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The Angel Appears to Zechariah and informs him that his elderly-barren wife, Elizabeth is Pregnant
Luke 01/01-25: "Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed. In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years. Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the incense-offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.’The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.’ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary.
When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. When his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, ‘This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favourably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.’"

Those with Faith are to be the heirs, So the inheritance is a grace From God
Letter to the Romans 04/13-25: "If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’) in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification."

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 14-15/15
Paris Heinous attacks and Educational Curriculums of hatred, Fundamentalism and Terrorism/Elias Bejjani/November 14/14
Shock: The Grand Lesson of the Paris Jihad/Raymond Ibrahim/November 14/15
Has the Islamic State returned to Lebanon/Ali Hashem/Al-Monitor/November 14/15
Are Syria’s Salafi movements witnessing a split/Mona Alami//Al-Monitor/November 14/15
Apocalyptic terror visits Paris/Hisham Melhem/Al Arabiya/November 18/15
Paris must not do what Washington did after 9/11/Dr. John C. Hulsman/Al Arabiya/November 14/15
Paris attacks, a strike on France’s values/Mohamed Chebarro/Al Arabiya/November 14/15
Bankruptcy and Mud/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/November 14/15
Turkey's path to dictatorship/Orhan Kemal Cengiz/Al-Monitor/November 14/15
How Can Anyone Be Shocked/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/November 14/15

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin for Lebanese Related News published on November 14-15/15
Paris Heinous attacks and Educational Curriculums of hatred, Fundamentalism and Terrorism
Shock: The Grand Lesson of the Paris Jihad
Nasrallah Denounces Paris Attacks: We Will Openly Seek Fronts with IS in Wake of Dahieh Blast
Nusra Front Captures 3 Hizbullah Fighters in Syria
Salam, Hariri Condemn Paris Attacks as Jumblat Warns of 'Greater Chaos to Come'
Airport Customs Arrest Suspect for Smuggling Drugs in Condoms
Palestinian Officials Contact Berri, Nasrallah after IS Claims Palestinians Linked to Bourj Barajneh Blast
Report: Possible Link between Tripoli Detainee and Bourj Barajneh Suicide Bombers
Mustaqbal-Hizbullah Dialogue Postponed in Wake of Latest Developments
France, UAE Interior Ministers Say Ready to Help Lebanon after Dahieh Attack
Report: Arab, International Efforts to Kick Off to Help Lebanon Confront Impact of Syrian Conflict
Has the Islamic State returned to Lebanon?

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 14-15/15
Canada (FM. Minister Dion) Appalled by Attacks in Paris
Paris in Shock after Terror Attacks
Security Beefed up around Europe after Paris Attacks
IS Terrorists Claims Paris Attacks that Killed 128
Syria's Assad: Paris attacks result of French policy
Iraq PM says Paris attacks show need for global action
Top Sunni Muslim cleric condemns 'hateful' Paris attacks
Iran's Rouhani brands Paris attacks 'crimes against humanity'
Paris attacks a 'violation of all religions': Saudi FM
Paris Attacks Heighten Pressure at Vienna Syria Talks
Divisions rife as Syria talks open in Vienna
Iraqi military advances on ISIS-held Ramadi
Syria’s Assad: Paris attacks result of French policy
Russia, U.S. ‘terrorist’ lists ‘largely coincide’

Paris Heinous attacks and Educational Curriculums of hatred, Fundamentalism and Terrorism
Elias Bejjani/November 14/14
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2015/11/14/elias-bejjani-paris-heinous-attacks-and-educational-curriculums-of-hatred-fundamentalism-and-terrorism-2/
We, condemn in the strongest possible terms the terrorist and horrible attacks that targeted innocent individuals, civil institutions and sites yesterday in Paris.
We, strongly believe that all those individuals, countries, organizations, and institutions that are directly or indirectly engaged in such despicable terrorist acts, and those financing or morally supporting them must be made accountable, charged and put on trial.
There is no doubt that education of terrorism, hatred, rejection of others, fundamentalism, Jihadism and hailing of the Jungle law, all generate terrorism and breed terrorist.
Sadly all these derailed inhuman and awkward educational dogmas are still officially taught and fostered through educational curriculums in most if not all of the Arabic and Muslim countries.
These destructive and stone age educational curriculums are fully responsible for all terrorism acts all over the world.
These same dark ages educational concepts stand behind the bloody Attacks that targeted The French Capital, Paris yesterday.
This same rotten education laid the basis for the devious creation of ISIS and its crazy so called state.
Meanwhile, on the same atrocious, and evil kind of educational and mentality basis that disrespects human dignity, the Iranian Mullahs' religious regime found the terrorist Hezbollah militia that fully occupies Lebanon, and is murdering and butchering the Syrian people in support of the Dictator Bachar Al Assad.
In summary, all heinous terrorism crimes that are hitting numerous countries all over the world are very similar in their motives and stem from the same kind of education. Therefore we call on the United Nations and all world countries to force new, improvised and civilized educational curriculums all over the world that honour life, dignity, freedom, and the World Charter of Human Rights.
We stand with the people of France and offer our deepest heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims.”

Shock: The Grand Lesson of the Paris Jihad
Raymond Ibrahim/November 14/15
What is the grand, take away lesson from yesterday’s jihadi/terrorist attack in Paris, that left 129 dead and hundreds injured? Is it a result of the mass influx of Muslim migrants into Europe—including Islamic State operatives? When will such increasingly common scenes no longer “shock” people? Is it yet another reflection of Islam’s unwavering Rule of Numbers, which holds that, wherever and whenever Muslims grow in numbers—and they make for a large minority in France—the same acts of “anti-infidel” violence that are endemic to the Islamic world grow with them? For all who are uninformed, the above are certainly lessons associated with the Paris attack. But they are not the grand lesson. The grand lesson is that such attacks must and will continue to multiply in severity. Why? Because Western nations, their leaders and media talking heads continue to be shocked and dismayed. As Judith Berman writes for the Gatestone Institute today: One of the most surprising aspects of the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday night is how “deeply shocked” members of the European political establishment appeared to be. Angela Merkel, David Cameron and the Pope all expressed their condolences — and “deep shock” — at the well-coordinated, citywide terror attacks in six different places across Paris, which as of this writing have claimed at least 128 lives and more than 200 wounded. Even NBA players express shock, sympathy over Paris terrorist tragedy. What is truly shocking is that so many are still shocked. When someone is shocked, they are essentially saying they have no idea how a specific event, in this case yesterday’s Paris attack, came to pass. In turn, this means that all the factors that led up to such terrorist attacks—from an already large Muslim presence further engorged with more Muslim migraters, to an inability to speak honestly about Islam’s supremacist and violent teachings—will continue unabated. And that means many more such attacks and worse will continue. Count on it.

Nasrallah Denounces Paris Attacks: We Will Openly Seek Fronts with IS in Wake of Dahieh Blast
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 14/15
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, strongly condemned Saturday the Islamic State group's attacks in Paris that killed at least 129 people, while also saying that the Bourj al-Barajneh suicide attack in Beirut’s southern suburbs was aimed at creating strife in the country. The attack on Bourj al-Barajneh was executed by the IS, he declared, while vowing to “seek fronts with the group for a real confrontation with the group.”“IS does not have a future, neither in war nor in peace. It is losing ground in Syria and Iraq,” he added. He added that the Bourj al-Barajneh blast was aimed at pressuring Hizbullah to withdraw from battles with terrorist groups. “The blast will in fact have an adverse effect,” stressed Nasrallah. Furthermore, he refuted media claims that said that Palestinians were involved in Thursday’s attack, revealing that a Syrian bomber was behind one blast, while the second suicide bomber was also probably Syrian.
He discouraged the public from jumping to conclusions about the attack, saying that neither Syrians, Palestinians, nor the entire Sunni sect should be held responsible for it. The Hizbullah chief therefore said that the Bourj al-Barajneh attack was aimed at creating strife among the Lebanese. “The Israelis and takfiris want to spark civil war in Lebanon and the country’s achievement is fortifying itself against their threats,” Nasrallah noted. In addition, he called on officials to take advantage of the “positive” atmosphere reached in Lebanon in light of the recent legislative session. “We should preserve the positive internal atmosphere in Lebanon and I renew my call for a comprehensive national settlement,” he continued. At least 43 people were killed in twin suicide bombings in Bourj al-Barajneh, a Hizbullah stronghold, on Thursday. The IS group claimed responsibility for the attack and a number of people have been arrested in connection to it. Addressing the Paris terrorist attacks, Nasrallah said: “We, Hizbullah, express our strong condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist attack by the criminals of IS in Paris.”Expressing his solidarity with the French people, he said the Middle East was also suffering "the earthquake" of jihadist groups. IS's extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam considers Shiites to be heretics. Hizbullah is a leading backer of Syria's embattled president Bashar Assad, and the party has intervened on his behalf in the country's civil war. It has said its involvement in Syria will keep Lebanon and the region safe from jihadists, including IS.

Nusra Front Captures 3 Hizbullah Fighters in Syria
Naharnet/November 14/15/The al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front announced on Saturday the capture of a number of Hizbullah fighters in Syria. It said via its Twitter account that three Hizbullah fighters were capture in Reef Aleppo in Syria. It identified the detainees as Mohammed Mehdi Shoaib and Moussa Qurani, both from southern Lebanon, and Hassan Nazih Taha from al-Hermel from the Bekaa. A number of other party members were killed in combat in the area, it revealed. Hizbullah fighters have been combating alongside the Syrian regime against an uprising that broke out in the country 2011. What started as a peaceful uprising turned violent when the regime adopted force to stifle the revolt. Hizbullah acknowledged its involvement in the fighting in 2012.

