-led campaign began in late March after Yemen’s international recognized President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi fled Aden to Saudi Arabia to request military intervention from Riyadh and its Arab allies. This followed his escape from a month-long Houthi-imposed house arrest in the capital Sana’a. The Houthis occupied Sana’a in September of 2014 and then launched a coup in February deposing Hadi and his government, who in March attempted to form a rival power base in Aden. On Friday some members of the cabinet returned to the city for the first time in three months and held meetings with local officials. Yemen’s Foreign Minister Riyadh Yassin will meanwhile head to London, Brussels and Paris starting Tuesday in a bid to secure support for the government. Yassin told Asharq Al-Awsat he will explore with British, Belgian and French officials initiatives to help rebuild the country, beginning with Aden after the rest of the government returns to the city in the coming period.
“The first leg of the trip will be in London and will include meetings with Neil Crompton, the Middle East and North Africa director at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Tobias Ellwood, parliamentary undersecretary of state for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and global humanitarian relief organizations, as well as a meeting in the British House of Commons,” Yassin said.

Israel to Ashton: Iranian forces mustn’t be allowed to dump ISIS on Israeli Golan border
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report July 20, 2015
Although Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu again appealed to US Congress not to approve the “dream deal” won by Iran, this deal was not his main business with US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter whom he was due to meet Monday, July 20. Carter himself told reporters that the two countries could “agree to disagree.”Israel’s overriding concern at this time, debkafile’s military sources report, is about Tehran’s possible endgame in fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, i.e. driving ISIS fighters to confront Israeli forces on the Golan and also reach the Jordanian border. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are in command of the “Popular Mobilization Forces,” a collection of pro-Iranian Shiite militias put together to combat ISIS in Iraq. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon will ask Carter if the US has any control over the Iranian command centers in Iraq and Syria, and is in a position to stop Tehran harnessing Hizballah and Syrian troops to help those militias remove the threat ISIS poses to their allies in Damascus and Baghdad by diverting them to Israel and Jordan. This peril first raised its head when, straight after the six powers signed the Vienna nuclear deal with Iran on July 14, US security officials, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif declared that the next move was to build a broad coalition for fighting ISIS.
Netanyahu raised this concern with UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, when he arrived in Jerusalem on July 16, two days after the Vienna deal was concluded. Although the Secretary’s formal mission was to elucidate the accord to Israel’s leaders, his real purpose was to hand him a letter from British Prime Minister David Cameron. In this letter, Cameron explained that his decision to extend RAF bombing missions from Iraq to Syria (depending on parliament’s approval in September) had nothing to do with Washington’s policies, but was solely motivated by the Islamist threat hanging over British national security. Britain, he said, was not acting in support of the Syrian-Iranian-Hizballah lineup against the Islamist group; nor was it part of the Obama administration’s turnabout in favor of supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad. British bombers would target ISIS in the UK’s own interests.
Netanyahu discussed with Hammond the extent of US coordination with Iran’s military steps in Iraq. He said that if this tight partnership spilled over into Syria, Israel might be put willy-nilly in a position of proactive defense. The prime minister informed his British guest, intending the message to reach Washington too, that Israel has no intention of allowing itself to be pushed to the wall by an Iranian-commanded Shiite force prospectively sitting on its border, or by Islamist jihadis driven out of their Syrian strongholds and dumped there.
Saturday, July 7, Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Command, arrived on an unannounced visit to Baghdad. Closeted with US officers and Iraqi political and military officials, Dempsey reviewed the state of the war on ISIS and determined that Iraq does not require additional troops or “advisers” on the ground to assist Iraqi forces to displace the ISIS terrorists.
Clearly, more and more of the onus for fighting the Islamic State is being passed by Washington to Tehran. Dempsey made a point of discussing the operation to liberate Ramadi which the Islamists captured in mid-May. “The object now is to isolate Ramadi, to deny ISIL the ability to either withdraw or reinforce,” he said. On paper, it is the Iraqi army which is leading this important counter-offensive. On the ground, it is being fought by Iran-led Shiite “Popular Mobilization Forces.” The signal conveyed by Dempsey was read in Israel, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, ahead of the Ashton Carter visit to their capitals this week: Don't expect the Obama administration to back away from its close cooperation with Iran in the struggle against ISIS. This was the direct follow-up to the nuclear deal, regardless of how Iran’s empowerment might affect their national security.

