LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
October 22/15

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletins05/english.october22.15.htm 

Bible Quotation For Today/Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul
First Letter to the Corinthians 01/10-17: "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul’, or ‘I belong to Apollos’, or ‘I belong to Cephas’, or ‘I belong to Christ.’ Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power."

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 21-22/15
Reflections on the Canadian elections/Tarek Fatah/Toronto Sun/October 20/15
Iraqi Kurdistan's brewing crisis/Mahmut Bozarslan/Al-Monitor/October 21/15
Fatah official: Palestinians have nothing to lose/Mohammed Najib/Al-Monitor/October 21/15
Israelis, Palestinians head down French path to nowhere/Akiva Eldar/Al-Monitor/October 21/15
Assad summoned to Moscow/Dr. Theodore Karasik/Al Arabiya/October 21/15
Palestinian protests: Rocks, knives and cameras/Diana Moukalled/Al Arabiya/October 21/15
Has the Syrian cause been sold/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/October 21/15
Reconfiguring the Arab region and its global space/Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/October 21/15
Has Israeli-Palestinian violence crossed the point of no return/Yossi Mekelberg/Al Arabiya/October 21/15
Despite risk of $62 fine for not voting, less than 20% of Egyptians bothered to show up at polls/Ayah Aman/Al-Monitor/October 21/15
Sweden: Haven for Mass-Murderers/Ingrid Carlqvist/Gatestone Institute/October 21, 2015

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin for Lebanese Related News published on October 21-22/15
Canada under the Liberals is not going to be the same
Presidential Elections Postponed to November 11 as Saniora Warns of 'State's Disintegration'
Report: Salam's Patience Wearing Thin on Garbage Crisis
Construction Works Halted at Srar Landfill
Lebanese Army Halts Migrants Boat Off Tripoli as Sawfan Family Bodies Arrive in Lebanon
Jumblat: Progress Will Be Made on Lebanon when Iran Sanctions are Lifted
Khalil: World Bank Loans under Threat Because of Parliament Paralysis
'Dangerous Fugitive' Arrested in Tripoli's al-Qobbeh

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 21-22/15
Robert Spencer in FrontPage: Justin Trudeau: Canada’s Obama
Justin Trudeau: Canada’s Obama
Canadian New PM Tells Obama Canada to Withdraw Fighter Jets From Syria, Iraq
Canada to withdraw jets from Iraq and Syria
Iran’s Khamenei endorses nuclear deal
Abbas calls on Israel to strictly respect Al-Aqsa rules
U.N. Security Council to meet on Mideast violence
Assad meets Putin in ‘first foreign visit since 2011’
King Salman receives call from Putin
Syrian Kurds declare new province
13 dead as Russia strike hits Syria field hospital
Qatar says it could intervene militarily in Syria
U.S., Russia sign memo to avoid clashes in air over Syria
Russia, U.S. sign ‘memorandum’ on air safety over Syria
Germany stresses holocaust responsibility after Netanyahu’s claim
King Salman calls for Arab-South American summit
Abdullah bin Faisal named new Saudi ambassador to Washington
Iraqi PM faces pressure to seek Russian strikes
World health chief says U.S., Saudi discussing MERS vaccine

Canada under the Liberals is not going to be the same
Elias Bejjani/21 October/15
https://www.facebook.com/groups/34871420662/
It is strongly believed by many observers that peaceful and prosperous Canada whose Conservative Government was leading in the global fight against terrorism is not going to be the same with the Liberal Party governing with a majority. Today the newly elected PM, Mr Trudeau told the USA president Mr. Obama that he is withdrawing the Canadian jets from the fight against Isis in both Syria and Iraq. Most probably Trudeau's next move will be towards the Iranian Mullahs in a bid to totally cancel all sanctions against their oppressive regime and quietly muffle all Canada's strong criticism on both their human rights on going atrocities and on their scary Atomic vigorous ambitions. Many such steps are expected very soon. Based on Mr. Trudeau's foreign policies Platform many of the Canadians who voted for him will very regret their choice.

Presidential Elections Postponed to November 11 as Saniora Warns of 'State's Disintegration'
Naharnet/October 21/15/The presidential elections were postponed on Wednesday for the 30th time following a lack of quorum at parliament. Speaker Nabih Berri set the new session for November 11. A total of 49 lawmakers attended Wednesday's session, while 86 MPs are needed for the elections to be held. Following the failed session, head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora warned that the “failure to elect a president is leading Lebanon towards further disintegration, especially on the economic level.”“Those obstructing the elections are responsible for the current state of affairs in Lebanon,” he declared from parliament. “Electing a head of state is key to reaching a solution to major problems in Lebanon,” he stressed. “The polls should not be linked to regional affairs and we need to elect a president who not only represents his background, but other Lebanese communities,” added the MP. “The president is the symbol of Lebanon's unity and the unity of its people,” Saniora stated. Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of successor. Numerous electoral sessions have been scheduled, all but one were postponed over a lack of quorum. Disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise candidate have thwarted the polls. There are several candidates but none of them is willing to make compromises that would allow lawmakers to attend a session aimed at electing a head of state. The presidential vacuum has hindered the government's ability to tackle growing security, economic and social problems.

Report: Salam's Patience Wearing Thin on Garbage Crisis
Naharnet/October 21/15/Prime Minister Tammam Salam's has demanded that a response over the proposed solution to the garbage disposal crisis be made in the upcoming days, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Wednesday.His sources told the daily that his patience is wearing thin and that he “will not wait forever” for the issue to be resolved. He made his concerns heard during a meeting he held on Tuesday with Speaker Nabih Berri ahead of the re-election of members of parliament's various committees. The sources added that the meeting was “positive” with the two officials “tacking all issues without exception.”
Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb has been leading efforts to resolve the garbage crisis that erupted with the closure of the Naameh landfill in July as politicians failed to find an alternative for it.The crisis has led to the pile up of garbage on the streets throughout the country, raising fears of the environmental and health repercussions of the problem.

Construction Works Halted at Srar Landfill
Naharnet/October 21/15/Construction works preparing the Srar landfill in northern Akkar district have been halted on Wednesday after protesters and several students held a sit-in protesting the move, the state-run National News Agency said. A number of campaigners erected tents in Akkar's area of al-Abboudieh and school students held a sit-in in the area to halt the works of bulldozers amid heavy security presence, NNA added. The security forces who have worked under the supervision of Lieutenant Colonel Moustafa al-Ayyoubi along with other senior officers put an end to the dispute that erupted between the residents and the workers. The protesters reject government plans to set up a “sanitary landfill” in the town of Srar. They have held similar sit-ins before, slamming the decision to dump the garbage of Beirut in Srar. The trash management crisis erupted in July when the Naameh landfill, that receives the trash of Beirut and Mount Lebanon was closed. A plan devised by Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb and a team of experts called for reopening the Naameh landfill for seven days to dump the garbage that accumulated in random sites in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. It also envisions converting two existing dumps, in the Akkar area of Srar and the eastern border area of al-Masnaa, into sanitary landfills capable of receiving trash for more than a year. However, the ministerial waste committee has dismissed the possibility of opening a landfill in al-Masnaa because geological reports have shown that it will affect the ground water. Environmentalists fear the crisis could degenerate to the point where garbage as well as sewage will simply overflow into the sea from riverbeds as winter rains return. The Health Ministry has warned that garbage scattered by seasonal winds could also block Lebanon's drainage system.

Lebanese Army Halts Migrants Boat Off Tripoli as Sawfan Family Bodies Arrive in Lebanon
Naharnet/October 21/15/The navy thwarted on Wednesday an attempt to illegally smuggle a number of migrants from Lebanon, announced the army in a statement. It said that 53 people were arrested off the coast of the northern city of Tripoli as they attempted to illegally depart the country in a Lebanese boat that can support no more than 15 people. The detainees included eight Lebanese, 28 Palestinians, an 14 Syrians. The migrants were brought back to shore and investigations are underway with them. Later on Wednesday, a Turkish Airlines plane landed at Beirut's airport, carrying the bodies of seven members of the Lebanese Safwan family who drowned Saturday while trying to reach Europe illegally from Turkey. The seven were identified as Fayez, Mariam, Milani, Maya, Leen, Mustafa, and Houriya. Two survivors, Mustafa and Maher Safwan, are expected to arrive in Beirut at dawn Thursday, the National News Agency said, noting that Wael and Malek Safwan remain missing while Iyad Safwan is still being interrogated by Turkish authorities. Representatives of Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Tammam Salam, the High Relief Council, Hizbullah and the Higher Islamic Shiite Council joined the victims' relatives as they received the coffins at the airport. The bodies were transferred to the state-run Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut. The funeral will be held Thursday in the Ouzai area. Earlier on Wednesday, An Nahar daily reported that a ship transporting Lebanese and Syrian migrants to Europe departs the port of Tripoli on a daily basis. Sources from the port told the daily that a ship transporting hundreds of Syrians and over 15 Lebanese departs the city to Turkey every day. The Lebanese are mainly residents of the North. “This operation has been taking place for the past three-and-a-half-months,” said the sources. They remarked that the migrants were initially lone youths, but a recent pattern emerged of entire families seeking to leave the country. Once in Turkey, the migrants make their way to Europe, explained the sources. Lebanese migrants from the North have exceeded 2,000, while this number tops 4,500 when departures from Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport are included. An Nahar said that some 1,050 Lebanese have made it safely to Europe.

Jumblat: Progress Will Be Made on Lebanon when Iran Sanctions are Lifted
Naharnet/October 21/15/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stated that any improvement in political developments in Lebanon is linked to a regional agreement, most notably between Saudi Arabia and Iran, reported al-Akhbar newspaper on Wednesday. He told the daily: “Iran is not in a hurry to resolve Lebanon's presidential deadlock. Once the West's sanctions against Tehran are lifted, then we can talk.” “When Iranian officials say that they support whatever the Lebanese agree to, they mean that they do not want this agreement at the moment,” explained Jumblat. “I believe that we need to have a president otherwise the state will be in danger,” he noted. “I don't think that it is in Iran, Saudi Arabia or anyone else's interest to have the fragmentation of the state in Lebanon as we see today,” he continued. Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of a successor. Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise candidate have thwarted the polls.

Khalil: World Bank Loans under Threat Because of Parliament Paralysis
Naharnet/October 21/15/Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil warned that danger is approaching the “structure of the state” as the parliamentary paralysis and failure to stipulate loans of the World Bank has pushed the latter to issue a warning that it would exclude Lebanon from its aid list, As Safir daily reported on Wednesday. “Frankly, I will be compelled in the end to close down the finance ministry and close its iron gate if we did not rectify the deteriorating conditions and stop the attrition. I advise all political forces to take my words seriously,” said Khalil. “We have reached the red line. Each one of us must do everything in his capability to stop that, which requires primarily holding an urgent legislative session,” he added. Lebanon has been in a state of government paralysis since the term of President Michel Suleiman ened in May 2014, as conflicts between rival political camps have thwarted all attempts to elect a successor. “Lebanon will actually lose three loans worth $700 million. A loan worth $474 million alone to drag water from the al-Awali river to the capital and Mount Lebanon is one of the most important ones that Lebanon will lose if the parliament fails to stipulate before the end of December,” he added. He cautioned that the World Bank will block loan agreements for Lebanon for two years if the loans that were already granted to the country were not implemented. The minister stressed: “Lebanon has a valuable opportunity now to demand funding for vital projects related to the infrastructure that has taken a toll as the result of the influx of Syrian refugees, mainly that the World Bank is currently in the process of of setting its agenda for the coming years. “The parliament must ratify the current loan agreements in preparation for use in their allocated areas, especially that there are 160 countries financed by the World Bank and will be given preference instead of Lebanon.” He warned that in light of the parliamentary paralysis, the Ministry will not be able to pay the salaries of civil servants without a law passed by parliament. On Tuesday, Speaker Nabih Berri urged the members of parliament to meet and approve the state budget after the World Bank warnings that it will cut aid to Lebanon. World Bank Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Farid Belhaj told the Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) that “the bank did not issue a warning to Lebanon but a message warning the politicians that the projects will wither if they have not been approved.”
The World Bank stipulates that grants or loans provided to countries for specific development projects must be implemented within a specific time frame, otherwise the funds will be withdrawn and allocated to other countries of need.

'Dangerous Fugitive' Arrested in Tripoli's al-Qobbeh
Naharnet/October 21/15/One of “the most dangerous fugitives who took part in Tripoli's clashes” has been arrested in the northern city's al-Qobbeh neighborhood, the Internal Security Forces announced on Wednesday. It identified the 49-year-old Lebanese militant as A. M., saying he goes under the nom de guerre “Habibo.” The man was captured at noon in the Ibn Sina Street by a patrol from the ISF Bureau for Combating Terror and Major Crimes following “investigations and a surveillance operation.”The ISF said the militant was wanted on an arrest warrant on charges of “undermining civil peace and stirring sedition.” He was referred to the relevant judicial authorities at the judiciary's request. The northern city witnessed unprecedented deadly clashes between the army and Islamist militants in October 2014. It was the last military battle in Tripoli following dozens of rounds of sectarian fighting between the Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen neighborhoods. Violence in the city largely abated after the army implemented a security plan that involved the arrest of the heads of the fighting frontiers and the killing of many notorious militants.