Salam, Hariri Condemn Paris Attacks as Jumblat Warns of 'Greater Chaos to Come'
Naharnet/November 14/15/Prime Minister Tammam Salam condemned on Saturday the Paris terrorist attacks, deeming it an attack against “higher human values.”He said in a statement: “We watched with great sorrow the horrific developments in Paris that targeted innocent civilians in a barbaric and unjustified manner.”“Lebanon, which two days ago suffered from the death of dozens of its sons in an ugly terrorist crime, stresses its solidarity with the French people during these difficult times,” he added. “Lebanon trusts that France is capable, through the determination of its people, to overcome this painful ordeal in order to remain a beacon of liberty, fraternity, and equality,” declared Salam in a statement. Earlier, Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat condemned the terrorist attacks in Paris, comparing them to the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. He said via Twitter: “The Paris attacks are a fatal blow that the powers of darkness have dealt against Islam.” “With this terror operation, the world will forget the crimes of Israel and the crimes of Arab dictators,” he remarked. “After the September 11 attacks, the world entered the chaos of Afghanistan and later Iraq,” he tweeted. “After November 13, in Paris, greater chaos awaits us,” warned the MP. Speaker Nabih Berri later sent a cable to French President Francois Hollande, offering his condolences over the attack. Later, head of the Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri condemned the attack, addressing Hollande by saying: “These attacks were targeted against the country of freedom, equality, and fraternity.” “The attacks should increase the international community determination to reach solidarity and translate into action their efforts to combat this unprecedented wave of terrorism that has no limits and that threatens the world,” he remarked. At least 128 people were killed and 180 wounded when gunmen opened fire against people in a wave of attacks throughout Paris. The Islamic State group later claimed responsibility for the operation. Investigators said at least eight attackers were dead by the end of the violence -- the bloodiest in Europe since the Madrid train bombings in 2004 -- with seven of them having blown themselves up.

Airport Customs Arrest Suspect for Smuggling Drugs in Condoms
Naharnet/November 14/15/Customs at Rafik Hariri International Airport arrested on Saturday a Peruvian national on drug smuggling charges, reported the National News Agency. It said that the suspect had concealed around a kilogram of cocaine in condoms that he had swallowed. The traveler had arrived in Lebanon from Brazil via Abu Dhabi.He has since been referred to the concerned authorities for investigation.

Palestinian Officials Contact Berri, Nasrallah after IS Claims Palestinians Linked to Bourj Barajneh Blast
Naharnet/November 14/15/Speaker Nabih Berri and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah received telephone calls from Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal and his deputy Ismail Hanieh to condemn the terror attacks in Beirut's southern suburbs of Bourj al-Barajneh, adding that the Palestinians who were allegedly involved in the blast were not refugees in Lebanon, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Saturday. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was executed by two Palestinians and a Syrian. Meshaal and Hanieh had informed the speaker that the names mentioned by the IS were not of refugees, but of individuals who had died in Syria over two years ago. Moreover, semi-official information revealed that the ongoing investigations in the attack proved that the names revealed by the IS are fake or “at least they do not exist among the Palestinian ranks,” reported al-Joumhouria. The investigations have not yet determined the real identities of the suicide bombers. DNA tests of human remains at the scene will reveal the identities of the attackers and victims, explained the daily. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Thursday's Bourj al-Barajneh attack that left at least 43 people dead and 230 wounded. Conflicting reports had emerged over the existence of a third attacker.

Report: Possible Link between Tripoli Detainee and Bourj Barajneh Suicide Bombers
Naharnet/November 14/15/State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr did not rule out the possibility that a detainee arrested in the northern city of Tripoli earlier this week could be connected to Thursday's Bourj al-Barajneh blast, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday. The detainee confessed that he was planning on blowing himself at a cafe in the Tripoli's Jabal Mohsen neighborhood simultaneously with the suicide bombers of the Bourj al-Barajneh attack. He also revealed to the investigators that one of the suicide attackers is called Abou Khaled, a Palestinian who had arrived in Lebanon with him from Syria. Furthermore, investigations found connections between the recent attack in the northeastern border town of Arsal and the Bourj al-Barajneh attack in Beirut's southern suburbs. On November 5, more than four people were killed in a bombing that targeted a meeting of the al-Qalamoun Muslim Scholars committee in Arsal. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Thursday's Bourj al-Barajneh attack that was carried out by two suicide bombers. Conflicting reports had emerged over the existence of a third attacker. At least 43 people were killed and 230 others were wounded in the bombing.

Mustaqbal-Hizbullah Dialogue Postponed in Wake of Latest Developments
Naharnet/November 14/15/The dialogue session between the Mustaqbal Movement and Hizbullah that was set for Friday was postponed indefinitely, reported al-Mustaqbal daily on Saturday. The session was postponed in wake of the legislative session that was held on Thursday and Friday and in light of the Bourj al-Barajneh blast. At least 43 people were killed in the attack in Beirut's southern suburbs of Bourj al-Barajneh on Thursday.The bombing was claimed by the Islamic State group.

France, UAE Interior Ministers Say Ready to Help Lebanon after Dahieh Attack
Naharnet/November 14/15/France and the United Arab Emirates expressed readiness Friday to boost security cooperation with Lebanon, a day after a twin suicide bombing killed 44 people and wounded 239 others in the Beirut southern suburb of Bourj al-Barajneh. In a phone call with Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, UAE Interior Minister Sheikh Seif bin Zayed al-Nahyan expressed his country's “solidarity with the Lebanese government and people,” the National News Agency said. He also voiced the UAE's readiness to “offer every assistance in the field of exchanging intel with (Lebanese) security agencies, if that can contribute to helping the investigation into the crime that was committed yesterday by terrorists in the Bourj al-Barajneh region.”Earlier in the day, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve sent a cable to Mashnouq, expressing “full readiness to explore means to strengthen security cooperation between France and Lebanon.”France “stands by the Lebanese authorities and Lebanese people in their fight against terrorism,” he said. Both France and the UAE are members of the U.S.-led coalition that is carrying out an air campaign against the extremist Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
Two IS suicide bombers blew themselves up Thursday in a busy street in the Beirut southern suburb of Bourj al-Barajneh, killing 44 people and wounding 239 others, in the bloodiest such attack in years. The blast is the first to target Beirut's southern suburbs since June 2014.But prior to that, a string of attacks targeted Hizbullah strongholds throughout the country. Between July 2013 and February 2014, there were nine attacks on Hizbullah bastions, most claimed by jihadist extremists. The groups claimed the attacks were in revenge for Hizbullah's decision to send thousands of fighters into neighboring Syria to support President Bashar Assad's forces against an Islamist-dominated uprising.

Report: Arab, International Efforts to Kick Off to Help Lebanon Confront Impact of Syrian Conflict
Naharnet/November 14/15/Arab and international efforts will be launched soon in order to help it confront the repercussions of the Syrian conflict in light of the recent suicide attack in Beirut's southern suburbs of Bourj al-Barajneh, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Saturday. To that end, a meeting is expected to be held in Turkey on Sunday between Saudi and French officials on the margins of the G20 summit, said the daily. The meeting was expected to be held between Saudi King Salman and French President Francois Hollande. The French leader had however postponed his trip to the summit in the wake of the Paris terror attacks on Friday that left over 120 people dead. Earlier, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve had relayed to his Lebanese counterpart Nouhad a-Mashnouq “his complete readiness to discuss bolstering security cooperation between Lebanon and France.” United Arab Emirates Interior Minister Sheikh Seif bin Zayed al-Nahyan had also informed Mashnouq of his readiness to exchange information on the investigation in the Bourj al-Barajneh attack. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Thursday's Bourj al-Barajneh attack that was carried out by two suicide bombers. Conflicting reports had emerged over the existence of a third attacker. At least 43 people were killed and 230 others were wounded in the bombing.

Has the Islamic State returned to Lebanon?
Ali Hashem/Al-Monitor/November 14/15/The similarity of separate attacks in Lebanon recently could be a signal that the Islamic State (IS) is planning a series of suicide bombings there, possibly to pressure Hezbollah to pull its forces out of Syria. People are mourning in Burj el-Barajneh, a southern Beirut suburb hit Nov. 12 by twin explosions that killed at least 43 people and wounded more than 200. Most of the victims were residents of the busy neighborhood on the edge of Beirut’s international airport. “[It was] only a few minutes between the first explosion and the second [explosion],” said Ali Husseini, a local who witnessed the aftermath of the attack. Husseini, a teacher, explained the timeline of the tragedy to Al-Monitor. “We first heard an explosion and rushed to the main street to see what happened. As I ran through the alleyways, another explosion rocked the place. It was clear to me that I was heading into carnage.”
Claims that three or four suicide bombers had been involved in the attack circulated among people on the scene. Some rumors, however, were quickly discredited. An image was widely shared via mobile message that claimed to show one of the attackers, but an online search by Al-Monitor confirmed it was an image from July of this year, from Taif, Saudi Arabia. Several media reports suggested the evening of the attack that Lebanese security forces arrested one of the suicide bombers, yet these reports were later refuted. The only person who appeared on TV channels as an alleged would-be bomber turned out to be a passerby from the area who was deemed suspicious by security personnel. Some outlets even named him and claimed he was from Tripoli, north Lebanon. A Lebanese security source, speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, claimed that “most probably there was only one suicide bomber. He parked the booby-trapped motorcycle, detonated it, then tried to find his way toward the mosque where a religious ceremony was being held, but he was obstructed.”
The suicide bomber was stopped by Adel Tormos, a 34-year-old man who sacrificed his life to save tens of lives in the nearby mosque. Tormos, a father of two, died as he tried to prevent the suicide bomber from entering the mosque. “He was wearing two [explosives], a bigger one on his chest that he failed to detonate and a small one on his waist,” said the Lebanese security source, who added, “We don’t have till this moment any proof that there was another suicide bomber.” IS claimed responsibility and issued a statement a few hours after the attacks: “Soldiers of the caliphate succeeded in detonating a motorcycle in the middle of a Shiite gathering.” It continued, “After the apostates gathered at the scene of the explosion, one of our knights detonated his explosive belt, killing more than 40 and injuring more than 200.”On Nov. 6, an attack in Arsal in eastern Lebanon targeted a gathering for the “Qalamoun Muslim scholars committee,” killing five and injuring more than 10. That explosion also was carried out using a booby-trapped motorcycle.
The similarity of those attacks could indicate IS is starting a series of bombings aimed at shaking the fragile stability in Lebanon. Such attacks would be difficult to prevent given the number of motorcycles in Lebanon and their mobility. On Nov. 11, Lebanese security forces arrested Mohammed Ibrahim al-Hujeiri, aka Kahroub, who, according to Lebanese media reports, was trained by IS and is responsible for booby-trapping several cars that entered Lebanon. The security source Al-Monitor spoke to suggested the Nov. 12 attacker might have been a member of Kahroub’s cell who decided to carry out the suicide bombing because he thought his identity had been revealed after Kahroub’s arrest. The situation in Syria appears to be having a big impact on security in Lebanon. Radical groups fighting in Syria such as IS and Jabhat al-Nusra have launched several attacks on Lebanese targets during the past two years, killing dozens in different areas. These groups claim to be responding to Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria, though their victims appear to be mainly civilians. IS might be pressuring Hezbollah to withdraw forces from the Syrian territories, believing Hezbollah has been essential in keeping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power for the past three years.In the past few days, Hezbollah and the Syrian army have been able to break the more than two-year-long siege imposed on Kuweires military airport in Aleppo, according to Hezbollah’s media outlets. The Nov. 12 bombing was the first in Beirut's southern suburbs since June 2014, when a suicide bomber detonated his car between a crowded cafe and an army checkpoint, killing a Lebanese security guard who prevented the suicide bomber from crossing toward a crowded area.

