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Bible Quotation For Today/‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world
John 08/21-30: "Again he said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.’ Then the Jews said, ‘Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, "Where I am going, you cannot come"?’He said to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.’ They said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Why do I speak to you at all?I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.’They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’As he was saying these things, many believed in him."

Bible Quotation For Today/We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Second Letter of Peter 01/12-21: "Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to refresh your memory, since I know that my death will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased. ’We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain. So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 15-16/15
Beirut Chokes on Its Own Filth/Michael J. Totten/World Affairs/September 15/15
Why some Lebanese say arrest of Assir was not enough/Sami Nader/Al-Monitor/September 15/15/
Is Turkey ignoring Islamic State threats against Christians/Sibel Hurtas/Al-Monitor/September 15 2015
Zarif testifies before parliament’s nuclear deal committee/Arash Karami/September 15/15/Al-Monitor/September 15/15
Guests of God' pay high price/Madawi Al-Rasheed/Al-Monitor/September 15/15
Iraq’s government, society struggle with widespread bribery/Wassim Bassem/Al-Monitor/September 15/15
Iraqi Columnist: Why Aren't Muslim Clerics Calling For Jihad Against ISIS/MEMRI/September 15/15
Syrian refugees don’t want to camp in Saudi Arabia. They want a future/Jamal Khashoggi//Al Arabiya/September 15/15
Is Russia fighting for the last of Assad’s Syria/Mohamed Chebarro/Al Arabiya/September 15/15
Here’s the kicker: Hungarian journalist exposes Arab media hypocrisy/Diana Moukalled/Al Arabiya/September 15/15
Resolving the Syrian Dilemma/Ali Ibrahim/Asharq Al Awsat/September 15/15
Report: Iranian commander makes second Moscow visit/Roi Kais/Ynetnews/September 15/15
Letter to Obama on his next Iran legislative challenge/Robert Satloff/The Hill/September 15/15

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin for Lebanese Related News published on September 15-16/15
“Officials warn 20,000 ISIS jihadis ‘have infiltrated Syrian refugee camps,'”
Lebanese Education Minister warns: 20,000 Islamic State jihadis have infiltrated Syrian refugee camps
Families, Activists Block Road at Interior Ministry over Protest Detainees
Families of Lebanese Hostages Back to the Streets
Protest Outside Finance Ministry over Salaries of MPs
5-Member Gang Arrested over Bomb Plots, Beirut Protests Rioting
Al-Asir's Trial Postponed to October 20
Mustaqbal Says Dialogue Table Can't Replace Institutions, Rejects 'Naturalization'
Report: Jumblat Seeks to Resolve Dispute on Army Promotions
Sami Gemayel Announces 'Lebanese Corruption Observatory', Urges Instant Implementation of Waste Plan
Aoun Warns al-Rahi against Accepting President who May Approve 'Refugees Naturalization'
FPM Official: Aoun Mulling National Dialogue Boycott
Al-Mashnouq Rejects Resignation as Protesters Stay Put
Beirut Chokes on Its Own Filth
Samir Geagea Christian Lebanese Forces political leader
Anti-corruption protesters rally outside Lebanon ministry
German bank closes account of pro-Iran, pro-Hezbollah supporters
Aoun warns of 'conspiracy' to settle Syrian refugees in Lebanon
Why some Lebanese say arrest of Assir was not enough

“Officials warn 20,000 ISIS jihadis ‘have infiltrated Syrian refugee camps,'”
Lebanese Education Minister warns: 20,000 Islamic State jihadis have infiltrated Syrian refugee camps
Jack Blanchard, Mirror, September 14, 2015:At least 20,000 bloodthirsty jihadis have infiltrated Syrian refugee camps and are plotting to enter Europe, a senior official warned tonight. Lebanese Education Minister Elias Bou Saab said he fears Islamic State radicals make up at least 2% of the 1.1million Syrians living in camps across his country. And he warned of a covert jihadi “operation” to get across the Med and into Europe. His warning came as David Cameron made a whistle-stop tour of refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan yesterday to try to win back public support on the Syria crisis. “My gut feeling is they (IS) are facilitating such an operation. To go to Europe and other places… From Turkey to Greece,” Mr Bou Saab said. “You may have, let’s say, 2% that could be radicals. That is more than enough. We have had that also with our camps here – you find 2-3% of them.” The stark warning comes as Britain prepares to take 20,000 of the most desperate Syrians from the very same camps, following huge public demand for action. It will pile more pressure on Ministers to ensure the people helped by the vital aid programme are properly vetted before they arrive. Lebanon is one of the key areas for British aid programmes after being overwhelmed with more than a million Syrian refugees since the bloody civil war began. Mr Bou Saab is closely involved in education programmes for the Syrian kids living in the sprawling tented camps. But he said IS are now using the widespread poverty and desperation as recruiting sergeants for their bloodthirsty cause.“No hope; no work; no education; poor. All this will become easy to recruit,” he warned. The Minister even revealed militants have already launched raids on Lebanese soldiers from inside the refugee camps.“When the Lebanese army were kidnapped in Lebanon, the people who kidnapped them came out of the camps,” he said. “We had them in camps in Lebanon and we were taking care – and all of a sudden they came out of the camps.“They went against the army, they kidnapped the soldiers and they took them to the mountains.” Mr Bou Saab also had words of warning for David Cameron over his desire to oust brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad from Syria. The Lebanese Minister said booting out Assad could leave a dangerous vacuum and plunge the whole region – and potentially the whole of Europe – into further chaos…

Families, Activists Block Road at Interior Ministry over Protest Detainees
Naharnet/September 15/15/Activists and families blocked a vital road outside the Interior Ministry in Sanayeh on Tuesday to press for the release of 19 detainees who were arrested during recent anti-government demos on riot charges.A relative of one of the detainees announced that the families and the activists will continue their road-blocking protest until 9:00 am when they will move to the Military Court in the Mathaf area.“Nineteen detainees have been referred to the Military Court and arrest warrants have been issued for all of them,” the lawyer Ghida Franjieh told reporters at the sit-in.The detainees include at least seven minors and rights activists have decried that their continued detention since August 22 is illegal.State-run National News Agency said security forces brought in reinforcements from the riot police who deployed outside the ministry's main entrance and in its vicinity.“They promised that they will free them tomorrow, but they have been repeating the same promise for 17 days,” a mother of a detained minor lamented.The protest movement began in July when a landfill closed and pungent garbage started piling up in Beirut and its outskirts, but it has evolved into a broad-based mobilization against government impotence and corruption.Demonstrations organized by "You Stink" and other groups have escalated over the past weeks, peaking on August 29 when tens of thousands flooded Martyrs Square in a rare display of non-partisan mobilization.On August 22, more than 100 protesters and policemen were injured in clashes during a relatively smaller demo in downtown Beirut.Violence erupted again on August 23 after some demonstrators threw fireworks and plastic bottles at security forces. Police retaliated with batons, tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets on both days.Many have criticized the riot police's use of force, with Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq admitting it was "excessive."

Families of Lebanese Hostages Back to the Streets
Naharnet/September 15/15/The relatives of the servicemen taken hostage by jihadists in August last year are planning to hold a protest in downtown Beirut on Wednesday. Nizam Mughit, one of the family members, said Tuesday: “We will resort to the streets tomorrow, hoisting the pictures of the kidnapped servicemen to tell everyone that this case has not been closed.” “We won't remain silent … Let the government assume its responsibilities,” he said. “Enough neglect.”Mughit said the protest will be held at 9:00 am Wednesday near An Nahar newspaper's building as top officials are expected to meet for the second round of all-party talks at the parliament in the nearby Nejmeh Square. The soldiers and policemen were taken hostage by al-Nusra Front and Islamic State extremist group militants when they overran the northeastern border town of Arsal in August 2014. Prisoner exchange negotiations with the two groups have reached a standstill. The families of the captives have on several occasions blocked roads in several areas to express their dismay at the authorities' failure to bring back their loved ones.

Protest Outside Finance Ministry over Salaries of MPs
Naharnet/September 15/15/Civil society activists held a protest near the finance ministry in Beirut on Tuesday to stop the transfer of the salaries of lawmakers whom they accuse of being corrupt. Police immediately deployed in the area to stop the protesters from entering the building similar to when demonstrators stormed the environment ministry earlier this month to demand the minister's resignation. The activists from “We Want Accountability” and "Go Away" also protested when two of the movement's members were unable to leave the building after police blocked the entrance. Beirut police chief Brig. Bassam al-Ayyoubi was quick to arrive to the scene of the protest. He accused the activists of trying to storm the ministry but said security forces stopped them form entering the building. “We had to resort to the streets to hold MPs accountable. They are not doing their job,” said one demonstrator. “Our protest is peaceful,” he added. "Our presence here is symbolic,” said another protester. "We will continue to hold similar protests. Our path is long." Later, an activist read a statement saying the people are paying taxes but the authorities are spending the money on a parliament that is not functioning. “We Want Accountability” said the finance ministry is making transfers at the expense of the poor people. “We call for stopping the transfer of the salaries of the lawmakers,” said the statement read by the activist. “There should be a fair electoral law based on proportionality that considers Lebanon a single district,” she added.Civil society has been holding protests since the trash crisis erupted in July following the closure of the Naameh landfill that received waste from Beirut and Mount Lebanon.The demonstrations grew into a popular uprising against the political class that has dominated Lebanon since its civil war ended in 1990.

5-Member Gang Arrested over Bomb Plots, Beirut Protests Rioting
Naharnet/September 15/15/General Security said on Tuesday that it has arrested five Lebanese on suspicion of belonging to the Islamic State extremist group for the purpose of carrying out bombings and tasking thugs with causing riots during the latest protests held in downtown Beirut. A communique issued by the agency said the five Lebanese have set up a terrorist network that plotted blasts to target bases and vehicles belonging to the Lebanese army and security forces. The suspects have also tasked a group of men to cause riots during the protests organized by civil society activists in the past weeks over the waste crisis and their demands to resolve rampant corruption, said the communique. The thugs have cursed officials and sprayed abusive and offensive writings on the grave of ex-PM Rafik Hariri at Mohammed al-Amin mosque for the purpose of causing sectarian strife, General Security said.
Following the questioning of the suspects, the agency referred them to the judiciary, it added.

Al-Asir's Trial Postponed to October 20
Naharnet/September 15/15/The trial of Ahmed al-Asir at the military court was on Tuesday postponed to October 20 upon the request of defense lawyers.The military judge's decision to adjourn the session was expected because it was the first time that the Salafist cleric went on trial. Several arrest warrants have been issued against al-Asir for forming armed groups, attacking the army, forming sleeper cells and plotting the assassination of known figures. He has also been charged of funding extremist cleric Sheikh Khaled Hoblos and offering his group logistical and arms support. Al-Asir was arrested on August 15 at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport while trying to flee to Nigeria via Cairo with a fake Palestinian passport. The firebrand anti-Hizbullah cleric had been on the run since June 2013 after his armed supporters clashed with the Lebanese army in the southern city of Sidon's suburb of Abra. The fighting killed 18 Lebanese soldiers.

Mustaqbal Says Dialogue Table Can't Replace Institutions, Rejects 'Naturalization'
Naharnet/September 15/15/Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc stressed Tuesday that the national dialogue table must not become a substitute to state institutions, as it underlined its rejection of any attempt to naturalize Syrian or Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, the bloc said that the second dialogue session that will be held tomorrow must remain focused on “finding a solution to the presidential void crisis and electing a consensual president who can gather all Lebanese.” t said the election of a new president would “reactivate the work of state institutions” and lead to “the formation of a new government and the approval of a new law for parliamentary elections.”And as it stressed the “importance of the ongoing dialogue,” Mustaqbal emphasized that “the dialogue table is not a substitute to constitutional institutions, but rather a safety net that supports state institutions.”Speaker Nabih Berri chaired the first session of the national dialogue last Wednesday and a second session is scheduled for tomorrow.The presidential deadlock tops the agenda of the talks. Separately, Mustaqbal reiterated its rejection of any attempt to naturalize Syrian or Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. “The bloc reiterates its commitment to the Taef Accord and the Constitution, especially its preamble that categorically rejects naturalization... regarding both Palestinian and Syrian brothers,” it said. Earlier in the day, Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun warned of an “international attempt” to naturalize Syrian refugees in Lebanon. “There are several indications of an attempt by world powers to naturalize the refugees in Lebanon … There is a European conspiracy aimed at making Lebanon shoulder the greatest burden from the Syrian refugee crisis and we reject a second naturalization,” said Aoun after his bloc's weekly meeting. The MP's remarks come a day after British Prime Minister David Cameron made a surprise visit to a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon on Monday and said increased aid would help stem a major migration crisis in Europe. Lebanon is hosting more than 1.1 million refugees despite having a population of just four million citizens. In total, more than four million Syrians have fled abroad as the conflict has left more than 240,000 people dead.

Report: Jumblat Seeks to Resolve Dispute on Army Promotions
Naharnet/September 15/15/Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat is exerting efforts to resolve the army appointments crisis by trying to appease Change and Reform bloc leader lawmaker Michel Aoun and other parties through the promotion of only three army officers, al-Akhbar daily reported on Tuesday. The newspaper said that Jumblat has tasked Health Minister Wael Abou Faour to hold contacts and meetings to assess whether the promotion of the three officers, including Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz, is acceptable. Abou Faour held talks with Defense Minister Samir Moqbel and Education Minister Elias Bou Saab, who is a Free Patriotic Movement official, on Monday. The FPM has conditioned the activation of the government's work to the approval of the promotion of around 12 officers from brigadier-general to the rank of major-general. Such a move leaves Roukoz in the military for another year. Roukoz is the son-in-law of Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun, who wants him to become military commander. The promotion of 12 officers is not likely to take place over the rejection of the army leadership, al-Mustaqbal Movement and the ministers representing former President Michel Suleiman in the cabinet. But if the rival parties, mainly Aoun, agree on Jumblat's new initiative, then Moqbel would prepare a decree and refer it to the government for approval. The FPM, which is now headed by Aoun's other son-in-law Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, has been insisting on putting the appointment of high-ranking military and security officers on the top of the cabinet agenda. Its ministers and their allies have previously walked out of a session to impose their demands.