Justin Trudeau: Canada’s Obama
Robert Spencer /FrontPage/October 21/15
In FrontPage today I explain why the next Prime Minister of Canada will get along fine with the President: For years, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has served as a welcome counterpoint to Barack Obama, and the object of wistful musings about what a fine President of the United States he would have been, if only he had been born south of the border: generally realistic about the jihad threat, determined to do what was necessary to meet that threat, and a strong supporter of Israel.
But now Canada at last has its own Obama: Justin Trudeau. And that means that Canada, like the United States, faces deep trouble ahead.
The new Prime Minister of Canada, like Obama, has consistently downplayed the nature and magnitude of the jihad threat and ascribed it to other causes. Christine Williams, a Canadian journalist and a Federally appointed Director with the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, has noted that in the wake of the Boston Marathon jihad bombing, Trudeau issued a bizarre statement: “There is no question that this happened because of someone who feels completely excluded, someone who feels completely at war with innocence, at war with society.”At war with innocence. That rivals the Obama Administration’s ascribing the Fort Hood jihad massacre to “workplace violence.” In reality, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev explained after the bombing that he and his brother committed murder at the Marathon because they wanted to defend Islam. Tamerlan Tsarnaev had vowed to die for Islam.
But – also like Obama – as far as Justin Trudeau is concerned, if you’re looking into Islam as having anything to do with jihad terror attacks, you’re looking in the wrong place. Williams notes that Trudeau in 2013 “came under fire for his participation in Canada’s largest Islamic Conference, held in Toronto, and entitled, ‘Reviving the Islamic Spirit.’ The criticism was over the conference’s sponsor, IRFAN [International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy], which was stripped of its federal charity status because of its ties to the terrorist group, Hamas. Even the moderate Muslim Canadian Congress advised Trudeau not to attend.”Did the Hamas links put Trudeau off? Not any more than the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ ties to Hamas stop American politicians – at least those on the Left – from appearing and glad-handing at its conferences. Trudeau,” Williams reports, “according to a report, smothered the Islamic conference in platitudes. He apparently went so far as to imply a totally inapt comparison in trying to liken the fierce division between English and French Canada, under Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier, to that of the current divisions between mainstream Canada and Islam.”
Trudeau has been behaving this way for years. In 2011, he visited the Al-Sunnah Al-Nabawiah mosque in Montreal, which was identified by U.S. intelligence officials as a site where “known al-Qaeda members were recruited, facilitated or trained.”
What is a man like Justin Trudeau, with the kind of record that he has, likely to do as Prime Minister? Pamela Geller points out that he is already on record with some very specific intentions that should be disquieting to anyone interested in defending the West: “Canada,” Trudeau said in September, “must immediately accept 25,000 Syrian refugees We can expect the following from Justin Trudeau in the short term.” He didn’t say anything about trying to screen out jihadis from among them – if that were even possible. Trudeau will also restore Canada’s diplomatic relations with Iran and end his country’s involvement in military operations against the Islamic State. He will doubtless aid Obama in pressuring Israel at the G8 summit, where Harper had stood in the President’s way. At home, Trudeau will scrap a bill that strips convicted terrorists of their Canadian citizenship, along with part of Canada’s counter-terror legislation. In sum, Justin Trudeau, young, handsome, born to the scepter courtesy his father, will fit right in with Barack Obama, David Cameron and the other leaders of the Western world today. And that’s why we’re in the fix we’re in.

Canadian New PM Tells Obama Canada to Withdraw Fighter Jets From Syria, Iraq
© Flickr/ Alex Guibord/http://sputniknews.com/ 21.10.2015
http://sputniknews.com/world/20151021/1028844531/canada-withdraws-syria-jets.html
Mere hours after defeating Stephen Harper, Canadian Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau has told US President Obama that he will withdraw Canadian jets from Syria and Iraq. According to Reuters, the pledge was made as President Obama called to congratulate Trudeau on his election win. The Liberal leader ran on a promise to withdraw Canada's CF-18 bombers from the US-led coalition's military campaign against the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist group. Earlier this year, Canada's Liberal Party fought against the Conservative government's proposal to extend combat missions from Iraq into Syria.
On the campaign trail, Trudeau also floated the idea that his administration may consider bolstering local forces in the region, and increasing Canada's humanitarian aid. Earlier on Tuesday, the US State Department addressed questions as to whether or not it was concerned that Canada's new government may not support US foreign policy regarding IS presence in Afghanistan. "These are all decisions the Canadian people have to make and Canadian legislators have to make…and their Prime Minister [has to make]," department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. "We have stood shoulder to shoulder with Canadian armed forces…in Iraq and Afghanistan," he added.

Canada to withdraw jets from Iraq and Syria
By AFP | Ottawa/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/Canada's prime minister-elect Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday he told US President Barack Obama that Canadian fighter jets would withdraw from fighting the ISIS group in Iraq and Syria. But he gave no timeline. “About an hour ago I spoke with President Obama,” Trudeau told a press conference. While Canada remains “a strong member of the coalition against ISIL,” Trudeau said he made clear to the U.S. leader “the commitments I have made around ending the combat mission.” Canada last year deployed CF-18 fighter jets to the region until March 2016, as well as about 70 special forces troops to train Kurds in northern Iraq. During the campaign, Trudeau pledged to bring home the fighter jets and end its combat mission. But he vowed to keep military trainers in place. His new Liberal government will be “moving forward with our campaign commitments in a responsible fashion,” Trudeau said. “We want to ensure that the transition is done in an orderly fashion.”

Iran’s Khamenei endorses nuclear deal
By Staff writer, Al Arabiya News/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/Iran’s supreme leader has endorsed a landmark nuclear deal reached with world powers, but has warned the government to be vigilant, saying the United States “cannot be trusted,” in a letter published on his website.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all major policies in Iran, endorsed the deal in a letter addressed to moderate President Hassan Rowhani that was read on state TV on Wednesday. He said Iran could go ahead but “ambiguities” in the agreement must be guarded against. Khamenei also said U.S. President Barack Obama has sent him two letters assuring him that the U.S. had no intention to topple Iran’s clerical establishment. Khamenei said he had approved the decision of the country’s top security committee, the Supreme National Security Council, to implement the nuclear deal but it must be “tightly controlled” and monitored “to prevent significant damage” to the country’s future. His endorsement comes after his long-absent public approval or rejection of the deal while expressing support for Iran’s negotiators. The agreement reached in July with the U.S., Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany would curb Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of crippling international sanctions. Western nations have long suspected Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons alongside its civilian program, charges rejected by Tehran, which insists its program is entirely peaceful. Iran won’t give up uranium stockpile
In the same time, Khamenei said Iran will not give up its stockpile of enriched uranium or repurpose the heavy water nuclear reactor at Arak until the issue of possible military dimensions (PMDs) to its disputed nuclear program is solved. “Any action regarding Arak and dispatching uranium abroad ... will take place after the PMD file is closed,” he said. (With agencies)'

Abbas calls on Israel to strictly respect Al-Aqsa rules
By AFP | Jerusalem/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called on Israel on Wednesday to strictly respect rules governing Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound, as he met the UN chief on a mission to calm three weeks of unrest. “The continued occupation and aggression against Christian and Muslim holy sites in east Jerusalem, particularly against Al-Aqsa, opens the door to a religious conflict, which has unfortunately started,” Abbas told journalists. “We don’t want it and we are warning over its consequences."

U.N. Security Council to meet on Mideast violence
By AFP | United Nations/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will brief the Security Council on Wednesday on his trip to the Middle East where he is seeking to defuse weeks of violence, diplomats said. Ban made the request to urgently speak to council members by video-conference from the Palestinian West Bank city of Ramallah. The closed-door emergency meeting is scheduled for 1900 GMT. Ban paid a surprise visit to the region on Tuesday to personally deliver a warning to both Israelis and the Palestinians to stand back from a "dangerous abyss." The U.N. chief met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was due to hold talks with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday morning. More than 40 Palestinians, including alleged attackers, have been killed in the upsurge of violence that began at the beginning of the month. Eight Israelis have died in attacks. Ban called for renewed negotiations after the peace process went into a deep freeze last year following the breakdown of a U.S. initiative. "We must, for the future of our children, come back from this dangerous abyss, safeguard the two-state solution, and lead people back to the road toward peace," he said. Ban's report from the region will come on the eve of a ministerial-level debate at the Security Council on the way forward in the Middle East amid fears that the violence could spiral out of control. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will also meet Netanyahu in Germany this week and Abbas later at an unspecified location in the Middle East.

Assad meets Putin in ‘first foreign visit since 2011’
By Agencies/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flew into Moscow on Tuesday for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during which the two men discussed their joint military campaign against Islamist militants in Syria, a Kremlin spokesman said. Assad flew into Moscow on Tuesday for a meeting with Putin during which the two men discussed their joint military campaign against Islamist militants in Syria, a Kremlin spokesman said. Also read: Putin talks with King Salman after Assad meeting. "The president of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar Assad came on a working visit to Moscow yesterday evening and held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin," the spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters. According to Agence France-Presse, this is Assad's "first foreign visit since Syria's war broke out in 2011." (Photo: RIA Novosti) Putin last month received parliamentary approval to launch an air campaign in the war-torn country. News of the meeting between Putin and Assad comes after U.S. and Russian military officials signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday that includes steps their pilots should take to avoid an inadvertent clash over Syria as they carry out separate air strikes against militant groups, the Pentagon said. The issue of aircraft safety started after Russia began bombing targets in Syria last month. Moscow says it is attacking Islamic State, but many of its air strikes have hit territory held by other rebel groups fighting against Russia’s Syrian ally, President Bashar al-Assad. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the full text of the memo would not be released at Russia’s request, but it included specific protocols for air crews to follow, plus the creation of a ground communications link between the two sides in the event air communications fail. Last week, Putin said Russia would not deploy ground troops to Syria, where it has been conducting air strikes against what it says are ISIS targets. “We are not planning on doing this (conducting a ground operation), and our Syrian friends know about this,” Putin said in an interview broadcast on state-run Rossiya-1 television channel. He also said Russia does not want to get involved in an inter-religious war in Syria. He also explained that Russia does not see a difference between Sunni and Shiite groups. Using modern jets and older Soviet aircraft, Russia has bombed command posts and training camps of what it says are radical “terrorists,” backing a ground offensive by Assad’s forces. Putin had also said that Russian operation’s objective was to “stabilize the legitimate authorities and create conditions for finding a political compromise.”Speaking of the weaponry used in the strikes -- including cruise missiles Russia fired from the Caspian Sea at targets more than 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) away -- Putin dismissed the idea that Russia was in an “arms race” with the West. “This is not about an arms race,” he said. “This is about the fact that modern weapons are improving, changing. In other countries, this is happening even faster than here. This is why we have to keep up.”(With Reuters and AFP)

King Salman receives call from Putin
By Staff writer | Al Arabiya News/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/Saudi King Salman received a telephone call on Wednesday, from Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the call, the two leaders discussed the bilateral relations, in addition to the situation in the region and the developments on the regional and international levels.The Kremlin said that Putin spoke with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman after hosting Syria’s embattled leader for key talks the day before, the Kremlin said.Read: Assad meets Putin in ‘first foreign visit since 2011’

Syrian Kurds declare new province
By AFP, Beirut/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/Syria’s Kurds have incorporated a mixed town they captured from ISIS group into territory they claim in the country’s north, a leading party said Wednesday. The move to bring the border town of Tal Abyad into the autonomous administration led by Kurdish forces in the country’s north and northeast comes as the Kurds work increasingly closely with Arab forces against President Bashar al-Assad's regime. According to the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), Tal Abyad’s local council agreed Wednesday their town would be ruled by “autonomous administration, formally part of the autonomous administration in the Kobane canton.” In June, Kurdish forces and their Arab rebel allies expelled ISIS from Tal Abyad, in Syria’s northern Raqa province, after fierce clashes.A local council of Kurds and Arabs has since overseen the town's affairs. Quoted in the PYD’s statement, local official Ferhad Derek said Tal Abyad would become “a model of peaceful coexistence for all the Syrian people.” A Kurdish-led autonomous administration has ruled parts of northern and northeastern Syria since government troops withdrew from majority-Kurdish areas in 2012. The territories are divided into three “cantons,” Jazira in Syria’s northeast, Kobane in the north, and Afrin in the northwest. Kurdish affairs analyst Mutlu Civiroglu told AFP that Kurds, Arabs and others in Tal Abyad had agreed to “democratic autonomy.”“However this does not mean they will be separate, but part of Kobane canton,” he said. Earlier this month, Kurds and allied rebel groups formalized their alliance by announcing a joint military force called the Syrian Democratic Forces, which included Kurds, Arabs, and Syriac Christians.

13 dead as Russia strike hits Syria field hospital
By AFP | Beirut/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/At least 13 people including medical staff were killed when Russian warplanes struck a field hospital in northwestern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Wednesday. “Thirteen people were killed in Russian air strikes on Tuesday on a field clinic in the town of Sarmin, including a physiotherapist, a guard, and civil defence member,” the Observatory’s Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. Sarmin lies in the northwestern province of Idlib, which has been regularly targeted by Russia’s military since the beginning of its air war in Syria on September 30. The clinic was run by the Syrian-American Medical Society, whose staff confirmed that strikes had “severely damaged” the facility. “Yesterday at around 1:00 pm (1000 GMT) a SAMS facility near Sarmin, Idlib was hit,” a SAMS staff member told AFP. “Our initial reports from the ground show that we have lost two hospital staff, a physiotherapist and a nurse,” the staffer said in an emailed statement. Speaking on condition of anonymity, she did not specify whether the strikes were conducted by Russian warplanes. Russia’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that its armed forces had targeted Sarmin, but did not mention the hospital.
Russia has conducted more than 500 strikes against what it says are Islamic State group fighters. But Moscow has come under fire for targeting non-extremist groups and inflicting civilian casualties. On Tuesday, the Observatory said at least 127 of the 370 killed so far in Russia’s aerial war are civilians. It documented Russian bombardment of field hospitals in coastal Latakia and central Hama on October 2. In an online statement, SAMS said Russian air strikes the same day hit a field hospital it operated in Hama, “causing severe damage to the facility” and wounding staff. Journalist and activist Maamun al-Khatib told AFP that Russian raids had struck two hospitals in the northern province of Aleppo in the past week. More than 250,000 people have been killed since Syria’s conflict began in March 2011, and more than 11 million people have been forced to flee their homes.