The West’s alliance with Saudi Arabia is not a handout
Salman Aldosary/Asharq Al Awsat/Monday, 20 Jul, 2015
Sir Christopher Meyer, the former British ambassador to the United States and Germany, recently wrote an opinion piece in the London-based Daily Telegraph newspaper with the title, ‘Chaos in the Middle East means it’s time for an alliance with Iran.’ The main gist of the article is that since there is no longer any chance of defeating the Assad regime in Syria in light of the support it receives from Moscow and Tehran, in addition to the “sudden” emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its ability to attract fighters from Western countries, then “whether we like it or not, we are in de facto alliance against Isil [ISIS] with Assad of Syria and with Iran, the implacable foe of our longstanding ally, Sunni Saudi Arabia.”
Meyer then recommends—astonishingly—that the West halt all military action against ISIS and “let the region sort out its own problems,” before going on to suggest that “if Isil [ISIS] is able to expand further in the Middle East, won’t this unavoidably lead to the conclusion that our strategic ally in the region for the 21st century must be Iran?”
Three main points are overlooked by this unrealistic assessment on dismantling the West’s alliance with Saudi Arabia and redirecting it towards Iran, whose political ideology seems to have suddenly become acceptable to Western countries.
First, the West has already experienced a six-decade alliance with Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states, an alliance which any sensible observer will tell you has been entirely rational and has not resulted in any regional or global crises.
Second, Sunni terrorism, as the West refers to it, is the work of extremist groups which the Gulf states have fought and continue to fight relentlessly. The Gulf considers this its main fight right now, and the West can certainly attest to this. Shi’ite terrorism, meanwhile, represents a kind of reverse situation, whereby it is being sponsored directly by the Iranian regime itself—as we see with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Popular Mobilization in Iraq, and a host of other Shi’ite extremist groups throughout the region. The third point—and the most important, in my opinion—is that the West’s alliance with the Gulf states is not a handout which the West bestows on the Gulf out of the goodness of its heart, but more a partnership based solely on deep-rooted strategic interests that have proven their importance to both sides and from which both, and not just one side, have benefited. Perhaps the “let the region sort out its own problems” strategy, which we can say is growing in popularity day by day in many Western circles, supposes that fighting terrorism in the Middle East represents an act of charity which the United States and its allies generously gift to the countries of the region? Doubtless, this view is a purely pragmatist one which does not accord with what Western intelligence agencies themselves would recommend—considering they are aware that “Counterterrorism 101” will always dictate that fighting the phenomenon in its locus of operation is a thousand times more preferable, and indeed easier, than fighting it after it reaches your own shores. An example here is the terrorist groups that emerged in Syria, which grew and flourished after Western countries ignored the advice of sensible allies—who recommended these groups be nipped in the bud before they spread and became more powerful—and decided not to intervene in the country. This represents a repeat of the Horn of Africa piracy scenario when, despite numerous warnings, Western countries ignored this phenomenon for years and took action only when the pirates began threatening global shipping routes and international trade.
The West’s alliance with Saudi Arabia is one which sees the convergence of numerous interests in a central and indeed natural way, and its continuation benefits the region and the world as a whole. Moreover, bolstering this alliance and even reviewing it will help its continued success. Meanwhile, talk of disbanding it entirely and redirecting Western efforts toward the other side in the Gulf will damage all concerned. For just as Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states will lose the benefits of their strategic alliance with the West, so will the West lose many of its own interests in the region by gambling on a new alliance with a country that the West itself has classified an “axis of evil” and a rogue state—that is, before the nuclear deal transformed Iran into a friend and seeming ally.

What is killing us, Iran’s barrel-bombs or a nuclear bomb?
Jamal Khashoggi/Al Arabiya/Monday, 20 July 2015
According to the nuclear deal signed by Tehran and six major world powers last Tuesday, the Iranian nuclear bomb remains a mere hypothesis that might or might not be proved right. However, the Iranian-made barrel-bombs, sent to the sectarian regimes in Iraq and Syria to be dropped on civilians, are real. Getting caught up in theory rather than reality seems to be absolutely hypocritical. While you read this article, children and women are being killed by these barrel-bombs in Syria and Iraq. This fact does not appear in any clause of Vienna’s agreement, which is supposed to “bring peace to the Middle East and the world.” Barrel-bombs are weapons of hate, not war, and their specifications and content are not worth scientific investigation. They do not need a certain percentage of “enrichment,” nor do experts disagree on the number of centrifuges allowed. Any dull chemistry student can make them in a lousy workshop if protection and dead conscience are provided, two characteristics specific to Tehran, Baghdad and Damascus.