Sami Gemayel Announces 'Lebanese Corruption Observatory', Urges Instant Implementation of Waste Plan
Naharnet/September 15/15/Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel announced Tuesday the formation of the Lebanese Corruption Observatory to tackle all corruption files in the country, as he called for the “immediate implementation” of an emergency waste management plan devised by the agriculture minister and a team of experts. “The issue of corruption in Lebanon is one of the main issues and citizens have the right to know how their money is being spent,” said Gemayel at a press conference. He called on all Lebanese to communicate with the observatory via Internet to “activate the work groups that monitor corruption files.”Gemayel noted that the unprecedented garbage crisis was the “main motive” behind the creation of the watchdog. “It is a scandal that clearly reflects itself in the numbers and in the repercussions that have resulted from this file,” he said. “The first step for the Lebanese Corruption Observatory, which is comprised of Lebanese from all sects and parties, will be filing a direct lawsuit against those responsible for corruption,” Gemayel added. Referring to a lawsuit he had recently filed in connection with the garbage crisis, the young lawmaker noted that “the lawsuit over the issue of waste management is now in the hands of the state prosecutor,” hoping it will be “a good start for all Lebanese.”He noted, however, that it is not “directed against certain individuals, but rather against all culprits in the garbage scandal.”“The relevant authority is the Lebanese judiciary and the ball is in its court. The judiciary must prove to the Lebanese that it is the proper place for accountability, not the streets,” Gemayel added. “The judiciary must shoulder its responsibilities and file charges against every wrongdoer,” he stressed. He also called on Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb to “start implementing the waste plan immediately,” warning that “if the rain season comes and the garbage is still on the streets, we will witness an unprecedented health disaster.”On Monday, Shehayyeb stressed that only partnership among all Lebanese would guarantee the success of the committee tasked with resolving the two-month long waste crisis. Shehayyeb's plan to solve the two-month trash crisis calls for reopening the Naameh landfill, which was closed in mid-July, 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 northern Akkar area of Srar and the eastern border area of al-Masnaa, into sanitary landfills capable of receiving trash for more than a year. After he announced his plan last week, the civil society and local residents of Akkar, Naameh, Majdal Anjar, and Burj Hammoud protested against the step.

Aoun Warns al-Rahi against Accepting President who May Approve 'Refugees Naturalization'
Naharnet/September 15/15/Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun warned Tuesday of an “international attempt” to naturalize Syrian refugees in Lebanon, urging the Maronite patriarch to reject the election of a president who would approve such a move.“There are several indications of an attempt by world powers to naturalize the refugees in Lebanon … There is a European conspiracy aimed at making Lebanon shoulder the greatest burden from the Syrian refugee crisis and we reject a second naturalization,” said Aoun after his bloc's weekly meeting.
“We warn everyone, especially the head of the Maronite church (Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi), against electing a president who would sign the decree of naturalizing the Syrians,” Aoun added. He noted that any refugee who has a job in his homeland “must be returned to his country.”
“Those who visit their country and come back must also be stripped of the refugee status,” he added. Aoun and his bloc had repeatedly warned that the Syrian refugee influx poses a threat to Lebanon at the political, social, economic, security and demographic levels. The MP's remarks come a day after British Prime Minister David Cameron made a surprise visit to a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon on Monday and said increased aid would help stem a major migration crisis in Europe. The visit, which included talks with Prime Minister Tammam Salam, came as Cameron appointed a minister to oversee the resettlement of 20,000 Syrian refugees in Britain over the next five years. Cameron said Britain was doubling its support for Lebanon's schools to 20 million pounds a year for the next three years to help them teach Syrian refugee children as well as Lebanese. He said boosting aid to countries hosting refugees was key to tackling a migration crisis that has seen tens of thousands of people flooding into Europe seeking asylum. Britain last week announced it would spend an additional 100 million pounds on Syrian refugees, 40 million of which will go to U.N. and other non-governmental groups working with refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Nearly two-thirds of that 40 million pounds will be spent in Lebanon, which is hosting more than 1.1 million refugees despite having a population of just four million citizens.At a press conference after meeting Salam, Cameron acknowledged that the "humanitarian crisis in Syria is putting huge pressure" on Lebanon. In total, more than four million Syrians have fled abroad as the conflict has left more than 240,000 people dead.

FPM Official: Aoun Mulling National Dialogue Boycott
Naharnet/September 15/15/Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun is mulling to boycott the second national dialogue session that is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, An Nahar newspaper reported. Aoun is studying his options, a Free Patriotic Movement official, who was not identified, told the daily. The official hinted that Aoun might not attend the all-party talks “if settlements are reached without resorting to the people, who are the source of all powers.” “Our objective is to find a radical solution, hear the people's demands and respect the National Pact and the Constitution,” he said. The official warned that the FPM would not accept to participate in the dialogue if “the politics of settlements overcome all other projects.” “We had approved to participate in the dialogue to rectify flaws and not to become false witnesses,” he said. Aoun is expected to take a final decision on his participation in the talks during Tuesday's Change and Reform bloc meeting. Speaker Nabih Berri chaired the first session of the national dialogue last Wednesday. The presidential deadlock tops the agenda of the talks.

Al-Mashnouq Rejects Resignation as Protesters Stay Put
Naharnet/September 15/15/Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq reiterated during talks with hunger strikers on Tuesday that his resignation would have negative consequences, one of the activists said.
Waref Suleiman, who has been on hunger strike for the past 14 days, said al-Mashnouq told the delegation that he was fighting corruption similar to civil society activists. “We will remain here to hold (officials) accountable,” Suleiman said at a press conference he held outside the environment ministry in downtown Beirut. Several young men erected a tent and went on hunger strike after protesters from “You Stink” movement stormed the environment ministry earlier this month, demanding al-Mashnouq's resignation over his failure to resolve the waste crisis. The majority of the hunger strikers have been treated at hospital over the deterioration of their health. But they have returned to their protest tent. Angry protests that suddenly erupted last month over the government's failure to deal with the garbage crisis have evolved into the most serious anti-government demonstrations in Lebanon in years. The protesters seek to challenge a political class that has dominated Lebanon and undermined its growth since its civil war ended in 1990. The protests have attracted supporters from across Lebanon's political and religious divides, reflecting the growing frustration with an aging and corrupt political class that has failed to provide basic services, but for which there appears to be no clear alternative. In addition to the "You Stink" movement, the protests are being led by some half a dozen civil society groups with names like "We Want Accountability" and "We're Disgusted."

Beirut Chokes on Its Own Filth
Michael J. Totten/World Affairs/September 08/15
Since the time of antiquity, almost every place in the Middle East has suffered from way too much government, but Lebanon is an intriguing exception. It’s the one country in the region that doesn’t have nearly enough.
Its government is so weak and dysfunctional that it can no longer carry out the most basic functions. Months have now passed since municipal workers have removed trash from garbage cans and dumpsters in Beirut. Mountains of garbage the size of buildings are piled up everywhere. The city—which looks like a fascinating and sometimes beautiful hybrid of Miami, Paris, Baghdad, and Tel Aviv—reeks like the worst slum in the world.
Surely by now the place is a biohazard.
Anti-government protestors and even rioters have taken to the streets with the message, “You Stink.” People from every political sect and every conceivable political party from the communists and Hezbollah to right-wing Christians and anti-sectarian liberals have banded together to demand the government take out the garbage—not just the trash on the streets, but the entire political class. Anti-government riots are generally the result of real or perceived political repression, but the Lebanese are rebelling against a vacuum. Lebanon was purposely designed to have weak state, not so much because the Lebanese are naturally libertarian (though many of them are, in their own Levantine way) but because the country is too diverse to cohere around a central leadership. It’s divided more or less equally between Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims and Christians. A smaller Druze minority makes things even more interesting and complicated.
Each of Lebanon’s three principle religious communities have different social and political values, and a weak central government allows each some measure of self-determination in its local and social affairs. A weak central state also prevents one sect from riding roughshod over the others. That’s the theory anyway. If one sect tries to seize total control, war is inevitable. And so, for the most part, nobody tries. Not even Hezbollah has attempted to impose its rule over the entire country like its patron regime in Iran. Any attempt to Iranianize the whole society would be met with ferocious bloody resistance from just about everyone. Hezbollah knows this. So Hezbollah does not even bother. Despite Hezbollah’s fanaticism, most of Beirut remains as decadent and freewheeling as Amsterdam.
So the system works, sort of. It has so far prevented Lebanon from being taken over by someone like Saddam Hussein or Moammar Qaddafi. Syria’s Assad family ruled there for a while, but only because the Syrian army conquered the place with overwhelming force from the outside. Assad’s Arab Socialist Baath Party—created and maintained by Syria’s Alawite religious minority—is from somewhere else. It was an invasive species, an alien transplant, and in 2005 the Lebanese vomited it out. So Lebanon figured out a way to free itself from the despotism endemic to the rest of the region. Hooray for the weak state. But the state is so weak that the capital is now drowning in its own filth. How much government is just the right amount? We all have opinions, but nobody really knows. It goes without saying that Josef Stalin’s Soviet Union had far too much government while Somalia, with its bloody anarchy, has the opposite problem.
What about countries closer to the center? The United States or Canada? The United Kingdom or The Netherlands? The Middle East’s options are more extreme. Would you rather live amidst Lebanon’s mild anarchy or Jordan’s moderate authoritarianism? Jordan isn’t experiencing much trouble with garbage collection these days, but the Jordanians can’t vote for or against the king, and there isn’t much in the way of freedom of speech. It’s a bit of a quandary, isn’t it? “Even Syrians fleeing war pronounce themselves shocked at the lack of infrastructure in Lebanon,” Anne Barnard writes in The New York Times. “Some of them, however, express a hint of jealousy that Lebanon’s weak state allows freedoms unavailable in Syria, where protests were crushed with deadly force.” Lebanon is obviously a better place than Syria right now despite all its problems. No one would flee the Beirut garbage dump for the killing fields of Aleppo. Lebanon, at least, isn’t a war zone. The government isn’t dropping barrel bombs on residential neighborhood, and there’s no genocidal terrorist army forcing children to execute its enemies. But the World Economic Forum ranks Lebanon’s government as the fourth-least efficient in the entire world. There are some advantages to that. You can live more or less like a free human being there. I know because I did it myself in 2005 and 2006. Peter Grimsditch, a British transplant who used to run Beirut’s Daily Star newspaper, once told me that he’d never been anywhere in the world where he felt the power of the state bearing down on him less.There are some serious disadvantages, though, too.
There’s the trash problem, of course. And the fact that an Iranian-sponsored militia—Hezbollah—has managed to amass more military capacity than the national army. And here’s a fun fact: Lebanon hasn’t had a president for more than a year. Imagine a chronically authoritarian place like Egypt having that problem. And imagine if Barack Obama were followed in office by…nobody. Not Hillary Clinton. Not Jeb Bush. Not Donald Trump. Not Bernie Sanders.
Nobody.
The idea is actually appealing in some ways. Americans could probably muddle through for years with a ghost Oval Office.But imagine if that also meant no new power plants for the next 30 years. No road repairs. No functioning water system. No trash collection. Militias rising up everywhere that start wars with Canada and Mexico. The country might yearn for some kind of dictator after putting up with that kind of dysfunction for too many years. Will that happen in Lebanon? I doubt it. The Lebanese wouldn’t be able to agree on which kind of dictator they’d tolerate anyway. But honestly I have no idea. It’s a strange place. There’s nowhere else in the world—certainly nowhere else in the Middle East—quite like it. For Lebanon to resolve the root cause of most of its problems, Lebanon will have to stop being Lebanon. But that’s not going to happen any more than Syria will stop being Syria or Iraq will stop being Iraq.

Samir Geagea Christian Lebanese Forces political leader
http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/62323
Noted Israeli-Canadian scholar Dr. Mordechai Nisan’s, latest book, War and Politics in Lebanon, reveals that very few Lebanese Christian politicians and commanders had a high level of ethics. See “Engimatic Lebanon”, in the September 2015, New English Review. Those who didn't lust after power were few. Some were powerless like Charles Malek and Fuad Bustany. Others are dying like Antoine Lahd. Or are in exile such as Etienne Sacr. Nisan cites the example of Christian leaders, like Michel Aoun who have opted to form alliances with Iran and its proxy Hezbollah. Another Nisan also drew attention to is Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces political party. Nisan wrote, “Aoun and Geagea .. both tore Maronite unity into shreds and bloodshed.”
Geagea led the Lebanese Forces Christian militia from 1985 to 1990 in full alliance with Israel. That was before he was jailed by the Syrian-backed regime in 1994 for eleven years for "assassinations of Lebanese citizens". Now Samir Geagea has apparently made a major ideological and strategic change of direction. In a surprising statement issued yesterday, Geagea attacked "the aggressive Israelis for their violence against Palestinians, and Israel's suppression of Muslims and Christians in Jerusalem." Contrast this with his earlier condemnation of Hezbollah in the January 2015 attacks by Hezbollah the killed two IDF soldiers near Mount Dov near the Lebanese border. The Algemeiner reported Geagea saying at the time: “Hezbollah has no right to implicate the Lebanese people in a battle with Israel. There is a government and a parliament which can decide on that.”? This statement didn't appear out of the blue. Geagea and his wife MP Setrida Geagea had just returned from a visit to Qatar; a major supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. The visit took place after sources revealed that Geagea's political party went in quest of funding. He had received Saudi petrodollars in the past, according to wikileaks.
However, the pro-Muslim Brotherhood and pro-Hamas attitude of Geagea isn't of recent origin. He dispatched a member of his party's political bureau, MP Antoine Zahra, to Gaza in support of Hamas. Geagea supporters argue that he needs to play the Sunni card to create a balance with Hezbollah and Iran. Lebanese Christian sources dismiss the Sunni Shia reason. They say, "Geagea could have kept his connections to moderate Sunnis like Sa’ad Hariri. However, he openly allied himself with Qatar, the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas which is a huge mistake. It is about Petrodollars of course."
Waging an attack on Israel to buy credit among Islamist fundamentalists is not a Geagea invention. Before him, another Lebanese Christian leader General Michel Aoun who fought Assad in 1989 and went into exile for 15 years, reversed his position upon his return to Lebanon in 2005. He openly sealed an alliance with Hezbollah. Aoun engaged in a decade long alliance with Assad, Hezbollah and Iran. Thus the two most powerful Christian politicians, who have fought the radical Islamists and Iran in the past, have become allies to the Jihadists, both Sunnis and Shia. All to the surprise of veterans of both the Lebanese Forces militia and the Lebanese Army. In the 1980s, another former commander of the Christian militia, a close ally of Israel, Elie Hobeika, also reversed course and shifted from being anti Assad to becoming an ally of the Syrian regime in 1985. He was attacked by both Geagea and Aoun in 1986 and removed from East Beirut. Ironically Geagea and Aoun, years later also abandoned their Lebanese Christian legacy to become allies with either Hamas or Hezbollah.
A Lebanese Christian scholar living in Beirut, who knew both Aoun and Geagea, said "this is a sickness of power. We haven't seen anything like that when Bashir Gemayel was alive. Geagea and Aoun are power hungry. They abandoned their people and are aligning with radicals just hoping one day they will snatch the supreme office of President of the Lebanese Republic. This is disgusting. We blame Geagea more, because he once led a force that was the heart of the Lebanese Christian resistance. He knew better, his betrayal is bigger."
Geagea, we note, fell short of the 65 Parliamentary votes needed in the April 2014 election to succeed Michel Sleiman’s term as the Maronite President in the confessional political system. He only got 48 votes.