Qatar says it could intervene militarily in Syria
By Reuters, AFP | Dubai/Moscow/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/Qatar, a major supporter of rebels in Syria’s civil war, suggested it could intervene militarily following Russia’s intervention in support of President Bashar al-Assad but said it still preferred a political solution to the crisis. The comments by Qatar’s foreign minister, made in a CNN interview on Wednesday, drew a swift reply from Assad’s government with a senior official warning that Damascus would respond harshly to such “direct aggression”. Gulf Arab backers of Syrian rebels such as Qatar have been unsettled by Russia’s three-week-old air strike campaign that has allowed Assad’s forces to wrest back some territory to help secure his strongholds in western Syria. Qatar has been a leading supporter of anti-Assad rebel groups, providing arms and financial and political backing. Asked by CNN if Qatar supported the Saudi position that does not rule out a military option in Syria as a result of Russia’s intervention, Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah said: “Anything that protects the Syrian people and Syria from partition, we will not spare any effort to carry it out with our Saudi and Turkish brothers, no matter what this is. “If a military intervention will protect the Syrian people from the brutality of the regime, we will do it,” he added, according to a text in Arabic carried by Qatar’s state news agency QNA. His comments were also carried on CNN’s Arabic website. In response, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad was quoted by Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen television as saying: “If Qatar carries out its threat to militarily intervene in Syria, then we will consider this a direct aggression ... Our response will be very harsh.” Attiyah also said Qatar preferred to solve regional crises through direct political dialogue. “We do not fear any confrontation, and thus we will call for dialogue from a position of strength because we believe in peace and the shortest path to peace is through direct dialogue.” Qatar is a small but wealthy gas exporter that played a major role in supporting Islamist opposition groups during Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 in Libya and Syria.
Lavrov and Kerry to discuss Syria
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet on Friday in Vienna to discuss the Syrian conflict together with their counterparts from Turkey and Saudi Arabia, Moscow said Wednesday. Russia’s foreign ministry made the announcement after a phone call between Lavrov and Kerry and following the surprise visit by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Moscow on Tuesday. “The main focus was the situation in Syria in the context of preparations for the meeting between the (Russian) minister and Secretary of State in Vienna on October 23 where they will be joined by Saudi and Turkish foreign ministers,” the ministry said in a statement. Moscow also said that Lavrov proposed that a meeting of the “Quartet” of Middle East peace mediators -- Russia, the United States, the European Union and United Nations -- be held the same day, given the “extremely tense situation” in the Middle East.

U.S., Russia sign memo to avoid clashes in air over Syria
By Reuters | Washington/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/U.S. and Russian military officials signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday that includes steps their pilots should take to avoid an inadvertent clash over Syria as they carry out separate air strikes against militant groups, the Pentagon said. The issue of aircraft safety started after Russia began bombing targets in Syria last month. Moscow says it is attacking Islamic State, but many of its air strikes have hit territory held by other rebel groups fighting against Russia’s Syrian ally, President Bashar al-Assad. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the full text of the memo would not be released at Russia’s request, but it included specific protocols for air crews to follow, plus the creation of a ground communications link between the two sides in the event air communications fail. Earlier this month the Pentagon said U.S.-led coalition aircrafts bombing Islamic State in Syria were re-routed at least once to avoid a close encounter with Russian planes. “The U.S. and Russia will form a working group to discuss any implementation issues that follow,” Cook said during a press briefing. Cook told reporters later the memo was signed for the U.S. side by Army General Lloyd Austin, the head of U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. forces in the Middle East region. He said the document called for U.S. and Russian aircraft to maintain a safe distance, but he declined to be more specific about whether the protocols included specific distances. He added that the agreement covered coalition aircraft. Coalition members include Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. “The fact that we have had to resort to a memorandum of understanding…gives you an indication of our concern about Russia’s activities but (also) our willingness to work with the Russians when it’s in our own interest,” Cook said. The U.S. State Department said the agreement is only about keeping pilots safe. “It’s not a treaty of cooperation or anything like that ... It doesn’t connote cooperation or coordination or joint targeting,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said. On Tuesday Moscow said it had received a memorandum from the U.S. military on preventing mid-air incidents over Syria.

Russia, U.S. sign ‘memorandum’ on air safety over Syria
By AFP, Moscow/Tuesday, 20 October 2015/The United States and Russia have signed a memorandum of understanding that establishes air safety measures so pilots from the two countries steer clear of each other as they conduct separate bombing campaigns, the Pentagon said Tuesday. “With today’s signatures, the memorandum of understanding is now in effect,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook told reporters. “That was signed a short time ago, earlier today.” Separately, Russian media reported that the memorandum had been signed by officials in Moscow and the United States. “The memorandum contains a number of rules and restrictions aimed at preventing incidents between American and Russian plans,” Deputy Defense Minister, Anatoly Antonov said, according to Ria-Novosti. Russia asked for “deconfliction” talks with the United States after Moscow began bombing Syria on September 30. The United States is leading a 60-plus member coalition targeting Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria and has been carrying out frequent raids for more than a year. Russia also claims to be targeting ISIS and other “terrorists” but the Pentagon says it is hitting non-ISIS rebels fighting government forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Germany stresses holocaust responsibility after Netanyahu’s claim
AFP, Berlin/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/Germany on Wednesday stressed its inherent responsibility in the Holocaust, after Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu stirred controversy over his claim a Palestinian leader gave Hitler the idea of exterminating Jews. Asked to comment on Netanyahu’s allegation, government spokesman Steffen Seibert said he would not speak directly on the claim. But he added: “I can speak for the federal government, that we Germans recognize that the murderous racial fanaticism of the Nazis was the historical origin of ... the Shoah. “I see no reason to change our view of history in any way. We know of the inherent German responsibility in these crimes against humanity,” he added, just hours before Netanyahu was to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. In a speech on Tuesday, Netanyahu suggested that Hitler was not planning to exterminate the Jews until he met Palestinian nationalist Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, in 1941. “Hitler didn’t want to exterminate the Jews at the time. He wanted to expel the Jews,” Netanyahu told the World Zionist Congress. “And Haj Amin al-Husseini went to Hitler and said: 'If you expel them, they’ll all come here.’ ‘So what should I do with them?’ he asked. He said: ‘Burn them.’”Netanyahu on Wednesday backtracked on the claim, denying that he was exonerating Hitler of the responsibility for the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were slaughtered.

King Salman calls for Arab-South American summit
By Staff writer | Al Arabiya News/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz has called on Arab leaders to attend the Fourth Summit of Arab-South American countries set to be held in Riyadh next month. The king sent invitations to Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and Yemen's President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi to attend, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Summit of South American-Arab Countries is a bi-regional mechanism for cooperation and political coordination, which gathers the 22 member-states of the Arab League and the 12 countries of South America. It was first created after being proposed by Brazil and held its first meeting in 2005 in Brasilia. A second summit was held in Doha, Qatar, in 2009 and the last time in Lima, Peru, in October 2012.

Abdullah bin Faisal named new Saudi ambassador to Washington
Staff writer, Al Arabiya News/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/Saudi Arabia on Wednesday appointed Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki as its new ambassador to Washington, filling the post which was vacant for seven months, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. Prince Abdullah’s predecessor was Adel Jubeir, who vacated his post after becoming the Saudi foreign minister in April 29. The 64-year-old new ambassador is also an engineer and was the head of the state-owned Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) since 2000. On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia also announced the appointment of other ambassadors to other countries including Jordan, France, Germany and the Maldives. For his part, a former and close colleague, who has previously worked with Prince Abdullah for two years during the later tenure at SAGIA, describes the new ambassador as “open-minded, well-read and up to date on global trends and global affairs.” “The prince is extremely knowledgeable in the area of public diplomacy, he is a man who believes in international relations and is able to build fantastic ties with both organizations such as think-tanks, academic institutions and individuals such as diplomats, intellectuals and writers,” he said. “He (Prince Abdullah) is also keen on showing the cultural side of the country and is known to be very passionate about these aspects,” he added.

Iraqi PM faces pressure to seek Russian strikes
By Ahmed Rasheed and Saif Hameed | Reuters, Baghdad/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/Iraq’s ruling alliance and powerful Shiite militias have urged Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to request Russian air strikes on Islamic State militants, who control large parts of the country, members of the coalition and militias told Reuters. Growing pressure on Abadi to seek Russian support puts him in the delicate position of trying to appease his ruling coalition, as well as militias seen as a bulwark against Islamic State, while keeping strategic ally Washington on his side. America’s top general, Joseph Dunford, said on a trip to Baghdad on Tuesday that the United States won assurances from Iraq that it would not seek such strikes. Dunford, on his first visit to Iraq since becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Oct. 1, said Abadi and Iraqi Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi both told him they were not seeking Russia’s help. Former Cold War foes the United States and Russia are waging rival campaigns of air strikes in Syria. Speculation has grown that Russia could expand its campaign to Iraq, where Abadi and the Iranian-backed militias have expressed frustration with the pace and depth of the U.S. campaign against Islamic State.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flew to Moscow on Tuesday evening to thank Russia’s Vladimir Putin for his military support, in a surprise visit that underlined how Russia has become a major player in the Middle East. Two members of parliament said the prime minister was under “tremendous pressure” from the ruling National Alliance to request Russian intervention. Iraq received over $20 billion in U.S. military training since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 but its army virtually collapsed when Islamic State fighters swept through the north last year and made gains in the west. U.S.-led air strikes have failed to turn the tide in the war against the ultra-hardline Sunni militants who have declared a caliphate and want to redraw the map of the Middle East. MPs and alliance members said an official request for Russian air strikes was relayed to Abadi last week and that he has not officially responded. “Abadi told the meeting parties that it wasn't the right time to include the Russians in the fight because that would only complicate the situation with the Americans and could have undesired consequences even on long-term future relations with America,” said a senior Shi'ite politician close to Abadi. Abadi’s spokesman said he has not discussed air strikes with Russia. At the same time he was “not ruling out any side that could provide support to Iraq,” Saad al-Hadithi said. During his visit, Dunford pledged to seek new ways to build momentum against Islamic State and challenged descriptions of the conflict as a stalemate, after an advance which secured most of the strategic Baiji oil refinery. Russia, Iran, Syria and Iraq have formed a Baghdad-based intelligence cell to boost efforts to counter Islamic State. The cell has already shared intelligence for air strikes in Iraq and Syria. Karim al-Nuri, a Badr Brigade spokesman, said an Iranian member of the intelligence-sharing cell had helped in the Baiji refinery operation. That account was confirmed by an official from the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia. The U.S.-led coalition said in a statement it had conducted more than 130 air strikes to support operations around Baiji since Aug. 1 and said its relationship with Iraq “is as strong as ever.”Muen al-Kadhimi, a senior aide to the leader of the Badr Brigade militia, said Russia had proven more decisive in its air campaign in Syria than the Americans so it was only natural to seek Moscow’s help in Iraq.

World health chief says U.S., Saudi discussing MERS vaccine
By Reuters | Geneva/Wednesday, 21 October 2015/The United States and Saudi Arabia may prepare a vaccine for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) to try and head off the next outbreak of the disease, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. Margaret Chan said Saudi Health Minister Khaled al-Falih was discussing this with U.S. public health officials. “They communicated and looked at collaboration and to see whether we can, in terms of preparedness, get some vaccines ready in advance of another MERS outbreak,” Chan told reporters. MERS has killed at least 571 of 1,595 people infected since September 2012, mainly in Saudi Arabia. There are currently no licensed vaccines available for MERS. In July, researchers trying to develop a vaccine in the United States said they had early signs of success in animal experiments. Al-Falih, who also heads the Saudi national oil company, was “much more forthcoming” than Riyadh had been in the past, Chan said, and had $70 million for research that would help fill the many gaps in the science of MERS. The facts behind the coronavirus that causes MERS have been slow to emerge, partly due to a secretive response in Saudi Arabia. But scientists do know that it is similar to the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed around 800 people worldwide in 2002-2003. But many questions remained, she stressed: “Is it just in camels? Or in other animals? Is there an available early version of the vaccine, where more work needs to be done? Do we need a vaccine for camels? These are questions we are discussing.”“We’re making baby steps,” Chan said. The WHO director-general said she also worried about other diseases including the flu strains H5N1 and H7N9. The transmission of MERS in Saudi hospitals and a MERS outbreak in South Korea showed that infection control standards were not being adhered to, she said, adding this was one of many examples of countries not sticking to their promises. Many MERS patients have been health workers who caught the disease when sufferers came to hospital for treatment. Chan contrasted this to the record of the more than 1,000 Chinese doctors who went to treat Ebola in West Africa, none of whom caught Ebola. “They were using the WHO guidelines on infection control. And yet we see so many countries with infected people who we had to evacuate,” she said.