We want to build the region on the basis of justice and pluralism. The Iranians want sectarianism and seclusion
If Saudi Arabia had neglected Yemen, explosives without advanced routers, designed to terrorize civilians, would have been built in Sanaa and Saada too. They are similar to a car bomb left in a side street and intended to go off amid hawkers and school students.
Even though it is a terrorist act, American and European customs still refer to it as a military weapon. We can compare them to car bombs thrown out of helicopters to punish civilians who rebelled against the regime, without differentiating between schools or military headquarters. It would be very easy for Washington to condemn these bombs of hate if it wanted to. It would have submitted its case to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the U.N. Security Council, then issued a decision incriminating its manufacturers and users. However, it has not done so due to political calculations.
Russians used them excessively in their war against Chechnya in the 1990s, and turned the capital Grozny upside down. This inspired Bashar al-Assad to do the same in Aleppo, Homs, Damascus and Daraa, destroying the most beautiful cities in Syria using Iranian-made bombs. They are used now by Washington’s partner, the sectarian Iraqi army, in their war against civilians instead of targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Any American specialist would know that civilians bear the brunt of such weapons. It appears that the six major powers negotiating with Iran are scared of the virtual threat to Israel, while neglecting the real threat spreading throughout the region.
Regional hegemony
This is why Saudi Arabia, most of the Gulf countries, and victims of barrel-bombs in Syria and Iraq are upset and dread the Vienna agreement. These bombs symbolize Iran’s aggressive regional policy, which is an imminent danger. I am not concerned by the “virtual” nuclear risk. I strongly support the policy of my country, Saudi Arabia, which is the only way to protect me as a citizen and save the Syrian, Yemeni and Iraqi peoples from Iranian encroachment. Being tolerant toward Iran in exchange for its alleged “concessions” in Vienna is the biggest mistake one can make, even if it is embellished with promises and covenants from U.S. President Barack Obama, who has been continuously making pledges to the Gulf states since the Camp David meeting a few weeks ago. The Gulf states promised at Camp David to back the deal, with Obama needing their support in his next battle with Congress. The heads of these countries, particularly Saudi Arabia – which is the only power capable of regional stability – should reconsider the performance of the U.S. administration since that summit. Is Washington increasing support for the Syrian opposition? Is it backing Saudi efforts to liberate Yemen from the Iranian coup, as promised? These unanswered questions indicate that nothing has changed. The region needs actions that speak louder than words. Until then, blindly supporting the nuclear deal harms regional security. We must outmatch Iran’s efforts, negotiate more fiercely and put up more resistance. Iran’s project contradicts ours, and there is no reason to accept an unrealistic European proposition inconsiderate of the region’s nature and security. We want to build the region on the basis of justice and pluralism. The Iranians want sectarianism and seclusion. A solid Arab stand led by Riyadh against this deal is necessary to achieve regional peace as long as the virtual risk is given more importance than the real one. This deal leads to endless sectarian war. The Saudi project rejects Iranian hegemony, and will face it with full force. As the late Prince Saud al-Faisal said: “We are not warmongers, but if the drums of war call for it, we are prepared.”

How social media magnifies sectarian hatred in Lebanon
Diana Moukalled/Al Arabiya/Monday, 20 July 2015
Following a traffic-related dispute last week, Tarek Yateem stabbed George al-Reef in Beirut’s Saifi area amidst dozens of onlookers, and Reef died shortly after the incident. It was a horrific murder; its details captured on the cellular phones of witnesses and passing pedestrians. The scenes were edited into a video that thousands circulated inside and outside Lebanon, and it was accompanied by sectarian comments on social networking websites. The comments conveyed the level of hatred and exposed tensions arising from the regional and Lebanese crises. Tension is common in Lebanon for sectarian, religious or racial reasons. At the end of the day, these tensions fall into the category of incitement. Social networking websites have served as an open platform for such incitements; as feelings of racism and hatred were unleashed and became part of an ordinary conversation. In his report last week, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism voiced serious fears regarding the escalation of racial trends due to technological progress which facilitates the spread of hostility towards others via social networking websites. Racism and hatred towards foreigners and minorities is now considered common on media outlets and social networking tools. The report provided many examples from Europe and it sounded the alarm bell in regards to using modern technologies as tools to spread racial ideas and expand the circle of those who support racism amidst these arenas’ protection of the identities of those who do so. Of course we don’t need studies in our Arab region to check the amount of racism and hatred displayed via social media networks or to check how easy it’s become to spread and circulate such feelings via these tools.