Anti-corruption protesters rally outside Lebanon ministry
By The Associated Press | Beirut/Tuesday, 15 September 2015/Dozens of activists held a protest on Tuesday outside a Finance Ministry building in Lebanon's capital, after failing to storm it — part of a recent series of anti-government rallies stemming from a trash collection crisis. The protesters attempted to enter the building early on Tuesday, as employees were arriving. But the security forces quickly prevented them, closing the doors to the protesters and other staffers arriving. The protesters chanted against corruption in state institutions. They said they are taking their protests to the Finance Ministry, asking that it stop paying salaries for lawmakers who have been unable to convene. The protesters complain the parliament, elected in 2009, is illegitimate. Members of parliament have illegally extended their term twice and the legislature remains deadlocked over an election law and choosing a president. Lebanon has been without a president for over a year. "There are 182 lawmakers and they have not been doing their job," Neamat Bader al-Deen, an activist with a group called "We Want Accountability" told local TV channels during the protest. She estimated that millions of dollars went to the lawmakers who have not convened to review government policies, approve a budget or elect a president because of political bickering. "Why should people not doing their job get paid, while others are not getting their salaries."Teachers and public sector employees have been demanding the parliament approve a salary scale for over three years.
What started as protests against trash piling in the streets because of government dysfunction is turning into Lebanon's largest protest movement in years, targeting an entire political class.

German bank closes account of pro-Iran, pro-Hezbollah supporters
BENJAMIN WEINTHAL/J.Post/09/15/2015 /BERLIN -- The German Commerzbank has shut down the account of the al-Quds day demonstration—an annual march in German cities calling for the destruction of Israel—according to the bank’s spokesman. In response to a Jerusalem Post press query, the spokesman told the Post on Tuesday by telephone that the bank “closed the account in September because of business conditions.” He said the Commerzbank is permitted to discontinue an account “without providing reasons.”After the mass-circulation Berlin daily BZ published a July column by popular columnist Gunnar Schupelius titled “Israel haters collect money by Commerzbank,” Israel’s embassy sent a letter of complaint to the bank. The spokesman said the bank started the process to shut the account after the Schupelius column “drew attention” to the collection of funds for the al-Quds day event.
“We are sorry that we did not contact the [Israeli embassy]” in response to the letter, said the spokesman, adding that the bank plans to “apologize” to the embassy. International Quds Day – initiated by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Islamic Republic’s founder, in 1979 – calls for the obliteration of the Jewish state. Schupelius, who has previously called for Berlin to outlaw the al-Quds day march, wrote that he first noticed the account information on July 11 that the al-Quds day activists advertised on their home page for financial sponsors. The pro-Iran regime and Hezbollah supporters listed the following account information: Commerzbank (IBAN: DE28100800000564455001).Yakov Hadas-Handelsman, Israel’s ambassador to Germany, at the time slammed the July 11 pro- al-Quds Day march in the German capital. “It is a disgrace that in Germany a march full of hate, agitation and anti-Semitism can take place,” the top envoy said. Schupelius wrote in his column that supporters of the regime screamed “Death to Israel, Death to America!” during their march in Berlin. He said that the protesters switched to Arabic and chanted “Curse the Jews and victory to Islam!”Schupelius blasted Germany’s Economic Minister and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel for courting Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei and Iran’s regime as “friends.“ He wrote “that can’t be because they wish us death.” Gabriel visited Iran in July with a large German business delegation. Schupelius concluded his column with the charge that “we are sleepwalkers” because we underestimate the dangers of Iran’s regime, which seeks an atomic bomb.

Aoun warns of 'conspiracy' to settle Syrian refugees in Lebanon
Pia FrancisHanan Khaled| The Daily Star/September 15/15/
BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun Tuesday accused the international community of conspiring to settle a huge number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. “The international community is throwing the refugee burden on Lebanon,” Aoun said after the Change and Reform Bloc’s weekly meeting, accusing Arab countries and Europe of causing the refugee crisis by supporting the Syrian rebellion, but refusing to deal with its humanitarian consequences. “Lebanon cannot handle the affliction of refugees anymore. It is overpopulated and does not have any resources,” he added. “Some evidence suggests that the refugees currently living in Lebanon are planning to stay... We reiterate that we shall not and we will not nationalize Syrian or Palestinian refugees,” Aoun said. He called on refugees who move back and forth between Syria and Lebanon, or who work in Lebanon, to return to their country.
“Either way, their country will need millions of residents to rebuild it,” he said. Aoun also addressed Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, saying: “We are now in a political crisis. We need a new president who will defend our land and our identity and fight economic corruption which is the main reason behind Lebanese emigration.” Rai calls for the election of a president in nearly every statement he makes, but has not endorsed any candidate. Aoun also rejected a report in Al-Anbaa that linked the issue of the military appointments to the garbage crisis, insisting that "the two matters are not related."Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, who is Aoun's son-in-law and is set to take over his party's leadership, had called for Syrian refugees in Lebanon to return to "safe-zones" in their country. Lebanon has effectively closed its border to new Syrian refugees. The presence of over 1.1 million registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon, which already suffers from a fragile socio-economic, political and security situation, has presented the country with enormous challenges. Speaking at a joint news conference with his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira, Bassil highlighted that the solution to the crisis in Syria "should be decided by the Syrians." He urged European countries to carefully deal with the large influx of refugees, warning "it could cause an imbalance in the identity of Europe, which would lead the whole world into disorder."Bassil called for a "comprehensive and integrated international response to terrorism." The Brazilian FM, who arrived in Lebanon on Monday in Beirut on a two-day official visit, revealed that his country granted more than 7,000 visas for Syrian refugees, denouncing “all kinds of terrorism" and calling for peaceful dialogue between the feuding sides.

Why some Lebanese say arrest of Assir was not enough
Sami Nader/Al-Monitor/September 14/15/BEIRUT — Military investigative judge Najat Abou Chakra issued an arrest warrant on Sept. 8 for Salafist Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir in Lebanon on charges of “forming sleeper terrorist cells and planning to assassinate political, military and religious figures.” Lebanese General Security arrested Assir at the Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Aug. 15 in a remarkably professional operation. Assir, accused of killing 18 officers and soldiers following confrontations with the Lebanese army in the southern city of Abra on June 23, 2013, was arrested trying to flee to Nigeria using a fake passport. Assir had undergone plastic surgery to change his facial features. The entire Lebanese political class applauded this security achievement. However, different positions have since emerged.
Some, such as Wiam Wahhab, president of the Tawhid Party, a pillar of the March 8 political faction, launched a scathing attack against Assir on Twitter and congratulated Sidon on the closing of “its second dump.” Others lauded the arrest but wondered why others whose crimes were no less serious than Assir’s were not arrested. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, another pillar of the March 14 forces, tweeted Aug. 16, “How could the same apparatus that arrested Assir, despite his makeover and the precautions he took, fail to arrest the well-known killers of Hashem Salman and Nadima al-Fakhry?”
Salman was shot dead while protesting Hezbollah’s intervention in the war in Syria in front of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut on June 10, 2013. Photos of his killers were widely circulated on social media. Fakhry was killed in the Bekaa Valley in a Nov. 16, 2014, operation that stirred great sectarian tension amid accusations that the perpetrators were well-known and reside in Hezbollah-controlled areas.
Geagea’s tweet pointed to double standards in the security services’ performance.
Director General of General Security Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim denied practicing sectarian-based justice as far as security operations are concerned. He said in a September interview with the General Security magazine, “I cannot send a criminal home and ask him to wait until a criminal balance is achieved. I cannot guarantee the arrest of six criminals of each sect.”Assir’s arrest sent ripples through Lebanese society and pointed to a deep sectarian division and disorder in national partnerships. There may be a consensus on the rejection of Assir’s attack on the Lebanese army, but there is a wide disparity between those who demand his execution — such as the parents of the dead soldiers in Abra and Future Movement-affiliated Sara Assaf, who tweeted, “Sheikh Assir would not have emerged had it not been for Hariri’s exclusion by the March 8 camp and the March 8 media outlets’ insistence on blowing the Assir phenomenon out of proportion.”
This tweet reverberated across Arab satellite channels. In fact, Sunnis across the Arab world hold Iran and its allies responsible for the emergence of radical groups, the exclusion of moderate Sunnis such as Hariri, and the media focus on the Islamic State and radical icons such as Assir as an attempt to distract attention from Iran’s expansionist strategies across the Middle East. In this context, Assaf told Al-Monitor, “We all reject the crime committed against the Lebanese army, but we always wonder why Assir was captured while Mustafa Badr al-Din, a Hezbollah leader, was not, knowing that the latter is accused of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Badr al-Din is wanted by international justice and an arrest warrant was issued against him.”Assaf added, “There is a feeling that double standards are adopted in the application of laws and security, as there are areas that are still out of state control. These areas witness multiple acts of kidnapping and theft. Assir’s arrest is a good step, but what is also required is a good and transparent investigation to show the details of what happened in Abra.”Some newspapers reported the involvement of the Resistance Brigades, a militia affiliated with Hezbollah, in these developments. This security achievement, while universally praised, does not hide the flaws plaguing national cohesion. The fight against terrorism does not seem to be enough to unite the Lebanese and build sustainable peace.
After it was confirmed that Assir had mostly been hiding in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, where extremist organizations are expanding at the expense of the Fatah movement, the question arose of whether a Palestinian or Arab security apparatus may have informed the Lebanese authorities about Assir’s escape attempt and facilitated his arrest. Ibrahim categorically denied this idea and said that the operation was a Lebanese effort and that “Palestinians had nothing to do with it.”Interestingly, the Israeli chief of staff and head of intelligence spoke on behalf of the Israeli authorities, praising the operation and Lebanese security services’ ability to break through the camps thanks to their intelligence services, as these camps were lawless areas out of the Lebanese security services’ control. For its part, Lebanese General Security did not comment extensively on the arrest. In the September issue of its monthly magazine, General Security republished a blog post by Lebanese-Israeli journalist Julie Abu Arraj, in which she noted that the Israeli authorities had praised Ibrahim for Assir's arrest. This was accompanied by a brief comment by Ibrahim, who noted: “First and foremost, this is an enemy’s testimony. … They only tackled the technical side of the operation. They did not tackle anything else.” Editor's Note: This article has been updated since its initial publication.

Montreal: Muslim teens charged with possessing explosives, facilitating terror act “for the profit of a terrorist organization”
“Sabrine Djaermane and El Mahdi Jamali make court appearance,”
Steve Rukavina, CBC News, September 15, 2015:
wo Montreal teenagers facing terrorism-related charges appeared in court Wednesday to finalize plans for their preliminary hearing. Sabrine Djaermane, 19, and El Mahdi Jamali, 18, are facing several charges including attempting to leave Canada to commit a terrorist act abroad, possession of an explosive substance, facilitating a terrorist act and committing an act under the direction of or for the profit of a terrorist organization. Prosecutor Lyne Décarie told Quebec Court Judge Hélène Morin that she expects 17 witnesses to testify at the preliminary hearing. Djaermane and Jamali sat side by side at the prisoners box at the hearing. Jamali was in handcuffs and leg restraints. At one point, Jamali smiled and waved at a female relative in the courtroom. The two College Maisonneuve students, who are romantically linked, were arrested in April. They will remain in custody pending trial

ISIS abducts 12 Egyptians in Libya
September 15/15/ By Raymond Ibrahim /Islamic State Libya ChristiansThe Islamic State in Libya has abducted 12 more Egyptians. They were reportedly laborers preparing to return back to Egypt.According to RT Arabic, the Egyptians were abducted in Sirte, late in the evening of Sunday, September 13.Coptic Christians are among those kidnapped.The Egyptian ministry has not issued a statement either confirming or denying the news.Last February, the Islamic State in Libya abducted and slaughtered on video 21 Coptic Christians. Earlier, eyewitnesses had said that, after abducting a number of Egyptians, they released the Muslims while reserving the Christians for slaughter.ending trial….