Reflections on the Canadian elections
Tarek Fatah/Toronto Sun/Tuesday, October 20, 2015
“Liberals win in Canada, flags at half mast in Tel-Aviv.
1. They lost Harper — their most vocal supporter in the West
2. They lost Mulcair — their second most vocal supporter whose Jewish wife never fails to invoke Holocaust every other second.” A new dawn may have arisen over Canada with the election of Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau and the end of the Stephen Harper decade. But does this mean the end of Canada’s war against ISIS? Those who ran Trudeau’s campaign and marketed this young, handsome man as the future of the country must be congratulated for a brilliant and near flawless operation. Trudeau deserves recognition as a tireless campaigner, who did not falter under a relentless Conservative attack depicting him as “just not ready” for the job. He had to prove otherwise and he did. The Conservatives were caught flat-footed, unable to match the Liberals’ clever ad campaign, particularly the one starring former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion, staring into the camera and declaring: “Stephen, do I look scared to you?” Another woman from Mississauga also threw a monkey wrench into the election works. Niqabi Zunera Ishaq, originally from Pakistan, took on the Conservative government over the niqab issue, but instead pulled the carpet out from under NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair.
Mulcair’s defence of her right to wear the niqab’s face veil while taking the oath of citizenship shocked secular Quebecers, and was one of the reasons they abandoned the NDP in droves. Mulcair could’ve been Canada’s first NDP prime minister. But he gave away a kingdom for a niqab, undermining his party’s political fortunes in the province that was the source of its greatest political strength. While Liberals celebrate victory, Conservatives mourn losing the government and New Democrats recover from the shock of dropping from official opposition to third place, an air of despondency hangs over another group of Canadians. They are immigrants to Canada who are ridiculed for being obsessed with the threat Islamism poses to Canada and the West, and whose opinions are dismissed by Canada’s chattering classes. Monday night, some of them gathered in Toronto to watch the results, and as the red Liberal wave swept across the Atlantic provinces, the shock on their faces could not be concealed by their forced smiles. “Does this mean our CF-18s are coming home?” one woman asked, referring to Canada’s military mission in the war against ISIS. No one answered but her concern was justified.
The Liberals pledged to withdraw Canada from the fight against ISIS and to defend the right of Islamists and other Muslims to wear the niqab. In his caucus, Trudeau has Iranian-born members who want to re-establish Canada’s relations with Iran and Pakistan-born MPs who want to forge a closer relationship between Trudeau and the military generals of Pakistan. Tuesday morning saw a mass e-mail, authors unknown, sent out to many in Canada’s Islamic community stating:
“Liberals win in Canada, flags at half mast in Tel-Aviv.
1. They lost Harper — their most vocal supporter in the West
2. They lost Mulcair — their second most vocal supporter whose Jewish wife never fails to invoke Holocaust every other second.”
My hope is some Liberal MPs of stature will resist this appeal to the latent anti-Semitism that resides in the hearts of many. Men such as former Toronto Police chief Bill Blair, Toronto Centre MP Bill Morneau and Canada’s first-ever Somali-Canadian MP, Ahmad Hussen from York-South Weston, are just three who give me hope some Liberals MPs will resist moves to pull Canada out of the war against ISIS.

What’s so special about Iran’s latest missile?
Abbas Qaidaari/Al-Monitor/October 21/15
TEHRAN, Iran — Last week, Iran’s Ministry of Defense managed to successfully test-fire its Emad medium-range ballistic missile. According to Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan, “This is the first ballistic missile developed by Iran that can be precision-guided until it reaches its target.” A few days later, for the first time, Iran’s state television broadcast a report on one of Iran’s biggest underground storage sites for Shahab ballistic missiles.Considering the imminent implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action struck between Iran and six world powers, the two moves are a sign that Tehran wants to flaunt its military might and determination to expand its military power. The Emad launch was Iran's first ballistic missile test since the nuclear agreement was concluded. According to the JCPOA, Iran is not allowed to improve and test medium-range ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads. Iranian officials do not, however, interpret the rule as a restriction on its missile arsenal, arguing that the weapons are not designed to carry an atomic payload. Indeed, they have continuously talked about Iran’s right to expand its military capabilities, including its missile program. Along this vein, 220 parliament members have published a statement emphasizing that the Islamic Republic believes it has the right to expand its missile capabilities, and that the nuclear agreement cannot become an obstacle to such expansion. Indeed, senior nuclear negotiator and Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has stated that it is Iran’s fundamental right to reasonably expand its defense and missile capabilities, and that in doing so, it will not violate any of its obligations under the JCPOA.
Nonetheless, US officials have reacted to the recent missile test as a violation of Iran’s obligations. President Barack Obama stated that the nuclear deal “does not fully resolve all areas of dispute with Tehran. And so we are going to have to continue to put pressure on them through the international community.” Moreover, UN Ambassador Samantha Power said Oct. 16, “The United States is deeply concerned about Iran's recent ballistic missile launch. After reviewing the available information, we can confirm that Iran launched on Oct. 10 a medium-range ballistic missile inherently capable of delivering a nuclear weapon. … This was a clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1929.” Meanwhile, the French Foreign Ministry published a statement emphasizing that Iran's ballistic missile test was a violation of a UN Security Council resolution and sends "a worrying message."
While neither US nor European officials have stated that Iran’s missile test violates the JCPOA, it appears that Iran and the world powers continue to have serious disagreements regarding the Iranian missile program. From Tehran’s perspective, only the installation of equipment to accommodate a nuclear warhead means that a missile is designed to carry nuclear warheads. For the United States, the criteria is whether the missile has the potential to carry an atomic payload.
How is the Emad different from other Iranian-made missiles?
Although Iranian military officials have not yet officially announced the range of the Emad, some Iranian news agencies have reported it as 1,700 kilometers (1,000 miles). Its fuel type has not yet been announced either, but it can be determined — based on footage of its firing — that its engine runs on liquid fuel. Liquid-fuel missiles are a fraction of the cost of solid-fuel missiles to produce. It thus appears that because of the economic restrictions of the past few years, and after many years of testing solid-fuel missiles, Iran has decided to once again produce liquid-fuel missiles.
The Emad has a single-stage design and its new warhead distinguishes it from the more prominent Shahab-3 ballistic missile. Most of Iran's medium-range ballistic missiles can carry payloads of between 700 and 1,000 kilograms (1,500-2,200 pounds). Considering the size and possible range of the Emad, this liquid-fuel missile can likely carry a warhead weighing about 750 kilograms (1,700 pounds). When one carefully reviews the images captured of the warhead, one can see that there are winglets designed to increase the missile’s precision. Moreover, if the winglets are in fact aerodynamic, they can be guided as well. However, since Iran does not have geostationary military satellites, it is not capable of guiding ballistic missiles over a long distance, as it by default uses the American global positioning system. In the event of a war between Iran and the United States — or Iran and Israel — the Pentagon could disable the global navigation system. Therefore, considering that Iran does not have its own satellite system and does not use the Russian GLONASS, it is possible that the Emad will be guided via radio from Iran’s military stations or its unmanned aerial vehicles in Syria and Lebanon.
The earlier successful testing and mass production of solid-fuel, two-stage ballistic missiles such as the Sejjil are considered a huge technological leap for Iran. However, the fact that Iran has decided to once again produce liquid-fuel missiles shows that there are probably enough solid-fuel missiles stored in silos to allow Iran to react quickly in time of war. Tehran can thus benefit from less expensive liquid-fuel missiles in the second phase of any hypothetical war. In conclusion, as far as aerodynamic and technical characteristics are concerned, the Emad shares many similarities with Iran’s earlier Qader, Shahab and Sejjil missiles. This lack of change shows that Tehran has not progressed beyond the North Korean Nodong and the Soviet Union Scud missiles. Although Iran has showcased many different types of ballistic missiles in the past few years, none of them are technologically noteworthy when it comes to structural design. This observation suggests that Iran has mastered the available technology, but has been somehow stopped from expanding its ability to produce other types of ballistic missiles with different platforms.

Iraqi Kurdistan's brewing crisis
Mahmut Bozarslan/Al-Monitor/October 21/15
Demonstrations turned violent earlier this month as thousands of people protested the dire economic situation in Iraqi Kurdistan, with many demanding that Massoud Barzani step down as regional president.
Developments that brought the Kurdish region to this crisis situation began when Barzani's term officially ended Aug. 20, but the Ministry of Justice extended his tenure until 2017. That solved a political issue, but it did not end political squabbling. Leaders tried to resolve the issue by holding meetings of all parties represented in the parliament.
But before a solution was found, strikes and demonstrations began.
Earlier this month, as Sulaimaniyah province was hosting one of those meetings — the ninth — schoolteachers who had not been paid for three months walked off their jobs.
A group protested in front of the hotel where the meeting was being held, and police used force to prevent the demonstrators from entering the building. The group then resorted to a sit-in. As this was going on, health workers in the Iraqi Kurdistan capital, Erbil, walked off their jobs.
The protests that began in Sulaimaniyah ​quickly spread. Strikes and street demonstrations became commonplace. The next day at Kaladize, demonstrations turned violent. The office of Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was set on fire. Three people were killed and 20 wounded in the clashes between demonstrators and security. Before Kaladize calmed down, street protests erupted in the center of Sulaimaniyah and in the towns of Ranya, Kelar, Pencewin, Halepce and Koysancak. The Kurdish region, which is not accustomed to popular protests, was facing major demonstrations. KDP offices were the main targetsin many places; some were set on fire, and the police saved others. The Islamic Komal and Yekgirtu parties were also targeted.
Several days of clashes ended with five deaths and about 200 wounded. The headquarters of Rudaw, the largest media outfit in the region, suffered an armed attack.
Street protests and violence amplified the political crisis. Most of the demonstrators were Gorran Movement for Change partisans, which brought Gorran and the KDP into confrontation. The KDP accused Gorran of being responsible, while Gorran blamed the KDP.
Party rhetoric escalated tension, which climbed yet another notch when parliamentary speaker Yusuf Muhammed, a Gorran member, was not allowed to enter Erbil. A KDP official claimed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants were among the demonstrators. While efforts were being made to resolve the crisis, Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani of the KDP removed four Gorran ministers from his Cabinet.
Mehmet Oguz, editor of Turkish media portal Rudaw Media Group, told Al-Monitor the central government in Baghdad's refusal to pay the budget share of the Kurdistan region, combined with clashes with the Islamic State (IS) and the influx of refugees, has made life difficult for the Kurdish government. He said with declining oil prices, oil exports were not a solution. He added, "When Gorran was established, their slogan was 'A social and just government.' Its position against corruption and income inequality made it popular, and it quickly became the main opposition. But in the last term, although it became a coalition partner, it did not deliver its promises. It couldn’t have. It started losing popularity and thought it could make up for it with street actions.”
Oguz noted that the traditionally good relations between Sulaimaniyah and Tehran also played a role in the crisis.
“I think we have key problems of corruption and income distribution in the region," he said. "All political parties are responsible. Gorran was represented by five ministers in the government, plus they had the parliamentary speaker post. How can one explain their efforts to expel the main partner of the coalition from the area, and threatening it with lynching, while we are surrounded by enemies?”
According to political analyst Siddik Hassan Sukru, who lives in Erbil, the crisis is caused by a deficiency in democracy. Answering Al-Monitor’s questions, Sukru claimed there are efforts to splinter the region. “Developments in the Middle East, the situation of Iraq and Kurdistan do not permit a return to dual governance, although there is heavy international pressure to do so. The US and Europe have high hopes for Kurdistan because it is fighting IS. They think Kurds can bring democracy and freedom to the Middle East. This region needs democratic culture more than money, guns and oil. Europe hopes that Kurdistan could be the primer of such a culture in the region. Kurdish intellectuals and politicians will not allow splitting Kurdistan and fratricide.”
Sukru said the United States and Europe have to intervene in the crisis. “America has to bring pressure,” said Sukru. “They are giving weapons to Kurdish parties. This could be one reason for the crisis. The party with heavier weapons could be a threat to others. Don’t forget that until today, there hasn’t been any state institution in Kurdistan. Everything was done by political parties. One party can instruct the police to prevent a minister from coming to his ministry. This is unprecedented. … The US and Europe have to press political parties to refrain from threatening others and claiming the upper hand. The US should tell them clearly that it is giving those guns to Kurds to fight IS, not each other.”
Economic problems in the region go back to 2014 when Baghdad stopped paying its agreed contribution to the Kurdish regional budget and accused the Kurds of exporting their own oil in violation of agreements. The economic situation worsened with IS attacks. Although Baghdad and Erbil reached an agreement on oil, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the government did not have enough funds and delayed sending a reduced Kurdish share. The Kurdish government responded by exporting its own oil. But when oil prices dropped to $50 a barrel, the Kurdish budget and income calculations were disrupted. That is why the salaries went unpaid.
The economic crisis is really biting, especially considering that more than 1 million people of a total population of more than 7 million live on government salaries.
***Mahmut Bozarslan is based in Diyarbakir, the central city of Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast. A journalist since 1996, he has worked for the mass-circulation daily Sabah, the NTV news channel, Al Jazeera Turk and Agence France-Presse (AFP), covering the many aspects of the Kurdish question, as well as the local economy and women’s and refugee issues. He has frequently reported also from Iraqi Kurdistan.