Canada (FM. Minister Dion) Appalled by Attacks in Paris
November 13, 2015 - Ottawa, Ontario - Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement concerning a series of attacks and a hostage taking in Paris, France:
“I am dismayed at the tragic events that took place in Paris, including the series of heinous attacks and the hostage situation.
“I join Prime Minister Trudeau and all Canadians in expressing my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims and my wish for a speedy recovery to the injured.
“Canada and France will remain united in the fight against terror. Canada offers France its full support during these difficult times.”
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa and the Embassy of Canada in Paris are endeavouring to determine if Canadian citizens have been affected.
Canadian citizens in Paris requiring emergency consular assistance should contact the Embassy of Canada in Paris at +33 (0)1 44 43 29 02 or call the 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre collect at +1 613 996 8885. An email can also be sent to sos@international.gc.ca.

Paris in Shock after Terror Attacks
Agence France Presse/November 14/15/Legendary for its beauty and bustling streets, Paris was in shock and mourning on Saturday after 128 people were killed in the worst terrorist attack in France's history. The day after the bloodbath, the city's major attractions were shuttered from Disneyland in the east and the Eiffel Tower in the center to the Chateau of Versailles in the west, and its picturesque squares and avenues were eerily quiet. Schools, markets, museums and other tourist sites across the greater Paris area were closed and sporting fixtures were canceled on the orders of the city or national authorities.
"All city facilities are closed today," Paris City Hall said on its website (http://www.paris.fr/actualites/fermeture-de-tous-les-equipements-parisiens-3082).The list comprised schools, museums, libraries, sports halls, swimming pools, tennis courts, food markets and district town halls. Only civil registration offices, to record marriages, will be open, it said, adding that security would be beefed up at town halls. A line of people at least 100 meters (yards) long formed outside the city's main blood donation center to offer their blood, even though no appeal had been made. Outside a Cambodian restaurant where 12 people were killed, mourners placed flowers, a candle and the French national flag, which had written on it "Fluctuat nec mergitur" -- the Latin slogan of Paris, which means "It is buffeted by the waves, yet remains afloat."The closures came after simultaneous attacks on a concert hall, restaurants and the Stade de France stadium that left at least 128 dead and 180 injured, 80 of them seriously, according to a toll from police sources. It was the second terrorist strike in less than 10 months. In January, 17 people were killed in jihadist gun attacks, five of the cartoonists at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. In the Place de la Bourse, a large square near the Paris Opera, traffic was unusually thin and pedestrians were few. "People are worried," Jean-Louis Masson, 50, who lives locally, told an AFP reporter. "You can see that in the SMS messages that are going around. We were concerned for one of our children who was out last night, and we called to make sure she came home."Masson's son, Adrien, 13, said he was a "bit worried. You get to be afraid that something could happen."Police said all public demonstrations in the Paris region would be banned until Thursday. At newspaper kiosks, dramatic headlines and pictures likened Paris to a combat zone, after suspected jihadists attacked crowds and restaurants goers. "War in the heart of Paris," the conservative daily Le Figaro said. "This time, it's war," Le Parisien said. Separately, the French secretary of state for sports issued instructions to sports federations to cancel matches this weekend. Cancelled events include a European Champions Cup rugby match between Racing 92 and the Glasgow Warriors. The Eiffel Tower was closed according to a message on its website that did not say how long it would remain shuttered. Disneyland Paris, which is located on the eastern rim of the Paris region, said it would not open on Saturday "in light of the recent tragic events in France and in support of our community and the victims of these horrendous attacks.""Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by these horrible events," it said. The Paris Opera canceled its concerts for Saturday, and the city's philharmonic orchestra said its venue would close all weekend. Irish rock band U2 also called off a Paris concert planned for Saturday. The Chateau of Versailles, the Louvre and other Paris museums opened early Saturday but then closed. Paris' Bateaux-Mouches tourist boats, which provide excursions on the Seine, said it would maintain its schedule. "We will have added security -- searches and no large luggage allowed onboard, and we will have more security guards onboard," a switchboard operator said.

Security Beefed up around Europe after Paris Attacks
Agence France Press/November 14/15/European capitals reinforced security checks and governments held emergency cabinet meetings on Saturday a day after a series of coordinated attacks in Paris in which at least 128 people were killed. Security measures were stepped up outside French official buildings in various capitals including Vienna, where a international meeting on the conflict in Syria was taking place. Governments also called for heightened vigilance from the general public. Britain's Foreign Office updated its travel advice for France urging its citizens to "exercise caution in public places" while Belgium said its nationals should avoid unnecessary travel south of the border altogether. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would review national security after talks with key ministers at Downing Street. Similar meetings were being held by governments across Europe, including in Austria, Germany, Italy and Spain. Islamic State jihadists on Saturday claimed the series of coordinated attacks by suicide bombers and gunmen in Paris at a concert hall, restaurants and the national sports stadium. French President Francois Hollande also blamed the Islamic extremist group and called the coordinated assault on Friday night at six different sites an "act of war". Here are some of the key developments in Europe:
- Britain: London's Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Mark Rowley said: "We are strengthening our policing stance across the country at the moment". The French embassy in London said on Twitter that it was "in close contact with British authorities to ensure the security of the French community," which is estimated to number around 300,000 people.
- Russia: The National Anti-Terrorism Committee said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the country's security had been put on high alert. "In light of the new threats, all components of the security system have put been put on high alert," it said, urging "high responsibility and vigilance in the face of new challenges" from the public.
- Germany: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would chair an emergency meeting to discuss "the situation in France and all related questions".
- Belgium: The Belgian authorities boosted checks at the French border and called for greater vigilance at major events over the weekend but said it was not necessary to increase the alert level.
- Italy: Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announced reinforced security across the country and was to hold a meeting at the interior ministry.
- Poland: Poland said it was increasing checks on departures and arrivals of flights to and from "potentially at-risk destinations".
- Spain: Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy canceled a political meeting in Barcelona, five weeks ahead of parliamentary elections, and was due to chair a national security council meeting.
- Austria: The French lycee in Vienna, where exams were due to be held on Saturday, was closed and city officials canceled a popular Christmas market.
- Switzerland: Police in Switzerland said security was being stepped up outside French diplomatic buildings and at the border with France.
- Sweden: Prime Minister Stefan Löfven was holding a natural security council meeting but a scheduled Sweden-Denmark football match was still going ahead.
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IS Terrorists Claims Paris Attacks that Killed 128
Agence France Presse/November 14/15/Islamic State jihadists on Saturday claimed a series of coordinated attacks by suicide bombers and gunmen in Paris that killed at least 128 people at a concert hall, restaurants and the national sports stadium. French President Francois Hollande also blamed the Islamic extremist group and called the coordinated assault on Friday night at six different sites an "act of war". At least eight militants, all wearing suicide vests, brought unprecedented violence to the streets of the French capital in the worst attacks in Europe since the 2004 Madrid train bombings. In the bloodiest part of a night of violence, four men armed with AK47s and shouting "Allahu akbar" stormed into a rock concert at the Bataclan concert hall in eastern Paris, gunning down at least 82 people and taking dozens hostage. "They didn't stop firing. There was blood everywhere, corpses everywhere. Everyone was trying to flee," said Pierre Janaszak, a radio presenter who was at the concert by US rock band Eagles of Death Metal. The gunmen were heard raging at Hollande and his decision in September to begin air strikes on Islamic State jihadists in Syria. "I clearly heard them say 'It's the fault of Hollande, it's the fault of your president, he should not have intervened in Syria'," Janaszak added. French officials have spoken frequently of their fears that hundreds of French citizens thought to be fighting with IS in Syria and Iraq would return to France and launch attacks.France has taken part in U.S.-led air strikes on IS targets in Iraq for over a year and in September began bombing the jihadists in Syria, claiming to have hit a training camp and an oil installation. In a statement issued online on Saturday morning, Islamic State said that "eight brothers wearing explosive belts and carrying assault rifles" conducted a "blessed attack on... Crusader France."
The death toll of 128 does not include the eight attackers, the first suicide bombers to strike in France. The assault also left at least 250 wounded, 100 of them seriously.
Hollande said the multiple attacks across Paris were "an act of war... committed by a terrorist army, Daesh, against France", using another term for IS.France has been on high alert since January when jihadist gunmen killed 17 people in Paris in attacks targeting satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket. Another disaster was narrowly averted in August when a gunman was overpowered on a packed high-speed train in northern France.
No arrests had been made by early Saturday morning and the country was in a state of emergency, decreed by Hollande on Friday night. Police were screening hours of CCTV footage of the attack sites and were attempting to identify the body parts of the attackers.As a precaution, sports events were canceled in Paris, while public schools and many museums were closed. Hollande himself had to be hastily evacuated from the Stade de France stadium when suicide bombers struck outside during a friendly football international between France and Germany. At first, few of the crowd appeared to grasp the significance of what was happening and the game continued. When news began filtering in, people surged on to the turf in chaotic scenes. U.S. President Barack Obama led a chorus of global condemnation, saying it was "an attack on all of humanity", and New York lit the new World Trade Center in the red, white and blue of the French flag in sympathy. Obama is one of dozens of world leaders expected to attend key UN climate talks just outside the French capital from November 30. Authorities had already tightened security at France's borders on Friday, hours ahead of the carnage in Paris.
The worst of the killing occurred at the Bataclan music venue in the trendy 11th arrondissement where more than 1,000 rock fans were at the sell-out show.
As screams rang out and survivors ran over the injured or dead to make their ways to the exits or places to hide, the militants took hostages and began executing them. "We heard people screaming -- the hostages particularly -- and the threats from the kidnappers," said another survivor, 34-year-old Charles.
Along with around 20 others, he fled to a toilet where he pushed through the ceiling and hid in the cavity. Three of the militants blew up their explosive belts as heavily armed anti-terror police raided the venues around 12.30 am (2330 GMT), while a fourth was shot dead. Another attacker blew himself up in nearby Boulevard Voltaire, as the streets were filled with the sound of police sirens and convoys of ambulances shipping hundreds of injured to hospital. A police officer who took part in the storming of the building told AFP: "It was horrible inside, a bloodbath, people shot in the head, people who were shot as they were lying on the ground." Several restaurants near the concert hall were also targeted, including a popular Cambodian eatery in the trendy Canal St. Martin area, where bars and restaurants were thronged with young revellers.An extra 1,500 soldiers were mobilized to reinforce police in Paris, Hollande's office said.
French media reacted with horror. "War in central Paris," splashed center-right daily Le Figaro, with Le Parisien saying: "This time it's war."Other reactions were a mix of fear and defiance. Concert-goer Charles, who spoke to AFP at the Bataclan, said he would refuse to be cowed by the scenes of terror he had experienced. "Life goes on. We won't give in to fear," he said. "I'm going to a concert on Tuesday. Keep rocking!"German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said they were "deeply shocked" by the attacks.