Where the problem lies
However, this does not mean that the problem lies in these social networking arenas.
Yes, technology has changed a lot of things; however, there are things it could not change such as one’s mind who is mainly responsible for what we commit, feel and say. Social media helps spreading and generalizing ideas but if we want, it can also be used to prevent the spread of racial ideologies and feelings of hatred. Tension is common in Lebanon for sectarian, religious or racial reasons. At the end of the day, these tensions fall into the category of incitement There’s no doubt that one of the reasons why social media is powerful is because it responds to our basic desires: we are attracted to the idea that we can speak our mind on whatever we want and that others hear us out, especially when it comes to expressing our feelings in an instinctive manner. When Yateem murdered Reef and photos of this murder spread on Facebook and Twitter, these tools operated as a socially magnifying lens, enlarging details. and allowing to show the sectarian identities of the murderer and the victim, adding to the interpretations of the incident. Social media exaggerates information and emotions and certainly exaggerates and generalizes violence. It’s as if we’re in a café where everything is calm and everyone is busy with their own conversation but suddenly one person punches another and the arena soon turns into a boxing ring where everyone is involved in the fight. Social media websites exaggerate the first punch, which, in this case, is viewing the crime as a an act where Muslim is murdering a Christian. In many other cases, crimes are viewed as a Sunni murdering a Shiite or vice versa or an Arab murdering a Kurdish or vice versa. In order not to be preoccupied with the current situation and forget how we were before all these social media networks surfaced, we must recall how we used to live and still live in our societies amidst invisible barriers that separate groups who live together. Who amongst us doesn’t know at least one person in his family who declares hatred against others from a different religion, sect or nationality? In our countries, education systems and ethics of politics, religion and popular culture all engender hatred. This culture of racism existed before social media which only served to show us what can no longer be tolerated nor ignored.

Should Turkey worry about Iran nuke deal?
Mahir Zeynalov/Al Arabiya/Monday, 20 July 2015
The historic nuclear deal between Iran and major powers last week will help expand Turkey’s already lucrative trade with Iran, but it could also disturb Ankara if Tehran seeks to further deepen its growing footprint in the region. Turkey immediately hailed the nuclear deal, but those in the region who have been wary of Iran’s ambitions expressed concerns that Iran is now free to pursue its destabilizing activities. It is estimated that Iran could receive more than $100 billion from frozen assets thanks to the loosening of sanctions. How could this be harmful to Turkey? Defying sanctions and working under tremendous international pressure are what Iran does best. Years of crippling sanctions taught Iran how to handle international trade, import key technological and military hardware and circumvent money transfer restrictions. One part of this system was gold-for-gas bargaining between Iran and Turkey. The bargain system collapsed after the U.S. Congress imposed sanctions in mid-2013.
Expanding trade
Turkey has always railed against the U.S.-led sanctions and even voted against the harshest round of Iran sanctions at the U.N. Security Council in 2010. Although forced to comply with U.N. sanctions, Turkish officials allegedly used a state bank to divert billions of dollars to Iran. The bank chief was briefly detained as part of a graft investigation in December 2013. Turkey and Iran have a good deal of geopolitical differences, particularly on Syria. No matter what type of disagreements both countries have gone through, bilateral trade has flourished in the past decade. The recent nuclear deal will set in motion a lucrative economic transaction to add up on $30 billion bilateral trade volume. A Turkish minister said after the deal that it will open up opportunities to step up trade and increase investments.
Even when Turkey and Iran facilitated transfer of money and arms into Syria to shore up both warring sides and jockeyed for political power in Iraq, both countries enjoyed an increase in their trade. Politicians from both countries exchanged visits while new deals to facilitate trade were signed.