Fatah official: Palestinians have nothing to lose
Mohammed Najib/Al-Monitor/October 21/15
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Maj. Gen. Jibril Rajoub, the deputy secretary of Fatah’s Central Committee, said in an interview with Al-Monitor that the level of conflict with Israel has reached a point of no return. He described the ongoing violent clashes in the Palestinian territories as a popular struggle facing state as well as non-state terrorism by the Israeli army and settlers, with most of the victims of the clashes being children and civilians.The full text of the interview with the former head of the Preventive Security Force in the West Bank and former national security adviser to President Mahmoud Abbas follows:
Al-Monitor: Israel is being accused of working to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque in time and area between Muslims and Jews, as it did with the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron in 1994. What is your position regarding the issue of division? And what can the Palestinian Authority and the Fatah movement do to thwart the attempt? Do you expect the outbreak of a third intifada in the West Bank and East Jerusalem because of developments in Al-Aqsa and the closed political horizon for the Palestinians and the deteriorating economic conditions? Will it be peaceful or armed?
Rajoub: The Al-Aqsa issue will lead to an explosion of the situation and a regional war. These are Islamic sanctities, which Israel must not come near or touch. But this Israeli government is racist and fascist. The Palestinians are offering their blood in defense of Al-Aqsa. The PA is moving politically and diplomatically. Everything is being reconsidered now.
There is nothing called a third or fourth intifada. I reject this Israeli expression. If what’s meant is the degree of contradiction between us and the occupation, then this is present every day and in all aspects of life. There is a contradiction and a clash, and these are two constant elements. But today, the pace has heated up because of the intensification of aggression, whether on the subject of the holy sites, the killings and attacks on citizens or the expansion of settlements. The clash with the occupation has become the rule, and it may turn violent because of Israeli violence, since the one initiating and escalating the violence is the Israeli side.
Al-Monitor: What are the possible means that can be used to deter the violent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank? Does Fatah support the formation of armed or unarmed popular protection committees?
Rajoub: It is the Israelis’ responsibility [to rein in the attackers]. But it is clear that support and financing [for the attackers] are happening through the Israeli army and the government. We have decided to form and monitor “guard committees” and to have guard teams in each isolated and remote area to confront [the attackers]. But I assert that the settlers will not terrorize us and we will not leave the country because of abuse or killing. All the victims so far have been children and innocent people.
Al-Monitor: Do you think that we will see before the end of 2015 the implementation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization's decision to halt all kinds of security cooperation with Israel?
Rajoub: A decision was taken by the PLO’s Central Council to review the bilateral relationship with Israel as the Oslo Accord has security, political, economic and legal ramifications and the Israeli side did not commit to any of those agreements. So the Central Council has decided to review them. This review may take place in one or two months. But we have decided to review the bilateral relationship in all its security and non-security aspects with Israel.
Al-Monitor: After the passage of 22 years since the signing of the Oslo Accord, some assert that it has failed. President Abbas said in a recent speech before the United Nations General Assembly that the Palestinian side is considering not implementing the terms of the agreement, saying, “We cannot continue to be bound by these agreements signed with Israel.” Do you think that [the agreement] has failed? What are the reasons for the failure of the first and second Oslo Accords? What are the implications of the failure of the agreement on the ground?
Rajoub: First, the core of the Oslo Accord for Palestinians is that it provides international and Israeli recognition for the existence of a Palestinian national political entity, and this is still in effect. The Israeli side, especially the right wing, is to blame for what happened because it is the one able to [give or withhold concessions]. By assassinating [Prime Minister] Yitzhak Rabin, [the right wing] intended to end the accord and the reconciliation process between Palestinians and Israelis. The subsequent behavior — expanding the settlements, imposing geographic and demographic facts on the ground and strangling the Palestinians — is the reason why 22 years later there’s still no historic reconciliation between the two peoples based on two states for two peoples, mutual recognition and normal relations based on the 1967 borders, as well as security arrangements.
Rabin’s assassination has been a source of horror for the policies and performance of all subsequent Israeli governments, even if some of them intended to achieve peace with the Palestinians.
The failure of the Oslo Accord means nothing. We Palestinians have nothing to lose. All we have is this country. It is the Israelis who must think and realize that their future and the future of their country is in danger, and that there is an international consensus that they are criminals and racists, and that there is a great degree of contradiction between their behavior on one hand and their interests and the world’s interests and values on the other. Israel has become isolated and it must worry. We Palestinians have nothing to lose except the occupation and the suffering, and in my opinion this is not a loss.
Al-Monitor: The current Israeli government considers President Abbas a partner in security coordination but not in any future peace negotiations. Benjamin Netanyahu responded to President Abbas’ speech at the UN by saying that President Abbas has no intention of reaching a peace agreement. What is your opinion in this regard?
Rajoub: President Abbas is not a partner in security coordination nor in the destruction of the peace process. He is the Palestinian leader with a consistent and clear position. Oslo is the progeny of President Abbas. He believes in peaceful resistance and is against the use of violence. Therefore, it is the Israelis who are not a partner, especially this government that mostly consists of settlers, wants a united Jerusalem, wants to have settlements on the entire West Bank and does not recognize the existence of a Palestinian political entity in their programs and in their behavior on the ground. So they can complain about Abbas as much as they please. The current Israeli government is trying to politically assassinate President Abbas through absurd claims against him.
Al-Monitor: What are the expected scenarios if President Abbas resigns before a presidential election? Do you favor appointing a deputy as president of the state of Palestine or his deputy as the president of Fatah or the PLO?
Rajoub: According to the Fatah movement’s bylaws, the Central Committee has elected a deputy to Fatah’s current president and will elect a deputy to Fatah’s president in any future elections. Regarding the appointment of a deputy chairman to the PLO and PA, this has to do with the Palestinian Constitution.
Al-Monitor: Will the elections of the seventh Fatah congress happen on schedule on Nov. 29, 2015? And if that takes place, what do you expect from them? Will President Abbas himself run again in those elections? And how will the election of a new Fatah leadership be reflected on the movement, which is experiencing weakness and decline on the Palestinian street?
Rajoub: As of now, we’re heading toward holding elections in Fatah. I don’t know whether President Abbas will run in the elections. But I believe that President Abbas’ presence is still a Palestinian, regional and international interest and necessity. The Fatah elections will produce a leadership within the power balance and circumstances we live in. The elected leadership will prepare a work program.
Al-Monitor: What qualities should the next Palestinian presidential candidate have? Do you intend to nominate yourself for the job if a presidential election takes place?
Rajoub: From my perspective, I wish that the next president of the state of Palestine would come from the Fatah movement, that he’s convincing to the street, is capable of leading Palestine toward independence and the establishment of a Palestinian state, that his personality is acceptable to all Palestinians and that he constitutes a common denominator to all the political forces. I’m not a candidate for any office. And my ambition is to witness the independence of my people and their liberation from occupation.
Al-Monitor: What are the implications of the declining status of the Palestinian issue on the Arab and international agenda, and how does it impact your plans for steadfastness, survival and freedom from Israeli occupation?
Rajoub: The Palestinian cause will remain the key to regional stability and world peace. It might be in a period of decline here and there, but it remains the largest urgent problem that needs to be resolved. Resolving it would be the beginning of achieving regional stability because confronting all manifestations of extremism is linked to Palestine. The Arabs have not abandoned us. Palestine continues to be a central cause even though some Arab states are passing through internal crises and challenges.
Al-Monitor: Why has Fatah so far failed to achieve reconciliation with Hamas? Are you afraid that Hamas would increase its presence and strength in the West Bank at the expense of the declining power and popularity of the Fatah movement?
Rajoub: Fatah did not fail in achieving reconciliation; Hamas does not want reconciliation. If reconciliation takes place through democratic elections, then Fatah has no problem with Hamas or others. But we will not allow Hamas to carry out a coup in the West Bank. If Hamas’ popularity in the West Bank is translated through the ballot box, then Fatah has no problem with that because we consider Hamas a part of the Palestinian national fabric. We wish for Hamas to cut its ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and to think and act as a Palestinian movement.
Al-Monitor: President Abbas sent a Palestinian official to visit Iran months before resuming relations with it. What is the purpose of the rapprochement with Iran, which has supported your rivals, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, militarily, financially and politically? Has Tehran responded to your requests for improved relations?
Rajoub: We consider Iran to be a major regional player. After the nuclear deal, Iran became a regional superpower and we should have a relationship with it. We are interested in developing our relationship.
Al-Monitor: What are your political readings and expectations regarding the Palestinian situation in the next six months? What are you most worried about?
Rajoub: The Palestinian situation is very difficult, but we have no choice but to stand fast and face the challenge. We don’t have a homeland other than this country, which we will not leave. I hope that the Israelis review [their positions] and understand that they pose a threat to regional stability and world peace with their aggressive and racist policies against the Palestinian people. What worries me more is the continuation of the division between Fatah and Hamas. National unity with a political program based on a unified command, nation and cause would encircle Israel amid this regional and international climate rejecting Israeli policies.
**Mohammed Najib is a journalist, war correspondent and defense analyst based in Ramallah, Palestine. He reports and writes on the Middle East region for leading newspapers and journals like The Jerusalem Post, Yomiuri Shimbon, Le Monde, Special Operations Report, the Wall Street Journal and Jane’s Information Group.

Israelis, Palestinians head down French path to nowhere
Akiva Eldar/Al-Monitor/October 21/15
The French initiative to deploy an international observer force on the Temple Mount, as reported Oct. 17 in the French daily Le Figaro, brings to mind an old English joke about an initiative to change the driving directions in the United Kingdom and adapt them to those of most of the Western world. At a British government debate on the matter, one of the ministers said that such a revolution should be implemented gradually and not imposed on the public in one fell swoop. To start with, only trucks would drive on the right side of the road, then buses and taxis. If the experiment was successful, the change would be applied to all vehicles.Until the last visit by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius to Jerusalem and Ramallah in June, France was leading a strategic move at the UN Security Council for recognition of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital. But instead of leveraging the current crisis of the stabbing intifada to advance a permanent arrangement between Israelis and Palestinians, Paris is offering the sides another short-acting sedative.
The English joke is also apt for the current mediation attempt by US Secretary of State John Kerry. Instead of pulling out a plan to resolve the conflict, he turns the world’s strongest power into a fire brigade band. “The administration’s main aim right now is to return the dangerous genie to the bottle that [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu — in their eyes — failed to close in time,” wrote Haaretz US correspondent Chemi Shalev on Oct. 18. “Among people close to the administration there are those who are even toying with the idea of using the crisis as leverage to relaunch some kind of peace process," Shalev added. “For now such offers are mostly being greeted with amused sighs of despair.”
If there are any Israelis and Palestinians who still believe or hope that the international community will extricate them from the occupation and diplomatic freeze, they will not be amused by the failed French idea and the US attempt to manage the crisis. On the other hand, this illustration of US and French ineptitude is expected to increase the despair, which in turn could result in intensified violence. Just one year ago, on Oct. 12, 2014, Kerry suggested to a reporter at a news conference that the Arab Peace Initiative could serve “in one form or another” as the basis for negotiations. He was referring to the 2002 plan proposed by the Arab League for peace and normalization with Israel — in return for the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders.
On Nov. 13, 2014, Kerry was called upon to put out the latest fire that had broken out on the Temple Mount and spread throughout East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Emerging from an urgently convened meeting in Amman with Netanyahu and Jordan's King Abdullah II, Kerry pledged that the United States would adopt “specific and practical actions that both sides can take.” He declared that the United States "stands ready to be engaged" in the peace process. This time he did not mention the Arab Peace Initiative and passed the ball to the Israelis and Palestinians — to the cat and mouse. According to him, the United States will get involved in the process only on the condition that "the parties themselves begin to create the climate."
It would be interesting to know whether Kerry himself believes that a government, most of whose members do not even recognize the existence of the Palestinian people, is a potential partner for creating a suitable diplomatic climate to vacate the occupied territories and to make way for a Palestinian state. At the time of writing, Oct. 19, two Palestinian families were being evicted from their homes in the village of Silwan, adjacent to Jerusalem’s Old City, to make room for families of settlers. Perhaps the Palestinian children, finding themselves homeless in the chilly autumn night, will cover themselves with the statements of condemnations issued by the foreign ministries in Paris and Washington.
Every year that goes by without progress toward a two-state arrangement strengthens its opponents. Every tender issued for the construction of new housing units in the West Bank settlements and in the heart of the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem’s Holy Basin turns the conflict more religious and less prone to resolution.
The current crisis that has its roots in the prayer by Jews on the holy site is largely reminiscent of the one that broke out at the start of 1994 following the murder of 29 worshippers at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron by a Jewish settler. Then, too, the crisis was not utilized to bring about change. Then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin rejected the recommendations of some of his top advisers to take advantage of the shock and horror felt by the Israeli public and to vacate the Jewish settlement in Hebron from which the murderer hailed. Rabin feared a “civil war,” and instead of evacuating the Jewish settlement, he imposed a lengthy curfew on the Palestinian neighborhoods to forestall revenge attacks. Six weeks later, Hamas started expanding its suicide attacks — no longer just against military targets and only in the occupied territories, but also to civilian targets within the Green Line.
Then, too, someone pulled out the magic wand — an international observer force. The force was made up of volunteers from Norway (which is charged with its operation), Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Sweden and Switzerland. According to their mandate, the observers are permitted to patrol in cars and on foot throughout Hebron and to record their impressions, but they do not bear arms and are not authorized to intervene. At the beginning of 2004, several days after ending his tour of duty as head of the mission, Jan Kristensen told the daily Haaretz that the Hebron settlers go out almost every night and attack their Palestinian neighbors, break windows and cause damage, “and in fact force the Palestinians to leave the area.” Kristensen said he was doubtful the two communities could lead normal lives. “I keep asking myself what we are doing in Hebron,” the Norwegian officer wondered aloud to the Haaretz correspondent.
Rabin, too, wondered about Hebron. The US Middle East envoy at the time, Dennis Ross, revealed in his book “The Missing Peace” that shortly before Rabin's assassination, in November 1995, Rabin confessed to him that he was wondering whether he had been wrong to keep the settlers in place. In fact, Ross’ boss, President Bill Clinton, should have asked himself why he did not pressure Rabin to do the right thing. The day is near when President Barack Obama will also join the club of self-doubters. For now, we are getting the answers to these questions at the cemeteries and hospitals.
**Akiva Eldar is a columnist for Al-Monitor’s Israel Pulse. He was formerly a senior columnist and editorial writer for Haaretz and also served as the Hebrew daily’s US bureau chief and diplomatic correspondent. His most recent book (with Idith Zertal), Lords of the Land, on the Jewish settlements, was on the best-seller list in Israel and has been translated into English, French, German and Arabic.