Syria's Assad: Paris attacks result of French policy
AFP/November 14/15/Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Saturday that French policy had contributed to the "spread of terrorism" that culminated in attacks claimed by the Islamic State group which killed 128 people in Paris. In a meeting with a delegation of French lawmakers in Damascus, Assad said France's "mistaken policies... had contributed to the spread of terrorism.""The terrorist attacks that targeted the French capital Paris cannot be separated from what happened in the Lebanese capital Beirut lately and from what has been happening in Syria for the past five years and in other areas," he said.
Assad was referring to twin bombings claimed by IS which killed 44 people on Thursday in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of his Lebanese ally, Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Assad regards all the rebel groups fighting his forces inside Syria as "terrorists", not just IS. Assad said he had "warned against what would happen in Europe for the past three years." "We said, don't take what is happening in Syria lightly. Unfortunately, European officials did not listen," he said, in comments to the delegation broadcast by France's Europe 1 radio. He said French President Francois Hollande "should change his policy.""The question that is being asked throughout France today is, was France's policy over the past five years the right one? The answer is no."France has been a leading supporter of the Syrian opposition since soon after the outbreak of protests against Assad's rule in 2011. It is also part of a US-led coalition conducting an air war against IS in both Syria and Iraq. It has carried out air strikes in Iraq for more than a year but extended them to Syria in September.

Iraq PM says Paris attacks show need for global action
AFP/November 14/15/Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Saturday condemned gun and bomb attacks in Paris that killed more than 120 people, saying they showed the need for action against militants worldwide."We condemn and deplore the terrorist attacks in Paris, which emphasise that fighting terrorism calls for international efforts to eliminate it in all countries," Abadi said in a statement. At least eight militants, all of whom were wearing suicide vests, killed diners and concert-goers, and launched suicide attacks outside the national stadium, also wounding 180 people. Iraq is battling the Islamic State jihadist group, which overran large parts of the country last year, and Baghdad was hit by multiple bombings on Friday that killed at least 19 people. While Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have regained significant ground north of the capital, much of the country's west remains under IS control.

Top Sunni Muslim cleric condemns 'hateful' Paris attacks
AFP/November 14/15/The head of Sunni Islam's leading seat of learning, Cairo's Al-Azhar, on Saturday condemned "hateful" attacks in Paris that killed more than 120 people and urged global unity against extremism."We denounce this hateful incident," Ahmed al-Tayyeb told a conference in comments broadcast by Egyptian state television. "The time has come for the world to unite to confront this monster. "Such acts are contrary to all religious, humanitarian and civilised principles," Tayyeb said at the opening of the conference in the southern city of Luxor focused on combating "extremist thought".A state of emergency has been declared across France in the aftermath of Friday night's coordinated shootings and bombings on Paris streets.

Iran's Rouhani brands Paris attacks 'crimes against humanity'
AFP/November 14/15/Iranian President Hassan Rouhani strongly condemned Friday's deadly attacks in Paris, branding them "crimes against humanity" in a message to his French counterpart Francois Hollande, official news agency Irna said. "In the name of the Iranian people, who have themselves been victims of terrorism, I strongly condemn these crimes against humanity and offer my condolences to the grieving French people and government," Rouhani wrote.

Paris attacks a 'violation of all religions': Saudi FM
AFP/November 14/15/The "heinous" Paris attacks are a violation of all religions and underline the need to intensify efforts against "terrorism", Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said Saturday as he arrived in Vienna for talks on ending Syria's civil war. "I wanted to express our condolences to the government and people of France for the heinous terrorist attacks that took place yesterday which are in violation and contravention of all ethics, morals and religions," Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Vienna. "The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has long called for more intensified international efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and shapes," he said. The talks in Vienna involving some 20 countries and international organisations -- but no Syrian representatives -- are aimed at working out a roadmap to end the country's bloody civil war after almost five years of combat. But there are deep divisions, notably between Iran and Russia on one side and Western and Arab nations on the other, on the future of President Bashar al-Assad and which opposition groups to back. Witnesses said that the gunmen who killed at least 120 people in the attacks late Friday in Paris shouted "Allahu akbar" ("God is greatest") and blamed France's military intervention in Syria against Islamic State (IS) extremists.

Paris Attacks Heighten Pressure at Vienna Syria Talks
Agence France Presse/November 14/15/Multiple attacks in Paris claimed by Islamic State jihadists increased the pressure on some 20 countries and organizations meeting in Vienna on Saturday to overcome deep divisions and help end Syria's civil war. Witnesses said that the gunmen who killed almost 130 people in Friday's wave of attacks shouted "Allahu akbar" ("God is greatest") and blamed French military action in Syria against Islamic State (IS) extremists. Vowing no stop to French "international action", Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in Vienna that the killings underlined the need to "increase the international coordination in the struggle against Daesh (IS)."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed, saying that the attacks were "no justification" to ease up on tackling radical jihadists such as IS and the Al-Nusra Front, affiliated to Al-Qaida. And U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that the attacks will "stiffen our resolve, all of us, to fight back."
"If they’ve done anything they’ve encouraged us today to do even harder work to make progress and to help resolve the crises that we face," he said. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that the bloodbath added "another kind of meaning" to the gathering. "The countries sitting around the table have almost all experienced the same pain, the same terror," she said, citing the recent Russian plane disaster in Egypt and suicide bombings in Beirut and Turkey. In almost five years, fighting between the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad and rebel groups as well as IS militants has killed over 250,000 people and forced millions into exile, leaving many of them stranded in neighboring states. Others have headed to Europe, causing major splits in the European Union over how to stem the flow and share out the new arrivals among the bloc. At the last Syria talks on October 30, the participants -- who include Iran and Saudi Arabia -- urged the U.N. to broker a peace deal between the regime and opposition to clear the way for a new constitution and elections. Building on that, this round of talks will try to agree on a roadmap for peace that would include a ceasefire between Assad's forces and some opposition groups, diplomats say. But a key issue -- which was absent from the last meeting's declaration -- remains Assad's future. Western and Arab countries want him out of the way in order to allow a transitional government to unite the country behind a reconciliation process and to defeat IS. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Friday that Assad "has to go". He added, however, that Western powers "recognize that if there will be a transition he may play a part, up to a point, in that transition". But Russia, carrying out air strikes against Syrian rebels since late September, is together with Iran sticking by Assad. "Syria is a sovereign country, Bashar Assad is a president elected by the people," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview released Friday. Putting that aside, the talks will focus on deciding which of the Syrian government, rebel and opposition factions -- none of whom will be represented at the talks -- will shape the country's future. But deciding which of the many opposition groups are moderate enough to be acceptable and which to sideline as "terrorists" is likely to be no easy task. "I cannot say... that we are on the threshold of a comprehensive agreement, no," Kerry had said on Thursday. "The walls of mistrust within Syria, within the region, within the international community are thick and they are high."