How the windfall will be spent?The question of how Iran’s frozen assets, initially estimated at being over $100 billion, will be spent by Tehran has already become a headache for the U.S. administration. The U.S. State Department acknowledged on Friday that nobody is turning a blind eye to Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region, including its support for Assad. Few days after Turkish president Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia, who has been attempting to root out Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, the president criticized Iran for trying to dominate the region. He said Iran’s goal is to increase its influence in Iraq by chasing ISIS only to take its place. The nuclear deal presents an opportunity for Iran to enhance its activities in the region. It is still unclear if that would significantly disturb Turkey at a time when Turkish politicians are working to form a functioning coalition government. U.S. President Barack Obama suggested this week that Turkey, Russia and Iran should be part of discussions on finding a negotiated settlement in Syria. The U.S. administration did not make it secret that it has renewed its diplomatic push to resolve the Syrian conflict by closely working with Russia and Iran. Both these countries loath to see ISIS taking over more territories in Syria. But the ousting of Assad, which Western countries -- particularly Turkey -- have fought hard for, could be a lifeline for ISIS which may fill the vacuum. The "catastrophic success" -- as characterized by U.S. diplomats -- could be a boon to Syrian extremists to plunge the country into even further chaos. To avoid this outcome, U.S. diplomats are hoping to convince the Russians and Iranians to secure a gracious exit for Assad and a negotiated transition to a new form of administration. Last week, Obama described it as a "glimmer of good news" -- an increasing recognition on the part of all the players in the region that given the extraordinary threat that ISIS poses "it is important for us to work together, as opposed to at cross-purposes, to make sure that an inclusive Syrian government exists."On that front, it is likely that Turkey will play an important role in talks with Iran to see Assad gone. That could also convince Turkey to fully participate in a global coalition to fight against ISIS.

Iran Nuclear Deal Offers Shaky Compromise
James F. Jeffrey/Global Times/20 July/15
The final agreement lies somewhere in between the April 2 interim parameters and Khamenei's maximalist demands, but whether Iran will adhere to the seemingly favorable terms is another question. The P5+1 agreement with Iran just announced is not a "good" agreement. Its problems start with the administration claiming that it blocks the path to nuclear weapons. In fact, this agreement, unlike outcomes with the Libyan, Iraqi, and Syrian (and, temporarily, North Korean) nuclear programs, does not eliminate the ability of the target state to produce sufficient fissile material for nuclear weapons. Rather, it gives Iran incentives not to undertake such an effort, as well as time for the international community to spot and react to a nuclear weapons breakout effort by imposing new sanctions or a military strike. And that makes it by definition a "bad" agreement. Apart from the Iranian agreement to replace the core of the Arak heavy water plant (which does cut off the road to fissile plutonium), the Iranians will still have the capability to rapidly develop enough fissile material for one or more nuclear devices. What this agreement does is extend the time to amass such material from the current two to three months to approximately a year. This is done by Iran agreeing for periods of 10 to 15 years to limits on the number and type of centrifuges it can operate (5,000 plus of their most basic model doing enrichment out of the 19,000 they have), the amount (300 kilograms) and level of enrichment (3.6 percent; 90+ percent is needed for fissile material), and the sort of research it can do on advanced enrichment technology. These physical restraints are coupled with far more stringent international inspection and monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure Iran adheres to the agreement, and does not cheat or operate secret installations as it has done in the past.
This "time line," along with high confidence that any Iranian effort to break out of the agreement's restraints would soon be spotted by the IAEA, serves to restrain Iran by giving the international community time to re-impose sanctions or other diplomatic and economic measures to push it back to compliance, or in extremis to use military force against installations enriching uranium. In return, the international community will remove all the Iran sanctions at least related to its violations of the Nonproliferation Treaty and UN Security Council resolutions. This will allow Iran to recover well over $100 billion in oil earnings frozen in foreign bank accounts, and to begin exporting oil freely, which would lead rapidly to a doubling of its exports to 2+ million barrels a day. This would greatly expand Iran's financial and economic power. It would also give Iran a relatively positive "bill of clean health" on its nuclear program.
But what is at play between the Iranians, the P5+1 (the US, China, Russia, Britain, France, and Germany, with the EU as organizer) and the US Congress goes far beyond centrifuge capabilities and inspection protocols. Under the "Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act," Congress has 30 days to review the agreement, or 60 if submitted when Congress is in recess. Thus while this process goes on, there can be no implementation of the agreement.
The Obama administration saw this agreement as "transformational," the harbinger of a new relationship with Iran, "flipping" it to become not a threat to regional security but a supporter of it, and a possible partner of the administration. Vice President Joe Biden, however, saw the impending deal as "transactional," i.e., similar to nuclear arms agreements with the Soviet Union which resolved specific potentially destabilizing situations without removing the underlying conflict between the West and the Soviet bloc.