Raymond Ibrahim: Muslim Soldiers Killing Christian Soldiers in Egypt
September 15, 2015/By Raymond Ibrahim
Christian Soldier EgyptOn Sunday, August 23, a Coptic Christian soldier was killed in his army unit in Egypt. Baha Saeed Karam, 22, was found shot dead with four bullet wounds at the headquarters of his battalion in Marsa Matruh. Although transferred to a hospital in Alexandria, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.According to Baha’s brother, Cyril, the Coptic soldier had recently told him that he had gotten into arguments with other Muslim soldiers in his unit and that one had threatened him with death.Baha is certainly not the first Coptic Christian serving in his country’s military to be killed over his religious identity.
Two months earlier, on June 24, the only Christian in his army unit was found shot dead in a chair at the office of the military base he was stationed. Baha Gamal Mikhail Silvanus, a 23-year-old conscript, had two gunshot wounds and a gun at his feet. Relatives who later saw the body said he also had wounds atop his head, as if he had been bludgeoned with an object. The military’s official position was that the Copt committed suicide—despite the fact that suicides are rarely able to shoot themselves twice or first hit themselves atop the head with blunt objects. Moreover, according to Rev. Mikhial Shenouda, who knew the deceased, “A person who commits suicide is a disappointed and desperate person, but Baha was in very good spirits. He was smiling always. He was keeping the word of God,” and planning on entering the monastic life after his military service. A friend of the deceased Christian said that Silvanus had confided to him that he was regularly pressured by other soldiers in his unit to convert to Islam: “He told me that the persecution of the fanatical Muslim conscripts in the battalion against him had increased … and that they would kill him if he wouldn’t convert to Islam.” On August 31, 2013, another Copt in the armed services, Abu al-Khair Atta, was killed in his unit by an “extremist officer” for “refusing to convert to Islam.” Again, the interior ministry informed the slain Copt’s family that he had committed suicide. However, Abu al-Khair’s father, citing eyewitnesses who spoke to him, said that “one of the radical, fanatical officers pressured and threatened him on more than one occasion to convert to Islam. Abu al-Khair resisted the threats, which vexed the officer more.”Then there was 20-year-old Guirgus Rizq Yusif al-Maqar, who died on September 18, 2006… Keep reading

Russia positioning tanks at Syria airfield: US officials
Washington, Reuters—Russia has positioned about a half dozen tanks at an airfield at the center of a military buildup in Syria, two US officials said on Monday, adding that the intentions of Moscow’s latest deployment of heavy military equipment were unclear. Moscow has come under increased international pressure in recent days to explain its moves in Syria, where the Kremlin has been supporting Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in a 4-1/2-year war. The Pentagon declined to directly comment on the Reuters report, saying it could not discuss US intelligence. But a US Defense Department spokesman said recent actions by Moscow suggested plans to establish a forward air operating base. “We have seen movement of people and things that would indicate that they plan to use that base there, south of Latakia, as a forward air operating base,” Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis told a news briefing. One of the US officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said seven Russian T-90 tanks had been observed at the airfield near Latakia, an Assad stronghold. The two US officials said Russia had also stationed artillery that appeared to be arrayed defensively to protect Russian personnel stationed there. Reuters has previously reported that Russia had deployed about 200 naval infantry soldiers to the airfield, as well as temporary housing units, a portable air traffic control station and components for an air defense system. In a sign of the pace of Russia’s buildup, Moscow has been sending about two military cargo flights a day to the airfield over the past week, US officials say.

EU Warns against 'Provocation' at al-Aqsa Mosque
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 15/15/The EU warned Tuesday against any "provocation" at Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound as Palestinians and Israeli security forces clashed for a third day. "The reported violence and escalation (at the site) constitute a provocation and incitement" ahead of important Jewish and Muslim holy days, European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told reporters in Brussels. "It is crucial that all parties demonstrate calm and restraint and full respect for the status quo of the holy sites," Kocijancic said. The 28-nation EU had recently "issued an appeal for full respect of the holy sites and said very clearly that any change of the status quo would have deeply destabilizing effects," she added. The site is the third-holiest in Islam but also venerated by Jews as the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism. Protesters fear Israel is seeking to change rules governing the site which allow Jews to visit but not pray, despite Israeli denials. The EU is part of the Middle East Quartet seeking a diplomatic solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict, along with the United States, the United Nations and Russia. The U.N. and U.S. have urged restraint on both sides amid the latest clashes, while Jordan, which has custodianship rights over Muslim holy places in Jerusalem under its 1994 peace treaty with Israel, has warned that ties were at stake.

Kuwait Suspects Deny Ties to Iran, Allege Torture
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 15/15/More than 20 Kuwaitis denied in court Tuesday that they were linked to Iran and Lebanon's Hizbullah, alleging that confessions were extracted under extreme physical torture. All 23 men in court told judge Mohammad al-Duaij they were systematically tortured by beatings and electric shocks, with interrogators threatening to kill them if they did not sign "prepared confessions." Of 26 people charged, three remain at large, including the only Iranian in the case. Prosecutors two weeks ago charged 24 of the defendants with plotting attacks against the Gulf state in collaboration with Iran and Hizbullah. They were also charged with smuggling in and assembling explosives, as well as possessing firearms and ammunition. A number were also charged with Hizbullah membership. The accusations came after the interior ministry said in August it had uncovered a large amount of weapons, ammunition and explosives when arresting members of a "terror cell." The main suspect, Hassan Abdulhadi Hassan, told the court that the weapons dated to the 1990-91 Iraqi invasion and occupation, and that they were handed to him by a senior member of the ruling al-Sabah family. "I have been hiding these arms on the orders of Sheikh Athbi al-Sabah. We used these weapons in the resistance against the Iraqi troops," Hassan told the court. Sheikh Athbi was one of the main leaders of the resistance against the Iraqi invaders. Although all of the defendants claimed they had been tortured, they also told the judge that all traces of beatings or electric shocks have since disappeared. Defense lawyers asked the court to refer the suspects to a neutral medical commission to examine their claims, and also called for their release. The judge rejected their request, and set September 29 for the next hearing. The prosecutor charged that 22 of the suspects had received explosives and weapons training so they could "achieve illegal goals." Iran has officially denied any links to the suspects.

A diplomatic source, speaking to Reuters in the region on condition of anonymity, said the Russians were working to improve the airfield.
“There have been trucks going in and out. It appears the runway is not suited to some types of aircraft yet and they have been doing some improvements,” the diplomat said. Russia has said it will continue providing military supplies to Syria and that its assistance to the Syrian army is in line with international law. The United States is using Syrian airspace to lead a campaign of air strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). A greater Russian presence raises the prospect of the Cold War superpower foes encountering each other on the battlefield. So far, Russia has not sent combat aircraft or helicopter gunships to the airfield, the Pentagon said. Both Moscow and Washington say their enemy is ISIS, whose Islamist fighters control large parts of Syria and Iraq. But Russia supports the government of Assad in Syria, while the United States says his presence makes the situation worse. White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Air Force One that any Russian support to Assad would be “destabilizing and counterproductive.” But the White House appeared to hold out hope for some degree of cooperation with Moscow, noting shared concerns about violent extremism. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Russia’s ultimate goal in Syria remained uncertain. “Clearly, they are providing more assistance,” Kirby said. “But the ultimate goal? The ultimate intent here? I think there’s still a degree of opaqueness about that.”The Syrian civil war, in which about 250,000 people have died, has caused nearly half of Syria’s prewar population of 23 million to flee, with many thousands attempting to reach Europe.

US seeking to boost role of Iraq’s Sunni tribes in anti-ISIS campaign: Anbar sources
Anbar, Asharq Al-Awsat—The United States is seeking to give Anbar tribes a greater military role in the fight against the Islamic States of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) whose fighters seized much of the western province in early 2014, an informed tribal source has said.Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, the source said US forces operating in Iraq have been providing weapons and ammunition to Iraqi tribal fighters positioned near the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi in the Anbar province. The military equipment is being transferred on a daily basis by US cargo planes that land at the Habbaniyah Airbase in east of Ramadi without consulting with the central government in Baghdad, the source added. “For about a month, US forces have been working towards fully handing the province’s security file to the tribal forces, having suspended the role of the Iraqi army and pulled the Popular Mobilization fighters from the environs of Ramadi as well as banned them from even coming near Fallujah and its villages,” the source added. The government of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi has largely relied on a coalition of mainly Shi’ite militias known as the Popular Mobilization (or Al-Hashid Al-Shaabi) to drive ISIS out of Anbar.
However, many in Iraq have expressed fears that the Popular Mobilization may carry out acts of revenge against Sunnis whom it accuses of backing ISIS. According to analysts, Washington’s efforts to achieve sectarian balance within the forces battling ISIS in Iraq have played into the hands of the ultra-radical group. “This has given a great opportunity to ISIS to strengthen its lines of defense around Ramadi through the use of tunnels and the course of the Euphrates,” Abdul Karim Khalaf, a military expert, said. The US-led coalition against ISIS has recently come under pressure, with many government officials and tribal leaders in Iraq questioning its ability to liberate Anbar after freezing the joint operations conducted by the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization in Ramadi and Fallujah. Mohamed Al-Dulaimi, a spokesman for the tribes battling ISIS in Anbar, blasted the US move as “not serious” and aimed at “rupturing the unity of the Iraqi joint operations command having come close to achieving its goal of liberating Ramadi.” Meanwhile, Karim Al-Nuri, a Popular Mobilization commander, said his forces were continuing their fight against ISIS and that talk about them pulling out of the western province was “unfounded.”
“[The Popular Mobilization] does not need to wait for a license from anyone and it is continuing to fight ISIS.”

Thirteen Turkish soldiers wounded in bomb blast in east: sources
By Reuters | Diyarbakir/Tuesday, 15 September 2015/Thirteen Turkish soldiers were wounded when their convoy was hit by a roadside bomb explosion in the largely Kurdish eastern province of Mus, security sources said on Tuesday.Turkey has been hit by waves of daily violence between Kurdish militants and security forces, with much of it centred in the largely Kurdish southeast, since a ceasefire with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) broke down in July.

Clashes Rock Jerusalem Mosque Compound for Third Day
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 15/15/Palestinians and Israeli security forces clashed in Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound and the surrounding Old City for a third straight day on Tuesday despite international calls for calm. Young demonstrators gathered around the mosque threw stones at police who had entered the compound in large numbers and responded with stun grenades, an AFP journalist said. Police said they cleared debris from the entrance of the mosque and closed the door on those inside who had been throwing stones, fireworks and other objects at security forces. The Jordanian organisation that administers the site, the Waqf, said that police entered deep inside the mosque and caused damage. The new flare-up came despite calls for restraint from both the United Nations and the United States, and a warning from Jordan, which has custodianship rights over Muslim holy places in Jerusalem under its 1994 peace treaty with Israel, that relations were on the line. The protesters fear Israel is seeking to change rules governing the site which allow Jews to visit but not pray, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the status quo will be preserved. The site is the third-holiest in Islam but also venerated by Jews as the Temple Mount. According to Israeli police, youths barricaded themselves inside the mosque overnight as they had over the two previous days with the aim of disrupting visits by Jews to the compound. Masked protesters threw stones towards the gate when regular visits to the site began on Tuesday morning, police said.After security forces entered the compound, "masked assailants fled inside the mosque and began throwing dozens of stones" and other objects, including fireworks, police said. There were at least four arrests, while clashes also broke out in the Old City surrounding the compound. Limited visits to the site were later allowed to go ahead. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 26 people were wounded, of whom two were hospitalised. Israeli police said five officers were lightly injured.
Old City clashes
Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said security forces shut the door on protesters inside the mosque in a tactic they have used in the past to restore calm. Previous such incidents have seen police briefly enter the mosque to shut the door. "Police forces did not penetrate into the interior of Al-Aqsa mosque," Sabri said in a statement. Waqf spokesman Firas al-Dibs said "police stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque and went inside" as far as the minbar, or imam's pulpit. He said police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades that caused fires. Clashes in the Old City appeared to be more intense than over the previous two days. Police fired stun grenades to push back protesters who threw stones and yelled: "We will never give up because Mohammed is our leader." The three days of clashes have come as Jews celebrated their new year, or Rosh Hashanah, which began on Sunday evening and ends on Tuesday evening. A drive by far-right Jewish groups for greater access to the mosque compound and a fringe campaign to erect a new temple have fueled suspicions among Palestinians. Israel seized east Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, in the Six Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognized by the international community. Separately on Tuesday, Netanyahu will hold an "emergency meeting" of members of his cabinet involved with security to discuss ways of responding to recent incidents of stone-throwing by Palestinians in and around Jerusalem. Police said on Monday that stone-throwing may have caused a car crash that killed an Israeli motorist near a Palestinian neighborhood of Jerusalem.

Hungary Seals Border to Migrants as Germany Slams 'Disgraceful' EU
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 15/15/Hungary sealed its border with Serbia on Tuesday to stem the massive influx of refugees as Germany slammed the "disgraceful" refusal of other EU countries to accept more migrants after 22 died in yet another shipwreck. Budapest's move came after Austria and Slovakian authorities followed Germany's lead in reimposing border controls, a further body blow to Europe's cherished passport-free Schengen zone as the EU's border agency said more than half a million migrants had been counted at the bloc's borders so far this year. With no sign of a let-up in the flow of refugees, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said that Europe had "disgraced itself" after EU ministers failed to agree on Monday how to share the burden. Hungarian police closed a 40-meter (-yard) gap in a razorwire barrier for train tracks that had until Monday night been the main illegal crossing point and pushed migrants on towards a nearby official crossing point. But on Tuesday morning, that official crossing at Roszke, and a second one at Asothalom, were also shut, leaving several hundred people stuck on the Serbian side with no apparent hope of entering the EU member state. Around 20 Hungarian riot police stood behind a two-meter (six-foot) fence at Roszke while on the Serbian side of the barbed wire 300 migrants waited around 50 tents for the border to reopen, an AFP reporter said. "Why are they doing this?" one Afghan woman holding a child asked a volunteer, who was only able to give her a bottle of water. Several groups of people were seen walking along the border fence searching in vain for another way into Hungary. Bashir, a 17-year-old schoolboy from Bazari in Afghanistan wanting to make it to Sweden or Norway, said that he arrived at the border an hour after it closed at midnight and was unable to cross. "It was really bad last night. It was cold, particularly for families with little babies," he told AFP. The closure came as harsh new Hungarian laws came into effect criminalizing "illegal border-crossing" with up to three years in prison. Authorities on Tuesday announced the first arrests had been made under the new legislation. Hungary, which has seen some 200,000 migrants enter the country this year, is also building a controversial four-metre high fence along the 175-kilometer (110-mile) border with non-EU Serbia.
No agreement
With Poland and the Netherlands saying they were also considering border controls, there are fears the very ideal of a borderless Europe allowing passport-free travel to hundreds of millions of citizens could collapse -- even though states are permitted to impose temporary controls for security reasons. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman insisted Monday that the country was not slamming its doors to refugees but argued the new measures were needed to restore order to the asylum process. The move caused long traffic jams on the border from Austria into the southern German state of Bavaria -- which has seen 63,000 people arrive by train in the state capital Munich since August 31 -- and major disruption to rail services. Around 2,000 asylum-seekers still crossed the frontier into Germany on Monday, albeit at a slower pace than in recent weeks, federal police spokesman Rainer Scharf told AFP in the southern German town of Freilassing. Vice Chancellor Gabriel said that Europe had "disgraced itself" after EU ministers failed in Monday's emergency meeting to reach unanimous agreement on a plan to share out 120,000 refugees. This was aimed at easing the burden on frontline states -- Hungary, Greece and Italy -- from the tide of people fleeing war zones such as Syria and Afghanistan, but several members of the bloc, notably eastern members including Hungary, object. Berlin on Tuesday suggested that EU aid could be cut to member states that refuse to take their share of migrants. Amnesty International said the EU had "once again dismally failed to show collective leadership."But the crisis is moving faster than the 28-nation EU can handle, with the EU's Frontex border agency saying Tuesday that more than half a million migrants crossed the bloc's borders in the year to August 31, almost double the total for the whole of 2014.However, the EU ministers did formally approve a plan first aired in May to relocate 40,000 refugees, as well as plans for military action against people smugglers in the Mediterranean, seizing and possibly destroying boats.
New boat tragedy
In another tragedy that underscored the dangers faced by migrants, at least 22 people including at least four children and 11 women were feared drowned when the wooden boat taking them from Turkey to Greece sank. Another 211 were rescued. From Greece, migrants travel up through the western Balkans and enter Hungary, most of them seeking to travel on to Germany via Austria which saw around 20,000 new arrivals on Monday. At Roszke train station in Hungary, migrants who managed to make it across the border on Monday were in a bad way, said Jota Echevarria, medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders. "The physical state of the people, 90 percent of them, if not 100 percent are very tired, and this affects much more the women and elder people and the children," he said. "If we could work and live in safety we wouldn't be here," said Bashir, the Afghan. "In Afghanistan... how are we supposed to live with no future? If I die I want it to be for something, for something good, for my rights."