Divisions rife as Syria talks open in Vienna
AFP, Vienna Saturday, 14 November 2015/Some 20 countries and international bodies meet in Vienna again Saturday groping for a way out of Syria’s horrific civil war, with deep divisions over President Bashar al-Assad’s future and which rebel groups to back. The second such gathering in two weeks comes as Syrian rebels suffer a number of setbacks in Syria and Iraq at the hands of Assad’s army helped by Russian air strikes, and Kurdish forces backed by the U.S. Before leaving for Vienna, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned that a quick breakthrough was unlikely in the talks which bring together key players like Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and U.N. special envoy Steffan de Mistura. “I cannot say... that we are on the threshold of a comprehensive agreement, no,” said Kerry, who arrived in the Austrian capital on Friday afternoon for preliminary talks with his Saudi, Turkish and UN counterparts. “The walls of mistrust within Syria, within the region, within the international community are thick and they are high.”In over four years, fighting between Assad’s regime and rebel groups as well as ISIS militants has killed over 250,000 people and forced millions into exile, leaving many of them stranded in neighboring states. Map showing international support for the Syrian regime and opposition. (AFP) Others have headed to Europe, where authorities have been on alert after several deadly militant attacks this year.
In the latest, 127 people were killed in a wave of coordinated attacks in Paris on Friday, including a massacre during a rock concert by men shouting “Allahu akbar” and blaming France’s military intervention in Syria. At the last talks on October 30, the participants urged the U.N. to broker a peace deal between the regime and opposition to clear the way for a new constitution and U.N.-supervised elections. Building on that, this round of talks in the Austrian capital will try to agree on a roadmap for peace that would include a ceasefire between Assad’s forces and some opposition groups.
‘Assad must go’
But a key issue - which was absent from the last meeting’s declaration - remains Assad’s future. Western and Arab countries want him out of the way in order to allow a transitional government to unite the country behind a reconciliation process and to defeat ISIS. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Friday that Assad “has to go”. He added, however, that Western powers “recognize that if there will be a transition he may play a part, up to a point, in that transition”. But Russia, carrying out air strikes against Syrian rebels since late September, is together with Iran sticking with Assad, seeing him as the best bulwark against ISIS. “Syria is a sovereign country, Bashar al-Assad is a president elected by the people,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview released Friday.That aside, the talks will focus on deciding which of the Syrian government, rebel and opposition factions - none of whom will be represented at the talks - will shape the country’s future. But deciding which of the many opposition groups are moderate enough to be acceptable and which to sideline as “terrorists” is likely to be no easy task. “It will require deep breaths on several sides, including the U.S. side,” Hammond said on Tuesday.
Violence rages
On the ground, widespread fighting was raging in Syria and Iraq and further afield, with ISIS claiming a twin bomb attack in Beirut on Thursday that killed 44 and wounded least 239. The attack, the biggest ever attributed to ISIS in Lebanon, harked back to a campaign against the Shiite movement Hezbollah between 2013 and 2014, ostensibly in revenge for its military support to Assad. Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters carry the coffin of fellow fighter John Robert Gallagher, a Canadian who died on November 4 in battle with ISIS, during his funeral in Hasaka, Syria November 12, 2015. (File photo: Reuters) But in Syria, Assad’s army scored its second important victory in two days on Thursday by capturing Al-Hader, a former opposition bastion largely controlled by Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front and other militants.
Bolstered by the Russian air strikes, the breakthrough came just 48 hours after regime forces broke a siege by ISIS of the Kweyris air base in the east of Aleppo province. On Friday the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces coalition of Syrian Arab and Kurdish fighters it had ejected ISIS from Al-Hol, a key position on the border with Iraq for the supply of arms and equipment.
In Iraq, Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Yazidi minority fighters, backed by U.S.-led air strikes, liberated the town of Sinjar and cut a key ISIS supply line, Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani said Friday. And the U.S. military said Friday that is “reasonably certain” that it killed “Jihadi John”, the notorious militant with a British accent in grisly ISIS execution videos, in a drone strike in Syria. U.S. President Barack Obama said the U.S. has now halted the expansion of ISIS, calling in an interview broadcast Friday for a stepped up drive to “completely decapitate” the militants’ operations.

Iraqi military advances on ISIS-held Ramadi
Reuters, Baghdad Friday, 13 November 2015/Iraq’s military said on Friday its forces had advanced on three fronts to begin clearing Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants from the western city of Ramadi, but police and government officials said progress was extremely slow. The announcement by the joint operations command came as Kurdish forces declared victory over ISIS in the northern town of Sinjar, which could help build momentum in pushing back the hardline Sunni militants elsewhere. But a suicide bomb attack in Baghdad and a second day of violence between Kurds and Shiite Turkmen further north were reminders of the ethnic and sectarian conflicts exacerbated by ISIS’s rise. Iraqi forces appeared better positioned than ever this week to launch an offensive on Ramadi, 100 km (60 km) west of Baghdad, now that months-long efforts to cut off supply lines to the city are having an effect.
The city’s fall to ISIS in May was the biggest defeat for Iraq’s weak central government in nearly a year, dampening its hopes of quickly routing the insurgents from the country’s north and west. Retaking it would provide a major psychological boost to Iraqi security forces after nearly collapsing twice since last year when ISIS seized a third of Iraq, a major OPEC oil producer and U.S ally. A police officer and a municipal official near Ramadi said federal police had entered a southern district but were moving slowly to avoid explosives they expect ISIS has planted along the roads and in buildings.
An army officer near Ramadi’s northern front said troops had started advancing towards the Euphrates along 2 km (1.25 mile) of a main road which would form the final segment of a cordon which security forces have been building for months. He said advances were slowed by roadside bombs. Separately, a main road linking Baghdad to the northern oil city of Kirkuk was reopened, security sources and local officials said, but violence in and around Tuz Khurmatu which had led militias to block traffic a day earlier continued. Kurdish and Shiite Turkmen fighters in the area have been uncomfortable allies against ISIS since driving the militants out of towns and villages which the Shiite-led government in Baghdad claims but the Kurds want as part of their semi-autonomous northern region. In Baghdad, at least 18 people were killed and 41 wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the funeral of a pro-government Shiite fighter.

Syria’s Assad: Paris attacks result of French policy
AFP, Damascus Saturday, 14 November 2015/Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Saturday that French policy had contributed to the “spread of terrorism” that culminated in gun and bomb attacks which killed 128 people in Paris. In a meeting with a delegation of French lawmakers in Damascus, Assad said France’s “mistaken policies... had contributed to the spread of terrorism.”“The terrorist attacks that targeted the French capital Paris cannot be separated from what happened in the Lebanese capital Beirut lately and from what has been happening in Syria for the past five years and in other areas,” he said.

Russia, U.S. ‘terrorist’ lists ‘largely coincide’
By Staff writer, Al Arabiya News Friday, 13 November 2015/Russia and the United States have exchanged preliminary lists of what they regard as terrorist groups in Syria and they largely coincide, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Friday, RIA news agency reported. Bogdanov also said that Russia believes that dozens of members of of the Free Syria Army should be drawn into a political process, and that Russia had met with many representatives of the organisation. Earlier, Putin said that the Russian air force had already struck some targets in Syria identified by the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a fact he said disproved allegations Moscow was bombing the moderate opposition. The United States and the FSA itself have both accused the Kremlin of bombing FSA targets, while largely sparing Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants. Russia says it is careful to only target what it deems to be bona fide terrorist groups in Syria. “We are ready to take into account any reliable information on the location of terrorist groups. We have even worked together with the Free Syrian Army,” Putin told Interfax and the Turkish Anadolu news agencies in an interview, the text of which was passed to Reuters by the Kremlin. “The Russian air force has conducted several strikes on targets identified by the FSA. We excluded areas, which had been indicated by FSA commanders as being under their control. This fact proves once again that we are not bombing the so-called moderate opposition or the civilian population.” Putin, speaking ahead of a meeting of the G20 in Turkey, also said Russia had all the necessary financial and technical means to continue its air campaign in Syria for as long as the Syrian army needed Russia’s support. He also reiterated Russia’s long-standing position that it would not discuss the political future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with him as it is a matter for the Syrian people. Turning to G20 host Turkey, Putin said Moscow’s differences with Ankara over the Syria crisis were real but should not damage bilateral ties. “It is true that the two countries have different views on the ways to resolve the crisis in Syria. But the important thing is ... we both stand for settling the situation in the region and effectively combating terrorism,” Putin said. “With this in mind, the existing differences should not hamper our bilateral relations,” he said. (With Reuters)

Are Syria’s Salafi movements witnessing a split?
Mona Alami//Al-Monitor/November 14/15
The Syrian Salafi scene witnessed in October the emergence of a new fighting force called Jaish al-Sham, which appears to have distanced itself from other hard-liners by embracing populist and nationalist slogans. With the polarization of the Syrian military scene, Salafi organizations such as Ahrar al-Sham have gained power and notoriety. The militant group, which is active around the Idlib region, is also present in Hama and Daraa. According to the University of Stanford’s website, Ahrar al-Sham is perceived as a more moderate Islamist alternative to other Salafi factions. On Oct. 16, Carnegie Endowment’s researcher Aron Lund, who is the editor of the website Syria in Crisis, published a report on a new faction that appears to have resulted from a split within Ahrar al-Sham. “The creation of Jaish al-Sham reflects the feeling of unease experienced within Ahrar al-Sham,” Sinan Hatahet, a researcher at think tank Omran Dirasat, told Al-Monitor. Omran Dirasat, based in Istanbul, also published a report on the new faction. Jaish al-Sham has branches in Aleppo, Idlib and Hama, and is comprised of about 5,000 fighters, although Lund believes the figure to be closer to 1,000, recruited mostly from smaller groups. “The group is expected to consolidate smaller factions,” Syrian Islamic scholar Sheikh Hassan Dgheim told Al-Monitor in a phone interview from Turkey.
Local sources said that the faction is also hoping to be endorsed by the Turkish Military Operation center. What distinguishes Jaish al-Sham from other organizations is that many of the movement’s founders are former members of Ahrar al-Sham, namely Mohammed Talal Bazerbashi (alias Abu Abderrahman al-Souri), Abu Homs Ratyan, Yamin al-Naser (alias Abu Bakr al-Deiri) and Mohamed Ayman Aboul-Tout (alias Abul-Abbas al-Shami). Souri, a former high-ranking leader of Ahrar al-Sham who had left because of “organizational differences” in 2015, is the new military leader of Jaish al-Sham, according to Dgheim. Ratyan, who used to supervise Ahrar al-Sham’s military activity, has become Jaish al-Sham’s military leader in Aleppo, Dgheim said. According to Lund, Naser is a former prisoner of the Sednaya military prison and one of the original founders of Ahrar al-Sham in 2011. According to Dgheim, Aboul-Tout, who played a part in the 1979-1982 Muslim Brotherhood insurrection, which took place under the mandate of former President Hafez al-Assad, is considered the Jaish al-Sham spiritual leader.
Most of these figures, explained Hatahet, have either been recently pushed to leave Ahrar al-Sham or left it out of their own volition. “We cannot really say that the Jaish al-Sham founders are more moderate than Ahrar al-Sham’s members — they just have a different political project,” he added. “Unlike Ahrar al-Sham's members, they have clearly declared they should abandon weapons when the war ends.”The group's strategic goal is to take over Aleppo’s eastern rural areas as well as the Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa regions, according to Dgheim. In addition, they have mentioned that they will be fighting both the regime and the Islamic State, which Dgheim said has made them the first Syrian rebel movement to clearly state its enmity with the terror organization. Jaish al-Sham has publicized its members to be all native Syrians. Lund underlines as well the group’s use of the Syrian independence flag, “which has become a widely recognized symbol of the uprising against Bashar al-Assad,” but is not used by al-Qaeda-like groups, which generally opt for a banner with the Islamic declaration of faith.
The creation of Jaish al-Sham might be indicative of widening ideological fissures inside Ahrar al-Sham and other Salafi movements. This year was marked by an ongoing rivalry between two competing currents within Ahrar al-Sham, namely between the “more moderate” movement of Labib al-Nahhas, the head of foreign political relations at Ahrar al-Sham, and the more conservative views of the military branch represented by Mohammed Abu Sadek, which is believed to be closer to Jabhat al-Nusra. The creation of Jaish al-Sham might be also a symptom of rivalry within other groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra, with some reports mentioned by Lund pointing to the possible adherence to the group of two Jabhat al-Nusra dissidents, Abu Maria al-Qahtani and Saleh al-Hamawi. Last June, Islamic sources interviewed in Rihaniya, Turkey, by Al-Monitor had mentioned that Qahtani increased tension with the Jabhat al-Nusra leadership, resulting from Qahtani’s pragmatism and his willingness to work with Free Syrian Army factions, and further hinted to the possible withdrawal of Qahtani from Jabhat al-Nusra.
“These rumors are nonetheless still unconfirmed in spite of the fact that the creation of Jaish al-Sham was welcomed by Qahtani,” Hatahet said. Hatahet added that the goal of the new organization and how it will fit within the overall Syrian military scene will depend greatly on how effective they will be at raising funds and weapons and their ability to collaborate with other groups, including Ahrar al-Sham. The new movement’s ability to act nationalistic as a transition between Salafi mujahedeen groups and more moderate rebel groups remains to be seen. Generally speaking, mujahedeen groups such as Ahrar al-Sham or Jaish al-Islam view jihad as a tool against the Assad regime and do not conform to the transnational ideal of jihad of al-Qaeda-like groups, for which jihad across the globe is the ultimate goal. “Does Jaish al-Sham represent a complementary project to more conservative groups? And is it a reflection of a rethinking process that is occurring at the regional level?” Hatahet asked. “Their success will depend greatly on their performance,” he said. Performance alone will not determine the fate of Jaish al-Sham. It is certain that further polarization of the Syrian conflict, due to the direct military involvement of yet another player (Russia) in what has become an international proxy war, will make the transition from hard-liners to more moderate a more challenging exercise.