Some Iranians, like President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif, wanted a transactional agreement that would allow Iran to maintain its nuclear infrastructure and potential for nuclear weapons while ending sanctions. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, however, clearly wanted an agreement that would "exonerate" Iran, erase any sign of culpability for its violations of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and allow him to argue, in his quest for dominance of the entire region, that the US and the UN Security Council had yielded and now admitted Iran was in the right in its nuclear policies. To the extent the Obama administration yielded on his demands that surfaced after the April 2 interim accord on the principles for a final agreement, Khamenei could claim the US wanted the deal more than the Iranians did. Clearly the administration was not willing to accept all of the demands raised after April 2. The agreement finally reached represents a compromise between the April 2 accord and the maximalist demands of Khamenei. Whether Iran will adhere to what from any viewpoint is a good deal for it is another question. In the end, the only guarantee that Iran will not, like North Korea, develop nuclear weapons is the threat of military force. The administration has emphasized readiness to strike Iran if on the verge of a nuclear weapons capability, but whether the US would make good on this pledge is also another question.
**James Jeffrey is the Philip Solondz Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute.

Before we storm Capitol Hill
Efraim Halevy/Ynetnews /Published: 07.20.15/Israel Opinion
Op-ed: As Netanyahu tries to muster a majority in US Congress against deal with Iran, It's important to hold a profound debate in Israel on whether no agreement is preferable to a signed agreement with components that are crucial for Israel's security.
The importance of the agreement reached in Vienna is not only in the detailed arrangements aimed at blocking Iran's way to a military nuclear weapon in the coming decade, but also – and that's as important – in the fact that the document was also signed by Russia and China. This is a rare moment in the complicated relationship between the United States and Tehran's two pronounced friends and main weapon providers. Iran isn't the only country which made concessions in the tough negotiations that were held until the very last moment. Moscow and Beijing committed to it too. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to muster the required majority in the US Congress against the agreement. US President Barack Obama has already announced that he plans to veto such a decision, which would cause the agreement to collapse and erase all the concessions made by Iran. Without an agreement, Iran will be free to do as it pleases, while the sanctions regime will anyway crumble, as many of the world's countries will rush to Tehran to sign profitable contracts. The US will then lose its influence over the situation in the 18 months left until the end of Obama's term, its leadership will be castrated and humiliated, while Israel will only remain with the independent military option. That's what British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond referred to when he said that Netanyahu is not interested in any agreement with Iran, regardless of its content.
Hammond's impression is gaining strength in light of the major changes taking place in the Israeli strategy these days. At first, Israel maintained that the Iranian threat is a unique, existential threat which must be dealt with separately. The entire international community teamed up for this purpose, and that was the only goal of the biting sanctions against Iran. Israel had its work done by others. After all, it wasn't Israeli sanctions which forced Iran to report to the negotiations. Israel wanted others to do what was required, and they did.
The message sheet in the government spokespeople's hands overturns the previous Israeli strategy by cancelling the nuclear issue's uniqueness. The attempt to change the rules of the game and include additional demands from Iran in the agreement, like recognizing Israel and halting the support for terror, shows that Netanyahu has no interest in any agreement. Why if the nuclear issue is of existential-cardinal importance, what is the point in annulling an agreement which keeps Iran away from the bomb in order to try and insert clauses regarding terror, which is definitely not an existential threat to Israel? As far as terror is concerned, other economic and financial sanctions have been declared, and they will remain valid.
The declaration that Israel will not be committed to the agreement is unnecessary, and many even see it as ridiculous. Israel was never a side to the negotiations, and it is not committed to their results in any event.
Iran made concessions in a series of critical matters – it loathed the actual detailed discussion of its nuclear plans, and it has been hit with serious restrictions for the next 10 to 15 years. In the Middle East, a decade is eternity. Iran was also forced to agree to an invasive and unique supervision regime like no other in the world. The agreement even allows inspections at sites which supreme leader Ali Khamenei announced that he would not let inspectors into. In addition, the agreement sets a – complex but clear – process giving a forum with a clear Western majority the possibility of restoring the sanctions even without Russia and China's consent. And this is only a partial list of the concessions.
A moment before we storm Capitol Hill, led by the Israeli ambassador to Washington, it's important to hold a profound debate in Israel on whether no agreement is preferable to an agreement which includes components that are crucial for Israel's security. There will be no other agreement and no other negotiations. What is better, a signed agreement or no agreement?
**Efraim Halevy is a former Mossad chief.

Iran Deal Empowers Enemies of Peace
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/July 20, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6185/iran-deal-palestinians
Hamas is only one of several radical groups in the Gaza Strip that have been receiving financial and military aid from Iran. The other groups include Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees and some Fatah-affiliated militias. According to Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip, the Iranians have already resumed their aid to Hamas's military wing, Ezaddin al-Qassam. Hamas officials hope that the nuclear deal and the lifting of sanctions imposed on Iran will lead to a dramatic increase in Tehran's support for the terror groups in the region. Thanks to the deal, Hamas and Hezbollah are once again working together toward achieving their goal of undermining moderate Arabs and Muslims and eliminating Israel.