Libya peace talks hit snag over proposed deal amendments
Benghazi, Libya, Reuters/Tuesday, 15 September 2015/Delegates for Libya’s internationally recognized government said on Tuesday it was recalling its team from U.N.-backed peace talks with rivals, complaining about amendments to a draft agreement meant to end their conflict. It was the latest setback for United Nations efforts to reach a deal by Sept. 20 over the crisis between Libya’s official government and a rival, self-declared administration that has taken over the capital Tripoli since fighting last year. Western powers say the U.N. deal for a unity government is the only solution to the conflict, which has pushed the North African state to the edge of economic collapse four years after the rebellion ousted long-time leader Mummar Qaddafi. The recognized government and elected parliament working out of the east of the country had agreed to a preliminary accord, while the Tripoli faction had still refused to sign during talks last week in the Moroccan city of Skhirat. U.N. envoy Bernardino Leon had announced the two sides had reached a consensus and would soon name candidates for a unity government. But delegates for the recognized government and elected House of Representatives (HOR) said on Tuesday they had recalled their team for consultations over proposed amendments. “The House of Representatives have rejected the amendments that were added to the draft,” HOR lawmaker Tarek Juroushi told Reuters. “Additionally, the HoR have summoned the team in Skhirat.” Another HOR lawmaker also confirmed the recall, saying the congress “rejected the amendments added in the last round of talks, but not the draft itself.”The United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation or comment. Negotiators from both sides are under pressure from hardliners who see they can still win ground from conflict. Armed forces on both sides are loose alliances of former anti-Qaddafi rebels who turned against each other or whose loyalties are more to tribal or regional allegiances. Libya’s turmoil is an increasing worry for European leaders as ISIS militants gain ground there and smugglers take advantage of the chaos to send thousands of illegal migrants and asylum seekers across the Mediterranean to Europe.

Kuwait sentences 7 to death over mosque bombing
By Staff Writer | Al Arabiya News/Tuesday, 15 September 2015/Kuwait has sentenced seven suspects to death, five of them in absentia, on Tuesday for their roles in the deadly attack on a Shiite mosque in June that killed 27 people, according to Kuwait's state news agency (KUNA).
Among those sentenced to death were one defendant convicted of driving the bomber to the mosque and a second described by the court as the "wali" or leader of the local branch of ISIS. Both were present in court on Tuesday. The other five, who still remain at large, include two Saudi brothers who were convicted of smuggling the explosives used in the attack from Saudi Arabia in an icebox. Another eight suspects were handed down prison sentences ranging between two to 15 years. The remaining 14 suspects who stood trial for the attack were acquitted of all charges and are set to be released shortly. The defendants included seven Kuwaitis, five Saudis, three Pakistanis and 13 stateless Arabs known as bidoon, as well as one unidentified person still at large. Earlier in July, Kuwait announced that 29 people, most of them residents of this Gulf Arab country while seven were women, would stand trial trial for the suicide bombing attack of Imam al-Sadiq mosque that was claimed by the extremist ISIS group. The bombing killed 27 worshippers and wounded at least 200 people while they were performing Friday prayers. An ISIS-affiliated group calling itself Najd Province claimed the Kuwait City bombing as well as suicide attacks at two Shiite mosques in Saudi Arabia in May.[With AFP]

Kremlin calls on U.S. for talks on resolving Syria
By Reuters and Associated Press | Moscow/Tuesday, 15 September 2015/Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that dialogue between Moscow and Washington on solving the Syria crisis was indispensable.Peskov made the comments when asked whether talks on Syria were possible between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama. However, Putin also said on Tuesday that it's impossible to defeat the extremists from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group without cooperating with the Syrian government.IN OPINION: Russia aims to restore its Mideast prestige after U.S. ‘creative chaos’Speaking on Tuesday at a meeting of a Moscow-dominated security alliance of ex-Soviet nations in Tajikistan, Putin said that Moscow has provided military assistance to President Bashar Assad's government and will continue to do so. He shrugged off allegations that Moscow's support for Assad has sparked a flow of refugees, saying in a televised statement that without Russia's support for Assad's regime the number of Syrian refugees heading to Europe would have even bigger. The U.S. says that Russia is in the midst of a steady military buildup at a Syrian airport, indicating Moscow intends to create an air operations base there, although no fighter jets or helicopters have arrived yet.

Mexico FM heads to Cairo for answers on attack
By AFP | Mexico CityTuesday, 15 September 2015/Mexico’s foreign minister said she was traveling to Cairo late on Monday to seek answers from Egyptian authorities over an air strike that mistakenly killed Mexican tourists. “We face of a terrible loss of human lives and an unjustified attack that obligates us to make the protection of our citizens the priority,” Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu told reporters at Mexico City’s international airport. Ruiz Massieu, who was due to fly later in the night, said she would travel with seven relatives of some of the victims as well as Mexican doctors to care for the wounded. At least two Mexicans were confirmed dead, while another six were wounded and six more were unaccounted for, she said. Egyptian authorities have said that a total of 12 people were killed and 10 wounded on Sunday when security forces fired on the group of tourists by mistake while hunting mlitant extremists in the Western Desert. Ruiz Massieu said she would hold talks with top Egyptian officials in order to “obtain first-hand information that can clear up the circumstances of this deplorable event which has cost the lives of innocent Mexican tourists.”

Iranian president to visit France in November, PM says
Paris, AFP/Tuesday, 15 September 2015/Iranian President Hassan Rowhani has accepted France’s invitation to visit Paris in November, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Tuesday, in what will be the first trip to France by an Iranian leader since 1999. Speaking in parliament, Valls said President Francois Hollande would host Rowhani “because after the conclusion of an agreement on its nuclear program, Tehran must weigh in positively in favor of a political solution” in Syria. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius extended the invitation to Rowhani in July when he made a short trip to Tehran on the back of a historic nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers that he said offered the chance for rapprochement after years of strain. Under the deal, Iran agreed to curb some elements of its nuclear program in exchange for a lifting of U.N., U.S. and European economic sanctions. “With the new deal - the lifting of sanctions - France intends, if Iran is willing, to be more present in several areas... political, economic, cultural,” Fabius said in July.A French economic and trade delegation is due to visit Tehran next week.

Livni: Europe is removing sanctions from Iran and using them on Israel
LAHAV HARKOV/J.Post/09/15/2015/MK Tzipi Livni (Zionist Union) expressed concern about Europe’s policies towards the Middle East as she headed to Berlin Tuesday night for the G7’s forum on women’s political participation. “Israel must change the situation in Europe, in which they remove sanctions from Iran and put them on Israel,” Livni said. “Iran is getting legitimacy, while Israel is losing it. Trade with Iran will increase, and with Israel it will decrease.”German Chancellor Angela Merkel invited Livni to participate in the conference, and the former foreign and justice minister plans to meet with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, as well as members of the Bundestag and the German media. Livni and Steinmeier are expected to discuss the world powers’ agreement with Iran and Israel’s concerns over the immediate collapse of the sanctions regime and improved ties between Europe and Teheran, as well as the European Parliament’s call to label Jewish products from the West Bank. “Even after the agreement, Iran remains a state supporter of terrorism, which continues to promote its extremist agenda and talk about destroying the State of Israel,” she said ahead of the trip. Livni said that even those who supported the agreement, like Germany, must be aware of these facts and not give Iran international legitimacy.“We must create one joint front against the terrorism it exports and sets off from inside [Iran], and I plan to explain that on my trip to Germany,” she stated.

Palestinian shot, injured after hurling firebomb at IDF in West Bank riot
YAAKOV LAPPIN/J.Post/09/15/2015/A Palestinian hurling a firebomb was shot in the legs and lightly injured during a clash with the IDF near the West Bank city of Tulkarm on Tuesday afternoon.An army spokeswoman said that the clash began when rioters hurled rocks and firebombs at soldiers. The IDF initially responded by using non-lethal riot dispersal means. During the course of the clash, the spokeswoman said, a "central instigator threw a firebomb. Soldiers fired at his legs and struck him. As far as we know, he was lightly injured." The injured man was evacuated to a Palestinian hospital for medical treatment. Earlier on Tuesday, soldiers patrolling the border Gaza Strip heard gunshots fired in their direction from the Gazan side of the border. The IDF unit responded by firing back, and a suspected attacker was hit in the return fire, according to the army.The incident follows rioting that broke out on the Temple Mount for the third straight day Tuesday after police came to secure the area for Jewish visitors for the second day of Rosh Hashana.When Israeli security forces entered the plaza of the site dozens of face-covered Palestinian youth met them with a barrage of stones, blocks, and firecrackers, police said. The youth tried to block off the door to al-Aksa Mosque but the security forces managed to push them inside the building, Israel Radio reported. The police said it had secured the site to receive visitors after an unspecified number of suspects were arrested and five police officers were lightly injured and were treated at the scene. Twenty-six Palestinians were injured on Tuesday, none of them seriously, the Director of the Palestinian Red Crescent emergency unit, Amin Abu Ghazaleh, said. The rioting over the last days garnered expressions of concern from both the United States and Jordan.
JPost.com staff contributed to this report

Is Turkey ignoring Islamic State threats against Christians?
Sibel Hurtas/Al-Monitor/September 14, 2015
During the last week of August, two Protestant churches in Turkey — one in the Mediterranean city of Antalya and the other in Istanbul — received emails with a message that read, “You apostate, perverted infidels, you’ve rejected the truth despite the laws of Allah and chosen the path of infidelity. You’ve not only put faith in idolatry, but you’ve dragged along others with you. For a long time, we waited for you to return to the true religion. You [only] increased your perversion and fooled other ignorant people. Be assured that Allah will deliver your heads in our hands. Neither Europe, on which you so much rely, nor Jesus, whom you ascribe as an equal to Allah, will be able to save you. Allah will not forgive the perverts who strayed from the path of Allah.” The message concluded by saying that Christians would be caught and killed wherever they are found.
Churches in Turkey are accustomed to threats. In 2014, the country’s small Protestant community reported 10 incidents of threats and assaults against its authorities, including a threatening letter left at the door of Istanbul’s Yeni Umut Church while church members gathered inside and the breaking of windows and then torching of the Kadikoy International Church, also in Istanbul. Many other threats and incidents of assault are believed to have gone unreported to the police.
The wording of the latest threat, however, is different. Terms such as “apostate” and “idolatry” evoke the rhetoric of the Islamic State (IS), which uses such language to threaten anyone outside the group. Turkey’s Protestants are estimated to number some 7,000, most of them Turkish converts from traditionally Muslim families. Thus, the reference to Christians’ “return to the true religion” appears to have gloomy connotations. The boards of the two churches that the messages were sent to were particularly alarmed and informed the Association of Protestant Churches about the emails. It turned out that about 100 threatening messages had been sent to churches, leaders and members of the Protestant community within a 10-day period through text messages and social media sites such as Facebook as well as via email.
Soner Tufan, spokesman for the Association of Protestant Churches, told Al-Monitor that the threats targeted churches in Ankara, Antalya, Bursa and Istanbul. The community, he emphasized, suspects the threats are from IS, given the rhetoric and the methods of killing mentioned. “Organizations like IS see Christians as their primary enemy. We know what they’ve done to Christians,” Tufan said. “These threats don’t look like the usual ones. Their intensity and the fact they come from a single source is increasing our anxiety.”Yet, despite the approximately 100 threats the Protestants have received, only the Umraniye Church in Istanbul and the Incil Church in Antalya have reported the incidents to the authorities. “The small number of complaints reflects the Protestant community’s mistrust of the judiciary,” Tufan explained. “As a matter of fact, no protection measures were enacted for the churches that did file complaints. There has been no visible sign of showing concern.”
The community’s mistrust is not unfounded. Since 2008, the Association of Protestant Churches has been issuing annual reports on threats and attacks against its churches. More than 10 incidents of threat and assault have been reported to the authorities every year, but the complaints have not led to any action being taken. Not a single perpetrator has been caught. Above all, the legal proceedings involving the gruesome murder of three Protestants in 2007 have severely damaged the community’s trust. That year, on April 18, five young men tortured and slit the throats of a German national, Tilman Geske, and two Turkish converts, Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel, in the eastern city of Malatya at the Zirve publishing house, which printed books on Christianity. According to official forensic reports, the assailants first tried to strangle Aydin with a rope before stabbing him to death. At least 16 stab wounds were found on his body. Geske and Yuksel were stabbed 16 and 14 times, respectively. Caught at the scene, the assailants told interrogators that they had stayed at the office after the murders so they could kill other Christians, should any visit that day.
The trial, which dragged on for seven years, not only failed to shed light on alleged instigators believed to be connected to the “deep state,” but often resembled a probe against the victims themselves, with authorities investigating the names, addresses and bank accounts of community members and tapping the phones of the victims’ relatives and lawyers. Moreover, the five assailants walked free in 2014 after a legal amendment shortened the length of time a suspect can be held for trial without conviction. Hence, the Protestant community’s reluctance to approach the state, even in the face of organized threats.
Ihsan Ozbek, head of the Association of Protestant Churches, is among those who are worried that IS militants or sympathizers are behind the latest threats. “The jargon is very similar to that of IS. It’s obvious the threats are coming from radical Islamists,” he told Al-Monitor.
When asked why Protestants are reluctant to go to the judiciary, Ozbek said, “For Christians in Turkey, winning legal cases is already very difficult. Impunity is a big problem. We’ve been greatly affected by the impunity in the Zirve case in particular. Acts against Christians are not punished in this country. People are able to perpetrate acts against Christians very easily. Attacks on churches and affronts to clerics are quite widespread. Plenty of hate speech is being published without any punishment whatsoever. There is not much we can do [but] we should do our best within the scope of the law. When our people ask for advice, we tell them to file criminal complaints.”
Stressing that two churches have already done so, Ozbek said, “State officials have the responsibility [to find] who is making these threats, which concern a lot of people. That nothing is being done, that they act as if nothing has happened is a serious problem. We are doing what is up to us, but the government and prosecutors, too, should fulfill their responsibilities.”Since the release of the Zirve suspects, the Protestant community has been on edge. Ozbek stated, “The community is very uneasy. People are in a state of suspense, not knowing what might befall them in this country and what injustices and brutalities they may face. It’s like being under constant harassment. Physical violence may not be very tangible, but when people feel under constant threat, this amounts to torture.”The Protestant community has churches open to anyone, so-called house churches, unofficial houses of worship, in all the major cities, but only one Protestant organization, the Istanbul Protestant Church Foundation, is officially recognized. Due to legal obstacles, Protestants are unable to train clergy, and their children are subject to compulsory religion classes that teach Sunni Islam. Yet, the impunity accorded to perpetrators of hate speech and other attacks remains their gravest problem, with a crisis of confidence preventing them from resorting to the justice system even in the face of serious risks. The authorities’ failure to take measures after the latest threats suggests the problem is still far from resolution.