Apocalyptic terror visits Paris
Hisham Melhem/Al Arabiya/November 14/15
The recent horrific terror bombings in Beirut and Paris are the latest reminders that the scourge of terrorism is not only as old as organized human society, but that it is more ubiquitous and more lethal in a globalized world. The streets of Paris have witnessed and experienced numerous acts of terror, from the ‘secular’ terror of the anarchists of the 19th century to the ‘sacred’ terror of al-Qaeda as recently as January with the Charlie Hebdo attacks. But if the Friday evening massacre which at this writing has claimed more than 200 lives is the work of the Islamic State ISIS, or al-Qaeda it will have the ugly distinction of being the worst apocalyptic terror that has visited a western city since the 9/11 attacks in the United States. There is no science of the future, but we can extrapolate from history’s facts and trends and project into the future, though not with absolute certainty, that as long as there men and women driven by irreconcilable impulses, whether cloaked in religious garb, historic or political grievances and willing to sacrifice their lives to win, terrorism - with its astonishing changing mutations- will remain with us as the integral dark side of civilization.
Globalized terror
It is a sign of the times, that a handful of determined terrorists can paralyze a major European capital
In a globalized world, no city is immune to ‘spectacular’ acts of terror. On 9/11 the United States had its first encounter with a strain of absolutist terror brought about by 19 young Islamists who were dispatched by al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization that was forged in the crucible of war in Afghanistan. That encounter changed America in radical ways that were unthinkable before that fateful September morning. Never had few individuals brutally disrupted the lives of so many, with so little cost, for such a long time. That was the fateful encounter between the apocalypse and Globalization. Before globalization, that strain of terrorism driven by religious fervor or nihilistic and absolutist impulses had a marked, but mostly limited impact on the afflicted societies. The damage was commensurate with the available tools of terror. The Assassins of medieval Persia and Syria unsheathed the dagger to dispatch their targets; the Anarchists of Europe (and America) pulled the trigger, or threw the bomb to destroy their targets. The 9/11 terrorists employed civilian airplanes as missiles and killed thousands within few hours, and the masked armies of ISIS employ the whole spectrum of the tools of killings; they brandish swords, and use tank columns to storm cities and dare the world to fight the End Time cataclysmic battle at Dabiq, Syria. What sets ISIS and al-Qaeda apart, is the environment in which they are operating. After all the damage that a dagger or even a gun could cause is minimal; but with ISIS and al-Qaeda we are talking about a new qualitative threat, because we have arrived at the intersection of terrorism and globalization, where the terrorists of ISIS in particular roam the virtual world, and use the digital revolution to hasten the coming of the apocalypse.
An ignominious day
The Paris attacks will become a milestone, or a day that shall live in infamy, where the French – and the Europeans- will mark their modern history as before or after that ignominious date, just as the Americans speak of 9/11. Life in France and the European Union will change, and not necessary for the better. Already French President Francois Hollande has declared a state of emergency and deployed the French military in Paris. There will be more security measures at the supposedly nominal borders of the Union, there will be more surveillance by the intelligence agencies that could negatively impact personal freedoms, there will be calls for retrenchment from the Middle East, and Muslim-European communities will likely feel more vulnarable and alienated with the inevitable rise in rightwing anti-Muslim sentiments and rhetoric. This was the shape of things to come in France before the Friday evening attacks. There were reports that in the hours following the bombings a number of Mosques were attacked in France. If the terrorists were Muslims born in France this will once again bring to the fore the distressing reality of a relatively large and young stratum within the Muslim community in France that is still living on the margin of society, resentful, alienated and susceptible to the preachers of the apocalypse; which explains why France has supplied ISIS with its fifth largest contingent of foreign Jihadists.
A failure of intelligence and imagination
It is a sign of the times, that a handful of determined terrorists can paralyze a major European capital. France, a nuclear power with a major economy, was still reeling from the damage caused by three men who wreaked havoc in Paris for three days last January. Modern democracies, by their political nature as open societies are vulnerable to terrorism. The Patriot Act adopted after 9/11 to guard against similar attacks caused considerable opposition and created sharp divisions in America, because it was seen as impinging on individual liberties. If the 9/11 attacks exposed the lack of imagination and the failure of Intelligence in the United States, the terror in Paris in which seven simultaneous attacks were mounted represents a colossal failure of Intelligence, and yes of imagination in a country that has considerable Intelligence capabilities and long experience in combatting terrorism. It is too early to speculate about how France will deal with this failure, but what is certain is that a thorough review of intelligence methods and means and assumptions will take place and the impact will be felt in the European Union as a whole.
A pitiless Force De Frappe
At the Bataclan Theater, where most victims fell, President Hollande vowed that France will take the fight to the terrorists, and the struggle ‘will be without pity’. For the French, the carnage in Paris is a game changer in the war with ISIS, if it turns out that the attacks were perpetrated by the militant group. In this case it is a safe assumption that France, in coordination with the United States and Iraq will intensify its military attacks against ISIS. France is probably the last European country that is still willing to deploy forces overseas in combat roles. In recent decades France intervened militarily in a number of conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, with mixed results. In recent years al-Qaeda inspired or directed terrorist attacks have paralyzed a number of European countries mainly Britain and Spain. The Madrid train bombings of 2004 succeeded in achieving its purported objective; the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq. France will exhibit no such inclination of retrenchment from the Middle East and it will be expected to use its vaunted Force De Frappe against the perpetrators of the Paris attacks.
Sword vs. ideas
The ‘war of ideas’ is an integral part of America’s war against ISIS. In fact many wars are wars of ideas and arms. Most of America’s wars, particularly in the 20th century were wars of ideas and arms, and ideas were effective and played a role in America’s epic struggles against Nazism, Fascism and Communism, particularly since these ideologies had some sympathizers in the U.S. But an apocalyptic, nihilistic group like ISIS cannot be defeated by the power of ideas a country like the United States or France can bring to bear. Values of freedom, democracy, and gender equality are alien and offensive to such atavistic warriors. Muslim history is replete with rebellious millenarian and apocalyptic movements lead by false Mahdis and fake Caliphs, which were defeated on the battlefields. Of course, there is a role for ideas in these types of struggles, but in the case of ISIS ideally the ultimate defeat of their nihilistic ‘ideas’ will be or should be at the hands of enlightened Muslims, but this fight should be secondary to the fight with the proverbial swords. The assumption that those who flee the ranks of ISIS seeking redemption, in conjunction with moderate Muslims and support from western democracies can staunch the appeal of ISIS to young and alienated Muslims is farfetched. The appeal of groups like ISIS will always be limited to a relatively small number of partisans. Such is the nature of the beast. Radical and revolutionary movements be they religious or secular are almost always small in numbers. In the immediate future swords and pitiless raw military power (Muslim and non-Muslim) is absolutely necessary to defeat a group such as ISIS.
The unprecedented carnage in Paris is almost the new normal in Syria and Iraq. Many Arabs and Westerners after years of bloodletting have become numbed by the ongoing tragedies in the region. One would only hope that the terror in France will be a catalyst for the U.S., the European Union and those Arabs willing to take on the peddlers of the apocalypse, and sectarianism whether Sunni or Shiite in Syrian and Iraq, to save both countries from what appears to be an accelerated descent into total disintegration.