Assad summoned to Moscow
Dr. Theodore Karasik/Al Arabiya/October 21/15
On Tuesday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad travelled to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The visit, anticipated for months, occurred three weeks into the Kremlin’s aerial and sea campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other extremist groups. It marks Assad’s first foreign visit since the 2011 uprising in Syria began. His last visit to Moscow was that same year. That Assad felt comfortable enough to travel outside Syria direct to Russia is notable. With Russian and Iranian support, Assad felt that his core allies in Damascus - his immediate family and the intelligence services - are in control. However, Assad literally snuck out of Syria with no reports of his trip, and took a Russian jet. Also, it should be noted that his wife Asma was not in Damascus at the time. She was in Jableh, a few miles away from the Russian air base in Latakia. Perhaps the ruling couple fear they may not be allowed to return. Assad’s visit is an important marker that Moscow’s intervention in Syria is about to enter a new stage.
Russia’s position regarding Assad and Syria’s future was evident at the meeting. Putin repeated what he has said all along, that there would be an eventual need for a political settlement to the conflict. That Russia has come to save Syria from itself is salient: Putin has said when “healthy forces” are ready to negotiate, there will be an election with a transition away from Assad to another leader.
War on terror
“The attempts by international terrorists to bring whole swathes of territory in the Middle East under their control and destabilize the situation in the region raise legitimate concerns in many countries around the world,” said Putin. “This is a matter of concern for Russia too, given that sadly, people from the former Soviet Union, around 4,000 people at least, have taken up arms and are fighting on Syrian territory against the government forces. Of course, we cannot let these people gain combat experience and go through ideological indoctrination and then return to Russia.”
In other words, Russia will stay in Syria until the latter stops being an incubator or launch pad for global extremism. Western estimates on the fight against ISIS and other extremists are in the two-decade range. Moscow has not released a timetable yet. Perhaps that is a smart move. t their meeting, Assad expressed appreciation for Putin’s support, and affirmed the desire for an eventual political settlement: “The whole people wants to take part in deciding the fate of the state, not just the ruling group.” Mention of the ruling group is an important indicator that Assad is kissing the ring on Putin’s finger for saving his family and close colleagues.
Converging plans
Assad’s surprise visit is all about timing. In the past few days, Turkey said Assad could keep “the powers of the presidency for six months before retirement.” Such talk plays into Russia’s role as negotiator for Syria’s political future, and fits perfectly with the Kremlin’s plans. Moreover, Assad’s visit fits into U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s plans for talks on Syria that must involve a transition plan. It is important to remember that Kerry stands outside conventional wisdom in Washington. After Assad’s visit, Moscow moved quickly to announce its next steps. The defense minister announced more measures for the Russian presence in Syria, including “to create conditions for the settlement of the conflict.”With the establishment of a base in Latakia, there may be further on-the-ground requirements that Russia will direct the Syrian army and its allies to fight. Significantly, Assad is said to have requested more military involvement from Moscow. Whether that request involves special forces, possibly from Chechnya, remains to be seen. On Thursday, a Russian parliamentary delegation headed by Dimitrii Sablin will meet with Assad to assess the situation in Damascus, and how to launch a transition process. In May, Sablin headed a delegation to Syria that met officials and representatives of religious communities. Assad’s visit is an important marker that Moscow’s intervention in Syria is about to enter a new stage. The Russian general staff have said sorties will increase dramatically. There are also indicators that the battle for Aleppo will commence soon, with the build-up of thousands of Iranian-linked forces with the Syrian military. The pieces for the transition are coming together on the Kremlin’s orders.
own and do not reflect Al Arabiya News's point-of-view.

Palestinian protests: Rocks, knives and cameras
Diana Moukalled/Al Arabiya/October 21/15
The young Palestinians protesting against Israeli occupation and are arming themselves with rocks and knives and using their phones to document their activity have been described as the post-Oslo Agreement generation. The third intifada, as it's being called, is being documented online. Visual images are the weapon that Palestinian protestors are using to expose Israeli violations. There's a Palestinian attempt to invest in these images - whether obtained from phones or from surveillance cameras which Israel has set up to monitor the Palestinians' movements and which now have become a tool to document what is happening. This is what has made Israel confiscate several surveillance cameras. Palestinians are this time trying to reclaim their image; however this image, whether it's the young man snapping a selfie or dancing or the young woman throwing rocks at Israelis, is no longer dominating the scene like it was at the start of the recent escalation. Israel has also officially requested YouTube and Facebook to remove videos that show Israeli settlers' and soldiers' violations against Palestinians. Popular protests have erupted in the West Bank garnering the attention of many, while social media networks have led to an increase in Palestinian anger thus triggering more protests. Meanwhile the momentum of the Israeli wave of hatred against Palestinians and Arabs has also gained pace as the Israeli society currently witnesses an upsurge in anti-Arab remarks. Some Facebook pages clearly reflect the anti-Arab opinions of many Israeli settlers and right-wing parties.
This time it's a war of photos.
For example, when the Palestinians published photos showing Israelis beating up an injured kid and insulting him, the Israelis responded by showing photos of Palestinian attacks, including stabbing and car ramming. At first, the photos showed Palestinian men and women smiling as they were being arrested during protests. These smiles reflected defiance and insistence to confront Israel. We've also seen photos of young men snapping a selfie as they're throwing rocks at Israeli forces. Another picture showed a young Palestinian man dancing as Israeli security forces stood near him. Then came the photos and videos showing the Israeli army’s acts against Palestinians. A lot of the footage showed violations against children. Meanwhile, many Palestinians have, through social media, voiced their desire to alter their image stating that there's a need to actually show the world that they're recent escalations from their side has been a form of voicing their anger. Palestinians are this time trying to reclaim their image; however this image, whether it's the young man snapping a selfie or dancing or the young woman throwing rocks at Israelis, is no longer dominating the scene like it was at the start of the recent escalation. Of course, considering history, the Palestinians are the weakest party and are the victim here. The number of Palestinians that have been killed, injured and detained in these recent protests further strengthens this point. Therefore, Israel is still showing it has the upper hand here. However, it's important to note that this recent Palestinian manifestation of anger is not controlled by any Palestinian party. These protests came as a result of chronic Palestinian desperation and Israel's undermining of all options to compromise amid an increase in settlements and the adoption of additional security measures. What now pressures the Palestinians is the regional and international decline in interest in the Palestinian cause, as this grants Israel a green light to practice its oppression. This reality must push the Palestinians to reconsider their acts of violence – acts which almost entirely dominate the image of the Palestinian protests.

Has the Syrian cause been sold?
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/October 21/15
The idea that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will remain in power has worried many. It has been commented on recently by the Saudi, Turkish, French and Russian foreign ministers. The Assad regime and its allies are repeating it in the context of suggesting that their rivals have submitted, and that Russian intervention has changed the course of the war. So is Assad really staying? He governs less than a third of the country, and has a small army and security apparatus. More than 12 million Syrians have been displaced, while 5 million have fled the country. There is nothing left of the elements of a state. Assad stays among tombs as he confronts thousands of rebels. On the practical level, as a ruler he exists only in the statements of his allies Russia and Iran. Assad is not worth the price being paid by his allies and the Syrian people, and contrary to what he and his supporters think, there is no hope of him staying.
In addition, it is untrue that Russian intervention in Syria has granted Assad a chance to stay. The Russians are all he has left. He has unsuccessfully used his security forces and thugs. He then resorted to the Lebanese party Hezbollah, which has extensive experience in militia warfare. That also failed. Then the Iranians came to his aid but failed. Assad also resorted to Iraqi and Afghani militias, without achieving progress on the ground.
Assad’s departure
Russia then got involved with its air force and missiles, but the result has been no better. This week, Russian operations focused on Latakia, which until recently was a safe zone for Assad. He is not worth the price being paid by his allies and the Syrian people, and contrary to what he and his supporters think, there is no hope of him staying. Even the Iranians, who are the most keen to keep Assad in power, are aware of the impossibility of him staying. However, they want to control the course of negotiations and decide the fate of future governance in Syria. They want to assign another Assad, a leader who will follow their orders so they can dominate a strategic geographic area from Iraq to Syria and Lebanon, and besiege the Gulf. The Russian stance developed following the visit of Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as Moscow began to talk about negotiating to establish a transitional phase. It is expected that there will be disputes over many details, such as the composition of the transitional government, the roles of the military and security institutions, and when Assad will depart. It is impossible for him to resume as a legitimate president. The Syrian cause has not been sold, and it is not fit to be sold.

Reconfiguring the Arab region and its global space
Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/October 21/15
How is the Arab region realigning itself in light of the new regional-international alliances and what is its place in the international landscape, beyond the traditional classification of the region in terms of its economic role and the huge security challenges it faces led by ISIS and its ilk? When raising this question, and because of the overt Russian military intervention in Syria now, the Syrian issue becomes one of major importance in the future of the region and global relations, led by U.S.-Russian relations. However, Syria in reality is not the only benchmark by which we should gauge the realignment of the Arab region in the international arena, while the intent is not to bypass at all raging crises and conflicts, such as those in Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Iraq, nor latent ones such as those in Lebanon, Egypt, or Tunisia. The intent is that the re-alignment requires long-term strategies that accompany the necessary immediate-term ones to end the conflicts, because they pose serious obstacles to the growth and development of Arab societies, which would help take young people towards fulfilling normal aspirations, instead of falling victim to polarization, extremism, and terrorism. A summit of the Beirut Institute in Abu Dhabi held this week brought together several prominent intellectuals and strategists from around the world to discuss what the new realignment requires and what mechanisms should be established to build a positive framework in the Arab region, covering regional and international relations as well. The summit saw many boldly admit American, Russian, and Arab mistakes, but went beyond diagnosing and confessing to failed policies and their repercussions, to discussing ideas regarding what should be done in earnest. The conversations tackled Arab-Iranian, especially Saudi-Iranian, relations; Gulf-Russian relations, which continue to develop despite differences and drawbacks; and the future of Arab-American relations after the current administration and in light of President Obama’s policies. Full disclosure: I am the founder and executive chairperson of the Beirut Institute, an Arab think-tank. The summit, which was held last weekend in the UAE capital, had support from the host country and brought together senior officials, ministers, former heads of state, and leaders of intellect, politics, and arts from around the world. Several prominent figures from the Arab world sit on the board of the independent think tank, information about which can be found on www.beirutinstitute.org  and via Facebook and Twitter.
Syrian tragedy
Naturally, the Syrian tragedy currently overshadows all other crises, despite the importance of what is taking place in Yemen, Libya, and Iraq. The main question here is this: Is Russia in the process of successfully altering internal Syrian equations, and what does Russia really want? Does the United States or the Gulf bless what Russia is doing? Or is Russia being lured into a quagmire in Syria? It is indisputable that the absence and reluctance of the Obama administration to engage in Syria has encouraged Moscow to fill the vacuum, with Russia now repositioning itself in the Middle East. Washington may not mind for Moscow to occupy an exceptional strategic position through Syria, because the Obama administration has decided that the U.S. interest lies in pivoting east, away from the Middle East. The official Russian pretext for the intervention in Syria is an official request for help from the “legitimate” government in Damascus. Moscow rightly argues that the United States did not question the legitimacy of the Syrian government when it signed agreements over the Syrian chemical weapons arsenal in the wake of a U.S.-Russian agreement, when Obama famously backed down from his “red lines”. Moscow is right because that agreement, which Washington signed through the Security Council, meant that Obama and Washington had backtracked from considering that Assad has lost his legitimacy as Obama had previously said.At the Beirut Institute, the discussions during the public and closed sessions argued that the Russian intervention in Syria could have been a positive development, if military activities were coordinated on the basis of political understandings. According to one figure closely familiar with Obama’s policies, these understandings would not mind if Russia gained a leading, permanent position in Syria as a foothold in the region. However, President Putin would be mistaken if he believes that Washington would consent to maintaining Bashar al-Assad a permanent president atop the ruins of Syria. For one thing, this would implicate the United States in a confrontation that it does not need with an important segment of the Arab peoples and important nations that the United States still maintains strategic relations with, such as Saudi Arabia. Syria in reality is not the only benchmark by which we should gauge the realignment of the Arab region in the international arena, while the intent is not to bypass at all raging crises and conflicts, such as those in Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Iraq, nor latent ones such as those in Lebanon, Egypt, or Tunisia. Meanwhile, talk about “Afghanization” emerged on many occasions during discussions at the summit. It is clear that the U.S. administration would not be able to disengage militarily from Syria, while Russia’s forces strike the Syrian opposition to rescue the Assad regime, under the pretext of crushing ISIS or al-Nusra Front. One of the participants, a senior military man, said something to the effect of: if you attack our men, we will attack yours. In other words, Washington, should it decide to, could reach Moscow’s men in Syria, and the men of Iran and allied Hezbollah. Not long ago, U.S. Stinger missiles were being used by mujahidin in Afghanistan to shoot down Soviet planes. Today, U.S. TOW anti-Tank missiles are being used against Syrian regime armor. The difference is important today, because Washington is not targeting Moscow in the Syrian airspace, yet the TOW missiles are a turning point that goes beyond the program of training the armed Syrian opposition.
Not hiding concerns
Some Russians are not hiding their concerns regarding what they see as Vladimir Putin’s adventurism, declaring war on Sunni extremism when there is a large Sunni Muslim minority in his country, which is also surrounded by five Muslim-majority republics. He is also partnering up with Iran and Hezbollah on the ground, which also plays into the hands of those Sunni extremists bent on revenge. Even if the speculation that Russia intends to curb Iranian incursions in Syria are true, this remains a huge gamble. Some say that Putin is falling into a U.S. trap, blinded by his arrogance. These voices say that Putin would be making a grave mistake if he did not accept Saudi and Gulf overtures calling him to be vigilant, and offering him to regain influence in the Arab region provided that he stops reducing Syria to the person of Bashar al-Assad. These nations are extending an olive branch to Russia, at a time when Putin is resorting to the gun. These countries want to save Syria – and Russia – without demanding Putin disengages with Iran, proceeding from their pragmatic thinking and their quest for good strategic, economic, and political ties. This pragmatism and the quest for new, creative ideas were clear at the sessions of the Beirut Institute. Some spoke of practical steps to establish new structures for inter-Arab work, Arab-regional work, and Arab-international work. Specific recommendations will be issued based on the results of the brainstorming that took place at the summit. The Beirut Institute Abu Dhabi Summit Declaration dealt with issues that similar conferences did not tackle. For example, the declaration urged Arab nations to join the ICC, to strengthen accountability and end impunity. Indeed, prosecuting the Israeli occupation and its violations is possible after the State of Palestine joined the Rome Statute, becoming a party to the ICC.
The declaration stressed the need for multilateral efforts to end the conflict in Syria, including developing a clear vision for the post-conflict phase and establishing a Gulf fund to help rebuild infrastructure destroyed in the years of the war in Syria and other countries, such as Yemen, Libya, and Iraq.
The declaration also stressed the need to achieve regional economic development through a comprehensive plan, including establishing a regional proactive fund headquartered in the GCC for future development. This is in addition to expediting the promotion of Arab mutual relations and moving forward with efforts meant to establish a new regional order that can deal with various challenges, such as state and non-state terrorism, the refugee crisis, and economic disintegration. The declaration stressed the need for diversifying sources of income, and promoting economic, political, and security institutions in the region, adopting successful models such as ASEAN.
The declaration also called for intensifying efforts to seriously address the Palestinian question on the basis of the two-state solution, in order to reach a peace treaty between Israel and Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon. With regard to youth, a call was made to launch an intensive campaign to integrate Arab youths economically, through a new approach based on technology to create job opportunities and spur entrepreneurship, in tandem with education and apprenticeship to employ graduates as part of developing a new digital economy and infrastructure. The conferees, through the declaration, also called for strengthening regional administration and the rule of law, and for efforts to be stepped up to empower women as natural antidotes to extremism, in addition to including the private sector in political discussions. They also stressed the need to strengthen accountability and achieve real progress against corruption.
Because of the tragedies, instability, anxiety, frustration, and fear afflicting the region, the summit called for establishing a new institute to train Arabic-speaking psychologists to address the repercussions of trauma in the Arab region. The talk about the realignment of the Arab region in the international arena is not purely political. It requires non-traditional thinking to develop creative solutions for the future, in partnership with new generations, away from isolationism. The Beirut Institute Abu Dhabi Summit launched this debate, and the debate will surely be continued.
This article was first published in al-Hayat on Oct. 16, 2015 and translated by Karim Traboulsi.