Zarif testifies before parliament’s nuclear deal committee
Arash Karami/September 14/15/Al-Monitor
Iranian Foreign Minister and chief nuclear negotiator Mohammad Javad Zarif finally testified before parliament’s special committee to review the comprehensive nuclear deal between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1). The Sept. 13 hearing was the first time that Zarif, who had been traveling in the region, was able to respond to accusations made by former negotiator Saeed Jalili during testimony to parliament earlier this month. While Zarif said he did not intend to answer Jalili’s accusations directly, he did say that contrary to Jalili’s comments, Iran’s nuclear file had been an exceptional case for seven years (in the sense that Iran would negotiate with the international community about its nuclear program, but about little if nothing else). Jalili was head negotiator from 2007 to 2013 — years that a number of UN Security Council resolutions against Iran were passed because of its nuclear program.
Zarif praised his deputies, Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi, for being able to negotiate the country out of the UN sanctions. He said that this was the first time a country was able to negotiate out of Chapter 7 UN sanctions, saying that it took 10 years after Saddam Hussein’s downfall for Chapter 7 sanctions on Iraq to be removed. Zarif said that the “reversibility,” or the so-called snapback of sanctions, was a compromise in order to remove sanctions at once. Comparing his team to Jalili’s team on the issue of sanctions, Zarif said the last suggestion the P5+1 side gave to Jalili’s team was the removal of oil sanctions in return for fundamental changes on the nuclear program and there was no talk of removing UN sanctions. Since the P5+1 wanted to remove sanctions step by step, according to Zarif, and Iran wanted the sanctions removed immediately, the compromise of “reversibility” of sanctions was introduced. Zarif said that this arrangement works to Iran’s benefit because if any of the P5+1 countries fail to live up to their obligations, Iran can quickly return to its nuclear work, but the implementation of sanctions is much more time-consuming and complex. He added that from the first day of the implementation of the deal, European economic, financial and monetary sanctions will be removed. US sanctions on airplanes to Iran will be removed, and Iran will be permitted to buy airplanes on a case-by-case basis — sanctions that have been in place for 35 years, according to Zarif.
Zarif believes that the two main goals of Iran should now be to improve the economic situation of the country, and for Iran to play a more important role in the region. He did not elaborate on what the important role would be, but since the July 2015 comprehensive deal, Zarif has been busy visiting countries in the region. Zarif said, “What has worried the Zionist regime more than anything else is this role and we have the ability to play this role.”In his closing comments, Zarif made a plea with the members of parliament, saying, “We cannot make the environment for investment in Iran unsafe ourselves. We are the decision-makers of the country, our decisions have an impact on the world. If we want investments to be made in our country, we have to show that our country is ready to accept investments. We have to state that we intend to implement the nuclear deal. We have to say that Iran is a country that up until now has implemented its commitments and will continue to do so.”In a lighter moment, after the testimony, Zarif and member of parliament Mehdi Bazrpash, who also is the editor of hard-line Vatan-e-Emrooz, hugged one another. Bazrpash had a number of heated exchanges with Zarif during his testimony, and Bazrpash's paper has been one of the staunchest opponents of the nuclear deal.

Guests of God' pay high price
Madawi Al-Rasheed/Al-Monitor/September 14, 2015
Trouble seems to have found this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca before the season even started. On Sept. 11, a huge crane being used in the ongoing expansion of the Mecca precinct collapsed, killing more than 100 pilgrims and injuring many others. The tragedy was so catastrophic that King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, promised a full investigation and visited the site of the accident and the injured. Like many other accidents in the past, this disaster brought to attention the contested nature of Saudi control over the holiest site of Islam.The Saudi leadership boasts about its efforts to welcome the pilgrims and expand the area where they can perform their annual ritual, the quality of the health services it offers and, most important, the safety and security of pilgrims.
However, the moment a Muslim decides to make the pilgrimage, he is at the mercy of the commercialization of this religious duty. From visa fees imposed by the Saudi government to transportation and accommodation charges, pilgrims are a source of income to both the Saudi government and service providers. The Saudi government prefers to call pilgrims “guests of God,” but these guests pay a high price. It takes some Muslims a lifetime to save for this important journey; many may never have enough resources to make it. Others can be banned for political reasons. A Saudi micro-economy has flourished around the annual pilgrimage, but that is often overlooked when the Saudi leadership boasts about its services to pilgrims. From small hotel owners to global chains owned by entrepreneur princes such as Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, revenues from the pilgrimage have always been an important source of income.
The Saudi leadership has also used the pretext of expanding the Mecca site to confiscate land around the precinct, annex property with little compensation and erect imposing buildings such as high-rise royal palaces. The horizontal expansion of the Grand Mosque to allow for more than 2 million visitors has been marred by vertical royal residences and luxury hotels, all beyond the reach of ordinary Muslims, the majority of whom can only afford shelter in specially erected tents.
The commercialization of the pilgrimage — some would say the vulgarization — is compounded by another hot-button issue, namely Saudi control of the sequence of pilgrimage rituals to make them conform to the Wahhabi version. This has remained problematic given the diversity of Muslims, their sects and their folk religious traditions. The Saudi government also prohibits the observance of certain traditions during the pilgrimage season. For example, some pilgrims are not allowed to visit graveyards where the companions of the prophet were buried in Medina, the second holy city, or to chant or use drums. A pilgrim is expected to perform the ritual in a somber way, regardless of his background or religious sect. Shiites in particular have been affected by these restrictions. In the past, clashes were common between them and Saudi police as Shiites tried to visit the tombs of their revered imams.
The inability of Saudi authorities to accommodate religious diversity is not the only contested issue that antagonizes many Muslims. Saudi Arabia does not like politicized gatherings in public places. For example, the government severely punishes anyone calling for demonstrations, which are banned anyway. So the authorities are paranoid about pilgrims who may use the occasion to raise political issues or incite others to act on these issues. In the past, this controversy has brought Saudi Arabia into conflict with Iran, whose pilgrims wanted to turn the religious occasion into a political rally in 1987 during the Iran-Iraq War.
Political conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran over the last three decades crept into the pilgrimage season, with Saudis constantly warning all Muslims against using the occasion to voice political views. But this year, Saudi Arabia has many other conflicts to worry about that might erupt during the annual pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia has antagonized not only Shiites but other Muslims as a result of its aggressive foreign policy following the Arab uprisings in 2010.
From the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt and its affiliates around the Arab world who resented Saudi support for military rule in Egypt to Yemenis who have suffered massive civilian deaths after more than six months of Saudi bombing of their cities, Saudi Arabia is no longer the all-encompassing reconciliatory Muslim power that it claims to be. While the growing sectarianism currently sweeping the region cannot be entirely blamed on Saudi political and religious policies, Saudi Arabia has contributed to the increasing polarization, especially between Sunnis and Shiites. Under the pretext of curbing Iranian influence in the Arabian Peninsula, the ongoing Saudi war in Yemen has yet to bring peace to that poor country. In Syria, Saudi support for various rebel groups over the past four years has yielded more controversy than solutions. It has certainly made political solutions a remote possibility and resulted in the exodus of millions of Syrian refugees whom Gulf countries are not prepared to welcome.
There also remains the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, which both openly detest and denounce the Saudi regime and dub it ungodly. Lately, they have been less vocal in their attacks on the regime, possibly as they are content with the Saudi military campaign in Yemen, which is bound to coincide with their own interest to eradicate the Shiites. Predecessors of these contemporary movements used the pilgrimage season to challenge the Saudi regime in 1979, when a group led by Juhayman al-Otaibi and Mohammad al-Qahtani, both militant Saudi radicals, seized the Grand Mosque and held many pilgrims as hostages. Current Saudi jihadis have not attacked the regime or its institutions, but instead have focused their suicide bombings on Shiite places of worship since the beginning of 2015. It remains to be seen whether they will turn their attention to attacking the regime itself.
The Saudis need to be extra vigilant this year to prevent another tragedy — one that might not be attributable to corrupt construction companies or weather conditions. Serving Muslims, as the Saudi leadership claims is its goal, involves greater responsibility to solve urgent political problems rather than fueling schisms and hatred between those Muslims. The partisan politics of the Saudi regime will only further the polarization that unfolds during the most important ritual in Islam, the hajj.
**Dr. Madawi Al-Rasheed is a visiting professor at the Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics and Political Science as well as a columnist for Al-Monitor's Gulf Pulse. She has written extensively about the Arabian Peninsula, Arab migration, globalization, religious transnationalism and gender.

Iraq’s government, society struggle with widespread bribery
Wassim Bassem/Al-Monitor/September 14/15
BABIL, Iraq — With shocking innocence, Ali al-Sultani from Babil, a city 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Baghdad, told Al-Monitor what he does to have official documents dealt with in state agencies. “I often carry large sums of money and hand them over to employees in the state agencies, where I go to take care of my affairs such as transferring the ownership of a property, obtaining civil status cards for my children or amending their school grades,” Sultani said. Sultani does not consider what he is doing “bribery,” but described it as “a token of gratitude for the employee who gives me special assistance.”
Bribery is considered morally wrong in Iraq, and it is against the law and social and religious norms. For this reason, the word “bribery” is often replaced with less offensive terms that legitimize the act. Sociologist Ali al-Khafaji told Al-Monitor, “Bribery has become commonplace in Iraq, and it is covered up with justifications or special arrangements.” He added, “Many Iraqis have grown accustomed to visiting a [state agency] employee at home or in an agreed-upon place to give him a commission for expediting an administrative procedure and overcoming legal obstacles."
Another Babil resident told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “I got my driver’s license while sitting at home, after paying $600 to an employee in the traffic police department.”
The Commission of Integrity confirmed the extent to which bribery is present in Iraqi state agencies in a statement it issued Feb. 1: “Offices in Baghdad that issue driver's licenses top the list of bribed parties. There are indications of bribery in all state agencies, and these acts exceed 3% of the [regular] administrative transactions.” To test the phenomenon of bribery, Al-Monitor met with a retired employee who was willing to help in obtaining a passport; he asked for $400 to “spare us the hassle of waiting for months as well as the trouble of [filling out] papers.”Journalist Alaa Kouly told Al-Monitor, “Bribery has become the key element of state transactions, and it no longer has a social stigma [attached to it] or is considered a misdemeanor. In his opinion, this is due to a lack of “legal accountability.” He said, “Everyone is bribed, even security men and legal officials who are supposed to fight this phenomenon.”
Political analyst and writer Ali Mared al-Assadi told Al-Monitor, “Bribery has become a part of general culture in Iraq, although the term is replaced by others such as 'gift' or 'contribution.' Not many people condemn it or refrain from engaging in it, especially after 1990 when [state agency] employees’ salaries plunged following the war with Kuwait and the economic blockade on Iraq during the 1990s.”
On the one hand, employees and officials abuse their political positions and employment to make money illegally. On the other, citizens are pressed and resort to bribery to get paperwork done quickly. What other option does a citizen whose legal papers require the signature of a state employee have?
Bribery is rampant in all state agencies, including the real estate department. Said Hasan, a teacher in Babil, told Al-Monitor, “I had to bribe an employee at the real estate department to complete a legal transaction of a property I bought.”A report issued by the Commission of Integrity on Dec. 5, 2014, stated, “The General Commission for Taxes in Najaf tops the list of most bribed departments in Iraq.”Perhaps bribery is not a new practice in Iraqi society and the Arab world, and it was a reason behind the Arab Spring revolutions; but in recent years, it has turned into a widespread phenomenon. Civil and media activist Hasanein Ali told Al-Monitor, “It [bribery] is a disease plaguing Iraqi society’s structure. It has even reached [the level of] the medical secretaries in private clinics. It is enough to offer a sum of money to move up a doctor's appointment and avoid the long waitlist.”For his part, Ali said, “It can only be eradicated by educating and raising a new generation that thrives on human moral values.”
Cleric Muhammad al-Yasiri from Babil told Al-Monitor, “The role of religion in society must be fostered to fight bribery and corruption.” Yasiri called on preachers in mosques to “cooperate with the citizens and reiterate that God has forbidden this vice that leads to the downfall of society.”
He said, “Bribery in Islam is one of the great vices, and whoever practices it is cursed by God.”Moreover, Iraqi Penal Code 111 punishes those charged with bribery with up to 10 years in prison. Since Aug. 9, protesters have taken to the street to condemn the corrupt politicians and government officials. Civil activist and writer Hadi al-Husseini told Al-Monitor, “These protests will not eliminate corruption — mainly bribery — because everyone is practicing these acts. At the forefront are high-level officials who buy and sell in their ministerial or otherwise important positions.” What do Iraqis want then? In principle, they want improvement of their livelihoods, implementation of social justice, resumption of political reform and accountability of those who bribe. This will constitute the first steps to eliminate bribery, which has become rampant in Iraqi society, where the strong prey on the weak.
*Wassim Bassem is an Iraqi journalist who tracks social phenomena in investigations and reports for various media outlets, including Al-Esbuyia, Bab Nour and Elaph.