Paris must not do what Washington did after 9/11
Dr. John C. Hulsman/Al Arabiya/November 14/15
It is early, very early, to make any definitive statements about the Paris terror attacks of last night. But as I used to say—in the countless counter-terror meetings I attended in Washington following 9/11—I am paid to speculate, so I shall. For counter-intuitively, informed speculation can provide a useful framework for analysis as the real world facts dribble in, constructing a paradigm based on first principles that can help us master where the West should go from here in policy terms in combating our enemies.
Goal of terrorism
Simply put—but far too often forgotten—the goal of terrorism is to terrorize, to so emotionally throw one’s enemy off balance that they begin to make horrendous mistakes which suit the terrorist’s purposes. The humanly understandable (but in policy terms unforgivable) sin of over-reaction is the most likely benefit terrorists everywhere derive from their acts of violence. Surely, following the carnage of 9/11, Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda couldn’t believe their luck as the rightly enraged Bush administration committed one folly after another, leading directly to the debacle in Iraq. As such, above all in this terrible moment, we must calmly think through what the terrorists want us to do, and deny that to them, if we are to triumph.
In terrorizing, terrorists must now again not force the West into a series of cataclysmic mistakes
The facts, as we know them on Saturday morning, are these. At least 128 people have been killed and 180 injured in Paris as a result of seven closely coordinated attacks across the city, including 118 people dying in the single terrorist incursion at the Bataclan concert hall. At least eight terrorists died in the operation, with the possibility remaining that others are still at liberty. The attack was coolly carried out, with reports coming from Bataclan that the terrorists had time to reload their weapons at least three times in the process of slaying their victims. French President Francois Hollande has immediately declared a state of emergency—the first in France as a whole since the troubled days of 1958—and imposed border controls.
The attack exposes all the present weak points of French society. A report issued by the French Senate in April of this year estimates that fully 1430 of 3000-plus European jihadists who had travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight for ISIS were French. Even more frighteningly, the French secret services believe that at least 200 French jihadis, who have spent time with ISIS, have since returned to the country. France’s inability to integrate its large Muslim population into the country’s mainstream—the Muslim minority makes up a full 7.5% of the population—makes it fertile terrorist ground for recruiting converts. Shockingly, it is estimated that a massive 70% of inmates in French prisons are Muslims, providing an incubator for radical jihadis from across the globe.
If France’s societal divisions make it vulnerable to both attacks and terrorist recruitment, its long-held, muscular leadership role in combating radicalism also makes it a likely target. Be the issue Mali, al-Qaeda in North Africa, or ISIS, France has forthrightly taken a leading military role. Only this past week, Paris sent its only aircraft carrier, the Charles De Gaulle, to the Gulf, where it is to help coordinate air strikes against ISIS in both Iraq and Syria. Indeed, one of the terrorists reportedly shouted, ‘This is for Syria,’ as he went about his murderous business. If ISIS was either the instigator or inspiration for these attacks (and while I surely cannot prove it, my money would be on them) it amounts to a grim reminder that there will always be a price to be paid in standing up to terrorists.
The next step in analytical understanding is to look at who benefits in terms of domestic French and European politics from the outrages in Paris. The simple answer is that the xenophobic Front National of Marine Le Pen is the specific immediate beneficiary, with those calling for drastic curbs on refugees coming to Europe also winning out. The security fear has always been that in Europe’s chaotic, haphazard approach to the refugee crisis, radical Islamists will sneak through the open door, allowing them to perpetuate the sort of attack we have just witnessed.
Disastrous outcome
Putting the above analysis together allows us a pretty clear read on what the terrorists want: France to do less in fighting ISIS and jihadists throughout the world, the rise of xenophobic forces within France itself (which serve as an invaluable recruiting tool for jihadists), and the strengthening of nationalistic European forces desiring to keep Syrian refugees out of Europe. Such a disastrous outcome would only widen the already mammoth cleavages between the Middle East and Europe, and would certainly add to the power of radical jihadists, who would have been given a wonderfully compelling narrative of a weak France, but one that is increasingly xenophobic and unwelcoming to refugees. This would amount to nothing less than a geopolitical calamity of the first order.
Instead, France and the West must bravely (and indeed following such a horrendous attack it does require bravery to keep calm and carry on) deny the terrorists the political gains they so fervently desire. France must march shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the west in combating ISIS and al-Qaeda, while at the same time it must remain a generous country, both in terms of European refugee flows in general, and lessening divisions with its own restive Muslim minority in particular. A strong, generous France denies the terrorists the very thing they want. In honour the many victims, that is the outcome that Paris must arrive at. In terrorizing, terrorists must now again not force the West into a series of cataclysmic mistakes. We Americans are with you, Paris; but you must do better than we did after 9/11, and deny the terrorists the sort of narrative that they want.

Paris attacks, a strike on France’s values!
Mohamed Chebarro/Al Arabiya/November 14/15
France is again in the eye of the storm.
It’s been a long year since the attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in the center of Paris. A long year in which France was diplomatically and militarily trying to help relieve oppression by speaking out against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.The details of Friday’s simultaneous attacks across Paris and claims of responsibility are yet to emerge and be analyzed. But attackers in the Bataclan concert hall, three of which were killed by activating their suicide vests and one shot by police, were reportedly heard saying that this was payback for France's involvement in Syria.France was not flying more air sorties targeting ISIS than the U.S., Russia or those declared by the Syrian regime. France's air force started its active pursuit of ISIS leaders in Syria last September, long after many of its Arab and Western allies. The latest Paris attacks are another warning to France to change its stance, to relinquish its values of standing with the weak and the oppressed against their oppressor
But yes, France has been active in calling to find an end to the Syrian crisis ever since the Syrians rebelled and called for the removal of the regime more than four years ago. France has been instrumental in its defense of the Syrian people, at least in building pressure and saying that it was morally wrong to leave the Syrian people to choose between living under ISIS or the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Only Paris remained focused and courageous enough to point out repeatedly that to eradicate ISIS, it is obligatory to remove Assad. Meanwhile, to weaken ISIS in Iraq, the French belief was that more pressure should be applied on Iran's regime to stop fanning the flames of sectarianism in the fractured country. France foreign minister was repeatedly pointing in the direction of Iran’s meddling in the affairs of Arab states. It was clear to French policy makers that wherever Iran meddled, ISIS or al-Qaeda emerged as a threat or main player in the given state. The latest Paris attacks are another warning to France to change its stance, to relinquish its values of standing with the weak and the oppressed against their oppressor. It is as President Obama said; it was an attack on the values of France which of course are too dear for the French to relinquish. It is very early to analyze as who and what will claim responsibility, but clearly these agents of death have been busy traveling from the Middle East to corners of the globe, in an effort to spread violence and to pressure governments. The attack was clearly a carefully developed plan aimed to kill the values that France upholds so dearly in our world today, and especially in the Middle East regarding Syria. Those values are liberty, equality and fraternity.

Bankruptcy and Mud
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/November 14/15
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6801/palestinians-bankruptcy
"If only we Arabs," they wrote, "who kill people cruelly and wholesale, cared as much about people as the Jews care about animals." We often hear Arabs privately saying, "the Zionists have never done to us what we do to ourselves."
Every Palestinian youth knows that the weekly riots at the "traditional friction points" serve as social events, later used by Palestinians operatives for propaganda.
As our elders have said for years: "Falastin ['Palestine' in Arabic] begins with falas [bankruptcy] and ends with teen [mud]."
Palestinian bloggers were amazed when Israelis protested the cruel slaughter of chickens in poultry-packing plants, and during epidemics. "If only we Arabs," they wrote, "who kill people cruelly and wholesale, cared as much about people as the Jews care about animals."
Civilian cameras often record events of startling cruelty carried out in Arab countries, in areas of conflict. We often hear Arabs privately saying, "The Zionists have never done to us what we do to ourselves." This is usually said by Syrians, who have hated the Jews for generations, when they give their thanks for the medical treatment they receive in Israel. Despite the hatred fostered by Hamas, after the most recent military operation, many Gazans admitted that the IDF did in fact warn civilians before attacking terrorist targets protected by "human shields."
The pictures of an armed Israeli soldier who did not strike back when he was viciously attacked by Palestinian women and children in Nebi Saleh, amazed many regional bloggers. "If such a thing had happened to us," they wrote on Twitter accounts, "the soldier would have killed his attackers without hesitation."
The pictures of an armed Israeli soldier who did not strike back when he was viciously attacked by Palestinian women and children, amazed many Arab bloggers.
As a Palestinian, I know that such situations are produced by Palestinians whose ability to stage them is professional and I know the source of their income. They cynically exploit the Israeli political "left," and enlist photographers to document the events for European-funded "Pallywood" media manipulation.
Every Palestinian youth knows that the weekly riots at the "traditional friction points" serve as social events, later used by Palestinians operatives for propaganda. Often, in the finest Hollywood tradition, parties are held after the "conflict action scenes."
The festivities sometimes include sex and drugs with the blond, blue-eyed volunteers from abroad, to celebrate another successful encounter with the Israeli security forces.
The escalating Palestinian riot routine takes into consideration that risks are few, because of IDF restraint in dealing with "civilians," as we saw in Nebi Saleh when the Israeli soldier who was attacked and bitten did not respond with gunfire to defend himself. Israel's restraint only makes the slaughter, rape and expulsion of Muslims at the hands of Muslims seem all the more vicious. Many of the bankrupt European countries hostile to Israel now find themselves faced with a massive influx of Middle Eastern and African refugees. They are the brothers and sisters of the hundreds of thousands of murdered Muslims and the millions of refugees in tents, with only Allah ( s.w.a.t) to pity and protect them. Many die in leaky boats, in a desperate attempt to reach the safe shores of Europe. Those who do make it safely, join the Muslims in the Islamic enclaves where they have been plotting against their hosts for years.
The West has waited far too long to wake up to the realization that the Palestinian problem is not the cause of regional events. Therefore, The West's obsession with forcing a "solution" on Israel and the Palestinians will change nothing for the better, it will only expand the catastrophe to the doorstep of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the only islands of security and stability for Arabs, Christians and Jews in the Middle East. In the shadow of the calamity of the refugees, we are slowly understanding that the issue of the return of the Palestinians to "Palestine," which we hang on to so frantically, is an anachronistic, politically manipulated mirage. There is nothing to be done but settle the descendants of the original Palestinian refugees as part of the overall settlement of all the Middle Eastern refugees -- if, that is, our Arab brothers ever succeed in extricating themselves from the swamp of the "Arab Spring."
What is strange is that the Gulf States, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which fund Islamic terrorism and pay the salaries of the radical clerics who incite murder and destruction, are silent when it comes to accepting refugees into their countries. Saudi Arabia has hundreds of thousands of empty, air-conditioned tents at its disposal, used only during the hajj pilgrimage. They could help shelter the millions of Sunni Muslim Syrian and Iraqi refugees. But Saudi Arabia does not open its gates to them, not even to a small number.
Now, by accusing each other for our refusal, hesitation and rejection of every proposal that might bring the Israelis to the negotiating table, we have finally managed to put an end to the "problem of Palestine." As our elders have said for years: "Falastin ['Palestine' in Arabic] begins with falas [bankruptcy] and ends with teen [mud]."
**Bassam Tawil is a scholar based in the Middle East.