Has Israeli-Palestinian violence crossed the point of no return?
Yossi Mekelberg/Al Arabiya/October 21/15
As much as the recent outburst of killing between Israelis and Palestinians over the last fortnight is tragic and saddening, it should not have surprised anyone. Unless one was on a visit to a different planet for some time, or in complete denial, one could and should have seen this brewing for a long while. Unfortunately, many members of the Israeli political system, as much as ordinary Israelis, made a consciousness decision to live in their own cocoon. They have been deliberately ignoring the dire implications of the current political impasse, which fails to bring a fair and just end to their conflict with the Palestinians. There has been a complete and utter denial of the growing frustration among many Palestinians, especially youth. The unbearable life of privilege and prosperity on one side of the Green Line since 1967, has been in stark contrast to life under occupation and oppression on the other. This accumulated anger, in a very asymmetric conflict, was another outbreak of violence waiting to happen. Tensions surrounding Temple Mount have surely been a trigger, admittedly a very important one, for the violence we are currently witnessing. Nevertheless, we should not lose sight of the innumerable other issues at the heart of this bloody battle between the two people. Needless to say, though probably it still needs to be said, understanding what is behind the recent surge of violence does not equate in any shape or form justifying it.
Loss of life
However, concentrating on the loss of lives among Jews and ignoring the loss of lives, in much higher numbers, among Palestinians also distorts understanding of the current situation. Looking at the profile of most of the Palestinian attackers, mainly using knifes, reveals that most of them are youth from East Jerusalem, with no affiliation to any recognised groups, or previously involvement with militancy. It is a spontaneous reaction to the hopelessness that has spread among Palestinian youth who saw their aspirations for self-determination dashed. Instead of being granted the opportunity of participating in building their own independent Palestinian state, they are witnessing the further expansion of Jewish settlements and outposts. They suffer from Jewish terrorism with little protection from the Israeli government. Their economic prospects are far from being promising, and they have consequently also lost trust in their own leadership to steer them to a better future.
This accumulated anger, in a very asymmetric conflict, was another outbreak of violence waiting to happen
Much attention is paid to the stabbing of Israelis in the streets, but as much as it is dreadful and causes genuine angst among Jews in Israel, this is carried out by a handful of people. Obviously this, or harming a religious site sacred to Jews, is not the answer to their suffering, and regrettably results in more violence, bloodshed and harsh measures against the Palestinians in the occupied territories. The real manifestation of Palestinian anger is in the mass demonstrations, mainly in different parts of East Jerusalem. To be sure, incitement by certain Palestinian political and religious vested interests contributed to the outbreak of the current round of violence. Even President Abbas, usually a source of moderation and level headedness, got carried away with his own rhetoric, especially regarding Israel’s apparent attempts to change the status quo on Temple Mount. He should have known that this delicate issue should be handled with the utmost caution. His exasperation with the current Israeli government is understandable. Nevertheless, the explosive situation requires extreme care, otherwise it might end in a full-blown Palestinian uprising—such a move could risk Abbas’ shaky position of leadership too.
Prime Minister Netanyahu for his part is out of sorts, relying on shallow and inflaming rhetoric, and devoid of constructive policies. He may not intend to change the praying arrangements on Temple Mount, but he has allowed a gradual increase in the number of Jews able to pray there, a departure from the agreed practice. He was also weak, hesitant and slow in ordering members of his own coalition to avoid their provocative visits to Temple Mount. He typically delays or avoids necessary decisions for domestic political consideration, resulting in dire consequences. Understandably, the Israeli government is required to reassure its citizens of their personal safety and security. However, the measures it is taking are short term and will lead to more bloodshed, while also compromising a final status solution. A panicky Israeli government makes it permissible to shoot any Arab who seems to ‘behave suspiciously.’ Jewish citizens are encouraged to carry arms, ignoring the high likelihood that in the current atmosphere this may not necessarily result in stopping terrorist attacks, but could end in the killing of innocent people. For the more extreme among the Jewish society, such as the reportedly murderous members of Price Tag, this may serve as a licence to harm Palestinians.One of the measures suggested by the Israeli security establishment, with increasing support from the Israeli government, could lead to the de-facto division of the city. In order to curb violence in Jerusalem and its spread to Jewish residential areas, the imposition of a curfew on East Jerusalem was suggested, as well as preventing its residents from crossing into the western side. Ironically, the present Israeli government, the most religious-nationalistic government in its history, is the one that might end in dividing Jerusalem. The only reason this division should occur, is as part of a peace agreement, which would bring an end to the conflict. Such a peace agreement could have recognised the mutual legitimate claims of Israelis and Palestinians as having a stake in a city that represents their religious heritage and national aspirations.

Despite risk of $62 fine for not voting, less than 20% of Egyptians bothered to show up at polls
Ayah Aman/Al-Monitor/October 21/15
CAIRO — Voters’ indifference and lack of participation marred the first round of parliamentary elections conducted in 14 governorates. Yet, electoral observers expected such an outcome in these Egyptian elections, due to the lack of an effective popular base eager to hold elections, amid a political atmosphere replete with frustration for many political parties and factions, as well as for ordinary people on the street.Throughout the two days of voting, Oct. 18-19, conflicting figures emerged as to the percentage of voters casting their ballots after the Supreme Electoral Commission announced on the first day of voting that the initial estimated rate of participation was only 1.2% as of the middle of Oct. 18. This figure raised the ire of the government and official media outlets, which mobilized to urge voters to participate through extensive media campaigns that blanketed official television station airwaves under the slogan of “Inzil” (come down). Low participation figures sparked cynicism on social networking sites, despite anticipatory statements by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Oct. 17, the eve of the first day of elections, urging voters to participate: “I call on you to rally strongly once again, in order to complete this last milestone that we all agreed upon.” He added, “Egyptian youth must take the lead on election day.”The government did try to contain the issue, with the Council of Ministers declaring Oct. 18 that the workday on the second day of elections would be cut in half and end at 11 a.m. in order to encourage employees to head to the polling stations. In parallel, the minister of local development, Ahmed Zaki Bader, on Oct. 19 threatened laggards with the law, insinuating that those who were registered but refrained from voting without a valid excuse (which the law does not specify) would be fined 500 Egyptian pounds ($62) in accordance with Article 57 of the Law on the Exercise of Political Rights.A number of military vehicles roamed the perimeter of some polling stations in Giza governorate during the first day of balloting to invite citizens to vote to the tune of patriotic music, while the governor of Alexandria, Hani al-Misery, proclaimed on the second day of voting that the use of public transportation would be free on election day.
On Oct. 19, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, after conducting a quick visit to the Council of Ministers’ situation room, issued a statement indicating that “voting rates had reached 16%,” although the head of the Judges Club, Abdallah Fathi, announced that “participation on the first day did not exceed 2%, and reached 6% on the second day.”In field visits conducted by Al-Monitor during the two days of voting to four polling stations in the Dokki and Agouza districts of Giza governorate, low turnout rates were noted in districts where a number of political and media icons were running, such as independent studies professor Amr el-Shobaki, Ahmad Mortada Mansour, the son of the Zamalek soocer club chairman, and Abdul Rahim Ali, the editor-in-chief of a daily newspaper, al-Bawaba news. As she headed to cast her vote, Mirfat Hussein, 50, told Al-Monitor, “I am participating out of fear that Islamists and remnants of the old regime would prevail. But I do not expect to be well represented in parliament.” Along the same lines, a number of young people interviewed by Al-Monitor on the outskirts of Dokki and Agouza neighborhoods indicated that they lacked confidence in parliament and its ability to echo the opinions of the Egyptian people. In that regard, Mohamed Hosni, 20, said, “I do not have a lot of trust in the candidates ... and do not expect them to back youth-related issues.”
Hazem Baily, 37, disapprovingly said, “I did not know that there were elections being held in the first place.”Political activist Safwan Mohammed talked with Al-Monitor about the reluctance of young people to participate, and said, “Lack of participation by the youth in these elections is clear to everyone; the reason simply is that most young political front-runners in Egypt are currently jailed.”Safwan, who was a candidate in the parliamentary elections of 2011, added, “The absence of a free political climate deprives parliament of its importance. Not to mention the lack of a mechanism guaranteeing pluralism.”
Egypt's first round of parliamentary elections at a glance
2,573 candidates competing for individual seats.
8 electoral lists in the West Delta and Upper Egypt Districts.
103 general committees and 5,460 ballot stations.
27,102,000 eligble voters.
16,000 judges supervising the elections.
81 Egyptian and 6 foreign organizations monitoring the elections.
The first and second round of parliamentary election voting will cost 1.5 billion Egyptian pounds.
An initial tally indicates that the For the Love of Egypt list will win a majority when it comes to list voting. The low voter turnout in the first round of these parliamentary elections raises questions as to the legitimacy and popular base of the next parliament, which will be formed amid political turmoil and probably be controlled by men affiliated with Sisi and people who are strong defenders of his opinions. While low turnout may affect the election's overall legitimacy at home and abroad, there is no legal basis for such an occurrence to overturn the election. Constitutional law expert Mohammad Nour Farhat told Al-Monitor, “Weak participation is a serious indicator of the Egyptian street’s dissatisfaction in relation to elections that have been long delayed, since the adoption of the July 2013 road map. Parliament will lack political and popular legitimacy, but will retain its legality.” Based on information gathered by Al-Monitor from the Council of Ministers’ situation room, the campaign headquarters of political parties, and the reports of observers from Egyptian organizations, Al-Monitor noted that a number of concerns were raised about the tardiness and failure of a number of judges to assume their electoral supervisory roles; this forced the Supreme Electoral Commission to merge, on the first day of voting, 89 committees in a number of governorates due to the shortage of judges and advisers. For its part, the Judges Club announced on the same day that some judges had received threatening anonymous phone messages to dissuade them from taking part in the elections.
In this regard, the spokesman for the Judges Club stated to Al-Monitor, “Those messages were reported and are being investigated.”
Yet, he denied that they were the reasons for the reluctance of some judges to participate in the elections, and added, “The judges are working hand in hand with the state to make these elections a success. Adequate measures have been taken to safeguard the participation of judges during the two electoral days.”
Of note during the first round of elections was the introduction of two electoral districts for Nubia, Halayeb and Shalateen, which were unrepresented in previous parliaments. Compared with the fluid situation in other first-round districts, turnout in those two new districts was relatively better, for reasons that observers attribute to the desire of their inhabitants to be represented in parliament, where their interests may be defended. Voting by Egyptians abroad — which the political regime is waging on for support — was not much different from the trend back home. Preliminary count results from Egyptian embassies abroad from Ministry of Foreign Affairs data obtained by Al-Monitor indicated that participation levels were less than expected, with Kuwait (8,000 voters) and Saudi Arabia (5,000 voters) recording the highest voter turnout, with the For the Love of Egypt list garnering a majority of votes and the Salafist Nour Party’s list receiving the least number of votes; the results will be officially announced Oct. 21.
As initial first-round ballot counts indicated that regime loyalists in the For the Love of Egypt list would prevail with the emergence of a number of candidates not known for their opposition to the regime, observers told Al-Monitor that they expected the second round to follow the same general trend and lack strong participation overall; still, they expected that there would be some attempts by candidates to mobilize people and even to resort to electoral bribes — a few such cases were recorded in the first round of voting.
**Ayah Aman is an Egyptian journalist for Al-Shorouk specializing in Africa and the Nile Basin, Turkey and Iran, and internal Egyptian social issues.