Iraqi Columnist: Why Aren't Muslim Clerics Calling For Jihad Against ISIS?
MEMRI/September 15, 2015 Special Dispatch No.6159
In his July 9, 2015 column, titled "Why Won't They Declare Jihad Against ISIS? Secularists and Infidels Are More Zealous for Islam than the Sheikhs," in the Arabic internet daily Raialyoum.com, Kurdish-Iraqi columnist Anas Mahmoud Al-Sheikh Mazhar harshly criticized Muslim clerics for their apathy and silence in the face of ISIS and its actions, and wondered whether they should not declare jihad and struggle against the organization in light of the dangers it posed. He added that Muslim clerics should be ashamed of themselves, particularly considering that foreign politicians and armies have rushed to defend Islam from ISIS. The following are excerpts from his column:[1]
Anas Mahmoud Al-Sheikh Mazhar (Source: Facebook.com, May 16, 2015)
The Muslim Clerics' Silence In Face Of ISIS Actions Is Incomprehensible
"In the past, we were accustomed to seeing clerics ascend to mosque pulpits and launch their lofty sermons with attacks on the mistaken policies and actions of the politicians in their countries... All the preacher had to do was to raise his voice and shout, and the worshippers and listeners would moan and cry 'Allah Akbar' after every word emerging from his throat. Thus, the measure of a preacher's skill was his ability to attack government policy. Preachers would compete vigorously amongst each other, and the leading mosques were those that frequently dealt with politics and attacked [politicians].
"This 'fashion' continued until ISIS emerged and took over large swaths of the [Middle East] region. Then, as though ordained by fate, these voices fell silent. Their interest in politics waned, and religious matters took up more of their sermons – and not only in the mosques. The clerics and preachers filling the TV channels [also] dealt mainly with the life and times of the Prophet [Muhammad], with religious laws and affairs, and with questions concerning the afterlife and its horrors, to the point where viewers must have felt that they were living in an entirely different world.
"In light of the circumstances in the region, and in light of the plot against Islam being carried out by extremist organizations that have twisted this tolerant religion and replaced it with one consumed by murder, slaughter, floggings, and chopping off of hands, we see Islam's sheikhs and clerics living in enviable peace and complacency, paying no heed to the perplexed Muslims, who by now are confused about their faith and no longer know right from wrong. "How can clerics who consider themselves zealous about their religion remain silent as the grave, in light of the events in the region and the acts against Islam that these organizations are committing? Could it be that we are wrong and that the true Islam is the one that ISIS preaches? If this is Islam, why be ashamed to admit it[?] And if it is not, why are they refraining from telling the truth?
"Some may say that most Muslim clerics have expressed anti-ISIS positions. This is true, but can such a grave problem be addressed merely with [weak] verbal opposition, without a serious and determined stand that reflects this opposition? We have seen clerics conduct major popular campaigns against matters that are trivial, to say the least, and devote all their time and resources to [these matters]. But faced with the problem of twisting the religion, they settle for [mere] verbal objections, and provide them only when directly asked to do so.
"It is strange that some of the 'sheikhs of Islam' encouraged the Arab peoples' enthusiasm to topple their rulers during the Arab Spring – issuing fatwas calling for jihad against them, even though the Arab rulers' crimes did not compare to despicable crimes of ISIS. Over the decades [of their rule,] tyrannical Arab regimes did not distort Islam the way ISIS has over the past three years. It is also strange that some sheikhs were enraged when the Muslim Brotherhood regime in Egypt was ousted, since it is at best a political group or faction. These sheikhs described those who made this change [the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood regime] as infidels who have left Islam, and even incited the Egyptian people against their new government and declared jihad against it – yet they are silent in light of the actions of these terrorist organizations who are trying to topple Islam as a religion, not just some party or group. Doesn't the danger posed by ISIS require them to declare jihad against it?"
Shame On You For Remaining Silent In Light Of The Dangers Of ISIS – While "Infidels" Protect Us
"There are three possible explanations for their silence in light of the phenomenon and behavior of ISIS:
"One – the sheikhs and preachers of Islam are cowards and dare not speak the truth, fearing that extremist organizations will kill them, leading them to act in contradiction to their [own] sermons, which encourage telling the truth even at the cost of one's life."Two – they [believe] in their hearts that this is Islam, and are [therefore] pleased by the actions of these extremist groups and believe in them. Therefore, regimes and security mechanisms should treat these sheikhs like any other terrorist, and apply the terrorism laws to them. "Three – their regimes are involved in the actions of ISIS and they are unable to disobey their leaders. Therefore they follow these leaders at the expense of the truth, without feeling that the responsibility is on their shoulders as clerics. This makes them hypocrites. "If we give the clerics the benefit of the doubt, and choose the first option – i.e. that they are motivated by fear, even though this is a shameful option – we say to them: Shame on you for standing by and playing blind, deaf, mute, and dumb – while armies, nations, and peoples that you have termed infidels rush to defend us and our religion, even if they are also defending themselves. It is shameful that the European politicians [whom you call] 'infidels' come out to purge the Islamic arena of this extremist ideology, and that secular Arab artists [whom you call] 'murtadoun' [apostates] criticize ISIS actions that deviate from the straight path – while you hide behind mosque pulpits and utter not a sound, as though it does not concern you.
"You wretches... Have you no shame?"
Endnote:
[1] Raialyoum.com, July 9, 2015.

Syrian refugees don’t want to camp in Saudi Arabia. They want a future
Jamal Khashoggi//Al Arabiya/September 15/15
“Why don’t Saudi Arabia and Arab Gulf countries host Syrian refugees instead of letting them die in the sea?” some naively ask.
Others maliciously pose this question for the purpose of shifting blame from the Syrian regime, the brutality of which has pushed people to flee and risk dying in the sea. The Saudi kingdom has been receiving Syrians ever since the Syrian tragedy began. An official I spoke with estimates their number at half million. These Syrians, however, have not been registered as refugees, as Saudi Arabia is not a country neighboring Syria and these people have not arrived as refugees, but have entered via a visit visa. Saudi Arabia welcomed them over all this time and it did not force them to leave or detain those whose visa expired – however, another country that is supposedly a brotherly country of Syria actually did that. Some Syrians in Saudi Arabia found jobs, others didn’t. The government allowed them to send their children to public schools but this does not mean they are happy. My Syrian friend has seen the occupants of his tiny apartment in Jeddah double; there’s nothing he can do, but be patient.
Refugee camps
Saudi Arabia can receive more Syrians, like some European countries and human rights organizations are naively, or maliciously, demanding.
There’s no use in Gulf countries building refugee camps, because Syrians have had enough of living in camps and they want to have a proper life.
However, Syrians don’t want to go to Saudi Arabia as refugees. Saudi Arabia or other Gulf countries’ building of refugee camps is of no use because Syrians have had enough of living in camps and they want to have a proper life. And as long as we don’t give them their country back, they will continue to travel in search of a country where they can build a future, and Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries cannot provide them with this option. There’s another Syrian man I know who lives in Saudi Arabia. He plans to immigrate to Europe in any way possible. He hears of his paternal cousin who got a job in Sweden and gained citizenship, like thousands of Syrians, Iraqis, Afghanis, Somalis and other Arab or Muslim people who are miserable in their own countries, plagued as they are by failure, war, and secular, religious and sectarian extremism.
We are not an enormous economic power like Germany who can – or rather, needs – to contain more immigrants.
No citizenship
In Saudi Arabia, we don’t easily grant citizenship and that’s also the case in most Gulf countries. This policy is not due to racism or superiority – given that, for example, Saudi Arabia’s citizens consist of all races. The reason is purely economic. Our situation is like that of some European countries, like Hungary and Greece, who don’t want immigrants because their economies cannot contain them. We are not an enormous economic power like Germany who can – or rather, needs – to contain more immigrants yet it’s unwilling because it wants to select them and not receive them in such huge numbers.
Therefore, the reason is purely economic. Our brotherly relations with the Syrian people still prevailed, and we opened our doors to them as much we could. But our economy cannot tolerate hosting refugees who turn into residents.
Foreign labor concerns
This is because our market is already saturated with foreign labor, which most of us don’t even need, and this has negatively affected our society and economy. We hesitatingly think of how to resolve this accumulated problem. We are shocked by the number of foreign laborers in our country and by the reality of unemployment among our sons whenever we hold a conference to discuss “foreign labor in Gulf states, its reality and future.” We’ve become “addicted” to foreign labor, which constitutes one third of Saudi Arabia’s population.This latter phrase is the headline of a study by Jassim Hussain published last week by Al-Jazeera. Whoever read this study must have felt worried and realized the threats surrounding the Gulf’s future as it further sinks in the sea of foreign laborers – who will continue to be foreign as long as they live in a society that does not, and cannot resettle them.
However, we quickly forget or ignore our worry and resume our distorted economic life because we’ve become “addicted” to that foreign labor, which constitutes one third of Saudi Arabia’s population – and which constitutes even more, up to 80% in other Gulf countries. Some of us want to decrease their numbers (I am sure that officials in Saudi Arabia want that and are planning for it).
Resettlement, not refugee camps
Therefore, resettling hundreds of thousands of Syrians will confuse all our economic calculations and affect citizens’ interests. I say “resettle” because this is what Syrians want. They don't want a tent or a camp surrounded by iron bars like those they escaped from in Jordan’s Zaatari camp or in Turkey’s Gaziantep.Nothing distinguishes one tent from another – they are all miserable after you spend a year or two in them as you wait to return home. Syrians want to settle and become citizens. They want to become Jordanians but there are not enough jobs there, or become Turks and argue with their bosses and earn the same salary as their Turkish colleagues. The father of Aylan Kurdi – the three-year-old Syrian boy who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, and whose photo as he lied dead on the sand made global headlines, bringing the issue of Syrian refugees into the spotlight – did not directly escape from Kobani to the sea. He lived in Turkey for several months before trying to flee. He experienced life in the camps and accepted a job for a humble salary – one fourth of what a Turkish citizen gains. However, he got tired of it and collected $4,000 – just enough to join the journey of death by sea and either make it to Europe and attain social security and a job to later be naturalized, or die. His family’s fate was death and his fate was to narrate his tragedy and live in misery and pain for the rest of his life. Syrians don’t need camps as there are camps for them in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon where around four million are officially registered as refugees. They need a home and Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries cannot be that alternative home.
Overpopulated Gulf
The crisis of Syrian refugees might as well expose the flawed labor market of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries and help the latter see these flaws and realize the huge mistake they committed by allowing the Arabian Peninsula to overpopulate and thus accommodate more than it can provide in terms of food and drink.The Gulf's consumption of natural resources is double the parentage of what God destined for this Peninsula’s residents. In the past, the Peninsula’s conditions forced people to leave to other countries, mainly to Levant countries and Iraq. However when the oil resources surfaced, immigration stopped and for the first time in history, the Peninsula became an attraction for people. Eventually it got saturated and it could no longer contain those who want to return to it – as it can barely contain its own people.The solution is to go there and reform the situation of the Levant no matter what it takes, in order for its people to stay there or to return to it.What we’ve witnessed in Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries – but didn’t complain of – and what Europe witnessed (and did complain of) is only the tip of the iceberg of this Syrian refugee crisis, which has been escalating for four years now. It will affect all of us, as the Syrian people also want a life.

Is Russia fighting for the last of Assad’s Syria?
Mohamed Chebarro/Al Arabiya/September 15/15
Russia’s renewed deployment of both men and advanced hardware in Syria is, I believe, another indicator that the Assad regime is losing hope of forming an Alawite state, or what has been referred to as a “mini Syria”. The Russian deployment of soldiers, or ‘advisers’, and modern equipment is explained by Moscow as a means to prop up the global fight against ISIS in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. But the reality is that the Russians are looking to prop up what is left of President Bashar al-Assad's “useful Syria” – or the “mini” Alawite coastal state – which is seen as the endgame for Damascus should it fail to regain all of Syria.The Russian move is also tacitly intended to deny Tehran a monopoly in any future settlement of the Syrian crisis.
Latakia is key
The Latakia area seems to be teetering as opposition forces group and edge closer, travelling through the al-Ghab valley. For the option of a “mini Syria” state to remain viable, then the coastal areas need to remain intact. Regime troops aided by local Alawite militias trained by the Iranians, and supported by Iraqi, Afghani and Lebanese militias and recruits, look destined to fail in defending Assad’s heartland of Latakia in the long run.But for the option of a “mini Syria” state to remain viable, then the coastal areas need to remain intact. And Russia under President Vladimir Putin is expert at keeping loyal enclaves protected, as we saw in the Crimea region, and later in Eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin’s renewed effort in Syria also acts as a counterbalance to an active Iranian agenda, which is seen as a policy to extend its foothold in the Mediterranean through propping up a weak Syria without a strong central army.
Washington, though still firm in its policy of fighting ISIS being its sole priority in the Middle East, sees no issue in allowing Moscow space to promote what it has long called for. For Russia, the settlement in Syria should be based on Geneva-1 – and Moscow-1, two and three. It is a settlement based on a transition government made up of mild opponents of the regime, with President Assad as a symbolic president. This is a formula rejected by a least half the Syrian public and most Arab countries, as well as Turkey. For those see Assad and his allies in Tehran and Moscow as part of the problem – not the solution.
Since the initially peaceful uprising against Assad in March 2011, Russia’s Putin saw the events as a fight against terror, rather than a rebellion against Assad’s dynastic dictatorship. After nearly five years more than 300,000 Syrians have been killed; there are one million injured, imprisoned or missing; and in excess of ten million displaced. It is a three-way war, with the regime and its allies fighting foreign-induced terror, the opposition groups fighting for a united Syria without Assad, and ISIS fighting against the rest.
Yet it is evident that the solution proposed by Putin and his foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has not changed. Moscow thinks that Syrians must decide for themselves what government they want – albeit one under Assad’s symbolic rule – and disregards the constant death, destruction and displacement of surviving citizens.
Russia’s flawed vision for Syria's future
If president Putin’s vision for ending the conflict is facilitated by a neutral Obama administration, and a Europe frightened of further waves of refugees arriving at its shores, then it will not be an exaggeration to suggest that we might witness the following in the months to come. President Putin will send in more troops and marines – as well as fighter jets. Thousands of Iranian advisors and troops – in addition to 5000-plus Hezbollah fighters already there, as well as more Iraqi and Afghani militia – will surely be a force to stabilize ‘useful Syria’.This cocktail of troops and militias - without, of course, the half of the Syrian population that have been displaced - will likely hold the ground until a peace conference is held under the banner of the ‘global fight against terror’.Such is the logical conclusion of the highly flawed peace plan envisaged by Moscow, that – who knows! – maybe ISIS foreign fighters could swap hats and play the role of international monitors. This phoney plan, championed by Moscow and an internationally rehabilitated Tehran, would proclaim to find a solution for the Syrian crisis. This will result in a transitory government, and a date set for parliamentary elections that will allow the Syrians to decide democratically what they want and how they wish to govern their fractured nation. The Iranian troops or advisors, Moscow’s marines, and the militias already present in Syria will double-up with forces led by U.N. special envoy Staffan De Mistura, to protect a free and fair election once it is finally called for by Moscow, Tehran – and Washington, maybe. Such is the logical conclusion of this highly flawed peace plan envisaged by Moscow, that – who knows! – maybe ISIS foreign fighters could swap hats under this Russian deal, and play the role of international monitors.