Turkey's path to dictatorship
Orhan Kemal Cengiz/Al-Monitor/November 14/15
Armed with his Justice and Development Party's (AKP) stunning Nov. 1 election victory, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is revisiting his goal of replacing the country's parliamentary government with an executive presidency.In the previous elections, held June 7, the rival Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) emphasized and berated Erdogan's intentions. “We won’t let you become an executive president!” was the main slogan the pro-Kurdish HDP used then. It was perhaps the most memorable slogan of the entire election campaign. The message was so influential that the HDP mustered 13.2% of the vote, backed by a remarkable number of voters who chose to support the party for the first time. Those people apparently were worried that an HDP failure to obtain the 10% national threshold would give the AKP a super-majority in parliament and allow it to change the constitution to install a presidential system.
Erdogan has long argued that Turkey should abandon the parliamentary system in favor of a presidential one equipped with strong executive powers for the head of state. Many fear that Erdogan's proposed presidential regime would mark the beginning of an irreversible path to dictatorship. The big losses the AKP suffered in the June 7 polls seemed to be linked to Erdogan’s portrayal of the vote as a sort of a plebiscite for a presidential system. AKP leaders must have come to the same conclusion, for they made no mention of the presidential system in the ensuing snap elections Nov. 1.
Yet, the presidential system debate made a quick comeback to Turkey’s agenda after the AKP scored a sweeping victory Nov. 1, garnering 49.4% of the vote. AKP representatives immediately argued that the presidential system should be opened to discussion. On Nov. 4, Erdogan’s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, made the clearest statement so far that constitutional amendments introducing a presidential system could be put to a referendum.
Such a move would require the support of at least 330 of the 550 parliament members, while the AKP has only 317 seats. HDP representatives, however, have signaled the party is open to talks on a presidential system, backpedaling from their June 7 slogan. This raises the prospect of negotiations and bargaining on a presidential system, linked to revived settlement talks with the Kurds, involving issues such as house arrest for jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, with the HDP playing a key role in the process. Yet, a bargaining link to a settlement of the Kurdish problem does not mean the introduction of a presidential system would contribute to democracy in Turkey. A failed parliamentary process for a new constitution has already shown what the AKP has in mind. A draft constitution the party submitted to parliament in 2013 aimed to equip the president with powers and duties hardly seen elsewhere in the world.
Under the AKP’s proposed presidential system, the head of state would have the power to issue executive and legislative decrees, which effectively would mean that both the executive and legislative powers would be concentrated in the president’s hands. Parliament would retain its legislative function, but the president would have veto power over the laws it passes. Moreover, parliament would need a three-fifths majority to override a veto and pass it for a second time. The president would appoint the ministers and half of the members of higher courts, and would have the power to dissolve parliament. Unlike other presidential systems, the one proposed by the AKP stipulates that presidential and parliamentary elections be held simultaneously. According to prominent law professor and lecturer Levent Koker, the idea of holding both elections on the same day is designed to ensure that the president and the dominant party in parliament are of the same political stripe. Professor Ergun Ozbudun, one of Turkey’s top constitutional scholars, is also seriously concerned about the AKP’s intentions. He said the AKP proposal amounts to “one-man rule with no mechanism of checks and balances.”
But analyzing the AKP’s presidential system hypothetically on paper may not be the best way. One has to take into account also the state of affairs on the ground. In a country where press freedom has hit a deplorable low and judicial independence is constantly on the wane, the question looms: Who can check and balance a strongman sitting at the heart of the system? Concerns are further aggravated by how AKP supporters interpret the idea. Take, for instance, Abdurrahman Dilipak, a columnist for the pro-government Yeni Akit daily and a prominent voice in the Islamist community. In a striking speech at a gathering in Canada last month, Dilipak said Erdogan would become a “caliph” if elected head of state under a presidential system, and representatives of nations affiliated with the caliphate would have offices in his presidential palace.
A public opinion poll conducted after the Nov. 1 election found that 31% of Turks support the presidential system, while 57% favor continuing the parliamentary one. The result seems in line with the outcome of the June 7 elections, when the AKP lost its parliamentary majority after campaigning with the presidential system as a central issue. Only days before the Nov. 1 election, police raided the offices of Koza Ipek Holding, and pro-government trustees were appointed to manage its media group. The two newspapers and two television channels, which used to be vocal government critics, turned into AKP propaganda machines overnight. Will Erdogan’s zeal for a presidential system lead to fresh blows to Turkey’s critical media, which is already in an oxygen tent? Could the unprecedented pressure on the media in recent months stem from an intention to gag dissenting voices ahead of a referendum on a presidential system?
In sum, the revival of the presidential system debate has ignited a serious controversy and raised new alarming questions for Turkey.

How Can Anyone Be Shocked?
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/November 14/15
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6874/paris-attacks-shocked
The West, especially Europe, continues to be taken aback every time a new terror attack occurs, as if each one were the first.
"We are importing Islamic extremism, Arab anti-Semitism, national and ethnic conflicts of other peoples, as well as a different understanding of society and law." — From a leaked German intelligence document.
The current generation of European political leaders has exhibited an irresponsibility and lack of leadership that is almost infantile.
One of the most surprising aspects of the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday night is how "deeply shocked" members of the European political establishment appeared to be.
Angela Merkel, David Cameron and the Pope all expressed their condolences -- and "deep shock" -- at the well-coordinated, citywide terror attacks in six different places across Paris, which as of this writing have claimed at least 128 lives and more than 200 wounded. French President François Hollande confirmed that Islamic State terrorists perpetrated the attacks, carried out with suicide bombings, hand grenades and assault rifles. According to witnesses, terrorists were heard yelling, "Allahu Akbar" ['Allah is the Greatest"] and "this is for Syria" as they shot into the audience at the Bataclan Theater, where a rock concert was underway.
Police block the streets near the scene of one of Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris, France. (Image source: RT video screenshot)
Although the writing has literally been on the wall in blood for the past decade and a half, the West, especially Europe, continues to be taken aback every time a new terror attack occurs, as if each one were the first.
After 9/11 in the United States; the 2004 Madrid train bombings, which killed nearly 200 and wounded 2000, and the 2005 attacks on London's transit system where 56 people were killed and 700 wounded, world leaders have no conceivable excuse left to be shocked and surprised at mass terrorism occurring in the midst of Western capitals.
As recently as a month ago, Andrew Parker, director-general of Britain's MI5, said that the terror threat to the UK was at its highest level in more than three decades and "growing." British police and intelligence agencies have intervened to foil six terrorist plots in the past year alone. "That is the highest number I can recall in my 32-year career, certainly the highest number since 9/11," he said. "It represents a threat which is continuing to grow, largely because of the situation in Syria and how that affects our security."
Instead of Britain, these attacks happened in France. They could have happened in Germany, where police revealed the arrest of a man whom they believe may be connected the Paris attacks. Recently, the Welt Am Sonntag newspaper cited intelligence warnings that "the integration of hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants Germany is no longer possible in light of the number and already existing parallel societies." "Parallel societies" refers to Muslim communities that have little or no contact with the rest of the society in their host countries. According to an intelligence document obtained by Welt am Sonntag, "We are importing Islamic extremism, Arab anti-Semitism, national and ethnic conflicts of other peoples, as well as a different understanding of society and law." Most ominously, however, the intelligence document went on to say that "German security agencies ... will not be in the position to solve these imported security problems and thereby the reactions arising from Germany's population."
Already in February, it was reported in several European newspapers, among them the British Daily Telegraph, that ISIS threatened Europe with an influx of 500,000 migrants, which would include ISIS operatives hiding among them, to create chaos on the continent.
Astoundingly, European leaders nevertheless allowed the current wave of migrants to flood into their countries. Many of these migrants hide underground, often in the suburbs with these "parallel societies;" with European authorities unable to account for their whereabouts.
In September, a Syrian ISIS smuggler told the British daily, The Express, that more than 4,000 covert ISIS gunmen had been smuggled into Western nations, and were "ready" across the European Union. He also said that the undercover infiltration was the beginning of a larger plot to carry out attacks in the West, allegedly in retaliation for the US-led coalition airstrikes against ISIS.
In September, Lebanon's education minister, Elias Bou Saab, estimated that thousands of ISIS "radicals" were among the 1.1 million Syrians currently in refugee camps. He predicted that one in 50 migrants are members of the terror organization. Although at the time, the minister admitted that he had no solid information on the infiltration of refugees, he said, "My gut feeling is ISIS are facilitating an operation. To go to Europe and other places."
The terrorist attacks in Paris are the direct and deplorable result of political cowardice and inertia. Politicians are unable or unwilling to name the problems by their rightful name. The politicians have been shying away from engaging with the enormous security and social problems that Muslim immigration into Europe and the West has caused and continues to cause.
In the face of the Islamic terrorism that the West has been experiencing for more than a decade. The current generation of European political leaders has exhibited an irresponsibility and lack of leadership that is almost infantile by allowing unchecked Muslim immigration into Europe, with its free, open borders. The question is whether the terrorist attacks in Paris will finally amount to a wake-up call for the West's political establishment.
*Judith Bergman is a writer, columnist, lawyer and political analyst.

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