Sweden: Haven for Mass-Murderers
Ingrid Carlqvist/Gatestone Institute/October 21, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6736/sweden-mass-murderers
Translation of the original text: Sverige: Fristad för folkmördare
Translated by Maria Celander
ntThe authorities are well aware that several war criminals may have come to Sweden this year, and the police War Crimes Commission has been reinforced.
"Refugees" plundered a train's dining car and threatened the staff. Railroad employees had assured all "refugees from Syria" that they would not be thrown off any train if they lacked tickets. This led to thousands of people claiming to be from Syria in order to get a free ride.
The police have about 17,000 deportation cases piled up. Despite the government's request for a clampdown on people staying in Sweden after having received deportation notices, more people are staying in the country illegally. 54,000 people have refused to leave the country after being denied asylum since 2011.
Per Gudmundson of the daily Svenska Dagbladet questions the repatriation of ISIS combatants to Sweden: "Who is in charge of the security aspect? Anyone can pretend to be a defector."
On September 3, a 37-year-old man with a serious criminal record was shot dead in a car in the Stockholm suburb of Hässelby Gård. His two small children were sitting in the back seat at the time, but were physically unharmed. A witness told the police that the youngest child screamed: "Help, help, they've killed my daddy!" A 23-year-old man, suspected of the murder, is now in custody, but vehemently denies the charges. Concern about safety is now growing in Hässelby Gård, which was the scene of another shooting in June, when two girls crossing the town square were wounded in crossfire.
On September 4, it was reported that the 17-year-old nasheed [hymn of praise] singer from Lund, who last spring ran away to join the Islamic State, has returned to Sweden. The young man supposedly got help from the National Coordinator Against Violent Extremism, Mona Sahlin, who has worked closely with his family. When he first arrived in Syria, he seems to have embraced life there. In a video posted on Facebook on May 10, he can be seen with a Kalashnikov over his shoulder, singing a nasheed dedicated to ISIS. He also urged others to follow his example: "I want to say that I wish you all could be with me here. It is just as perfect and wonderful as I had expected."
Now, he is singing a different tune. After coming home, he wrote on Facebook that he no longer supports the actions of ISIS. "Their beliefs are extreme ... and they ridicule the noble ulama (scholars) ... I do not support ISIS, among other things because of their behavior towards both Muslims and innocent non-Muslims."
Not everyone is enthusiastic about the 17-year-old's conversion, however. Journalist Per Gudmundson of Svenska Dagbladet questions whether it is really the National Coordinator's job to arrange for repatriation of ISIS combatants to Sweden: "Who is in charge of the security aspect? Anyone can pretend to be a defector." Gudmundson noted that the 17-year-old is still a fundamentalist and that his problem with ISIS seems to be mainly that they have caused disruption in the Muslim community and used violence against other Muslims.
On September 9, the local Gefle Dagblad continued its investigative reporting on extremist Muslims in the city of Gävle, and uncovered that Ali Al-Ganas, head of the Gävle mosque's dawah group (missionary group) hopes one day to have a passport issued by the Islamic State, and travel to the Caliphate. On a previous occasion, Al-Ganas celebrated two men who died in battle fighting for ISIS, an event that caused the mosque publicly to disown him and claim they would have nothing more to do with him. He is now, however, evidently responsible for the mosque's missionary work through Swedish United Dawah Center (SUDC).
The next day, Gefle Dagblad revealed that Gävle's imam, Abo Raad, is the leader of militant Islamism in Sweden. As far back as 2005, when two Swedes were convicted of financing terrorist acts in northern Iraq, Abo Raad was mentioned in the court ruling. Witnesses said that Raad urged mosque visitors to give money to the families of suicide bombers. The court ruling stated:
"The imam prayed for those who were about to blow themselves up in an attack on the U.S. military. A prayer rug was placed, where the mosque visitors could put money, which according to the imam would go to suicide bombers and orphaned children."
The day the article on Abo Raad was published, the paper received a bomb threat. A young woman called the police, demanding that Gefle Dagblad remove from their website all articles on the mosque, particularly those relating to the imam. However, no bomb was found and the Gävle mosque quickly denounced the threat.
On September 10, after reviewing their file on the IKEA-murderer, the Immigration Service stated that the man had displayed no signs of being mentally unstable before committing the double murder. The Eritrean citizen had been aware for a long time that he would not be allowed to stay in Sweden, as he already had permanent residency status in Italy, and had come to an appointment with the Immigration Service an hour before the murders. "He left the premises without showing any kind of aggression," said Kicki Kjämpe, Unit Manager of the Immigration Service in Västerås.
The indictment against the man was postponed until October 16, pending results of the psychiatric evaluation.
On September 14, a woman in her twenties was run over by a car outside a school in central Malmö. She sustained severe injuries, including a cerebral hemorrhage. The driver of the car turned out to be a 20-year-old Syrian refugee with several previous convictions. Before the accident, he had driven back and forth on the bicycle paths near the school at high speed. The suspect fled the scene, but was later arrested by the police and is now in custody. The police would not say if there was any connection between the suspect and the victim. The Syrian man had only been in Sweden for two and a half years, but has already been convicted of crimes four times: for theft, driving without a license and violating the "knife law."
On September 16, the trial of a 60-year-old man from Rwanda, charged with genocide, for murdering thousands of people in his homeland, began in Stockholm. The trial is being held in Sweden because the man has lived in the country for many years and is now a Swedish citizen. The District Attorney and police investigators have made several trips to Rwanda, and interviewed witnesses. The man, whose name the Swedish authorities did not release, has already been convicted in absentia in Rwanda.
Five crime scenes in southern Rwanda are named in the indictment, among them a municipal building in Muyira, where hundreds of people were massacred, and the Nyamure mountain, where thousands were killed when the Hutu ethnic group tried to eradicate the Tutsi minority. The 60-year-old man was identified as a local leader during the genocide.
"He ordered them to kill and he killed people himself, just like everybody else," said one witness, a man who took part in the massacre himself and is therefore in prison.
The witness stated that about 2,000 men, women and children thought that they would be protected in the municipal building. After three days without food and water, the killers showed up, led by the accused 60-year-old. "They said: Get in there, get to work."
"Work" meant killing Tutsis. When the killers got too tired, they were relieved and replaced by a new group. To avoid killing each other by mistake, they wore flowers on their clothes. In wiretapped conversations, the 60-year-old can be heard calling Tutsis "cockroaches."
he second time a Rwandan has been tried on a genocide charge in Sweden. In 2013, another man was sentenced to life in prison for genocide. Despite both these men living in freedom for many years in Sweden, Chief Prosecutor Tora Holst said that authorities are now making it clear that "Sweden is not a haven for suspected war criminals and genocidists."
On September 16, the trial (right) began of a Rwandan immigrant in Sweden. The man is accused of genocide, for murdering thousands of people in his homeland. He is the second person to be put on trial in Sweden in the past three years on charges of mass-murder during the Rwandan Genocide.
However, the authorities are well aware that several war criminals may have come to Sweden this year. The number of reports of such individuals has increased, and the police War Crimes Commission has been reinforced, as have the resources of the Immigration Service and District Attorney.
On September 16, three so-called unaccompanied refugee children allegedly raped a boy in the village of Hammarlöv, in the far south of Sweden. The suspects, who claim to be between 15 and 18 years old, were housed at the refugee center Maglarp Transit. One is from Iran, the other two from Afghanistan. All three have been remanded on suspicion of aggravated rape of a child (which means the victim is under 15 years old) and obstruction of justice, indicating that they threatened the boy with reprisals if he reported the rape. The police have been reticent about the incident, and mainstream media has not mentioned anything about the suspects being "refugees."
On September 18, employees of the Swedish State Railways (SJ) reported on how "refugees" plundered a train's dining car and threatened the staff. There were about 200 unregistered migrants on the train, which was travelling from Malmö to Haparanda in the far north of Sweden (where Finland-bound migrants go). Railway employees who spoke to the online magazine Fria Tider described how many of the migrants acted aggressively, and the atmosphere became so threatening that the staff had to lock themselves in. After the incident, Swedish State Railways ordered the staff not to talk to anyone about the migrants' behavior.
This was just the latest in a long line of incidents on board Swedish trains. Railroad employees have assured all "refugees from Syria" that they would not be thrown off any train if they lacked valid tickets. This has led to thousands of people claiming to be from Syria, in order to get a free ride.
On September 21, an internal email sent to employees working on the trains between Stockholm and Luleå was leaked, bringing attention to the seriousness of the situation. The email said that SJ has hired security guards to help staff keep order in the rail cars, alcoholic beverages will no longer be sold on board, tickets will now be checked before the passengers are let onto the platform, and leaflets in Arabic and Persian about the no-smoking policy will be handed out to passengers. SJ also wrote to the employees: "We know that you carry a heavy load out there. We have now set a limit for the number of support cars [carrying migrants and security guards] to a maximum of four."
On September 21, after a local official in Karlskrona -- on his own authority -- granted a building permit for a minaret, from which calls to prayer will be broadcast over loudspeakers every Friday, the members of local Sweden Democrats Party placed a raft in the harbor with the message: "No prayer calls in Karlskrona!" The city's governing Social Democrat Party claimed that the protest was a provocation, and insisted that Karlskrona should be a "welcoming city." The Sweden Democrats want the city's residents to be the ones who decide if they want to hear prayer calls every Friday.
On September 24, a 25-year-old Eritrean man was arrested for murder in Sweden. Two days before his arrest, he murdered a 20-year-old woman with whom he had some kind of relationship; the police will not divulge the nature of their connection. According to some sources, the woman was a relative. The suspect arrived in Sweden via Ethiopia in February 2015. The victim's three-year-old daughter, in the apartment when her mother was murdered, was found by the police when they arrived at the scene. Relatives had become concerned when the woman did not answer her phone. The little girl may have been alone in the apartment with her dead mother for over 24 hours, and most likely witnessed her mother's murder. The suspect has been remanded, and has admitted to killing the woman, but said he did not intend to kill her.
On September 28, the police revealed that they have about 17,000 deportation cases piled up. Despite the government's recent request for a clampdown on people staying in Sweden after having received deportation notices, more and more people are choosing to stay in the country illegally. The police say they cannot prioritize these cases "in the middle of an ongoing refugee crisis."
No one knows exactly how many illegal immigrants there are in Sweden, but 54,000 people have refused to leave the country after being denied asylum since 2011. The police have a pretty hopeless task keeping track, because they are not allowed to check people's identity cards based on ethnicity, skin color or religion.
On September 28, it was reported that the Immigration Service wants to rent an old shooting range from the Swedish Army in Rinkaby. outside the southern city of Kristianstad, to create a giant refugee camp that can accommodate 10,000 refugees. Huge Scout camps have been held there the last few years. In 2011, the World Scout Jamboree, with 40,000 Scouts from all over the world, was held on the Rinkaby field. At first, the Immigration Service denied that the camp would actually consist of tents, but since then, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven has signaled that tent camps could become a reality if the stream of refugees continues unabated. The small village of Rinkaby has a population of 800 people.
On September 30, the daily Svenska Dagbladet reported that due to the housing shortage in Sweden, and with 2,000 new asylum seekers arriving each day, landlords stand to make huge profits. Aleris, one of the biggest housing providers for so-called unaccompanied refugee children, charges the government 60,000 kronor ($7,200 USD) a month -- more expensive than a nursing home with around-the-clock staff -- for an apartment that normally rents for 5,000 kronor (about $600 USD).
*Ingrid Carlqvist is a journalist based in Sweden, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow of Gatestone Institute.