Here’s the kicker: Hungarian journalist exposes Arab media hypocrisy
Diana Moukalled/Al Arabiya/September 15/15
If a journalist’s job is, supposedly, to expose the suffering of others, but instead they kick a child as the entire world watches, it's obvious that they should pay the price. Hungarian camerawoman Petra László lost her job, future and credibility after her colleagues’ cameras documented the moment she meanly kicked a girl and a father carrying his son, as they and other Syrian refugees fled police at the border between Hungary and Serbia. Amid all the condemnation of László, who later apologized, images of the incident became some sort of visible summary of all the hate and racism of European right-wing parties and their objection to the refugees. But wait a minute. We, particularly Arabs, who are angry at this woman must take a deep breath – and then take a look at ourselves. Let us think about what Arab journalists are committing against refugees, and against the many weak minorities in our societies, in the name of a commitment to a cause. Yes, we are right to be angry of László’s behavior. But let’s be a little humble before we demonize her and the entire West, which at this moment seems to be the only refuge for those escaping death in Syria. Embodying the right wing. Why did the Hungarian camerawoman anger us? It’s because she violated humanitarian and journalistic principles. However, there is another face to what László did. She embodied the type of journalist who covers events as if they were part of the struggle involved, rather than an objective observer. And it is clear she is committed to the right-wing, with its fear and rejection of refugees.
Some among us think that objective journalism – which is performed via observing – is no more, and that we’ve now entered the era of journalism that’s loyal to either side of a struggle. Isn’t this what László did? Let’s look at this in the Arab countries. Let’s review what other Arab journalists did at the same time that this Hungarian woman committed that horrible act against fleeing Syrian refugees. An article by one Arab author actually criticized the Syrian refugees, describing them in a manner that was harsher and more racist than the Hungarian camerawoman’s act. The author described the millions of Syrian refugees fleeing to Europe as people Syria doesn’t need.
Hypocrisy
Many other Arab journalists openly declare their bias to a certain party. And that then endorses those who are responsible for the death of thousands. You could argue that, while journalists may be biased towards a particular cause, they have not reached the level of kicking a child or a father and his son. But as a matter of fact, they’ve done worse than that. They committed sins that are worse than what the Hungarian camerawoman did. They have supported dictator regimes. They supported imprisonment, the execution of activists, and they overlooked torture. They supported wars that falsely claimed they were aimed at restoring sovereignty. They supported the persecution of minorities. There is much hypocrisy in how the media deals with the Syrian refugee crisis. Some condemn what the Hungarian camerawoman did, yet incite others against Syrian refugees in their own countries, and calling for their expulsion. The list of violations against the refugees goes on and on. So let the West hold László accountable. And let us think about what Arab journalists are committing against refugees, and against the many weak minorities in our societies, in the name of their commitment to a cause. It’s true that what László did brought shame to journalism. But she only did what some have been committing in the name of journalism for years. And that has serious consequences far worse than that despicable kick.

Resolving the Syrian Dilemma
Ali Ibrahim/Asharq Al Awsat/September 15/15
Few would have expected the Syrian crisis to continue into a fifth year, when it has now become an open arena for extremist organizations while at the same time becoming the scene of a proxy war between the United States and Russia. Both have been indirectly involved in the conflict—in stark contrast to Iran which has been playing a direct role in addition to its support for the Assad regime. The situation has now become incredibly complex for the foreign players involved. It has morphed into a crisis not just of military conflict, but also one involving the tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who have landed on Europe’s shores, having braved a perilous and life-threatening journey in smugglers’ boats to cross the Mediterranean and reach the continent. At the same time, the world is casting worried glances at Syria, fearful of the extremist organizations currently operating there and intent on exporting terror to the rest of the region and the world. Syrians are now facing two stark choices, each one worse than the other: the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Assad regime. And so thousands have chosen to make the journey across the sea, with all its accompanying dangers, in order to start a new life far away from the madness of ISIS and the oppression of the regime. But civil wars are like raging fires that initially consume themselves and everything around them, only to die down eventually, leaving behind their ash and embers as a reminder of the destruction they have wrought. One day this crisis will end, but the losses will be irreversible. Half the Syrian population is already displaced, and whole cities have been destroyed along with priceless historical treasures which have stood for thousands of years, only to meet a fate similar to the giant statues of the Buddha in Afghanistan’s Bamyan Valley. Those statues were destroyed by this age’s new Mongols, who find in reducing such treasures to rubble a source of pleasure and a way to sate their destructive impulses.
How will this crisis end? How will this dilemma be resolved? The two major sides in the conflict are both extremists, and the moderate opposition is currently completely impotent and has not been able to convince foreign players to arm them in any effective way. Meanwhile, the Assad regime is receiving very public support from Moscow, which has said it will continue to support the regime as it is the only power in Syria capable of fighting the terrorist groups currently swarming there. Moscow’s recent comments that it will continue to arm the Syrian regime as well as reports that Russian military advisers are present in Damascus suggest the conflict will escalate to a new level. Another point of view, however, may see that such revelations and comments are a way for Moscow to show it has interests in Syria and send a clear message to the other parties that when the time comes for negotiation those interests cannot be taken lightly. This points to a situation which could perhaps be summed up by the Arab saying, “When the crisis intensifies, its resolution follows. This point of view is supported by the consensus that neither Washington nor Moscow will ever put boots on the ground in Syria and engage in any kind of direct confrontation, especially considering this never happened during the Cold War or even during a confrontation such as the Bay of Pigs Invasion in the 1960s. This Russian involvement, which many contend will intensify the conflict and add fuel to the fire, coincides with the refugees crisis which has now caused some European countries to reintroduce border controls in order to deal with the influx. All this lends credence to the idea that the hour for negotiation is approaching. And when the table is set and all the chairs put in place all sides must be ready, so that solutions which disregard the region’s interests are not implemented. Talk of sides here does not at all refer to ISIS and its ilk, for these are temporary players whose role in the conflict has come to an end.

Report: Iranian commander makes second Moscow visit
Roi Kais/Ynetnews/Published:09.15.15,
Published: 09.15.15, 13:32 / Israel News
Alleged meeting suggests increased efforts by Russia and Iran to coordinate support for Bashar Assad's government, as Moscow sends military advisers to Syria and builds temporary housing. Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds Force, has visited Moscow for the second time, Lebanese newspaper As-Safir reported on Tuesday. According to the newspaper, the alleged meeting occurred last week. The newspaper did not specify whom Soleimani met in Moscow. Soleimani is believed to coordinate the Iranian campaign against ISIS and other groups in Iraq and Syria. He is subject to a UN travel ban. The Lebanese publication speculated that the visit involved Russian-Iranian efforts to coordinate actions in Syria. This report follows a senior Israeli security source's claim that Soleimani recently sent hundreds of Iranian soldiers to fight rebels in Syria. According to this source, Iranian forces are fighting alongside Hezbollah for the city of Zabadani in southwest Syria, not far from the Lebanese border. The only Iranian forces known to be active in Syria until now were the Basij, a paramilitary group. Regarding reinforcement of Iranian troops, the Israeli source said that "this is being done in light of Assad's desperation and with Iranian-Russian coordination, following Soleimani's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin." Following Soleimani's alleged earlier visit to Moscow, a Iranian source reported that the commander had arrived in Russia to discuss transfer of advanced S-300 missiles to the Islamic Republic. Russia and Iran have a shared interest in supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad as much as possible. The New York Times reported last week that Russia has been building a secret base in Syria and sent a delegation of military advisers. It was further reported that Russia had brought temporary housing units to the port city of Lattakiya, capable of housing up to 1,000 advisers and other military personnel. The report claimed that while there was no indication that Russia intends to deploy significant ground forces in Syria, the base could be used to transfer military equipment or as a launching pad for airstrikes. Russia is one of Syria's only international allies, along with Iran and Hezbollah. A few days after the New York Times report, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed for the first time that Russian military experts were in Russia. Also Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly defended Moscow's military assistance to the Syrian government, saying it's impossible to defeat the Islamic State group without cooperating with Damascus.Speaking at a meeting of heads of states at a Moscow-dominated security alliance of ex-Soviet nations in Tajikistan, Putin urged other nations to follow Russia's example and offer military support to Assad's government.
"We are supporting the government of Syria in the fight against a terrorist aggression, are offering and will continue to offer it necessary military-technical assistance," Putin said in televised remarks. "Without an active participation of the Syrian authorities and the military, it would be impossible to expel the terrorists from that country and the region as a whole, and to protect the multi-ethnic and multi-confessional Syrian people from destruction." He said that Assad was ready to conduct political transformations and engage a "'healthy part of the opposition," but added that "pooling forces in the fight against terror takes the priority now."Putin shrugged off allegations that Moscow's support for Assad has sparked a flow of refugees, saying that without Russia's support for Assad's regime the number of Syrian refugees heading to Europe would have been even bigger."People are fleeing Syria primarily to escape fighting that has been fueled from the outside with supplies of weapons and hardware, they are fleeing to escape terrorist atrocities," he said. "Without Russia's support for Syria, the situation in the country would have been worse than in Libya, and the flow of refugees would have been even bigger."The Russian leader is set to address the Syrian crisis when he speaks to the UN General Assembly later this month, and observers in Moscow believe he wants a Russian military force on the ground to be ready by that time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Letter to Obama on his next Iran legislative challenge
Robert Satloff/The Hill/September 15/15
Congratulations, President Obama. You set out to win congressional approval of the Iran nuclear agreement – or, more precisely, avoid disapproval – and you executed this mission with merciless precision. You were masterful.
While the bar for victory was always low – just one-third of either house of Congress – you took no risks. You decided early on that your surest path to victory would be to maintain the loyalty of the Democratic base, even if it meant that an accord you described as the most important foreign policy decision in a decade would pass with minorities in both the House and Senate. In contrast, one should note, the START treaty with the Soviets you like to cite as a previous example of “diplomacy with the devil” was approved with more than a two-thirds margin in the Senate; even the much-critiqued Iraq war resolution had majority support. In this case, your strategy was to present a “done deal,” wrap it in the international legitimacy of the UN Security Council, reject any possibility of improvement, paint any deviation as apocalyptic, and brook no serious dissent. It worked brilliantly. Operationally, the glide path from “We’re only talking, no decisions have been made” to “No deal is better than a bad deal” to “This deal or war” was smooth and seamless. From the moment there was only token opposition – a mere letter from the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee – to your plan to take the Iran agreement to the UN even before letting Congress review its terms, you knew the game was won.
To be sure, many legislators, including many Democrats, were irked at being shackled with false choices and few options. They criticized the deal as flawed, faulty, incomplete and defective. If they had acted in unison, they would have had leverage to compel you to change course, even if only to secure meaningful improvements in the Iran deal, not to kill it altogether. But they couldn’t – or wouldn’t – work as one. Individually, several legislators tried to wrestle meaningful commitments from you in the form of “letters of assurance.” However, a careful reading shows these were artfully drafted to project the aura of new commitments without accepting any substantive proposals to close loopholes or correct flaws in the agreement. In the end, just four of 46 Democrats in the Senate opposed the agreement. The fact that the Senate could not even muster cloture to register its formal disapproval is a sweeter result than you could have hoped for. One can only imagine how much better the nuclear deal would be if you had negotiated with Iran with as much hardball cunning as you dealt with Congress. Soon, the Iran debate will move on to its next phase, when legislators table numerous proposals to plug holes in the agreement and strengthen broader deterrence against Iran. The key question is whether there is a legislative majority for the sort of sensible ideas that you have so far deflected in the pursuit of a ‘yes’ vote.
This doesn’t refer to proposals for increased military assistance to Israel and Gulf states threatened by Iranian adventurism; they will pass with huge margins and you will be pleased to sign them. Rather, these include such suggestions as calling on you to brief Congressional leaders on details of understandings your officials claim to have with European partners on how to penalize Iran for various types of violations of the deal, defining new sanctions to deter Iran from sending sanctions-relief funds to terrorist groups, transferring to Israel the mountain-busting Massive Ordnance Penetrator, and establishing as official policy a U.S. commitment to use “all means necessary” to prevent Iran’s accumulation, now or in the future, of the highly enriched uranium whose sole purpose is for a nuclear weapon. These fixes would repair some of the most serious flaws in the Iran deal. They can be implemented without opening the deal to renegotiation. But they will rise or fall on two questions. The first is out of your control: “Will Republicans insist on poison pills that doom workable proposals?” Recent events in the House don’t augur well for this. But the second question is up to you: “Will you order your allies on the Hill to fight against sensible correctives the way you quashed any talk of ‘a better deal’ over the last two months?”You won the big fight, Mr. President. Americans across our political divide hope you agree that now is the time to get down to the business of repairing the flaws in the deal.
**Satloff is executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

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