"The Palestinian people will not surrender and we will continue with the resistance until the liberation of all of Palestine." — Mahmoud Zahar, Hamas leader.
Hamas seeks to ensure continued Iranian backing for its plan to destroy Israel, while at the same time joining the Sunni-led coalition and pretending to oppose Iran's rising power in the Middle East.This deal has virtually destroyed any prospect of a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that has vowed to destroy Israel, is emerging as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the nuclear deal reached last week between Iran and the world powers. Emboldened by the deal, Hamas is now seeking to reap the fruits by tightening its grip on the Gaza Strip with the help of Iran. This, of course, is bad news for Hamas's rivals in the Palestinian arena, namely the Palestinian Authority (PA), as well as all those who still believe in the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians.
The nuclear deal has also driven Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Muslim countries to restore their relations with Hamas. The goal is to entice Hamas and its patrons in the Muslim Brotherhood to become part of an anti-Iran Sunni coalition in the Arab world.
Hamas is now trying to have it both ways: to restore its ties with the major Arab countries while, at the same time, also improving its relations with Iran. For now, Hamas's strategy seems to be working, thanks to the nuclear deal between the world powers and Iran.
Some Hamas leaders have not concealed their deep satisfaction with the deal; they say it would definitely strengthen their movement and other terror groups in the Middle East that are vehemently opposed to any peace agreement with Israel.
One of these leaders, Mahmoud Zahar, voiced hope that the nuclear deal would pave the way for Iran to increase its support for Tehran's proxies in the Middle East, first and foremost Hamas.
Heaping praise on the deal, Zahar, who is closely associated with Iran, said that Hamas was now much stronger than it was during the last war with Israel. "The Palestinian people will not surrender and we will continue with the resistance until the liberation of all of Palestine," he said. Bridging the Sunni-Shia divide, for the goal of genocide: Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal (left) confers with Iranian "Supreme Leader" Ali Khamenei, in 2010. (Image source: Office of the Supreme Leader)
Hamas is only one of several radical groups in the Gaza Strip that have been receiving financial and military aid from Iran. The other groups include Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees and some Fatah-affiliated militias.
According to Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip, the Iranians have already resumed their aid to Hamas's military wing, Ezaddin al-Qassam. Relations between Iran and Hamas were strained four years ago, after Hamas refused to support Iran's ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad, in his fight against rebel groups. Hamas officials are now hoping that the nuclear deal and the lifting of sanctions imposed on Iran will lead to a dramatic increase in Tehran's support for the terror groups in the region.
The rapprochement between the Western powers and Iran has also led to closer cooperation between Hamas and Tehran's proxy organization in Lebanon, Hezbollah.
On the eve of the signing of the nuclear deal, senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzouk travelled to Beirut for talks with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. Although Hamas and Hezbollah have many differences, especially over the civil war in Syria, the two terror groups share a common goal: the destruction of Israel.
Hamas knows that Hezbollah also stands to gain much from the nuclear deal, which will also allow Iran to increase its military support for the Lebanese organization. Hamas leaders hope that some weapons will also make their way to the Gaza Strip, especially in light of the tough security measures that hamper smuggling across the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. Thanks to the deal, Hamas and Hezbollah are once again working together toward achieving their goal of undermining moderate Arabs and Muslims, and eliminating Israel.
But what is perhaps even more interesting is that the nuclear deal has seen Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries courting Hamas.
For the past three years, the Saudis refused to talk to Hamas and treated the movement as an enemy and threat. But now the deal seems to have convinced the Saudis to change their strategy toward Hamas.
Shortly after the "historic" deal was signed between Iran and the world powers, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal was invited to Saudi Arabia, in a sudden move that came as a surprise even to some Hamas leaders.
Mashaal's unexpected visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdel Aziz, is being hailed by Hamas leaders as a "dramatic and important" development.
Hamas's senior representative in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, said that the visit paves the way for a new era in relations between his movement and Saudi Arabia. "This was a fruitful, successful and fine visit," he added.
Mashaal's visit to Saudi Arabia quickly resulted in a positive development for Hamas. The Saudis, in a gesture to Mashaal, decided to release from prison several Hamas men who were imprisoned in the kingdom for their role in terrorism.
Palestinian Authority officials in Ramallah have expressed deep concern over the rapprochement between Hamas and Saudi Arabia. They explained that the restoration of ties between Hamas and the Saudis would further empower the Islamist movement in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip at a time when the PA is waging a massive security crackdown on Hamas supporters. In recent weeks, PA security forces in the West Bank arrested more than 250 Hamas men in yet another attempt to crush Hamas's growing influence.
The nuclear deal has come as a blessing for Hamas and all the enemies of peace in the Middle East. Hamas is now seeking to kill two birds with one stone: to ensure continued Iranian backing for its plan to destroy Israel while at the same time joining the Sunni-led coalition and pretending to be opposed to Iran's rising power in the Middle East.
The nuclear deal paves the way for Hamas to continue receiving weapons from their friends in Tehran and millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich countries in the Middle East. This deal has virtually destroyed any prospect of a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Thanks to the policy of appeasing Iran, the enemies of peace in the region will now have more weapons and cash.

Iran Deal: Obama Just Sold Out an Ally, and It's Not Israel
Vijeta Uniyal//Gatestone Institute/July 20, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6186/iran-deal-sold-out-ally
U.S. President Barack Obama might be right about not allowing a nuclear Iran "on his watch," but after he leaves the White House -- and because of him -- the nuclear landscape of the Middle East might be "radiating" like a pinball machine. Western powers negotiating the Iran deal have demonstrated that they lack the conviction and resolve to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon -- or prevent Arab countries from acquiring nuclear weapons of their own.
And with President Obama shrinking America's "footprint" in the world, this time the cavalry might not be coming. India's Foreign Ministry and media welcomed the Iran deal, much as their counterparts in Western capitals did. But country's defence establishment and business community are raising their concerns about the newly negotiated deal with Iran. Recent defence procurements show that India is preparing for a destabilizing Middle East. In the run-up to the Iran deal, India has been ramping up its missile defence capabilities, including building a comprehensive missile defence shield capable of intercepting a ballistic missile fired from a range of 5,000 km -- effectively covering the South China Sea and the Persian Gulf region.
India has good reason to be concerned about an Iranian windfall from its oil trade financing Shia militancy across the Muslim world. The Iranian ascendancy could intensify the Shia-Sunni fight for the control of political Islam and spill over into India's Kashmir region and beyond. India's primary concern, however, remains neighbouring Pakistan. As this nuclear deal sets a Shiite Iran on the highway to a nuclear bomb, rival Sunni-Arab nations are getting jittery about the prospect of living in an Iranian-dominated Middle East.
Pakistan would be the preferred one-stop shop from Sunni-Arab nations to acquire a "turnkey" nuclear bomb. Saudi Arabia has apparently financed Pakistan's clandestine nuclear program for decades and hopes get an "off the shelf" nuclear bomb in return. U.S. President Barack Obama might be right about not allowing a nuclear Iran "on his watch," but after he leaves the White House -- and because of him -- the nuclear landscape of the Middle East might be "radiating" like a pinball machine. The multi-billion dollar nuclear deals between Pakistan and Sunni-Arab nations will be brokered by the Pakistani Army, and the money will largely go to fund Islamist infrastructure and jihadist insurgencies in Kashmir and beyond.
The Iran deal also ends India's hopes of oil exploration in Iran. Major Western powers such as Germany and France, which pushed for an agreement, will be lining up to secure trade concessions from Iran in return for removing sanctions and watering down restrictions.
Indians will not be playing in that club of Oil Majors -- it will be forced to take a back seat. Political commentators in India who may have hoped for unrestricted access to Iranian cheap oil after the lifting of sanctions, have not factored in that the French and the Germans are eying the same oil reserves.Both Islamic State (ISIS) and Al Qaeda have repeated their calls for jihad on India. With ISIS in Syria having paraded a captured Scud missile that is capable of carrying a tactical nuclear warhead, it doesn't take much imagination to picture a nuclear-armed Arab state falling to Islamic State or its affiliates.
Islamic State jihadists parade a mobile-launched Scud tactical ballistic missile, captured from Syrian regime forces, through their capital of Raqaa in June 2014. The best India can do is to hedge its bets, secure its borders and strengthen its defences.
Like Israel, India too must realize that it is on its own. The Western powers that negotiated the Iran deal have demonstrated that they lack the conviction and resolve to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons -- or prevent Arab countries from acquiring nuclear weapons of their own. And with President Obama shrinking America's "footprint" in the world, this time the cavalry might not be coming.

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